Live reporting - Planning & Community Development

Brian Taberner and Beth Dahlstrom

The presentation that was used for this portion of the meeting can be found here

Preliminary work for an update to the Master Plan

• will put a committee together to help implement with public imput

Zoning Bylaws

• Uses accessory to dwellings (Home occupation)
• Signs
• Commercial 1 Zoning District

Later in FY 2010

• minor changes to Subdivision regulations
• minor changes to Plan Review Bylaw
• Exploring need for Wind Turbine and Mural bylaws

Operational guidelines
Create a community where entrepreneurs will want to settle and raise their families

Town Owned Properties

Nu-Style property
what to do next needs to be determined

Four Corners (no longer Town owned)
building demolished and construction underway for Walgreens

Pond St Property
consultant working on studies, designated as Priority Development Site (PDS) and Economic Opportunity Area (EOA)

Business attraction and retainage
highlight Franklin's community assets

Working with Downtown Partnership on the downtown plan
Bartlett - Where are we with the downtown, this has been in planning for years?
Nutting - we are waiting upon the state approval for the contract, we are hopeful that this fall the design and public process would begin

4 interns have provided over 60 hours of good work for us for free since the beginning of the year

Zollo - best case when would the downtown project be completed?
Nutting - 3 years
Taberner - 3 years is very realistic at this point, we have been doing as much as we can

Live reporting - Water Q&A

Vallee - why do you use chlorine?
Brutus - good long explanation, use to avoid potential 2 point per million, smallest amount to use, so it is constantly being run

Vallee - would you be better off replacing the asbestos pipes?
Brutus - the pipes are actually lined with asbestos, we have done that where we can.

Vallee - can you put in sidewalk when you do the road
Brutus - we don't have the funds for that, the driveway aprons kill us because of the hand work involved.

Bartlett - help me understand how this town or any town come to a reservoir or a tank?
Brutus - You need a place for a reservoir, we have a great water aquifer to pump from so the tanks make the most sense.

Bartlett - we have had some much rain this year, it is hard to explain why we still have a water restriction
Nutting - every year in perpetuity, we will have a restriction due to our permit not due to the water coming down as rain

Vallee - does the State limit us to how much we can pump?
Brutus - Yes, we are permitted to draw water, our water bans are later than most others.

Live reporting - License hearings

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS:

New License – The Alumni Club : motion to accept, approved 7-0, 1 absent, 1 recused (Feely)

Pledge of License - Three : motion to accept, approved 8-0

Live reporting - Water update

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Water & Sewer Update – Brutus Cantoreggi

Water funds generated are used only for water expenses not for other operational departments in the Town. $4.9 million enterprise budget for FY 2010

Almost 1 billion gallons of water pumped last year, the year before was actually over 1 billion.

Fluoride added and a small amount of chlorine added to improve the quality of water.

In 2002 there were 126 tests were conducted. In 2008, there were 626 tests conducted, and testing expense increased from $10,000 (2002) to $55,000 in 2008.

The old permit was for 4.1 MGD, the new permit is for 3.64 MGD. (MGD = million gallons per day)

Reduced consumption (about 400,000 MGD) equates to reduced water revenue.

In the 20/20 capital plan for the water improvements there were

• new water treatment plant
• replaced over 15 miles of water main
• 90% replacement of residential water meters, 100% replacement of commercial
• renovation of existing wells
  

Goals/Plans for future

Continue water main replacement

• Emmons and Main Sts (next year)
• Sahlin Circle (next year)
• Lincoln St (multiple phases)

Life-cycle repair and renovations for Wells 3, 7, 8
Permitting approval for Pump #12
Replacement of FIP Water Tank

Live reporting - Town Council 7/15/09

Attending: Whalen, Mason, Vallee, Bartlett, Feely, Pfeffer, McGann, Zollo
Missing: Doak

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - none

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS - none

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - none

E. APPOINTMENTS - none

"biotechnology companies in general tend to offer well-paying jobs"

"It means we accept biotechnology in the community. We're trying to attract biotech in the community, because any such company will increase the assessed value of property, which means more tax revenue and jobs for the town," said Taberner.

Read the full article about Franklin's economic development efforts to attract business in the Milford Daily News here

Harvest Festival - Sunday, Sept. 20

"This is much, much bigger than the Strawberry Festival - double the size, at least." said Lisa Piana, partnership executive director. "It's an event that people now put on their calendar, and vendors start calling in March and April," to reserve booths, as the partnership tries to avoid having competing vendors, said Piana.

Read the full article about the preparations for the Harvest Festival in the Milford Daily News here

Franklin Road Projects

Be sure to check out the notice from the DPW about road work being done around town this summer. You can check the street listing here

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT GOLDMARK FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT GOLDMARK FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce has organized a Business After Hours on Tues., Aug. 11 at Goldmark Federal Credit Union, 155 Pleasant St. in Attleboro. The business networking event will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The cost is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Register by calling 508-222-0801.

The United Regional Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit, business support organization serving the communities of Attleboro, Bellingham, Blackstone, Foxborough, Franklin, Mansfield, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Norton, Plainville, Rehoboth, Seekonk, and Wrentham.

teacher layoff number resolved

There will be no teachers laid off except four gym teachers, all the librarians, and a data analyst, Roy said.

Read the full article about the school budget in the Milford Daily News here.

"first step in regionalizing"

Deciding which capital projects should get funded every year is "a difficult balancing act," but the museum renovation is a priority, said Councilor Stephen Whalen.

Read the full article about the agenda for the Town Council meeting in the Milford Daily News

Town Council - Agenda - 7/15/09

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS

F, HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS:

New License – The Alumni Club
Pledge of License - Three

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS

Water & Sewer Update – Brutus Cantoreggi
Planning – Bryan Taberner

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

1. Resolution 09-48: Authorization to Hold Bonfire
2. Resolution 09-49: Appropriation: Renovation of Horace Mann Museum
3. Resolution 09-50: Increase of Local Excise Tax on Hotels and Other Public Lodgings
4. Resolution 09-51: Acceptance of G.L. Chapter 64L, Section 2 Authorizing Local Option Meals Excise
5. Resolution 09-52: Authorization for Intermunicipal Agreement for Library Services with
6. Resolution 09-53 : Transfer funds for Worker CompensationTown of Medway

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

"people shouldn't be critical of spending capital funds on the building"

If approved by Town Council, most of the funding - $400,000 - would come from the sale of the former Four Corners School, another $50,000 would come from the Senior Center building account, and the remainder from new hotel tax revenue.

By law, all funds received by a town from the sale of capital assets, such as Four Corners, can only be used for other capital expenses, not operating expenses, officials said.

Read the full article about Franklin's efforts to renovate the museum in the Milford Daily News here

"Forge Park as a priority development site"

"The stronger the message we send out to the business community that you can get both streamlined permitting and possibly tax incremental financing (a prerequisite for larger tax breaks from the state), the better for attracting folks," Nutting said.

Read the full article about the priority development effort in the Milford Daily News here.

3rd Thursday - July 16th

On Thursday, July 16th, the Franklin Downtown Partnership presents its monthly Third Thursday event. Hosted in July by Rick’s Restaurant and Salon Sorella, and sponsored by Middlesex Savings Bank, the event will feature Obi’s Boys performing timeless and traditional bluegrass favorites, along with ice cream, giveaways, and open houses by Franklin Downtown members.

Salon Sorella will give away free beach balls and sun awareness sample packs, and will hold a free drawing for sun-safe airbrush tanning. Artbeat, the Creativity Store, will offer free face painting and balloons from 4:30 to 6 pm, along with lemonade and cookies. Sarapaan is holding an open house at their new location next to Café Dolce, and Emma’s Quilt Cupboard & Sewing Machines will preview their broad selection of Christmas fabric, samples, and decorations.

In addition, Pretty is Pink will offer 20% off all Vera Bradley purchases along with bubbly and treats, and Jane’s Frames will host an artists’ reception featuring local artists James McCue and Robert Collins. Bob Collins will discuss the compositional elements of landscape, as well as how and why artists design landscapes while he works with acrylics on canvas. Refreshments will be served.

Franklin Downtown Partnership, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering greater vitality in the downtown commercial district and to serve as a vehicle for public policy discourse. The Partnership sees Franklin’s downtown as the heart of the community. The Partnership’s mission is to lessen the burden of local government through public improvement activities, which combat community deterioration, preserve the historic downtown character and educate the public about the architecture and history of the area. The Partnership office is located at 9 east Central Street. For more information you can contact Executive Director, Lisa Piana at (774)571-3109 or at downtown.franklin@yahoo.com

Middlesex Savings Bank, a $4.0 billion financial institution, is one of the largest independent community banks in Massachusetts. Headquartered in Natick, the bank has over 600 employees in 25 towns and offers a full range of personal and business financial services.

Live music at Cafe Dolce

From BJ, Dave, and Lisa at Cafe Dolce comes the following info:

Join us this Friday, July 10th from 6pm-9pm as Cafe Dolce once again proudly presents Patrick "the Piano Man" Durkin (http://www.patrickdurkin.com) playing live music in our Cafe! All who were in attendance at last week's performance seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed this lively evening of music and dance, and we hope you will stop by tomorrow night!

In addition, this Saturday, July 11th fom 6:30pm-8:30pm, Cafe Dolce presents The Underground Cats (www.theundergroundcats.com), a high energy and very unique Rock n' Roll Band!

Long term planning report

Did you ever review the Financial Planning Committee's report?

Did you miss the Information Forum held on April 27, 2009 in the Mercer Auditorium at Horace Mann?

There is no time like the present then to catch up to this important report. You can find the report in the details of my live reporting from the presentation and discussion on April 27th.

You can also view the 2 hour and 12 minute session on the Town website.

This topic is important to understand. The financial issues that Franklin faces will not go away anytime soon. The Town Council will finalize the FY 2010 budget either on July 15th or an August meeting. The Finance Committee has already approved the hotel and meals tax which will help Franklin obtain a new source of revenue. The revenue gained will not solve our problems. The revenue is estimated to be less than $500,000 per year but every bit helps.

The School Committee meeting on July 21st will finalize their budget for this year. What will be the final number of teachers cut this year?

"We have a great revenue opportunity"

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

Milford Daily News

Posted Jul 08, 2009 @ 12:38 AM

---

FRANKLIN —

At Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting's urging, the Finance Committee last night unanimously voted to recommend Town Council spend $500,000 to renovate the new historic museum.

Nutting suggested the council transfer $50,000 from the Senior Center Building account, use $50,000 from hotel tax revenue, and $400,000 from the sale of the former Four Corners School.

Read the full article about Tuesday's Finance Committee meeting in the Milford Daily News here