Showing posts with label Nutting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nutting. Show all posts

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Town Council - Budget Hearings Recap - May 22-23, 2019

A disappointing performance by the Town Council in the two budget budget hearings. Why? They conducted a "public hearing" where they did not allow the public to speak on the first night. Is that really a public hearing? The first night was also marred by a series of questions by one councilor badgering a manager with whom he clearly has demonstrated a dislike. 

This was a budget hearing not a personnel performance discussion and totally inappropriate in the 'public forum'. That no one interceded to take it offline was also a disappointment.

The second night closed on a high note with the goodbyes and well wishes for the retiring Town Administrator Jeff Nutting. Jeff has been a professional and dedicated manager for the 12 plus years I have observed and reported on the town's business. I wish him well in his retirement.

Oh and yes, the budget as proposed was passed with two votes. The two votes were required to enable Councilor Glenn Jones to participate in almost all of the discussion and only recuse himself from the vote on the Tri-County portion of the budget. A sensible solution to a potential conflict of interest situation.

The schools will cut teachers, kindergarten aides, and high schoolers will pay for parking among the key take aways. Many of the critical needs prepared for by the schools in their initial budget will go unmet. It may be just this year but for the students, it is one year in school that they don't get to do over. 

The method of sharing the budget info is not one that works well. While the Council got their questions answered, they easily skipped over including the public in the discussion. Given the reality of tough budget decisions next year and more across the board than the road repair funds and schools, this should also be a consideration. How best to get the residents and voters involved with the budget details?

Links below provide the detailed notes reported during the meetings as well as links to the budget documents.


Wednesday, May 22


Agenda for the first hearing
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/05/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-may-22.html


Thursday, May 23










Town Council - Budget Hearings Recap - May 22-23, 2019
New Town Administrator Jamie Hellen makes his remarks thanking
Jeff Nutting for his service and guidance 


Saturday, May 25, 2019

"I ask the citizens to thank the employees for the work they do"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"As the Town Council wraps up the fiscal 2020 budget, a prominent town official is wrapping up his career. 
Town Administrator Jeff Nutting attended his last Town Council meeting on Thursday night. He is officially entering retirement after 18 years in Franklin. 
During a farewell speech, he gave some insight into himself and how much he loved his job. He also offered some advice for the future and reminded everyone he’s still just a phone call away. 
Over a 43-year career working for multiple municipalities in a variety of positions, he said he was guided by countless mentors."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20190525/franklin-town-administrator-jeff-nutting-says-farewell

after stepping down from the Administrator's seat, Jeff sat in the front row to listen to the accolades from the Town Council members
after stepping down from the Administrator's seat, Jeff sat in the front row to listen to the
accolades from the Town Council members

Friday, December 7, 2018

"I’ll always try to do my best"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"The Town Council voted unanimously last week to negotiate with Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen to take over for Town Administrator Jeff Nutting who retires before next summer. 
“I honestly look forward to coming to work every single day,” Hellen said during the Nov. 28 council meeting. “I want to thank the tremendous, dedicated staff we have here in Franklin, on both the town and school side, for their hard work in making this an organization second to none.” 
Hellen will soon enter into negotiations with the nine-member Town Council on a contract. 
In a letter to the council in September, Nutting announced he would be retiring no later than June 30. He recommended Hellen to replace him."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181206/franklin-town-council-set-to-negotiate-with-jamie-hellen

This recording is the only one available for the Town Council meeting held Wednesday, Nov 28, 2018. Due to technical difficulties, Franklin TV was not able to record or broadcast the meeting.
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/11/fm-153-town-council-meeting-nov-28-2018.html

L-R Attny Mark Cerel, Deputy Admin Jamie Hellen, Town Administrator Jeff Nutting
L-R Attny Mark Cerel, Deputy Admin Jamie Hellen, Town Administrator Jeff Nutting

Friday, November 30, 2018

FM #153 - Town Council Meeting - Nov 28, 2018 (audio)

FM #153

This internet radio show or podcast is number 153 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording is the only one available for the Town Council meeting held Wednesday, Nov 28, 2018. Due to technical difficulties, Franklin TV was not able to record or broadcast the meeting.

You can follow along with the agenda that can be found online
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-council/agenda/november-28-town-council-agenda

Or you can use my notes taken live during the meeting that can also be found online:
  • Opening - citizens comments and two new fire chiefs sworn in
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/11/live-reporting-town-council-november-28.html

  • Tax rate hearing and approval for rate set at 14.66 an increase of .01 from the 14.65 rate set for FY 2018
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/11/live-reporting-tax-classification.html

  • The Snow Report provided by the DPW. They highlighted that a shortage of contractors may affect the timeliness of snow clearing operations this winter.
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/11/live-reporting-snow-report.html

  • Legislation for action including the approval of offer for Town Administrator to the current Deputy, Jamie Hellen
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/11/live-reporting-legislation-for-action_28.html

  • From the Town Administrators report to closing of the meeting
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/11/live-reporting-administrators-report-to_28.html

The total meeting recording runs just about 2 hours. Without further ado, here is the audio recording.




-------------


This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can use your help.

How can you help?

In particular, if you have an interest in real estate, zoning or construction, I would like someone to follow the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Conservation Commission meetings. I’ll provide the guidance on note taking and sharing. You need to bring an inquisitive and open mind and willingness to learn and share.

Overall:
  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors.
  • If you don't like this, please let me know.

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

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 and Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!


------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes
subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes


Wednesday, November 28, 2018

In the News: Hellen proposed to replace Nutting; Bob's Store in Franklin to close

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"The Town Council will discuss on Wednesday the possibility of Deputy Town Administrator Jaime Hellen taking over for Town Administrator Jeff Nutting once Nutting retires next year. 
A letter sent to town officials in September indicated that Nutting would be retiring no later than June 30. Nutting’s suggestion is to bring Hellen into the captain’s chair. 
A search committee was organized earlier this year to decide how the town would go about choosing a new town administrator, but the group decided it would best for Hellen to take over the top job. 
“After some discussion, they (the search committee) openly decided that he should be the next TA (town administrator),” Nutting said."
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181127/franklin-town-council-to-discuss-promoting-hellen-to-replace-retiring-administrator-nutting

The Search Committee meeting at which the discussion and recommendation was made, was recorded and is available for replay
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/11/town-administrator-search-subcommittee.html

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes
subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes

"The Bob’s Stores location at the Horace Mann Plaza will soon be closing, although it’s not clear exactly when. 
A large red banner reading “Store Closing - This Location Only” appeared on the Bob’s Stores facade at 303 East Central St., shortly before Black Friday. Store employees referred requests for comment to Bob’s corporate offices in Meriden, Connecticut, but calls placed there by The Daily News were not returned. 
Town officials from Franklin did not have information as to why the store is closing."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20181128/bobs-store-in-franklin-to-close

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Town Administrator Search Subcommittee - Meeting Nov 14, 2018 - audio

FM #152

This internet radio show or podcast is number 152 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording is the of the Town Administrator Search Subcommittee held Wednesday, Nov 14, 2018. The subcommittee is comprised of Town Councilors Matt Kelly, Tom Mercer, Melanie Hamblen, and Debbie Pellegri. Karen Bratt, Human Resources Director for the Town of Franklin also participated.

The position was posted in several places from Oct 18 to Nov 13. 24 applications were received. All met the minimum BA requirement. 18 met the minimum of 3 years of town administration experience but only 4 were directly in that role. One additional candidate held a deputy role. This would provide a pool of five candidates to work with.

The discussion around the unique qualifications of the Franklin role and form of government lead into the qualifications of the current Deputy Administrator Jamie Hellen. Jamie started in Jan 2016 and has been working to learn the role for almost three years.

The committee moved to bring Hellen forward as the candidate for replacing Jeff Nutting upon his retirement to the full Town Council. Jeff had previously announced his retirement to begin sometime in 2019. If the Council does not agree with this approach, the subcommittee can return to work with the pool of candidates gathered thus far.

The session recording runs just approximately 33 minutes. Without further ado, here is the audio recording.





-------------


This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can use your help.

How can you help?

In particular, if you have an interest in real estate, zoning or construction, I would like someone to follow the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Conservation Commission meetings. I’ll provide the guidance on note taking and sharing. You need to bring an inquisitive and open mind and willingness to learn and share.

Overall:

  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors.
  • If you don't like this, please let me know.


Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

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 and Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes
subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes


Thursday, December 28, 2017

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
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

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Town of Franklin exceeds the 10% affordable housing threshold

In a letter to the Town Council, the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals, Jeff Nutting announced that Franklin had risen back above the critical 10% for Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI).

1. The 288 Glen Meadow apartments were recently purchased by a new investor. He was successful in obtaining funding from MassHousing to do some updates to the property. The purchase was recently completed; hence, all of the Glen Meadow apartments were added back into the SHI. 
2. As you will see, the Town has 11.89% of its housing stock as affordable by the state. until this number drops below 10% again, the Town will not be susceptible to proposals that seek to override local zoning. 
3. It is important to note any 40B proposal that has already been filed previous to Friday, June 23, 2017 will continue to through the process. 
As many of you know, the Town has bumped up and down over the 10% line for many years. Today's announcement is a compliment to the Town, including the hard, proactive work of the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust and the town's overall receptiveness to having a diverse housing stock for families of all incomes. 
Jamie and I are available for any questions you may have.

the stage on the Town Common in the rain
the stage on the Town Common in the rain


You can find the full memo and inventory listing on the Town of Franklin page
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/2017-06-26_franklin_shi_update_and_memo.pdf




Sunday, April 23, 2017

Franklin Residents/Taxpayers, you'll be tested on this

Aside from the budget, this is the single most important document that every Franklin resident and taxpayer should be familiar with. After the only operational override passed in 2007, there was another attempt in 2008 that failed. One of the outcomes of the failure was the establishment of the Long Range Financial Planning Committee. 

The committee began with representatives from the Town Council (3), School Committee (2), and Finance Committee (2). In December 2010, it was reformed as a committee completely made up of 'citizens' - that is residents with no other direct board membership.

Vision The Long Range Finance Committee is a citizen advisory group tasked with helping citizens and Town officials better understand Franklin’s long-term financial outlook and the various courses of action available to secure Franklin’s financial future. 
Mission The Committee will achieve this vision by (i) evaluating and reporting on the Town’s five-year financial projection, (ii) assessing the nature and potential magnitude of the Town’s significant financial risks, particularly those that give rise to a structural deficit, and (iii) recommending steps to close the gap between future expected revenues and expenditures in an effort ultimately to achieve fiscal sustainability.

The Committee produced their final report in June 2012. Since that time, the Town Administrator has been updating the long range financial plan each year.


The current report was just posted to the Town of Franklin webpage and is copied here for your reading pleasure.

The introduction from Town Administrator Jeff Nutting:

"Each year we look into the crystal ball and try to project the long term fiscal health of the community. We look at trends over the last five years, adjust for one time issues or "bumps" in the road and then try to predict the fiscal future. Looking ahead a couple of years is not that difficult while projecting five years ahead is a "best guess' of what may affect local government beyond the "normal revenue and expenses" We do not know today how the economy, Federal and State budgets, changing demographics, growing population, unknown mandates, health care, etc. will affect our fiscal health in the future. 
We do know that: 
• Our population has increased from 29,738 in 2001 to over 34,000 in 2017 and it will continue to increase. Currently there are over 800 potential housing units under construction, in the "pipeline or proposed by developers with more to come. 
• Health care costs continue to be a concern. 
• Our unfunded retiree health insurance obligation is $93,000,000 (2015). 
• Our unfunded pension liability is $41,346,000 (2016). 
• The FY 18 School budgets will use one time revenues to balance the budget and beyond that they will have few reserves left. 
Franklin is in generally good financial shape today but we will continue to struggle to maintain high quality school and municipal services given the fiscal constraints that we operate under.
I believe we can continue a "level service" budget in fiscal year FY 18. The trend suggests that in FY 19 we will need to use school and town reserves to maintain services. 
Starting in FY 20 the forecast strongly suggests we will face service cuts and/or a tax increase. 
While many departments would like to add employees to better serve the citizens the available revenues leave very few options for expanding the work force with recurring revenues. 
In order to have trne fiscal stability there would need to be a great deal of change in Federal and Sate laws and regulations that drive up the cost of doing business. I do not see any political will to make major changes for the foreseeable future. 
We will continue to do are very best on behalf of all the citizens of Franklin to maintain a high quality of life while trying to control costs to the taxpayers."







Long Range Financial Planning Committee Meeting notes for their 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 sessions can be found in the meeting archive
http://www.franklinmatters.org/p/meeting-notes.html

The 5 year financial plan published in 2012
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/report.pdf

Information provided to candiates for the Town election in Nov 2011
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/01/franklin-ma-long-range-financial.html

road sign on Pleasant St is rather appropriate for this posting, the financial plan contains many hazards
road sign on Pleasant St is rather appropriate for this posting, the financial plan contains many hazards

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Annual Report 2016: Town Administrator

The Town Administration works with the Town Council together to make improvements to the quality of life of our residents. While we are diligent in continuing to balance the budget and practice fiscal prudence, we also keep an eye on the Town’s future needs and maintaining its assets.

Accomplishments in FY 16 include:
• Requested the Town Council to transfer 17 acres of land behind the High School to the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust for the purpose of building new senior housing. The project will take approximately 5 years to complete.
• The Town began the legal process to bulk purchase electricity rates through a Municipal Electric Aggregation program, expected to be in place for winter 2016.
• Renovation and expansion projects for the Library and Senior Center were started and should be completed in 2017.
• The Library was temporarily moved to 25 Kenwood Circle during construction and is open regular hours. The Senior Center remains open during construction.
• The downtown revitalization project, after almost a decade, is complete. Two-way traffic is in effect in the downtown area on Emmons, Main and East Central Streets. The project has numerous public benefits including new sidewalks, new and better pedestrian friendly streets and many beautification elements. The parking meters have been removed to add free parking downtown. New parking regulations have also been established.
• We have also supported the creation of a downtown cultural district.
• Additional improvements were made to the DelCarte property by investing $100,000 to remove the invasive weeds from the pond, helping restore the ecosystem to its natural habitat.
• We added new holiday lights to the Town Common holiday display.

Personnel
Chief of Police, Stephan Semerjian, retired in June 2016 after 39 years of dedicated service to the Franklin Police Department. The Town hired a new Chief of Police, Thomas J. Lynch who took over July 1. New Deputy Police Chief James Mill was also appointed.

The Town Administrator’s office restored a Deputy Town Administrator position by hiring Jamie Hellen to help begin succession planning for the wave of retirees facing the town government. Among other things, Jamie has developed a citizen engagement program, utilizing new technology, including Twitter, Facebook and You Tube to enhance the flow of public information to the citizens.

The Town Administrator’s Office continues to be busy as the Passport Acceptance facility. You can apply for your passport here with an appointment on Monday, Wednesday or Friday.

We continually strive to provide high quality customer services at the lowest possible cost to the tax payer. With continued pressure on our budget, there will be challenges ahead. The strong leadership of the Town Council and the dedicated staff will respond to every challenge.

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

Town workers clearing brush along the connector between Chestnut and Pleasant Sts
Town workers clearing brush along the connector between Chestnut and Pleasant Sts


Download and read the full Annual Report for the Town of Franklin FY 2016

Prior year annual reports can be found
http://www.franklinma.gov/administrator/pages/annual-reports



Monday, October 17, 2016

Jeff Nutting's Letter to the Town Council - Housing Growth Summary


Lately, I have been approached by landowners/developers (L/D) seeking my opinion on whether the Town will provide a zoning change so they can develop their land into Condos, Apartments and Zone 7 (which allows 4 times the density of Rural Residential zoning). All the requests require a zoning change for the L/D. While a project may offer some benefit, it is the Town Council that needs to decide on zoning and the pace of development you want for Franklin.

The Town Council adopted an updated Master Plan in 2013 as a road map to continued improvements for the citizens of Franklin. The plan covered a wide range of topics many which the Council have embraced to date, most notably zoning changes, sidewalk construction, as well as open space /recreation issues.

Currently, the economy seems to be in good shape and the demand for housing in Franklin is higher than it has been in a long time. You will recall the tremendous growth of the 1990's and the various steps Town Council took to reign in the growth. They rezoned residential land to industrial land, adopted over-55 housing, bought open space when available, adopt the water and sewer extension bylaws, a growth control bylaw, the so-called circle bylaw, etc. Further, the Council voted for an impact fee on new homes that was rejected by the Court. All the efforts to control development happened after the spike in housing production of the mid- 1990's and the fast growth created problems that we are still dealing with today. Housing starts continued in the early 2000's at a slower pace and then the recession of 2008 reduced development further.

In review, dwelling units created in the last five years by the Building Commissioner reports the following dwelling units:

  • 2011 - 20 units
  • 2012 - 57 units
  • 2013 - 48 units
  • 2014 - 47 units
  • 2015 - 38 units

This does not count the two developments on King Street and East Central Street with a total of over 250 units for elderly citizens.

Since 2012, we are averaging about 48 units a year. This seems to be a reasonable and steady growth. Franklin is now at a crossroad again concerning proposed dwelling units. Currently, there are over 800 units in various stages of development.

Under Construction (Various Stages)


  • Weston Woods - 40B Apartments - 280
  • Lorraine Metcalf – Subdivision - 4
  • Cooks Farm - Condos  - 55
  • Lincoln Street - Subdivision - 9
  • County Side Estates - Subdivision - 8
  • Franklin Heights - Condos - 7
  • Winter Gardens- Subdivision - 5

Approved


  • Uncas Ave - Subdivision - 18
  • Upper Union Street - Subdivision - 7
  • East Central Street - Apts. - 7
  • Chestnut Street - Over 55 - 10

Before Planning Board


  • Maple Street - Subdivision 10

In the Works


  • Madeline Village -  40B  =  30-40 Decision by ZBA by end of year  
  • Pond Street  - Condos  =  96 Expects to file prior to end of year
  • At the end of Dean Ave - Apartments = 250 - Expects to file prior to the end of year
  • West Central Street - Condos =  30 ?? Recently rezoned 
  • Others units that are currently approved = 20 +/-  or under construction

Total possible Dwelling Units 800 +/-


While not all of these units will be constructed at once, we could see well over 600 units in the next 3 years. Further, we do not know how many other "as of right" dwelling units may be proposed in the next couple of years.

The housing development speaks well to Franklin's quality of life and all the improvements that have happen over the last 15 years under the leadership of the various Town Councils that make Franklin a desirable community to live.

Does the Town Council want to maintain the zoning plan adopted in the Master Plan or make changes to the plan? Providing a clear message to L/D's makes a lot more sense than dealing with zoning on a case-by-case basis. It is hard to say yes to one person and no to the next if you do not have an overall game plan.

I suggest this topic be put on a Council agenda or workshop in the near future. I am happy to answer any questions.

Jeff Nutting


new Cook's Farm being built under the Residential 7 bylaw on RT 140
new Cook's Farm being built under the Residential 7 bylaw on RT 140


  • Additional info is contained in the full PDF

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Council/October%2019,%202016/R7%20HANDOUTS%201%20AND%202.pdf

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Annual Report - 2105: Town Administrator


"It continues to be my honor to serve the Town Council and the citizens of Franklin.

Under the leadership of the Town Council over the years we continue to try and improve the quality of life for our residents while maintaining a balanced budget, fiscal prudence and a look towards the future. Fiscal year 15 showed no signs of letting up on improving our community.

So, what have we done this year?

The list of improvements in FY 15 are many including the new High School, road and water main improvements, purchase of open space, adding a playground at Fletcher Field, a sidewalk on Panther Way, selling the old municipal building for commercial development, making zoning changes in accordance with the Master Plan, seeing the downtown project get underway, funding the design of sidewalks for Pleasant and Chestnut Streets, working to spruce up the Rail Road stations, and reducing the trash fee.

Since the Town Administrators Office assumed the duties of the Passport Office things are hopping, you can now get your passport here with an appointment on Monday or Wednesday and Friday.

All this is accomplished with hard working volunteers and a great staff of employees in all departments We continually provide high quality services and the lowest possible cost to the tax payer.

As I look to the future there are many challenges but if history is any lesson, the strong leadership of the Town Council and great staff will respond to every challenge.

I want to make note of the retirement of my Secretary, Dianne Blanchard. She was an exceptional employee, dedicated to serving the citizens of Franklin. I wish her well in her retirement.

As always, I want to thank the employees of the Town of Franklin. It is my pleasure to come to work every day with such dedicated and hard working people who do their best for the citizens of Franklin.
Jeff Nutting
Jeff Nutting

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


Respectfully submitted,

Jeff Nutting
Town Administrator"

-----------
"Prior to November 1 of each year, the Town Clerk shall cause to be prepared and made available to the inhabitants of the Town an annual report for the preceding fiscal year which shall include: the annual Town budget, the reports of all Town officers, the records of all Town Council bylaw amendments and resolutions, an abstract of births, marriages and deaths, and the wages, salaries, or other compensation of all Town employees." [Added 5-2-2012 by Bylaw Amendment 12-681]
http://ecode360.com/10432729?highlight=annual%20report,reports,annual,report#10432729

Shared from the full and complete PDF version of the Town of Franklin Annual Report for 2015
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2015report.pdf

Additional information from the Town Administrator can be found on his webpage
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/index

Friday, December 18, 2015

In the News: deputy Town Administrator, complaints about permit

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin

Jamie Hellen, operations assistant to the town manager, is leaving Town Hall to become the deputy town administrator in Franklin. 
Hellen was appointed by Town Manager Norman Khumalo in 2012. He'll work in town until the end of the month. 
During his tenure, Hellen has been involved in many special projects, including planning for the town's 300th Anniversary Celebration and helping with the historical commissions. His day-to-day responsibilities include making sure Khumalo's and the selectmen's priorities are being met, he said.

Continue reading the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151217/NEWS/151216196/1994/NEWS


Several townspeople complained Thursday night to the Zoning Board of Appeals about what they claim was a lack of transparency in the town's approval of a group home on Plain Street. 
The board, though, decided to uphold the building commissioner's decision to issue a permit. 
At issue is an eight-bed building - set to house clients of the state Department of Developmental Services - under construction at 21 Plain St. Dave Patterson, a neighbor, had appealed the issuance of the building permit.

Continue reading the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20151217/NEWS/151216179/1994/NEWS

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

DelCarte playground currently closed pending repairs the week of Aug 17th

One of the updates tucked into the Town Administrator's section of the Town Council meeting last week was that the manufacturer was late coming to fix the playground equipment at DelCarte. 

Jeff Nutting acknowledged that the manufacturer was supposed to be here in July and their schedule changed to due to other commitments. They are now currently scheduled to be onsite during the week of Aug 17th.

DelCarte playground currently closed pending repairs the week of Aug 17th
DelCarte playground currently closed pending repairs the week of Aug 17th

Other updates from the Town Council meeting on Aug 5 can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/08/community-takes-exceptions-to-councilor.html

Note: the next Town Council meeting is scheduled for Sep 9.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

"The primary goal isn’t to arrest"


“Franklin is not unique in terms of this problem,” Roy said, referring to the state’s opioid epidemic. 
He was speaking during the taping of a local cable TV show that also featured Franklin Police Chief Stephan Semerjian, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting and school district Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski. 
After filming in the morning at Franklin TV’s Hutchinson Street studio, Roy met with Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey later that afternoon about some of the strategies that the other coalitions have used. 
“The district attorney has assigned someone from the Walpole coalition to mentor us and someone from his office who will attend all of the meetings,” Roy said. “Whoever emerges as the leader of the Franklin coalition will go every other month to the DA’s office to meet with the other 18 community coalition leaders. We will have constant dialogue on this.”

Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150603/NEWS/150608324/1994/NEWS

Police Chief Semerjian and his team address the Town Council on May 20th
Police Chief Semerjian and his team address the Town Council on May 20th

Related materials:

The Town Council meeting discussion on the opiate problem
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/05/live-reporting-police-chief-on-drug.html


Jeff Roy's monthly newsletter
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/06/representative-roy-whats-happening-in.html

Franklin Police Department resources posted
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/05/franklin-police-share-resources-on.html

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Live reporting - 5 year Financial Forecast


H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Financial Forecast – Jeffrey Nutting

draft provided earlier, not changed from draft
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/02/franklin-ma-five-year-fiscal-forecast.html

full report is online
(will provide link when available)

unfunded liability is almost as big as our annual budget ($86M vs $100M)
Franklin not alone in facing this issue

need to continue to lobby for change of outmoded and expensive laws




Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Annual Report 2013: Town Administrator

Continuing the series from Franklin's Annual Report for 2013, we have the Town Administrator

Each year we try to improve the quality of life for our citizens. We are committed to providing great customer service and high ethical standards. We continue to live within our means. There will be challenges in coming years, but we will continue to meet those challenges the only way we know how, head on and with our goal of providing the best service we can. 
So, what have we done this year? 
On the Budget front, we had a very good year. We balanced the budget with no use of reserves or any layoffs. We maintained a single tax rate and we established an operating stabilization account. We settled all but one bargaining agreement. We authorized a Solar project that will provide the town with about 75% of its electricity use. 
Our day-to-day activities include: the continuation of the water main replacement program where we replace a defective water main and then replace the road and sidewalk. We accepted Lady Slipper, Pasture, Symmes, Ruby, Opal, Jade, Garnet, Tanglewood, Sierra, Mary Jane, Anna, Summer Heights, Autumn, Fall, and Dutchess Roads. We updated the flood plan district. The Council authorized the purchase of land at 37 Beaver Street to be used for additional parking at the Senior Center. The Council also transferred town owned land on Beaver Court to the Housing Trust to be used for affordable housing. We continued the
development of the Sculpture Park at the site of the old town pool on Panther Way. We worked on a Ballot question on whether to appoint the treasurer/collector. We adopted a Tax workoff program for Veterans similar to the senior tax workoff program. 
We also sought to spur economic activity with zoning changes. We rezoned land off of Exit 16 from Residential to Commercial. We initiated a zoning change to streamline the site plan process as well as a zoning change to improve the impervious coverage bylaw. We also adopted zoning for medical marijuana. 
We continued the review of our Town Bylaws to ensure they are fair and reasonable while protecting the interest of all of our citizens. This year we updated the Council on Aging, Dogs, and Transient Vendors bylaws. 
With Dams 3 and 4 nearly complete, The Town Council voted funds for the Recreation Park at the DelCarte Property. The property will include a recreation park and a boardwalk to enhance the existing trails. 
The Town Council voted to transfer the responsibility of Public Access Cable TV to a Cable Access Corporation. Franklin TV has entered into a PILOT tax agreement with the Town of Franklin. 
Probably most important of all, the new model high school project approved in March of 2012 by the voters is right on schedule. Construction that began in the fall of 2012 is on schedule to be completed in September of 2014. 
As always, I want to thank the employees of the Town of Franklin. It is my pleasure to come to work every day with such dedicated and hard working people who do their best for the citizens of Franklin. 
It is my pleasure to submit my annual report for your review, and please feel free to write, e-mail, or stop by with any questions, concerns, or comments.  
Respectfully submitted, 
Jeff Nutting
Town Administrator
Franklin Municipal Building
Franklin's Municipal Building

The full annual report can be obtained from the Town Clerk's office (hard copy) or viewed and/or downloaded from the Franklin website here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2013report.pdf

Annual reports of prior years can also be found online at
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/