Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Sept 4th Advisory Board Meeting


September 4th Advisory Board Meeting


The Advisory Board meeting was well attended. Michael Greene was voted on as a new member of the Advisory Board. Thank you for stepping up in these difficult times. Town Clerk, Carol Harris was in attendance and swore Mr. Greene in.


CPC Chairman John Henshaw was present to discuss the process of applying for CPC money and the process used to develop the application for East Templeton elementary school…that CPC money can be used to rehab East Templeton until a decision can be about the future of the building. CPC has over $1,000,000 in its account. If money is used from CPC to rehab ET, it does not impact your taxes because CPC money is generated as a surcharge on property values and matched by the state.

The Advisory Board voted to make some recommendations to the BOS regarding the implementation of an Insurance Committee; to bid out insurance to try to obtain a better rate; to develop a fund for sick and vacation time; to preserve and digitize records in the Town Clerk’s office; look at performance contracting to fix Templeton Center school as well as Baldwinville Elementary School.

The Advisory Board voted to post their goals on the town website.

Discussion began on the override amount and timing of STM and ballot question. After much deliberation, the Advisory Board voted to recommend to the BOS one figure of $725,000 for an override. This figure includes the $551,000, money to restore lost hours by town employees, and step increases.

The Advisory Board also voted to recommend that the BOS direct department heads to come up with a plan to cut 30% from their budgets to be implemented by November 1, 2013. This will give departments time to prepare their employees for the potential cuts if the override does not pass. The Police Chief stated a 30% cut would translate to the loss of 4 officers. The Highway superintendent concurred that a 30% cut would equate to the loss of 4 employees.

Under Old Business the Advisory Board appointed Mark Barrieau and Mike Greene to the NRSD budget sub-committee.

Mary Lange submitted her resignation effective September 5th. It was accepted with regret. Thank you, Mary for your time and your efforts on behalf of the town.

My opinions… supported by FACTS ! ! !

Julie Farrell

25 comments:

  1. Well,I certainly hope everyone gets to watch this meeting. I know it was recorded, and for that I am glad. Maybe it will be a wake up call to the people who feel free to speak of empty threats..Oh yes, this is the real deal. Now there is a opening on the Advisory Board, maybe some of you people would like to step up and volunteer to help. It would be a very educating experience for anyone who does not think this is a important job. Maybe Ms. Lori Mattson would like to help. She was more than willing to throw the Selectmen and the Advisory Board under the bus in her LTE published in the Gardner News. As far as I am concerned, both boards have been dealing with the disaster created by ten years of bad management. There was no way these things would have been cleaned up over night, but things had improved and most likely the Selectmen and Advisory Boards, may have asked for a override this coming spring, to help bring the pay back to a acceptable level. It is commendable that the Phillipston Selectmen spoke in favor of a override that did not raise their tax rate. Did it ever dawn on Ms. Mattson that our town did not ask to be in this situation? Yes, people did screw up by not watching the way money was spent. I guess that is what trust will do to you. The smart thing is not to be too trusting again, and get a Advisory Board, with a leader who does his job, and works for the people. It is too bad that this was not the case in the past. We are in the hear and now, so what do we do for the people who stuck with us, did the same amount of work, for less money? It is up to the people of Templeton to decide. I can honestly say, I am still angry that the school and everyone who could have helped, didn't. I am not sure if it is ignorance or greed. It does not really matter because the people who work for us will pay, either way. I still feel there will be some people who will have a very hard winter, and the actions of the school did not help the situation. I would still vote NO to the school budget, but it will come out in the wash. It is a shame the ESBC, spent that twohundred and thirty thousand dollars, looking for land with nothing to show for it! We could use that money to pay for a person to drive a sander this winter. Gee, Ms. Mattson, weren't you on that committee?? Too bad you did not tell everyone you were on the School Committee, when you wrote your letter to the editor. They say time heals all wounds, and yes I did not want the town I love and the people who have stood buy us to be collateral damage. I guess I am going to ask everyone to dig deep, and try to say yes to a override if you can somehow manage it. Oh yes, Dana is looking for the rainbow's end. He may have luck looking for a pot of gold there, all of ours is long gone. My opinion, Bev.

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    1. 1. So you would still vote no for the school even though that action is now probably going to give the "townies" their pay back? Those workers affected should be saying thank you.

      2. Its very weak to bash Ms. Mattson for being a part of exactly what she was elected to do. The entire boards sole purpose is to look out for the schools best interest. It also looks like, with time & patience, that will also be the the towns best interest as well.

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    2. What has been done to our town is what you wanted. Forcing the town into doing a override was not the smartest move you could have made in my opinion. The results will be on your door step down the road. We will see how the override vote goes, and if your long shot fails, then what?? Your scoffing of the so called, EMPTY THREATS, will come back to bite you. The thing is, it will hurt the very people who have worked with the town to make things better. I only hope your ends justify your means. Ms. Mattson's stance and tunnel vision has not been good for the town. Why in the world would anyone who is a elected person go for the gold, when a bronze or silver could have done the job. There was no negotiating with the School Committee, or Ms. Miller. In my eyes, you have lost more than you gained. Bev.

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    4. Hey Bev maybe you can ask the school for some lessons on how to post.This double posting is for the birds.Or is your memory going Just my opinion

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    5. Sorry, My brain can't take the credit fir that. I don't have a clue as to why this is happening. Anyone have any ideas? I don't like it anymore than you do. Let me know if you have the cure, but NO, you can't get rid of me, LOL, Bev.

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    8. Halfway up the hill - I hope that you find the half of your brain that controls your impulsive responses to citizens who have full control of their faculties. Americans have a longstanding tradition of standing behind the words that they utter. You obviously have no respect for anyone. I think that you need to post your "credo". Many of us older folks don't have the same backwards view of the world. In my opinion, you owe Bev Bart an apology. Anyone who is properly educated would agree, so I suspect that you have a very inadequate education. You have posted such crud without apology, you are judged by your needlessly crude response.

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  2. Mark seriously?? have you read any of bev's posts??? In fact your selectperson has said much worse over and over again. Maybe you should direct your efforts to restoring credibility and professionalism to the select board. Bev owes many more people apologies for much worse than asking her not to double post... c'mon man common sense!1

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    1. well said. I didnt want to be first again ;-)

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    2. Mark you really got my wheels turning on this one...thank you sir....So Mark you feel that someone should apologize for not wanting a double post in so doing insulting the individual , at the same time Julie can call the Gansett Greatness gang rapists and you are ok with this (meaning you think she should not resign)? I don't feel the need to refer to any of bev's post they speak for themselves. Bev deserves what hostility bev gets on this blog. It really can not be argued any other way, and if someone attempted too; that would be devaluing their own credibility. I don't understand being old, but if this is the logic we will live by in Templeton let the YOUNG people run the town... oh yea..im educated too soo NO they would not agree.

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    3. The Truth, you would not know the truth if it hit you square in the face. I sign my name, more than I can say for you. Sorry, but if you don't like what I say, don't read it. I have a right to my opinion, and I will voice it. If this town relied on the youngsters in the past, we would be in more trouble than we are already. A good example of that was our last Advisory Board Chairman. I did meet a nice young lady, and I told her I was glad to have her come to the meeting. She is willing to listen and learn. If everyone had looked at the "big picture" just maybe there would have been more cooperation on the part of the school people, and Administration. My feeling is if you are picking on me, then you are leaving someone else alone. Thanks for the support Mark, not just for standing up for me, but for putting so much time in to the Advisory Board. A strong Advisory Board is crucial to the health of a town. You and the other people have done a good, but sometimes thankless job. Like my grandmother used to say, "You can't put a old head on young shoulders".

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    5. Pay attention Bev. He was questioning Mark, not you. Maybe if you were less combative people would listen to you & not write you off as Julies right hand.

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    6. Or Will Springs left hand or Sue's Right foot

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  3. Thank you, Advisory Board for making difficult recommendations in difficult times; for putting in countless hours to determine a figure for an override; for pouring over budgets looking for waste.

    Thank you, Bev for voicing your opinions. They are having quite an impact on these discussions.

    The name calling and blame game will not change the fact that the town needs an override in order to avoid drastic cuts in public safety that will impact every resident in the town of Templeton.

    This override is for the children.
    This override is for the elderly.
    This override is for everyone in between.

    Please support the override for the Town of Templeton. Please VOTE YES.

    THIS time your VOTE will COUNT! THIS time YOUR vote will MATTER!

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  4. Mr. "Truth", I have no problem with Mrs. Farrell's statement. I understand what she meant, and it was an apt description. It brings to mind Alexander Pope's great work, The Rape of the Lock. I will quote the opening here, as I think it applies:

    "WHAT dire Offence from am'rous Causes springs,
    What mighty Contests rise from trivial Things"

    Maybe you can get Huff or Halfway to gather a sack of sighs and a flask of tears, as it appears that you choose to wallow in your angst like Belinda.

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    1. hahahah!! I love your attempt to seem SMART! very creative!! good stuff!

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  5. Thank you Mark!

    I am still laughing out loud! I needed that!

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  6. What a flip flopper Julie Now its vote yes

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  7. Halfway -
    time to "gather a sack of sighs and a flask of tears, as it appears that you choose to wallow in your angst like Belinda."

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  8. You'll find them in the Cave of Spleen.

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  9. What about one selectman calling a fellow selectman an "ass", as in "What an ass", on facebook? And no, it wasn't Julie!

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