Recap - FinComm - Budget Hearing #3 - All DPW, and we find they they lose 2 positions in FY 2022

Quick Recap:

• Interesting twist instead of the formal line by line budget discussion of prior nights, DPW taking 2 people out of budget to bring in a balanced line as the stormwater fee apparently is NOT being considered for next year
• 3rd party peer review for Beaver St interceptor being funded to make sure costs and plans are good
• State target for per capita water usage 65 gals per person per day, we're at 42 and doing well
• Even with new pump station coming online, the DEP permit will still require water conservation measures. And that is not considering the drought status

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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  #fincom0429

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23fincom0429&src=typed_query 

Photos captured during the meeting and shared via Twitter can be found in one album https://photos.app.goo.gl/b2kW9RphygWgWoxZ6

The agenda for this meeting can be found

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/_2021-04-29_finance_committee_agenda_.pdf 

• Finance Committee meeting coming up at 6:30 - Part 3 of 4 - Time for all things  Dept of Public Works; Highway, Grounds, Central Motors, Solid Waste and Stormwater!  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/_2021-04-29_finance_committee_agenda_.pdf   #fincom0429
• To follow along, page 75 of Appendix A1 for DPW and all it does! #fincom0429 
• Finding out that the DPW is cutting personnel in their budget - that wasn't clear in anything heard previously!
• Interesting twist instead of the formal line by line budget discussion of prior nights, a few eye openers #fincom0429 DPW taking 2 people out of budget to bring in a balance line as the stormwater fee apparently is NOT being considered for next year
• #fincom0429 instead of making it about big bad phosphorus, or the Charles (isn't that in Boston). Street sweeping, catch basin cleaning, lots of really glamorous work is required to handle the stormwater and better ground water as we are a ground water aquifer user
• This is infrastructure, we need it, don't we really have bigger 'fish to fry?' #fincom0429 current nonprofit entities (Dean College) don't pay anything, government (Post office) don't pay, both would pay their "fair" share under the utility fee (sometime)
• Long discussion, can't reasonably do justice via this format. #fincom0429  George calculated $14/q and Franklin Village would be roughly $4,000/q... Will go back to the Jan 2020 meeting recording to help remind folks of what they said then.
• Stormwater conversation ends (finally) #fincom0429 now going to the DPW line by line street lights, p 86; solid waste p 87 (actually the recycling center) the remainder of solid waste is an enterprise fund
• Recycling needs to be looked at, it may be cheaper to burn as opposed to years a go recycling would earn us money #fincom0429 3rd party peer review for Beaver St interceptor being funded to make sure costs and plans are good. Per capita 65 gals per person per day, we're at 42
• Request for additional percentage amounts Motion to adjourn, second, passes 7-0   That's all for tonight, catch you next Tue, May 4 for the schools budget #fincom0429
• Oops forgot to add #fincom0429

 

FinCom member Susan Dewsnap