Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - June 10, 2015

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 
– May 6, 2015, May 20, 2015

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS 
– 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.

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS 

F. HEARINGS 
– 7:10 PM Budget: FY 2016 Budget Hearing – 1st Reading

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS 
– Purple Heart Presentation

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution15-36: Salary Schedule: Full Time Elected Officials
2. Resolution 15-38: Establishment of a Fire Department Fire Rescue Training Revolving Account for FY 16
3. Resolution 15-39: Establishment of a Council on Aging Senior Center Activities Program Revolving Account For FY 16
4. Resolution 15-40: Establishment of a Council on Aging Supportive Day Program Revolving Account for FY 16
5. Resolution 15-41: Establishment of a Use of Facilities Account for FY 16
6. Resolution 15-42: Authorization for Intermunicipal Agreement with County of Norfolk to Provide Veterans’ Services to Franklin
7. Bylaw Amendment 15-747: Amendment of Service Fees - Solid Waste and Recycling- 2nd
Reading
8. Bylaw Amendment 15-748: Amendment to Chapter 128 Peddling and Soliciting – 1st Reading
9. Bylaw Amendment 15-749: Amendment to Chapter 139-14 Sewer System Map – 1st Reading

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M.NEW BUSINESS

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION 
– Collective Bargaining, Nine Municipal Units

P. ADJOURN

Franklin Municipal Building

The full set of documents released for this agenda can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_CouncilAgendas/2015%20Complete%20With%20Documents/06102015.pdf

All the FY 2016 budget documents can be found here   http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/budgets/FY%2016%20Budget/

MassBudget : Conference Preview: Differences Between the House & Senate Budgets for FY 2016

For those following the State budget, this is the next step in the analysis prepared by MassBudget. The Governor proposed his budget, the House proposed their version, then the Senate recently proposed their version. All three come together in the conference committee to work out the differences and get one budget ready for the Governor to sign by June  30th. 

Franklin depends upon the State for about 30% of its revenue so how the conference works out the differences could ripple down to our budget. The Town Council will be doing their budget hearings June 10th and 11th. With a little luck, the conference differences will have mostly been resolved so the Franklin budget can include the latest and best numbers before the Council vote.

One small item to watch for is the $50,000 for the Horace Mann status. It was in the House budget, doesn't seem to be in the Senate budget, so how it will finally shake out remains to be seen.

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Conference Preview: Differences Between the House & Senate Budgets for FY 2016 The House and Senate have now completed crafting and debating their state budget proposals for the year that begins July 1 (for our full analysis, click HERE). The state budget is the way we as a Commonwealth make decisions about funding for a wide range of things including our local schools, roads and bridges, subways and buses, environmental protection, maintenance of beaches and parks, and supports for working families, like child care, health care, and job training programs. Both budgets propose small increases in funding for local aid, education, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and other targeted investments. During floor debate the Senate adopted an amendment that would increase the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and expand the personal exemption in lieu of a scheduled decrease in the income tax rate. This would have the effect of directing tax reductions more towards lower and middle income families and less towards our highest income residents. The House did not include this proposal. Both the House and the Senate budgets would change the structure of the board of directors for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, providing a larger role for the Secretary of Transportation. Both also authorize a Fiscal Management Control Board for the MBTA, although with different powers. The House proposes suspending at the MBTA the state law that regulates privatization (for more detail, click HERE). The Senate leaves that law in place. Making meaningful progress towards fixing our transportation systems, making higher education more affordable, or addressing other major issues facing working families would likely require reforming our state tax system in a way that was not considered by either the House or Senate. Currently our state's highest income residents pay substantially less of their income in state and local taxes than other taxpayers. This costs the state approximately $2 billion a year and makes it difficult for the state to address many of the big challenges facing families across the state (for more detail, click HERE). This Monitor describes major differences between the House and Senate final budgets that will need to be reconciled by the conference committee now meeting. For our full analysis, click HERE. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

MassBudget: Analyzing the SWM Budget for FY 2016

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Analyzing the Senate Ways & Means Budget for FY 2016 Yesterday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee (SWM) released its budget proposal for FY 2016, modestly increasing education programs above levels in the Governor's and House budgets (read our full Budget Monitor HERE). The SWM proposal follows the Governor and the House in increasing funding to fight substance abuse and in modestly increasing local aid. The budget also provides new funding to the Department of Revenue that will strengthen its capacity to ensure that companies pursuing complex tax evasion strategies pay their fair share.  Like proposals by the Governor and the House, the SWM budget relies heavily on temporary strategies to balance the budget:   The budget proposals by the Governor, the House, and the Senate are all shaped by fiscal challenges that date back to the late 1990s: after cutting the income tax by over $3 billion dollars between 1998 and 2002 we have experienced deep cuts in areas like higher education, local aid, and public health. Meanwhile, the highest income residents in the Commonwealth pay a substantially smaller share of their income in state and local taxes than do the other 99%. If the tax system were reformed so that the highest income 1% of taxpayers paid roughly the same share of their income in taxes as everyone else, that would raise about $2 billion that could be invested in our people, our communities and our economy. For our full analysis of the Senate Ways & Means proposal, please click HERE.  The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

Senate Ways and Means Releases FY 2016 Budget Recommendations

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means today announced a $38.01 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2016. The budget makes strategic, targeted investments in a variety of areas to create new opportunities, strengthen networks of support and encourage overall economic growth for individuals, families and communities across the Commonwealth.

"These budget line items are more than just numbers," said Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chair Karen Spilka. "They reflect shared Senate values and our commitment to foster upward economic mobility and greater equality for all residents. Our goal is to lift all families and lay the foundation for shared prosperity."

"This year's budget makes strategic targeted investments in education and economic development that will undoubtedly strengthen the Commonwealth's economy, while also providing critical aid to our most vulnerable populations," said Senator Sal DiDomenico, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. "It has been a pleasure working alongside Chairwoman Spilka, and I am proud of the important investments that we have made to keep the Commonwealth moving forward."

"Congratulations to Senator Spilka and the members of the Committee on Ways and Means for producing a budget that is fiscally responsible while making targeted investments in education, workforce training and economic development to help working families across Massachusetts," said Senate President Stan Rosenberg. "This budget will continue our position as leader in these areas and also takes care of our most vulnerable residents. I look forward to a spirited debate."

The FY 2016 budget includes $38.01B in total spending, an increase of 3.1% over FY 2015 spending, and invests in key areas of local aid, education, economic development and services for vulnerable and under-served populations.

The budget reflects the Senate's continued commitment to local aid for cities and towns.

·         $4.51B for Chapter 70 education aid, allowing for a minimum increase of $25 per pupil and bringing school districts closer to their target spending through 50% effort reduction.
·         $979.8M for Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) for community investments in education, public safety, roads and bridges and health care.
·         $271.6M to fully fund the Special Education Circuit Breaker for the 4^th straight year.
·         $7.5M for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism and $5M for Local Tourist Councils.
·         $12M for the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

In addition to Chapter 70 education aid and the Special Education Circuit Breaker, the budget invests in education at all levels: from early education to college to workforce development.

·         $17.9M total increase for Department of Early Education and Care accounts, including $12M to reduce the waitlist for childcare services and $14.8M for the Children's Trust Fund Healthy Families program.
·         $1.5M for the STEM Pipeline Fund.
·         $1.5M for the Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network (MassCAN) initiative.
·         $2.8M for the Connecting Activities public-private partnership that links high school students with hands-on learning opportunities, mentoring and job placement.
·         $12.5M increase for State Universities and Community Colleges and $19.3M increase for the University of Massachusetts.

The budget targets economic development and workforce training initiatives to create opportunities and connect people of all income levels with the skills they need to join the workforce and secure good, well-paying jobs. The budget makes investments and establishes new initiatives to help low-income families become self-sufficient, get the unemployed and long-term unemployed back to work and support sectors of the economy that drive economic growth.

Investments and initiatives to promote self-sufficiency among low-income individuals and families and recipients of Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) support include:

• $12.1M for the Employment Services Program to help individuals find jobs and resolve barriers to employment, including skills training and job search assistance.
• $5M for the Pathways to Self-Sufficiency Program.
• An increase to the clothing allowance for needy families to $200 per child, the highest in the history of this stipend.
• A new $1M Family Well-Being Plan pilot program to promote educational and employment opportunities for participants exempt from the DTA work requirement.

Efforts to help the unemployed and underemployed update their skills and find jobs include:

• $2M for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund to train unemployed and low-wage workers for high demand industries.
• $1.2M for a new Training Resources and Internship Networks (TRAIN) grant program to specifically target the long-term unemployed through partnerships with community colleges to provide training and internship opportunities.
• $11.5M for the Youth-At-Risk Summer Jobs program.

The budget supports the sectors of the Massachusetts economy that drive economic growth, targeting investments in the innovation and knowledge-based economy.

• $15M for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center out of the consolidated net surplus.
• $3M for the Innovation Institute at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.
• $1.5M for the Big Data Innovation and Workforce Fund.

• $1.5M for the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership and $945K for a Precision Manufacturing Program.

• $750K for Regional Economic Development Grants.

In addition, the budget invests in populations that are often under-served, funding services for the homeless, individuals struggling with substance abuse and the disabled.

The budget invests in the full spectrum of homelessness prevention and housing support services to strengthen links to permanent housing solutions, including:

·         $154.9M for Emergency Assistance Family Shelters.
·         $85.4M for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program to fund between 600 and 750 new rental assistance vouchers.
·         $44.7M for Homeless Individuals Assistance.
·         $4.5M for the Alternative Housing Voucher Program, the rental assistance program for people with disabilities.
·         $2M for housing and supportive services for unaccompanied homeless youth.
·         A new $7M reserve to fund flexible short-term assistance to divert homeless families, or families at risk of becoming homeless, from shelters to stable housing.

This budget continues the Senate's mission to break the cycle of addiction through investments in substance abuse prevention, recovery and treatment, including:

• $10M for the Substance Abuse Trust Fund to fund a range of treatment services, including detoxification, clinical stabilization, transitional support, residential services and outpatient treatment.
• $5M for more than 150 new clinical stabilization beds.
• $1.5M for grants to school districts to hire mental health and substance abuse counselors.
• $3.1M for Recovery High Schools, including $1M to establish two new schools.
• A new Municipal Naloxone Bulk Purchase Program to allow municipalities to purchase the lifesaving overdose reversal drug commonly referred to as Narcan at discounted rates.

The budget also invests in tools and resources to help individuals with disabilities to be as self-sufficient, independent and productive as possible in their communities, including skills and job training, housing and support services. In a new Senate initiative, the budget provides $250K for the Department of Developmental Disabilities to identify best practices, provide training for direct care staff and collect data to meet the needs of aging individuals with disabilities.

The budget also invests in services for at-risk youth, seniors and veterans, public health and mental health programs and innovative ways to improve access to justice and reduce recidivism.

screen grab of  Senate Ways and Means web page

Senators can file amendments to the Senate Ways and Means recommendations until Thursday at 5 p.m. The full Senate will then debate the Fiscal Year 2016 budget in formal session beginning Tuesday, May 19^th. The full FY 2016 Senate Ways and Means Budget Recommendations are available on the Massachusetts legislature's website: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2016/Senate.

"we need to properly safeguard the citizens’ investment"

The Milford Daily News gets around to reporting on the Finance Committee's approval of the FY 2016 budget.

The Finance Committee has passed the town’s $113.4 million budget for next fiscal year, submitting its recommendations to the Town Council for final review. 

In a memo to councilors, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said the budget “will be balanced without a requirement to reduce staff, request an override or use other one-time funds.” 

Nutting cautioned of looming fiscal challenges, including an $89 million liability for benefits for retired town employees and a $50 million backlog of critical road and infrastructure repairs.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150513/NEWS/150518833/1994/NEWS

Franklin Municipal Building

Franklin Matter's notes from the budget hearings can be found here

• Finance Committee - Budget hearing #4
• Finance Committee - Budget hearing #3
• Finance Committee - Budget hearing #2
• Finance Committee - Budget hearing #1

The official budget documents can be found on the Franklin web page here

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/budgets/FY%2016%20Budget/

MassBudget: Analyzing the House Budget for FY 2016

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Analyzing the House Budget for FY 2016 In a quiet three days of debate, the House made few changes to the budget drafted by the House Ways and Means Committee (HWM). Many of the funding increases approved just restored funding that the HWM Committee had proposed cutting. The House voted to increase support beyond the level proposed by the Ways and Means Committee in several areas, including the following: Jobs and workforce training. The Ways and Means Committee had proposed significant cuts to summer jobs programs for young people, job training to help people receiving transitional assistance to enter the workforce, and adult basic education. The House adopted amendments restoring most of this funding, but left in place cuts to other jobs and workforce training programs such as the elimination of Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Grants. Economic development. The Ways and Means Committee had proposed significant cuts to the Office of Travel and Tourism (which the Governor also proposed cutting) and to the Mass. Cultural Council. The House adopted amendments restoring funding to both. Public health. The Ways and Means Committee had proposed cuts to early intervention programs and to a grant program that aims to reduce youth violence. The House approved amendments restoring the early intervention funding and most, but not all, of the violence prevention funding. For more detail, please read our full House Budget Monitor HERE.  The final House budget makes some targeted investments, including modest increases for early education and care, affordable housing, and opiate abuse prevention and treatment. Like the Governor's budget it does not address most of the long term cuts that have been made over the past 15 years, such as: the 20 percent cut to higher education that has led to increased tuition and fees; the 40 percent cut to local aid; and the 30 percent cut to environment and recreation programs that has led to reduced maintenance, staffing and hours at many state recreation facilities. The final House Budget also follows the Governor in relying on over $600 million in temporary revenue and savings. Both the long term budget cuts and the ongoing budget gaps our Commonwealth faces have their origins in the over $3 billion of income tax cuts enacted between 1998 and 2002. This House Budget Monitor describes the amendments adopted in each area of the budget and discusses how proposed funding levels compare to the Governor's proposals and to historic levels. For detail on those sections of the House Budget not amended, see our House Ways and Means Budget Monitor. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

screen grab of MassBudget web page

Live reporting: Finance Committee - Budget Hearing #1 - Apr 30, 2015

Present: Dowd, Conley, Fleming, Smith, Dewsnap, Aparo, Bertone
Absent: Huempher, Dufour

The first of a series of budget hearings for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY 2016) begins Thursday night.

motion to approve minutes, seconded, approved 7-0

proposing a balanced budget (as required by law), the revenue numbers are as of estimates from the State which should finalized their numbers by Jun 30

Chapter 70 is done over the past several years by 2.6M
they have changed the formula, we have declining enrollment
so unless something changes, we expect a continued decline

most of the growth in the budget comes from property taxes
by right can go up by 2.5%

local receipts

we do ultimately collect 100% of the taxes
they may be late but they pay plus a penalty
no major changes in the budget
a couple of position increases

explanation on overall tax rate setting process, single tax vs. split tax

question on Charter school funding, has been under funding
similar to SPED reimbursement, transportation and other

next year reimbursement for Charter schools may double unless something changes
may be a continuing struggle with the funding formula

Charter school is looking at a new location, they have the right to expand enrollment
they are looking at it now, it is an unknown right now
85% of the students are Franklin and if they moved, it might cut into the enrollment

Budget Presentations:

240 Building Department
Gus Brown - Building inspector
budget unchanged except for salary changes per bargaining agreements

motion to not approve any individual line items until the whole budget has been reviewed
seconded, passed 7-0

176 Appeals Board
budget here is for notifications based upon appeals, the fees for advertising are reimbursed

152 Human Resources
Stephanie Lutz, HR Director
9 collective bargaining units
switching to Tufts from Blue Cross/Blue Shield
4.7% vs 10.9%, better plan for the people, and saves the taxpayers
work together with the School Dept to coordinate the human resources processing

if we do hire police/fire fighter, the medical/psychological exams are about $2,000

pre-employment medical are a requirement by the Town (but not the School Dept currently)

management salary analysis done periodically and adjusted as needed through Town Council/FinCom approvals

910 Employee Benefits
retirement assessment, we are part of the County system and the largest member of it
unfunded liability of $40M, do have a discount if paid early in July
budget amount does include the discount 2%

active and retiree

non school GIC (retired teachers) (a cost savings paying $900K vs $1.5M under prior plan)
grandfathered group of 218 people

health insurance is looking a whole lot better than it was

workers comp has gone up, three bad claims have driven this, three year rolling average
the claims are gone so the average should start rolling down

police and fire fighters get 100% of their pay if injured on duty; others get 70%

unemployment has been going down

OPEB policy is to increase by 100,000/year. didn't this year due to other pressures
if we can put it back, we should
we should be paying over 2M per year and we can't do that
OPEB trust should get  better return on the funding set aside
so while it is not fixed we are doing what we can for it

it is a policy not a bylaw, it makes good fiscal sense
we'll have a new Council next year, will it be the same 9 or different, don't know

discussion on changing the eligibility for retirement, the statues need to change to change the Town obligations

once the unfunded portion is covered, the requirements going forward are significantly less, only 3.5% of the payroll going forward

whenever the fire arbitrator decision comes down, it will be up to the Council to ratify


111 Town Council
most of the 4K is for dues to the Mass Municipal Assoc


123 Town Administrator
big change request to add a deputy town administrator
looking at transition issues on a lot of fronts
HR director expecting to retire
Comptroller/Treasurer also possibly retiring in a few years
want to bring some one on to help understand what is going on
to help plan ahead

would take 2-3 months to fulfill the position
biggest change in the budget from a cost perspective
when Norma left, we were scrambling for months as we have no backups
full impact would be seen for FY 2017

looking to explore on how to improve communications
additional funding added to provide some flexibility within the $100M business


131 Finance Committee A-4
advertising, dues, training


135 Comptroller A-6
level funding, however some additional training


141 Assessors A-11
adjustments to salary in FY 2015 but not shown in the budget total, hence it looks like an increase for this new budget but is really isn't an increase

performance and market adjustment


147 Treasurer/Collector
budget went down a little, a few adjustments on expense items, overall down


151 Legal
extra expenses due to arbitration related costs
unusual this year but hopefully we are past that
a little more added this year as all 9 bargaining units are up for renewal


196 Central Services
largest chunk for postage machine
printing, copy machines, annual report printing
Iron Mountain storage

if we could get 10% of the folks to go with electronic payment we could save some big dollars but it is hard to change


292 Animal Control
shared with Town of Bellingham, they have the pound, we have the people, split the vehicles
works very well, get very little complaints, a whole lot cheaper than doing it all ourselves



692 Memorial Day
flags for veterans cemetary plot


695 Cultural Council
redistributed back to the Town via grants
Concerts on the Common, etc.


710/750 Debt
re-funded two bonds to save money
will be going to market for the high school and library in late May
the numbers should come back before the Council approves the budget in June
the State is holding back 5% of what we are supposed to get until it all finishes
we should get that next year

debt policy, up to 3.5% of the budget
number has been declining since 2012
the Library fits well within the debt plan
it is lower this year but will go back up

other than schools, our current debt will be gone by 2018
Remington Jefferson will be paid off with FY 2016
there will be more debt but for what we don't know yet
could be a roof


945 General Insurance
insurance for all property casualty and liability
single sprinkelr head went at Keller Sullivan school
the insurance re-assed all the buildings for replacement value
over 1M square feet of space
we are a big company and we have lots of liability
it is a big number but it is a busy place
we do competitive quotes


The agenda for the meeting can be found here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczUHFncy12ZlZub1U/view?usp=sharing

Old business

New Business
Fleming - will miss Bob Fahey, he has been doing a fantastic job

Dowd - I wasn't aware of that, he has been a huge help

we already have an offer out to one who has been helping Bob the last several years

next meeting Monday, May 4
May 5, May 7 have currently been scheduled
may not need the meeting for May 11th at this point

motion to adjourn, seconded, passed 7-0

FY 2016 School Budget proposal

The school budget presentation from the School Committee meeting Tuesday can be viewed here:

Franklin Public Schools - FY2016 - Proposed Budget from Franklin Matters

The Budget books display best if you upgrade your adobe reader to a current version.   Click Here to Download

The Budget Book can be downloaded and viewed here
http://franklindistrict.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinDistrict_budget/FY16%20Budget%20Book.pdf

My notes from the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/04/school-committee-reviews-fy-2016-budget.html

School Committee reviews FY 2016 budget

The Franklin (MA) School Committee reviewed the budget for next year at its meeting on Tuesday, Apr 28. The Fiscal Year 2016  (FY 2016) budget covers expenses from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.

Increasing class size at the middle and high school is driving the request for additional teachers at those levels. Declining enrollment in the elementary levels is allowing for a reduction in teachers there so there is a net increase of four positions being asked when all is said and done.

While it was not mentioned during the meeting, given the churn in the school personnel on a year to year basis, I expect that the number of positions being reduced can be handled in a 'normal' manner; that is through retirements, attrition, or transfers rather than layoffs.

Franklin Public Schools - FY2016 - Proposed Budget from Franklin Matters

The budget hearing was conducted and no line items were put 'on hold' for further question and discussion. This speaks to the level of detail in the presentation of information by the School Administration to the School Committee as well as the level of understanding of the school operations by the Committee.

The budget is scheduled for a vote at the May 12th School Committee meeting. Franklin's budget hearings begin with the Finance Committee on Thursday, Apr 30th at 7:00 PM. Additional budget hearing meetings are scheduled for May 4, May 7 and May 11. The Town Council will also hold their budget hearings on two nights in June before voting on the budget. By law, the budget for FY 2016 needs to be in place before June 30th 2015.

the total amount spent on Franklin education is $113 million

The budget is  2.43% increase over the last budget. The budget does use funds from some of the revolving accounts the School Dept has. There are no fee increases called for by the budget.

The budget presentation is supposed to be posted to the Schools website on Wednesday. As soon as it is available it will be shared. In the mean time, you can follow my notes taken during the meeting here

To review the 'Budget Book' (Note - to open this requires a current version of Adobe Reader)
http://franklindistrict.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinDistrict_budget/FY16%20Budget%20Book.pdf

Live reporting: resuming with Discussion only item...
Live reporting: School Committee - Apr 28, 2015

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - Apr 28

Vision Statement

The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.

AGENDA

"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which

may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed

and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent

permitted by law."

The key to learning

1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the April 7, 2015 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills Mr. Clement
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence:

2. Guests/Presentations
a. FY 16 Budget Hearing

3. Discussion Only Items
Accept Collaborative Agreement
Bi-County Collaborative Activities & Information

4. Action Items:
a. I recommend approval of the revised Accept Collaborative Agreement as discussed.
b. I recommend acceptance of a check for $ from Davis Thayer PCC for Field Trips.

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

7. Executive Session
Personnel Update

8. Adjourn