In Just 8 Months, Frongillo Has Provided A Spark To The Town Council
Early Tuesday morning, Cobi Frongillo - a lifelong Maple Street resident and 2015 graduate of Franklin High School - pulled nomination papers for reelection to the Franklin Town Council. Following a vibrant campaign and landslide victory in December’s Special Election, Frongillo quickly established himself as a man of action.
“I am proud to see the Council take increasingly proactive steps toward building a brighter future for Franklin,” said Cobi Frongillo. “The public's strong support for investing in education, open space, and affordable housing over the past year is inspiring.”
Frongillo identifies the significance of the coming election in shaping Franklin’s future. “While we have made substantial progress over the past year, the next two years will be critical in ensuring Franklin remains a prosperous and vibrant community,” explained Frongillo. “The once-in-a-decade implementation of a Housing Production, Complete Streets, Downtown Zoning, and Master Plan are all on the immediate agenda. We need leadership with both the care for what Franklin has been and a vision for what Franklin can be in a changing world.”
Throughout his early tenure, Cobi Frongillo, 24, has prioritized education, open space & recreation, community engagement, and economic development. He cites intentions to follow through on the progress that has been made - including pushing to revisit education funding, reshape zoning in key districts, and place renewed attention on the cultural and environmental amenities that make Franklin home.
A member of the Economic Development Committee, Cobi has worked to publish a New Business guide, expand food trucks, remove taproom limits, reduce parking minimums, launch a Downtown Zoning study, fund Pop-Up Shops and Shared Streets, host new cultural events, and increase public art.
To help promote natural areas and healthy living, Cobi pushed to purchase the Maple Hill property, adopt a Complete Streets framework, and find a home for recreational cricket.
Central to Cobi’s December campaign was engaging a larger bloc of Town residents in regular conversation around local priorities. To this end, Cobi has published frequent infographic-laden updates via social media and newsletter, hosted four Community Conversations around race in town, attended a wide variety of Franklin events, and helped launch the Franklin Freedom Team - a coalition of Town leaders prepared to field and respond to issues of hate or bias.
In a poignant moment during this year’s budget hearings, Cobi spoke out against further education budget cuts. His advocacy this year helped ensure the majority of new Town revenue went toward schools and led to the launch of Franklin Public Schools’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee with student involvement.
A third-generation Franklin resident, Cobi is a graduate of UMass Amherst, where he earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Economics and a Master’s degree in Public Policy. He recently accepted a research role with the state legislature’s Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee - currently Chaired by Franklin Representative Jeffrey Roy. Around town, Frongillo has been actively involved with the Franklin-Bellingham Rail Trail Committee, Franklin Downtown Partnership, Franklin Freedom Team, Franklin Youth Soccer, Franklin Area Against Racism, SAFE Coalition, Neighbor Brigade, Franklin Gardening Club, 350, and Random Smile Project.
You can learn more about Cobi Frongillo’s progress and vision on his website (cobifrongillo.com) and Facebook page (fb.me/Frongillo4Franklin).
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| Cobi Frongillo Energized and Focused on Franklin's Bright Future |
