Franklin Matters: Finance Committee -Budget Hearing #3

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Finance Committee -Budget Hearing #3 - Recap of June 2, 2020

As with most meetings in this pandemic period, I took my notes via Twitter during the meeting reporting in real-time via the virtual session.

The Twitter hashtag can be found online #fincom0602
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23fincom0602&src=typed_query

Real time reporting for Finance Committee June 2 underway, tagged here after as #fincom0602
All #fincom0602 members present for this session, tonight discussion is all things DPW. Meeting protocol and ground rules reviewed. Folks will be acknowledged to talk and identify themselves
#fincom0602 agenda can be found and followed in this link https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/2020-06-02_finance_committee_agenda.pdf
first item = DPW Stormwater MS4 Permit Presentation #fincom0602 doc can be found https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/_stormwater_council_outreach_2019_2.pdf
2 similar presentations on storm water were conducted in Feb/Mar and available for replay via Franklin TV and Franklin Matters Radio/podcast #fincom0602
Key to water approach as the three are integrated, they can help each other, or hurt each other. We get all our drinking water from ground, the largest producer of such per the State #fincom0602
Projections in storm water utility fee #fincom0602
Currently spending over $1M just for storm water mitigation #fincom0602
Inclusion of the storm water fee on the quarterly bill along with water/sewer and trash/recycling in process. The others fees will show the applicable charge, initially the storm water would be $0. Should help to generate interest and conversation #fincom0602
Over time the storm water fee would free up about $1.1m of currently operational expenses covered by tax base; in future the fee would support the mitigations required #fincom0602
Would take time multiple years, to move the finances from the operating budget to the new storm water fee as an enterprise fund and be self sustaining #fincom0602
As part of the storm water fee we would get the mitigation and leaf pick up #fincom0602
Tree warden session as mentioned was Sep 18, 2019 - view Franklin TV replay here https://view.earthchannel.com/PlayerController.aspx?&PGD=franknma&eID=683 #fincom0602
Small additions to DPW budget in anticipation of fee but needing to move forward with mitigation anyway even in these challenging times #fincom0602
On to water/sewer enterprise funds #fincom0602 Beaver St interceptor will be the largest build project for Franklin. TBD
Potential water and sewer fee increases coming down the pike, did go ahead with trash as it needed to support the contract renewal. Stay tuned for when the water sewer comes up later #fincom0602
Meters check water volume coming out of the ground and going into each facility (home or business) had been losing up to 20% of the water as unaccounted for, now down to about 7% very efficient #fincom0602
Garelick is 20% of our water and sewer usage, the bankruptcy is close to settled but the new buyer also needs to divest Garelick so the future is still unsettled. #fincom0602
Another full year of construction for water treatment plant on Grove St to cover the wells #3 #6 #fincom0602 before it comes online
Part of the ISO rating that the fire department received was partially due to the water pressure and system available from the water department #fincom0602
Motion to adjourn, vote via roll call 9-0; that's all for tonight, catch you Thursday #fincom0602