from Dave Smart

As we will soon gather to discuss and vote on a very important issue that affects us we are all being influenced one way or another, most are by the budget they have at home. All are by the Templeton municipal light and water plant and with no regards for your budgets.  Contrary to the lies and rumors the fact is and requests made at meetings that they now take credit for. We’ll raise your rates, that’s the response when we asked about a low income rate for poor and elderly with the need for help as their budgets shrink .The chairman seems to think low income is up to 60k, his words not mine! I guess the in the office there its low income too. The linemen are also underpaid and below the industry standards. Shame on you commissioners for your lack compassion and insight of the suffering in town even when brought to your attention .Times are not at all normal for your customers, town, or employees.

All of you should be taken to the woodshed and taught a lesson in sevility.One question lead to another and pushed me to put out a request for the voters to join me in a right to petition for your removal. I took great pride in talking to the over 100 people that signed and was not hard to get them. They also wanted this petition and thanked me for taking this on. You as commissioners have a less then customer oriented attitude and look to only ring your bell when you meet. Yes you have done a job that’s very important, the thing is not just you can do it. When you look at the big picture one can see the whole discussion revolves around money, our money not yours. I repeat our money. Thats what municipal stand for the part you have tried to take out. As the last 5 years evolved into a debt. Nightmare Templeton has been turned into a huge gamble. It may be a bigger problem than any of us ever would want to have or knew of it forming. As we look back in history the previous way the department was managed was very different than it is now. Commissioners like kwazny,Dembec and others with knowledge of the system and also compassion for the people they have to deal with .Never used their position to intimidate and use scare tactics to persuade others how to vote. They didn’t have to they had a thing called conscience that keeps the people always in the forefront of the department that was a municipal department .When asked now about the payment in lea of taxes, they answered the town problems are the towns problems and nothing to do with them or the light department. As we asked about the rebates offered by other electric service providers we were told only the big providers can afford to offer them. Were too small and would have to raise the rates to pay for that. What we later found out in fact was we could get rebates on a wide range of things, not just the bulbs under Driscolls desk. He’s too afraid to hand them out cause of the mercury in them. Insulation, Appliances, LED lighting fixtures and many other items available if only we all knew but they said we didn’t offer them. Why if they are getting it done do they not know about this when asked? A web site at another muni plant near by showed they have many types of rebates and when checked it was found out that Templeton light was a member also. It showed there are many ways to save on things from lower rates for low income people and also projects that help their town save also on lighting costs. But none of that for you at Templeton light. Just the fact that they are getting it done for you? The rates are only now getting lowered to sway your opinion of them and are a result our efforts to expose the arrogant behavior to previous commissioners and customers. As they made you start to pay a charge of 4.00 per month to be a customer of your town owned  department .Templeton would receive no more from this and as the commission worked to get the job done they were busy trying to start a new venture of power production .The state has a large stake in this also as they created fees and tax to provide loans and bonds to finance anything under the sun. That’s when the Templeton light started to get dim for us, the dark area we see behind Gannett that sits idle and with unknown cost to repair it. The wind power we are locked into is at best a poor gamble and also a hazard to our town and children alike .The fact that General electric would not sell one to be put there should have been a lesson for them but with their mindset why listen to them either. So close to a school and neighborhood shows a lack of compassion and conscience for the people that live around it. With being so close to the houses and school it fell on the deaf ears of the commission and with no regard to your wallet or your health went thru with it anyway. Studies and cost involved with the end of life decommission are unknown and little attention paid to it. The commission is in the dark about many issues related to the wind production and is busy to just keep up on the cost to repair it. Dissolving coops should be a clear insight of the type of gamble they have taken us into. Templeton is and will be on the hook for the cost and will be liable for the cost of this gamble if it fails, like the others of similar design. More money was spent then estimated and is a price that a repayment can only get worse as the turbine ages. If the failure of it creates a liability for the town we as taxpayers will bear the cost and higher taxes could result from it. Is this commission is doing such a great job? Why do they not know what was spent on putting it up? An audit over 2 years old is a poor excuse when questions about a dysfunctional 4+ million dollar investment are asked and not answered. We called somebody about a clunk noise and we need an oil change done for 35k. Turbines have a reputation of causing health problems for neighbors and are all but ignored and denied. Headaches that have stopped would seem to support the thought. Ask the people on ware drive about the flicker and see what the general manager told them. Get a shade? You know the high tech devise sold at walmart.I’m glad working for the town of Templeton is something he doesn’t’ want to do! As he has stated before he doesn’t work for the town of Templeton .I bet he would love to take back that statement. The lack of compassion and arrogance is the standard of the management and commission at the light and water plant for all  and needs to be put out of commission. With your help we can do just that. This petition gives us a chance to better Templeton light for the people that own it and the town that owns it.

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Dave Smart