A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – October 20, 2010
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Meetings of the Town Council are Recorded
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
E. APPOINTMENTS
Franklin Disability Commission (Mary O'Neill)
Library Board of Trustees (Karen Gerwatowski)
Long Range Financial Planning Committee
F. HEARINGS
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Cable- Creation of a Non-profit access Corporation
Proposed Changes to the Sign Bylaw, the Commercial 1 Zoning District, & Creation of a New Downtown Commercial Zoning District- Zoning Bylaw – Bryan Taberner, Department of Planning & Community Dev.
I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 10-63: Acceptance of Amendment to Chapter 138, Section 33B
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
Franklin, MA
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
FM #77 - Franklin, MA: Mid-term Review
Next year, as you well know, will be a tough operational budget year with a possible high school renovation project on the horizon with a debt exclusion for a sum total uncertain at this time.
The operational and capital needs of the Town are not well understood by the general population.
You can not accept that. If you do, you give into the CAVE people What are the CAVE people? An acronym for Citizens Against Virtually Everything. This a great term that Bill Glynn took back from a conference he attended with other members of the School Committee and School Dept Administration
If we assume perception is reality, and your attendance indicates your level of effort, then there is room for improvement for some of you.
Details for the chart can be found at the following Google document
I understand that there may be very good reasons for missing meetings
You do this because Franklin matters to you for a variety of reasons
Let's assume perception is reality, I recommend you take a series of actions to really help improve the outreach to our community
1) Member of the Council meet at the Senior Center regularly; Bill Glynn held a sit/chat during the summer; need to do something for the remainder of the residents on a regular basis
2) plan for another budget workshop or series of workshops
What of the Long Term Planning Committee?
This group sort of disappeared after the override, it is good to see the group on the agenda for the meeting Wednesday. Maybe we'll find out what is going on
The Finance Committee is getting reduced from 11 members to 9 per the one question that passed on the Charter Changes. They are scheduled to meet in December. How is the change going to be handled?
3) Get out in front of the big issues, be proactive, don't let the void be filled in by others with hearsay, determine the conversation
For the School Committee in particular, I believe your normal year end meeting is scheduled to be held in the training room on the 3rd floor. It is your own review session, I would heartily recommend that you change the location, bring the meeting out into the open, broadcast it, foster the engagement with your community.
I could have done some ratings in a variety of ways. I chose not to do so. It was deliberate. I think you have been able to observe my own actions, you know I don't create screaming headlines. I am not out to sell anything. I am working to share information to create an informed voter. You can help in that effort.
Consider yourself a crew team. The crew team needs all the oars in the water swinging in synch with one another to succeed.
I think you for your service to the community.
I thank you for your time tonight.
As I close this session this week, let me remind you that
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark and Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission
I hope you enjoy!
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to listen to the audio podcast.
The operational and capital needs of the Town are not well understood by the general population.
You can not accept that. If you do, you give into the CAVE people What are the CAVE people? An acronym for Citizens Against Virtually Everything. This a great term that Bill Glynn took back from a conference he attended with other members of the School Committee and School Dept Administration
If we assume perception is reality, and your attendance indicates your level of effort, then there is room for improvement for some of you.
Details for the chart can be found at the following Google document
I understand that there may be very good reasons for missing meetings
You do this because Franklin matters to you for a variety of reasons
Let's assume perception is reality, I recommend you take a series of actions to really help improve the outreach to our community
1) Member of the Council meet at the Senior Center regularly; Bill Glynn held a sit/chat during the summer; need to do something for the remainder of the residents on a regular basis
2) plan for another budget workshop or series of workshops
What of the Long Term Planning Committee?
This group sort of disappeared after the override, it is good to see the group on the agenda for the meeting Wednesday. Maybe we'll find out what is going on
The Finance Committee is getting reduced from 11 members to 9 per the one question that passed on the Charter Changes. They are scheduled to meet in December. How is the change going to be handled?
3) Get out in front of the big issues, be proactive, don't let the void be filled in by others with hearsay, determine the conversation
For the School Committee in particular, I believe your normal year end meeting is scheduled to be held in the training room on the 3rd floor. It is your own review session, I would heartily recommend that you change the location, bring the meeting out into the open, broadcast it, foster the engagement with your community.
I could have done some ratings in a variety of ways. I chose not to do so. It was deliberate. I think you have been able to observe my own actions, you know I don't create screaming headlines. I am not out to sell anything. I am working to share information to create an informed voter. You can help in that effort.
Consider yourself a crew team. The crew team needs all the oars in the water swinging in synch with one another to succeed.
I think you for your service to the community.
I thank you for your time tonight.
As I close this session this week, let me remind you that
- If you like what I am doing here, please tell your friends and neighbors
- If you don’t like something, please tell me
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark and Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission
I hope you enjoy!
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to listen to the audio podcast.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Another #1 listing for Franklin
I spoke with Nathan Beck on Saturday at the electronics, etc. recycling fund raiser for the FHS Girls Hockey Team. I had just heard about the event that morning and would have liked to be able to share the information in advance. We exchanged business cards and his father, Steve, sent along this information.
Franklin is also number 1 as a contributer to Big Brothers Big Sisters
http://www.bbbsfoundation.org/web/pagedetail.aspx?pgID=WEB-Franklin
If you missed this one, still have electronics to recycle, then mark your calendar for another event in April, 2011.
Thanks to Nathan and Steve for sharing this information!
Franklin, MA
I've been doing electronic collections since 2002, directing the net proceeds to K-12 programs. I principally target music and fine arts, but also generate funding for safe driver programs, girls athletics, community service centers and, of course, Big Brother Big Sister. I'm the director of Big Brother Big Sister Foundation and founder of the CREW (Community Recyclers of Electronic Waste). My son now runs events for CREW all over the state, in NH and soon New York and PA.
Three weeks ago, CREW hit the $3,000,000 mark in net monies donated to charities, edu and other programs through collection events
In most towns, I folded BBBS into the mix. BBBS is there for clothing, CREW for electronics. In about six towns now, we hold town wide recycling days twice a year with everything I can think of. Books, metal, cardboard, onsite document shredding, electronics, household goods, appliances and of course clothing. They work well
Falmouth High School fine arts and music program nets about $8,000 a year with these events. Norwell about $3,000, Dedham about $12,000. I am pitching them to every town and we'll start up in April.
Martha's Vineyard Community Services has netted $51,000 in the last three years. Not a bad piece of change for a much needed community center that helps 22,000 people a year.
The Franklin girls ice hockey team netted about $760. Less than I expected, but the first of these events in any given town is dicey, especially in mid November. We're going to do another in April and I am certain I can get them $2,000+. That isn't bad for the hockey team, it helps keep them on the ice.
We have only a couple left, usually I stop the first weekend in November. Charlestown is on 12/4 and a tri town event, sponsored by Congressman Ed Markey's office, is on the slate for 12/11. After that, we hibernate until April; BBBS does house to house pick ups of electronics in the winter months.Big Brothers Big Sisters website is http://www.bbbsfoundation.org/web/pageDetail.aspx?pgID=home
Franklin is also number 1 as a contributer to Big Brothers Big Sisters
http://www.bbbsfoundation.org/web/pagedetail.aspx?pgID=WEB-Franklin
If you missed this one, still have electronics to recycle, then mark your calendar for another event in April, 2011.
Thanks to Nathan and Steve for sharing this information!
Franklin, MA
Mount Saint Mary's Abbey - fund raising
Mount Saint Mary's Abbey sent a fund raising letter that I think is worthwhile sharing here:
Mount St Mary's Abbey 11/15/10
A brief video of the wind turbine in action was shared here earlier this year
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/02/abbey-wind-turbine.html
Franklin, MA
Mount St Mary's Abbey 11/15/10
A brief video of the wind turbine in action was shared here earlier this year
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/02/abbey-wind-turbine.html
Franklin, MA
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Franklin, MA: MCAS 2010 - presentation document
Take a few minutes this morning to preview the presentation on the MCAS results for the Franklin School District. This presentation is scheduled for discussion at the School Committee meeting on Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010.
I am looking forward to the discussion, I like the layout of the data. It covers the major points on how we are doing and provides comparisons to the DESE districts most like us as well as to the Hockomock League schools.
What questions about this data would you ask on Tuesday night?
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document.
Franklin, MA
I am looking forward to the discussion, I like the layout of the data. It covers the major points on how we are doing and provides comparisons to the DESE districts most like us as well as to the Hockomock League schools.
2010 MCAS Results for Franklin, MA
View more presentations from Franklin Matters.
What questions about this data would you ask on Tuesday night?
Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the document.
Franklin, MA
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