Franklin Matters

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Live reporting - Resolutions approved

Resolution 08-56: Establishing an Economic Opportunity Area

approved

Resolution 08-57: Authorizing Tax Increment Financing (TIF)

Further to the Economic Opportunity Area being passed above, there is interest in obtaining the Tax Increment Financing.

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

Doak - can we use discretion to do this instead of changing the bylaw?
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

Bottle & Can Drive - FHS - 9/6/08

Take your bottles and cans to the High School parking lot and help out the Hockey Team!

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.
As Cheryl Colby ran out of the185 Plain St. home, neighbors say they called 911 and ran to the rescue, setting up a ladder, believing Colby's son was still upstairs. As it turned out, they said, he was not home.

Fire Chief Gary McCarraher said the two-alarm blaze, called in at 4:20 p.m., is under investigation. It resulted in substantial fire, smoke and water damage to the home, he 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.

James Colby, who lives on the second floor, was smoking a cigarette around 1 or 1:30 p.m. on the wooden back deck before he left the house. Either a match or the cigarette butt later ended up igniting the deck, with fire ripping up the two-family home's vinyl siding to the attic, the chief said.

-----------------

Franklin schools to reopen after pipe explosion

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

School will resume tomorrow at Oak Street Elementary School, Horace Mann Middle School, and the Early Childhood Development Center after Superintendent Wayne Ogden closed the schools today for emergency repairs.

Early Labor Day morning, a piece of plumbing that controls hot water and steam failed and exploded at the school complex at 224 Oak St., Ogden explained.

"The pressure was so intense, it blew a hole through the sheetwall in the utility closet ... and shorted an electrical panel for the whole complex," which set off the fire alarm, he said.

The Fire Department and facilities workers cleaned up the water and started to repair the electrical panel on Monday, he said, but were unable to buy plumbing parts on Labor Day weekend.

--------------------