Talk Franklin: Jamie and I go 'long' talking patience, process, and engagement results - 04/28/23 (audio)

FM #985 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 985 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my "Talk Franklin" conversation with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen. We had our conversation in person at the Senior Center. We had already been involved in back-to-back sessions and added our recording session to this slot on Friday, April 28, 2023.  

We usually watch the clock to keep the session shorter but we were having such a good discussion we went with the flow.

Topics for this session

Arts & Culture listening session (2nd of 3 scheduled)

Senior Center volunteer recognition event

Finance Committee budget hearings scheduled May 8, 10, & 11

Town Council hearings scheduled for May 24 & 25

The recording runs about 55 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie on Friday, April 28, 2023

Audio file -> https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/letstalkfranklin/episodes/State-of-Franklin---May-2023-e23gcru

 

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Town FY 2024 budget page -> https://www.franklinma.gov/town-budget/webforms/fy-24-budget-materials 

Arts & Culture survey -> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4AWODps2aVQd_tzHIGfcJBRwUdpvYB9jK3hgfxploSWc7zw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Town of Franklin calendar for May meetings & events -> https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar/month/2023-05 

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

Talk Franklin podcast page -> https://anchor.fm/letstalkfranklin 

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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"

Talk Franklin: Jamie and I go long talking patience, process, and engagement results - 04/28/23 (audio)

Town Council Quarterbacking condenses the meeting to what it means for Franklin residents & taxpayers (audio)

FM #980 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 980 in the series. 

This shares my conversation with Town Council Chair Tom Mercer in our Town Council Quarterbacking session. This is one of the series of conversations meant to provide a recap of the prior night’s Town Council meeting. 

Akin to one of the many sports post-game analysis broadcasts we are familiar with in New England, this would be a discussion focused on the Franklin Town Council meeting of Apr 26, 2023: 

• ok, what just happened? 

• What does it mean for Franklin residents and taxpayers?

We cover the following key topics

2 license transactions

• Transfer of Section 15 Wine and Malt Beverages Package Store License and Approval of Parth Patel as the Manager - Marlboro Food, Inc. d/b/a 7-Eleven, Located at 664 Union St.   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/7a._1_license_transaction_-_7-eleven_transfer_of_section_15.pdf 

• Robert Vozzella / La Cantina Winery - Farmer-Winery, Farmer’s Market License    https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/7b._license_transaction_-_la_cantina.pdf 

1 piece of legislation

• Resolution 23-28: Town Council Approval of County ARPA Funds  (Motion to Approve Resolution 23-28 - Majority Vote)   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/9a._23-28_arpa_700k.pdf 

PRESENTATIONS / DISCUSSION

a. Discussion: Open Space & Recreation Plan Update - Breeka Li Goodlander, Conservation Agent and Natural Resources Manager  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/8a._1_-_memo_-_osrp_presentation_.pdf 

b. Discussion: Display of Flags on Town Flagpoles or Property     https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/8b._flags_0.pdf 

Links to the meeting agenda and associated documents released for this meeting are included in the show notes. 

Our conversation runs about 32 minutes. Let’s listen to the Town Council Quarterbacking session recorded Apr 27, 2023

Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-980-town-council-quarterbacking-04-27-23

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The agenda doc can also be found on the Town of Franklin page ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/town_council_agenda_-_april_26_2023_0.pdf 

My notes in one PDF file -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a-fQYmqnEnma1RPjufiBjVjft3nJ5-GW/view?usp=share_link 

Franklin TV meeting video ->  https://www.youtube.com/live/VTsQ6p7Pc_w?feature=share 

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

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 your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Franklin, MA: Town Council Agenda for April 26, 2023 meeting

Did you see how many ways you can help Franklin make decisions? Police station, master plan, Davis Thayer, etc...

The Town of Franklin will be looking for help to make decisions on the police station, Davis Thayer, the Master Plan and Arts and Culture. As the legislative body, the Town Council gets to make these decisions and will be soliciting help from the community through a committee and study process for recommendations.

The Town Council meeting agenda for Weds, Jan 4, sets up the initial committees. Soon, the application process for each of these will allow for community members to state their case for a role on the committee.

Even if you are not selected for a role on the committee, the meetings are public and usually allow for participation. In these cases, there are likely to be one or more opportunities for public forums as well.

The time to get involved in helping to determine is NOW!

• should we build a new police station, renovate the existing, if building new - where?
• what is the best use for Davis Thayer?
• how do we need the Master Plan to layout as objectives for the next ten years?

From the Town Council agenda for Jan 4, 2023:

f. Resolution 23-05: Police Station Building Committee Charge (Motion to Approve Resolution 23-05 - Majority Vote)  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/9f._23-05_police_station_building_committee.pdf

g. Resolution 23-06: Subcommittee for Arts and Cultural Initiatives (Motion to Approve Resolution 23-06 - Majority Vote)  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/9g._23-06_subcommittee_for_cultural_initiatives.pdf

h. Resolution 23-07: Master Plan Update Committee (Motion to Approve Resolution 23-07 - Majority Vote)  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/9h._23-07_master_plan_update_comm.pdf

i. Resolution 23-08: Davis-Thayer Building Reuse Advisory Committee Charge (Motion to Approve Resolution 23-08 - Majority Vote)  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/9i._23-08_davis_thayer_reuse_comm.pdf

The full agenda and remote participation info can be found ->

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/jan_4_2023_tc_agenda.pdf

Franklin Police Station 911 Panther Way

“As citizens we have many rights, but we also have obligations"

Via the NY Times: 

The tiny New Hampshire town of Croydon fits the New England of the imagination, with its cozy general store, one-room schoolhouse and local museum open by appointment. The only thing missing is supposed to be missing: a stoplight.

But it’s not just the Rockwellian setting that makes this community of 800 seem quintessentially American. People here have just experienced a fractious come-to-Jefferson moment that has left many with a renewed appreciation for something they had taken for granted: democracy.

“Showing up. That’s the big lesson,” said Chris Prost, 37, a Croydon resident who runs a small brewery from a barn at the back of his house. “And not just showing up, but also knowing what’s going on.”

Hope Damon, 65, a dietitian who is pursuing a new career as a result of her town’s recent crisis, agreed. What happened here, she said, “could happen most anywhere.” 

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/10/us/croydon-free-state-politics.html

 

A Croydon town meeting in March that began as fairly routine. It didn’t end that way. Credit...James M. Patterson/Valley News

Massachusetts State Senate President Announces Hiring of Karen Adelman-Foster as Director of Community Engagement and Municipal Policy

Massachusetts Senate President Karen E. Spilka announced today that Karen Adelman-Foster has been hired as Director of Community Engagement and Municipal Policy in her office.

  

“Karen Adelman-Foster has extensive elected municipal experience and therefore really knows what makes municipalities tick—and what it takes to make local government effective,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland).  “Combined with her work with the greater MetroWest region, Karen will no doubt hit the ground running in engaging the communities in my district, as well as bringing their needs into focus as we craft policy on the state level.”

 

Adelman-Foster most recently worked as a Senior Communications Strategist at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), where she led external communications on the MetroCommon 2050 regional plan, co-led, with the New England Aquarium, the Community Partners for Resilience (CPR) project, coordinated the MetroWest Regional Collaborative (MWRC), and conceived and led the Regional Municipal Approaches to Diversity and Equity (reMADE) project. Before her work with MAPC, Adelman-Foster worked as a freelance writer and marketing consultant for a number of local and national clients.

 

In addition to her professional roles, Adelman-Foster served until last month as an elected member of the Natick Select Board, most recently as Chair. In this capacity, she collaborated with the Town Administrator on policy decisions and strategy on behalf of the Board, and was instrumental in establishing a new town-wide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and Chief Diversity Officer position.

 

From 2006 to 2012, Adelman-Foster served as an elected member of the Natick School Committee, where she helped oversee the hiring process for the then new Superintendent of Schools. She has also served in a number of other town positions, including as a member of Town Meeting, the Finance Committee, the Charter and Bylaw Review Committee, and the Strategic Planning Review Committee.

 

Adelman-Foster, who resides in Natick, holds a BA in Political Science from Swarthmore College and an MFA in Fiction Writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. Her first day in the Senate President’s office was April 4, 2022.

Your time is needed (NOW) to pay attention to the storm water utility fee discussion

One of the recurring themes here is citizen engagement. And yes, while I attend many of the meetings and report on them so you don't need to, this week and this budget season, is THE time for you to be more engaged, period. 

Why?

The Town budget determines what services we get from the Town. No matter whether it is a pickleball court, or a ball field with nicely cut grass, books on the shelf at the library or the café reopening at the Senior Center. The Town of Franklin is a service organization providing for all our needs and "there ain't no such this as a free lunch" (the TANSAAFL principle). Everything costs something. 

If you paid attention last week, the School Committee got their first view of the school budget. The Finance Committee got a deep dive on the DPW and all it does. The Joint Budget Subcommittee got their first look at the overall town budget. (links to the meeting audio and transcripts are provided below.)

Surprise, the initial revenue projection doesn't meet the initial expense projections. So how do we figure that out? 

This is where YOU come in to the act. If you believe that what happens in Franklin matters to you, then follow along as the discussion takes place to resolve the budget deficit this year. 

1 - Find out how the storm water utility fee takes managing storm water expenses down a more fair approach. Everyone pays a little vs. the taxpayers bearing the full burden. 

2 - Watch, listen, or read what happens at the Town Council meeting Wednesday as the discussion/action item comes up for review.

Storm water information links

 - Storm water utility information flyer https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/utility_flyer_extended_version_reduced_size.pdf

 - EPA MS4 permit quick facts and takeaways  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/ms4_permit_-_quick_facts.pdf

 - Storm water items on the Wednesday Town Council agenda

Stormwater Presentation - Department of Public Works  - 

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/stormwater_utility_fee_presentation_2022.pdf 

 

ii. Stormwater Management Plan:

● Year 2 Update, July 3, 2020 - 393-page Federal Stormwater Permit 

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/franklin_swmp_year_2_update_7-3-20_for_town_with_appendicies.pdf

● July 2021 Update   

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/uploads/2021.06.29_franklin_py3_swmp_update.pdf 

 

iii. Department of Public Works:

● Stormwater Website  (https://www.franklinma.gov/stormwater-division) 

& Parcel Level Impervious Surface Map   

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e45452a3047e4c83b27170a8f4f79aa5

 

Last week's meeting links (audio and transcript) 

School Committee => https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/03/school-committee-hears-and-discusses.html

Finance Committee => https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/03/finance-committee-gets-deep-dive-into.html

Joint Budget Committee => https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/03/joint-budget-subcommittee-gets-first.html

TA Jamie Hellen, Miriam Goodman and Supt Sara Ahern presenting to the Joint Budget Subcommittee

Washington Post: "Facebook and YouTube’s vaccine misinformation problem is simpler than it seems"

"On Friday, President Biden said Facebook is “killing people” by spreading misinformation about the coronavirus vaccines. On Monday, he changed his tune. “Facebook isn’t killing people,” he amended, instead blaming a handful of disinformation merchants who use the platform.

Whether Facebook is or isn’t killing people depends on your definitions. What’s clear, regardless, is that Facebook, YouTube, and other social media platforms have played a major role in the anti-vaccine movement. And they continue to do so, despite some sincere efforts by the companies to combat the trend.

...

So now you have two media realms: a traditional media realm in which information must be both true and interesting to reach an audience, and a social media realm in which it must only be interesting. Guess which one is bound to become a magnet for conspiracy theorists, hoaxsters, propagandists, disinformation operatives, grifters and peddlers of false cures?"

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/07/21/facebook-youtube-vaccine-misinfo/

Franklin (1) in the news for the UVGA lamps, (2) could we consider Amherst's example to help with engagement?

From the Mass Municipal Association (MMA) we find to share:

1 - "Franklin installs ultraviolet lamps to destroy coronaviruses"

"Using technology both visible and hidden, the town of Franklin has improved the air quality in its municipal and school buildings and reduced the chances of people catching COVID-19."

Continue reading online -> https://www.mma.org/franklin-installs-ultraviolet-lamps-to-destroy-coronaviruses/

2 - "Amherst launches online engagement platform"

"The town of Amherst has developed a new prong in its online engagement strategy with the launch of a new interactive platform, Engage Amherst.

The March launch comes a year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced cities and towns across the state to pivot from in-person meetings and hearings to remote, online engagement with residents."

Continue reading online -> https://www.mma.org/amherst-launches-online-engagement-platform/