Capital planning meeting Via Afganistan

For the convienance of the residents of Templeton, please look closely at articles 28, 29, 31. I can not think of why no one from the school committee or superindent was not there to answer questions. The lack of information is puzzling and troubling and i am someone who cares very much about education but an article with no vote and the chair of the elementary building committee states he knows nothing of this??? Questions for the BOS and school committee????

Minutes of Meeting

Capital Planning

690 Patriots Road

April 18, 2013 4:00 p.m.

Present: Julie Farrell, Wilfred Spring, Kirk Moschetti

ex officio Town Coordinator Jeffrey Ritter

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and to make recommendations on capital articles for the Annual Town Meeting (ATM) in May. Copies of the Capital Planning By Law were distributed as well as draft copies of the articles for ATM.

The following warrant articles discussed:

Article 16 – lease payment for cemetery dump truck. This is the fourth payment in a lease to own five year lease. Moschetti made a motion, seconded by Spring, that the truck payment should be included in the Capital Plan. The motion was called and voted unanimously. It was stated that in future, payments like this one could, if the full amount had already been voted at an annual meeting, be included as an expense item in the cemetery department budget in “out years”.

Article 21 – used ($35,000) dump truck (or sludge hauling truck) for sewer department. Moschetti made a motion, seconded by Spring, to discuss this item. This purchase will need to be added to Capital Plan. The question was called and the vote was unanimous, to accept and to endorse this capital request.

Article 24 - $250,000 request for CPC money for East Templeton Elementary School. Spring made a motion, seconded by Moschetti, that we discuss this proposal from the CPC. The wording of the article does not include a historical restriction for the property. The committee was unsure why a qualified preservation consulting firm is needed for approximately $50,000. The motion was moved and voted unanimously, to endorse this capital request from the CPC and add it to the town request for appropriation.

Article 28 – High school Middle school long term debt payment ($435,995). Moschetti motioned to discuss, seconded by Spring. Discussed if this cost should be part of the Capital Plan for the town. Consensus seemed to be that it is debt for the Regional School District. Questions arose regarding the length of the borrowing and when this debt will retired. No answers to those questions were available. The article was voted unanimously to be included in the warrant.

Article 29 – a “sum of money” for repairs to Templeton Center and Baldwinville Elementary School. Moschetti motioned to discuss, seconded by Spring. There is an astonishing lack of information for this article. No dollar amount listed. No projects outlined for the use of the funds. The way it is worded would necessitate more cuts to Templeton’s town operating budget if this article were included in the warrant. Moschetti said he could not endorse an article with so little information. Spring pointed out that the regional school district was already going for money (override) above and beyond the required town payment. Farrell stated that this article is an example of bad governance. The question was called and Moschetti voted no, Spring voted no, and Farrell voted no. The request is not approved by the committee.

Article 31 – a request for “a sum of money” for feasibility study for an elementary school. Moschetti motioned for discussion and Farrell seconded the motion to discuss. This article was submitted by the Narragansett Regional School District. There was no input or votes by the Templeton BOS or the Templeton Elementary School Building Committee regarding this warrant article. There is an astonishing lack of information for this article. Moschetti, Chair of the Elementary School Building Committee, knows nothing about this article. The TESBC never voted on this request. No dollar amount listed. No projects outlined for the use of the funds. The way it is worded would necessitate more cuts to Templeton’s operating budget if this article were included in the warrant. This article is an example of bad governance. Moschetti recommends the request be rejected as written. The Committee voted unanimously to recommend rejection.

Article 37 - $200,000 to repair East Templeton Elementary School submitted by Advisory Board. Moschetti motioned discussion, seconded by Farrell. After discussion, the Committee decided generally that it did not support this request, given the lack of funding source for this article as written. Discussion about the CPC article for $250,000 for East Templeton and those two articles for the same project would confuse the voters. A motion was made to not recommend this article and the vote was Moschetti for rejection, Farrell for rejection, and Spring against rejecting the article. The motion carried 2-1, and the article will not be recommended to the Board.

New Unnumbered Article - $395,000 for new fire department pumper/engine. Moschetti opened discussion, with second from Spring. After discussion with the fire chief, it was decided to prioritize the capital requests. There is a need for the pumper/engine. The current one is 32 years old. It is the responsibility of the Fire chief to bring the needs of the department forward. At this time, the priority is to replace the ambulance and staffing vs. capital. The Committee voted unanimously to reject this article.

New Unnumbered Article - $179,473 to purchase a new ambulance. Moschetti opened discussion, with second by Spring. After some discussion it was decided to pursue this article as a capital expense through a 5 year lease. The vote was Moschetti in favor, Spring in favor, and Farell in favor of a five year lease.

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Further discussion: there was further discussion about Article 10 water department budget ($1,407,378) and Article 20 sewer department budget ($860,677.00). Both departments are run as enterprise accounts. However, only the sewer department capital items are brought before capital planning and the townspeople. Members of capital planning felt this inconsistency should be addressed. Capital planning would also like to bring the BOS attention to the lack of detail in these budgets as submitted by their respective departments.

With no further business, the committee voted to adjourn at 5:25 pm