Franklin, MA: Finance Committee Agenda for 2nd Budget hearing, Tue, Apr 29 (public works & public safety)

Finance Committee Meeting
Agenda & Meeting Packet
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 = 7 PM

Meeting will be held at the Municipal Building 3rd Floor, Training Room

Agenda

1.    Call to Order
 

2.    FY26 Town Administrator Operating Budget Hearing continued...
FY26 Town Administrator Budget Materials website   https://www.franklinma.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=500

a.    Public Safety:

i.    210 Police Department
ii.    220 Fire Department
iii.    225 Regional Dispatch
iv.    240 Inspection Department
v.    292 Animal Control

b.    Department of Public Works (DPW):

i.    422 Public Works
ii.    Enterprise Funds: 434 Solid Waste, 440 Sewer, 450 Water, 460 Stormwater

3.    Adjourn

The full agenda doc (including remote participation info)  https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04292025-1699

 

Town Administrator Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Budget

Pleasant St near Country Way road closure on Thursday, Jan 2

Via the DPW:

road closure on Thursday, Jan 2 

Pleasant St near Country Way

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/15NZJx4SeA/

Town of Franklin, MA: FYI Pine Street Area Residents! - Road Closure, Dec 18

Town of Franklin, MA (@TOFranklinMA) posted on Tue, Dec 17, 2024:

FYI Pine Street Area Residents! https://t.co/fWvEmcgSK9

Town of Franklin, MA: FYI Pine Street Area Residents! - Road Closure, Dec 18

FYI - Franklin Police announce road closures for Harvest Festival - Saturday, Sep 28

"***HARVEST FESTIVAL ROAD CLOSURE***

Tomorrow, Saturday the 28th Main Street will be completely closed from East Central Street to Emmons Street from approximately 10:15 AM to 6 PM.  

All side roads along this side of Main Street will also be closed."

FYI - Franklin Police announce road closures for Harvest Festival - Saturday, Sep 28

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/wj5KVgrjATyPJJ1m/

Invitation For Bid - Miscellaneous Asphalt Construction and Repair

IFB - Miscellaneous Asphalt Construction and Repair

In accordance with MGL c. 30 section 39m, it is the intention of the Town of Franklin to retain the services of a construction firm for the purposes of constructing and repairing miscellaneous asphalt surfaces at various locations within the Town of Franklin.

Additional Information - Miscellaneous Asphalt Construction and Repair

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/purchasing/bids/ifb-miscellaneous-asphalt-construction-and-repair

Invitation For Bid - Miscellaneous Asphalt Construction and Repair

Road Closure Information for Franklin/Norfolk - Lawrence St for Sep 16 through 18

For additional information, including a road closure map, please view the images below

Road Closure Information

Lawrence St for Sep 16 through 18

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/public-works/news/road-closure-916-918-norfolk-and-franklin

Jordan Rd Closed for Road Work Tuesday July 9, Weather Permitting

Jordan Rd Closed for Road Work Tuesday July 9, Weather Permitting

Next Week! 

We will be milling Jordan Road from Rt 140 to Dutchess Rd.

Notifications for paving operations will be posted the following week.

Please plan accordingly.

Read more

Jordan Rd Closed for Road Work Tuesday July 9, Weather Permitting

Chip sealing in process

Via the DPW: 

"More preventive/improvement road surface work! This process is called “chip sealing”.  

Hot emulsion (liquid asphalt) is applied to the roadway surface and then aggregate stone is added and rolled in. Once the emulsion cools and hardens, it holds the stones in place.  

Excess stone is swept up during the process and the days after. This process is a very cost-effective way to extend the life expectancy of the roadway surface. It not only seals the roadway to prevent potholes, it also adds traction to the surface.  

This process can only be done during a certain time of the roadways life cycle, i.e. it cannot be done if the roadway has deteriorated too much.  

Many times we will crack seal or repair sub-surface problems before chip sealing."

See more photos of the chip sealing process -> ttps://www.facebook.com/share/4hfw3eGcuHSiPZZF/

The updated road conditions report was published here ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/uploads/10a._pavement_management_report.pdf

Note that the report shows the priority of the road conditions, it does not provide a timeline for repairs. That is budget dependent. The Town voted down a dedicated override to fund road repair in 2014. 

Chip sealing in process

When is my road going to get fix? Check out the road report

The road report is newly updated and while it doesn't specifically say when it will get repaired, it does provide the status and next step as to what the repair would be. 

The repair schedule if it requires a full rebuild is coordinated with water and sewer line work and generally announced in advance as it is a 2 year process. First year is the sewer/water line work, then the second year is the rebuild and repave.

Given we would need to have approximately $2M per year to cover the $40M total over say a 20 year period, and we have less than  $1M in the "road repair" budget, and that we also failed to pass a dedicated debt exclusion in 20214 to specifically provide $1.5M for roads every year, "when" is a question that can't be answered at this time. 

Stay tuned into the regular budget cycle to find out what the priorities are and when the Town Council will vote on such priorities.

Read the road report here ->   https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif10036/f/uploads/10a._pavement_management_report.pdf

When is my road going to get fix? Check out the road report

Town of Franklin: IFB - Infrared Pavement Repairs

IFB - Infrared Pavement Repairs

In accordance with MGL c. 30 section 39m, it is the intention of the Town of Franklin to retain the services of a construction firm for the purposes of performing asphalt pavement repairs using the infrared pavement repair process at various locations within the Town of Franklin.

Additional Information:  IFB - Infrared Pavement Repairs

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/purchasing/bids/ifb-infrared-pavement-repairs

Town of Franklin: IFB - Infrared Pavement Repairs

Jordan Rd closed on June 5 weather permitting

From the DPW: Jordan Road paving work to continue on Wednesday, June 5 - weather permitting

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/C7mj0kTp-7A/

 

Jordan Rd closed on June 5 weather permitting

Jordan Road closed 5/28 & 5/29 (weather permitting)

The DPW announced an update to the road work underway on Jordan Road between East Central Street and Jenna Lane. 

Weather permitting - Jordan Road will be closed to traffic (local only) expect delays and seek alternate routes on Tuesday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 29.

Jordan Road closed 5/28 & 5/29 (weather permitting)

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/5VrJYGyxZnwCQmvv/

MassDOT Travel alerts for the Memorial Day weekend 2024

#MemorialDay? Plan for the best time to go and use the #MassDOT Mass511 mobile app or mass511.com to view live cameras, travel times, real-time traffic conditions before setting out on the road.

ℹ️ https://mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-transportation/news

 

MassDOT Travel alerts for the Memorial Day weekend 2024

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/C7R8i8Jx868/

Road work underway on Jordan Road - week of May 23, 2024

Road work will be taking place on Jordan Road between East Central Street and Jenna Lane beginning May 23, weather permitting - expect delays and seek alternate routes.

Road work underway on Jordan Road - week of May 23, 2024

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/roadwork-update

Governor Healey Signs Chapter 90 Bill to Improve Bridges, Roads, and Infrastructure Across Massachusetts

"At an event in Melrose today (05/03/24), Gov. Maura Healey signed a transportation bond bill that includes $200 million for the Chapter 90 local road and bridge program for fiscal 2025 and $175 million for specified additional infrastructure programs.  

In addition to funding for the Chapter 90 reimbursement program, the $375 million bond package includes $25 million for a supplemental road maintenance program favoring rural communities, and $150 million for the following six existing transportation-related programs:

• Municipal Pavement Program
• Municipal Small Bridge Program
• Complete Streets
• Municipal Bus Enhancement Program
• Mass Transit Access grant program
• Municipal/RTA Electric Vehicle Fleets program"

Shared from -> https://www.mma.org/gov-signs-375m-transportation-bond-bill/ 

Read the full press release from Gov Healey's office ->    https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-signs-chapter-90-bill-to-improve-bridges-roads-and-infrastructure-across-massachusetts

Governor Healey Signs Chapter 90 Bill to Improve Bridges, Roads, and Infrastructure Across Massachusetts

Beaver Street Interceptor Construction Alert: night work starting Sunday, March 17 at 9 PM

Beaver Street Interceptor

 

 

 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:

Starting Sunday March 17 through Wednesday March 20 night work on Rt. 140 will be occurring between the hours of 9 PM and 5 AM. Work will be between 541 & 520 West Central (Rt. 140). 
Limited lane closures will be present during this time.  

It is anticipated that the week of March 25 the construction crew will be back
on Old West Central near Tri-County Drive. This will mean that the Tri-County detour will be back in place during this time. More information on this work
will be provided by the end of next week.

We appreciate the public's continued support and understanding and will
continue to communicate as work progresses.


Please see our interactive map below for more details.

BEAVER STREET INTERCEPTOR HOTLINE: 508-553-5526
(PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AND WE WILL RETURN YOUR CALL)
EMAIL: BSI-info@franklinma.gov

night work starting Sunday, March 17 at 9 PM

 

Beaver Street Interceptor Rehabilitation/Replacement Project

This project consists of the replacement and repair of Franklin's largest piece of sewer infrastructure, originally constructed in 1914. 

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/water-sewer-division/pages/beaver-street-interceptor

In this Talk Franklin episode, we talk public works with the folks in the DPW (audio) - 02/22/24

"In this episode, we talk public works with the folks in the DPW who manage the infrastructure we don't usually see, and the roads/grounds we do see, and everything else in between! Plus a little fun with music and top hit songs about roads."

FM #1147 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1147 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares a new format for "Talk Franklin'' with Town Administrator Jamie Hellen, Deputy Administrator Amy Frigulietti. 

This episode features a conversation with many of the key folks from the Department of Public Works. We recorded our discussion in person in the 3rd floor Training Room on Thursday, February 22, 2024.

Topics for this session

Water & Sewer

Beaver Stream Interceptor

PFAS mitigations

Stormwater

New fee abatement cycle opens April 1

Trash & recycling

Composting coming

GIS (graphical information service)

The storymaps and the “data”

Fleet management

Over 200 registered vehicles

Another 80 unregistered devices (large & small)

Always looking for efficiencies

Engineering

Baron Road out to bid for work this year (ARPA funded)

Highway/ & Grounds

The most visible working section of the DPW

The recording runs about 96 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Jamie, Amy & the DPW group on Thursday, February 22, 2024

Audio link -> https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/letstalkfranklin/episodes/Talk-Franklin--a-podcast-from-the-Town-Administrators-Office---February-22--2024-e2ga87e/a-ab0n2nm

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

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

DPW top page  https://www.franklinma.gov/public-works 

Water & Sewer  https://www.franklinma.gov/water-sewer-division 

Stormwater https://www.franklinma.gov/stormwater-division 

GIS https://www.franklinma.gov/gis-department 

Engineering   https://www.franklinma.gov/engineering 

Highway & Grounds  https://www.franklinma.gov/highwaygrounds-division 

A new “Talk Franklin” version of “Family Feud” 

Sparked some discussion, laughter, and “why was that left out?”

https://drive.google.com/file/d/111umQfHbvRTcxCAQaLmjZhXMHIm6kYMR/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"

In this Talk Franklin episode, we talk public works with the folks in the DPW (audio) - 02/22/24

Town of Franklin: Hot Mix Asphalt to be Picked Up by Town

Hot Mix Asphalt to be Picked Up by Town

In accordance with MGL c. 30 section 39m, it is the intention of the Town of Franklin to retain the services of a Hot Mix Asphalt producer to provide materials for use within the Town of Franklin.

Additional Information:  Hot Mix Asphalt To Be Picked Up By The Town

Read more

Town of Franklin: Baron Road Neighborhood Roadway Improvements Project - Invitation to Bid

Baron Road Neighborhood Roadway Improvements Project

In accordance with MGL c. 30 section 39m, it is the intention of the Town of Franklin to retain the services of a construction firm for the purposes of constructing approximately 4,900 feet of roadway improvements along Baron Road, Cobblestone Drive, and Woodstock Circle within the Town of Franklin. 

Additional Information:  Baron Road Neighborhood Roadway Improvements Project

Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/purchasing/bids/baron-road-neighborhood-roadway-improvements-project

Baron Road Neighborhood Roadway Improvements Project - Invitation to Bid

TURNAROUND - On the Road With Salt (video)

The Town of Franklin’s Public Works Department searches for a better way to use salt in the winter. Yes, familiar folks in a great production summarizes road treatments for winter travel.

If you are curious about the squiggly lines on the roads before recent storms, you can get the backstory here.

"We’ve come to expect, during winter in New England, being able to get out and drive around, even in the middle of a snowstorm.  Town and city DPW’s are using more and more road salt to keep us safe from ice and snow.  But after a storm, that salt hasn’t disappeared.  As the snow melts, the salt will be washed away and into our groundwater and soils.  High levels of sodium chloride in the environment are dangerous to plants and animals, corrosive on our cars and infrastructure, and increase health risks to humans.

In this episode, Franklin, Massachusetts DPW director “Brutus” Cantoreggi describes how he has to manage both keeping the roads safe from ice and providing clean, salt-free drinking water to the residents.  Highway Superintendent Carlos Rebelo describes the DPW’s efforts – technological, policy, and communal – to reduce how much salt they put down in the winter."

Video link -> https://vimeo.com/873725151/37d37e904c 

TURNAROUND - On the Road With Salt (video)