Do you want a "Kindness Matters" sign? 20 available; first come, first text

via Mary O'Neill

I have 20 additional "kindness matters" signs. Folks can text me if they would like one.  Send text to 508-440-1265. 

First 20 to text can claim their sign. 

I will be at the Town Common bandstand on Sunday at 3:00 PM to deliver them.

thank you! 

Mary O' Neill

 

Do you want a "Kindness Matters" sign? 20 available; first come, first text

Reporting by Walking Around: vandalism visible & great courtesy signal reminder

Be aware, in addition to some vandalism on the downtown decorations, there also appears to be a ladybug 'eater' on the loose. 

We need to do better folks. This is our place, let's take care of it.

vandalism visible - ladybug kicked and damaged

 Great message! Thanks Franklin Police Dept...

"Turn signals, the original instant message"

There were originally shared via Instagram as I walked about town.  https://www.instagram.com/franklinmatters.ma/

On this date: Feb 25, 2013 - FPSA on the downtown sign

On the triangle downtown where East/West Central meets Main St, there used to be the sign advertising coming events. Back in 2013, the sign advertised an upcoming performance of "The Sound of Music"

"The signs at the downtown  triangle where West Central St and Main St meet at the railroad bridge have been changed recently. 

The Franklin School for the Performing Arts is advertising their production of "The Sound of Music" which will be held this Saturday, Mar 2 at 7:00 PM and Sunday Mar 3 at 2:00 PM. 

You can get tickets online at the FPSA webpage (the link to the show no longer works, instead the link drops you on the FSPA home page)

FSPA - "Sound of Music"

With the change to 2-way traffic on Main St, the large sign has been replaced with a smaller one. This sign has now been moved to the Fire Station where it continues to highlight coming events.

The new sign on the triangle in downtown Franklin

The sign moved to its new location at the Fire Station early one morning in December, 2018

The link to the 2013 post:  
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/02/current-triangle-signs.html

In the News: sign bylaw up for change; energy saving tips

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

Sign Zoning Bylaw up for Town Council review/vote

"Regulations on signs in town are very loose, but that may soon change. 

The bylaw, written in 2012, is up for a public hearing on Wednesday, during the next Town Council meeting. 

Bryan Taberner, director of Planning and Community Development, said that the bylaw does not regulate how many signs can be in one plaza. For example, if a plaza in town had 10 businesses, there could be 10 different signs, one for each business. 

That reason, he said, is why the pending bylaw is going to be important."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190107/franklin-sign-bylaw-to-change

• Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-822: Changes to §185-20. Signs

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/mai/files/zoning_bylaw_amendment_18-822.pdf

• Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-823: Changes To Sign District Regulations

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/mai/files/zoning_bylaw_amendment_18-823.pdf

• Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-824: Changes To Sign District Overlay Map

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/mai/files/zoning_bylaw_amendment_18-824.pdf

Sign Zoning Bylaw up for Town Council review/vote

Energy saving tips

"Massachusetts residents are no strangers to expensive energy costs, especially during colder months. 

A recent report by Move.org shows Massachusetts residents on average pay the eighth-highest utility costs in the country -- $469 per month -- and the fourth highest in New England. 

What some residents don’t know, however, is that there are several ways to make changes -- big and small -- around any home or apartment that could help lower those costs. 

“Becoming more energy efficient is the single-most important step a homeowner or renter can take to gain control of their energy use and energy costs,” said Bill Stack, energy efficiency manager for Eversource, one of the state’s largest utility companies."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190107/tips-to-save-on-energy-costs-in-massachusetts

Which states pay the most for utilities?

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - Jan 9, 2019

The published agenda and documents for the Franklin Town Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 9, 2019.  

(Note: where there are active links in the agenda item, it will take you to the associated document)

You can also find the full set of documents in one PDF

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/january_9_2019_tc_agenda_0.pdf

Agenda Item	Summary
Town Council Meeting Agenda	Meeting of January 9, 2019- 7:00 PM
1. ANNOUNCEMENTS	a. This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast Channel 11 and Verizon Channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by others.
2. CITIZENS COMMENTS	a. Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to five minutes on a matter that is not on the agenda.  The Council will not engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments.  The Town Council will give remarks appropriate consideration and may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
3a. APPROVAL OF MINUTES	November 28, 2018 Minutes
3b. APPROVAL OF MINUTES	December 12, 2018 Minutes
4. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS	None
5. APPOINTMENTS	None
6. HEARINGS
6a. HEARINGS	Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-822: Changes to §185-20. Signs
6b. HEARINGS	Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-823: Changes To Sign District Regulations
6c. HEARINGS	Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-824: Changes To Sign District Overlay Map
7. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS	None
8. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
8a. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS	2018-2019 Goals Update
8b. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS	OPEB Actuarial Presentation-Daniel Sherman
9. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS	a. Capital Budget Subcommittee  b. Budget Subcommittee  c. Economic Development Subcommittee
10. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
10a. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION	Resolution 19-01: Acceptance of Gift- Franklin Council on Aging (Motion to Approve Resolution 19-01 Majority Vote (5))
10b. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION	Resolution 19-09: Acceptance of Gift- Franklin Police Department (Motion to Approve Resolution 19-09 Majority Vote (5))
10c. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION	Resolution 19-10: Acceptance of Gift- Franklin Police Department (Motion to Approve Resolution 19-10 Majority Vote (5))
10d. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION	Resolution 19-11: Acceptance of Gift- Franklin Police Department (Motion to Approve Resolution 19-11 Majority Vote (5))
10e. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION	Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-822: Changes to §185-20. Signs - 1st Reading (Motion to Move Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-822 to a 2nd Reading- Majority Vote (5))
10f. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION	Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-823: Changes Changes to Sign District Regulations -1st Reading (Motion to Move Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-823 to a 2nd Reading- Majority Vote (5))
10g. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION	Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-824: Changes To Sign District Overlay Map - 1st Reading (Motion to Move Zoning Bylaw Amendment 18-824 to a 2nd Reading- Majority Vote (5))
10h. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION	Bylaw Amendment 19-835: Changes to Chapter 47, Alcoholic Beverages - 1st Reading (Motion to Move Bylaw Amendment 19-835 to a 2nd Reading- Majority Vote (5))
11. TOWN ADMINISTRATORS REPORT
12. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
13. COUNCIL COMMENTS
14. EXECUTIVE SESSION	None Scheduled
15. ADJOURN

What is the future of the Brick School now that the Charter School has plans for a new building and won't need to use the facility to supplement their space needs? This is one of the items on the Town Council goals document.

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/mai/files/2018-2019_town_council_goals.pdf

Franklin's Brick School, an original one room school house

FM #140: Economic Development Committee meeting - Feb 21, 2018 (audio)

This internet radio show or podcast is number 140 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording is of the Economic Development subcommittee of the Town Council.
The meeting was held in Room 205 on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 beginning at 6:00 PM.

The subcommittee is chaired by Tom Mercer. Members are Melanie Hamblen,
Eamon McCarthy Earls, and Glenn Jones. Town Planning Director Bryan Taberner
and Town Planner Amy Love also participated along with Town Administrator Jeff Nutting
and Deputy Administrator Jamie Hellen. Resident and multi-small business owner
Rich Frongillo participated for the sign discussion.

The meeting runs just under an 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Note: the draft documents referred to are not (yet) available online. Based upon the discussion, updated versions of them will be brought back to the subcommittee before going to the Town Council for further discussion and action.

Without further ado, here is the audio recording.

The published agenda can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/02/economic-development-committee-edc.html

My notes via Twitter reported live during the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/02/economic-development-subcommittee.html

-------------

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!

------------------

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

Economic Development subcommittee meeting - Feb 21, 2018

A collection via Storify of the Twitter posts during the Economic Development subcommittee  meeting held in room 205 of the Municipal Building on Feb 21, 2018

Be sure to scroll within the Storify widget to view all the posts.
https://storify.com/shersteve/economic-development-committee-meeting-feb-21-2018

Economic Development subcommittee meeting - Feb 21, 2018

“Stuff like this drives us crazy"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The street sign for Hennessey Drive was stolen for the fourth time on Monday night. A resident reported to police that the sign was missing from its post on Tuesday morning. 

The reason the sign has been stolen so many times, according to DPW director of operations Deacon Perrotta, is easy to speculate. 

“Someone wants to put it behind their bar or something,” he said. “Hennessey seems to be a very popular sign to steal.” 

Though the signs are not too expensive for the town to replace, it is time consuming for the DPW, and could potentially pose a safety threat for residents that live there."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20171108/franklin-street-sign-stolen-for-fourth-time

DPW headquarters on Fisher St

Visit the DPW page for additional information about their operation

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_PublicWorks/index

"People are really looking for a way to express their concerns"

Lesley Vernon is the Franklin point person for distributing signs to interested Franklin residents. Please send an email to Lesley at peace4franklin@gmail.com 

Signs are free

"The latest lawn sign springing up in front yards around town does not involve politics, Mendy Tarkowski says. 

Its message is merely a simple one that's universal: "Hate has no home here." 

While the Medway resident did not create the phrase, Tarkowski brought the national campaign to the MetroWest and Milford region by way of a GoFundMe online fundraiser over the course of the past month. 

The statement was originally the creation of a third-grader in the Chicago area, who coined the term last fall following a contentious and divisive presidential election, according to a Facebook page maintained by organizers."

As a result of this article in the Gazette: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170207/medway-woman-works-to-bring-national-sign-campaign-area

https://www.gofundme.com/NoHateMetrowest

Live reporting: Economic Development Committee - Jan 6, 2016

Wednesday night was a rush as the Economic Development Committee met in the 3rd floor training room at 6:00 PM and ran until just before the Town Council meeting scheduled for the Council Chambers at 7:00 PM.

I chose to take my notes both on paper and tweet the highlights. I did make an audio recording of the meeting and assuming the quality is good, I'll share that soon.

Note: be sure to scroll within the Storify window to read the full set of notes

image shared from Eileen Mason

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Political signs - bylaw restriction removed

The ballot is not yet finalized yet signs are already appearing. How is that you ask? 

There used to be a bylaw restricting signs for a specific time before and after an election. However

"Federal courts have determined that the First Amendment prevents municipalities from imposing limits on the time period that political signs may be displayed.  

In response to these decisions, the Town Council amended the provisions of the Franklin Zoning Bylaw regulating signs in 2012 to remove the time limitation for political signs; this applies to both candidate signs and “public policy issue” signs.  

Political Signs subject in the Town Code can be found at Chapter 185 Section 20 D (3)."

You can find the bylaw section on the Franklin webpage here
http://ecode360.com/FR1096?needHash=true

When you find the section it reads as follows:

"Political signs shall not be subject to a time limit. Political signs shall otherwise comply with the requirements for temporary signs contained in Subsection D(1)(c) through (g)."

Franklin Town Common

No homework?

Another sign with interesting wording can be found at the corner of King and Union Sts.

Boston Sports Club Franklin sign

You can find out more about the Franklin Boston Sports Club by visiting their webpage
http://www.mysportsclubs.com/clubsched/_clubdetail.htm?rg=BSC&a=Greater%20Boston&c=215

Hydrant Flushing - begins Apr 7

While visiting the Franklin Historical Museum for the Cultural Council open house on Sunday, I found a photo opportunity announcing water flushing begins Monday, Apr 7.

hydrant flushing - starts Apr 7

hydrant flushing - starts Apr 7

Updated 4/8/14 to include this message from the DPW

The Franklin Department of Public Works, Water Division will begin its hydrant flushing program on Monday, April 7, 2014. This program is conducted annually to improve Franklin’s water quality and fire flows. Some hydrants will be flushed in the evening hours, while others will be completed during the day. Hydrant flushing will continue depending on water availability and system pressures.  

Residents may experience temporary water loss or discolored water while hydrants are being flushed in their area. Even though the water may be discolored, it is still safe for human consumption.  

Check the DPW Home Page to find out which streets we are working on today.  

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and we apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the DPW office at 508-553-5500. 

As the sign board was located at the 'gateway' to Franklin, it raises a question related to the future of this building and land. Would the town include an easement in the land deal so they could continue to use this location for such notifications?