Town of Franklin - E-Newsletter for December 2021

Lots of news, updates, links and more! Stay informed about what is happening in Franklin!

Subscribe for News December 2021 Edition Tax Rate Public Hearing Reminder On Friday, November 26, 2021, the Franklin Board of Assessors received Final Certification of its FY 2022 Real & Personal Property Revaluation by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (MA DOR). The Full & Fair Cash Valuations resulting from this program are being used to establish the FY 2022 Tax Rate and resulting taxes, after the first 2 quarters preliminary bill credits, for the final 3rd (January) & 4th (April) quarterly bills. New Growth Revenue was also approved on November 26, 2021. This is the revenue resulting from the value of additions to both the real and personal property tax base, which has been added to the Tax Levy for FY 2022. On Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 7:10 PM, the Board of Assessors will present data relevant to the the FY 2022 Tax Rate to the Town Council, which following the Tax Classification Hearing, will vote the required tax rate questions View the full legal notice here. Think Franklin First This Holiday Season! With over 35+ participating businesses in town, shopping and dining small are made easy with a Think Franklin First gift card. You can purchase a card with cash in person at Dean Bank or online where you can have your card shipped or emailed to yourself or the recipient of the gift card.  Learn more at franklingiftcard.com Don't Wait! Visit a Franklin Pop Shop Today. Want to support small businesses but don't know where to start? Visit one of our town sponsored Franklin Pop Shops before the program concludes on Dec. 31st! Bookstore Escape into Fiction offers variety of bookmarks, totes, stickers, puzzles. coloring books, and of course a diverse catalogue of literature. They'll even special order a title for you. Coffee company Doglio Coffee offers high quality organic and ethically sourced coffee. Drop by and build your own holiday gift box with various brews, tumblers and chocolate! Both Escape into Fiction and Doglio are located at 70 East Central St. While you're in the area, be sure to visit our other pop up shop Greco Design Co., located on 2A Main St. Specializing in home decor, Greco Design Co. offers hand painted wood signs, frames, wall hangings, artwork and prints, watercolor calendars and so much more. Looking for something specific? Take advantage of their custom order services! Join them Dec. 9th from 5-8pm for their special Sip + Shop event. Learn more about the Pop Shop Franklin Initiative and connect with the businesses. Franklin Police Department Deputy Chief Mill & Lieutenant Manocchio Retire The Franklin Police Department said goodbye and congratulations Deputy Chief James Mill and Lieutenant Mark Manocchio who retired last month. DC Mill concluded a 27+ year career with the FPD. DC Mill started his career in 1994 and worked several years in the patrol division before being promoted to Sergeant in 1999. In 2000 he was made a Detective Sergeant and led the Criminal Investigations Unit for 16 years. In 2016 he was promoted to Deputy Chief. Historic Shift for Franklin's Women in Uniform On Sunday November 21, 2021, for the first time in the history of the Franklin Police Department, the number of female officers on shift outnumbered the male officers. Pictured are Officers McVicar, Rosa, Canavan, and Ayer. Connect with FPD Facebook & Instagram: @franklinmapolice Twitter: @franklinpolice Franklin Public Library Library Event Highlights Dec.11th - Pancakes and Pajamas Keep your jammies on and join us at 10:30am for a cozy pancake breakfast, hot cocoa, and a special holiday surprise! What better way to celebrate the warmth of the season than in the coziest way we can think of! Dec. 14th - We Did It for You Women's journey through history is a story on how Women got their rights in America, told by the women who were there! Join us at 7pm via zoom. Sponsored by the Mass Cultural Council Dec. 17th - The Storytellers Guild A club for writers! Each month we meet to grow as storytellers, through prompts, discussion, and sharing our creativity! Ideal for grades 3 and up. Join us at 4pm! Dec. 30th - Noon Years Eve Party Let's send off 2021 in style! Join us at 11am for an end of the year bash as we ring in 2022 early! We'll have snacks, games, and a super new year's celebration! Library Hours The Franklin Public Library will be closed Saturday, Dec. 25th for Christmas Day. The Library will close early at 2pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. The Library's regular hours are Monday through Thursday, 9am to 8pm, and Friday and Saturday, 9am. to 5pm, and Sunday 1:30-5pm. Library Calendar of Events - December 2021 Franklin Public School District Critical Conversations - a Community Resource The Franklin Public Schools Substance Abuse Task Force teamed up with the SAFE Coalition to host the Critical Conversations Panel. The panel featured 7 speakers with various perspectives representing education, health care, law enforcement, parent/guardians, and people with lived experience. The conversation focused on identifying and addressing mental health and substance use among families and within our community. Community members are welcome to view the panel recording and resources here. Stormwater Division The Town of Franklin is excited to introduce you to WaterSmart Program! It's a part of our commitment to provide you with the best tools to better manage your water use and your bill. This tool will allow us to notify you of unusual usage or rebate opportunities - saving you money, one drop at a time! Get started today by logging on to the WaterSmart Web Portal. To register for this free service, just enter your billing account number and email address. You can then access all of your utility data as soon as it becomes available each billing period. See how your water use compares to similar sized homes in your neighborhood, and get access to customized recommendations on how you can save water and money. Register today and take advantage of this exciting service! Learn more about Stormwater and what it means to you here! Franklin Historical Museum Second Sunday Speaker Series Dec. 12 at 1pm - A Contemplative Life: Franklin native Charlie Harrington discusses his recently released book, A Contemplative Life: Essays and musings from the last of the baby boomers. Town of Franklin Calendar Keep up with meetings, departments & committees. The schedule and links can be found on our website calendar. Keep up with all things culture in Franklin! Arts, theater, dining, live music & more! Find out what's happening in town! Visit our website! Talk Franklin: Podcast from the TA's Office Subscribe to our Town podcast and listen to bi-weekly episodes detailing news and updates about our town. Town of Franklin 355 East Central Street Franklin, MA 02038 (508) 520-4949 Visit our Website

Town of Franklin | 355 East Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038 Sent by riveral@franklinps.net powered by Try email marketing for free today!

If any links in this copy of the newsletter are a problem, find the original newsletter on the Town of Franklin page ->    https://www.franklinma.gov/home/pages/newsletter-portal

FHS' Mackintosh selected as MVP; Tarantola and Lacerda as Volleyball All Stars; Earley with Honorable Mention

Here are the FHS athletes selected for recognition by the Hockomock League coaches. Links to the full listing of Hockomock athletes are provided.

Below are the official 2021 Hockomock League Volleyball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP
Cailyn Mackintosh, Franklin

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS
Lindsey Tarantola, Franklin
Taylor Lacerda, Franklin

Honorable Mentions
Brigid Earley, Franklin

For the complete Hockomock League listing
https://hockomocksports.com/2021-hockomock-league-volleyball-all-stars/

FHS Panthers

Annie Sullivan Middle School: Important Dates for December 2021

December Important Dates

Friday, December 3:  Cookie Kit fundraiser Ends (order online)

Monday, December 6:  Trimester 1 Ends

Tuesday, December 7:  Trimester 2 Begins

Thursday, December 9:  Cookie Kit Fundraiser Pickup at ASMS (3:15-4:00 pm)

Friday, December 10:  Half Day for Students (Professional Development for staff)

Sunday, December 12:  Cookie Kit Virtual Event (2:00 pm-3:30 pm)

Wednesday, December 15:  Trimester 1 Grades Posted in Aspen (after school)

Friday, December 24-Friday, December 31:  No School (December break)

Shared from the Annie Sullivan MS page ->  https://www.franklinps.net/annie-sullivan

Annie Sullivan Middle School: Important Dates for December 2021

Open Meeting Law Guidance Spotlight: Subcommittees and Sub-quorum Communications

From the MA Attorney General's Office on Open Meeting Law Guidance:

Guidance Spotlight: Subcommittees and Sub-quorum Communications

This month we offer guidance on the creation of subcommittees under the Open Meeting Law, and permissible communications among members that constitute less than a quorum of a public body.  We recognize that public body members want to conduct business efficiently and effectively.  However, public body members must exercise caution when communicating and carrying out the public body’s responsibilities outside of a properly posted meeting.  The Open Meeting Law prohibits deliberation outside of a posted meeting. “Deliberation” is communication among a quorum on a matter within the public body’s jurisdiction.  Because the Open Meeting Law focuses on communications among a quorum, there is no prohibition on communications outside of a meeting that do not involve or reach a quorum of members—as long as the members are not also a quorum of a subcommittee.  Therefore, it is important to understand whether members of a public body may constitute a designated subcommittee.

The Open Meeting Law defines “public body” as any “multiple-member board, commission, committee or subcommittee within the executive or legislative branch or within any county, district, city, region or town, however created, elected, appointed or otherwise constituted, established to serve a public purpose.”  G.L. c. 30A, § 18.  The Law further defines a “subcommittee” as “any multiple-member body created to advise or make recommendations to a public body.”  Id.  A public body forms a subcommittee when the body formally authorizes multiple members of the public body to advise or make recommendations to the public body.  Whether a subcommittee was created hinges on the public body’s action and whether it intended to create a multiple-member body, or whether it intended to assign the task to one person, even if another member of the public body subsequently volunteers to assist. Therefore, if a single member undertakes a task, or multiple members decide on their own to communicate about a matter or prepare a recommendation without having been designated to do so, no subcommittee is created. Furthermore, the name of a group—whether called a subcommittee, a “working group,” a “task force” or something else—will still be subject to the Open Meeting Law if it is a multiple-member body created to advise or make recommendations.  Even subcommittees that have members who are not part of the public body will be subject to the Open Meeting Law if they meet the Open Meeting Law’s definition of “public body.”

Subcommittees are public bodies in their own right, which means they must follow all of the Open Meeting Law’s requirements applicable to public bodies.  Subcommittee members should be particularly careful about any communications they have with their fellow subcommittee members in order to avoid deliberating outside of a posted meeting, as the subcommittee has its own (smaller) quorum.  The quorum of a public body, including a subcommittee, is a simple majority of its members, unless otherwise provide by law.  Therefore, although it is generally permissible for public body members to communicate amongst themselves outside of a posted meeting as long as the communications do not involve or reach a quorum (whether concurrently or serially), public body members must always be cognizant of the makeup and quorum of the public body, including any subcommittees on which they serve.

Determinations Regarding Subcommittees and Sub-quorum Communications:

OML 2021-176: Finding no violation of the Open Meeting Law because text message conversations did not contain or reach a quorum of the Board.  In all cases, the Board members engaged in one-on-one text exchanges during the meeting.  In addition, we find no evidence of serial deliberation among a quorum of the Board.

OML 2021-115: Subcommittee deliberated outside of a posted meeting, in violation of the Open Meeting Law, when a quorum of the Subcommittee discussed the status of a matter that was clearly within the Subcommittee's jurisdiction outside of a posted meeting.

OML 2018-128: Board did not create a subcommittee where the Board took no vote after one member offered to research a topic and another member of the public body subsequently volunteered to assist.

OML 2017-111: Board did not create a subcommittee where the Board clearly intended to assign a task to one person and another member of the public body subsequently volunteered to assist.

OML 2016-96: Working Group did not create a subcommittee where two members of the Working Group, on their own initiative, worked on projects for the benefit of the Working Group, without the Working Group taking any official action to delegate that responsibility to the two members. 

For more info on Open Meeting Law visit ->  https://www.mass.gov/the-open-meeting-law

Open Meeting Law Guidance Spotlight: Subcommittees and Sub-quorum Communications

Senator Rausch: November Beacon Hill Recap

Policy updates, COVID boosters, and a great start to the holiday season.

View this email in your browser Senator Rausch State House Briefing    Part 2, Chapter 11 (November 30, 2021)    Dear friends,    From our family to yours, I hope you had a restful, restorative, and educational Thanksgiving, and to all who are celebrating this week, happy Chanukah. I wish you a bright, joyous, and healthy Festival of Lights.  Chanukah is about finding light in the darkness. As I reflect on the holiday in new ways and ever-changing circumstances, I hope my service as your State Senator has been akin to the shamash, the helper candle that kindles the other lights. I aim to serve you effectively, support our communities, and ignite a fire within others to get involved in community service and local activism. Nothing compares to the impact of multiple candles working together to light up a room. In this month's newsletter I have plenty of updates from Beacon Hill: legislation on the move, a final redistricting update, COVID-19 booster shots, district events, local elections, and office hours. For real-time updates, please follow me on Twitter and Facebook. If you are a constituent and need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me and my team via phone (617-722-1555) or email (becca.rausch@masenate.gov). We are here to help.     I wish you and your loved ones strength, health, resilience, and joy.     Yours in service,     Senator Becca Rausch    November was jam-packed with policymaking. Here are some legislative updates from the Senate floor: American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) – The Massachusetts Senate passed a $3.82 billion bill on how to spend ARPA funding coming to our Commonwealth. This legislation will make equitable investments and ensure that communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering broad spectrum supports to health care, mental and behavioral health, housing security, environment, and workforce development.   I secured numerous amendments to this bill that will support our district and the Commonwealth at large, including:  Explicitly requiring that the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund directly support women re-entering the workforce both through upskilling and addressing barriers to entry like transit and childcare Specific language providing for the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to manage tree health along the Commonwealth's parkways for human and environmental health and safety  $1,000,000 for post-traumatic stress care for medical personnel   $650,000 for water infrastructure projects in the towns of Millis, Norfolk, Plainville, Sherborn, Wayland, and Wrentham    $100,000 to renovate North Attleboro's Allen School to create a food pantry regional hub for the town and its neighboring communities $150,000 to support public transit and accessible, affordable senior housing in Franklin $200,000 for a feasibility and design study for a bicycle/pedestrian trail connecting Newton Upper Falls and Needham Heights.  The Senate plan must now be reconciled with the House version of the bill before heading to the Governor's desk.   Office Hours    Sign up for a 15-minute appointment here.     My team and I host virtual office hours every month. Residents from any part of the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District, as well as residents of the new Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex District (which takes effect in January 2023), are welcome to share their questions and opinions on state issues with me and my team via video chat or phone call. Office hours are available to discuss any matter.          Upcoming virtual office hours:     Friday, December 10, 10-11 AM  Friday, January 7, 10-11 AM  Friday, February 11, 10-11 AM  Our mailing address is: The Office of Senator Becca Rausch Massachusetts State House, Room 218                     24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133

This newsletter was shortened for publication here. To view the full set of content, follow this link ->  https://mailchi.mp/8fb5d09292dc/reopeningupdate-15227664?e=0c2c9810fe

Gingerbread House Decorating at Expressions Enrichment - Dec 4

Gingerbread House Decorating at Expressions Enrichment

Saturday, December 4th from 1-3 PM

Only $30 which includes all materials! And you don't have to clean up! Limited Spots. Must register online. www.expressions-enrichment.com

Gingerbread House Decorating at Expressions Enrichment - Dec 4

Protect Yourself from Social Security-related Scams

SCAM ALERT The Social Security Administration will never threaten, scare, or pressure you to take an immediate action. If you receive a call, text, or email that... Threatens to suspend your Social Security number, even if they have part or all of your Social Security number Warns of arrest of legal action Demands or requests immediate payment Requires payment by gift card, prepaid debit card, internet currency, or by mailing cash Pressures you for personal information Requests secrecy Threatens to seize your bank account Promises to increase your Social Security benefit Tries to gain your trust by providing fake "documentation," false "evidence," or the name of a real government official ...it is a SCAM! Do not give scammers money or personal information – Ignore Them! Protect yourself and others from Social Security-related scams Try to stay calm. Do not provide anyone with money or personal information when you feel pressured, threatened, or scared. Hang up or ignore it. If you receive a suspicious call, text, or email, hang up or do not respond. Government employees will not threaten you, demand immediate payment, or try to gain your trust by sending you pictures or documents. Report Social Security-related scams. If you receive a suspicious call, text, or email that mentions Social Security, ignore it and report it to the SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG). Do not be embarrassed if you shared personal information or suffered a financial loss. Get up-to-date information. Follow SSA OIG on Twitter @TheSSAOIG and Facebook @SSA Office of the Inspector General for the latest information on Social Security-related scams. Visit the Federal Trade Commission for information on other government scams. Spread the word. Share your knowledge of Social Security-related scams. Post on social media using the hashtag #SlamtheScam to share your experience and warn others. Visit oig.ssa.gov/scam for more information. Please also share with your friends and family. Report a Scam Plan for the future, manage the present! With your free and secure my Social Security account, you can receive personal estimates of future benefits based on your real earnings, see your latest Social Security Statement, and review your earnings history. It even makes it easy to request a replacement Social Security Card, check the status of an application online, and much more, from anywhere! Log In Now Learn More

Franklin Freedom Team announces events Dec 2 and Dec 8

• Dec 2 - Thursday, 7:15 to 8:30 PM

at St John's Episcopal Church

A Space to Talk - Dec 2

• Dec 8 - Wednesday, 6 - 7:30 PM

at THE BLACK BOX

The Franklin Freedom Team is hosting a "Love Franklin" Open Mic Night on December 8th at 6-7:30 PM  at THE BLACK BOX in Downtown Franklin. Scan the QR code on the screen to sign up! @FHSpantherbook https://t.co/1ESelWVCmn

"The Franklin Freedom Team, in collaboration with high school student groups, will be hosting this event (with MCs Mackenzie Atwood and jamele adams) which will be a 'celebration of self' - featuring visual, musical, poetic, and speaking pieces that highlight identity and self-expression. It will be offered free of charge for the community; all are welcome to watch or perform."

To sign up (with other than a QR reader) use this link ->   https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/1OJqZjZw0P8dmP46qrzBUdtiTxs3qcA_-2oEwloW5EkE/viewform?edit_requested=true 

"Love Franklin" open mic night - Dec 8

For more about the Freedom Team visit their page on the internet at https://www.franklinfreedomteam.org/