Advisory Board Seeks Department Feedback

Advisory Board Seeks Department Feedback

Tara Vocino Reporter TEMPLETON  The Advisory Board members are not pleased that department heads couldn’t attend a meeting for a department submittal review on Wednesday. Some Board of Selectmen members and interim Town Administrator Bob Markel feel that it’d be premature for department heads to attend the meeting. However, Advisory Board members disagree. But, Markel recommended that the department heads postpone any meetings with the Advisory Board until the selectmen have finalized their budget request to Town Meeting for fiscal 2017. Markel explained why they felt the effort was premature in an email to Advisory Board members and to the Board of Selectmen. “I provided access to the draft budget to the Advisory Board last month at their request, but with the stipulation that it’s only a draft and a final review of numbers must be done, and most importantly, it hasn’t been modified and adopted by the Board of Selectmen,” Markel said. “The Board of Selectmen has scheduled a meeting for Feb. 22 to meet with department heads, review any changes, make decisions about new requests, and possibly vote approval.” According to Advisory Board Chairman Gordon Moore, some department heads are upset that they invited them to come. Moore said they’re also upset. “I’m quite distraught that we aren’t working together,” Moore said. “We work very hard to communicate with the town administrator and Board of Selectmen.” He described why the board asked department heads to come. “What we do when we meet with department heads is we get an understanding of what their budget is,” Moore said. “We simply make recommendations. We aren’t looking to change their numbers. We’re looking to get their input, because we need their input to make recommendations.” After the meeting, Moore said he will reply to Markel’s message that the board is looking to collect information that they can review to make recommendations. Advisory Board Vice Chairman Wilfred Spring said Article 4 in the bylaw asks to get department heads’ input. “We need that to make good decisions,” Spring said. “It doesn’t mean that we’ll make a decision that night.” However, Markel said they can’t make sensible decisions about spending for fiscal 2017 until they get important information about insurance costs and assessments for the schools. According to Advisory Board member Kate Fulton, the board has some questions before they can make recommendations. “The Planning Board requested $900 for equipment repairs,” Fulton said. “What are those repairs? And the Conservation Commission requested a 20 percent increase in office supplies –– $500 for fiscal 2016 and $600 for fiscal 2017.” Fulton said it is good for both parties to collaborate more. “Without teamwork, it’s detrimental to a smooth running of the budget,” Fulton said. “It doesn’t sit well at all.” They will meet Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Town Hall, and board members said they hope to see some department heads at that meeting.