The obligations of the Town Clerk's Office have changed dramatically over the last few years. I am very proud of the ability of my staff to adjust to the ever-changing requirements and needs of the public and their continuing ability to provide superior service to the residents of the Town of Franklin. I am blessed to have two tremendous team members without whom my job would be impossible. Deputy Town Clerk Dyan Fitzgerald, and Administrative Assistant Melissa Kiriacopoulos, play critical roles in the success of this office and our ability to meet the needs of our constituents. Dyan is my right hand and provides me with critical input on a daily basis. She always excels in her role and works hard to improve the office and keep it moving forward. Melissa has made great impact in her first year and excels in the area of customer service and all aspects of the Town Clerk's Office. She has been a huge asset to the department.
The work of the office in 2022 was dominated by election activity. In June, the State Legislature made several changes to the election laws which were designed to cement into the Massachusetts election landscape many of the changes made during the 2020 pandemic. The highlight of these changes was early voting, both by mail and in person. The addition of early voting, especially the additional by-mail obligations, provides clerks across the state with new challenges as they try to plan for the needs of a large number of in-person voters on election day while also processing thousands of by-mail ballots. The ability of this office to successfully implement these new election changes while also to provide for the needs of our constituents is a testament to the professional abilities of my office.
HISTORY TOWN CLERK OFFICE
"The office of town clerk is probably one of the oldest in municipal government. It appears in the Bible in the Book of Acts, Chapter 19, and verse 35 written in A.D. 58. A search of other early written records would no doubt reveal other instances in which mention of this office appears. In Massachusetts, town clerk was one of the earliest offices established in colonial towns although the title itself may not appear in the earliest records. The settlers were well aware of the importance of keeping accurate written records of their agreements and actions including grants of land, regulations governing animals, the collection of taxes and the expenditure of town funds. If your town records date back to the first half of the 17th century, you will probably find that a person was given the specific duty of writing down town orders and will see many entries in the record which include the words "It is ordered by the inhabitants," or some similar words. Indeed, in Massachusetts, the town clerk was one of the earliest offices established in colonial towns."
ONLINE SERVICE
Our online service continues to be a success!! This has been a convenient way for the public to request and purchase birth, death and marriage certificates. This improvement has also been a great success for our dog owners who need to license a new dog or renew their yearly dog license. These document requests and payment options are available online anytime of the day, 7 days a week. To use this service, visit the town website at franklinma.gov/townclerk.
NOTARY SERVICE
The Town Clerk's office provides Notary services as a courtesy. Residents seeking Notary Services should call the Town Clerk's office prior to their visit to ensure that the Notary is available. The following guidelines will be followed in the provision of Notary Service: - Notary Services are available during the normal business hours. Notary Service is provided on a first-come, first service basis. Please be sure to have valid government-issued photo ID if you are seeking this service. Remember, the document must be signed in the presence of the Notary. Notary Service is not available for deeds, mortgages, wills, living wills, living trusts, power of attorneys, or depositions. Certain public documents cannot be copied and notarized. For more information please visit our website. The Town Clerk, Nancy Danello, and Deputy Town Clerk, Dyan Fitzgerald are also Commissioners to qualify, which means if you are a Notary Public or a Justice of the Peace and need to be given the "Oath of Office" we can perform this service for you free of charge.
POPULATION
The total population for FY2023 Census is now 32,832.
The following are some past population figures that have been reported over the past years:
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| population figures that have been reported over the past years |
WELCOME TO OUR NEW RESIDENTS
We continue with our welcome packet to all new residents. Included in this packet is a census form, Voter Registration card and a dog registration form. We invite all new residents to stop by the Clerk's office. it's a nice way to meet their Town Officials and be introduced to the Municipal Building and the many services that are offered here in Town. If you choose not to complete the voter registration card you can also register to vote at www.registertovotema.com.
BUSINESSES
A total of 245 businesses were opened or renewed in Franklin during 2022. We wish them the best of luck. All non- incorporated/DBA businesses, according to MGL, shall register with the Town Clerk prior to commencing business. This certificate is valid for four years at a charge of $40.00. Banks will send their customers to us before allowing them to open a business account. This helps us to keep our records updated.
UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS HAZARDOUS MATERIAL
Total number of underground gasoline permits are 14 and there are 9 hazardous materials permits. No new certificates have been filed with this office by the Fire Department during 2022.
PLANNING IAPPEAL BOARD APPLICATIONS
All applications and decisions are permanent records and may be researched at any time through the Town Clerk's office. Elsewhere in this report you will find our index of applicants/decisions during the year 2022.
CODE OF FRANKLIN
The Town of Franklin Code Book is maintained and updated through this office, both in hard copy, and on the web at www.franklinma.gov. This book contains all the rules, regulations, by-laws and acts of the Town.
TOWN CLERK DIRECTORY
Our Directory of Town, State and County Officials is available here in the Clerk's office and on the Town Clerks webpage. This booklet has been a very useful tool to employers, committees, managers and residents. Other publications available in the Clerk's office are Subdivision and Zoning Regulations, Maps as well as Resident Street Listing Books.
RECORD RETENTION SCHEDULE
I have continued to keep our records in the best possible order as mandated through the Secretary of State's office. All of our books are bound and stored in the Town Clerk's vault each year. This is the history of Franklin and its' residents and I take pride in maintaining a filing system that continues the safety of each volume.
VITAL RECORDS
Certified records of birth, deaths and marriages are available through the Clerk's office. They are copied on bonded vital paper affixed with the Town Seal. The fee for a vital record is $10.00 for the first copy and $5.00 per additional copy.
As a note, when you need a copy of your birth record, remember that it is always filed in the town where your mother was living at the time of your birth and in the hospital community. Marriage Certificates are retained in the Town where you filed your Marriage Intention. All records are also safe guarded at the Office of Vital Records in Boston, MA. You can order online on the town clerks web page through our online portal.
DOG LICENSING
We have over 3,300 registered dogs in Franklin. Dog registration is a State Law requirement. Dogs are required to be licensed to be sure that they are up to date on their rabies vaccinations. Dogs should be licensed at 6 months and older. Licenses are $20.00 (altered) $30.00 (non- altered) due by April 1st of each year with a late fee of $30.00 added after April 1st. Residents with (4) or more dogs need to acquire a kennel license through the Zoning Board of Appeals.
CONCLUSION
I would like to thank the residents of Franklin for your continued support shown to us this year.
The Town Clerk's office is also very grateful for the funding provided by the Community Preservation Committee for the restoration and preservation of the Town Clerk's vault. A very special thank you to all the members and Chairman Mr. Chris Feeley. The funds have allowed me to complete the project of preserving the history and important vital records dating back to the 1800's that are stored in the Town Clerk's vault.
It is my pleasure to serve the Community as "Your Town Clerk"
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Danello, CMC
Town Clerk / Chief Election Administrator
Notary Public / Justice of the Peace
Note: not all the sections of Nancy's report were shared here but the complete Town Clerk report is available as a separate PDF
or you can get the full Town of Franklin FY 2023 Annual Report PDF online
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| Annual Town Report Of The Town Clerk's Office: FY 2023 Report |
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