As I drove by Walgreens today, there is a sign proclaiming "Now Open."
I'll get a picture sometime to record and share but it is open, finally!
Franklin, MA
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Franklin, MA: Town Council - Charter Revisions 03/10/10
The collected posts from the Special Town Council meeting to discuss the proposed Charter Revisions can be found here:
Franklin, MA
- Live reporting - discussion resumes
- Live reporting - Charter revision - elected vs. ap...
- Live reporting - Franklin, MA: Charter Review
Franklin, MA
"fostering greater awareness of bullying"
"I am so proud to have a group of such motivated, committed students like the Teenangels in my community," Vallee said in a press release. "We can't, of course, legislate what parents should be teaching at home - courtesy, respect, and the Golden Rule - but we can put a plan in place to help school administrators and teachers swiftly and effectively address bullying if it does occur in their classrooms."
The Teenangels, a group of 17 seventh- and eight-graders, is a chapter of Wiredsafety.org that trains students in online safety, privacy and security.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Prior posts on the Teenangels can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/live-reporting-teen-angels.html
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/01/teen-angels-pledge-text-think-send.html
Franklin, MA
"As the town grows ... it becomes more complicated"
Last night, the Charter Review Subcommittee suggested making the town treasurer, clerk, assessors, Board of Health and constables appointed instead of elected posts.
"As the town grows ... it becomes more complicated and a bigger and bigger business," Vice Chairman Stephen Whalen said. "It's more important to be appointed and evaluated on a skill set qualified for those specific functions."
Whalen said not only does appointment ensure the most qualified candidate, but it allows people who may have been turned off by an election process to come forward.
Last night's discussion came during a hearing at which the Town Council discussed several suggested revisions to the town charter - its governing document.
Read the full article here:
Views differ on appointing vs. electing positions
Franklin, MA
Harlem Wizards return to Franklin!
The Harlem Wizards, one of the greatest basketball show-team organizations to ever “lace it up and let’em fly”, will play our own Sullivan Rockets. This will be an entertaining night for kids of all ages (and adults too)!
Did you miss their visit last year?
Don't miss it this year!
Date: Friday, March 19th, 2010, 7:00 PM
Doors Open 6:00, Game Time 7:00
Location: Tri-County Regional High School
147 Pond St, Franklin MA
Tickets: Click here to print ticket order form
Contacts: ayotte_k@verizon.net or erinclong@comcast.net
Sponsored By: Annie Sullivan Middle School PCC
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| From Franklin Matters |
Did you miss their visit last year?
Don't miss it this year!
Date: Friday, March 19th, 2010, 7:00 PM
Doors Open 6:00, Game Time 7:00
Location: Tri-County Regional High School
147 Pond St, Franklin MA
Tickets: Click here to print ticket order form
Contacts: ayotte_k@verizon.net or erinclong@comcast.net
Sponsored By: Annie Sullivan Middle School PCC
Open Gym Night - Remington High School
When: Thursday, March 11th from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Where: Remington Middle School Gymnasium
Middle and High School Students: Here’s a chance to spend some free time with friends… get moving and cure the Cabin Fever at Open Gym night!
Of course there will be an open court to shoot hoops, but you can also conquer an obstacle course or take on an air hockey challenge.
Need to slow down? How about magnetic darts, indoor Frisbee, or a giant blow up Twister game?
Sounds like fun!
Where: Remington Middle School Gymnasium
Middle and High School Students: Here’s a chance to spend some free time with friends… get moving and cure the Cabin Fever at Open Gym night!
Of course there will be an open court to shoot hoops, but you can also conquer an obstacle course or take on an air hockey challenge.
Need to slow down? How about magnetic darts, indoor Frisbee, or a giant blow up Twister game?
Sounds like fun!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Live reporting - discussion resumes
Nutting - there are two ways to amend the charter, with 9 folks elected to make the recommendations. The other way is the way we are about, is to make the homerule changes, petition the legislature, and then it comes back to the people for their vote.
Vallee - I need to do some thinking about this.
Pfeffer - you shouldn't do this next meeting as two councilors will be missing
Dacey - I think we should address the qualifications. IT would have been a growth from 17 to 21 due to the population growth. They made the change to reduce it to nine. I came in off the street and started doing the finances. Thank God I had two good assistants who helped me tremendously. That may not be the situation the next time around. As far as the schooling goes, it took me six years to get them through training and classes that I go to each year. My review is every four years. I think that is too long. I think it should be every year. A long list of appointed Treasurers. Only a few of our neighboring communities have elected officials.
Whalen - I'd like to respond. Perhaps those words I chose I would change today, the sentiment is there. The Treasurer is a specific qualification position. The Council brings varied backgrounds to the role. That someone of a technical background should chose the council I don't think would be good. The number of candidates who would be qualified would be larger if we did not submit them to the requirement of an election.
Cheli - the Citizens committee reviewed the documents from Bauer and Lanza (from 1995) and we reviewed the Nutting and Cerel documents, separated by some 15 years, they are essentially the same. They are issues of accountability between the Council and the Administration.
Nutting - there are a number of minor technical changes we should make
Mason - undoubtedly
McGann - is the Treasurer of the Commonwealth elected or appointed?
Dacey - elected (side note, the state position is one of title only, he/she has staff to perform all the necessary functions, the local Treasurer is a hands on role, there is no comparison with the State level)
Zollo - I think we can choose to have the elected approve the appointments for the benefit of the people
Norman - I think you need to define in that where you need a 2/3 vote on bond and other major issues
I would like to see a change where incumbents are required to declare at some point certain and then others would have sometime to make a decision. I think there is a reluctance to run against incumbents. I think there should be a prohibition with candidates puling papers for two different positions. I think that would help increase the number of candidates.
5-2-5 25% of qualified should be reduce to 20%, given the history of the voting for this town. It is a barrier.
5-3-6 should consider lowering this to 20%
5-4-1 5% of signatures be collected within 14 days, maybe increase to 21 days.
5-4-4 another 25 to 20% recommendation
Powederly - Given the amount of discussion, how do we get to a point with some language that we are voting on? I would ask the council to consider separating the change of Treasurer and Town Council from the Planning Board, etc.
Nutting- the Council needs to take a vote on a home rule petition, so that language needs to be precise. If you decide on what you want to do, then we can prepare the language accordingly to help the process. Mr Norman made some recommendations that should be considered. You would need to decide amongst yourselves to reach a consensus.
Mason - is the council in general agreement at that that is the way to proceed?
heads nodding yes in agreement
Pfeffer - we are a city that calls itself a Town
Vallee -motion to adjourn
Vallee - I need to do some thinking about this.
Pfeffer - you shouldn't do this next meeting as two councilors will be missing
Dacey - I think we should address the qualifications. IT would have been a growth from 17 to 21 due to the population growth. They made the change to reduce it to nine. I came in off the street and started doing the finances. Thank God I had two good assistants who helped me tremendously. That may not be the situation the next time around. As far as the schooling goes, it took me six years to get them through training and classes that I go to each year. My review is every four years. I think that is too long. I think it should be every year. A long list of appointed Treasurers. Only a few of our neighboring communities have elected officials.
Whalen - I'd like to respond. Perhaps those words I chose I would change today, the sentiment is there. The Treasurer is a specific qualification position. The Council brings varied backgrounds to the role. That someone of a technical background should chose the council I don't think would be good. The number of candidates who would be qualified would be larger if we did not submit them to the requirement of an election.
Cheli - the Citizens committee reviewed the documents from Bauer and Lanza (from 1995) and we reviewed the Nutting and Cerel documents, separated by some 15 years, they are essentially the same. They are issues of accountability between the Council and the Administration.
Nutting - there are a number of minor technical changes we should make
- Change from the first Weds to second Weds for the first meeting after election of new council
- with compelling reason, the council should be able to change chair by super majority vote
- change from journal to minutes
- council needs to meet more than once a month but does it need to be every month?
- changes the role of administrator to executive, only in regards to signing of documents, some specifically require that authority and it should be clear in the document for what is in fact in practice
- remove restriction of the Administrator to sit on boards and committees, key to current requirements of the position (with Council approval)
- change of language on personnel records to personnel system
- change purchasing agent to??
- ratifying positions that we no longer have like wiring inspector, etc. The Council still ratifies the key positions. We don't have some boards and committees, these are all language clean ups
- change to reflect that the Administrator can act on their behalf, to make it more clear than it currently is stated. The Council appointment process should be extended from 120 to 180 days, still has extension.
- Finance Committee reduce from 11 to 9 members, lengthen term from one year to two years, all other appointed terms are currently three years.
- changes the school committee budget to school department budget, technical change only
- clarifies that the Council should act on the Administrators budget
- eliminating Chap 7.7.1 of the charter as this exists in the personnel bylaws and conflicts with the bargaining agreements in place
- Chap 8 would still need to be addressed depending upon what changes are agreed upon.
Mason - undoubtedly
McGann - is the Treasurer of the Commonwealth elected or appointed?
Dacey - elected (side note, the state position is one of title only, he/she has staff to perform all the necessary functions, the local Treasurer is a hands on role, there is no comparison with the State level)
Zollo - I think we can choose to have the elected approve the appointments for the benefit of the people
Norman - I think you need to define in that where you need a 2/3 vote on bond and other major issues
I would like to see a change where incumbents are required to declare at some point certain and then others would have sometime to make a decision. I think there is a reluctance to run against incumbents. I think there should be a prohibition with candidates puling papers for two different positions. I think that would help increase the number of candidates.
5-2-5 25% of qualified should be reduce to 20%, given the history of the voting for this town. It is a barrier.
5-3-6 should consider lowering this to 20%
5-4-1 5% of signatures be collected within 14 days, maybe increase to 21 days.
5-4-4 another 25 to 20% recommendation
Powederly - Given the amount of discussion, how do we get to a point with some language that we are voting on? I would ask the council to consider separating the change of Treasurer and Town Council from the Planning Board, etc.
Nutting- the Council needs to take a vote on a home rule petition, so that language needs to be precise. If you decide on what you want to do, then we can prepare the language accordingly to help the process. Mr Norman made some recommendations that should be considered. You would need to decide amongst yourselves to reach a consensus.
Mason - is the council in general agreement at that that is the way to proceed?
heads nodding yes in agreement
Pfeffer - we are a city that calls itself a Town
Vallee -motion to adjourn
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