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Select Board approves town'television digital-equity grant and seeks retained-earnings article for fall warrant
Summary
The Templeton Select Board approved a reimbursable digital-equity grant for the town'operated cable/streaming station and authorized the clerk to sign, while directing staff to add a retained-earnings article to the fall warrant to cover personnel costs until state reimbursements arrive.
The Templeton Select Board on Sept. 24 voted to approve the town'run digital equity grant for TCTV and authorized the town clerk to sign the contract.
The grant is structured as a reimbursable award that runs through Sept. 30 of the following year. Steve, a staff member who presented the application, told the board the town will likely need two part-time hires to carry out outreach and digital-literacy work and will purchase roughly $21,000 in capital equipment such as hot spots and Chromebooks that must be purchased up front and later reimbursed.
"I would ask if you want to approve the contract and have the clerk sign it," Steve said during the presentation, asking the board to move forward while the town accountant sets up a reimbursable account. Town accountant appointee Amber DuPel told the board she can open a reimbursable account that can run a negative balance until the state reimburses eligible expenses.
Board members pressed for clarity on how payroll and labor hours would be tracked. Steve said much of the grant work is labor-intensive: video production, digital-literacy sessions for seniors and device distribution. He and Amber proposed assigning hours to the reimbursable account and using short-term part-timers and interns where possible.
The board also discussed the timing of purchases and the grant'period overlap with fiscal years. Steve recommended asking Fall Town Meeting to transfer retained earnings into the TCTV budget for FY26 so personnel hires can be funded until state reimbursements arrive. The board directed staff to add a retained-earnings article for TCTV to the draft fall warrant and to provide final figures at the Oct. 8 meeting.
The motion to approve the contract and authorize the clerk to sign passed unanimously in roll-call voting: Mister May, Miss Graves and Mister Toth all voted yes.
Why it matters: The grant would expand broadband access and digital-literacy services for residents and loan devices to people in need, but it obligates the town to buy equipment and track labor before reimbursement. The board asked staff to provide a final budget and language for the fall warrant to make the funding path transparent to voters.
Next steps: Staff will finalize the reimbursable account, firm up hiring plans and present a retained-earnings transfer amount at the board's Oct. 8 meeting so the warrant can be posted on the legally required schedule.
