Town Council approves all alcohol license and sets work plan for next 2 years (video)

The Franklin (MA) Town Council met as scheduled on Wednesday January 3, 2024. All nine members were present in Chambers. The Council accomplished a bunch of business during the 2 hour session.

Quick recap:

• Approved a New Section 12 Restaurant Common Victualer All Alcohol License and Approval of Lisa Ann Truax as the Manager - L Truax King Street Cafe Inc. d/b/a King Street Cafe, Located at 390 King Street 
• Reviewed, took community input, and discussed adjustments to the work plan for the next 2 years. These Council "goals" are a mix of projects not completed in prior years (Historical Museum cupola), place holders for work coming (Objectives TBD from the Master Plan), and wordsmithing to better provide opportunity to accomplish the "aggressive" plan put forward by Town Administration 
• Community input could be summarized in 3 areas: affordable housing, addressing climate change, and finding a workable solution even if a flag policy can't be found
• Agreed to an increase for the ambulance rates. This is done annually to ensure the Town recovers appropriate costs as well as maintain competitive rates vis a vi neighboring communities. This was the first reading, the second reading will likely be the next Council meeting
• The Council also approved Acceptance of Parcel A, Drainage Lot, on Westerly Side of Maple Street

The Franklin TV video link (edited to remove the 20 second zoom bombing that briefly interrupted the session) -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSJhP-o9mKE

The agenda for th

e meeting (and associated documents) -> https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/jan_3_2023_town_council_agenda.pdf

My notes captured via Twitter and collected in one PDF ->

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PAyli8_q5IIawWv8HKWNHeOP8mrfaFwi/view?usp=drive_link

Franklin, MA: Town Council Agenda for Meeting - January 3, 2024

Board of Health starts new year with humanitarian housing update, reduced oxygen packaging, & safe foods info after power outage topics (audio)

FM #1124 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1124 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the Town of Franklin Board of Health Meeting held on Wednesday, Jan 3, 2024. All three board members participated; Harris, Sweet and Mu-Chow. Health Dept staff present were in the 3rd floor Conference room (not training room). 

Quick Recap:

• Adjusted meeting schedule for 2024 to remove July, August and schedule as needed for those months

• Humanitarian housing crisis update shared; 80 individuals with work visas at the hotel; job fair being scheduled, working to set up rides via GATRAGo (funded via grant); state to do a mobile clinic for vaccinations likely coordinated by this local group

• Discussion around plan for reduced oxygen packages used by some facilities in Town, additional requirement to be added to get a formal plan and process for them by the individual operations (use of consultant if necessary)

• Info packet produced on “Eat Safe Foods after a Power Outage” - Timely, open to additional health related ideas

• Round of reports from inspections, nurse and epidemiologist (detailed reports in meeting packet)

My notes captured via Twitter:

• Board of Health Mtg underway, recording to be available later. Motion to accept minutes as edited (remove prior member as in attendance) voted 3-0

• Proposed meeting schedule adjusted for July (remove) August (maybe)

• C Liberty provides a humanitarian crisis update. 80 with work visas at hotel, working to schedule a job fair, working also to set up process for rides via GATRAGo with funding through grant by ToF

• SAFE Coalition working on narcan training and first aid kits. All is going well, meeting regularly to address needs. State will do mobile clinic for vaccines but likely organized by local Board of Health.

• Plan to be required for reduced oxygen packages, i.e. extending life of cooked product, consultant to set up and do it properly (it can be done regularly) chiefs shouldn't be responsible for developing the process, just executing it. Food code requirement.

• 2 establishments were found to need this, they were cooperative and stopped pending this discussion and they'll be able to proceed. Board agrees to revision to policy, also to include on the application for next year.

• Packet for eat safe foods after a power outage. Timely. Other ideas for health open for a monthly theme https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/pages/january_topic_of_the_month.pdf

• Report on inspections, 9 inspections, 12 reinspections for Dec. FDA conference call for recall issue. Training completed.

• Nurse update for Dec, COVID 108 cases (vs 61 in Nov). Getting a ride in cases like last year. Flu season, 47 confirmed, 42 in Dec

• Central Park Terrace visit, stop the bleed training held Dec 13. Attended webinars on health related issues. Assisting with medical appointments etc for the migrants at the hotel. Safe sleeping strategy session conducted, approx 20 new mothers with 1yr and under

• Epidemiologist update, updates through weekly texts (shared via ) dashboard updates for migrants, etc.

• Citizen Comment: I shared the info on the Regroup messaging setup, and offered to get flier for job fair to share via Franklin.news

• Motion to adjourn, second, passes 3-0

That's all for the Board of Health, next up SchCmte subcmte meeting in process, down the hall.

The meeting runs about 30 minutes. Let’s listen to the Board of Health meeting Jan 3, 2024. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1124-franklin-ma-board-of-health-mtg-01-03-24

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The Board of Health agenda can be found ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/boh_agenda_1.3.24_-_google_docs.pdf 

Meeting packet (including individual reports) ->  https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/boh_agenda_and_packet_01.03.24.pdf 

My notes collected in a Twitter thread PDF ->  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZmPuxOB9_T8KzzMJv9_R96Y86voQ5vyp/view?usp=drive_link

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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"

Board of Health starts new year

"We're not going to overcome this deficit anytime soon just building single-family housing."

Jonathan Berk (@berkie1) posted  Sun, Dec 17, 2023:

America's Housing Shortage Explained In One Chart 🏠

"We're not going to overcome this deficit anytime soon just building single-family housing."

"There aren't enough homes to keep up with the increase in households"

From the article quoted:

Why it matters: There aren't enough homes to keep up with the increase in households.

• Other estimates also put the size of the country's housing shortage in the millions. 

What they're saying: "We're not going to overcome this deficit anytime soon just building single-family housing," Hines managing director Ryan McCullough tells Axios.

• Between the lines: Apartment construction surged in recent years.

Yes, but: Most newly built housing is high-end, and not widely affordable.

Link to article -> https://t.co/kGUhvcuQLC   or https://www.axios.com/2023/12/16/housing-market-why-homes-expensive-chart-inventory

Shared from -> https://t.co/PJv2oBkbOh

Shared from Jonathan Berk  "Supporting a new generation of walkable neighborhoods with housing abundance, active public realms, & thriving small business ecosystems. Founder: 

@remainplaces"

"Beyond slashing carbon emissions, the grant-funded work will make living in these renovated units more comfortable"

Miriam Wasser (@MiriamWasser) posted on Tue, Nov 21, 2023:

"The first installment of Massachusetts' $50m grant to decarbonize affordable housing developments went out today.

The money will be used to electrify and retrofit over 700 units across the state. "

Full article -> https://t.co/sypqvNKjgq

Shared from -> https://twitter.com/MiriamWasser/status/1727087328181751961

MASS.gov press release -> https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-awards-27-million-to-decarbonize-affordable-housing-across-massachusetts

Mass. awards $27 million to help ‘decarbonize’ hundreds of affordable housing units

MassBudget's Statement on the Governor's Affordable Homes Act

The latest from MassBudget

Affordable housing is a top problem for Massachusetts. It requires a set of bold initiatives and investments that work together to increase the availability and affordability of housing. This bill (H.4138) takes the scale of our housing challenges seriously and can be made even stronger as it advances through the legislative process.  In keeping with the all-hands-on-deck effort needed to solve our housing ills, the bill recognizes that municipalities can play a major role by investing resources to address local housing needs. By empowering cities and towns to place real estate transfer fees on the most expensive homes, it provides a new tool that will generate resources for local affordable housing efforts. By placing fees on the sale of only the most expensive strata of housing, the policy would not require owners of affordable housing to contribute. Municipal leaders will ultimately be held politically accountable by their residents for the way they set transfer fee rates and thresholds. As this legislation moves forward, legislators should consider a more flexible sale price threshold that would allow municipalities with low median home sale prices to set a threshold below $1 million and allow the few municipalities with multimillion-dollar median sales prices to set a threshold closer to $1 million. Ultimately, a transfer fee option will both incentivize and provide resources for additional affordable housing. The bill would also take critical steps toward protecting tenant rights by sealing eviction records and creating an Office of Fair Housing. Eviction sealing protects tenants from misuse of eviction records and unfair exclusion from the housing market. Those most at risk of eviction are people of color. As this bill moves forward, lawmakers should ensure that tenants who are evicted can easily seal their evictions within reasonable time frames to avoid inadvertent harm. Likewise, the new Fair Housing office would advance inclusiveness in our communities through education, outreach, and collaboration with other state agencies against housing discrimination and patterns of segregation. It should be given sufficient resources to maximize its effectiveness. Lastly, the largest capital authorization in the bill would allocate $1.6 billion toward preserving and improving more than 27,000 existing public housing units. This represents approximately one-quarter of the state's public housing portfolio and is a critical piece of the larger housing puzzle that has too-long been neglected. Public housing fills an important space in the affordable housing ecosystem, and this is a positive step toward reinvesting in these critical units. We look forward to continuing to work with the administration and the legislature for housing solutions that will advance racial and economic justice in the Commonwealth. Additional resources:  The Governor's proposal includes real estate transfer fees, a critical tool that will allow municipalities to collect revenue to fund local affordable housing efforts. How Much Would a Transfer Fee on Expensive Real Estate Generate for Your City or Town? Use our downloadable, interactive Excel dashboard to see how much revenue your community could raise. Programs which help people afford their rent are a critical tool in addressing the housing affordability crisis. Learn more about Massachusetts' Universal Housing Vouchers here.  As a bond bill, the investments would occur through the capital budgeting process, not the annual state budget. You can read about the capital budget process in our Massachusetts Capital Budget 101 primer. #  #  # The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) is a leading think tank advancing policy solutions to create an inclusive, thriving Commonwealth for all. Support our work today!

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 1 State Street, Suite 1250 , Boston, MA 02109 Sent by jdas@massbudget.org powered by Try email marketing for free today!

Press release on the Affordable Homes Act 

https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-unveils-4-billion-affordable-homes-act-to-increase-production-and-lower-costs

Davis Thayer Reuse Cmte sets 2 dates for open house to walk through; Fri Oct 20, & Sat, Oct 21

The Davis Thayer Reuse Advisory Committee met as scheduled on Tuesday, Sep 19, 2023. The Franklin TV video is available for replay ->    https://www.youtube.com/live/b6POeFNCeYs?si=vSbWKaVhzb2OzTZZ

Quick recap:

• Recreation could use the space, would likely not need all of it. Concerned about the expense of renovation for the facility. Are outgrowing their Beaver St location and could use more space. Possible to combine with some arts and recreation usage 
• Police not really interested in building or location (land). Per their initial and unofficial planning, the land is short of what they estimate (only 3.8 via 5 acres), and as has been revealed the building would require significant structural renovation to be used for a station. Much discussion and insights revealed around the comparison of police & fire use of their facilities. Police Building committee on their path to do a Request for a Proposal (RFP) for an Owner Project Manager (OPM), get an architect and start confirming the requirements, etc. Per state building process, the OPM is critical and really "owns' the process of determining the outcomes (coordinating with the Town and committee of course).
• Housing uses were briefly touched upon. While arts & cultural uses were mentioned, no one spoke to this during the session.
• Much discussion around the clean out to prepare for the open house/walk through and insistence of some to make some of the stuff (i.e. mostly junk) available for "the community" to go and pick if they want. Still to be worked out. The dates for the walk through were set as Friday, Oct 20 from 2 to 5 PM and Saturday, Oct 21 from 10 to 2 PM

My notes can be found in one PDF ->

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1toTaUI2wiQmrV5HjFYirEieRPpCnFavC/view?usp=drive_link

Davis Thayer Reuse Advisory Subcommittee - Agenda for Sep 19, 2023 meeting at 7 PM

Davis Thayer Reuse Advisory Subcommittee 

Agenda & Meeting Packet

September 19, 2023 at 7:00 PM

Meeting will be held at the Municipal Building

2nd floor, Council Chambers 355 East Central Street 

Agenda:

1. Discuss potential future uses

a. Arts and recreation center

b. Police station

c. Various housing options

2. Davis-Thayer Cleanout project update

3. Discuss open house dates

4. Adjourn

Agenda doc also includes remote participation info

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/_2023-09-19_davis-thayer_reuse_agenda__0.pdf

Davis Thayer Reuse Advisory Subcommittee - Agenda for Sep 19, 2023 meeting at 7 PM

Healey Administration seeks funds for migrants, Augustus on The Codcast talks housing overall (audio)

"THE HEALEY ADMINISTRATION said it needs another $250 million to keep the emergency shelter program afloat and will probably need additional funds if the number of migrants coming into the state continues to rise.

Under the right to shelter law, Massachusetts is required to provide shelter and support services to homeless families with children and pregnant women. The budget for the current fiscal year, which is less than three months old, appropriated roughly $325 million to provide services to 4,700 families.

With an influx of migrants from other countries and fewer people transitioning out of the program because of a shortage of housing, the number of families participating has grown to more than 6,300 and the $250 million is needed to help cover that extra cost. The $250 million represents a 77 percent increase in funding."

Continue reading the article online -> 

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/state-government/healey-seeks-250m-more-for-emergency-shelter-program/ 

Boston Globe coverage of this bit of news (subscription maybe required) ->  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/13/metro/maura-healey-emergency-shelter-system-homeless-families-250-million/

Healey Administration seeks funds for migrants, Augustus on The Codcast talks housing overall (audio)

Also this week on The Codcast the housing issue is discussed:

“I don’t think there’s any silver bullets,” Ed Augustus, who heads up the new Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, said on The Codcast. “There’s not one obvious thing that, geez, if you just did this, this would unlock housing production. But I think it’s a series of smaller policy changes, additional funding, and new partnerships and strategies that hopefully collectively help move the needle and get us closer to that 200,000 number.”

Continue reading the article -> https://commonwealthmagazine.org/podcast/augustus-no-silver-bullets-in-the-housing-crisis/

Listen to the Codcast episode ->  https://soundcloud.com/massinc/housing-sec-ed-augustus-on-shelter-squeeze-urban-doom-loop

CommonWealth Magazine · Housing Sec. Ed Augustus on shelter squeeze, urban doom loop

“In terms of a moral imperative, it’s despicable to think we can’t do better”

"Nearing 70 years old, Mary McPeak had long had a stable home in Greater Boston. But after a breakup four years ago, she suddenly found herself unmoored, couch-surfing at friends’ homes or renting a room while she faced years-long wait lists for affordable senior housing.

Then a break: McPeak “won the lottery,” figuratively and quite literally, when she was selected in 2020 by lottery for a new senior housing complex, the Brown Family House in Brookline run by 2Life Communities.

“It was sheer, blind, ridiculous luck,” said McPeak, now 73. The retired secretary has lived in her subsidized one-bedroom apartment for nearly three years now. “It was so lucky, it was enough to believe in God.”

Such is the state of affordable housing for seniors in Massachusetts, where it seemingly takes divine intervention to find a home. In an inventory-starved market, the graying population faces some of the steepest hurdles in the country to secure an affordable place. So dire is the situation, some argue, seniors should be prioritized in the state’s response to the wider-ranging housing crisis."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/06/metro/massachusetts-needs-more-senior-housing/

“It was sheer, blind, ridiculous luck,” said Mary McPeak, 73, of her subsidized apartment. SUZANNE KREITER/GLOBE STAFF

Town Administrator's Report on the Migrant Housing Status - 09/06/23 (audio)

FM #1055 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1055 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the Town Administrator’s Report segment from the Town Council Meeting of Sep 6, 2023. Town Administrator Jamie Hellen provides an update on the Migrant Housing status.  

The recording runs about 22 minutes. Let’s listen to this segment of the Town Council meeting on Wednesday, September 6, 2023. Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1055-town-administrators-report-migrant-housing-status-09-06-23

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

Town Council agenda doc ->  

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/agendas/town_council_agenda_-_9.6.23.pdf

 

Notification on migrant temporary housing

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2023/08/ma-notifies-franklin-of-plans-to-house.html

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

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"

Town Administrator's Report on the Migrant Housing Status - 09/06/23 (audio)