Franklin Matters

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Live reporting - Town Council - Sep 11, 2013

Present: Mercer, Kelly, Powderly, Vallee, Pfeffer, Jones, Bissanti, Roy
Absent: Dellorco

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
– June 5, 2013, June 19, 2013
motion to approve meeting minutes, passed 8-0

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS – This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by Franklin Matters.

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
– Robert R. Dean

Robert Dean, Council Chair Robert Vallee and Vice-Chair Tina Powderly

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS
Design Review Commission
Claudine Silverman
Robert J. Tobin Jr
motion to approve, passed 8-0

Conservation Commission
Dayna Gill
Ravi Pendkar
motion to approve, passed 8-0

Anything, anytime!

There is an old adage in the help desk support world:

If you don't tell them what you support, you support everything.
If you don't tell them how you support it, you support it their way.
And so forth ... you get the idea.

So when I find this sign seemingly failing to say what it prohibits, does it prohibit everything? or is everything fair game?

anything anytime

Fortunately, the sign is not on a high traffic street and thereby with little real impact.

Sign seems to be oddly placed

This "Do not enter" sign is oddly placed. There is a curb along the road. A utility pole, a tree, and a support line for the utility pole. Why would any one think this is a space to drive?

oddly placed sign

Is there a special reason for the placement of this sign?

Do you have a library card?

September is National Library Card Sign up Month and the Franklin Library is taking part. Do you have a library card?

Library card sign up month

Visit the Franklin Library page to find out what the library card can do for you.
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Library/index

Visit the American Library Association webpage for more on this month
http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/card

"We are moving along"

As shown with photos shared here, the solar farm up at the Mount St Mary's Abbey is making progress and part of it should go live in October.

National Grid, the town’s primary electricity provider, still has to perform some final safety and security checks, he said.

The town will purchase the energy generated by the farm at a reduced rate.

Kearsarge will begin work on the remaining 3 megawatts in the next 60 days. The complete farm will power about 70 percent of the town’s municipal and school buildings, according to Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting.

solar farm in July 2013

More photos from July 2013
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/07/mount-st-marys-solar-farm-update.html

Photos from June 2013
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/06/mount-st-marys-solar-farm.html

"best fit for the museum"

What to do with the former historical museum is an open question.

When the commission moved into its current museum on West Central Street three years ago, the South Franklin Congregational Meeting House no longer had a use and now stands perpetually empty.

Recently, commissioners have been discussing with town officials potential uses for the old church — such as leasing or selling it — but have hit hurdle after hurdle.

While the town has maintained the more than 150-year-old building to a certain extent, it will still require an extensive amount of work before it can be sold or repurposed, according to Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Meeting - Sep 10

The Franklin and Bellingham Rail Trail Committee will have a meeting on Tuesday, September 10, 2013. The meeting will be held at the YMCA in Franklin and begin at 7:30 pm. Attached is an agenda, and the meeting is open to any one who wants to participate and help develop the trail.

Also, if you are interested in helping with the annual SNETT Benefit Road Race, please contact David Labonte at david.labonte@verizon.net or Terri Tomaino at territom2@comcast.net.