Charlie Green is someone I follow and read regularly.
Note: Franklin Matters subscribers will need to click through to the website to view the video.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
“This is a great day for the town of Franklin”
“I couldn’t be more excited,” said Town Councilor and School Building Committee Chairman Thomas Mercer. “A major decision for the town was made by 10,000 people. It would have been a sin to see this decision made by 3,000 people.”
The debt exclusion will raise property taxes until 2040, costing the average homeowner $1 in fiscal 2013, $45 in fiscal 2014, $85 in fiscal 2015, $216 in fiscal 2016, and $260 every year after that until 2040.
The 104.5 million debt exclusion was the biggest obstacle for supporters of a new Franklin High School to overcome.
Now, town officials will finish creating contract documents, with Mercer saying he hopes to put the project out to bid by the end of July.
If everything stays on track, construction will break ground on the current high school sports fields this October, with students moving into a new school by the fall of 2014.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x140148815/Voters-overwhelmingly-back-new-Franklin-High-School-project#ixzz1qOzMP2OI
The full set of results from the election can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/03/franklin-ma-debt-exclusion-precinct.html
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Franklin, MA: Debt Exclusion - precinct totals
Precinct Yes No Blanks
1 1011 258
2 819 241
3 772 335
4 1093 251
5 777 274 1
6 1018 219
7 1366 210
8 1132 194
-----------------------------------------
Totals 7988 1982 1
9971 total votes cast of 20,500 eligible voters for a 48.6%
1 1011 258
2 819 241
3 772 335
4 1093 251
5 777 274 1
6 1018 219
7 1366 210
8 1132 194
-----------------------------------------
Totals 7988 1982 1
9971 total votes cast of 20,500 eligible voters for a 48.6%
Franklin, MA says "Yes" to model school program
The vote tally 9971
Yes = 7988
No = 1982
Total voters = 9971
Total registered voters = 20,500
percent voting 48.6%
Yes = 7988
No = 1982
Total voters = 9971
Total registered voters = 20,500
percent voting 48.6%
15 Letters to the Editor
If this is any indication on the level of civic engagement in Franklin, then this election has been good to get so many involved. Let's all get out to cast our ballot.
VOTE YES: Barlow - Don’t miss the chance on FHS
VOTE YES: Hartnett - Yes to a new Franklin High School
Voices of Franklin - Bill Glynn - Misinformation Campaign Manipulates Senior Citizens
The FHS vote is a rare situation when self-interest (to maintain lowest possible taxes) aligns with the community’s interest (to tend to the community’s needs). The high school problems are well documented: the entire facility must be made accessible to those with disabilities and the failing infrastructure must be upgraded to make the building safe and bring it up to code (these two issues alone will cost tens of millions of dollars in renovations). Franklin must decide either to pay $47M of the $104M cost to build a new school or 100% of the $86+M cost to renovate the existing school. The new school option is the taxpayers’ cheapest option and provides the best outcome. Since a “do nothing keep all my money” option doesn’t exist, a “NO” vote will cost Franklin $86+M instead of the $47M cost of a “YES” vote. It should be an easy decision.
Back when the current high school was built, there was no proposition 2.5, so the community probably looked at multiple options when deciding to build the current school – just like the building committee did during this analysis. There may have been a high-end option as well as a low-end option and perhaps middle of the road options too. The point is, the decision had to be analyzed and folks had to choose between competing goals such as: lowest-cost, best-value, maximum-benefit, etc. My guess is that their decision was more heavily-weighted toward the lowest-cost end of the spectrum. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have a school with all of the facilities embedded in concrete walls (a cheap way to build, but extremely expensive to renovate and upgrade) and we would have a handicapped-accessible school with elevators. These two items in particular answer the question posed by some, “how come Tri-County is OK?” The answer is directly linked to what was bought: Franklin didn’t buy a Mercedes or a Toyota Camry and so the end result was a school with a relatively short lifespan that was not designed to be upgradable.
In the current situation, the state (MSBA) decided between the options first and determined which option (if any) it would choose to fund. First, the MSBA funds school projects on the basis of need; the higher the need, the closer to the top of the list you get. So, unless you’re thinking that the state just has more money than it knows what to do with, you have to agree that FHS must have some level of need in order to be near the top of the list. The state chose the model school option because the costs are very deterministic (the model has been built several times so cost overruns are minimized) and the state wasn’t looking for the lowest-cost option (renovation was about 85% of the cost of a new model school). Rather, the state was looking more along the lines of value for the money being spent – in other words, a higher return on their investment because they don’t want us coming back in 15 years. That’s why we’re able to have the option to get a new model school for less money (shared cost) than a renovation (we pay the full cost because the state won’t throw good money after bad).
So, if there is clearly a need to fix issues at the high school and that need is so great that the cost is roughly 85% of the cost to build a completely new school as well as rip down and dispose of the old school and we can get the new school by paying only 40% of the cost, then what’s the problem? While I am sensitive to the issue that there are some folks facing financial difficulty, the biggest problem is there are many more people who don’t like to deal with inconvenient data; they’d rather invent their own data and invent their own options and they believe that a “NO” vote gets them their invented option. The reality is there is no option that says ignore the situation, do nothing, spend no money and continue on as though the $1M or so and multiple years the town spent on engineers to analyze the situation never happened. Go back to sleep, it’s just a bad dream. Toward that goal, there are those who have been intentionally deceiving the Franklin taxpayer and preying upon the vulnerabilities of Franklin’s cost-sensitive senior community in particular with a disinformation campaign claiming there are no problems – just say “NO” and all will be well. If they are successful, they will have spared the Franklin taxpayers a $47M bill by convincing them to opt for an $86+M bill.
Although masterful in its execution, this disinformation campaign is repugnant by design. Is it effective? Only if you fall victim to the “all’s well” fantasy or you fail to vote and help protect yourself and the community from those who are victimized.
Back when the current high school was built, there was no proposition 2.5, so the community probably looked at multiple options when deciding to build the current school – just like the building committee did during this analysis. There may have been a high-end option as well as a low-end option and perhaps middle of the road options too. The point is, the decision had to be analyzed and folks had to choose between competing goals such as: lowest-cost, best-value, maximum-benefit, etc. My guess is that their decision was more heavily-weighted toward the lowest-cost end of the spectrum. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have a school with all of the facilities embedded in concrete walls (a cheap way to build, but extremely expensive to renovate and upgrade) and we would have a handicapped-accessible school with elevators. These two items in particular answer the question posed by some, “how come Tri-County is OK?” The answer is directly linked to what was bought: Franklin didn’t buy a Mercedes or a Toyota Camry and so the end result was a school with a relatively short lifespan that was not designed to be upgradable.
In the current situation, the state (MSBA) decided between the options first and determined which option (if any) it would choose to fund. First, the MSBA funds school projects on the basis of need; the higher the need, the closer to the top of the list you get. So, unless you’re thinking that the state just has more money than it knows what to do with, you have to agree that FHS must have some level of need in order to be near the top of the list. The state chose the model school option because the costs are very deterministic (the model has been built several times so cost overruns are minimized) and the state wasn’t looking for the lowest-cost option (renovation was about 85% of the cost of a new model school). Rather, the state was looking more along the lines of value for the money being spent – in other words, a higher return on their investment because they don’t want us coming back in 15 years. That’s why we’re able to have the option to get a new model school for less money (shared cost) than a renovation (we pay the full cost because the state won’t throw good money after bad).
So, if there is clearly a need to fix issues at the high school and that need is so great that the cost is roughly 85% of the cost to build a completely new school as well as rip down and dispose of the old school and we can get the new school by paying only 40% of the cost, then what’s the problem? While I am sensitive to the issue that there are some folks facing financial difficulty, the biggest problem is there are many more people who don’t like to deal with inconvenient data; they’d rather invent their own data and invent their own options and they believe that a “NO” vote gets them their invented option. The reality is there is no option that says ignore the situation, do nothing, spend no money and continue on as though the $1M or so and multiple years the town spent on engineers to analyze the situation never happened. Go back to sleep, it’s just a bad dream. Toward that goal, there are those who have been intentionally deceiving the Franklin taxpayer and preying upon the vulnerabilities of Franklin’s cost-sensitive senior community in particular with a disinformation campaign claiming there are no problems – just say “NO” and all will be well. If they are successful, they will have spared the Franklin taxpayers a $47M bill by convincing them to opt for an $86+M bill.
Although masterful in its execution, this disinformation campaign is repugnant by design. Is it effective? Only if you fall victim to the “all’s well” fantasy or you fail to vote and help protect yourself and the community from those who are victimized.
Self-interest = Community Interest (video)
A brief (less than 2 minutes) video with good reasons to vote Yes on March 27th
Voting Information for the New FHS Ballot Measure
Vote YES for the New FHS
TOMORROW, Tuesday, March 27th
Location: Franklin High School Field House (218 Oak Street)
Hours: 6:00 am - 8:00 pm
Best Hours to vote: Before 7:00 am and after 3:00 pm
Remember, fill in the entire oval for the YES vote, do not check the oval
ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS WILL BE A VERY TIGHT RACE.
EVERY VOTE COUNTS. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
EVERY VOTE COUNTS. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
PLEASE COME OUT AND VOTE YES FOR THE NEW FHS.
For more information, please see our website at www.newfhs.com
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website, http://www.newfhs.com or indicated you were a supporter to one of our volunteers.
Our mailing address is:
Copyright (C) 2012 Citizens for the New Franklin High School All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Citizens for the New Franklin High School
Add us to your address book
10 Juniper Lane
Franklin, MA 02038Add us to your address book
Copyright (C) 2012 Citizens for the New Franklin High School All rights reserved.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Voices of Franklin: Sean Donahue - Misinformation Corrected
First, let me start this letter by saying there are Franklin residents who have taken the time to ask questions and learn the facts about the new Franklin High School project and have still decided they are against this project. Whatever their reason may be, they are entitled to that opinion.
Unfortunately, however, there are still many people who are basing their opposition to the project on misinformation, or much worse, know the facts but are purposely spreading false information to try to get other residents to vote no. This has been evidenced in some of the recent letters against the school printed in the Milford Daily News and Franklin Matters.
When Franklin voters cast their ballot on Tuesday, they deserve to have accurate information and should be making an educated decision based on what’s true rather than the recent campaign of misinformation. Those making false claims and exaggerations are doing a disservice to their fellow citizens.
First of all, the claim that a vote “yes” is giving the town a blank check is simply untrue. The ballot question does not contain the price because of state regulations (http://www.mass.gov/dor/docs/dls/publ/misc/prop2.pdf ), but the cost is still clearly defined by the Town Council’s binding resolution at $104 million with the state contributing $57 million and the town paying $47 million. This resolution can be found right on the Town Clerk’s website attached to the information on the election (http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/HighSchoolOverride.pdf ).
And yes, that price is binding because of state law, which makes clear that “even though a dollar amount is not included in the referendum question approved by the voters for these projects, the exclusion is not unlimited and does not necessarily cover all cost increases. An exclusion covers the debt service costs on the borrowing amount authorized or contemplated for the described purpose or purposes at the time of the referendum vote. Debt service on any borrowing above that fixed amount is not excluded unless (1) it is a modest amount attributable to inflation, new regulatory requirements or minor project changes, or (2) another exclusion is approved by the voters.” (http://www.mass.gov/dor/docs/dls/publ/igr/2002/2002-101.pdf )
In other words, outside of a modest increase due to “inflation, new regulatory requirements or minor project changes”, an increase in cost would require another debt exclusion to be brought before the town. Considering the $104 million total price ($47 million cost to the town) includes $4.5 million in contingencies, it is quite likely the high school project could come in under budget as many of the recent model school projects across the state have.
The total price also includes the cost to replace all the fields and tennis courts, furnish the new building, all the new technology, remove the old high school, and everything else needed for this to be a turn-key project. These costs are NOT in addition to the $104 million total price ($47 million cost to the town) as some have implied.
Another recent letter continually referred to the cost to a homeowner as an additional $360 per year. That is only true if your property is valued at $486,500. For the average homeowner ($352,700), the cost is $260 per year until the debt is paid off in 2040. To calculate the effect on your property tax bill beginning July 1, 2016, take your assessed value, divide it by 1,000 and multiply the result by .74. If your property is worth $100,000, the cost is $74 per year. If it’s $200,000, the cost is $148 per year.
One letter said places like “Boston, Worcester, Lawrence, and Lowell” need the state funds from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) more than Franklin. Worcester just completed a new high school using heavy MSBA funding. Boston and Lowell each have five or more current projects using MSBA funds. If Franklin votes not to accept the funds, the funds do not go back to the taxpayers; they go to the next town in line, which could just as easily be Newton, Sharon or Wellesley as it could be Lawrence.
Everyone must weigh the costs of this project, but they should also be mindful that after five years of exploring all possibilities of getting the high school where it needs to be for Franklin’s students, both the state and Franklin School Building Committee agreed the Model School program was the best option for the town after renovation prices, even after MSBA reimbursement estimates, came in at nearly the same cost. Building the model school provides us with a structure designed for the future and avoids the issues and distractions renovating an active school would provide.
A “no” vote does not mean the problems go away. The town would have to either address the problems with no state reimbursement (and spend a much higher sum to renovate than the new model school would cost) or get back in line with the MSBA for funds for renovation or another new school proposal and with no guarantee we would ever see such a great reimbursement rate again. Heading back to the MSBA would take years and in addition to delaying providing our students with a 21st century facility or even just full handicap accessibility, the prices are likely to continue to rise.
If as a town we refuse to provide the money needed to take any of the actions needed to correct the issues with the current high school, we should also remember that when a public school system doesn’t keep up with its peers, those that suffer most are the ones on a tight budget who can’t afford to send their children to private schools or move to another community. We need to weigh that as well when considering the sacrifices everyone has to make due to a temporary – albeit 25 year – tax increase.
As one of Franklin’s most celebrated former residents, Horace Mann, once said, “education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery.”
I encourage everyone to vote YES, on Tuesday, March 27th, but if you do vote no, please do so with full knowledge of the facts and don’t be misled by the misinformation.
Sean Donahue
Franklin
Unfortunately, however, there are still many people who are basing their opposition to the project on misinformation, or much worse, know the facts but are purposely spreading false information to try to get other residents to vote no. This has been evidenced in some of the recent letters against the school printed in the Milford Daily News and Franklin Matters.
When Franklin voters cast their ballot on Tuesday, they deserve to have accurate information and should be making an educated decision based on what’s true rather than the recent campaign of misinformation. Those making false claims and exaggerations are doing a disservice to their fellow citizens.
First of all, the claim that a vote “yes” is giving the town a blank check is simply untrue. The ballot question does not contain the price because of state regulations (http://www.mass.gov/dor/docs/dls/publ/misc/prop2.pdf ), but the cost is still clearly defined by the Town Council’s binding resolution at $104 million with the state contributing $57 million and the town paying $47 million. This resolution can be found right on the Town Clerk’s website attached to the information on the election (http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/HighSchoolOverride.pdf ).
And yes, that price is binding because of state law, which makes clear that “even though a dollar amount is not included in the referendum question approved by the voters for these projects, the exclusion is not unlimited and does not necessarily cover all cost increases. An exclusion covers the debt service costs on the borrowing amount authorized or contemplated for the described purpose or purposes at the time of the referendum vote. Debt service on any borrowing above that fixed amount is not excluded unless (1) it is a modest amount attributable to inflation, new regulatory requirements or minor project changes, or (2) another exclusion is approved by the voters.” (http://www.mass.gov/dor/docs/dls/publ/igr/2002/2002-101.pdf )
In other words, outside of a modest increase due to “inflation, new regulatory requirements or minor project changes”, an increase in cost would require another debt exclusion to be brought before the town. Considering the $104 million total price ($47 million cost to the town) includes $4.5 million in contingencies, it is quite likely the high school project could come in under budget as many of the recent model school projects across the state have.
The total price also includes the cost to replace all the fields and tennis courts, furnish the new building, all the new technology, remove the old high school, and everything else needed for this to be a turn-key project. These costs are NOT in addition to the $104 million total price ($47 million cost to the town) as some have implied.
Another recent letter continually referred to the cost to a homeowner as an additional $360 per year. That is only true if your property is valued at $486,500. For the average homeowner ($352,700), the cost is $260 per year until the debt is paid off in 2040. To calculate the effect on your property tax bill beginning July 1, 2016, take your assessed value, divide it by 1,000 and multiply the result by .74. If your property is worth $100,000, the cost is $74 per year. If it’s $200,000, the cost is $148 per year.
One letter said places like “Boston, Worcester, Lawrence, and Lowell” need the state funds from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) more than Franklin. Worcester just completed a new high school using heavy MSBA funding. Boston and Lowell each have five or more current projects using MSBA funds. If Franklin votes not to accept the funds, the funds do not go back to the taxpayers; they go to the next town in line, which could just as easily be Newton, Sharon or Wellesley as it could be Lawrence.
Everyone must weigh the costs of this project, but they should also be mindful that after five years of exploring all possibilities of getting the high school where it needs to be for Franklin’s students, both the state and Franklin School Building Committee agreed the Model School program was the best option for the town after renovation prices, even after MSBA reimbursement estimates, came in at nearly the same cost. Building the model school provides us with a structure designed for the future and avoids the issues and distractions renovating an active school would provide.
A “no” vote does not mean the problems go away. The town would have to either address the problems with no state reimbursement (and spend a much higher sum to renovate than the new model school would cost) or get back in line with the MSBA for funds for renovation or another new school proposal and with no guarantee we would ever see such a great reimbursement rate again. Heading back to the MSBA would take years and in addition to delaying providing our students with a 21st century facility or even just full handicap accessibility, the prices are likely to continue to rise.
If as a town we refuse to provide the money needed to take any of the actions needed to correct the issues with the current high school, we should also remember that when a public school system doesn’t keep up with its peers, those that suffer most are the ones on a tight budget who can’t afford to send their children to private schools or move to another community. We need to weigh that as well when considering the sacrifices everyone has to make due to a temporary – albeit 25 year – tax increase.
As one of Franklin’s most celebrated former residents, Horace Mann, once said, “education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery.”
I encourage everyone to vote YES, on Tuesday, March 27th, but if you do vote no, please do so with full knowledge of the facts and don’t be misled by the misinformation.
Sean Donahue
Franklin
The Cake Bar will be moving to Downtown Franklin
Hey, that sign looks new?
It is. It took the place of the sign for the former Cafe Dolce.
The Cake Bar is currently located on Union near the corner of Cottage and will be moving downtown in early May.
Visit the Cake Bar's website for additional information on the goodies they sell today
http://www.thecakebaronline.com/
VOTE YES Spirit Day
There's only one day left before we can FINALLY VOTE YES for the New FHS!
If you need any last minute information, the home page, Supporters page, Learn the Facts Questions & Answers, and News & Updates page of our web site -- www.newfhs.com -- have all been updated with the latest information and letters to the editor. Thanks again for all of your support!
Remember: Vote YES for FHS. A Real Need. The Right Time.
To spread our energy all over town, the Citizens for a New Franklin High School is staging a VOTE YES Spirit Day! Volunteers will be at the Franklin Village Plaza, Stop & Shop parking lot tomorrow, Monday, March 26th, from 12 to 4 p.m. to help you paint VOTE YES on your car windows in White and Blue!
Take a few minutes Monday to turn your car into a mobile VOTE YES campaign sign, show your support and have some fun! Email photos of your Campaign Car to voteyesforfhs@gmail.com and we'll post them to the campaign's Facebook page www.facebook.com/newfhs.
Remember, VOTE YES on Tuesday, March 27th. We will need every single YES vote. Do NOT assume the debt exclusion will win approval without YOUR VOTE on March 27. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. School is in session and patience will be required due to the expected large turnout, but parking spaces have been reserved for voters. If you are not able to get to the polls Tuesday, you can still vote in person at the Town Clerk's Office until noon, Monday, March 26, by absentee ballot.
If you need any last minute information, the home page, Supporters page, Learn the Facts Questions & Answers, and News & Updates page of our web site -- www.newfhs.com -- have all been updated with the latest information and letters to the editor. Thanks again for all of your support!
Remember: Vote YES for FHS. A Real Need. The Right Time.
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