Concerned about Franklin's Finances? GET THE FACTS
Long-Range Financial Planning Committee
Monday, April 27th
7 PM Horace
Mann School
(Mercer Auditorium)
IT’S TIME WELL SPENT
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Concerned about Franklin's Finances?
Concerned about Franklin's Finances? GET THE FACTS
Long-Range Financial Planning Committee
Monday, April 27th
7 PM Horace
Mann School
(Mercer Auditorium)
IT’S TIME WELL SPENT
"The community is making out very well in these times"
GateHouse News Service
Rep. James E. Vallee (D-Franklin), House Majority Leader, announced today Franklin and Medway will receive level funding for local public education, as the House Ways and Means budget was released today with Chapter 70 dollars for Franklin and Medway at heartening levels.Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Franklin’s Chapter 70 allocation totals $28,726,70, consistent with its Fiscal Year 2009 apportionment. Medway was level funded, too; the town’s allocation totals $9,230,437.
Each town is also slated to receive additional funding through a federal economic stimulus package for public education under the House Ways and Means proposal, according to Vallee. Franklin’s local aid total, with the inclusion of this funding, would exceed $31 million; Medway’s total would be nearly $12 million.
Vallee office hours in Franklin - Friday 4/17/09
This was posted on the Franklin Gazette hereFRANKLIN - State Rep. James E. Vallee, D-Franklin, will hold monthly local walk-in office hours on Friday, April 17, at two locations in his legislative district.
Vallee, or a member of his staff, will be available at the Medway town administrator’s office, 155 Village St., 9 to 10 a.m., and his Franklin office, 4 West St., 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Vallee welcomes and encourages residents to visit him during these times to voice concerns or questions they may have regarding any state-related issue. He encourages constituents unable to attend the district hours to call his State House office to schedule a more convenient appointment.
Vallee and his staff may be reached at 617-722-2600 or Rep.JamesVallee@hou.state.ma.us.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Live reporting - Remainder items
K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Reminder - earth day this Saturday, the more hands the better
May 16th 8:00 - 10:00 for beautification day at the bridge downtown
June 19th - Strawberry Festival
Federal Census time, going door to door, will have identification, Police have been notified
L. OLD BUSINESS - none
M. NEW BUSINESS
Bartlett - question on the modular status, can we get that information
Feeley - yes, the Building Committee will bring that
Bartlett - I would like a vote from the Council on the endorsing the report
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS -
Zollo - thanks to the committee and others that participated, disagreements were resolved to the betterment of the report. Apr 27th meeting is critical, for as many citizens as possible to attend, If we could fill that auditorium, it doesn't matter if you come with preconceived notions or not. We need the discussion.
Doak - acknowledge that the committee did a good job with the report, we can acknowledge the problem, we have systemic structural problems, we may be able to pass an override, the regionalization, index prop 2.5%, there are no easy answers here, it will take a long time and some pain
Pfeffer - Senior Center complaining no openings in sessions in the morning, nor room to park, these are good problems
Whalen - fire station replaced building in 1902, senior center has seen an increase of 300% in utilization, those are reasons for doing the projects. One commented, "I don't remember the last time I learned so much in 90 minutes." Going forward, at least the decisions will be made in an informed basis.
Vallee - outside of regionalization I don't know what we can do.
Bartlett - for me what will come out of this, will tell our story, unbiased. As unbiased a report as could be produced. You could watch but if you have a question, it probably won't get answered unless you're there. We want your feedback. We function best when we are united.
Motion to adjourn
Reminder - earth day this Saturday, the more hands the better
May 16th 8:00 - 10:00 for beautification day at the bridge downtown
June 19th - Strawberry Festival
Federal Census time, going door to door, will have identification, Police have been notified
L. OLD BUSINESS - none
M. NEW BUSINESS
Bartlett - question on the modular status, can we get that information
Feeley - yes, the Building Committee will bring that
Bartlett - I would like a vote from the Council on the endorsing the report
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS -
Zollo - thanks to the committee and others that participated, disagreements were resolved to the betterment of the report. Apr 27th meeting is critical, for as many citizens as possible to attend, If we could fill that auditorium, it doesn't matter if you come with preconceived notions or not. We need the discussion.
Doak - acknowledge that the committee did a good job with the report, we can acknowledge the problem, we have systemic structural problems, we may be able to pass an override, the regionalization, index prop 2.5%, there are no easy answers here, it will take a long time and some pain
Pfeffer - Senior Center complaining no openings in sessions in the morning, nor room to park, these are good problems
Whalen - fire station replaced building in 1902, senior center has seen an increase of 300% in utilization, those are reasons for doing the projects. One commented, "I don't remember the last time I learned so much in 90 minutes." Going forward, at least the decisions will be made in an informed basis.
Vallee - outside of regionalization I don't know what we can do.
Bartlett - for me what will come out of this, will tell our story, unbiased. As unbiased a report as could be produced. You could watch but if you have a question, it probably won't get answered unless you're there. We want your feedback. We function best when we are united.
Motion to adjourn
Live reporting - Fin'l Plng Comm - cont'd
Page 7
Peer comparison - towns listed in appendix
spent time validating the peer group, we feel as a group it is a very good peer comparison
Avg peer town - 18% State aid vs Franklin 31%
taxes 58% town contribution vs 45% in Franklin
We are #1 in receiving State Aid, we are #29 in percent of our taxes paying for what we need
6.2% of the household in the peer towns from tax support
5.3% for Franklin
We rank 27 out of 31 towns in term of per capita municipal spending
Franklin spends 22% less than the State Avg
Looking at the efficiency at the top down side, when we rank near the bottom on almost every category, we have to be. While other towns are reacting to the crisis by cutting fat, we are close to cutting to the bone.
Page 10 in the Executive Summary, key slide on school spending and state minimum
Red line - warning line, once below you could be in trouble
Once we hit the minimum, the town will bear the burden of the deficits
Capital budget addressed on Page 11
The debt service is low, Franklin amongst the 31 towns ranks 22
We are not taking on a lot of debt even in the perception of "lots of capital" spending
Forecasted Deficit in 2014 could be 7.7 M or 11.3 M depending upon the assumptions used
The numbers don't include the high school renovation. There is a placeholder for its inclusion and it will need to be once the numbers become more real.
Inflation currently at an avg of 3.3% is different from getting to a 7-8 percent rate of inflation. The deficits would grow dramatically
Recommendations are in full report, page 21
issues can be polarizing, we want to agree on the problem
solutions can be discussed
need to develop a comprehensive multi-year plan
regionalization may be a huge opportunity but in the Northeast it has not currently been successful
Influence the legislative process, whether prop 2.5, pension reform, etc. there are legal barriers to obtaining a solution
Services are people driven, the people account for 70-75 percent of the budget
they need to be paid at a market competitive rate and yet at a sustainable rate
increase tax revenue - it would be nice to find non-Franklin sources
recreation, schools offering courses over the internet
carefully and thoroughly consider property tax overrides
override is inevitable, it will have to happen
the amount and when remains to be determined
what would be the proper timing
complex issue but it needs to be considered
there can be a credibility gap, residents can make decisions upon impressions and not upon fact
can make decisions that perhaps they wouldn't have made if they were better informed
Ownership for improving the flow of information
make it more user friendly and accessible
community forum at Horace Mann
When we can just sit down and talk with folks, now that I have talked it through, I have a better understanding and trust
tried to just present the facts
deficits will continue, there is no flexibility to deal with them as we have before
we have additional risks, i.e with the level of state aid
let's focus on agreeing on the problem
we would like the Town Council to publicly endorse the report.
we would like to see a unanimous endorsement
Doak - thanks, this has been a great deal of work
It helps us get closer to addressing the problem
our reliance on State funding, is there anything that we can do?
the forumla is calculable but the discretionary part is hard to calculate
Ramsey Curdy - part of the focus group, reviewed and commented on the Executive Summary
formed an accurate picture of the issues, the document must be quickly and effectively distributed to the town residents, discussion with those who may have a different view
this is not an abstract comment, this is about where we live
Peer comparison - towns listed in appendix
spent time validating the peer group, we feel as a group it is a very good peer comparison
Avg peer town - 18% State aid vs Franklin 31%
taxes 58% town contribution vs 45% in Franklin
We are #1 in receiving State Aid, we are #29 in percent of our taxes paying for what we need
6.2% of the household in the peer towns from tax support
5.3% for Franklin
We rank 27 out of 31 towns in term of per capita municipal spending
Franklin spends 22% less than the State Avg
Looking at the efficiency at the top down side, when we rank near the bottom on almost every category, we have to be. While other towns are reacting to the crisis by cutting fat, we are close to cutting to the bone.
Page 10 in the Executive Summary, key slide on school spending and state minimum
Red line - warning line, once below you could be in trouble
Once we hit the minimum, the town will bear the burden of the deficits
Capital budget addressed on Page 11
The debt service is low, Franklin amongst the 31 towns ranks 22
We are not taking on a lot of debt even in the perception of "lots of capital" spending
Forecasted Deficit in 2014 could be 7.7 M or 11.3 M depending upon the assumptions used
The numbers don't include the high school renovation. There is a placeholder for its inclusion and it will need to be once the numbers become more real.
Inflation currently at an avg of 3.3% is different from getting to a 7-8 percent rate of inflation. The deficits would grow dramatically
Recommendations are in full report, page 21
issues can be polarizing, we want to agree on the problem
solutions can be discussed
need to develop a comprehensive multi-year plan
regionalization may be a huge opportunity but in the Northeast it has not currently been successful
Influence the legislative process, whether prop 2.5, pension reform, etc. there are legal barriers to obtaining a solution
Services are people driven, the people account for 70-75 percent of the budget
they need to be paid at a market competitive rate and yet at a sustainable rate
increase tax revenue - it would be nice to find non-Franklin sources
recreation, schools offering courses over the internet
carefully and thoroughly consider property tax overrides
override is inevitable, it will have to happen
the amount and when remains to be determined
what would be the proper timing
complex issue but it needs to be considered
there can be a credibility gap, residents can make decisions upon impressions and not upon fact
can make decisions that perhaps they wouldn't have made if they were better informed
Ownership for improving the flow of information
make it more user friendly and accessible
community forum at Horace Mann
When we can just sit down and talk with folks, now that I have talked it through, I have a better understanding and trust
tried to just present the facts
deficits will continue, there is no flexibility to deal with them as we have before
we have additional risks, i.e with the level of state aid
let's focus on agreeing on the problem
we would like the Town Council to publicly endorse the report.
we would like to see a unanimous endorsement
Doak - thanks, this has been a great deal of work
It helps us get closer to addressing the problem
our reliance on State funding, is there anything that we can do?
the forumla is calculable but the discretionary part is hard to calculate
Ramsey Curdy - part of the focus group, reviewed and commented on the Executive Summary
formed an accurate picture of the issues, the document must be quickly and effectively distributed to the town residents, discussion with those who may have a different view
this is not an abstract comment, this is about where we live
Live reporting - Financial Planning Committee report
Note: Bartlett has arrived (so McGann no show, Mason left)
Jim Roche introduces the Financial Planning Committee report
Doug Hardesty will do the actual presentation
A copy of the presentation will be made available as soon as possible.
Pitch for Monday April 27th Town-wide forum at Horace Mann/Mercer Auditorium 7:30 PM
Doug had much experience within the town with coaching sports but had not much idea on the town finances or operations. Having gone through this process I am happy with what I have learned.
Doug is a professional auditor. It is fact based, not what is felt.
They have tried to keep bias out of this. Telling the pinata story.
This report can stand up to the toughest test.
The executive summary and the draft of the full report will released in the next couple of days for all to review.
The reason we call this a "draft", while we have been diligent in obtaining feedback, we want the town council and citizens to weigh in, and potentially incorporate into the document as we go forward.
We get a lot of aid from the state, have low property taxes relative to peer towns
In every measurable category, the town and schools are low
We go into a deficit and manage our way through it somehow
It is a structural deficit. It will continue unless we take action
The projected deficits are real and significant, they will continue to occur
There are a whole host of things to do so that it is most effective
There is a premise that most citizens will not allow continued cuts
Federal and state mandates are not funded but are costly and are required
Teacher compensation; a cost of living raise and commensurate with experience, masters required within first five years
It is just the way the market is for compensating teachers, we need to get to the inflection point, we need to calculate that
Cash reserves, 7.5 million used since 2005 has been a big help, we can't do that nay more
Since 2000 we have grown 1300 students and dropped over 100 personnel
-----
Jim Roche introduces the Financial Planning Committee report
Doug Hardesty will do the actual presentation
A copy of the presentation will be made available as soon as possible.
Pitch for Monday April 27th Town-wide forum at Horace Mann/Mercer Auditorium 7:30 PM
Doug had much experience within the town with coaching sports but had not much idea on the town finances or operations. Having gone through this process I am happy with what I have learned.
Doug is a professional auditor. It is fact based, not what is felt.
They have tried to keep bias out of this. Telling the pinata story.
This report can stand up to the toughest test.
The executive summary and the draft of the full report will released in the next couple of days for all to review.
The reason we call this a "draft", while we have been diligent in obtaining feedback, we want the town council and citizens to weigh in, and potentially incorporate into the document as we go forward.
We get a lot of aid from the state, have low property taxes relative to peer towns
In every measurable category, the town and schools are low
We go into a deficit and manage our way through it somehow
It is a structural deficit. It will continue unless we take action
The projected deficits are real and significant, they will continue to occur
There are a whole host of things to do so that it is most effective
There is a premise that most citizens will not allow continued cuts
Federal and state mandates are not funded but are costly and are required
Teacher compensation; a cost of living raise and commensurate with experience, masters required within first five years
It is just the way the market is for compensating teachers, we need to get to the inflection point, we need to calculate that
Cash reserves, 7.5 million used since 2005 has been a big help, we can't do that nay more
Since 2000 we have grown 1300 students and dropped over 100 personnel
-----
Live reporting - Mike D’Angelo
Presentations:
Update – Mike D’Angelo
This is a follow up visit to the Council to explain the root cause and actions taken for Horace Mann/FHS damage from the Labor Day incident previously reported
Buildings are now being alarmed to ring through to the Fire Dept. The central dispatch will be able to monitor and make phone calls if there were another occurrence.
Tim Raposa working on getting all the buildings alarmed for power failures as well. If the power goes out, there is an email sent out to a listing for action.
Zollo - what is your level of confidence that once these are all in place?
D'Angelo - there is always a probability of something going but there is an increased confidence.
Zollo - would you still do the walk throughs?
D'Angelo - design in MA doesn't really handle temps in under 10 degrees, so the walk throughs are good for checking on those circumstances.
Pfeffer - Is all overtime reported here? Is Servicemaster included in this?
D'Angelo - They haven't provided that yet. I can update this as we continue to go.
Pfeffer - what caused the problem?
D'Angelo -
Pfeffer - How come it is taking so long for the High School gym floor?
D'Angelo - We worked with Norma to get a waiver and expedited process but we still had to do design work, etc. The contract should be signed soon.
Nutting - It was just signed tonight at 5:00 PM
Doak - With the monitoring we have, will it be tested so that we know it will work?
D'Angelo - During the winter, we test these monthly.
Vallee - There are devices that hook up to the phone line that alert me to the temp being low?
D'Angelo - Although the Senior Center temp did drop, the failures were not such that it would have tripped that device.
Vallee - So it was not preventable?
D'Angelo - At that point, it was not. We have five of the six items covered with monitoring now, we'll catch it sooner and prevent the serious damage. The trip required someone to push a button.
Vallee - A forty dollar device could have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.
Whalen - has the process for the utility to tell us been set up?
D'Angelo - we have set up the system so when there is an interruption in power, we will be notified.
Nutting - your point is why don't we have monitoring? we have the schools for 50 years and it never happened. We had insurance and we'll pay.
Feeley - Are you comfortable that we are covered at 99%?
D'Angelo - yes
Feeley - Is it also true that we may never know the exact cause of the sequence of events?
D'Angelo - yes
break for two minutes
Update – Mike D’Angelo
This is a follow up visit to the Council to explain the root cause and actions taken for Horace Mann/FHS damage from the Labor Day incident previously reported
Buildings are now being alarmed to ring through to the Fire Dept. The central dispatch will be able to monitor and make phone calls if there were another occurrence.
Tim Raposa working on getting all the buildings alarmed for power failures as well. If the power goes out, there is an email sent out to a listing for action.
Zollo - what is your level of confidence that once these are all in place?
D'Angelo - there is always a probability of something going but there is an increased confidence.
Zollo - would you still do the walk throughs?
D'Angelo - design in MA doesn't really handle temps in under 10 degrees, so the walk throughs are good for checking on those circumstances.
Pfeffer - Is all overtime reported here? Is Servicemaster included in this?
D'Angelo - They haven't provided that yet. I can update this as we continue to go.
Pfeffer - what caused the problem?
D'Angelo -
Pfeffer - How come it is taking so long for the High School gym floor?
D'Angelo - We worked with Norma to get a waiver and expedited process but we still had to do design work, etc. The contract should be signed soon.
Nutting - It was just signed tonight at 5:00 PM
Doak - With the monitoring we have, will it be tested so that we know it will work?
D'Angelo - During the winter, we test these monthly.
Vallee - There are devices that hook up to the phone line that alert me to the temp being low?
D'Angelo - Although the Senior Center temp did drop, the failures were not such that it would have tripped that device.
Vallee - So it was not preventable?
D'Angelo - At that point, it was not. We have five of the six items covered with monitoring now, we'll catch it sooner and prevent the serious damage. The trip required someone to push a button.
Vallee - A forty dollar device could have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.
Whalen - has the process for the utility to tell us been set up?
D'Angelo - we have set up the system so when there is an interruption in power, we will be notified.
Nutting - your point is why don't we have monitoring? we have the schools for 50 years and it never happened. We had insurance and we'll pay.
Feeley - Are you comfortable that we are covered at 99%?
D'Angelo - yes
Feeley - Is it also true that we may never know the exact cause of the sequence of events?
D'Angelo - yes
break for two minutes
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