Live reporting: Legislation for action

10. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
10a. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
Zoning By-Law Amendment 20-849: Changes to Ground-Mounted Solar Energy System Use Regulations, And Use Regulations Schedule Updates-Referral to the Planning Board (Motion to Refer Zoning Bylaw Amendment 20-849 to the Planning Board - Majority Vote)

first 'bite of the apple', goes to Planning Board for their public hearings (2) and then action before coming back to the Council for 2 readings and eventual vote

90% of the power at the Mt St Mary's solar farm provides the Town of Franklin
tax agreements are not as lucrative as previously stated

to remove large scale commercial solar farms sited in residential neighborhoods
other solar installations remain permitted

while removing the large from residential, it also adds a 75 foot buffer where large scale would abut

motion to refer, seconded, passed 9-0

10b. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
Zoning By-law Amendment 20-850: Zoning Map Changes On Or Near Highland, Maple and Lincoln Streets- Referral to the Planning Board (Motion to Refer Zoning Bylaw Amendment 20-850 to the Planning Board - Majority Vote)

motion to waive the reading, seconded, passed 9-0

motion to refer, seconded, passed 9-0

10c. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
Zoning By-law Amendment 20-851: Zoning Map Changes On Or Near Oak Street and Dailey Drive- Referral to the Planning Board (Motion to Refer Zoning Bylaw Amendment 20-851 to the Planning Board - Majority Vote)

motion to waive the reading, seconded, passed 9-0

motion to refer, seconded, passed 9-0

10d. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
Resolution 20-08: 2020 - 2021 Town Council Goals (Motion to approve Resolution 20-08 - Majority Vote)

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/mai/files/20-08_web.pdf

motion to refer, seconded, passed 9-0

Live reporting: OPEB Update, etc.

6. HEARINGS
- None Scheduled

7. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
- None Scheduled

8. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
OPEB (Other Post Employment Benefits) Presentation

Dan Sherman
The released doc is shown in the link here, what he talked to doesn't seem to match
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/mai/files/8a._opeb_presentation.pdf

add 2-pager doc later
top quartile in terms of peers for funded ratio

additional funding of 3.1M would be required /per year, to make up the funding required.

where are we now, how do we get to 3-4M per year?

when a community gets to full funding on Pension to send that money to OPEB
Franklin estimated to get to that point at about 2030

calculating with the assumption that Franklin would continue funding OPEB as we do today, and then roll the Pension funding to OPEB

The Federal Reserve has been keeping inflation in check for any number of years. The CPI is holding about 2.9/3.0 percent

you're ahead of most of your peers, a member of the majority funding something

Town does have a policy per operating budget to increase the amount 50,000/ also approve 10% of free cash; should take a look at it again, 2030 is a ways away

Kelly - arrives at 7:26 PM


9. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
a. Capital Budget Subcommittee
we had a meeting last week
coming to the Council Feb 5

b. Budget Subcommittee
nothing to report at this time

c. Economic Development Subcommittee
nothing at this time
next meeting Feb 5

Live reporting: Town Council - Jan 22, 2020

Present: Chandler, Hamblen, Pellegri, Dellorco, Mercer, Jones,  Kelly (arrived at 7:26 PM), Earls, Bissanti
Absent: none


1. ANNOUNCEMENTS
a. This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast Channel 11 and Verizon Channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by others.

2. CITIZEN COMMENTS
a. Citizens are welcome to express their views for up to five minutes on a matter that is not on the agenda. The Council will not engage in a dialogue or comment on a matter raised during Citizen Comments. The Town Council will give remarks appropriate consideration and may ask the Town Administrator to review the matter.

no citizen comments

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
a. December 18, 2019
motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0

b. January 8, 2020
motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0

4. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
- None Scheduled

5. APPOINTMENTS
Franklin Cultural Council: Theodore D. Cormier-Leger

motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0

A Franklin High School team (Sompally, Valiveti, Bhakta, and Gandham) is one of the DECA Idea Challenge global winners

There is a line about pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, these students have done that with shoelaces. Yes, shoelaces!

"DECA Inc. is excited to announce this year’s DECA Idea Challenge global winners!

A premier event of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), the DECA Idea Challenge dared elementary through university students to generate a new use for shoelaces in merely a week! In addition to reinventing the item, teams were to create a video pitch of their new product.

With a significant amount of creativity, teamwork and determination, these teams were able to rise to the top.

Congratulations to the following DECA Idea Challenge global winning teams"

High School

Hood Mask

Franklin High School | United States

Congratulations to Shoumik Sompally, Saket Gandham, Rohit Valiveti, and Saahil Bhakta!

Video link  https://youtu.be/rAR9CkTLyj0




Found via a tweet by Franklin DECA

Proud to announce the team of Sompally, Valiveti, Bhakta, and Gandham have won DECA's 2019 GLOBAL Idea Challenge. Unbelievable! This year's material: shoelaces. Check out their video here: https://t.co/PfCYWiN3ZP@DECAInc @mass_DECA @FranklinHS @FHSPantherbook https://t.co/rNSzu6vc2S

— Franklin DECA (@FranklinMA_DECA) January 21, 2020

https://twitter.com/FranklinMA_DECA/status/1219679810529697792?s=20 https://twitter.com/FranklinMA_DECA/status/1219679810529697792?s=20

A Franklin High School team is one of the DECA Idea Challenge global winners

Back Up - Just Do It

The fact that you are reading this is the result of a very bad thing – followed in short order by a very good thing. The bad thing? My computer died. It was sudden and final on Thursday. I wasn’t there to witness its passing. I expected a quiet evening, only to be confronted by the Microsoft Blue Screen of Death. If ever there was a Greek or Roman god of digital stuff, that all-digital deity had it in for me. (Sigh!)

The good thing? Backup! My digital stuff – every last bit of my digital life – lives in three places. I accessed my backup files – typing this very missive and program schedule with my backup computer. Yes, I have one.

Digitally, this is not my first cataclysmic crash, nor will it be the last. How often? It happens roughly every 3-5 years. It’s never pleasant, but it is survivable.

Back Up - Just Do It

Our lives are increasingly digital. Our computers and smartphones rule our day, making our lives easier, better – until they fail.

Failure is not an option. Not today.

That’s because backing up all my digital stuff is not an option.
It’s essential.

And – as always – Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm. And, thank you for watching.

by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 

P.S. It’s not too late to start a New Year’s resolution – backing up all your stuff.

Buy a small external hard drive. Then organize and make a backup copy of any digital files you regard as precious. Update your backup often, if not daily. Your future self will thank you.

-----------------

Wednesday:

• 9:00a/12:00p /6:00p FPS Voice – Anne Marie Tracey, All about Franklin Public Schools
• 10:00a/1:00p/7:00p The Wonderful World of Wine – Mark Lenzi, Kim Simone, All about wine, its culture, lore and finer points 
• 11:00a/2:00p/8:00p Franklin Matters Radio – Steve Sherlock, Franklin and its local government, services and events

Thursday:

• 9:00a/12:00p/6:00p The Tabernacle Choir, from Salt Lake City 
• 10:00a/1:00p/7:00p Frank’s Music – Frank Falvey, Frank explores a range of music genres and artists 
• 11:00a/2:00p/8:00pm Talkin’ the Blues – Jim Derick, Exploring the music of the great Blues tradition

Friday:

• 9:00a/12:00p /6:00p Chapters – Jim Derick, Insightful, life-affirming stories and interviews 
• 10:00a/1:00p/7:00p Music to Lift the Spirit - Jim Derick & Frank Falvey, An hour of uplifting music for all 
• 11:00a/2:00p/8:00pm Senior Story Hour – Senior Center Scribblers Group, Original short stories presented by the authors

Weekdays:

• 3:00p Music of the Swingin’ Big Band Era
• 4:00p Starlight Songs from the Great American Songbook

Listen each week on the air at 102●9 fm, and online at our website, wfpr●fm as we bring more of our community – to community radio.

Listen on the air at 102●9 fm, and online at our website, wfpr●fm

Both FHS girls and boys basketball teams post wins vs. Foxboro

Via HockomockSports.com, we share the results of FHS winter sports action on Tuesday

Boys Basketball = Franklin, 67 @ Foxboro, 61 – Final 
– Franklin senior Brayden Sullivan converted a key traditional three-point play in the fourth quarter and the Panthers took care of business from the free throw line in the fourth quarter (7-for-10) to grab a close win on the road over Foxboro. It was a consistent night on offense for Franklin, scoring 17 points in three quarters while netting 16 points in the third quarter. Franklin led 17-12 after one, 34-31 at halftime, and took a 50-45 advantage into the final frame. Chris Edgehill scored a team-high 16 points while Sullivan finished with 15 points for the Panthers, who were held to just two three-pointers. Foxboro’s Donald Rogers scored a team-high 14 points, Kevin Gallagher added 11 points, and both Brandon Borde and Will Morrison chipped in with 10 points apiece.

Girls Basketball = Foxboro, 40 @ Franklin, 61 – Final
Josh Perry, Managing Editor of HockomockSports.com, provides the game recap:

"It remained a two-possession game deep into the fourth quarter, but then Kelley-Rex division leader Franklin showed off another gear, putting together a run over the closing minutes that turned a close contest into another dominant victory.

After a Shakirah Ketant basket cut Franklin’s lead to 44-38, the Panthers stepped on the gas, scoring 17 straight points to pull away and hand Foxboro a 61-40 loss. It was a lopsided final score that wasn’t indicative of the bulk of this showdown between division leaders.

“They have a strong desire to be good,” said Franklin coach John Leighton about his team. “Games aren’t won on Tuesdays and Fridays, they’re won in practice. We grind it out. If you play good ‘D’ and get stops, then our offense will take care of itself and I thought we did a good job of that. That confidence snowballs.”

Ali Brigham (game-high 19 points and 13 rebounds) got the run started with a basket and then snagged a missed free throw by Erin Quaile and put it back up and in to extend the lead to 11. Sophomore Olivia Quinn, fresh off a career-high against Oliver Ames, got behind the Foxboro defense for a bucket in transition and then knocked down a jumper. She scored nine of her 11 points in the final quarter."

Continue reading the game recap
https://hockomocksports.com/strong-closing-kick-pushes-franklin-girls-basketball-past-foxboro/

For a Photo Gallery from this game
https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2019-2020/Winter-2019-2020/Franklin-Foxboro-Girls-Basketball-1-21-20/

For other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/tuesdays-schedule-scoreboard-01-21-20/

Ali Brigham (1) scored a game-high 19 points and the Panthers used a 17-0 run in the fourth quarter to turn a close game into a big win against Foxboro. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com

GoFundMe: Dennis' Fight Against ALS

Via the GoFundMe page:

"In May of 2018 our good friend Dennis Ceruti received some of the worst news you can possibly imagine, he had been diagnosed with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It is a progressive disease, which means it gets worse over time. It affects nerves in your brain and spinal cord that control your muscles. As your muscles get weaker, it gets harder for you to walk, talk, eat, and breathe. Today medication and therapy can slow ALS and reduce discomfort, but there's no cure. 

As you can imagine the diagnosis was shocking to Dennis, his family and friends. Since that day in May 2018, life has changed dramatically for Dennis, his wife Suzanne and their four amazing daughters. There are countless changes they have had to make in their daily lives, new additions to the home to make it more handicap accessible, a new vehicle, a lift to help him get to the main living area, new accessible furniture and countless other changes that have become part of their new normal."

Continue reading Dennis' story and contribute online at GoFundMe
https://www.gofundme.com/f/jd8zg-dennis039-fight-against-als

GoFundMe image: Dennis' Fight Against ALS