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Thursday, September 4, 2008
Town Council Mtg Summary - 9/3/08
- Live reporting - Administrators report, Councilor ...
- Live reporting - Parking study
- Live reporting - presentation on DP&CD
- Live reporting - Zoning bylaw
- Live reporting - rezoning bylaw moved to 2nd Readi...
- Live reporting - Resolutions approved
- Live reporting - Street opening bylaw
- Live reporting - Town Council - 9/3/08
TOWN COUNCIL - Agenda - 9/3/08
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Live reporting - Administrators report, Councilor comments
Making steady progress on the Norfolk water issue, hopefully we'll get a check at the cut off date so hopefully all things will end well.
Reviewed cell phone usage, reduced minutes by over 6,000 per month.
Old business:
Doak - web site
Nutting - next meeting
New business:
Bartlett - ridership increase if GATRA makes the accomodations
Councilor Comments:
Whalen - Supt resignation, got a wide variety of responses from the town residents. I worked closely with him over the previous months on the override campaigns. When I read his resignation, I was sympathetic. When you deny that person the resources to pursue their talent and interests, then this is not a surprise. I hope we figure out a way to reverse course.
Mason - On the Supt resignation since it was brought up, basing his resignation on the belief that the citizens have backed away from education is stupid and an insult. I don't know of a Franklin voter who voted no intentionally to give up on education.
Pfeffer - also had some negative comments on the resignation
Live reporting - Parking study
additional unstriped 2 hour parking spaced
77,8 believe there are problems with parking
There is a perception that there are problems when with a little walk there are available spaces available. Can we increase the spots in specific areas? How else can we help to address the perception?
Rarely are more than 80% of the metered spaces utilized.
Bartlett - is there still discussion amongst the businesses to improve the walking within the downtown?
Taberner - while there was good discussion before, I am not sure that has been a current discussion. There is no consensus on a resolution to parking.
Whalen - There is good news on the availability of spaces. It may just be an awareness campaign that is needed.
Taberner - if the town does go down the road of bricks and mortar we should only go forward with businesses as a partnership to share the expense.
Live reporting - presentation on DP&CD
Beth Dalhstrom also present at the meeting
Open space and recreation plan due for public review in October 2008
Affordable Housing plan due for 2010
Zoning bylaws
- Non-conforming use bylaw due to Town Council in 2-4 weeks
- Sign Bylaw revisions to follow
- Inclusionary bylaw to follow
Commonwealth Capital
Avg score 76.5, Franklin score 102. Currently only 11 communities have a higher score
Doak - What are the top things that are driving that score?
Taberner - an aggressive and proactive policy development is driving that, will be tougher to get a hig score each year as we go forward. It looks at what you are doing now, not what you did before.
Create a community where entrepreneurs will want to settle and raise their familiesBartlett - given the recent major layoffs, will that pattern affect this?
Taberner - yes, not directly but yes
Nutting - yes, declines in education will cause property values to decline
Nu-Style Property, Grove St
- may get a brownfields grant to help in this
Town owned properties
working on unresolved parcels and tax title properties
Four Corners: just about ready to go to the Planning Board and begin that process
Business outreach - don't have the resources to go out and attract specific businesses to Franklin. No longer have the Downtown Manager position to do this.
Industrial zone - substantial opporuntity
900,000 sq ft either empty or underutilized
We want to identify and work with the owners to get the property occupied and generating more revenue than it was before.
Downtown Revitilization plan
- continue to work with the Downtown Partnership
- establish an image and identiy
- Promote Franklin as a Historic Commercial District
- Create and promote Cultural Corridor including a historic walking trail
Public transit - EMC interested, meeting with GATRA later this month to explore options
Live reporting - Zoning bylaw
- Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5:Zoning Map: Business to Commercial II- 1st
resumed after recess
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Vallee - the business zoning is already set for allowing a number of items
Doak - I worry about things going bad and something else coming in with the change and we wouldn't be able to stop it.
Taberner - this is the ideal zoning for that area.
Nutting - Condos are a good thing for the town. One where there were 1200 residents and 22 students was a favorable deal for the town.
Approved for second reading (unanimous)
Live reporting - rezoning bylaw moved to 2nd Reading
- Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5:Zoning Map: Business to Commercial II- 1st Reading
Vallee - I won't for that bylaw until they tell me what they are going to do with that.
Nutting - I heard that they are attempting to get a car dealership in there.
Doak - I share Vallee's concern. I don't think we should change this to open an opportunity for housing or a car dealership.
Nutting - intent is to take a piece of property that does not pay taxes and turn it into a paying property.
(two minute recess)
Live reporting - Resolutions approved
- Resolution 08-56: Establishing an Economic Opportunity Area
- Resolution 08-57: Authorizing Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Foundation tax collection does not change, the proposal is to provide a tax reduction for the improvement. With the improvements come 200 manufacturing jobs being relocated here from Holliston and RI.
By doing so, the owner would also get state tax credit. If he doesn't do the investment, he doesn't get the tax break.
Approved - unanimously
Live reporting - Street opening bylaw
H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS –
- Street Opening Bylaw – Gas Conversions
Nutting - No, that is a slippery slope.
Whalen - I disagree, I think we are in unchartered waters here. The spot market for home heating and gas prices are still higher than they have been. Anything that we, the Town Council, can do to help our citizens get through this period we should.
Brutus - In an emergency, it is a formality to provide a permit where there is a gas leak. It is between the owner and the gas company (or other utlity company) to repave the street.
Whalen - they are digging up Charles River Dr, what is that for?
Brutus - Verizon is putting in FIOS there. It is permissible because of the age of the road.
Vallee - We have to protect the roads. I helped work this bylaw. It needs to be tightened.
Brutus - the builder had the option to tie in when the road was being done. Others in the development tied in at that time. It is unfortunate that he happened to buy into the property after the opportunty came and went.
Bartlett - How does a road degrade?
Brutus - good recap of the life of a road. (will do more justice with the recording of this later).
Bartlett - What did Maple St cost us?
Brutus - About $350,000 for the top, it was another about 500,000 for the water lines.
Pfeffer - how much was the overlay on Summer St?
Brutus - about $47,000 for that portion.
Zollo - How many requests of this type have come in during the past year?
Brutus - About a couple of dozen.
Vallee - I didn't think we paid that?
Brutus - no it was a betterment fee. The Councilor asked how much it cost and it did cost that amount. We did not pay it.
Live reporting - Town Council - 9/3/08
Councilors Whalen, Mason, Vallee, Bartlett, Feeley, Pfeffer, Doak, and Zollo present
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 9, July 23, August 6,
minutes approved -
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
1 - Harvest Festival - rain date Sep 28th
2 - Rep Vallee has sent Mr Campbell to represent his office tonight and will have someone at each future Council meeting
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
recognition to Joe McGann and Ron Higgenbottom for installation of grab bars for elderly residents in Franklin
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
E. APPOINTMENTS
F. HEARINGS
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
TOWN COUNCIL - Agenda - 9/3/08
FRANKLIN TOWN COUNCIL
September 3, 2008
7:00 PM
A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 9, July 23, August 6,
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
E. APPOINTMENTS
F. HEARINGS
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS –
- Street Opening Bylaw – Gas Conversions
- Department of Planning & Community Development – Bryan Taberner – Downtown Parking, DPCD Update
I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
- Resolution 08-56: Establishing an Economic Opportunity Area
- Resolution 08-57: Authorizing Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
- Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5:Zoning Map: Business to Commercial II- 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
Link to the agenda on the Town page here
Link to the package on the Town page here
In the News - Plain St fire, schools re-open
Franklin woman escapes blaze
By Danielle Ameden/Daily News staff
A napping woman escaped her second-story Plain Street apartment without injury yesterday afternoon, awoken by fire alarms and fleeing as her house filled with smoke and flames, officials said. |
Fire caused by match or cigarette
By Danielle Ameden/Daily News staff
Fire Chief Gary McCarraher Tuesday, Aug. 2, announced the two-alarm blaze that roared through the home at 185 Plain St. Monday was accidental, caused by careless disposal of smoking materials. |
Franklin schools to reopen after pipe explosion
By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff
|
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Primary Election - 9/16/08
For additional information on the Primary Election coming up two week from today -> Tuesday, 9/16/08 visit the Secretary of State web page here
FM #11 - School Committee 8/26/08
Time: 40 minutes, 6 seconds
MP3 File
Session Notes
Music intro
My intro
FM #11
From the School Committee meeting on Tuesday 8/26/08, there were a few items of real interest. There are a number of items on the agenda and respectfully while all of them are important these are the most important. The most significant item of all for the week occurred after the public portion of the meeting but we’ll get to that in due course.
If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write something worth reading or do things worth the writing. Benjamin Franklin
Pay-to-Ride
Miriam Goodman and Maureen Sabolinski provided an update on the pay-to-ride program. Miriam also had an analysis (copy of the one pager provided) of pay-to-ride for the past four years and an outlook for this school year 2008-2009.
Late bus
Based upon the decline in enrollment Supt Wayne Ogden recommended keeping with the failed override plan of cutting the late bus. It was not included in the budget unless the override had passed so no additional action was required of the School Committee on the recommendation. There was additional discussion primarily from Ed Cafasso to find the “short money” and keep the bus running. There was not additional support for this idea across the committee. The override failed hence no late bus.
FHS Scheduling problem
The High School encountered a scheduling problem. After cutting the teachers and the classes associated with the override failure, the schedule came up with a hole were approx. 200 students had an empty period. As state last forbids study halls, they played with a couple of options. One additional teacher (in English) resigned in early August and backfilling that position with another English teacher did not provide coverage for the schedule. Backfilling the English teacher with a music teacher did cover the hole so they did hire a music teacher.
The major news of the week occurred after the public portion of the School Committee meeting ended. As you have no doubt heard by now, Supt Wayne Ogden submitted his resignation effective June 30, 2009. To those who call him a quitter, he is hardly that. A quitter would have provided two weeks or less notice and gone out the door. Wayne took the far more courageous option of providing significant notice to the School Committee in order for them to start to look for a replacement, while he continued in his role running the school department.
Yes, it is a disappointment but Franklin voters have no one to blame but themselves. The majority of those who came out to vote on the override defeated the increase to provide a level service budget to the schools. The real issue lies with the many, many voters who did not come out to vote at all. As I have mentioned previously, the quick numbers on the override showed that 500 voters changed their vote from 2007 to 2008 and voted NO. An additional 1000 voters who came out in 2007 to vote Yes, simply did not show up.
We do have tough time ahead of us. We need to work together. We need to make our presence felt at each and every school committee meeting and town council meeting.
Don’t just sit there.
Please get up and do something.
If you need inspiration, view the Do You Believe video posted from YouTube on Franklin Matters on 8/30/08.
The Ben Franklin quote comes from the following website:http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Benjamin_Franklin/31
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This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow Franklin citizens and voters by Steve Sherlock
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music
Monday, September 1, 2008
Ed Cafasso Letter - Part 2
I am passing along a brief update on school issues in Franklin, but first I need to make two corrections to the e-mail I distributed Sunday evening…
- At Franklin High School, the graduation rate for the Class of 2008 was 98.7%. Of the graduates, 73.1% chose to attend a public or private four-year college, and 15.4% chose to attend a public or private two-year college. (My e-mail said “four-year” in the second reference.)
- The average per pupil expenditure among school districts in Massachusetts stood at $11,859, which was $2,273 more than Franklin’s. (My e-mail said “less.”)
Thank you to the readers who pointed out my errors… I apologize. You can view the complete, corrected version of the academic-financial performance report online at: http://franklinschoolcommittee.wordpress.com/
With the school year underway, three issues are top of mind:
1. The Superintendent’s Resignation: Many parents have expressed deep disappointment in Supt. Ogden’s decision to resign, and I share that sentiment. You can expect next steps to be a topic of discussion at the School Committee meeting scheduled for the evening of Sept. 9. The mission of education goes on in Franklin and I think it’s fair to say that all the members of School Committee are committed to ensuring that the schools do the best they can this year with the resources that are available.
2. Class Sizes: The Franklin Public Schools began the 2008-09 academic year with an estimated 6,175 students, an increase of 101 students from the end of school in June and 136 more than were enrolled at the start of school in 2006. With 40 fewer teachers, there are fewer classes at all levels and too many of the classes that remain are far larger than they should be. We are already receiving reports of over-crowded classrooms at middle schools and the high school; in some cases, class sizes at Franklin High are at 40 students or more and there are not enough seats or textbooks for some students. Now that school has begun and new enrollments are being finalized, the Committee expects to receive up-to-date data on class sizes soon; I will pass it along when it becomes available.
3. Franklin High School: The reduction in instructional personnel will need to be reported to officials with the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), which looks closely at class size in making decisions about our accreditation status. It is possible that the increased class sizes, the need for facility improvements, and the need to invest in our science and technology offerings will result in the high school being put on probation by the end of the year. Moving as quickly as possible to address the issues at Franklin High must be a top priority for the School Committee and for the town as a whole this fall.
Facilities maintenance responsibilities for school buildings and grounds were transferred to the Town control this summer after an agreement was reached to ensure that school principals retain command and control over issues inside their buildings, which is a required provision under the state’s Education Reform law. Custodial staff did another fine job preparing the buildings for the first day of school last week.
Also, I know many of you have expressed concern about the fate of the late bus, which was one of the items at risk in the override voters faced this past June. With the override’s failure, the late bus was not included in the school budget for 2008-09. For a time earlier this summer, it appeared that strong demand for the pay-to-ride program would produce enough funds to continue the late bus, but now additional unexpected new costs have arisen elsewhere within the school district. At the Aug. 26 School Committee meeting, efforts to continue the late bus were again discussed and shelved.
The rollercoaster late bus debate is a symbol of the increasingly difficult choices we face as a district. When there was a threat the late bus would be eliminated, working families protested because the service allows them to work and their children to access important after-school programs. When there was a chance there might be funds to continue the late bus, some community leaders complained that the School Committee would lose credibility if we didn’t follow through on the promised consequences of the failed override. Still others argue that if we can somehow find $40,000, we should use the funds to try to re-hire a teacher or for some other important purpose, instead of using it to revive the late bus.
At a time of scarce financial resources and a variety of urgent, under-funded needs, you can expect more of these unattractive choices to dominate School Committee discussions and decisions.
These e-mails are provided as a constituent service. I hope to distribute at least one e-mail update each month during the school year, as issues warrant. As always, I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. If you are receiving duplicate e-mails or if you no longer wish to receive these updates, please let me know and I will remove you from the distribution list. If you know of someone you would like to add to the list, please send along their e-mail address.
Thanks!
Ed Cafasso, Member
Franklin School Committee
Note: The corrections noted by Ed in the opening here have been incorporated into the posting of Part 1.