Thursday, April 30, 2015

Live reporting: Finance Committee - Budget Hearing #1 - Apr 30, 2015

Present: Dowd, Conley, Fleming, Smith, Dewsnap, Aparo, Bertone
Absent: Huempher, Dufour

The first of a series of budget hearings for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY 2016) begins Thursday night.

motion to approve minutes, seconded, approved 7-0

proposing a balanced budget (as required by law), the revenue numbers are as of estimates from the State which should finalized their numbers by Jun 30

Chapter 70 is done over the past several years by 2.6M
they have changed the formula, we have declining enrollment
so unless something changes, we expect a continued decline

most of the growth in the budget comes from property taxes
by right can go up by 2.5%

local receipts

we do ultimately collect 100% of the taxes
they may be late but they pay plus a penalty
no major changes in the budget
a couple of position increases

explanation on overall tax rate setting process, single tax vs. split tax

question on Charter school funding, has been under funding
similar to SPED reimbursement, transportation and other

next year reimbursement for Charter schools may double unless something changes
may be a continuing struggle with the funding formula

Charter school is looking at a new location, they have the right to expand enrollment
they are looking at it now, it is an unknown right now
85% of the students are Franklin and if they moved, it might cut into the enrollment


Budget Presentations:

240 Building Department
Gus Brown - Building inspector
budget unchanged except for salary changes per bargaining agreements

motion to not approve any individual line items until the whole budget has been reviewed
seconded, passed 7-0

176 Appeals Board
budget here is for notifications based upon appeals, the fees for advertising are reimbursed

152 Human Resources
Stephanie Lutz, HR Director
9 collective bargaining units
switching to Tufts from Blue Cross/Blue Shield
4.7% vs 10.9%, better plan for the people, and saves the taxpayers
work together with the School Dept to coordinate the human resources processing

if we do hire police/fire fighter, the medical/psychological exams are about $2,000

pre-employment medical are a requirement by the Town (but not the School Dept currently)

management salary analysis done periodically and adjusted as needed through Town Council/FinCom approvals

910 Employee Benefits
retirement assessment, we are part of the County system and the largest member of it
unfunded liability of $40M, do have a discount if paid early in July
budget amount does include the discount 2%

active and retiree

non school GIC (retired teachers) (a cost savings paying $900K vs $1.5M under prior plan)
grandfathered group of 218 people

health insurance is looking a whole lot better than it was

workers comp has gone up, three bad claims have driven this, three year rolling average
the claims are gone so the average should start rolling down

police and fire fighters get 100% of their pay if injured on duty; others get 70%

unemployment has been going down

OPEB policy is to increase by 100,000/year. didn't this year due to other pressures
if we can put it back, we should
we should be paying over 2M per year and we can't do that
OPEB trust should get  better return on the funding set aside
so while it is not fixed we are doing what we can for it

it is a policy not a bylaw, it makes good fiscal sense
we'll have a new Council next year, will it be the same 9 or different, don't know

discussion on changing the eligibility for retirement, the statues need to change to change the Town obligations

once the unfunded portion is covered, the requirements going forward are significantly less, only 3.5% of the payroll going forward

whenever the fire arbitrator decision comes down, it will be up to the Council to ratify


111 Town Council
most of the 4K is for dues to the Mass Municipal Assoc


123 Town Administrator
big change request to add a deputy town administrator
looking at transition issues on a lot of fronts
HR director expecting to retire
Comptroller/Treasurer also possibly retiring in a few years
want to bring some one on to help understand what is going on
to help plan ahead

would take 2-3 months to fulfill the position
biggest change in the budget from a cost perspective
when Norma left, we were scrambling for months as we have no backups
full impact would be seen for FY 2017

looking to explore on how to improve communications
additional funding added to provide some flexibility within the $100M business


131 Finance Committee A-4
advertising, dues, training


135 Comptroller A-6
level funding, however some additional training


141 Assessors A-11
adjustments to salary in FY 2015 but not shown in the budget total, hence it looks like an increase for this new budget but is really isn't an increase

performance and market adjustment


147 Treasurer/Collector
budget went down a little, a few adjustments on expense items, overall down


151 Legal
extra expenses due to arbitration related costs
unusual this year but hopefully we are past that
a little more added this year as all 9 bargaining units are up for renewal


196 Central Services
largest chunk for postage machine
printing, copy machines, annual report printing
Iron Mountain storage

if we could get 10% of the folks to go with electronic payment we could save some big dollars but it is hard to change


292 Animal Control
shared with Town of Bellingham, they have the pound, we have the people, split the vehicles
works very well, get very little complaints, a whole lot cheaper than doing it all ourselves



692 Memorial Day
flags for veterans cemetary plot


695 Cultural Council
redistributed back to the Town via grants
Concerts on the Common, etc.


710/750 Debt
re-funded two bonds to save money
will be going to market for the high school and library in late May
the numbers should come back before the Council approves the budget in June
the State is holding back 5% of what we are supposed to get until it all finishes
we should get that next year

debt policy, up to 3.5% of the budget
number has been declining since 2012
the Library fits well within the debt plan
it is lower this year but will go back up

other than schools, our current debt will be gone by 2018
Remington Jefferson will be paid off with FY 2016
there will be more debt but for what we don't know yet
could be a roof


945 General Insurance
insurance for all property casualty and liability
single sprinkelr head went at Keller Sullivan school
the insurance re-assed all the buildings for replacement value
over 1M square feet of space
we are a big company and we have lots of liability
it is a big number but it is a busy place
we do competitive quotes


The agenda for the meeting can be found here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczUHFncy12ZlZub1U/view?usp=sharing

Old business

New Business
Fleming - will miss Bob Fahey, he has been doing a fantastic job

Dowd - I wasn't aware of that, he has been a huge help

we already have an offer out to one who has been helping Bob the last several years

next meeting Monday, May 4
May 5, May 7 have currently been scheduled
may not need the meeting for May 11th at this point

motion to adjourn, seconded, passed 7-0



FY 2016 School Budget proposal

The school budget presentation from the School Committee meeting Tuesday can be viewed here:





The Budget books display best if you upgrade your adobe reader to a current version.   Click Here to Download

The Budget Book can be downloaded and viewed here
http://franklindistrict.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinDistrict_budget/FY16%20Budget%20Book.pdf

My notes from the meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/04/school-committee-reviews-fy-2016-budget.html

"More Easy Walks in Massachusetts"


More Easy Walks In MA
More Easy Walks In MA
"When you're looking for an Easy Walk that's just around the corner from where you live, this is a resource you'll turn to again and again. Whether you hope for sweeping views, walks along ponds and streams, or even a good look at a working cranberry bog, there's something of interest on each trail. Discover lots of open trails that allow for friendly walks with family and/or friends; south central Massachusetts has so much to offer. So head on outdoors!"

Order your copy of the book here  https://www.createspace.com/5296061



From her first Easy Walks she shared three walks in Franklin:

Beaver Pond
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/easy-walks-in-franklin-beaver-pond.html

Dacey Fields
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/easy-walks-in-franklin-dacey-fields.html

SNETT
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/06/easy-walks-in-franklin-snett.html

Are artificial turf fields safe?

We know that they are functional and allow for exercise and competition for more of the year than a grass field would permit. 

The information on the safety of the rubber beads is conflicting and this revelation is disturbing.



SHOCKER! @USCPSC Depends on #ArtificialTurf Industry Lobbyists for Scientific + Enforcement Guidance @FranklinMatters - @turfgrassforum

     
Steve Sherlock,
You were mentioned in a Tweet!
  Steve Sherlock
Turf Grass Forum @turfgrassforum
SHOCKER! @USCPSC Depends on #ArtificialTurf Industry Lobbyists for Scientific + Enforcement Guidance tinyurl.com/oe77qgg @FranklinMatters
12:51 PM - 29 Apr 15

Reply to @turfgrassforum
Retweet Favorite




What does the link reveal?
The principal information the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission uses to assess the health effects of synthetic turf is supplied by industry lobbyists, according to internal records released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Emails and other records obtained by PEER in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit detail how these lobbyists are allowed closed-door briefings and other direct contacts with key CPSC staff assigned to investigate their products. 
In response to a PEER filing, the CPSC declared on September 27, 2013 that it had ordered its Office of Compliance and Field Operations to undertake a “review and determination of whether any enforcement action is appropriate” for artificial turf playgrounds containing lead at levels well above legal limits for a children’s product. More than a year later, CPSC would not answer requests for information about the status of that enforcement review. In February of this year, PEER filed a FOIA lawsuit.

Continue reading the article here
http://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/turf-lobbyists-cultivate-consumer-product-safety-commission.html#.VT_fl228DrE.twitter

Blackstone River Theatre - Bike & Blues and Gypsy Star!




CC HEADER A



violin-playing.jpg
 

Blackstone River Theatre's 5th annual Summer Solstice Festival will feature:

Calan (from Wales), Cassie & Maggie MacDonald, RUNA, 

The Gothard Sisters, Robbie O'Connell
& Dan Milner,

The Gnomes, Pendragon, The Vox Hunters with Torrin Ryan, Eastern Medicine Singers, and Will Woods0n
& Joey Abarta!   
We are now over $2,800 in PRIVATE donations raised for the 2015 Summer Solstice Festival!

We now have THREE stage sponsors ... TIR NA NOG IRISH DANCE,
NAVIGANT CREDIT UNION, and the BLACKSTONE HERITAGE CORRIDOR, INC. 


WE ARE LOOKING FOR  

ONE MORE MUSIC STAGE SPONSOR AND ALSO A CHILDREN'S STAGE SPONSOR!

We hope YOU can help us too as we strive to make our 5th festival the biggest yet... every small donation adds up! 


                  
Ongoing  
Zumba with April Hilliker on Mondays, 6:30 PM




Saturday, May 2, 1-4 PM 
BIKE & BLUES THE BLACKSTONE ...Music by Martin Grosswendt, Bertrand Laurence and members of Pendragon

Saturday, May 2, 8 PM 
GYPSY STAR

Saturday, May 9, 8 PM 
LONGSHOT VOODOO / CROCODILE RIVER MUSIC
DRUM WORKSHOP WITH WEST AFRICAN DRUMMERS 4-5 PM, $10.00 
DRUM WORKSHOP AND CONCERT - $18.00 ADVANCE

Saturday, May 16, 8 PM 
ATWATER-DONNELLY TRIO

May 16-May 17, 9 AM to 3 PM 
CELTIC STONECARVING CLASS for beginners

Friday, May 22, 8 PM   
LEGEND TRIPS: An evening of Ghost Stories and New England Legends
SOLD OUT!!! 


Quick Links...
BRT Website    

BRT Classes      
Join Our Mailing List!

Tickets often available at door but to ensure a seat
CALL

FOR
RESERVATIONS
401-725-9272

Please understand that
when a show is SOLD OUT,
it truly is!
We must adhere to fire codes and it truly is not possible to fit "just one more"... especially when we have had several people ask to do
the same!

If a show at BRT has
an advance price &
a day-of-show price it means:

If you pre-pay OR call in your reservation any time before the show date, you get the advance price. If you show up at the door with no reservations OR call in your reservations on the same day as the show, you will pay the day-of show-price.


NOTE for prepaid tickets

or if reservations have been made but not pre-paid:
If you reduce the number of tickets requested or paid for at the box office on the night of the performance, that ticket must still be paid for! BRT requires 24 hour notice for cancellations or you will be charged for all seats reserved.
Dear Steve,


Bikes, blues, brews and a
Gypsy Star for good measure!  

On Saturday, we have a full day as BRT takes part in the 2nd annual Bike and Blues the Blackstone event from 1 to 4 p.m. Then we turn things around for our evening concert featuring the debut of GYPSY STAR from Florida featuring Cumberland native Billy Keen and with Bob Drouin as special guest!

Keep your eyes open for Solstice Festival news...
the first of which is:

The Summer Solstice Festival is June 20
and tickets are on sale at BRT NOW!

Please LIKE us on Facebook to get late-breaking news and really expensive gifts. Well, not that last one but definitely the first part... Please share what we do with your friends! www.facebook.com/pages/Blackstone-River-Theatre/165592431396

  


Hope to see you soon...
Russell Gusetti, Executive Director  


BIKE AND BLUES THE BLACKSTONE

 
Grab your helmets and bikes, and get in gear - it's time for the Blackstone Heritage Corridor, Inc.'s 2nd annual Bike and Blues the Blackstone event! This year's festivities will take place on Saturday, May 2, and is open to bicycle riders of all ages. Join the staff and partners of the Blackstone Heritage Corridor for a fun-filled bike ride through the scenic and historic Blackstone River Valley. Riders can then finish off their afternoon listening to live blues and Celtic artists while tasting regional and craft beers provided by Mendon Wines and More at Blackstone River Theatre. This year participants have three options to enjoy the day. Bicyclists can ride the entire 30-mile course as part of a Craft Brewery Tour and visit three Blackstone Valley breweries along the way: Bucket Brewery, Foolproof Brewing Company and Ravenous Brewing Company. Each brewery will be offering a tour of their facility including a sampling of their own unique brew. If 30 miles and sampling beer is not your thing, bikers can choose to take part in a leisurely ride along the historic Blackstone Canal on the 11-mile Blackstone River Bikeway, enjoying a visit to the Kelley House Museum, viewing the spectacular engineering of the Rt. 116 Viaduct, designed in the 1930s, and also the Pratt Dam where the powerful Blackstone River forges through the "tubes." Either way, at the end of your ride, participants can relax with refreshments, a craft beer tasting, and live music at Blackstone River Theatre performed by blues musicians Martin Grosswendt and Bertrand Laurence and members of the Celtic band Pendragon. Tickets and registration is $30.00 per person; register at www.bikeandbluestheblackstone.org. Check-in begins at 10:30 a.m. at Lonsdale Marsh, 116 John Street, in Lincoln, RI where the course starts. Bike and Blues the Blackstone will end off at Blackstone River Theatre. Music and refreshments at the theatre will go from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Contact Barbara Dixon at bdixon@blackstoneheritagecorridor.org or at 401-765-2211 with any questions about the Bike and Blues event.  




EVENT INFO
Saturday, May 2, 1-4 P.M. 
$30.00 advance reservation 

at Blackstone River Theatre
549 Broad Street, Cumberland, R.I.
Call 401-765-2211 for reservations 
www.bikeandbluestheblackstone.org

GYPSY STAR

A unique original band from the Tampa Bay area of Florida, Gypsy Star fuses American musical styles of folk, rock, pop and jazz with sounds and rhythms from around the world. Tapping into Latin, Celtic, Renaissance, Mediterranean and Caribbean flavors, Gypsy Star weaves a melodic tapestry of enchanting, uplifting music with acoustic instruments such as classical flamenco guitar and an array of hand percussion and drums. Add to the mix lush strings, dynamic arrangements, haunting vocals and world-beat rhythms complemented by fiery castanets and the percussive footwork of folkloric dance and you've got a cultural feast for the eyes and ears! The mystique behind this American folk-rock band's songs lie at the creative hand of guitarist/composer (and Cumberland native) Billy Keen who combines his own musical roots in rock with an exotic global influence. Vocalist Belinda Brodsky breathes poetry into Keen's tunes with lyrics that capture the essence of ancient tales, modern storytelling and heartfelt sentiments. Along with band members Carol "Corky" Sarao on keyboards, Vail Hayes on drums and dancer Pollyanna Garcia, the result is an inspiring and eclectic experience appealing to both mainstream and world music audiences alike. Join us and follow Gypsy Star as they take you along on a mystical journey to faraway lands through song, rhyme and dance.  




EVENT INFO
Saturday, May 2, 8 P.M.
$13.00 advance / $15.00 day of show 

at Blackstone River Theatre
549 Broad Street, Cumberland, R.I.
Call 401-725-9272 for reservations 
www.riverfolk.org

Forward email to a friend!


Blackstone River Theatre | 549 Broad Street | Cumberland | RI | 02864

My wife and I rode on the Blackstone River Park recently. It is a good ride. Nicely flat (along a rail bed) and scenic (along the river and canal)

on the Blackstone River Bike Path near mile 10.5
on the Blackstone River Bike Path near mile 10.5

Busy day for spring sports at FHS

Another busy spring sports day for FHS teams. The results are shared from Hockomock Sports.


baseball

Milford, 8 @ Franklin, 6 - Final - Milford scored four innings in the first inning, took the lead again at 5-4 and then finally broke open a 5-5 game for the win. Drew Wilde was 2-4 with a double and two runs, Aidan Wilde was 1-3 with a walk and a run scored, Blake Hill went 1-2 with two runs scored and an RBI and Griffin Lynch was 2-4 with an RBI and a stolen base. Brian Ireland picked up the win in relief, tossing three innings and allowing just one run with a strikeout. For Franklin, Ben Chaffee went 2-2 with a pair of walks and a run scored and Kyle Skidmore was 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
FHS Panthers
FHS Panthers

softball

Franklin, 5 @ Milford, 6 - Final (10 innings) - Allie Piergustavo (2-4) hit her second solo home run in the game to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a walk off win over Franklin. The Panthers went up 5-2 in the ninth inning but Milford rallied to tie the game. Maddy Bonvino (2-4, home run, three RBI) knocked in two runs with a double in the ninth and the Scarlet Hawks tied the game with on a walk. Taylor LeBrun finished 3-5 with two singles and a double.


boys lacrosse

Franklin, 11 @ North Attleboro, 3 - Final - The Panthers used a balanced offense to get by the Rocketeers. Justin Miller scored two goals and had two assists, Jack Vail and Austin Kent each had two goals and one assist and Trevor Drake scored his first varsity goal. DJ Shea made 11 saves in net for the Panthers.

girls tennis

Franklin, 5 @ Milford, 0 - Final


Track
Boys
Taunton, 62 @ Franklin, 74 - Final

Girls
Taunton, 50 @ Franklin, 86 - Final

For all the results around the Hockomock League
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-042915


Wednesday, April 29, 2015

School Committee reviews FY 2016 budget

The Franklin (MA) School Committee reviewed the budget for next year at its meeting on Tuesday, Apr 28. The Fiscal Year 2016  (FY 2016) budget covers expenses from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.

Increasing class size at the middle and high school is driving the request for additional teachers at those levels. Declining enrollment in the elementary levels is allowing for a reduction in teachers there so there is a net increase of four positions being asked when all is said and done.

While it was not mentioned during the meeting, given the churn in the school personnel on a year to year basis, I expect that the number of positions being reduced can be handled in a 'normal' manner; that is through retirements, attrition, or transfers rather than layoffs.




The budget hearing was conducted and no line items were put 'on hold' for further question and discussion. This speaks to the level of detail in the presentation of information by the School Administration to the School Committee as well as the level of understanding of the school operations by the Committee.

The budget is scheduled for a vote at the May 12th School Committee meeting. Franklin's budget hearings begin with the Finance Committee on Thursday, Apr 30th at 7:00 PM. Additional budget hearing meetings are scheduled for May 4, May 7 and May 11. The Town Council will also hold their budget hearings on two nights in June before voting on the budget. By law, the budget for FY 2016 needs to be in place before June 30th 2015.


the total amount spent on Franklin education is $113 million
the total amount spent on Franklin education is $113 million

The budget is  2.43% increase over the last budget. The budget does use funds from some of the revolving accounts the School Dept has. There are no fee increases called for by the budget.

The budget presentation is supposed to be posted to the Schools website on Wednesday. As soon as it is available it will be shared. In the mean time, you can follow my notes taken during the meeting here

To review the 'Budget Book' (Note - to open this requires a current version of Adobe Reader)
http://franklindistrict.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinDistrict_budget/FY16%20Budget%20Book.pdf

Live reporting: resuming with Discussion only item...
Live reporting: School Committee - Apr 28, 2015

Reminder: 3rd Annual Best Buddies Dodgeball Tournament - May 3


The Third Annual Best Buddies Dodgeball Tournament will be taking place this Sunday, May 3rd from 2PM-5PM at the Horace Mann Middle School in Franklin, MA. All proceeds will benefit Best Buddies International, a non-profit organization that provides friendship and integrated employment opportunities to children and adults with developmental disabilities.

"Best Buddies is all about friendships and bringing people together," said Sue Streeter, a long-time advocate for Best Buddies in the Franklin school system. "Through Best Buddies kids and adults, on both sides of the friendship equation learn how much they have in common and their friendships grow beyond Best Buddies. My daughter Katie, who has Down syndrome, gets together with friends she met through Best Buddies every week to hang out, go for breakfast dates, trips to the movies or just about anything friends do."

Best buddies logo
Best Buddies
The previous two Best Buddies Dodgeball Tournaments drew hundreds of people from Franklin and surrounding towns, raising over $27,000 to benefit Best Buddies International, including Franklin's now five local chapters.

"We are grateful to our sponsors and all our participants over the last three years who have all helped us to raise money for this wonderful cause," said Mike Berthiaume, the chair of the tournament's host committee. "More importantly, through their support for Best Buddies we have raised awareness regarding those in our community who live with developmental disabilities."

This year's tournament is sponsored by more than 10 local businesses and will include both a raffle and silent auction. Silent auction items include a Tom Brady autographed football, Dustin Pedroia autographed Red Sox game jersey, Red Sox tickets, Patriots tickets, spa baskets and more!

Teams will compete within 6 different divisions – the elementary school division, the middle school division, the high school division, the 18+ division, the old man river division, and the Best Buddies division. Both Senator Spilka and Representative Roy have fielded teams for Sunday's event.

"It's a great event, a great organization and I am happy to be a part of it," said Representative Roy (D-Franklin). "The Best Buddies organization has made a difference in the lives of many people and provided many opportunities to the residents of Franklin. It is always great to see people get involved in their community especially when it's for such a good case and I would like to thank the organizers of this event for their hard work and dedication."

"The Best Buddies program is a terrific way to bring kids of all abilities together," said Senator Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). "It's my honor to support this valuable inclusion programming in the MetroWest community, and I look forward to a day of friendly competition for a good cause."

It's not too late to participate in the fun! Teams of 6 players are $120 and Best Buddies teams are $60! To sign-up email Mike Berthiaume at mberthia09@gmail.com

What: Third Annual Best Buddies Dodgeball Tournament with Raffle, Silent Auction, Bake Sale, and more! 
When: Sunday, May 3rd, 2PM-5PM 
Where: Horace Mann Middle School, 224 Oak Street, Franklin 

Franklin Library: Genealogy Club - 4/30/15 - 6:30 PM

The next Genealogy Club meeting is Thursday evening April 30 at 6:30 PM at the Franklin Library.

genealogy club - Apr 30
genealogy club - Apr 30

This was shared from the Franklin Library web page here

280 unit apartment building at 1330-1342 West Central Street


At 7PM Thursday evening (April 30th) the Franklin Zoning Board of Appeals will be deciding on whether or not to issue a building permit for a monstrosity of an apartment complex in Franklin. The proposed complex will be located close to the intersection of rt140 and South Maple Street in Bellingham (see photo), an area that has significant traffic issues as is.

The meeting is at the Franklin Municipal Building. Both Franklin and Bellingham residents are welcome, and a strong presence is crucial to having our voices heard.

Since the land is privately owned, development is inevitable. However, the complex needs to be scaled down to a more reasonable size so as to minimize the impact to that all ready traffic-congested area.

Please try to attend the meeting, and please share the info.
(the photo depicts the total area of the proposed proposed project - the photo was edited to add an orange arrow/text to point out Garelick Farms.)

http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150323/NEWS/150328942


Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)
Agenda item
1312 and 1330-1342 W. Central St – Acme Jazz, LLC Applicant is seeking a building permit to construct a 280 unit multi – family development. The building permit is denied without a comprehensive permit from the ZBA.
The full agenda for the ZBA meeting can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_ZBAAgendas/Agendas%202015/04-30-15%20ZBA%20Agenda.pdf

3 ways to celebrate Mother's Day at 3



3
461 W Central Street (Rt.140), Franklin, MA 02038 • 508.528.6333www.3-restaurant.com
Please visit our other Let's Eat, Inc. restaurant in Norwood: SKY

Forward email





Let's Eat, Inc. | 461 Central Street | Franklin | MA | 02038

In the News: pipeline feedback, school budget


The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) this week began accepting input from the public as it compiles an environmental review of Spectra Energy’s natural gas pipeline in Massachusetts. 
The Texas-based company has sought approval from the FERC to start work on a project to extend existing pipeline in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. 
The Massachusetts phase of the project includes installing more than 10 miles of new natural gas pipeline through Norfolk, Walpole, Millis, Franklin and Medway. Spectra is also planning to build a compressor station, used in the transferring of the gas, in Weymouth. 
It is all part of the company’s ambitious Atlantic Bridge Project, which when completed would connect natural gas infrastructure in Massachusetts to the 1,127-mile-long Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline that stretches from New Jersey into Maine and Canada.
Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150429/NEWS/150426396/1994/NEWS


In putting together next fiscal year's $56.95 million budget, school officials said Tuesday they needed to balance larger class sizes at the high school and middle schools with declining enrollment at the elementary schools. 
The School Committee will vote on the budget, up 2.43 percent over last year, during its May 12 meeting after reviewing the numbers for the first time Tuesday with the district schools chief. 
The budget includes the hiring of five classroom teachers - four at two middle schools and one at the high school - in an effort to curb class sizes. 
“This is part of our continuing progress toward reinstating budget cuts that went into effect in 2007, 2008 and 2009,” Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski told the committee. “We know what the data is on larger class sizes.”
Continue reading the article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150429/NEWS/150426366/1994/NEWS