Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Franklin, MA: Fire Dept presentation

This is the presentation document used by Chief Gary McCarraher and Paul Sharpe, Jr for the Budget Hearing at the Finance Committee meeting on May 10, 2010:



The discussion notes as captured live during the meeting can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/live-reporting-finance-committee_10.html

Reminder: Special Election - Precinct 2, 3, 4 only

SPECIAL STATE ELECTION
May 11th
Precincts 2-3-4 only
Franklin High School
6:00am – 8:00pm


If you have any questions please call

Deborah L. Pellegri, CMC

Town Clerk/Election Administrator 508-520-4900



Finance Committee 05/10/10

The collection of posts that were live reported from the Finance Committee meeting on Monday, May 10th can be found here:



Franklin, MA

Franklin Food Pantry - Stamp Out Hunger drive

About 40 volunteers got really organized to help the Franklin Food Pantry to process the receipts from the US Post Office letter carriers on Saturday, May 8th. As the letter carriers finished their routes, they drove by the Food Pantry to drop off the bags of food items they collected. Prompted by post cards and TV advertisements, as well as word of mouth, Franklin residents left out bags of non-perishable food to be donated.


With the new Food Pantry location in the middle of downtown, it was a convenient drive through operation. The trucks pulled up. A group took out all the bags of food stuffs.

Individual bags were put into letter boxes.

The bags and boxes were weighted.


The bags/boxes were opened and checked for "freshness dates". The good items were passed along to the sorters. The older items went into a waste box. Items that could not be determined by date when into a 'check later' box.

The sorters put like items together.


"flats" of similar items then stocked the shelves.


The shelves were completely empty early Saturday afternoon and filled up as the processing took place.

For those who did leave out a donation, the letter carriers left a thank you card:


Thanks to the many hands for helping to process over 5.000 pounds of food!

Weight In4746.7

Spoils877.2
18.48%




Net3869.5

Strictly speaking, since the food was handled going in and then the spoils (waste) was handled again going out, we did go over 5,000. Which also excludes the multiple touches on a single item as it moved along the process.


Visit the Franklin Food Pantry online here: http://franklinfoodpantry.org/

In the News - middle school football, military supply


Franklin Middle school makes play for football

from Wicked Local Franklin News RSS 


McGovern impressed with Franklin military supply company




Franklin, MA

Election costs reimbursed

Franklin will get about $12,000 back from the State for their costs in running the special election on Dec 8th and Jan 19th.

The full article can be found in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/newsnow/x1920415040/Local-towns-get-money-back-for-special-election


Franklin, MA

Monday, May 10, 2010

Live reporting - Finance Committee endorses the override

Rebecca Cameron provides an update on the Long Range/Financial Planning committee report
brought the 2 1/2 override to the Council and to the voters for a vote
we need to be on the same page to help the process

Roche
The plan was right on target except for the items that weren't on the planning horizon
the forecast has been reconciled to the original report
the Town Council has a $3 M override budget
to use $1.8 M for schools, $300,000 for the Town, and $900,000 for the roads to get started in addressing that problem
we have a way to go with $15 M to fix the worst 30 miles of roads and only $900,000 to start with

Goldsmith - I feel very comfortable asking the Town's people to consider coming forward, the increase are warranted to provide the services to the Town

Roche - There is not a lot of waste out there, the department heads are doing their job and we are getting to lean

Quinn - If you look at the five year plan, it gets worse. Police down, Fire down, DPW, Schools (hundred lost teachers, 1,000 more students). It is unfortunate, times are tough but I think failure to pass the prop will be an issue

Rivera - one of the most important things we can do is to educate the residents as much s we can, if we don't do something what will it look like in a few years, if they have questions, the info is on the website

Roche - Town wide forum on May 24th at 7:00 PM at Horace Mann/Thomas Mercer Auditorium

Cataldo - We can't keep going this way, personal safety is important, this money is not going to be slopping in a trough, this is to provide services that we have had , not increases but the same services

Q
Nutting - Est $255 per average bill for the $3 M override

Quinn - It is important to say, 10 failed overrides with one passed, we are asking for a tax increase because some of the others haven't been passed with growing expenses. Got to make ends meet.

Feldman - we can see some signs of improvement in the economy here and there, hopefully things will continue to improve

Cameron - the important thing is that everyone comes out and vote, the votes need to be cast, we understand the impact it can have on certain people. I get the feeling that this group understands the override is necessary to keep the services. I would like to make a recommendation to support the override.

Motion to recommend $3 M override, passed 8-0

meeting for 1st Tue in June (Jun 1) to be kept for now

motion to adjourn, passed


Franklin, MA