TEMPLETON — The Templeton Select Board voted during its Nov. 10 meeting to pursue a $40,000 state earmark to construct shelters for the Council on Aging’s transportation vehicles — a longstanding request aimed at improving safety and accessibility for the senior volunteers who drive them.
Advisory Committee Chair Noel Francis and Community Services Director Jackie Prime presented the proposal, which originally included $3,325 for part-time staffing in addition to $37,600 for vehicle shelters. Francis explained that the total request of $40,925 had received a favorable recommendation from the Advisory Committee in September.
“It’s basically a legislative Hail Mary pass attempt,” Francis said. “But I feel very strongly that if you don’t ask — and ask over and over again — you will never get, so you might as well ask.”
Francis told the board that the senior center’s volunteer drivers, many of whom are older themselves, are required to clear the snow from the large transport vans after storms, adding “the shelters would help these elderly drivers.”
“It’s pretty crazy what these drivers have to do to get those vehicles ready to go on the road after some storms,” Prime said. Later adding, “We’re trying every avenue we can to get this done.”
Board members generally supported the initiative but raised concerns about including staffing costs in the request, citing the town’s financial management policy, which prohibits using one-time funds for recurring personnel expenses. “I fully believe in the the carport and all that, but this here goes against our financial management policies, funding with one time money,” said Select Board Member Robert May.
After further discussion, the board agreed to modify the request to include only $40,000 for the vehicle shelter portion. Francis proposed that the town administrator finalize and send the revised letter requesting the funds to State Representative Jonathan Zlotnik and state Senator Peter Durant, because earmark funding can only be secured through the town’s state legislators.
“I think it’s a reasonable request,” Francis said.
Select Board Chair Jeffrey Bennett responded, “They can say yes or they can say no, but they’re not going to say yes if we don’t ask them.”
Bennett made a motion to take the letter under advisement and table it until their next meeting so the town administrator and Prime could refine the shelter size and cost estimates. The board voted unanimously in favor.