Live reporting - Financial Planning Committee Report

F. HEARINGS - none

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS - none

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
1. Report of the Financial Planning Committee
Doug Hardesty, Chair presents the update
Report link provided earlier
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/04/franklin-ma-mid-year-financial-update.html


Anticipated State Aid decrease of approx. $1.7 M

Page 4 - tells an accurate story of the forecast plus the adjustments

(Vallee arrives late)

fundamentally, about 1% off the original forecast but all adjustments are understood and explainable

Page 5 - The high school construction project, assuming it continues roughly on schedule would not significantly affect the forecast in the next five years. The bulk of that increase is assumed to hit just after.

An 8 M shortage is realistic, a range of 5 - 10 M is highly likely given the variability of the factors in the forecast.

Page 6 - of the neighboring communities, we are #1 in receipt of State Aid. 75% above the average for State Aid.

Property taxes lower than peers, school per pupil spending is less than peers, debt service is also below the peer average
There is not a category where are spending more than our peers, we are consistently spending less

Page 7 - Decline in services has been significant
Inflation 2-3 years down the road could change the forecast
Regionalization is an opportunity for cost containment, it takes time, cooperation, and negotiation

No questions from the Council...



 Franklin, MA

Live reporting - broadcast update

The cable broadcast is via Verizon and not Comcast due to technical difficulties.

You can also view via the internet
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Webdocs/videoarchive



 Franklin, MA

Live reporting - Town Council

Present:  Kelly, Jones, Vallee, Whalen, Mason, McGann, Zollo, Powderly
Absent:  none


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Executive Session- April 7, 2010

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
Chief McCarragher - reminder on FEMA applications

E. APPOINTMENTS

Election Workers - motion to approve listing of names, passed 8-0

Historical Commission - motion to approve Eamon McCarthy Earls, passed 8-0

 Franklin, MA

Fiscal Year 2011 - Budget Information

The budget 'book' for the complete and school budget can be found on the Franklin website here

http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Admin/FY%2011%20Budget/




 Franklin, MA

Franklin has the most registed voters since 1982!

While the history shows that Franklin has passed only half of the debt exclusions offered to it and only one of the override questions, the numbers also show that Franklin today is different.

Franklin's population as of the end of 2009 had grown over 3,000 since the last debt exclusion in October 2000 and over 600 since the override in 2008.

It is note worthy that the percentage of population which is registered to vote stands at its highest percentage (60.5%).  The lowest percent of the population to register to vote occurred in both 1986 and 1987 at 48.1%. 

History has also shown us that a debt exclusion can pass with as little as 2.4% of the voters turning out to the polls and as many as 52.7%.

On the override side, the only one that passed succeeded with a 47.2% turnout. The override votes that failed did so with as little as 26.4% turning out and as much as 56.4% turning out.

Note: the data of population and registered voters come from the official Franklin records as provided by Town Clerk Debbie Pellegri and covers the years 1982 through 2009.

Note: the chart depicts the population with red/maroon columns, the voters with the light blue columns. Both population and voters columns should be read against the left scale. The right scale shows the percent of voters as of the total population and is depicted in the yellow line.

Franklin, MA: Mid-year Financial Update

The updated financial outlook prepared by the Financial Planning Committee for discussion at the Town Council, Wednesday, April 28, 2010.

Franklin, MA 2010 Midyear Financial Update

View more presentations from Steve Sherlock.

"decisions will have to be made"

"We, as a community where education is funded on a local level, need to step up and fund this (budget)," Roy said.

Sue Rohrbach, chairwoman of the budget subcommittee, said her committee suggests cutting seven elementary teachers to save $350,000; eight middle school teachers to save $400,000; cut three school buses to save $120,000; and create a shortened elementary school day once a week to save $158,000 - amounting to about $1 million in savings.

Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski said teacher cuts would have a significant effect on classroom sizes, which would range from 24 to 28 students in the elementary schools, and 27 to 29 in the middle schools.

With the elimination of three buses, Sabolinski said there would be some crowding in the remaining 24 buses, but they would not reach capacity.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x457996868/Franklin-schools-discuss-cuts

Suspicious?

When running Tuesday morning, I noticed this truck in the parking lot with no plates on the front. That usually means, it is from out of state (where they allow only one rear plate). I jogged around the back to find no plate there either. Since it is a like new vehicle, parked in an empty business parking lot, something is us.

I sent the picture to Twitter via my phone as
"@Franklinpolice @Franklinmatters like new truck, no plates, mt business parking lot. Suspicious?"


Franklin, MA

DPW - Rain barrel and composter sale

The Franklin, MA - DPW has a sale on rain barrels and composters.

Get the details here
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_News/0156AACC-000F8513




Franklin, MA

Reminder

Reminder - WASTED will be held this evening at Franklin High School.

The School Committee meeting will also be held at 7:00 PM at the Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of the Municipal Building.

Unfortunately, due to a prior commitment I will be unable to attend either event. Please send me your comments and reflections from whichever event you attend.


Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Override - Debt Exclusion History

I have worked with the Franklin Town Clerk, Debbie Pellegri, to compile a comprehensive listing of all the debt exclusion and operational override votes that Franklin has had the opportunity to vote on over the years. 

The complete listing is available for your review here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkwjbnXDBhczdHp1bjBJSF9sOVY1ZXlERmFPNHkxZnc&hl=en


A summary of the override and debt exclusion votes looks like this

	Override
Count of Ballot Question(s)
Date	Failed	Passed	Total
26-Jun-90	1		1
11-Jun-96	1		1
23-Apr-02	1		1
22-Oct-02	1		1
22-May-07		1	1
10-Jun-08	1		1
Total	5	1	6
	Debt Exclusion
Count of Ballot Question(s)
Date	Failed	Passed	Total
2-Apr-91	9		9
16-Jun-92		1	1
12-Feb-94		1	1
31-Jan-95		2	2
4-Apr-95	1		1
14-Mar-98	1		1
22-May-98		1	1
20-Jun-98	1		1
2-Nov-99		1	1
10-Oct-00		1	1
Total	12	7	19
	Override
Percent Reg Voters who voted
Date	Failed	Passed
26-Jun-90	45.1%
11-Jun-96	56.4%
23-Apr-02	32.9%
22-Oct-02	24.6%
22-May-07		47.2%
10-Jun-08	40.3%
	Debt Exclusion
Percent Reg Voters who voted
Date	Failed	Passed
2-Apr-91	34.3%
16-Jun-92		15.1%
12-Feb-94		40.8%
31-Jan-95		4.2%
4-Apr-95	30.0%
14-Mar-98	35.1%
22-May-98		52.7%
20-Jun-98	51.0%
2-Nov-99		37.4%
10-Oct-00		23.7%

Note: The second sheet with the added columns per the comment discussion below can be found here:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkwjbnXDBhczdDVWaFU0N2ZsTEE2TUVuWHk5NURvQWc&hl=en


Note: the category for 5 the 1991 ballot questions was changed from "override" to 'debt exclusion' based upon discussion with Treasurer/Collector Jim Dacey.  5/12/10

Crossways Church coming to Summer St

The Crossway Church is seeking Planning Board approval next month to move into a church building that has sat unoccupied since it was built in the 1970s.

"Our hope is to close on the property at the end of May, or latest mid-June," Pastor Bauer Evans said yesterday.

Evans said members of the non-denominational Protestant church applied in March to renovate the church building at 282 Summer St. and a portion of land at 278 Summer St., create a parking lot and expand the site's septic system.

Church members have gone in front of the board twice already and will do so again on May 3 to "hopefully wrap things up," Evans said.

 Read the full article here:

Church eyes Franklin building

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Ashley Studley/Daily News staff

Letter to the editor

The following was originally submitted as a Letter to the Editor for the Wicked Local/Franklin Gazette in March 2009. It never got published. I think it is still valid for discussion today, hence I am re-posting it here.

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

You look at yourself in the mirror and say “I need a haircut”. Or your wife/significant other drops a similar hint. So you make a mental note to stop by the barber shop or call for an appointment.

The designated day arrives, you get your hair cut and have a wide ranging conversation with the barber or stylist. While you are sitting there, he or she is clipping and or cutting away, you solve half the world's problems

Amongst the topics is usually sometime spent discussing the economy and how dismal prospects seem to be at the moment. So and so was let go from Fidelity. So and so was let go from another place. If you listen to the headlines, the economy is in the tank for sure. No one seems to be doing good. Even the banks and automotive companies getting bailouts are coming back for more.

So you change the topic to something brighter. You talk about your days in school, long ago now. How the teachers were good, or tough, or easy. How so and so messed with the chalkboard and got in trouble for it. What is he doing these days? Oh, he is teaching English the next town over. Wow, that is good.

Even if the conversation switched to whatever sport was in season and how the local team was doing, the fact of the matter is the conversation could not have happened without education.

Yes, let's list out how education touched each aspect of this simple event; getting your hair cut.

The barber or hair stylist received their training at an accredited institution.

The teachers at that institution were similarly trained at an accredited institution.

The licensing board personnel were hired because they had a minimum of a high school education, more likely the requirement was a college degree.

The salesperson who stops by the barbershop or beauty salon to sell the shampoo, gel, and other items necessary to operate likely required training from the company on their products.

The conversation itself could take place because both of you were able to speak. You listened, understood what the other was saying and continued that train of thought, or changed it along the way.

I think you get the point.

Everyone around the activity of getting your hair cut or styled was touched by education. The more successful their educational background, the more likely they would be successful in operating their business. Yes, reading, writing and arithmetic are required outside of school.

You can also consider what would happen if educational priorities were changed.

If students were not challenged by their teachers, would they be successful barbers and stylists?

Would they gain their certification or license to operate in the State?

Would the State have sufficient qualified personnel to manage the licensing and auditing process?

Would the hair product companies have new products being developed by researchers to meet the needs of the market place?

Would they have capable sales personnel?

Would you get a good hair cut or hair style?

Considering the impact of education on such a simple transaction, shouldn't it be a priority to provide the best education possible for our children?

"integral to the excellence of our libraries"

Library use has boomed as the recession pinched people's budgets for books, music and films. Patrons borrowed 57.7 million items from Massachusetts libraries last fiscal year, the 10th annual increase in a row and up from 45.7 million in 2001, says the Board of Library Commissioners.

Libraries have also seen a surge of people using their computers to search and apply for jobs.

"I know that the libraries in MetroWest are busier than ever," said Sunny Vandermark, administrator of the MetroWest Regional Library System.

Massachusetts library systems to be consolidated, staff cut

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by David Riley/Daily News staff

The consolidation of the various inter-library systems, if done properly, should still be able to provide the valuable inter-library loan services that are available today with less cost.

Franklin is already in a partnership with Medway by sharing our Library Director. This is a win-win situation. It reduces our expenses (Medway helps pay) and helps Medway maintain their library status.

Such regionalization efforts on animal control (with Bellingham) and recreation (also with Medway) need to continue to be explored to help Franklin and other neighboring communities cope with increasing costs.

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - 4/28/10

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Executive Session- April 7, 2010

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS

Election Workers

Historical Commission

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS

1. Report of the Financial Planning Committee

2. FY 2011 Budget Discussion


I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

1. Bylaw Amendment 10-644: Amendment to the Code, Sewer Map Extension- 2nd Reading

2. Resolution 10-18: Setting Date of Proposition 2 ½ Override Ballot

3. Resolution 10-19: Proposition 2 ½ Override Ballot Question

4. Bylaw Amendment 10-643:Chapter 105, Junk, Secondhand Goods and Antique Dealers – 1st Reading

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M. NEW BUSINESS

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required

P. ADJOURN




Franklin, MA