Live reporting: Spilka, Ross, Roy

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Senators Spilka, Ross and Representative Roy (Chris Yancich in his place)

Sen Spilka
$154,000 increase over FY 14, via joint release of House and Senate
$59,000 increase also coming to Franklin for unrestricted aid
SPED circuit breaker still to be determined with other specific areas of the budget

Sen Ross
appreciates Sen Spilka's knowledge of Franklin
trying to bring back as much as can be brought back to the community
Watertown was shut off due to the over whelming response to the firefighter funeral today
thanks to all those in Franklin and our local communities for the first responders and their service

Chris Yancich
Thanks to the Senators for covering the budget that was what I had in my notes from Rep Roy
Rep Roy apologies for not attending tonight, he is in session in the House working on the budget legislation
feel free to reach out to Rep Roy and we'll do what we can

Q - Jones - we need money for roads?
Spilka - $1.5 B for 5 years, could account for the largest amount ever to go to cities and towns for the next 5 years, also allowed to be aggregated so it doesn't have to be spent all at once, some can carry over

Ross - it has been a hard winter, a lot of work is being done on the 152 corridor
Planville will start to see some growth with the race track coming in
I commend you all for doing as much as you can with what you get

$300,000 for the Panther Way section at RT 140 was passed by the House
looking to see that is still comes this way

Spilka - encourages communities to write a letter and be a pain, sorry to be that way but it may help

Nutting - looking to get a home rule change to be able to tax the medical marijuana
it is up for the agenda this evening

Spilka - water issue bond bill to help communities, particularly with the EPA focus on the water

Ross - we do rely on you to be our eyes and ears for any issues that we may not know of
Greg Casey, formerly with Scott Brown, will be starting tomorrow as chief of staff to replace the person who I had who left for a private position

Spilka - temporary notes, to provide more flexibility on short term bans, to renew from 5 to 10 years
MetroWest commission on the status of women and girls, to work with the Sate-wdie org and focus on the 495 MetroWest belt communities

Ross - we are being proactive with the MetroWest caucus which is now coming further down i495 than it has come before, great things will be happening in this area

Live reporting: Town Council - Apr 2, 2014

Present: Feldman, Paqdula, Kelly, Vallee, Pfeffer, Jones, Bissanti, Williams, Mercer (remote)
Absent:  none

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
– February 12, 2014 Regular and Executive Session- To be released


B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
– This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by Franklin Matters.


C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
none

E. APPOINTMENTS
none

F. HEARINGS
none

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
none

Youth Community Involvement Club - Connecting FHS with the Franklin Community

Conor Lemanowicz writes:

As citizens of Franklin it is our duty to give back to the community that has given us so much throughout our lives. Giving back is the mission that the Youth Community Involvement Club was founded upon. Founded this year by a group of students led by Dan Robert, the YCIC’s goal is to create an organization that will have a profound effect on Franklin for years to come.  

Youth Community Involvement Club

If you have never heard of the YCIC, you are not alone. It is a relatively new organization with large goals. The YCIC is an eight member board that acts as a catalyst to facilitate outreach between the students at Franklin High and the many people in our community in need of assistance. The YCIC works directly with the Franklin Food Pantry to help support the families of those in need. The Franklin Food Pantry is already a very established organization in town. With the help of the YCIC, the food pantry can reach more people, more efficiently, and with more consistency. 

YCIC meets every Thursday in Mr. Penza’s room. Meetings are open to the public to come in and provide ideas. The more awareness we can spread, the greater the effect we can have. The YCIC also helps to organize and to spark interest for community events. The first of these events is the Elks Care Elks Share 5K Road Race and Walk. The event, which will take place on May 10th not only helps to benefit the Franklin Food Pantry but it also helps the Wounded Warrior Project. The YCIC hopes to lay a foundation to make the organization an integral part of student life at Franklin High. With your help, the YCIC can be extremely beneficial for generations to come. 

If you are interested in helping out with the YCIC in any way or if you would like to participate in the 5K please contact ycic.fhs@gmail.com or contact any of the members of the board.

You can also follow the YCIC on twitter @FHSYCIC

Member Contact List:Conor Lemanowicz
Thomas Cerrier
Gabbie Blood
Cobi Frongillo
Ashley Jacques
Haley Frank
Cathryn Noon

This was originally posted on the FHS Pantherbook
http://pantherbook.org/student-life/2014/03/31/connecting-fhs-with-the-franklin-community/

Agenda for April 2 Friends of Franklin Library Meeting

FOFL Meeting Agenda for Wednesday. April 1, 2014

Meeting time:  7PM

Meeting place:  Franklin Library, Community Room

·       Welcome and introductions

·       Guest - Alice Welch, President of the Massachusetts Friends of libraries (MFOL)

·       Library Director's comments

·       Comments and updates from the Library Board of Directors

·       Acceptance of minutes from last (March 5) meeting

·       Treasurer's report

·       Committee updates

o   Membership 

                         Annual meeting in May

o   Outreach – Facebook/Twitter

     Spring newsletter      

o   Downtown Partnership 

               Membership Renewal

               FDP event schedule

·       Continuing items

o   FoFL Bulletin board content

o   Program plans, and update

o   Status of new passes requested by community

·       New Items

o   New program suggestions

o   Monthly "theme" suggestions

o   Other  (open forum)

Benjamin Franklin statue outside the Franklin Public Library

Franklin Cultural Council - Open House - Apr 6

The Franklin Historical Museum will host the Franklin Cultural Council awards on Sunday, Apr 6 from 2:00 - 4:00 PM.

Cultural Council Awards - Apr 6

Additional information can be found in the flyer




Please visit the updated Franklin Historical Museum webpage (nice!)
http://franklinhistoricalmuseum.org/

FSPA - Disney Showcase - Apr 11

Thirty-four local students from the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) will travel to Walt Disney World during the April school break to perform for Disney audiences and participate in master classes with Disney performers, choreographers and directors. 

FSPA musical theater troupes Broadway Ladies and Broadway Light, as well as the senior dance company, CenterStage, will entertain at Downtown Disney’s Waterside Stage. Performances are on Saturday and Sunday evenings, April 19 and 20. The FSPA students also will participate in Disney’s Broadway Magic, Jazz Dance and Acting 101 workshops, as well as in the American Idol Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. 

FSPA

FSPA performing troupe and dance company members are selected at the beginning of each academic year by audition. The ensembles offer outstanding training and performing opportunities throughout the year. 

The FSPA students participating in Disney Performing Arts at Walt Disney World are Marissa Carlin of Bellingham; Adriane D’Amato and Amber McGrath of Foxboro; Madison Asgeirsson, Brooke Collins, Hailey DeMello, Kendra Dombroski, Ali Funkhouser, Graham Hancock, Jocelyn Jones, Catherine LeClair, Shaina McGillis, Teagan McStay, Sarah Metras, Brian Rea, Jillian Rea, Alicia Rivera, Stephanie Schiavo, Lindsey Sparages, Lauren Szczepanowski, Katherine Waples and Melissa Wyner of Franklin; Michael Fajardo of Hopkinton; Sam Evans, Alex Vancura and Nicole Vancura of Medfield; Elizabeth Kilgallon and Maddy Williams of Medway; Katie Gray and Bridget Madden of Milford; Shannon Fox of Norfolk; Kylee Rollins of North Attleboro; Sasha Gardner of Sharon; and Jenna McDermott of Wrentham.  

FSPA performing at Disney in Dec 2013

In preparation for the trip, FSPA will present a Disney Showcase on Friday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m. at the Franklin Lodge of Elks, 1077 Pond Street. In addition to the Disney-bound ensembles, Disney Showcase will feature the musical theater troupes Lite Brites and BLT2, with younger FSPA students, and FSPA’s junior dance ensemble, Next Step. Ticket proceeds will help defray travel and workshop expenses for the Disney-bound performers. 

The musical theater ensembles will be accompanied by FSPA’s resident rhythm section, including FSPA Director Raye Lynn Mercer, drummer and faculty member Kenny Hadley, as well as bassist and arranger Mark Poniatowski and guitarist Mark White, both of the Berklee College of Music.

Tickets to Disney Showcase are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors, and include a dessert buffet at intermission. Tickets may be purchased in advance at The Spotlight Shop (34 Main Street, Franklin), by phone (508-528-8668), and online (www.fspaonline.com), or are available at the door.

Franklin Wine Club

Would like to inform you of the new Franklin Wine Club my store is supporting.

Franklin Wine Club

Franklin Wine Club http://www.meetup.com/Franklin-Wine-Club/


Our Wine Room  http://www.franklinliquors.com/WINEEDUCATION.htm



Take care
Mark Lenzi



Mark C Lenzi CSW* CWAS**
Franklin Liquors
Franklin MA 02038
Phone: 508-528-7338
Fax: 508-520-0515
Franklinliquors.com
Find Us On Social Media
*Certified Specialist of Wine
 Society Of Wine Educators
**California Wine Appellation Specialist
 San Francisco Wine School

In the News: FY 2015 budget

The Finance Committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed next fiscal year's $99.8 million budget, sending it along to the Town Council for a final review. 

"Thanks for all of the preparation," said committee chairwoman Susan Dewsnap, addressing Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting, treasurer/collector James Dacey and comptroller Susan Gagner. "It all went smoothly." 

The council may hold budget hearings as early as the end of the month.

Read the full article here (subscription required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140402/NEWS/140409346/1994/NEWS

Live reporting - Finance Committee

Present: Fleming, Dowd, Conley, Smith, Dewsnap, Heumpher 
Absent: , Dufour, Aparo, Quinn

Gagner, Nutting, Dacey

Bill Dowd covering to take notes for the meeting

Draft Capital plan presentation

Adjusted package from last week that was viewed by the FinCom

Saving 300,000 in free cash for snow and ice and 100,000 for whatever

take 10% of free cash and put it into OPEB, so that would be 200,000

fire truck would cost about 550-600,000

fund renovations to second floor of Senior Center to get architect work underway

field stabilization account to replace fields, will need 900,000 - 1M to replace, targeted for 2016 or 2017 at the latest

Rec Dept looking to do a 'spray park' at Fletcher Field, a fancy way to run under a sprinkler
can mitigate our share of expenses, the State will reimburse but we need to front the money
if we apply we can get the grant, all the water is recycled and treated before being reused

police looking for vehicles, radios and computers

finish parking lots with LED lighting
fire suppression system in the computer room here at the Municipal Building

$7.5M bond authorization for sewer work

multiple sources of misc revenue to the tune of about $880,000
including the Board of Assessors who released 3 years of overlay surplus in the amount of $550,000

Fire
Chief Gary McCarragher
vehicle for shift supervisors is what is being looked for to be replaced
2006 Expedition has about 60,000 miles, would be moved to fire prevention
new vehicle would be used for fire response

portable radios, some purchased last year, this will replaced the remainder
like a computer it either works or it doesn't, on a good rotation cycle
this would purchase 20, this would keep 2-3 as spares with a 7 year life cycle
not a lot of down time associated with these

EMS jackets
we replacing fire fighter clothing and if anything was left would be used on these jackets
since they received the grant for the fire fighters, they need funds for the EMS folks 

replace the more of the old remaining breathing apparatus
it is mission critical, you need to replace all at the same time
buy them train them and then used them without having to worry about them
looking to seek grants to help support the purchase
looking 350-400,000 total for all the units needed

had been a request for body armor that was cut from this version of the capital budget

can also purchase through a state bid (for the truck) and ensure how close we'll be for the bid and the stabilization amount as we go

Police
Chief Stephen Semerjian

I think the fire chief did a credible job on the vehicle and on the radios so I thank him for that, it will save me some jabbering

three of the older and high mileage vehicles are targeted for replacement
it is a matter of safety for the guys, the mechanics will tell us when it is time to go

the dog is not in the capital budget
the dog probably trains harder than we do
currently 8 yrs old, purchase of a replacement is coming from the operating budget
rather than wait for the capital budget

30 portable radios would bring a new one for the full department with 5 spares
6-8 years life expectancy

20K for computers some desktops and two for the new cars coming in
includes 3 desktop, 2 mobile units, and 9K for the software

discussion on the recycling of the cruisers, cost of extending the older vehicles is more than using a newer car with better mileage

new cars are all 6-cylinders, so there is cost savings operationally
we'll accumulate some to auction off and do them at batch

DPW
Deacon Perrotta, Deputy of Operations

looking at purchase of a replacement for one of the sidewalk vehicles

pick up truck used by the on-call person

refurbish the truck body used by the catch basin truck cleaner
the body rots out cleaning the catch basins, replacing the body extends the life of the vehicle at a good savings

$225,000 for the Senior Center to add 30 spaces to the existing 88 parking spaces
trees cleared, doing the plans ready for when the asphalt season opens
grading and earthwork required, drainage is also required
parking needed in advance of the second floor renovation

Park road getting flooded, drainage needed to avoid flooding
55K for drainage, 30 for paving, remaining

looking to add 6 vehicle parking spots at the Police Station
land across the street at the ice rink is State owned

Sewer
Beaver St interceptor turns 100 years old this year
it runs from Beaver by the train tracks up behind the Franklin Village Plaza and then to Pond St to the old sewer beds, to replace the whole thing would be multiple millions

'muffin monsters' will grind up anything, including the swifters that shouldn't be going down the drain

dual wheel utility truck, originally priced at 130K and worked with the manufacturer we can come down to
83,000 

Water
generator for the Washington St booster station
behind the old museum on Washington, provides pressure boost for the water lines from there to the end of town

meter replacement program
looking to replace 20 year old meters, loosing revenue
looking to replace 600 per year, MIU = meter interface unit, read via radio signal
meters will now do leak detection, most waste through toilet leaks
looking to replace the residential meters

commercial meters are already 
approx 3,000 calculated to be replace, would be contracted to do the replacement
phone cal or website, work with the residents, at least four contacts to schedule the visit to replace
may ultimately be a $50 fine for non-replacement

need to do 2 miles of water main replaced every year
authorization for $7.5M but design would be spent and then the pipe work would be done next spring
probably would also need a rate increase to do this

sheets to be added with proposed water main replacements for the next several years


Public Facilities
Mike D'Angelo

looking to replace generator at the police station

three major school facilities were already done, this amount would be covering the remaining public facilities exterior lighting, payback less than three years, lighting to last 7-8 years
no parts in the light to change, a solid state fixture to run 50-70,000 hours

Halon suppression system for the computer room, good coverage for the equipment being used in the room


Technology
replace 4 servers
replace the Windows XP with Windows 7 systems as XP is no longer supported


Capital budget
voting to approve capital for general operations   approved by 6-0
water   approved by 6-0
sewer   approved by 6-0
water main replacement bond for 7.5M    approved by 6-0


FY 2015 operating budget
total recommended 110,275,241
general government  9004727
public safety 9758704
education  57818453
DPW highway  4144423
human services  566930
culture recreation  1164434
debt service  7591160
benefits  9285386
liability insurance  460000

solid waste 215281 ??
sewer (fill in later)
water 4852511

all votes were 6-0 approval

looking for the library to make a presentation on Apr 16th
would come before the FinCom eventually no matter what is decided

funds remaining from the house on Beaver St, would look to transfer to take down the house on Wachusetts St (next to Fletcher field)

Thursday's meeting (Apr 3rd) would be canceled
will look to see when the Council will schedule their budget hearings

will look to balance out the money to pay the snow and ice budget

next meeting looks to be May 6th

motion to adjourn

Franklin Newcomers and Friends host 'Between the Peaks'

The Franklin Newcomers and Friends are thrilled to host two 2007 Franklin High School graduates, Jonathan Ronzio and Ethan Lee. Together with a third friend, they pursued their passions for adventure and combined them with humanitarian efforts to create Between The Peaks, a volunteerism based adventure. They've climbed numerous mountains in multiple countries and "between the peaks" they provided labor, donations and goodwill to underprivileged communities. Their website, betweenthepeaks.com reads like an adventure novel and details their adventure in pictures and words. They have filmed their adventure and put together a documentary film trailer that they will be presenting at numerous film festivals. 

Come meet these two outstanding men and hear their story!

Franklin Newcomers and Friends

Please join us on Wednesday, April 9th at 7:30 PM at "3" in Franklin. Light appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. A cash bar is available.

The sneak peak of the film of their adventure

Wachusett St purchase

During the last Town Council meeting, the Council approved the purchase of a house on Wachusett St. The house is empty and conveniently located next the current parking lot for the baseball fields at Fletcher Field. Purchase of the house and lot will allow eventually for the expansion of the parking lot.

If you have ever been along that stretch of Wachusett near Arlington when the games are in full swing, travel is slow (or should be) to safely avoid a problem.

92 Wachusett St

92 Wachusett St

No specific timeline on when the lot will be added to the parking area. Given the work already on hand for the DPW, my guess would sometime perhaps during this year or next year. The key would be whether the work required would require additional funding. The amount approved covered the purchase but did not cover the demolition or site work required.

The Town Council agenda and documents for the March 19th meeting
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-mar-19.html

The posts reported live during the March 19th meeting
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/town-council-031914.html

PMC Kids 8th Annual ride - June 15th

Our 8th Annual Kids Ride will be held on Sunday, June 15th at Remington/Jefferson School in Franklin from 8am-Noon. 

Kids ages 3-14 can participate in this bike ride to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund. 

Choose your ride: 3, 6 or 10 miles. Children 6 and under can ride on our Tikes and Trikes supervised course.

Register today at http://www.kids.pmc.org/franklin.aspx

PMC Kids ride - June 15th

Putting for Patients - Apr 6

Need to get your mini-golf fix in? Why not help a good cause at the same time. Sunday, Apr 6 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM at the FHS Field House

Putting for Patients

note the date is wrong on this sign, it should say Apr 6

Hockomock Area YMCA kicked off annual campaign March 27 at Gillette Stadium (photos)

Guests at the Hockomock Area YMCA's Reach Out for Youth & Families Campaign kickoff Breakfast listen to speakers sharing their Y stories

Mimo Jaber of Wrentham, MA shows emotion as she speaks of the support that the Y's scholarship program has helped her family's life

Shelly Jacobson of Wrentham, MA was one of the morning's speakers, sharing the impact the Y has had on her own life as a summer camper.  She is now the Sports Director at the Invensys Foxboro Branch

Hockomock YMCA

Finance Committee - Agenda - Apr 1, 2014

The Finance Committee will meet on Tuesday night to vote on the FY 2015 budget. They completed their series of budget hearings last Thursday. With their vote, the next step would be for the notifications and schedule for the Town Council to hold their two budget hearings (likely early in May). The Council usually votes for the budget during their second meeting. The overall budget for 2015 needs to be approve before July 1, 2014 when it is needed to support the daily operations.

The agenda document can be found here:

Franklin, MA - Municipal Building

Budget hearings

#1 - 
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/live-reporting-finance-committee-budget.html

#2 - 
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/live-reporting-finance-committee-budget_13.html

#3 - 
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/live-reporting-finance-committee-budget_20.html

#4 - 
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/live-reporting-finance-committee-budget_26.html

Franklin Public Schools - FY 2015 Proposed Budget

The School Committee voted to accept their proposed budget last Tuesday (Mar 25). The full budget document can be found here  http://franklindistrict.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinDistrict_budget/FY15%20Budget%20Book.pdf

You need to use at least version 9 of the Adobe Reader to view the workbook format for the budget documents.

The presentation with the highlights of the budget can be found here:

new Franklin High School under construction

Franklin Schools - Last day of school update

So far this year we have had 4 snow days. Also, the Keller/Sullivan Complex was closed one day for a facilities issue. The last day of school is as follows:

• All Schools except Keller/Sullivan: Friday June 20, 2014 - half day
• Keller/Sullivan Complex Monday June 23, 2014 - half day

pending any other snow/emergency days of course.

Keller-Sullivan sign from July 2013

This was shared from the Franklin Schools page here
http://franklindistrict.vt-s.net/Pages/FranklinDistrict_News/01D04D25-000F8513

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - Apr 2, 2014

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
– February 12, 2014 Regular and Executive Session- To be released

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
– This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by Franklin Matters.

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Senator Spilka and Representative Roy
150 Emmons Street

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 14-05: Appropriation: Fire Detail Account – Continue until May

2. Resolution 14-15: Request for Special Legislation, Re: Local Sales Tax on Sale of Medical Marijuana

3. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 14-728R: Changes to Chapter 185 – 5, Zoning Map: Industrial to Single Family III(Washington St.)-Referral to Planning Board

4. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 14-732:Changes to Chapter 185-21, Parking, Loading, and Driveway Requirements – Referral to Planning Board

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

The documents released with this agenda can be found here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_CouncilAgendas/2014/04022014.pdf

Franklin, MA - Municipal Building