Election results could lead to a community vision

The election results are in and unofficial for a period of time. The Town Clerk's office will validate all the totals and then make them 'official'. Given the posted 'unofficial' results, there are not likely to be any significant changes due to the margins shown in the races.

Now the real work of the newly elected officials commences. These are volunteer positions (with the exception of the Town Clerk). They will begin (or resume)  working to provide oversight and make policy decisions for all of us on how the Town of Franklin operates.

The challenges ahead of us remain. 

• How do we come out of the devastation wrought by the pandemic? 
• How do we address the issues of inequity or gaps raised by the pandemic? 
• How do we properly fund our schools and all the Town services we need as a community?

Maybe we can frame this in a discussion of what we want to be in 2028? Why 2028? The 250th anniversary of the Town's incorporation on March 4, 1778.

Maybe by working to develop a community vision, we can determine how to get there. There may still be differences of opinion or priority but with agreement on a 'common goal' we might be able to move the discussion from divisive to constructive and respectful.

We are neighbors. Let us celebrate the diversity among us. Let us figure out what we need to be like in 2028 and get the civil discussion going.

For me, Franklin does matter, and I'd much rather prefer to be in a civil discussion on the vision for Franklin than in any divisive discussion.

Your Community information director

Steve Sherlock

The unofficial results are shared here:

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/11/unofficial-results-town-of-franklin.html

Thanks to Jamie Barrett for bringing music to end the day at the polls on Tuesday!

Election results could lead to a community vision

Affordable housing - What can Franklin do?

Yes, Franklin is sitting above the 40B line at 11.89% per Town Administrator Jamie Hellen. The percent has been known to vary. With additional residential building underway, the number can and will change. 

At the Economic Development Subcommittee meeting on Wednesday (coincidentally), a proposal for 100+ apartments was discussed for the former Keigan auto dealership with no affordable housing as part of the proposal.

Affordable housing should be part of the "What will Franklin look like in 2028?" discussion. Will today's children growing up here, be able to come back after college (assuming they choose that one of many routes), and afford to live here?

Franklin is not alone in this situation, a report in the Milford Daily News today shows the median home price across MA is now approaching $440,000.

"Massachusetts home sale agreements shot up 9% in July, compared to a year ago, and the median price of a single-family home put under agreement last month rose to almost $440,000."

https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190814/median-mass-home-price-is-nearly-440k

 Maybe Franklin can begin like Salem has.

"The city of Salem has released a four-part video series to help residents better understand the housing shortage and the importance of creating affordable housing policies for the culturally and economically diverse city.

“Homes for Salem,” produced by the city with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, is a part of a larger community conversation about housing challenges and possible solutions, said Mayor Kimberley Driscoll.

“It’s making people stop and think about what is happening in the community, especially those who may not be directly impacted,” Driscoll said. “It puts a face on the housing challenge by having those affected tell their story.”

https://www.mma.org/salem-video-series-raises-housing-challenges/

Part 1 - https://youtu.be/5ikt11DXzCw
Part 2 - https://youtu.be/BH7cHgUogv8
Part 3 - https://youtu.be/KEBgh6BUleM
Part 4 -  https://youtu.be/0417u4hhqLY

Franklin Election 2019: What does the Planning Board do?

From the Town of Franklin Planning Board webpage we can share:

"The Planning Board, established under Massachusetts General Laws (MGL) Chapter 41, Section 81A, is an elected board comprised of five members, each with a four year term and one appointed associate member.

The Planning Board’s primary responsibilities are to administer the Subdivision Control Law pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 41 and to issue certain special permits and site plan approval under the Town of Franklin Zoning By-Laws in order to ensure the public safety, interest and welfare of the residents of the Town. State and local laws and regulations governing procedures for these approvals are MGL Chapter 40A (the Zoning Act); MGL Chapter 41, Sections 81K - 81GG (the Subdivision Control Law); Chapter 300 of the Franklin Town Code Subdivision Regulations; and the Town of Franklin Zoning Bylaws Chapter 185.

The Board conducts meetings and public hearings in compliance with Town of Franklin General Laws to review and consider preliminary and definitive subdivision plans, Site plans and Special Permits, Approval Not Required (Form A) plans, and Certificate of completion applications.

The Planning Board also considers and prepares amendments to the Town of Franklin Zoning By-laws and the Town of Franklin Subdivision Regulations. The Board conducts public hearings on amendments created by the Board and on zoning amendments that are submitted to the Board by way of citizen petition or by landowners or other town boards through the proper procedures for submitting to Town Council.

All material received by the Planning Board in connection with applications is considered public information and can be seen during posted office hours."

The Planning Board Project project page on the Town of Franklin site lists the approved projects and the projects currently in the approval process.
https://www.franklinma.gov/planning-board/pages/projects

Find more information on the Franklin Election Nov 5, 2019 in the "election collection"  
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/franklin-election-collection-2019.html 

Franklin Election 2019:What does the Planning Board do?

What should Franklin look like in 2028?

Why 2028? 

That would be the 250 year anniversary of the creation of Franklin separating from Wrentham. You likely recall the story that it was originally to be called Exeter but on the way to Boston, they changed the name to Franklin to honor the work of Benjamin Franklin. When the founding fathers asked Ben for a bell to toll in his name, he responded with a bunch of books and hence our library, the first public library in the nation was formed.

We have this legacy to live with and keep up. 

2028 is only 9 years away. It will be here before we know it. Hence, there is no time like the present to start thinking about what the town should look like. How it should operate?

School Superintendent Sara Ahern is working on "A Portrait of a Graduate". What should a graduate of FHS be prepared with to enter the working world? What skills and qualifications will they need that we need to develop during their educational years here. Input has been sought for this across many stakeholders and community members. I know because I was able to participate in a workshop earlier this year. 

The school start times planning has moved from the Advisory Committee to the Schools Central Office to continue to work out the details of a proposal. This will have a domino affect through out the community if the proposal is approved.

We also have significant budget challenges. The schools cut positions while raising and introducing fees to balance their side of the budget for this year (FY 2020). The town side cut road money (among other items) to bring the budget into balance for this year. 

Next year's budget (FY 2021) will be more challenging. There will need to be significant cuts on both sides unless the voters/residents step up to provide additional funding.

• How are we going to repair our roads? 
• How are we going to maintain or advance our fire, police, and DPW services?
• How are we going to provide services to our growing community? 
• And of course, how are we going to fund the schools to give our children the best they can get to prepare them for the world of 2028 and beyond?

We can do something now. The biennial Town Election is coming up November 5, we should make sure to select those with the vision and the willingness to work on where we need to be in 2028.

We need good people to help lead us forward. Who are they? Who will we select to lead us through the budget maze? Will they foster honest, and civil discussions on hard topics?

Talk to the candidates. 
They are your neighbors. Find out what they want to do. Find out how they are going to get us to 2028.

And then vote on November 5. 




Find more information on the Franklin Election Nov 5, 2019 in the "election collection"  
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/franklin-election-collection-2019.html 

This is an updated version of what was originally published in 2017
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/11/what-will-franklin-be-like-in-2028.html

What should Franklin look like in 2028?

Candidates taking papers, room for more on the Franklin Biennial ballot

The listing of the 17 candidates who have taken out papers to run for the open positions on the Franklin Biennial Election is provided via Town Clerk, Teresa Burr. There are 28 seats open so there is plenty of room for additional candidates. The listing will be updated weekly to provide the 'scorecard' of who's taken papers, who's turned them in, etc.

It is good to see new candidates appearing. I met one at the Farmers Market on Friday where he was gathering signatures. He had acquired over 50 by the time I met him so if other candidates are looking for signatures, the Market on the Town Common on Friday afternoons is a good place!

Download your copy from here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1815QtLDoEKjeaACekubo667H8I4Yg3dv/view?usp=sharing

Find more information on the Franklin Election Nov 5, 2019 in the "election collection"  
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/07/franklin-election-collection-2019.html 

Farmers Market at the Town Common on a nice summer Friday afternoon

Joint Budget Subcommittee Meeting - Sep 26, 2018 (audio recording)

FM #147

This internet radio show or podcast is number 147 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording is of the Joint Budget Subcommittee meeting that was held on Wednesday, September 26, 2018. The meeting began at about 5:30 PM in the 3rd Floor Training Room. The meeting opens with a round of introductions. Chief Lynch arrived just after the intro. Councilor Glenn Jones arrived just as the meeting was wrapping up.

The Joint Budget Subcommittee is comprised of representatives from the Franklin Town Council, the School Committee, and the Finance Committee along with key members of Franklin Town and School administration.

The agenda for the meeting can be found online
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/09/joint-budget-subcommittee-meeting.html

The recorded meeting runs about 45 minutes. Without further ado, here is the audio recording.






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This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can use your help.

How can you help?

If you like this, please tell your friends and neighbors.
If you don't like this, please let me know.

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark and Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes

"my tagline at the time was: 'this is math, not politics'.”

In the Franklin Matters series of posts about local government, the Freakonomics Podcast has a great interview with Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo that is shareworthy:

"Our latest Freakonomics Radio episode is called “How to Be a Modern Democrat — and Win.” (You can subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts or elsewhere, get the RSS feed, or listen via the media player above.) 

Gina Raimondo, the governor of tiny Rhode Island, has taken on unions, boosted big business, and made friends with Republicans. She is also one of just 15 Democratic governors in the country. Would there be more of them if there were more like her?"

subscribe to Freakonomics Radio

The Freakonomics Podcast page also has a transcript of the interview and other supporting info  http://freakonomics.com/podcast/modern-democrat-win/

Editorial Note:

Central Falls, RI made news when it went bankrupt largely due to unfunded pension liabilities. Franklin also has significant pension liabilities (OPEB). We are taking steps to fund these but we also have other funding requirements for roads and schools to name just two that are top of mind. 

What can we do now to help prepare for 2028 when Franklin will be (hopefully) celebrating its 250 anniversary? I think we can start by talking to one another. To borrow the line from Gina, "this is math, not politics."

What should our priorities be? What can we do to fund them?

Events to find out info and join the conversation:

• Jan 27 - Franklin Town Government 101

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/01/franklin-town-government-101-january-27.html

• Feb 13 - Legislative Forum on School Funding

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/01/franklin-school-committee-legislative.html


#Franklin2028

"if the town moves forward with another round of cuts instead, he wouldn’t know where to make them"

From the Twitterverse, comes notice of budget discussions not far away in North Attleboro.

"Public safety departments made their case in support of a Proposition 2 1/2 override Thursday, not with dire forecasts or threats of cuts to come if they don’t see the influx of cash, but with pleas to restore what’s already been stripped from their budgets. 

If more cuts come, they said during a three-hour meeting before selectmen, they wouldn’t know how to absorb them. 

The meeting was the first of three before selectmen are expected to come up with a dollar amount for a tax increase put to vote this April."

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/news/local_news/public-safety-departments-make-their-case-for-north-attleboro-override/article_db201669-ed0a-5757-8fff-8443e45a4413.html

Public safety departments make their case for North Attleboro override https://t.co/DTCH6h20Tr @SCNAttleboro @NAttleboro

— The Sun Chronicle (@TheSunChronicle) January 13, 2018

Cutting to balance budgets is only one way. There are others, lets have the conversation about what matters. If Franklin is facing a $3M shortfall for the FY 2019 budget, what are we going to do?

Events to find information and join the conversation:

• Jan 27 - Franklin Town Government 101

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/01/franklin-town-government-101-january-27.html

• Feb 13 - Legislative Forum on School Funding

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/01/franklin-school-committee-legislative.html

#Franklin2028

Can we get more responses to the Election Survey? Please

We currently have just over 170 responses to the survey. Can we get more to respond please? Would like to especially hear from more who did not vote.

An open survey for the voters and residents of Franklin, MA to provide feedback on the recent Biennial Election. The voter 17% turnout was less than average. The information gathered here will hopefully improve the turnout for future elections. 

The survey is meant gather the information anonymously. However, if you would be willing to provide more in depth responses, there  is an option to leave your contact information at the end of the survey. 

This survey is being conducted by Steve Sherlock, Community Information Director (volunteer) for Franklin Matters. The information gathered by the survey will be shared and used as applicable to guide future informational sharing efforts.

Can we get more responses to the Election Survey? Please

• Tally shown in the chart below is as of 5:30 AM Friday, Dec 15, 2017

What will Franklin be like in 2028?

What should Franklin look like in 2028?

Why 2028? 

That would be the 250 year anniversary of the creation of Franklin separating from Wrentham. You likely recall the story that it was originally to be called Exeter but on the way to Boston, they changed the name to Franklin to honor the work of Benjamin Franklin. When the founding fathers asked Ben for a bell to toll in his name, he responded with a bunch of books and hence our library, the first public library in the nation was formed.

We have this legacy to live with and keep up. 

2028 is only 10 years away. It will be here before we know it. Hence, there is no time like the present to start thinking about what the town should look like. How it should operate?

The new school superintendent, Sara Ahern is embarking on a process to update the mission, vision and strategic plan for the schools. The Town or municipal side should do the same thing.

We have a current Master Plan. We have a current Open Space Plan, We also have budget challenges. 
How are we going to deal with our OPEB obligation? 
How are we going to repair our roads? 
How are we going to maintain or advance our fire, police, and DPW services?
How are we going to provide services to our growing community? 
And of course, how are we going to fund the schools to give our children the best they can get to prepare them for the world of 2028 and beyond?

We can do something now. The biennial Town Election is coming up November 7, we should make sure to select those with the vision and or the willingness to work on where we need to be in 2028.

The Fiscal Year budget for 2019 is supposed to be a challenge. That should give us all the more reason to select the proper folks to lead us forward. Starting now.

Talk to the candidates. They are your neighbors. Find out what they want to do. Find out how they are going to get us to 2028.

And then vote on November 7. 
It is the one thing you need to do right now!


Steve Sherlock, volunteer Community Information Director, Franklin Matters

an empty sign is a missed opportunity

#Franklin2028