The
May 24, 2010 BOS meeting was a very long meeting. The text of the
entire meeting minutes is now available for all to see. There are nine pages of minutes for this meeting.
Minutes of Meeting
Templeton Board of
Selectmen
690 Patriots Road
May 24, 2010
6:30 p.m.
Present: Board of
Selectmen: Julie Farrell, Dennis
O’Brien, Robert Mitchell, Robert Columbus, Chris Stewart; Town Coordinator Carol
Skelton
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Dennis O’Brien at 6:30 p.m.
At the bottom of page 8:
Discuss and Act on the Purchase and Sales Agreement for
the new Town Offices
Dennis read an email from Shirin Everett of Town
Counsel. Carol asked for the Board’s
recommendation on starting a Title Search on the property at 252 Baldwinville
Road. L. McClure asked for verification
as to who was on the Municipal Building Committee. D. Dennis asked for verification that the
Town will do all the testing. Chris
verified that two tests will be done.
Dennis stated, after a citizen asked, that they have to test for air
quality in the building and outside for contaminants. There was discussion regarding signing the
P&S Agreement before the testing was done.
It was verified that the Town had the right to back out of the Agreement
if we not satisfied with the testing results.
A person mentioned that Town Meeting they knew someone who worked at the
building and they worked with Mercury.
Carol stated that we have to sign the Agreement to bind the
property. Julie wanted clarification on
Section 2.11 Use of Money to Clear Title.
She doesn’t think it should be voted on until a date after the committee
meets this Wednesday. There was further
discussion regarding whether or not to vote tonight. Bob M. stated that he walked the property and
there is a barrel outside that says “poison” and “fenal” right on it and there
are squashed blue barrels also. He asked
who determines where to test. Jerry S.
said the people that do the borings.
Kirk M. offered info from experience that a lot of times geological
mapping is done as far as the way the water tables run.
Bob C made a motion to sign the P&S Agreement subject to
the testing on the building and Dennis seconded. Vote was taken as follows: Bob C., Dennis, Chris, yes and Bob M., Julie
no.
There
was also discussion about the conservation agent’s pay grade, BOH warrant
articles and other assorted goodies.
Dennis
O’Brien who resides at 259 Baldwinvile
Rd, not only voted to sign the purchase and sale agreement for 252 Baldwinville
Rd, he seconded the motion!
Had
ENOUGH ?
My
opinions…supported by FACTS ! ! !
Julie
Farrell
I cannot understand what problem Julie has with Dennis.Is she talking conflict of interest ?Is she talking property values ? Is she talking parlimentary procedure ? This blog is very confusing.
ReplyDeleteI did not know you had to be a Rhodes Scholar to figure out what Julie is trying to point out. It is a ethics violation to vote for something that will have a impact on you as a person. I have the Law someplace. If I can find it I will post it later. Bev.
ReplyDeleteBev..hostile not the bev i know and am fond of...bev i learned this from reading this blog infact....love will overpower hate...that is deep bev be away wth hate and be free...im going to pray for you and the end of hating this or that
DeleteI believe Mrs. Farrell and others are making a huge assumption about this particular situation. Why would Mr. O'Brien's property value necessarily go up by having a town hall across from it? I'm not sure I would pay top dollar for a house that has increased traffic and noise for at least 8 hours a day from people doing business at the town hall, let alone traffic and noise from meetings at night or other events. I would suggest that we're such a small town that some levels of conflict of interest are inevitable. Mr. O'Brien's actions don't seem unethical to me. In my opinion, he might have been agreeing to put up with the increased activity in exchange for doing some good for the town by having everything in one place.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that another manufacturing facility would not enhance the value of his house!
DeleteIn the muppett world everything is a conspiracy ...911, sandy hook boston marathon tragedy ...just go to the red onion and listen to kermit on a drunk rant...its very entertaining!!! Again my opinion supported by facts!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe muppets like to make trouble that is what this is about ...that is why templeton is fed up! My opinion supported by facts
ReplyDeleteDear Anons 12:08 and 12:48
DeleteI'll try to explain this in terms that people with an unhealthy obsessions about muppets will understand.
In the blog I posted entitled : " ENOUGH said...252 Baldwinville Rd" I posted a comment at 7:52 on April 16th. In that comment, I stated I would post the minutes from the May 24, 2010 Selectman's meeting. This blog "Can't make this up" contains the entire minutes from that May 24th meeting.
As a researcher, it is important to be able to read and analyze primary source materials. Meeting minutes are wonderful primary resources. Minutes are the official record of the votes and actions taken at public meetings. I post the recordings of the BOS meetings so that people who do not have cable have a way to watch these meetings so they can stay informed.
I posted the minutes from May 24, 2010 as soon as I had an electronic copy. I wanted to include these minutes in the prior blog "ENOUGH said...252 Baldwinville Rd." I didn't have the minutes in electronic form.
I believe these minutes contain important information. I post these minutes so people can read them and discuss them. If you don't want to read them, don't. I think most people appreciate access to this information. You are certainly not being forced to read the blog or any posting on the blog.
One other thing, please go easy on Kermit. It's not easy being green!
i dont think julie should be making judgements about what is healthy...you cant even take care of yourself...ms. piggy...oink oink
DeleteLove will always overpower hate.
DeleteIn some people's eyes, a nice quiet town hall is preferable as an abutting property to a dilapidated industrial building. If that former industrial site has barrels of suspicious provenance, the nice quite town hall looks better and better.
ReplyDeleteMark barrieau?? Same mark that completely screwed his one time buddy...chris boutell....same mark that would run wth marcus casavant....if so stop smoking bobby mitchell stuff "some people" may notice
DeleteHmmmmm whats that about ethics..hmmm.
DeleteI am anon 10:43 and I would like to thank anon 11:26 . I never gave a thought to the extra noise. I do know about the heavy traffic already on that road. Hey, what if the value of his home went down ?
ReplyDeleteIs that why the value of 252 went down?
DeleteI believe one of the questions on the "ethics test" that every one who is on any committee or board has to take has a question about whether one can vote on something concerning a property that is near theirs.
ReplyDeleteHey don't forget for years and years Dennis complained about Materials Unlimited and the black soot and odors to both the DEP and the BOH. So obviously a nice quiet clean town hall would benefit his property.
ReplyDeleteWas that VW that was seen on Fisher St. talking to (or harassing) the company and the workers doing the street work? Maybe someone will harass her to the edge. Doesn't she ever stay home. She is always at the Town Office, does she have a thing for Jeff R.?
DeleteWow. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. VW is doing her job whether you like how she's doing it or not. You're not only complaining about the amount of time she spends doing the job we voted her to do, but also stooping to suggest she has a "thing" for the town coordinator. Really nice. There was a recent discussion on this blog about sexist talk, right? You just provided a great example. You shouldn't wonder why Pauly and some of the other people on this blog are losing support in Templeton.
DeleteYour support may be waining, but I disagree that overall support is being lost. Do not blame Pauly for an Anon's comment. He'll let anybody post. Just filter what you need or just be done, and goodbye.
DeleteI think vw can do much better than Jeff r
DeleteJeff R does not lie, you're right VW does it much better. Jeff R is not a cheat, VW could teach him a few things in that department. whoever thinks that VW can do a better job then Jeff R why put your name down not anonymous April 19 7pm
DeleteMr. Barrieau, your point is well-taken, but you begin your response with "in some people's eyes" which speaks to my initial statement. I still believe Mrs. Farrell and others are making a huge assumption that Mr. O'Brien's property value would have risen if 252 Baldwinville Road was transformed into a town hall. I would prefer to hear a response from a reputable realtor with no personal agenda about this issue. I can't accept an opinion as fact, no matter matter how often and how loudly it's stated. I should also mention that our town voted to have the state investigate everything to do with 252 Baldwinville Road and it's on the docket for a hearing, so why is Mrs. Farrell spending so much of her time and energy proving that Mr. O'Brien MIGHT have done something unethical three years ago? How does that affect us now? We voted Mrs. Farrell back into office to look to the future and this citizen is tired of what many of us see as simply settling old scores. Let the investigation do what we asked it to do. The selectmen, including Mrs. Farrell, need to focus on working with our local and state leaders to bring money, business, and people to Templeton. I don't speak up often, but I'm getting more and more concerned about where we're going and not where we've been. I'm not suggesting that we simply forget about the past, but, come on, everyone, focus on the future!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Mrs. Farrell will speak on this herself, but my view of the evolution of this conversation stems from Mr. Skelton making false statements about the project and stating that it was the fault of ten people. Mrs. Farrell posted this to bring up what the real issues were with the project...which consisted of the lack of transparency, the purchase didn't follow the guidelines of town counsel, and there was signing of contracts that didn't follow proper procedures. Mr. O'Brien's role in it all IS an ethics violation. Anon 4:18pm is correct. Anyone who takes the ethics test knows that one has to excuse themselves from voting (nevermind signing) on property near their house. Example: Mrs. Wilder abstained recently when voting on CDBG grant for Memorial St. as she owns property on that street. Several years ago, when the CDBG grant was starting in Back Bay, Mrs. Farrell abstained from voting because she lives in the neighborhood. It seems that other selectmen know to abstain from voting if there is even a hint of a conflict of interest. So, the fact that Mr. O'Brien voted or signed for any of that project is, in fact, a conflict of interest. However, that issue is only a small part of the larger story. The town voted to purchase 252. When the project exceeded projected costs above and beyond the already borrowed $1.9m amount due to the roof issue, the town also voted to abandon the project as the cost wasn't worth the end result. The town also voted to disband the Municipal Building Committee. It was not 10 people as Mr. Skelton stated. It was over one hundred that signed the petition and way more than that who voted on it at town meeting. The 10 person petition wasn't even passed at that time. A lot of misinformation shared at the first Candidates Night. Its only natural that people would want to correct the misinformation.
DeleteOne more note, Citizens for Templeton and other concerned residents are not out to start trouble for the sake of starting trouble or to partake in any feud. There were many individuals like Pauly, Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Farrell and Bev along with others who had been trying to get clarification on many town issues only to get the runaround. There was a distinct lack of transparency on many issues. It also appeared that rules and procedures were not followed by those in leadership. Eventually, all these concerned citizens came together over the shared frustration to try to get the answers to questions. Simple as that. I know it would take a lot of reviewing old BOS meetings and minutes to understand how it all has led up to this point. If our local government officials can be more forthcoming with data and information, there would be no issue with anyone. There is progress on this front with our new Town Coordinator in place as well as a new Advisory Board and financial positions. All of this will get better as long as we elect dedicated and responsible people to govern us.
It would be great if Mrs. Farrell might also address why she didn't correct Mr. Skelton at the candidate's night. It might have been more effective for her to do so right then - in public, no less - for the benefit of everyone. I also find it strange that she didn't ask him any questions at all that night, but appeared to pass notes to her friends to do so. It was strange to many of us!
DeleteHi Anon 6:03
DeleteJust a quick response before I start watching the game. I did ask Jerry the question about the appraisal for the golf course and why there was no appraisal for 252 Baldwinville Rd when there was an appraisal for the golf course.
ENOUGH created the situation all on his own. I was taking notes while candidates spoke. I always take notes at meetings. Watch any of the BOS meetings, I'm always taking notes.
I did not correct Mr. Skelton at Candidates night because it was candidates night not a debate between Julie Farrell and Gerald Skelton. I prefer to check my FACTS before I run off at the mouth. Somehow this forum of Pauly's blog seems to get the information out to many interested people...including you.
Please keep reading the blog and informing yourself on important issues in town. The election on April 30th is an important one. Once again, I will state the town is fortunate to have three good candidates for selectmen - Pauly Cosentino, Sr., Doug Morrison and Kenn Robinson.
Blog on! Sox are up 3-0 . Oh I ran into Mickey and Leanne Kirby this afternoon. The girls softball team defeated Leominster 7-2...Boston has the bases loaded in the second inning...catch you later
amen go away ms. piggy,try to wake kermit up he been drinking too long...prop him up bobby...bobby take the joint out of your mouth and help kermit. kermit, kermit it's your turn to fill us in on the conspiracy......i know you cant stand your wife and make comments about her weight when you have too much truth syrum.... kermit please tell everyone about the conspiracy.. maybe hand out a video.. ooooo kermie you just sooo beautiful... cant make this up.. opinion supported by yes yes thank you america facts!!!
DeleteLove will always overpower hate.
DeleteJulie why not comment on the boys high school baseball game...is this an ethics question ..mr.kirby does live in backbay..he has been on the sewer commision...this looks like a conspiracy...why not mention donnie favreau..onlg the girls team is given credit...could very well be an ethics investigation ..fraud farrell only giving womens sports teams attention..why i ask???? Hmmmmm
DeleteAnon 428AM, Why keep bring up Selelcetman Farrell? It sure seems like you have a personal vendetta? Did you lose a job you were unqualified to do? Ms. Farrell was not the only one who let you go.
DeleteIts funny that these wicked smaht bloggers are so obsessed with Julie even though she's not running for anything in this election. Seems they have a personal issue against her. Hmmm, now who would that be?
DeleteI believe the reason 252 Baldwinville Road is a major focus is because Mr. Skelton lead the team. Mr. Skelton as you know is running for Selectmen. If we don't look into the past to see who has used public office for personnel gain where are we to look? This candidate belongs in jail in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteAnon 4:42....Very well said & directly to the point!
DeleteI understand, Anonymous 4:42 PM, but my point still stands. Mrs. Farrell is making a big assumption about property values. And how does arguing that Mr. O'Brien MIGHT have done something unethical three years ago prove that Mr. Skelton used his public position for personal gain and belongs in jail? What did Mr. Skelton have to gain by Mr. O'Brien signing the contract to purchase the property? It's becoming transparent to many of us that many of the issues brought forward by Mrs. Farrell are really just repeated personal attacks on Mr. Skelton, and the constant drumbeat is starting to wear on our patience. We get it. You don't like him and you think he did bad things. Let the investigation prove it or not. Help us move Templeton forward by focusing on the future! Thanks for the discussion.
ReplyDeletePlease see response above at 5:44pm
DeletePlease refer to A544's answers to your questions. They make some sense.
DeleteTo anonymous 5:33 pm, First things first, I am the one who filed an ethics violation complaint against Dennis O'Brien, as in Jeffrey Bennett and there may be something to it because Ethics to date has not sent me (I have not seen) any letter saying the complaint is without merit. I filed it because Dennis signed off on the purchase with no mention of where he lives and he probably should have ( 1) acknowledged where he lives in relation to 252 (2) Dennis should probably have not signed at all (3) checked with state Ethics first, acknowledged where he lives publicly and depending on what Ethics responded with, either signed or passed on signing and voting on 252 now I hope that clears that up. Now as to Gerald Skelton, when I saw the papers with him signing off on pay raises for his wife, I found that troubling.
DeleteHi Anon 5:33
DeleteSince Mr. Skelton has put himself forward as a candidate for selectman, he should be able to provide answers or explanations for his past actions as a selectman. How can a person run for office and not expect to provide information on his past activities as selectman?
Once again, I believe we are fortunate to have three good candidates running for Board of Selectmen - Pauly Cosentino, Doug Morrison and Kenn Robinson.
AMEN! Very well said 533 many many many people feel the same...it is crimi al for the MUPPETT show to think the great people of templeton are not SMART ENOUGH realize this...
DeleteAbon 1217AM, It is criminal for you to think that your qualifications were enough to hold such a vital position. You are just not SMART ENOUGH.
DeletePoint is the owner of this property had approach people in town trying to sell it for around $250,000. Why would you not get a pofessionals opinion on the value. If your neighbors came to you and said they were selling their house and you were looking for a house for your son or daughter, would you just offer him any figure or would you do some research??
ReplyDeleteWe can speculate about DO'B's guilt or not, but in the end it will be the Ethics people who will decide. We will know the truth, like it or not. I hope ENOUGH will help him pay his fine, it is the least he can do, for a loyal follower. My opinion, Bev.
ReplyDeleteAnyone that holds any position at all knows its the law you abstain from anything that involves you or your property. No IFS ANDS OR BUTS about it. Again everyone knows it, unless of course your STUPID
ReplyDeleteSHOW ME THE LAW!!!
ReplyDeletePerhaps some research on your own is in order. I'll give you a hint..start witn www.mass.gov/ethics
DeleteOthers have looked it up, and it seems that you will not believe any of the selectmen that post to Pauly's blog about it, so look it up yourself.
Mass General Laws chapter 268A,section 19
DeleteThis should make it even easier for those that do not research on their own. The following is a summary lifted from www.mass.gov/ethics
Delete“The conflict of interest law seeks to prevent conflicts between private interests and public duties, foster integrity in public service, and promote the public's trust and confidence in that service by placing restrictions on what municipal employees may do on the job, after hours, and after leaving public service, as described below. The sections referenced below are sections of G.L. c. 268A.
You do not have to be a full-time, paid municipal employee to be considered a municipal employee for conflict of interest purposes. Anyone performing services for a city or town or holding a municipal position, whether paid or unpaid, including full- and part-time municipal employees, elected officials, volunteers, and consultants, is a municipal employee under the conflict of interest law. An employee of a private firm can also be a municipal employee, if the private firm has a contract with the city or town and the employee is a "key employee" under the contract, meaning the town has specifically contracted for her services. The law also covers private parties who engage in impermissible dealings with municipal employees, such as offering bribes or illegal gifts.
(d) Self-dealing and nepotism. Participating as a municipal employee in a matter in which you, your immediate family, your business organization, or your future employer has a financial interest is prohibited. (See Section 19)
A municipal employee may not participate in any particular matter in which he or a member of his immediate family (parents, children, siblings, spouse, and spouse's parents, children, and siblings) has a financial interest. He also may not participate in any particular matter in which a prospective employer, or a business organization of which he is a director, officer, trustee, or employee has a financial interest. Participation includes discussing as well as voting on a matter, and delegating a matter to someone else.
A financial interest may create a conflict of interest whether it is large or small, and positive or negative. In other words, it does not matter if a lot of money is involved or only a little. It also does not matter if you are putting money into your pocket or taking it out. If you, your immediate family, your business, or your employer have or has a financial interest in a matter, you may not participate. The financial interest must be direct and immediate or reasonably foreseeable to create a conflict. Financial interests which are remote, speculative or not sufficiently identifiable do not create conflicts.
Example : A planning board member lives next door to property where a developer plans to construct a new building. Because the planning board member owns abutting property, he is presumed to have a financial interest in the matter. He cannot participate unless he provides the State Ethics Commission with an opinion from a qualified independent appraiser that the new construction will not affect his financial interest.
In many cases, where not otherwise required to participate, a municipal employee may comply with the law by simply not participating in the particular matter in which she has a financial interest. She need not give a reason for not participating.”
Hope this clears it up.
Thank you for showing me the law.
DeleteIt is extremely comical that post after post refers to a progressive mentality that is needed to move forward in templeton...the same day pauly makes a post that he is going to have his grandson add some info to the blog because he doesnt know how to work the computer...you cannot make this stuff up... opinion yes my fellow americans i know you are wandering...supported by facts... as it is my right to do so...muppett land live strong
ReplyDeleteLove will always overpower hate.
DeleteI said my grandson was going to help me add in the links to local businesses websites and facebook pages - to help the local businesses. Which in return help Templeton. so what's wrong with that?
ReplyDeletePauly, nothing is wrong with that. The muppet person is just an instigator, speaking of doing somemthing time & time again. You are doing great Pauly & those who do not think so may have something to hide. It is not an accusation but a thought that there may be those who are getting worried about you being on the BOS so are trying to belittle your skills in any way they can so you do not get elected. You have more skills with your education that most college graduates I know. Don't let anyone fault you for not being as computer savvy as your grandson. It is second nature to them. Thanks for all the good you have done for Templeton & the businesses located within.
DeleteThe problem is pauly templeton needs a new voice not someone filled wth rage and cannot move forward.... i agree wth isteach bev and yeldarb...we need to move in a progressive nature....clearly voting for pauly is Not the answer....i would consider voting for the grandson thou he is awesome at computers. Opinion supported by ....FACTS! p.s. whoever made the muppets reference...extremely funny! You go blogger
DeleteAnon1232, Would you agree then that GS is a problem? Clearly GS is filled with rage, and will not bring together the town. Pauly is filled with outrage (there is a difference between rage and outrage) because of GS, CS, BC, and many others have been working towards their own self interests and not the betterment of the town as a whole.
DeleteWho has harassment violations charged against them...Mr. Skelton or Mr. Cosentino? That's right its your "boy" Jerry. Mr. Enough.
DeleteI would like to thank anon 8:58 for that information. It was not that I did not try to do research on my own, I just could not find it. THANK YOU. To Bev: Thank you for insulting me. I am Stupid.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome.
DeleteEmotional bullying occurs when someone tries to gain control by making others feel angry or afraid. It is often characterized by yelling, name-calling, sarcasm, mocking, putting down, belittling, embarrassing or intimidating. Adult bullies tend to be opinionated, judgmental, and coercive and often have personality disorders. Like many bullies, they have a deep sense of insecurity about themselves. They completely lack empathy or the ability to perceive how they are negatively affecting others. This bully is only capable of interpreting events from their perspective. Pre-occupied with themselves, they have little regard or understanding of the feelings of others. Bullies typically feel inferior or insecure in some way, so they feed off of the negative emotions they illicit from their victims. If you react to the bully’s behavior, you only encourage the bully to continue with what he or she is doing. Many bullies remain bullies because they don't see themselves as the problem. In this case, we may have to learn how to cope with their behavior. It is important to remember that this person’s behavior is not a reflection on you and that it is not your fault. We are each responsible for our personal behavior, and this includes this bully.
ReplyDeletewell said anon2:21pm
ReplyDeleteVery well said anon2:21.
ReplyDeleteAnon 2:21 ...That's exactly what this person is doing. Super definition of what emotional bullying is. The less we respond to it the better off we will all be. Great job in posting something very useful & helpful to everyone. Have a wonderful evening bloggers & be good to each other whenever you can.
ReplyDeletePauly how do you intend to hold a seat on the bos, wasn't it you a while back that threatened the board with bodily harm because you didn't get your way, how can you work on that board, as a member when you don't get you way will you threats you made become true??? I wonder. I also heard that in your gsnooz write up that sue had to do all the talking is that true? Are we voting in you or voting for you and sue??? Are you still being investigated by the FBI. For your threats????
ReplyDeleteMore propaganda from the opposition, I see. If you watch the video of Pauly’s postal comment, you will understand that no threat of bodily harm to anyone was ever made. I know you know that, but you are trying to make trouble. Nice try.
DeleteP.S. Pauly had throat cancer that makes it difficult for him to speak which is why another person read his statement at the first candidates night.
I believe that candidate Skelton is the one soon to be under investigation for wrong doings.
DeleteWell instead of telling his side to editor he could have written it instead of sue doing all the talking, wonder are his fingers broke or were the someplace they shouldn't be?????
ReplyDeleteLove will always overpower hate
ReplyDeleteis it an ethics problem when a sewer comm drives a family sewer pump truck the sewer dept hires? Or when he votes on issues thst could mske money for himself ane family.
ReplyDeleteYour answer can be found www.mass.gov/ethics or you can file a complaint with the State Ethics commission. If you know how to blog, then you can figure this out.
DeleteI do not know enough about all the family history in town, so I do not know whom you are referring to. Would it be BD who is running for the Sewer Commission? Or another?
Mark Maschetti is the next one that ethics is going to have a field day with . talk about someone that thinks he is above everybody else . Did you all know that he is trying to keep the sewer rate study under wraps because the preliminary report states that everybody in town is paying to much for there sewer tie ins . Not to mention the sewer dept. is spending thousands of dollars on a lawsuit that they knoow they will not win .
ReplyDelete1201 no and no family was in business prior to being a commissioner and when no others want the work why wouldn't they.Also pauly has done the towing and ethicly can continue it after he is elected. That was one of the questions on the test i took.Lets see here on the list from the clerk of the people/employees that have had the C.O.I. tests there is no x under the light and water commisioners names! The test have not been taken? hmmmm!!!!
ReplyDeleteShareholder shareing
Dave Smart
Did you actually pass the test?
ReplyDeleteYou do not get scored on a coi test I know this because I have taken it before all you get is a certificate of completion no score hence not need for brains lucky for you not so smart no brains or automotive experience required to get certificate
ReplyDeleteI think the period button on your computer is broken. For someone trash talking someone else, perhaps you should look inward first. The hate you spout is useless.
DeleteVote SMART
ReplyDelete