Agenda for Town Council Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Jan 21, 2026 at 6 PM

Franklin Town Council

Agenda & Meeting Packet

January 21, 2026 = 6:00 PM

Meeting will be held at the Franklin Municipal Building 355 East Central Street - 2nd Floor, Council Chambers

1. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIR

a. This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 9 and Verizon Channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by others.

b. Chair to identify members participating remotely.

c. Upcoming Town Sponsored Community Events.

2. CITIZEN COMMENTS

a. Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to three minutes on a matter that is not on the agenda. In compliance with G.L. Chapter 30A, Section 20 et seq, the Open Meeting Law, the Council cannot engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments. The Council may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter. Nothing herein shall prevent the Town Administrator from correcting a misstatement of fact.   

Agenda for Town Council Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Jan 21, 2026 at 6 PM

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

a. January 7, 2026   https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8113/3a-January-7-2026-TC-Meeting-Minutes--Draft-for-Reviewdocx

4. PROCLAMATIONS / RECOGNITIONS

a. Proclamation - Scotty Smith Retirement

5. APPOINTMENTS

a. Zoning Board of Appeals

i. Isabella Carter  https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8127/5aii-1---Isabella-Carter

ii. Jennifer Williams    https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8126/5ai-1---Jen-Williams

6. PUBLIC HEARINGS - 6:00 PM - None Scheduled

7. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS - None Scheduled

 

8. PRESENTATIONS / DISCUSSION

a. Town Infrastructure Overview - Brutus Cantoreggi, Director of Public Works   https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8133/Town-Council-Presentation---January-21-2026

9. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

a. Resolution 26-06: Amendment to Cannabis licensing Local Approval Process and Cannabis Social Equity Policy Social Equity policy (Motion to Approve Resolution 26-06 - Majority Vote) https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8129/9a-Cannabis-Social-Equity-Policy 

b. Resolution 26-07: Gift Acceptance - Franklin Public Library ($500)

(Motion to Approve Resolution 26-07 - Majority Vote)  

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8130/9b--Gift-Acceptance---Library

10. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

a. FY27 Budget Update and Timeline  https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/8134/10a-1---MEMO---FY26-Budget-Update-and-Timeline

11. SUBCOMMITTEE & AD HOC COMMITTEE REPORTS

12. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

13. COUNCIL COMMENTS

14. EXECUTIVE SESSION - None Scheduled.

15. ADJOURN

Note: Two-Thirds Vote: requires 6 votes

Majority Vote: requires majority of members present and voting

Finance Committee hears economics of development as "it's complicated", approves Capital budget requests (video)

The Finance Committee met on Wednesday, Jan 14, 2025. 8 members (1 absent) were present in Council Chambers for a four hour session.

Franklin TV video for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaC9XFahY1M

The agenda and released documents for this meeting -> https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01142026-2089 

Quick recap ->

• Board of Assessors and Town Staff: The Economics of Development, residential valuations are based upon residential property sales and comparables. Commercial Industrial valuations are more complicated in that there is a revenue factor for how much money the operations is actually making (confidentially reported to the Assessors) along with several other factors. The repeated phrase was "it's complicated"
• We did hear that there is NO issue with water supply or sewer capacity. Police and Fire are understaffed (but managing as best they can for the volume), Schools built extra capacity as part of the redistricting effort. The per pupil amount talked of is not what each net new student would cost. There are existing capacities to handle some number of students without adding a teacher.
• The capital budget first pass was approved after a lengthy discussion. Town policy calls for funding multiple stabilization accounts, this year only the OPEB account was proposed for funding due to the budget shortfall and that it had not been funded last year.
• The OPEB fund resolution passed 8-0-1 (1 absent)
• The first pass at the tier 1 capital requests accounted for $1.8M and was proposed to amend to remove the sprinkler system work required at the Senior Center. The amendment was meant to reserve the additional $750K for the potential budget deficit. The motion to amend after a lengthy discussion failed by a 1-7-1 (1 for, 1 absent, 7 against removal for the item). The vote on the original resolution passed 7-1-1 (7 for, 1 against, 1 absent)

Agenda for Town Council meeting Dec 3: includes Tax rate hearing and FY 2027 Five Year Fiscal Forecast

Franklin Town Council

Agenda & Meeting Packet

December 3, 2025 = 6:00 PM

1. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIR

a. This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 9 and Verizon Channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by others

b. Chair to identify members participating remotely

c. Upcoming Town Sponsored Community Events

2. CITIZEN COMMENTS

a. Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to three minutes on a matter that is not on the agenda. In compliance with G.L. Chapter 30A, Section 20 et seq, the Open Meeting Law, the Council cannot engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments. The Council may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter. Nothing herein shall prevent the Town Administrator from correcting a misstatement of fact.

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - None Scheduled

4. PROCLAMATIONS / RECOGNITIONS

a. Amy Galose, Creative Corner

5. APPOINTMENTS

a. Franklin’s 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee

i. New Member Maureen Brennan

ii. Ratification of Officers

1. Chair: Jayson Joyce

2. Vice Chair: Robert Browne

3. Clerk: Alan Earls

4. Treasurer: Charleen Belcher

6. PUBLIC HEARINGS - 7:00 PM

a. FY26 Tax Classification Hearing

i. Legislation for Action Item 9a

ii. Legislation for Action Item 9b

iii. Legislation for Action Item 9c

iv. Legislation for Action Item 9d

v. Legislation for Action Item 9e

7. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS - None Scheduled

8. PRESENTATIONS / DISCUSSION

a. Five-Year Fiscal Forecast

i. FY26 Town Administrator memo - August 2025

ii. FY27-FY31 Fiscal Revenue forecast - August 2025

iii. FY27-FY31 Fiscal Department forecast - August 2025

iv. Budget presentation - August 2025 

v. Other Budget Resources:

1. Town Budget Website Portal

2. School Committee & School Department Website Portal

3. FY26 Compensation & Classification Plan

a. 2022-2023 Compensation & Classification Baseline study

4. Department Heads Letter - December 17, 2024

b. Deputy Town Administrator & Town Administration staffing

9. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

a. Resolution 25-76: Tax Classification Residential Factor

(Motion to Approve Resolution 25-76 - Majority Vote)

b. Resolution 25-77: Tax Classification Open Space Exemption

(Motion to Approve Resolution 25-77 - Majority Vote)

c. Resolution 25-78: Tax Classification Small Business Exemption

(Motion to Approve Resolution 25-78 - Majority Vote)

d. Resolution 25-79: Tax Classification Residential Property Exemption

(Motion to Approve Resolution 25-79 - Majority Vote)

e. Resolution 25-80: Tax Classification Senior Means Tested Exemption

(Motion to Approve Resolution 25-80 - Majority Vote)

f. Resolution 25-81: Cable Funds in Support of PEG Service and Programming per MGL Ch. 44 §53F3/4 (Motion to Approve Resolution 25-81 - Majority Vote)

10. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

Agenda for Town Council meeting Dec 3:
includes Tax rate hearing and
FY 2027 Five Year Fiscal Forecast

11. SUBCOMMITTEE & AD HOC COMMITTEE REPORTS

12. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

13. COUNCIL COMMENTS

14. EXECUTIVE SESSION - None Scheduled

15. ADJOURN

Note: Two-Thirds Vote: requires 6 votes

Majority Vote: requires majority of members present and voting

Agenda doc also contains remote participation info ->  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QfgJW2si5mxS-2zYN9l22AB9t7b8Ec6p/view?usp=drive_link

Franklin School Committee: Budget Subcmte got an update on the FY 2027 budget process (audio)

FM #1558= This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1558 in the series. 

This session shares the Franklin (MA) School Committee Budget Subcmte Meeting held on Tuesday, Oct 28, 2025. All 3 members participated in person in the 3rd Floor Training Room. Supt Lucas Giguere, Dr Tina Rogers, Paula Marano, and Jana Melotti participated. 

Quick recap:

• The meeting provided an overview of the budget process

• Timeline, budget drivers, fixed costs, etc.

The recording runs about 51 minutes, so let’s listen in.

Audio link ->  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1558-school-cmte-budget-subcmte-mtg-10-28-25/

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Budget Subcmte got an update on
the FY 2027 budget process (audio)

School Committee Budget Subcmte agenda -> 

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10282025-1965 

Photos of the slides presented for the discussion (when the slides themselves are available, we’ll update accordingly).

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TKsNq1tYdhGC11Jv8

My notes for the full session are captured in one PDF file ->   

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kTIpIZc47reYuvaaLK2tF8mW-G-WdtW2/view?usp=drive_link 

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The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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Franklin School Committee: Budget Subcommittee - Tuesday, Oct 28 at 6 PM

Franklin Public Schools

Franklin School Committee

Budget Subcommittee

October 28, 2025 = 6:00 - 7:00 PM

Municipal Building - 3rd Floor Training Room

A G E N D A

"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."

● FY27 Budget Preview and Planning

Agenda doc -> https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10282025-1965

The School Budget page will get a new tab as the FY 2027 budget begins