Thursday, May 7, 2015

Live reporting: Finance Committee - May 7, 2015 - Budget Hearing #4

Present: Dowd, Conley, Fleming, Smith, Dewsnap,  Aparo, Bertone
Absent: Dufour, Huempher

Jeff Nutting

minutes from May 4 meeting, 
motion to accept, seconded, passed 7-0

minutes from May 5 meeting, 
motion to accept, seconded, passed 7-0


Budget Presentations:


  • 177 Planning A-35
Bryan Taberner, Director of Planning and Community Development

one shift of a clerk to Planning from Town Admin as they support the Planning Board
couple of RFPs to be issued
did increase expenses to increase marketing

getting marketing assistance, attend conferences and distribute materials for us
working with local business and other government agencies is what we need to do
additional $10,000 for marketing
get the Town of Franklin's name out in conferences

what do other town's spend our size?
very little, very few communities do something like this, an investment like this is not common
looking to keep the buildings full and to maintain the assessed values

changed zoning laws, streamline permitting, added biotech
now is the time to market
worked with Franklin TV to do a video to market to businesses
get one business in here, it turns out to be a good investment

is the outreach NE or national?
they will market the materials to where ever they go

  • 610 Library F-1
Felicia Oti, Library Director
the library budget has struggled a couple of years ago
did get a waiver and we have been able to add money to the budget
programs are up, Sunday hours added
meet minimum hours to get state aid, still don't meet the minimum funding requirements
but given the work we have done, the Library Commissioners have better confidence in what we are doing

about to renovate the Library
good support from the Friends of the Library and the Library Association

only a 2% increase, level service otherwise
books and publications account for 100% of the increase
a wide variety of electronic media
9 programs weekly and 4 monthly

book sales are held monthly, averaging $1600/month
design still being done, will come to the FinCom and Council for funding
not sure how much of a disruption in service it will be due to the eventual construction

formula is based on a 3 year average
66 percent of the circulation checkouts are through self scan
need to be open a minimum of 59 hours to maintain state aid and inter-library services

we are doing something right, the Director of the Minuteman network came to look at our process and had us present on how we do it

  • 220 Fire B-13
Chief McCarragher, Deputy Sharpe
fire fighters haven't had an increase in 4 years, as the contract is still with the arbitrator
looking at response times, best guest estimate on the arbitrator award but nothing firm

the last 6 weeks we have been told our arbitration award would be here, and it still hasn't
48 firefighters and paramedics

emerging trend is that we are seeing multiple calls, over 400 times 2 calls, more and more we're getting the 3rd call; 140-160 times this year projected
8 minutes is the life time for us in response, 
looking to increase the budget over a period of 3-4 years and fully staff a 3rd ambulence
addressing succession planning, attempted a grant to help with the planning
over the next 6 years, 2/3 of the officers are projected to retire
collective bargaining agreement has a credit for college education
we are a technical trade and there are hands on things that the fire fighters need to know

we need to start taking better care of our fire fighters
how do we keep them healthy to retire out well
bi-annual physical, a physical prescription to keep them healthy
60% of the recent retirees did so with an injury
physical fitness needs to be improved, injuries 5-10 times greater than the average job

exposed to hazardous materials, effects of those don't get caught in the annual physicals

developing a hearing conservation program, only 49% of the fire fighters have normal hearing
the siren is in excess of OSHA levels, all those exposures generate hearing loss
with good audio testing and precautionary hearing, you can turn the tide

will be coming back in the next capital budget for new radios that will have ear muffs and a microphone to help

community outreach program, under direction of Keith Darling
targeted on fall prevention this year, 200 calls last year were fall related, if we could reduce that in half, we would have created capacity in the system as well as save the people health and time

home inspection, trip hazards, looking for extra funds to expand the program

we don't know what our salaries will be
health issues and simulatneous calls are the big issues

one was out on long term injury, now going out as 'retired'

what is the loss of income on the mutual aid?
it pales in comparison to staffing the ambulence

Calls to 656 King St are frequent
we have new cliental with new staff
Deputy Sharpe has spoken with them and we have already seen a reduction in activity

our minuimum staff right now is 9, we would have liked to keep it at 10
over time, we want to get to 12
our folks dug themsleves into the residence and then dug themsleves out to get our residents help

9.74 persons/day
full shift should be 12, long term injuries are keeping us from that

The Lincoln St proposal was denied

12 minutes for mutual aid coming from other towns, Bellingham, Norfolk, and Wrentham
we need to find out we need one, then call, and then they need to respond

  • 225 Regional Dispatch B-24
we are at the forefront of regional dispatch
14 Sharon Ave in Norfolk
conceptual design
meeting in a couple of weeks to get to the next steps
Executive Director, IT person, train folks
ultimately you'll see elimination of dispatchers from the police and fire budgets
as this goes forward

expenses early on would be personnel expenses
Commonwealth will pay for the building and the equipment
vast majority of the cost will be personnel

it is an assessment, not necessarily as the same level of  detail as a department budget

we are trying to recruit an Executive Director
we want them to be aware of whar is goign on so when it opens, they are ready

phased opening approx 18 months from July
construction shouldn't take long, get the technology installed

47% of the assesssent, based upon call volume and population
at least initally, once open for a few years we can re-look at it

no money spent nor will be spent by June 30th
it is delayed and frustrating, we could have been open two years ago

once we are up and running, we would love to have other join
the issue is really antennas, repeaters, and phone lines
it doesn't cost that much more
I think that is three or four years away

the Town meeting in Norfolk is next week

we'll have some advantage of using the vendors to do some training
we can hire some of our folks as part time and train them
there is also some transitional money available from the state grant
the state should be full funding this but how well we compete and the timing will be key

merging four procedures into one set of procedures
we are the only ones with both police and fire dispatchers

  • 422 DPW D-1
Robert (Brutus) Cantoreggi, Director DPW
no personnel changes, other than contractually obligated
would like to do more but it is not practical
rely on Chapter 90 for paving
Laurie Ruszala, Water/Sewer Supervisor
Kathy Mooradd, Office Manager

more fields, to maintain, did up the funding for supplies

snow/ice did remain the same
experimented with GPS tracking for the contractors 
really about customer service, we can go online and see who is where
sometimes the folks are right, the road was missed, sometimes, he had just been by and is on his way back, so it has worked out pretty well
only $13,000 on a million dollar budget but it is worth it

gasoline dropping down, usage down and anticipating the gas pricing with new contract going down as well

recycling center did go up slightly, now open on Sundays
for customer service, if any has used it recently
we have put in walls and trees, we take styrofoam and other things
working out well, it is becoming more of a reward

budgeting a five year rolling average without the high and low
should be up about 50,000 but it wasn't worth the hassle to juggle

could get some FEMA money, about 75% of the 330,000 storm but not likely to come in before the end of the year

  • 424 Streetlights D-17
we used to budget and then a couple of years ago we bought all of them from NationalGrid
contractor hired to maintain the lights
there is a lot of underground wiring and when that fails, it is expensive but we are saving big overall
we pay the electricity, we have about 1600 street lights
LEDs currently have a 9 year payback, but it doesn't seem to be affordable right now
when prices come down, it might be worth it
we replace 20% of the street lights each year, shouldn't mix them on a street for the safety of the drivers
  • 440 Sewer Enterprise H-2
biggest number is the assessment from the Charles River Sewer
we are about 65% of the business
increase coming due to work being done, but we have prepared for that so that there should not be a rate increase
we have very low debt for our sewer, and no plans for it
we have taken 600,000 gallons of sewer by fixing pipes and leaks
we have saved it but are still 65% of the costs

the Beaver St intersepetor, runs long 140 between the railroad track and Mine Brook
trying to reduce the flows before replacing the pipe
would proably need $10M to replace it and may not even be able to put it where it is

please don't through Swifters in the toilets
recycle or garbage, the Swifters can clog up the sewer pumps

Mine Brook, Shepards Brook are the other two interceptors that are owned and maintained by the Charles River Sewer District

we only have the one at Beaver St

  • 450 Water Enterprise H-9
did a couple of additions here, water distrbution equipment
our staff is actually doing installation of water lines
we need to buy the pipe to do the work but the labor is done in house
doing a building needs assessment, an asset management plan
structural and life expectancy evaluation beng done by an outside

  • 434 Solid Waste Enterp H-16
going down and the rate is going down, re-negotiated a good contractor
trash business is down, and competition is increasing
got together with some 30+ communities to negotiate the tipping fees from 74 to 64
then an increase by 3/4 of the CPI
finished negotiating with our collection contractor so we are able to keep the budget under control and drop the rates from $216 - $200

rate now lowest it has been

recycling cost have no risen, there is no market for recycling

thanks to Chris White, Brutus and the whole team

there will be a program to enforce the cleanliness of the total
not mixing trash with recycling, not mixing recyling with trash

will pick a random week, and get rating based upon how clean we are


Franklin is a role model for water conservation
average daily 65 gal/per person day is target
currently at 49 gal/day per person

what wasn't discussed whar the storm water restrictions, finally
it could be another million next year, then 2-3 million and up to 60 million over the next several years

only numbers that should change will be fire dept due to the award, and debt budget due to financing 3.2 million in bonds, Norfolk County Ag could change

pending those changes, we should be good

motion to approve the following budgets
long listing of budget items (sheet to be added later)
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/budgets/FY%2016%20Budget/voting%2016.pdf

The Town Administrators letter to the Council on the budget can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/budgets/FY%2016%20Budget/Budget%20Letter.pdf

the budget was approved by a 7-0 vote

the budget then goes to Town Council for Jun 10-11

Nutting - there will be upward pressure on the budget, there is some money set aside, but when that comes it will be a Council decision on level of service to be provided. An increase in commercial/industrial business doesn't really increase our services. Residential housing does by putting pressure on the schools and other programs. if we can take some emergancy runs off the table and keep the fire fighters healthier, that helps us.

request for fund for an OPEB actuary study
more likely to get FinCom to the Town Council and cover all at once

motion to approve $10K from free cash to find the actuary study

next meeting? we'll leave it open, maybe something in June, not sure

any renewal of appointments are up in June, let Diane know

library issue some time during the summer? or Sep/Oct
the Senior Center project might need some more money, not sure of the timing


motion to adjourn, seconded, passed 7-0



Note from the prior budget hearings can be found here

Tuesday - May 5
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/05/real-time-reporting-finance-committee.html

Monday - May 4
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/05/live-reporting-finance-committee-budget.html

Thursday - Apr 30
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/04/live-reporting-finance-committee-budget.html

MIAA names 3 FHS Coaches as "Coach of the Year"



The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association announced its Coach of the Year award winners for the 2014-2015 school year and five coaches from Hockomock schools were honored. These five, along with all of the other winners, will the be honored at the MIAA Coach of the Year banquet at the end of May. 
The five Hockomock coaches that received the honor were Franklin's Fran Bositis for boys soccer, Franklin's Tom Geysen for girls soccer, Franklin's Chris Spillane for boys ice hockey, Milford's Dave Chaplin for boys swimming and Milford's Linda Zacchilli for boys volleyball. 
Spillane and the Franklin boys hockey team had arguably the best season of all Hockomock teams so far this year. The Panthers were selected to play in a Super 8 play-in game for the first time in program history and were the first Hockomock team to do so. Franklin then beat Xaverian in overtime in the play-in game to make it to the Super 8 tournament. Spillane led the Panthers to a 17-4-3 overall record with three of their losses coming to the three time defending Super 8 champions, Malden Catholic.
Franklin's Tom Geysen was named the MIAA Coach of the Year for Girls Soccer. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
Franklin's Tom Geysen was named the MIAA Coach of the Year
for Girls Soccer. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

Continue reading the full article here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/five-hockomock-coaches-recognized-by-miaa

Franklin Democrats To Elect Delegates To State Convention


Democrats in Franklin will be holding a caucus on Monday, May 18 at 7 pm at the Alumni Restaurant, 391 East Central Street, Franklin to elect 14 delegates and 4 alternates to the 2015 Massachusetts Democratic Convention, where Democrats from across the state will gather to meet fellow activists and hear from elected officials. Registration will begin at 6:30 pm. The convention will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

"This convention will be unique as we build on experiences from many competitive elections these past few years and look to strengthen the party for the future," said Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman, Senator Tom McGee. "Caucuses are an important step in growing our party engagement at the local level."

The caucus is open to all registered Democrats in Franklin, and the Democratic Committee welcomes participants. Delegates will be divided equally between men and women, and all ballots will be written and secret. Youth, minorities, and people with disabilities who are not elected as delegates or alternates may apply to be "add-on" delegates. The Alumni Restaurant building is handicapped accessible. Details on the rules can be found at www.massdems.org.

The Franklin Democratic Town Committee normally meets on the third Monday of the month at the Union Street Grill. For more information on the caucus or the committee please contact Denise Schultz at DeniseLynnSchultz@gmail.com / 508-612-5950 or check out their website at www.franklindemocrats.com

For general information on the Convention or the Democratic Party please contact 617-939-0800 or contact@massdems.org.

New Hope 5K and Family Fun Walk - Jun 6


Event Information:
The New Hope 5K and Family Fun Walk is a community celebration of healthy lifestyles, healthy relationships and healthy communities.

When
Saturday, June 6th, 2015



Where
Remington/Jefferson School – 628 Washington Street Franklin, MA 02038



Time:
  • 7:45 am Registration opens 
  • 9:00 am 5K Race Starts 
  • 9:00 am Family Health Fair 
  • 9:30 am Family Fun Walk Starts 
  • 10:30 am Awards

new hope 5K and family fun walk
new hope 5K and family fun walk

Website:


Registration:

Hockomock Area YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day® free community event set for May 16 at Patriot Place in Foxborough

On Saturday, May 16, the Hockomock Area YMCA is celebrating Healthy Kids Day® with a free community event that encourages kids to be active and provides families with options and methods for living healthier lives. The event will take place at Patriot Place in Foxborough from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fun, creative, and healthy activities for children will take place at NRG Plaza, located outside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon.


Healthy Kids Day
Healthy Kids Day

“The Y encourages families to attend YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the largest health day for families nationally,” said Ed Hurley, president of the Hockomock Area YMCA. “As part of our Y’s commitment to healthy living, our goal is to teach healthy habits for kids and families, encouraging active play, and inspiring a lifetime love of physical activity.”

Healthy Kids Day aligns perfectly with the Hockomock Y’s Healthy Futures initiative, an innovative program sponsored by Stop & Shop and committed to reducing inactivity and poor nutrition in the 15 communities served by the Hockomock Area YMCA.

“Healthy Kids Day reinforces the importance of our Healthy Futures initiative and encourages kids and families to keep their minds and bodies active, and ultimately live healthier lifestyles,” said Hurley. “We’re grateful to Patriot Place for partnering with us to host this event and are proud to be collaborating with Norwood Hospital as an event sponsor and so many other community partners who support our Y.”

The day will feature active play and educational activities, including youth and family fitness challenges, gymnastics obstacle courses, Dana-Farber’s Blum Family Van doing skin cancer screening and education, STEM learning activities, 30 minute infant and child CPR demos, photo booths, caricature art, air brush tattoos, arts and crafts, story time, seed planting, dance party, and more. Many of the favorite activities that are hosted at Hockomock Y camps each summer will be running on half-hour schedules, including tie-dye camp tee shirts, Survivor Challenge, Gaga Pit ball game, Messy Week activity, and Olympic Week games.

Fitness classes will also be held throughout the day, including Zumba, Boot Camp, and Yoga.


Pat the Patriot
Pat the Patriot

A special Healthy Kids Day autograph signing session will take place and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will be in attendance with information on the NFL Play 60 campaign and the New England Kids Triathlon. The New England Revolution will be participating with an inflatable obstacle course, team mascot Slyde the Fox, and a chance to win tickets to a match. Prizes, coupons and goody bags will also be part of the day.

The community is invited to participate in the Y’s Healthy Futures Food Drive taking place now at YMCA branches in Foxborough, Franklin, and North Attleboro and concluding at Healthy Kids Day. Healthy Futures Franklin will be hosting a ‘Stuff a Truck Challenge’ benefiting the Franklin Food Pantry. The Franklin Food Pantry will bring their mobile pantry truck to the event and challenge the community to fill it with healthier food items. For a complete listing of donation requests, visit hockymca.org.

Dorel Juvenile Group will hold car seat safety checkpoints in the parking lot outside of the Plaza. Families are encouraged to bring their vehicles for a check. Speak with a technician about proper car seat installation and receive useful child passenger safety tips.

Community partners include Stop & Shop — the Hockomock Area YMCA’s Healthy Futures Initiative sponsor, Norwood Hospital, and participating Patriot Place businesses, including Bass Pro Shops, Brigham and Women’s/Mass General Health Care Center at Foxborough, B&W Rehabilitation Services, B&W Dermatology Services, Olympia Sports, 5 Wits, Reebok, and Splitsville Luxury Lanes and Howl at the Moon.

Other Healthy Kids Day partners include: 103.3 AMP Radio Street Team, Fuel Up to Play 60, Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol County, Fire and Police Safety, Kids Melanoma Prevention Foundation, MA Safe Routes to School, MGA Links/First Tee, Mansfield Community Garden, Milford Regional Medical Center, Miscoe Hill Skippers Jump Rope Team, Norwood Hospital, Pediatric Dental Health Care, RWL Weightlifting, Inc, Sturdy Memorial Hospital, Way Better Snacks, and WIC Nutrition Program.

“We’re thrilled to host the Hockomock Area YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day and be a part of the event again this year,” said Brian Earley, general manager of Patriot Place. “Patriot Place is proud to partner with such an innovative, mission-driven YMCA. Encouraging lifelong education and an enthusiasm for learning are key components of the Y’s youth development work and we are happy to support the Y’s dedication to provide families with further opportunities to learn, grow and have fun together.”

In celebration of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits:

• High Five the Fruits and Veggies – Make sure kids get at least five servings a day, the minimum number nutritionists recommend to maintain healthy childhood development.
• Foster an Early and Ongoing Passion for Books – Read to and with your kids. Help children read at every age and every stage of their development.
• Team Up for Athletic Events – Set a family goal of great health by teaming up for community or charity events like races, walks, fun runs, bike rides, etc.
• Volunteer Together – Find a cause that matters to the kids. Open their eyes to a world beyond themselves and the rich rewards that come from making a difference.
• Lead By Example – Be a good role model – kids can be influenced by seeing how hard their parents work at home or on the job, and how rewarding that experience is.


About The Hockomock Area YMCA

Where Cause Meets Community. At the Hockomock Area YMCA, strengthening community is our cause. The Hockomock Area YMCA is an organization of men, women, and children sharing a commitment to nurture the potential of kids, promote healthy living, and foster a sense of social responsibility.

Our YMCA is committed to partnering and collaborating with others to create and deliver lasting personal and social change in the 15 communities we are privileged to serve. The Hockomock Area YMCA is a not-for-profit charitable cause-driven organization with facilities in North Attleboro, Foxboro, Franklin, and Mansfield. For more information visit hockymca.org.


ABOUT PATRIOT PLACE

Patriot Place is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination located adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Patriot Place features large and boutique retailers, 17 casual to high-end restaurants and other nightlife venues. Among the highlights of Patriot Place are New England’s first Bass Pro Shops, a state-of-the-art, 14-screen Showcase Cinema De Lux, the 16,000-square-foot CBS Scene Restaurant & Bar, the award-winning Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon, the retro-style bowling alley, Splitsville Luxury Lanes featuring live entertainment by Howl at the Moon, and the four-star Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel. For more information, visit www.patriot-place.com, follow Patriot Place on Twitter (twitter.com/patriotplace) or like Patriot Place on Facebook (facebook.com/patriotplace).

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds - Jun 4


Franklin Office Hours
Thursday, June 4, 2015
10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon

Council Chamber
Municipal Building
355 East Central Street

The Register and members of his staff will be available to help answer questions or concerns about any Registry of Deeds matter.

Information will be available concerning the Massachusetts Homestead Act. Internet ready computer terminals will be on hand to print a Registry recorded deed, confirm the status of a mortgage discharge or check on any other recordings.

No appointment is needed.

For further information call 781-461-6104, email registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.orgOr visit the Registry’s website at www.norfolkdeeds.org.

In the News: Big Y gets the license, 2 more arrested at the clothing bin



After listening to arguments for and against the request, the Town Council Wednesday granted a liquor license to the Big Y supermarket. 
The family-owned chain, which has a location on East Central Street, applied for the town’s only available malt and wine license to open one of its Table & Vine shops. 
Big Y’s application met with some opposition from residents, including the owners of a decades-old local business, who argued that the area did not need another beer and wine merchant.
Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150507/NEWS/150507362/1994/NEWS

My notes from the meeting and discussion Wednesday can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/05/live-reporting-license-transactions.html


For a second time in two weeks, police say they thwarted a pair of thieves who were stealing clothing donations, finding one hiding in the locked donation bin. 
Kevin Santos, 22, of Brockton, and Valdir Barros, 27, of Central Falls, Rhode Island, were charged Monday with breaking into a depository and trespassing, as well as larceny over $250 after allegedly stealing from a Society of St. Vincent de Paul donation bin kept in a parking lot on Main Street. 
Two Brockton men targeted the same donation bin last week, police said, leaving with more than 50 trash bags of clothing.
Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150506/NEWS/150507402/1994/NEWS

Last week's article can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/05/in-news-2-men-in-van-arrested.html

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Live reporting: Closing


K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Bob Fahey retired recently

May 16th beautification day, help out downtown
bi-weekly meetings with the developer on the downtown construction
concerns again about not going in a timely fashion
meeting next week to address

potential gas line hearing on May 14th
Hawthorne Suites welcome to attend and be heard
controlled by Federal Government

if this moves ahaed, they go through this again

Confirm that Jun 10-11 for the budget hearing

L. OLD BUSINESS
DelCarte update?
waiting for the engineer to come out
it will take time

where are we at with the property on Beaver St
P/S signed today, 21e submitted


M. NEW BUSINESS


N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Kelly - Jeff Roy, Nutting met with folks on Taft Road about the power line cutting
great meeting to get an understanding on what is being done
glad to be part of the community where this happens

sad to see Bob Fahey retired, good for him

downtown work after hours?
no, once the drainage and light posts they should be out

Pond St, Chestnut St came out, supporting the liquor license
we really appreciate that
we try to do the best we can

Bissanti -
Wycoff family, husband in hospice for next 6 weeks
condolences to the B Hunchard for his mother's passing

comment on the Council supporting small business
the downtown work should speak for itself
we are definitely a small business oriented council, it is what is best for Franklin



O EXECUTIVE SESSION

P. ADJOURN
motion to adjourn, passed



Live reporting: Legislation for action

one minute recess 

some of the crowd dispersed

The Cable TV presentation will be rescheduled

-----

5. Resolution 15-21: Appropriation – Capital FY 15
listing of capital budget items read totaling $1,752,000
typically use 'free cash' for capital improvements

departments heads are here to answer any specific questions

The street have a problem with the intersection of Miller
also want to do Oak St in front of the high school
$100,000 for design work, phase 1 
next winter and spring would hear more details for doing sidewalks

Kelly - this takes us a while to get through, thanks to Pfeffer, Dellorco and Nutting for their work in getting this done
getting each department what they need, hope they are happy

Donna Grant, Longfellow Dr
residents off Chestnut St, concerned about walking on the Street
signed a petition and sent it to Nutting

Chestnut St will be included in the design?
Yes, it will. There will be another vote next year when we know how much it will cost

Clarification question on how much of Chestnut St would be done

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0
just spent 1.7M dollars, 


6. Resolution 15-22: Appropriation - Sewer Enterprise Capital FY 15
$295,000
will help with the capacity on the sewer line for Cooks Farm
motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0 

7. Resolution 15-23: Appropriation – Water Enterprise Capital FY 15
$610,000
water system improvements, Hill St, Lewis, and the streets in the neighborhood
will be coming to Council to extend the public way, so the whole project can be completed

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0

8. Resolution 15-24: Authorization to Issue Request for Proposals – Pond Street Property
lease of parcel for solar, recommendation from the EDC for two RFPs, if either or both are approved, would run for 6 weeks, see if there is a revenue stream available; the second one is more traditional development

Bissanti - thanks for the input, solar was a compromise for the neighbors
so we can put both out, see what comes back with for the Council to review

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0

9. Resolution 15-25: Authorization to Issue Request for Proposals – Pond Street Property
for the parcel to be sold and developed

this RFP would allow anything but exclude apartments 
does have a minimum of price, minimum set backs included in both RFPs

advertise, proposals submitted, reviewed by EDC, interview developers, brought before the Council for sale and requires a 2/3 vote, step one of about an 8 step process

Bissanti - thanks to Bryan (Taberner) for his work on this, worked hard to appease the neighbors and be good for the town

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0


10. Bylaw Amendment 15-747:Amendment of Service Fee Rates – Solid Waste and Recycling – 1st Reading

$216 -> 200

forgot when we discussed a few weeks ago that the rates will be going down due to the new negotiation with WasteManagement

motion to move to second reading, seconded, passed 9-0



Live reporting: License transactions


G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS 
  • British Beer Company – Change of Manager- 7:10 pm tabled to next meeting

  • Gill N Sidhu, LLC – Chinese Mirch - Change of DBA- 7:10 pm
motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0
Chinese food with Indian spices

  • Table & Vine, Inc. – Annual Wine & Malt Package Store - New License – 7:10 pm
process to advertise, posted, advertised MDN, etc.
only one applicant came in at the deadline

paying approx $100,000 in taxes
payed additional dollars to fix up the road
employee about 100 

privately owner company

James Wilson, store manager

in 2012 constructed, construction, widening of the roadway, signal added
development of the commercial sector on the eastern part

all the ABC documents are contained in your package

Michael Gold, VP Legal Affairs of BIG Y
MA corporation, based in Springfield area
in business 80 years, owned and operated by the family
3rd generation of the family

we are a great neighbor in the community, support numerous local organizations

Table & Vine essentially the liquor business for Big Y
currently has 4 liquor licenses
1 strandalone, 3 within stores

would be the smallest liquor dept in MA
loyal customers have been asking for it since they opened

well trained, talented and educated, 
experts in wine, food and craft beers
hoping to bring that expertise here

take obligations to sell alcohol seriously
Point of sale systems do require a valid birth date entered in the system

serve the public need, in search of a common good
MA case law has identified several factors

  • proximity to school, no schools in immediate area
  • number of existing dispensaries, there is an available license
  • competition among existing license holders should not be made in determination, DaVitas and Franklin Liquor have full license, this would only be beer/wine as a convenience for the customers; not looking to put anyone out of the business; there is a distinction between the licenses and the nature of the operations
  • submitted letters in support of the license; received a resounding yes
  • reputation of the applicant, over 50 years of experience, can bring expertise to the area with craft beer and specialty wines
  • wines - always a concern, the state of the art development, a completely different facade, the traffic is not a deterrent in this case, the traffic improvements are allowing negotiations with other developments proposed next door to utilize the entrance
Feldman - quantified?
customers come in frequently, asking for beer/wine

we were careful about where to use the last license

Padula - how does the sale work?
there is a point of sale system that is required with a valid date in order to process the transaction; there are also 32 locations in CT as well

Padula - how many times?
never in MA? in CT? one issue among the 32 stores in 9 years

DaVitas issue won the full license and when they got it, they turned in the beer/wine 

The Council last year voted against the Cottage/Union, and developed the process we have used here

Kelly - how do you handle the situation when a cashier is underage?
if a minor would try to scan an alcohol transaction, it would lock the system until a supervisor came over

Mark Lenzi - Franklin Liquors, across from the BIG Y
in 1978 purchased Jimmies Penny Candy Liquor Store
this is the oldest liquor license in town
family all work there

please consider the decision from last year, in consideration 
there was one license last year
there are three licenses this time

consider the legal precedence set in MA
the laws are changing, it used to be three, it will be 7 in 2016

what does it mean for the town?
it may mean more corporations coming

I am a BIG Y customer, and I did not get asked
consider the support for the small business movement in town

in closing, I am not sure they showed a public need, just because they are the only application doesn't demonstrate the public need

Cerel - can only take into consideration material presented at the meeting and not in other ways


Michael Rourke - Franklin resident
chose Franklin for a variety of reasons for the family
voted best town for families, affordable homes, top rated jobs, good schools, etc.
local were proud to call Franklin, discourage to see the charm decline in the past several years
now some of those small business are out of business
too much of our hard earned dollars are going to corporation

Mark and his family are a true proponent
in the spirit of national small business that started this week

the main reason was due to the saturation in the area, 
there are others around, a saturation

I urge you to deny this application

"Industry need not wish, there is no need here"

Karen Mullen, a Big Y customer
I feel strongly that BIG Y supports the small town
I don't think it would take away their business
I don't see the competition here 
MA case law doesn't support the need
I would request that this license be approved

Sandra Verhagen, town resident
there is a movement to support small business
we are all in it together
this being small business week, we are spending our money to keep them operating
ask you to look at this and deny the license
I don't understand how there is public need

Laurie Blake - Norfolk resident
BIG Y customer, I do think it would be convenient
The other liquor stores that are in town, I would still good to them for other things; if I am looking for hard alcohol, I would go elsewhere
if they are the oldest they are survivors
I am on both sides, I think having BIG Y and their regulations would be a strong contender on this town


motion to close the hearing, seconded, 9-0


additional comment from BIG Y
focus is on the craft brews and unique wines, not the regular stuff you see
I advocate for small business and for family business, that is where we came from, our core business is food, and proper pairings is what we are looking to do

Feldman - I appreciate the comments on both side, the situation last year was between two small businesses, any time we take on a license, some one will oppose it, the government should not impede competition


motion to approve, seconded, 8-1 via roll call (Dellorco - no)