Making our government open, transparent and accessible"

The paper has a recap of some area communities and the effort to put public meeting information in digital format.

Franklin’s website includes Town Council meeting packets dating back to 2008. 

Assistant to the Town Administrator Maxine Kinhart said staff make electronic packets for councilors, so it is just one more step to post online. 

"We just did it as a convenience to the citizens," she said. "They’re all public records so we just put it all out there." 

Kinhart said the town made computers available for councilors to use at meetings, but they prefer to bring their own devices.

Read more: Towns look to go digital in putting documents online - Franklin, MA - Wicked Local Franklin http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x898128772/Towns-look-to-go-digital-in-putting-documents-online#ixzz2KUlUsWw9

The Franklin School Committee puts together an Adobe document package that contains the individual files for the agenda, action items, presentations, etc.

I am not aware of the Planning Board going digital. The problem there is with all the drafting documents. Some of those documents are huge and while it is possible to put them in digital format, the usability of viewing them online is not as good as simply holding the paper document.Some day!

Blizzard Nemo 2013 Update

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "TOWN OF FRANKLIN"
Date: Feb 9, 2013 1:50 PM
Subject: Blizzard Nemo 2013 Update

Hello.  This is Gary Premo calling with updated information on the storm.  The Governor's issued driving ban will be lifted at 4pm.  Please stay off the roads until then so the DPW crews can clear the streets of snow.

No significant power outages have been reported in town.  If you are experiencing an outage, please call national Grid directly at 1-800-322-3223 or 1-800-465-1212.  Bldg Commissioner Gus Brown reminds residents to clear around ALL exhaust vents (fireplaces, furnaces, dryers).  Deputy Fire Chief Paul Sharpe asks for your assistance in clearing out any hydrants near your property.  Let the clean-up continue.  Thank you for listening.  Goodbye.

This e-mail has been sent to you by TOWN OF FRANKLIN. To maximize their communication with you, you may be receiving this e-mail in addition to a phone call with the same message. If you wish to discontinue this service, please inform TOWN OF FRANKLIN either IN PERSON, by US MAIL, or by TELEPHONE at 508-520-4938 or REPLY TO THIS EMAIL.

In my walk around on Saturday afternoon, I did see some hydrants cleared.

Franklin fire hydrant cleared of snow

Winter Storm Update: Travel Ban Lifted

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Winter Storm Update: Travel Ban Lifted

via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 2/9/13

Governor Deval Patrick today lifted the order banning vehicle traffic on all state roads effective immediately for all communities west of I-91 and for Nantucket County, and the ban is lifted statewide at 4:00pm today, Saturday.  Please continue to avoid unnecessary travel to be safe and allow public safety, emergency, and road crews to do their jobs.  Visit Mass.Gov to view winter storm resources.

MassDOT Secretary Richard Davey says all MBTA service will remain shut down all day Saturday.

If you must travel, continue to use extreme caution.  MassDOT live online traffic cameras show current conditions on major state roadways.  More than 3,600 pieces of snow and ice removal equipment have worked around the clock during the storm clearing roadways.  Check MassDOT's winter driving tips. 

Visit the MBTA Winter web page to learn the latest information on MBTA service.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Morning snow photo

In daylight, the snow is both pretty and awesome

snow on deck, #nemo 2013

The seats will be soft and comfy. The beer will be cold!

Early morning blizzard photo

looking out from the garage door, the snow is still coming down and swirling.

If you follow the shadow of the basketball pole, you might be able to make out the lump at the end of the driveway. That is about where the mailbox is and it is barely above the snow at this time.

Be safe. The road travel restrictions are still in place. As daylight begins to arrive, we can get out to shovel, clean out and take better photos!

Important storm-related updates regarding your Verizon FiOS service

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Verizon Services"
Date: Feb 8, 2013 11:40 PM
Subject: Important storm-related updates regarding your Verizon FiOS service

Dear Valued Verizon Customer, In recent months, the East Coast has certainly had its fair share of significant weather events. As the latest winter storm unfolds, Verizon has deployed resources to support areas that could be impacted. Unfortunately, power outages are the most common weather-related issue our customers experience.  If you should lose power, below are some important tips about your FiOS® service:  In the event of a power outage, your FiOS® Internet and/or TV service will not be available until your power is restored   If you have fiber-based voice service or FiOS® Digital Voice, the Battery Backup Unit (BBU) that Verizon installed to support your Optical Network Terminal (ONT) supplies up to eight (8) hours of corded phone service   Should the battery in your BBU cease to power your corded phone, you may still be able to make an emergency phone call by pressing the blue Battery Emergency Use button on your BBU. This should enable your ONT to reboot and provide up to one hour of additional talk time   Once power is restored, you may need to reset your ONT or reconnect/replace the battery to restore your FiOS service(s) To Reset Your Optical Network Terminal (ONT) Unplug the electrical power cord of your Battery Backup Unit from the wall outlet Wait one minute and then plug the cord back into the wall and see if the ONT resets. If the ONT resets, then your FiOS service(s) should come back online. If not, please try to reconnect the battery according to the directions below To Reconnect (Or Replace) The Battery In Your Battery Backup Unit (BBU) Unplug the electrical power cord of your BBU from the wall outlet Open the battery cabinet on the BBU (you may need a screwdriver to do this) Disconnect the battery leads and wait 10 seconds. Reconnect the battery leads Put the battery cabinet back on and then plug the power cord back into the wall and see if the ONT resets. If the ONT resets, then your FiOS service(s) should come back online. If not, you may need to replace the battery that Verizon provided. For up-to-date information throughout the storm, please visit verizon.com/outage from your computer, smartphone, or wireless device. This site will allow you to create a repair ticket, find additional help for troubleshooting or restoring your service, and download our Verizon In-Home Agent which provides you with fast, easy solutions.  Please stay safe, and thank you for being a loyal Verizon customer. Sincerely, Your Verizon Team Having trouble with the links in this email? You can also copy and paste the following address into your browser to view your account: http://www.verizon.com/myaccount Ensure Verizon emails reach your inbox by adding verizon-services@verizon.com to your "safe" email list. Your email or Internet provider can provide instructions on how it works. This email has been sent from an auto-notification system that cannot accept incoming email. Sign In Forgot Your Password? Customer Service ©2013 Verizon

Roy gets his assignments and votes to freeze UI

Rep Jeff Roy's office has shared two press releases. One with his committee assignments and one on a recent vote to freeze the unemployment insurance rate rather than raise it.

Committee assignments:




Unemployment Insurance Rate Freeze:



For additional information on Rep Roy, visit his webpage http://jeffreyroy.com/