Advisory Board Meeting October 22, 2014

Advisory Board meeting October 22, 2014

The Advisory Board meeting tonight discussed and reviewed the 12 warrant articles for the November 5, 2014 Special Town Meeting.

Article 1 -

Main motion:  I move that Fifty Eight Thousand Dollars ($58,000) be raised and appropriated in additional taxes from the FY ‘15 tax levy and other general revenues of the Town, to be used by the Town Administrator to provide 2 % raises and salary adjustments for all Town employees,  provided however that this appropriation shall not take effect unless or until the voters of the Town vote to approve an operating override of the limitation on taxes under G.L. Chapter 59, 21C(i), known as Proposition 2 ½ , to levy $58,000 in additional real estate and personal property taxes 

Adv. Board  4 YES  NO 2

 Article 2 - 

 Main motion:  I move that Twenty Seven Thousand Seven Hundred Seventy One Dollars ($27,771) be raised and appropriated in additional taxes from the FY’15 tax levy and other general revenues of the town to be used by the Town Administrator to hire an administrative assistant in the Town Assessors’ office and an assistant town clerk, provided however that this appropriation shall not take effect unless or until the voters of the Town vote to approve an operating override of the limitation on taxes under G.L. Chapter 59, 21C(i), known as Proposition 2 ½ , to levy $27,771 in additional real estate and personal property taxes .  

Adv. Board  3 YES  NO 3

These two articles will be read IF the override passes on November 4, 2014 

Article 1 will result in a permanent increase of 10.7 cents on the tax rate

Article 2 will result in a permanent increase of 5.1 cents to the tax rate. 

Please support your Town employees at the 

polls on November 4, 2014!

  

Article 3 -

Main Motion:  I move that Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($350,000) be hereby appropriated to be spent by the Senior Center Building Oversight Committee for the completion of the Senior Community Center, and to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer of the Town, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, is authorized to borrow $350,000 and to issue general obligation bonds and notes of the Town, provided however, that this appropriation shall not take effect unless and until the voters of the Town vote to approve a debt exclusion override of the limitation on taxes under G.L. Chapter 59, 21C(i), known as Proposition 2 ½ , for the principal and interest applicable to such borrowing.

Adv. Board  0 YES  NO  6

 Article 4 -

Main motion: I move that the Town appropriate Sixty Nine Thousand Seven Hundred Seventy Five Dollars ($69,775) from the FY’15 tax levy to pay bills remaining from Fiscal 2014.

Adv. Board  6 YES  NO  0

 Article 5 -

Main motion:   I move that Seven Thousand Four Hundred Twenty Dollars ($7,420) be appropriated to fund the hiring and appointment in FY’15 by the Town Administrator of an assistant town clerk, and to meet this appropriation, $7,420 be hereby transferred from the Town Administrator Salary account as appropriated pursuant to Article 5 of the May 17, 2014 Annual Town Meeting to the Town Clerk-Assistant Town Clerk account.

Adv. Board  2 YES  NO  4

 Article 6 -

Main motion:  I move that Eight Thousand Seven Hundred Seventy Nine Dollars ($8,779) be hereby appropriated for the Town Administrator to hire an administrative assistant in the Assessors’ Office in FY’15, and to meet this appropriation, $8,779 is hereby transferred from the Town Administrator Salary account as appropriated pursuant to Article 5 of the May 17, 2014 Annual Town Meeting.

Adv. Board  3 YES  NO  3

 Article 7 -

Main motion:  I move that the Town appropriate $19,000 to the Animal Control Expense account; and $11,841 to the Highway Department Expenses account; and $32,000 to the Selectmen’s budget – Audit Expense; and $7,738 to General Insurance Expenses account; and $80,802 to the Group Insurance Expenses account, and to meet this appropriation that a total of $152,156 be raised and appropriated from the FY’15 tax levy and general revenues of the Town.                        

Adv. Board  6 YES  NO  0

 Article 8 -

Main motion:  I move that One Thousand Seven Hundred Sixty Nine Dollars ($1,769) be hereby transferred from the Board of Health Office - Salary Account to the Board of Health – Agent account, as appropriated pursuant to Article 5 of the May 17, 2014 Annual Town Meeting.   

Adv. Board  2 YES  NO  3   ABSTAIN 1

 Article 9 -

Main motion:  I move that Two Hundred Dollars ($200) be hereby appropriated to the Recreation Commission Expenses account, and to meet this appropriation $200 be transferred from the Cemetery & Parks Department Expenses account as voted by the Town pursuant to Article 5 at the May 17, 2014 Annual Town Meeting

Adv. Board  6 YES  NO  0

 Article 10 -

Main motion:  I move that One Hundred Twenty Thousand Dollars ($120,000) be appropriated from the Community Preservation General Reserve Fund to be spent by the Town Administrator to construct a fire and water proof vault at 160 Patriot’s Road for the Town Clerk. 

 

Adv. Board  3 YES  NO  2  ABSTAIN 1

 Article 11 -

Main motion:    I move that Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000) be transferred from the Community Preservation General Reserve Fund to the Cemetery Department to supplement funding for the preservation, rehabilitation and restoration of the Franklin J. Jackson Civil War Monument

Adv. Board  5 YES  NO  1

 Article 12 -

Main motion:  I move that the Town accept as a public way, as recommended by the Planning Board and laid out by the Board of Selectmen pursuant to G.L. c. 41 and c. 82, the layout of White Circle from the southeastern sideline of South Road and as shown on the set of plans containing eight (8) sheets entitled “Definitive Subdivision Plan of White Estates Subdivision, Templeton, MA,” prepared by Szoc Surveyors, dated May 10, 2005, revised November 18, 2005,  and recorded at the Board of Worcester County Registry of Deeds in Plan Book 840 as Plan No. 27; and that the Board of Selectmen be authorized to acquire by purchase, gift and eminent domain, such land, slope, drainage, utility and other easements as may be necessary to effectuate the layout and acceptance of such street as a public way.

Adv. Board  6 YES  NO  0

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Comments -

Articles 1 and 2 generated much discussion even though they will be passed over  if the override fails. Some the discussion raised concerns about the 4 department vacancies and the inability to attract qualified candidates to fill vacancies. There have been more resignations this week!

Article 3 will be passed over IF the state's supplemental budget appropriates $300,000 to complete the Senior Center. Advisory Board is unanimously against this article.

Article 4  (unpaid bills from FY 2014) Most of these bills were not paid as a direct result of closing town government for 7 weeks. It was a chaotic end of the fiscal year and many bills went unpaid. The high cost of legal expenses is directly attributed to the number of town meetings and special town meetings during FY 14.  There were also personnel issues which led to the overruns in the town counsel line item. Money would come from the FY 15 tax levy that has not already been appropriated...about $221,000 under the tax cap. Most of the budgets could not be encumbered because they were "zeroed out" at Town meeting to fix the $505,000 deficit.

Articles 5 and 6 are "backup" articles to fund assistants for the Town Clerk and Assessor's office if the override fails. Some of the objections raised were that the use of "one-time money" - money from the Town Administrator's account would not be available in the following fiscal year. It was felt this would perpetuate the use of "one-time money" for an ongoing cost.

Article 7 are transfers within FY 15 budget. These adjustment s are under the tax cap and can be paid with available funds.

Article 8 -a transfer of money for the BOH agent generated a lot of debate. At the ATM, the BOH asked for an increase in hours which town meeting denied. The BOH agent has been working the increased hours. The dollar amount is not great, but the procedural and legal issues are. At the ATM in May, the Town voted to adopt special legislation as recommended by the DOR. Part of this legislation reads :

 

"SECTION 4. No official of the town of Templeton, except in the case of an emergency involving the health and safety of the people or their property, shall knowingly expend or cause to be expended in any fiscal year any sum in excess of that official's departmental or other governmental unit's appropriation duly made in accordance with the law, nor commit the town, nor cause it to be committed, to any obligation for the future payment of money in excess of that appropriation, with the exception of court judgments.

Any official who intentionally violates this section shall be personally liable to the town for any amounts expended in excess of an appropriation to the extent that the town does not recover these amounts from the person or persons to whom the amounts were paid. The superior court or a single justice of the supreme judicial court shall have jurisdiction to adjudicate claims brought by the town, or the attorney general, under this act and to order relief that the court finds appropriate to prevent further violations of this section.  Any violation of this section shall be considered sufficient cause for removal."

Article 9  involves the transfer of $200 to fund the recreation Department.

Article 10 concerns the $120,000 from CPC funds for the Town Clerk's vault. No one is saying the Town Clerk should not have vault. But you could buy a house with $120,000. Punching a hole in the existing wall may raise a number of issues with the building code. There will be three proposals for town meeting to consider.

Article 11 CPC funds for the restoration of the Civil War Monument is a request for an additional $3,000 to complete the project.

Article 12 is the acceptance of White Circle as a public way. All of the prior steps have been completed in order for town meeting to accept this road.

My opinions...supported by FACTS ! ! ! 

Julie Farrell