Rail Trail Committee raises a Call for Volunteers!

We need your skills and your help. Join us at a meeting or drop us an email

View this email in your browser Call for Volunteers!! We hope this email finds you well and enjoying the beauty of our community. We are reaching out to you today because we believe that your unique skills, passion, and energy could be a fantastic addition to our team at the Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee. Our committee has been dedicated to the development and upkeep of the Southern New England Trunkline Trail in Franklin & Bellingham, a cherished community space that promotes wellness, unity, and outdoor enjoyment. We have achieved significant milestones over the years, but we understand that our continued success depends on the collective efforts of dedicated volunteers like you. We are currently seeking volunteers to support us in a variety of capacities, and we firmly believe that there is a role perfectly suited to your skills and interests: Event Support: Our events, such as the upcoming Harvest Festival, rely on volunteers to manage booths, assist with logistics, and ensure everything runs smoothly. Trail Walk Leaders: If you have a passion for the outdoors and love interacting with others, consider leading our monthly trail walks. It's a wonderful way to connect with fellow community members and promote the beauty of our trail. Marketing Communications: If you're a creative thinker with a knack for spreading the word, we could use your talents in helping us create compelling communications to engage the community and promote our events. Grant Writing: Are you skilled in writing persuasive proposals? Help us secure essential funding by applying for grants that will enable us to enhance our trail and continue our mission. Account Management: For those who are organized and detail-oriented, managing our accounts and financial records is an area where your skills can truly shine. Your contribution, whether it's an hour or two at an event or a regular commitment in a specialized role, will make a significant impact. Volunteering with us is not only a chance to give back to your community but also an opportunity to build new friendships, develop skills, and be a part of a dynamic team that's passionate about creating positive change. If you're interested in joining our ranks of dedicated volunteers, come to one of our meetings, the second Tuesday of every month at 67 Degrees Brewing meet the team and enjoy a beer on us - next meeting is Tues Sep 12th at 7pm! Or, just reach out to us at fbrtcommittee@gmail.com with your area of interest. We'll provide you with more information and discuss how your involvement can best align with your schedule and abilities. Thank you for considering this invitation. Together, we can continue to make the SNETT a vibrant and enriching space for all. Warm regards, Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee Copyright © 2023 Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have opted in to stay informed about the Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee Our mailing address is: Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee PO Box 68 Franklin, Ma 02038

Davis Thayer Reuse Committee hears & discusses multiple options for the building (audio)

FM #1040 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1040 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the audio for the Davis Thayer Reuse Committee meeting held on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 in the Council Chambers. 

The committee heard and discussed many ideas for possible reuse of the former school building. Police station, community arts center, housing, and recreation headquarters were among the key items mentioned. Splitting the land into 2 parcels was suggested. Another was to build a new municipal building in addition to the police station and sell off the current municipal building was a new idea.

Multiple parties apparently being invited to the next meeting proposed for Sep 19 at 7 PM. Police Chief, arts and recreation, and housing trust representatives among the key participants suggested to provide insights to the discussion.

Arrangements being finalized for movers to clear the facility to enable open houses for the community (and committee) to view the building, Open houses likely to be scheduled in October. 

The recording runs about 80 minutes, so let’s listen to the Davis Thayer Reuse Committee meeting. Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1040-davis-thayer-reuse-cmte-mtg-08-15-23

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The meeting agenda -> 

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/_2023-08-15_davis-thayer_reuse_agenda_.pdf 

The draft facility condition report ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/uploads/davisthayer_existing_cond_draft_v2_1.pdf 

The Franklin TV video is available for replay ->   https://www.youtube.com/live/HRdzWScNZCA 

My notes captured via Twitter during the meeting are in one PDF file -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nQU6e9arZuu33HTFtMjnY_eVf084AKBU/view?usp=drive_link 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm). 

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

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

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

 

For additional information, please visit www.franklin.news or www.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 & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Davis-Thayer Reuse Advisory Subcommittee Meeting

Davis Thayer Reuse Cmte hears & discusses multiple options (video)

The Davis Thayer Reuse Committee met on Tuesday, Aug 15, 2023 as scheduled and heard/discussed many ideas for possible reuse of the former school building. Police station, community arts center, housing, and recreation headquarters were among the key items mentioned. Splitting the land into 2 parcels was suggested. Another was to building a new municipal building in addition to the police station and sell off the current municipal building was a new idea.

Multiple parties apparently being invited to the next meeting proposed for Sep 19 at 7 PM. Police Chief, arts and recreation, and housing trust representatives among the key participants suggested to provide insights to the discussion.

Arrangements being finalized for movers to clear the facility to enable open houses for the community (and committee) to view the building, Open houses likely to be scheduled in October. 

The Franklin TV video is available for replay ->   https://www.youtube.com/live/HRdzWScNZCA

My notes captured via Twitter during the meeting are in one PDF file -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nQU6e9arZuu33HTFtMjnY_eVf084AKBU/view?usp=drive_link

Facilities Director Mike D'Angelo (center) and the consultants

"What does the School Committee do?"

via Denise Spencer (@DSpencerFSC), current Franklin School Committee Chair

With a little over a month until its time to pull nomination papers (where does time go?), I thought I would once again share "What does the School Committee do?" and "just how much of a time commitment is this?" https://t.co/epya1uEEGL

The School Committee provides oversight & direction to the operation of the District. The committee's role, responsibilities & high level operating procedures are established in the context of Chapter 71, section 37 of the general laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Our primary responsibilities are to approve the budget, establish policies, and hire/evaluate the Superintendent. The implementation and achievement of these goals lies with the Superintendent and the administrative team.

School Committee meets twice a month, however December & July we usually only meet once, for the regular meeting. These run anywhere from 2 - 3 hours (generally). You receive the materials in advance so you have time to thoroughly prepare for each meeting.

The School Committee also has several subcommittees and liaison roles (you can find a full list here: https://franklinps.net/district/school-committee/pages/subcommittees-and-liaisons) and you are required to participate. Each committee/liaison role varies in time commitment.

There are also joint budget subcommittee meetings, town council meetings, finance committee meetings, town events, school events, etc etc that we attend. This is not a small commitment. I am available to answer any questions for folks looking for further information!

TLDR: The role of School Committee is not to run the schools, but rather to establish the policies by which the schools are run & to oversee their maintenance in a broad sense... it is also not a "light lift", it is a lot of work, requires time from family, but is rewarding

Twitter thread started here -> https://twitter.com/DSpencerFSC/status/1673316652019077120

"What does the School Committee do?"

Master Plan Update Committee gets sworn in, goes over introductions, will split into 5 subcommittees for detail work (audio)

FM #1015 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1015 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the Master Plan Update Committee meeting held on Wednesday, June 14, 2023.

• The Master Plan Update Committee met for the first time and 12 of the committee present were sworn in. One member was remote and will be sworn in later

• During the meeting, it was revealed that the 13 member committee will split into 5 subcommittees each responsible for their own goals, workflows, and coordinating through the Planning Dept for support

• While the subcommittees were announced, confirmation of the membership is schedule for the next session

• Much of the meeting was laying the groundwork and ground rules for their future sessions. Much of the time was spent reading the agenda materials released before the meeting

Listen to the recording of the meeting (approx. 1 hour & 50 minutes) ->  https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1015-master-plan-update-cmte-06-14-23

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The agenda doc is rich with links to the prior master plan and associated materials  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/june_14_2023_mp_agenda_0.pdf

 The Master Plan update Committee page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/master-plan-update-committee 

My notes captured during the meeting can be found in one PDF file ->

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XUd8eMitR2P9x6RrzkNklg-lPFYqa-tm/view?usp=drive_link 

The meeting video is available for replay ->   https://www.youtube.com/live/uQjupaOHK-o 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

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

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

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

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/

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 & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Agenda for the initial Master Plan Committee meeting Wednesday, June 14, 2023 - 6:30 PM

CommonWealth Magazine: "Split-in-two committee to hold dueling hearings this week"

"Those interested in testifying on bills dealing with offshore wind and energy storage may have to do double-duty this week.

The feuding House and Senate chairs of the Legislature’s Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy Committee are splitting the panel in half, with the House members taking testimony on bills dealing with offshore wind and energy storage on Thursday and Senate members holding their own “parallel hearing” on the same bills on Friday.

The two feuders – Rep. Jeffrey Roy of Franklin and Sen. Michael Barrett of Lexington – both say they are acting on principle in a fight about the rules that govern their legislative committee.

Roy said his concerns trace to the end of the legislative session last year, when Barrett used the powers provided under the rules to control which bills were released from committee. He said action on major energy legislation was delayed and hundreds of other bills were blocked, which means they ended up with the label “ought not to pass.”

Barrett said he is refusing to engage in any legislative business with Roy until the House chair either agrees to new rules or abides by the rules that were in force last year, which require the consent of both chairs to schedule a hearing or an executive session where legislation is acted on."

Continue reading the article online ->  https://commonwealthmagazine.org/economy/split-in-two-committee-to-hold-dueling-hearings-this-week-2/ 

The golden dome of the State House. (Photo by Andy Metzger)

MA Senate announces committee assignments for 2023-2024 session

MA Senate committee assignments for the 2023-2024 session are reflected in the embedded PDF file.

Our Senator Becca Rausch has the following assignments

Census                                 Rausch VICE CHAIR

Agriculture                         Rausch

Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Rausch VICE CHAIR

Emergency Preparedness and Management Rausch

Education                         Rausch

Environment and Natural Resources Rausch CHAIR

You can also download a copy here

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17FbfVS4D_c1CkYfEAw5a1PRlLkLb8rSb/view?usp=share_link

MA Senate announces committee assignments for 2023-2024 session

Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Committee Meeting Tuesday night - Feb 14, 2023

AllReminder that tomorrow is our Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Committee meeting at 67 Degrees Brewing at 158 Grove St in Franklin at 7pm

View this email in your browser February Monthly Meeting All Reminder that Tuesday is our Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Committee meeting at 67 Degrees Brewing at 158 Grove St in Franklin at 7 PM Hope to see you there Copyright © 2023 Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have opted in to stay informed about the Franklin & Bellingham Rail Trail Committee

Town Administrator Evaluation Ad Hoc Committee - Jan 25 - 5 PM

Town Administrator Evaluation Ad Hoc Committee

Agenda & Meeting Packet

January 25, 2023 - 5 PM

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR EVALUATION DISCUSSION

3. ADJOURN

Agenda doc (no remote participation info) ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/2023-01-25_ta_evaluation_agenda.pdf

Town Administrator Evaluation Ad Hoc Committee - Jan 25 - 5 PM

"Talk Franklin" gets the new year started; Jamie talks of committees authorized, compensation plan, capital budget, and more (audio)

FM #917 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 917 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my "Talk Franklin" conversation with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen. We had our conversation via conference bridge.  

Topics for this session

Welcome to 2023

200 acres of open space

Town Council recap

Four committees authorized

• Arts & Culture prep for Master Plan – complete Jun 2023

• Master Plan – approx. 18 months

• Davis Thayer reuse – complete Dec 2023

• Police Station likely 3-4 years

Finance Committee recap

• Compensation plan, multi year implementation

• Capital budget for FY 2023 ( increase to debt stabilization account)

Hiring for backfills continues

Preview of Town Council

The conversation runs about 30 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie. Audio file -> https://anchor.fm/letstalkfranklin/episodes/2023---A-Year-of-Planning-for-Franklins-Future-e1tjutj/a-a96jv09

 

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Town Council meeting 1/04/23 recap (audio & video links) -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/01/franklin-panthers-recognized-historic.html 

Finance Committee 1/11/23 recap (audio & video links) ->

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/01/finance-cmte-gets-briefed-on-1st.html 

Compensation & Classification Study

i. Draft Report, Results & Methodology   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/class_and_comp_draft_final_report.pdf 

ii. Compensation & Classification Plan   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/class_and_comp_plan.pdf 

Town Council agenda for 1/18/23

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/01/franklin-ma-town-council-january-18.html 

Town Administrator page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/administrator

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV  and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

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

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
  

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

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

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/  or www.franklin.news/

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 & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

"Talk Franklin" gets the new year started; Jamie talks of committees authorized, compensation plan, capital budget, and more (audio)