Annual Report 2017: Advisory Committee

The Annual Report is compiled and published each year to be ready for voters to obtain at the November election. A PDF copy is also posted online and available for viewing our downloading. I'll highlight some key sections from the current report over the next week or so.

The following is a text representation of the printed page 73 (actually 80 of 264)



"ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 2016 ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Council Advisory Committee annual report for 2016 is as follows.

The Advisory Committee held four meetings during the year, and its work consisted, largely, of updating and reviewing past initiatives with reviewing two significant proposals.

The first involved a thirty-four unit condominium development which was primarily a matter-of-right with some minor revisions and was fully supported by the Committee and the Council. It is now before the Planning Board.

The second proposal was for a sub-division of approximately 37 units of upscale housing under a private home ownership/condominium form of ownership. Said development which fit the parameters of a newly established Zoning district, Zone 7. The proposal was fully supported by the Advisory Committee and endorsed by same, sending a recommendation of support to the Council. However, the council failed to support a two thirds majority (6) needed for approval of the Zoning change.

It was then, and remains, the position of the Committee, that development that benefits the community at large, which the foregoing development did, that it is incumbent of the Councilors to make decisions based on that standard and not to succumb to either political posturing or influence. Which, in my opinion, and other members, concur, caused the failure of this legislation to pass. This opinion, certainly in no way is to either disregard or
ignore valid argument in opposition, or to recognize the independence of the Council and it’s obligations to the electorate, but rather to seek decisions that positively impact the community at large and particularly have a positive economic and aesthetic impact. Indeed, the assessment of the Committee of that action left many members wondering whether to continue serving if the opinions and charge of the committee, as defined by the Council, is not being recognized. The Advisory Committee has agreed to serve until the November election and will then decide whether to continue.

Certain past discussions and topics which the Committee has addressed, and the Council and Administration have implemented: some ongoing, others concluded are: Cook’s Farm, train station, downtown revitalization, fasttracking development, South Franklin Historic Meeting House, rezoning, the Community-Business concept, old town hall development, Thompson Press development proposal, the recycle center (Town Dump), removal of temp classrooms at Davis Thayer, improvements to Davis Thayer, the Gate Way concept as well as numerous meetings and discussions to encourage and support commercial development in our central business district. Commercial Development in South Franklin, and proposing the town move to acquire the land on 140/495, which currently houses a salt barn and storage site, and has significant potential and value to the community and was, at one time, acknowledged by the state as such.

Our role is to create and/or add to the discussion, and to that end, I am obliged to the Committee and those members of the Council, staff and administration for their support and contribution; to the many municipal employees who are second to none; and the many volunteers and residents who help make our community a special place.

Thank you all in behalf of the Committee.
L.P. Benedetto, Chairman

Members:
Paul Cheli, Vice Chair
Judith Pond Pfeffer, Vice Chair
Robert Ficco
Bruce Hunchard
Diane Daddario Jardine
Robert Vallee

Associate Members
Joseph Halligan
Paul Compton
Rick Circone"

The Franklin Dean MBTA station

You can find the online copy at the Town of Franklin webpage
http://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

and specifically for 2017
http://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-annual-report-2017-revised

Annual Report 2017: Zoning Board of Appeals

The Annual Report is compiled and published each year to be ready for voters to obtain at the November election. A PDF copy is also posted online and available for viewing our downloading. I'll highlight some key sections from the current report over the next week or so.

The following is a text representation of the printed pages 70-71 (actually 77-78 of 264)


"ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

Municipal Building
355 East Central Street
Franklin, Massachusetts 02038
lkerwin@franklinma.gov
Telephone: 508-520-4926
Direct line: 508-553-4856
FAX: 508-520-4906

The Zoning Board of Appeals currently consists of three (3) members and two (2) associate members appointed by the Town Administrator, subject to the confirmation by the Town Council, for terms of such length and so arranged that the term of one member shall expire each year. There is currently one (1) opening for an associate member. The Board would like to thank Casey Thayer for her service as ZBA Secretary and we wish her well in her future endeavors.

The Board of Appeals holds Public Hearings, as advertised, for Variance(s), Special Permits (including gravel removal), Findings and Chapter 40B applications.

The Board also renders determinations on land use and zoning issues. All necessary forms and applications may be obtained through the Building Inspection Department and via the Zoning Board of Appeals website at http://www.franklinma.gov/zoning-board-appeals.

The Zoning Board of Appeals meets in Town Council Chambers at the Franklin Municipal Building on Thursday evenings usually twice a month, at 7:30pm.

The calendar may be viewed via website at http://www.franklinma.gov/zoning-board-appeals. All meetings are open to the public.

The Board has been very active this fiscal year and the following agenda is a list of all applications filed, indexed and recorded with the Town Clerk.

Respectfully submitted,
Franklin Zoning Board of Appeals

Member, Since
Bruce Hunchard, Chairman, 1991
Robert Acevedo, Vice Chairman, 2003
Timothy Twardowski, Clerk, 2010
Philip Brunelli, Associate Member, 2009
Ian Luke, Associate Member, 2016
Leeanne Kerwin, ZBA Secretary"

Annual Report 2017: Zoning Board of Appeals

You can find the online copy at the Town of Franklin webpage
http://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

and specifically for 2017
http://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-annual-report-2017-revised

Annual Report 2017: Town Administrator

The Annual Report is compiled and published each year to be ready for voters to obtain at the November election. A PDF copy is also posted online and available for viewing our downloading. I'll highlight some key sections from the current report over the next week or so.

The following is a text representation of the printed page 16-17 (actually 23-24 of 264)


"ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR

The Town Administration works with the Town Council together to support the quality of life of our residents. We are diligent in balancing the budget and keeping an eye on the Town’s future needs and maintaining its assets.

Accomplishments in FY 17 include:

Renovation and expansion projects for the Library and Senior Center are completed.

The defective playground at DelCarte Recreation Area was replaced with a new modern playground at no cost to the Town.

We continue to support the Cultural District and are in the process of forming a Cultural District Committee. We’ve begun the process of creating an Agricultural Commission in an effort to support the area farms.

We’ve begun the process for upgrading the streetlights to LED.

We worked with the purchaser of Glen Meadow Apartments and with the addition of the 287 apartments to our Subsidized Housing Inventory, we are now over 10% with 11.89% of our housing stock considered affordable by State law.

We continue to update the Town’s website and information technology. Agendas and Minutes of all
boards and committees are now web-based and can be found on the boards and committees’ pages on our website. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube for up to the minute information and happenings. Visit our website at www.franklinma.gov.

Personnel
New Human Resources Director, Karen Bratt replaced retired HR Director, Stephanie McNeill Lutz.
New Assistant Treasurer Collector, Kerri Bertone was appointed in September of 2016.

Other
The Town Administrator’s Office is the Passport Acceptance Facility in Franklin. You can apply for your passport here by appointment on Monday, Wednesday or Friday.

Our goal is to deliver high quality customer service while keeping costs under control. There will be difficult challenges to our budget in the coming year; but you can be assured that the Town Administration and Town Council will work together to solve budgetary issues.

It is my pleasure to submit the annual report of the Town Administrator for your review, and please feel free to write, e-mail, or stop by with any questions, concerns, or comments.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeffrey Nutting,
Town Administrator"

The playground equipment was replaced by the manufacturer at no cost to the Town

You can find the online copy at the Town of Franklin webpage
http://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

and specifically for 2017
http://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-annual-report-2017-revised

Annual Report 2017: Town Council

The Annual Report is compiled and published each year to be ready for voters to obtain at the November election. A PDF copy is also posted online and available for viewing our downloading. I'll highlight some key sections from the current report over the next week or so starting with the Town Council.

The following is a text representation of the printed page 16 (actually 23 of 264)

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TOWN COUNCIL

The Town Council is the holder of all general, corporate, legislative, and appropriations powers of the Town of Franklin. On behalf of the Town Council I submit our annual report for the fiscal year 7/1/2016 to 6/30/2017.

Economic Development
The Town Council voted to sell land on Pond Street to a developer who is building 96 Condominiums.

Zoning for economic development included voting to create a zone for Breweries, Distilleries and Wineries with tasting rooms, a Rural Business zone, storage facilities from C2 to Industrial and a portion of land off of Dean Avenue to R5. Additionally, we voted to zone for marijuana manufacturing and sales that also included a 2% local tax.

Facilities
Facilities improvements included new space at the recreation complex on Beaver Street, the Senior Center, as well as the renovation and expansion of the Franklin Public Library.

Recreation and Open Space
The Town exercised its first refusal option to purchase 12 acres of land on Washington Street. The Town accepted 20 acres of land next to the Keller Sullivan School and a parcel of land on Prospect Street. 

We voted $100,000 for weed control at the DelCarte pond.

We voted to appropriate funds for the expansion of field space at Beaver Street Recreation complex and two new turf fields and a new track at the High School.

Downtown
The long term downtown construction project was completed in 2016 and a new parking plan for downtown was finalized. Parking meters were removed to allow more access to downtown businesses.

The new Horace Mann statue at the corner of Emmons Street and West Central Street was completed and dedicated.

Other
The Council voted to transfer 17 acres of land behind the High School to the Affordable Housing Trust. The Trust will use the land for construction of new senior housing.

Abatements for qualified citizens were increased from $750 to $1,000 and the senior tax workout amount increased from $9 to $10 per hour. We also adopted a Veterans Assistance Fund to help assist veterans in need of fuel, food, or transportation assistance.

The Council appropriated $600,000 for a new fire truck.

The Council voted to request legislation to establish an Agricultural Commission.

Alcohol regulations were amended to require all employees of an establishment to have TIPS training.

Finally, we continued improvements to the Town Common by increasing the seasonal lights for the Holiday display and also voted to replace the stage. 

It is a pleasure to serve my fellow citizens and to submit this annual report on behalf of the Franklin Town Council for your review.

Respectfully submitted,

Matthew T. Kelly
Chairman, Franklin Town Council

Annual Report 2017: Town Council

You can find the online copy at the Town of Franklin webpage
http://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

and specifically for 2017
http://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/files/town-annual-report-2017-revised

Public Disclosure of Fiscal Year 2017 Proposed Valuations

The Town of Franklin has completed a revaluation as required by the Department of Revenue and has received permission to disclose the proposed values pending preliminary certification from the DOR. The Fiscal Year 2017 values are based on the value of property as of January 1, 2016 and were developed analyzing Calendar Year 2015 sales and also income and expense information received for apartment, commercial and industrial properties. 

The analysis by the Assessors’ Department indicates that over the prior year assessments, single family properties increased in value by about 4%, residential condominiums increased by about 3%, residential vacant land stayed about the same overall, apartments increased by about 20%, commercial property increased by about 6% and industrial property increased by about 3%.

These are preliminary statistical averages. Some properties increased in value, some properties remained essentially the same in value and some properties decreased in value. Some properties have a substantial increase in value due to additions and/or renovations to the property or due to corrections in the property data descriptions resulting from a review, a re-measure and/or a re-inspection in the course of our town-wide cyclical review and revaluation programs.

From November 2, 2016 to November 16, 2016 real and personal property values are available for review at the Franklin Municipal Building during normal business hours from 8 AM to 4 PM on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 8 AM to 6 PM on Wednesday, and 8 AM to 1 PM on Friday. A listing alphabetically by street address is available. Real property values by Location, Owner or Parcel ID are available on the Town’s website at www.franklinma.gov under Departments, then Board of Assessors and then select FY 2017 Proposed Real Estate Assessments.

Any taxpayer who is concerned with the accuracy of the valuation of their property should contact the staff at the Assessors’ Office at the Franklin Municipal Building (508) 520-4920. Remember in accordance with Massachusetts General Law that these assessed values represent property values as of January 1, 2016 based primarily on Calendar Year 2015 actual market data and not the current or any projected future property market indicators.

At the end of the public disclosure period, we will request final certification of the FY 2017 revaluation assessment program from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.

TOWN OF FRANKLIN BOARD OF ASSESSORS

newly updated Town of Franklin webpage

You can follow the steps above or follow this link
http://franklin.patriotproperties.com/default.asp?br=exp&vr=6

This was shared from the Board of Assessors page
http://www.franklinma.gov/board-assessors/news/public-disclosure-fiscal-year-2017-proposed-valuations

MassBudget: FY 2017 an unusual budget year?

New Budget Monitor analyzes the budget for this coming year

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Analyzing What's in the Fiscal Year 2017  Budget  MassBudget's new Budget Monitor analyzes the budget for the current fiscal year. This year's budget process was unusual. While the conference committee was meeting to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget, it became clear that the original tax revenue estimate for FY 2017 was too optimistic and the estimate was adjusted down by $750 million. Legislators had to improvise a combination of budget cuts and other strategies to address that new gap. While vetoing about a quarter billion dollars in spending from that proposal, the Governor also identified accounts that the administration believed had been underfunded by the Legislature by $172 million. He filed a supplemental budget to fund these accounts. In other ways this year's budget process follows a familiar pattern of budget problems - barely balancing in good times and cutting deeply in recessions. The Budget Monitor shows that since 2001, inflation-adjusted funding for higher education is down 14 percent; local aid is down 41 percent; early education 22 percent. Why? Between 1998 and 2002 the state adopted several income tax cuts that are now costing over $3 billion annually. That revenue reduction paired with a long-term pattern of rising health care costs has reduced our Commonwealth's capacity to make important investments in our people and our economy, and has caused chronic budget problems. This Budget Monitor describes the funding decisions in each major section of the budget and compares proposed funding levels with current and, in some cases, historic funding. It identifies a few bright spots and examines policy changes incorporated in various budget provisions. While vetoes and overrides are noted, the focus is on important budget items and the bigger picture in another difficult year. You can read the new Budget Monitor 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 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

What's in the budget approved by the Legislature?

Note: the news media did report that Governor Baker did sign the budget on Friday and in so doing vetoed a bunch of line items. MA.gov has been updated to reflect the vetoes. All the details can be found here:

http://www.mass.gov/anf/budget-taxes-and-procurement/state-budget/fy17-budget-info/governors-fy17-vetoes/

How was the budget balanced in the face of a sudden $750 million shortfall?

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. What is (and isn't) in the Budget Approved by the Legislature How did the Legislature balance the budget in the face of a sudden $750 million shortfall?MassBudget's new Budget Monitor explains and offers an analysis of each major section of the state budget with comparisons to current and historic funding levels.  The Legislature enacted the FY 2017 budget in particularly challenging circumstances. Towards the end of the process, the goalposts moved when new projections indicated that there would be $750 million less in tax revenue than had been assumed. The final budget includes some cuts below the levels that had been recommended by either the House or Senate, as well as a number of strategies that provide only temporary solutions by pushing costs into future years and underfunding accounts that will eventually need to be funded. The Legislature managed to provide modest funding increases in a few priority areas, including local aid which receives a 4.3 percent increase, Chapter 70 education aid which is increased by 2.6 percent, and a number of initiatives to address opioid addiction including $8.3 million in increased funding for substance abuse services in the Department of Public Health. The budget also cuts funding in a number of areas: the $18.6 million kindergarten expansion grant program is eliminated; funding for the Department of Revenue is reduced by $15.9 million, potentially weakening the capacity to combat tax evasion and ensure the integrity of our tax system; and the budget imposes a 13 percent cut in YouthWorks which provides funding for summer jobs. The revenue decline did not all translate into budget cuts. The Legislature projects that $206 million of the decline was capital gains taxes that would have been deposited into the rainy day fund, so the shortfall will lead to less money for the rainy day fund rather than for the budget. The tax cut that had been expected to be triggered by revenue growth likely won't be, saving $79 million in FY 2017. School buildings and the MBTA won't see $62 million in sales tax receipts because of the lower sales tax projections. The state's Medicaid plan will postpone paying some bills. The state will also likely need to provide mid-year funding in several accounts. The conference committee also reduced spending levels for a number of programs below the levels recommended by the House or Senate - and in some cases below both. The Legislative Budget Monitor describes both where lawmakers were able to preserve or build upon programs, and where programs were cut or eliminated. Click (HERE) to read the new 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 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

screen grab of FY 2017 webpage

Rep Roy: Legislature Passes Balanced FY17 Budget

Representative Jeffrey N. Roy joined his colleagues in the Legislature in passing a $39.145 billion budget that prioritizes the needs of municipalities and those in need, while investing in key areas related to local aid, education, children's health and safety, housing, health and human services, workforce training and economic development. The spending bill also reflects an active response to an unpredictable revenue shortfall through responsible and forward-looking solutions.

"I'm proud that in the midst of a tough economic climate, we came to an agreement on a fiscally-responsible budget that minimizes cuts and protects our most vulnerable citizens," House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop) said.

"It's important to reaffirm our commitment to local aid and our communities," said Representative Jeffrey N. Roy (D - Franklin) "The House and Senate were successful at including significant local and regional money throughout the Commonwealth in this coming fiscal year's budget. Additionally, Massachusetts is dealing with several important societal issues, like the opioid epidemic, public safety, aging infrastructure, and an aging population. The Legislature has struck a balance that will be able to take on these challenges and maintain our commitments to our communities, our children, the aged, those with disabilities, economic development, and the arts."

The Legislature was able to maintain its record-high investments in local aid, including increases in both local education funding and Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA). UGGA was boosted by 4.3 percent and education aid was increased by $55 per-pupil-aid, more than doubling last year's expenditure. The budget also fully funds Special Education Circuit Breaker. In addition to local education funding, the Legislature continues to emphasize to the impact that high-quality Early Education and Care (EEC) has on the lives of our residents – both children and adults – by making targeted investments to support the EEC workforce while expanding access to high-quality programming. EEC investments include a $12.5 million rate reserve, $4M to ensure access to quality EEC programming, including continued support for pre-kindergarten expansion opportunities. Some of the other budget highlights include:

· $139.2M in total funding to fight the opioid epidemic, an increase of $23.6M over FY2016 spending.
· $14.1M for local Councils on Aging, increasing the formula grant to $10 per senior per year and strengthening local senior center community programming and services.
· $940.8M for the Department of Children and Families, an $18.3M increase over FY2016 spending.
· Limits MBTA fare increases to 7% every 2 years to ensure Massachusetts residents have access to affordable public transportation.

Recognizing that education and economic development are intrinsically paired, the budget enhances the Legislature's focus on bolstering job opportunities for residents of all skillsets in diverse regions of the Commonwealth through programs including:

· Invests $2 million in the Big Data Innovation and Workforce Fund, to promote the big data and analytics industries, provide tools for related career development and explore how analytics can help address problems of public concern;
· MassCAN: $1.7 million to establish and enhance widespread, progressive computer science curriculum in public school through a public-private matching program;
· Provides $1 million for technical grants for small business;
· Talent Pipeline: $1.5 million to encourage young innovators to get a head start on their futures by matching stipends for interns at innovation start-ups, and to provide mentoring opportunities for new entrepreneurs;
· Provides $1 million for the John Adams Innovation Institute;
· Continues to fund the Massachusetts Manufacturing Partnership, a program that continues to show results in closing the skills gap.

Finally, the budget also includes hundreds of thousands of dollars in local aid for Franklin and Medway, namely:

· $25,000 to develop a recreation management plan for the Franklin, Medway, and Bellingham Army Corps of Engineers flood plain and wildlife habitat;
· $15,000 for the Franklin Downtown Partnership, Inc.;
· $10,000 for the construction of a Little Free Library on Franklin Housing Authority property
· $65,000 for the Franklin Fire Department to purchase communication safety equipment;
· $50,000 for the Franklin Senior Center
· $20,000 shall be expended for the Makerspace program in the Medway Public Library
· $200,000 for the Medway public schools
· $40,000 shall be expended for public safety improvements in the town of Medway.

The Budget now goes to the Governor for his review and consideration.

MassBudget: Conference Preview - Differences Between House & Senate Budgets for FY 2017

What's at stake in each budget area?

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Conference Preview: Differences Between House and Senate Budgets for FY 2017  During three days of budget debate last week the Senate adopted 453 amendments adding $61.3 million to the bottom line of the Ways and Means proposal (about one seventh of one percent). To read MassBudget's full analysis, click HERE. In the end, the House and Senate budgets are very similar. Not only are the budget totals within 0.1 percent of each other (which makes sense since they had essentially the same amount of revenue to work with), but the two proposals are also within half of one percent of each other in every major category. For example, the House proposes 0.2 percent more for Health Care, including slightly larger investments in public health and more support for MassHealth, while the Senate proposes 0.45 percent more for education, including modestly more than the House for local public schools and higher education. Over the next few weeks a House and Senate Conference Committee will work to compromise on these difference and build together a final budget that funds our schools and local services; maintains our roads, bridges, and public transit; keeps our air and water clean; provides supports for those facing difficult challenges; protects our public health; and keeps open our parks, playgrounds, swimming pools and libraries. This Budget Monitor describes the funding and policy differences between the House and Senate in each major area of the budget, and provides links to in-depth descriptions of programs and issues addressed in each budget proposal. The tables near the end of this Monitor also show funding differences between the House and Senate budgets not discussed elsewhere. You can read the new Budget Monitor 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

Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

MassBudget revenue comparison for FY 2017