"Most surprising .. was the governor’s rejection of the Legislature’s increase in fees on ride-hail trips"

"Baker vetoes key policy initiatives in transportation bond bill
New Uber, Lyft fees and Spilka toll restriction scrapped"

"GOV. CHARLIE BAKER signed the Legislature’s transportation bond bill into law on Friday, but used his line-item veto to remove proposals raising fees on Uber and Lyft rides, establishing means-tested fares on public transit, and an initiative pushed by Senate President Karen Spilka that would prohibit increases in Turnpike tolls to help pay for the Allston I-90 interchange project.

The $16 billion bond bill authorizes the state to borrow money to finance all sorts of ongoing transportation projects, including bridge repairs, road improvements, and public transit initiatives such as the Green Line extension and South Coast Rail. The bill passed by the Legislature in the wee hours of January 6 also contained a number of new policy initiatives that Baker decided to scrap. Because the Legislature that passed the bill is no longer in session, the governor’s vetoes cannot be overridden. "

Continue reading the article online 

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/baker-vetoes-key-policy-initiatives-in-transportation-bond-bill/

 

The Boston Globe version of this story (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/16/metro/baker-vetoes-uber-lyft-fee-increase-he-signs-off-16-billion-transportation-borrowing/

 

Spear Phishing makes the news (again)

 

"A prominent TV news anchor in India, Nidhi Razdan was looking forward to starting her new job as an associate professor of journalism at Harvard University in September.

Just one setback. Harvard doesn’t have a journalism program.

After months of delays that she attributed to the pandemic, Razdan had a jarring realization: the faculty position, it turns out, doesn’t exist. The offer she thought she had accepted was nothing more than an elaborate ploy to access her personal information, she said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/15/metro/reporter-nidhi-razdan-claims-she-was-victim-sophisticated-phishing-attack-that-led-her-believe-she-got-journalism-job-harvard/

 

Franklin Fire Dept: Open Burning Season begins - permits available

Open Burning Season begins today.  Go to the Franklin Fire Dept website to obtain your permit: https://t.co/I9J3V4gjb3 

 

Shared from Twitter:  https://t.co/Joi9sHKshl

 

Franklin Fire: Open Burning Season - permits available

 

 

Franklin's Weekend Outlook: Jan 16 - Jan 17, 2021

Heading into the long weekend for Martin Luther King Day, the weather doesn't look so great, but it is New England and it could be colder....

 

Saturday, January 16
10:00am -  Winter Farmers Market

Sunday, January 17
1:00pm -  Historical Museum (open and free admission)

Monday, January 18   Martin Luther King Jr. Day 

Library and Town offices closed

 

Find the full calendar  https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6
 

Community Calendar

 

Winter Farmers Market - Jan 16

Don’t forget about our winter market happening again THIS Saturday 10-2! 

Make sure to wear those rain boots, rain coats and bring those umbrellas as the forecast shows lots of rain. Never fear as we have some great vendors to help make your day great!

Fairmount Fruit Farm  https://www.facebook.com/fairmountfruitfarm

Winter Farmers Market - Jan 16 - vendor list

Winter Farmers Market - Jan 16 - schedule

GoFundMe: Jason McHenry Memorial Fund

"We are heartbroken to share that Jason Robert McHenry, 50, passed away on November 19, 2020. Jason leaves behind 2 beautiful children, Connor, 11 and Anelie, 8, along with his wife of 14 years, Kristen.

Jason was a kind, gentle man with a bright smile and great sense of humor. He had a passion for cooking and was amazing at it. Above all, Jason loved his family and cherished being a dad.

This fundraiser is set up by friends to help support Kristen, Connor, and Anelie during this devastating time. While we cannot take away their sadness, we can help alleviate their financial burden and provide support during this heartbreaking time. 

Thank you for any contribution you can make, we appreciate each and every one of you."

The GoFundMe page is here https://www.gofundme.com/f/jason-robert-mchenry

 

GoFundMe: Jason McHenry Memorial Fund

Finance Committee - Jan 13, 2021 - meeting recap = storm water utility fee and COVID-19 updates

Quick Recap:

• Storm water utility fee update provided prior to presenting to Town Council
• Overview of program as it developed, held info sessions during 2020, and is ready for Town Council discussion
• Check out the Storm water maps to check your property (link below)
• Curious to see what the credits will look like; in particular, in my own case, to see what the approved pervious pavers would be. I was to redo my driveway and to get a way from blacktop might be doable.
• COVID-19 vaccines started in distribution to first responders on Weds at FHS with over 200 delivered.

Photos captured during the meeting and shared via Twitter can be found in one folder  https://photos.app.goo.gl/gXZbEs654E1F4Wgn9

----
As with most meetings in this pandemic period, I took my notes via Twitter during the meeting reporting in real-time via the virtual session.
 
The Twitter hashtag can be found online  #fincom0113 
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23fincom0113&src=typeahead_click

• Real time reporting underway for the Finance Committee meeting. #fincom0113 main topic tonight is storm water. Jamie touts a doc released today (maybe to the committee) that will lay out the financial impacts

storm water utility fee

• #fincom0113 DPW Director Cantoreggi reviewing the storm water presentation seen previously and adding updates where things have changed. Copy of presentation in agenda doc https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif591/f/agendas/01-13-2021_fincom_agenda.pdf 
• #fincom113 all of the storm water mitigation currently in the operating budget. Approx. $1.2m for storm water in budget for this.
• With roadmap and progress you can show the effort to the EPA as mitigation for the permit issued to clean up the Charles River. Residential property less impervious property #fincom0113 reducing phosphorus is key. When asked if the town forest should be raked the EPA was quiet
• #fincom0113 leaf pickup not in the first pass of the plan. Q Will we ever be done with the EPA? Maybe but these tend to be moving targets and something else could come along. So it doesn't seem like the fee would go away ever
• Utility fee is much more equitable. Post office doesn't pay taxes, but will pay this utility fee. #fincom0113 yes, there will be a previous paver listing for approved credit against the fee
• #fincom0113 Councilor Hamblen, had been chair for the ad-hoc Committee that worked on the utility fee. The fee for this will possibly be the lowest of the communities implementing a fee. Refers to the storm water page for additional info, pro/con, FAQs...
• For reference, the storm water page can be found https://franklinma.gov/stormwater-division. #fincom0113 SQ footage of impervious surface on the property would equate to billable units - check out the map for your property to see if it makes sense. There may be errors, and they should be raised
• Over a period of time, the ops budget for storm water would move to the storm water utility enterprise fund. Working to balance the sensitivity of the dollar impact. #fincom0113 discount would be equally applicable for storm water and other services for those eligible
• It will take time for the fee to settle some market forces will play, cost of services applicable, #fincom0113 storm water director and four personnel, likely some may transfer from other depts to this, and when remains to be seen.
• Initial presentation showed $2.3m and taking the leaf pickup out brought it to $1.2m #fincom0113 

COVID-19 update

• Clinic at FHS did 200 vaccines for first responders today. Bellingham Milford Millis Medway and Franklin served collaboratively
• Wait 28 days for 2nd shot for first responders, other smaller groups will be covered. Phase 2 is end of Feb/Mar. Can't answer yet as they don't have the info and guidelines to prepare yet. #fincom0113
• It is time to pay attention as the vaccine and delivery is underway, the regs are changing daily, sometimes multiple within the day. #fincom0113 This is hard, we have never done this before. Voluntary now, no mandate now. Stay tuned.
• Q schools have seen issues with staffing schools due to either contact or sickness, have we had any of that on the municipal side. Per Jamie, #s will change again as there is a 100 new cases here. #fincom0113 what the Federal govt will do after the 20th remains to be seen
• Money for CARES extended a year, so what we haven't spent we have time to do. Materials delivered for the campus school UV upgrades. #fincom0113 misc financial topics coming up next time can do an FY 2022 budget forecast in Feb, Gov Baker will have released his
• How do we compare with other similar towns re: reserve amounts or stabilization funds. #fincom0113 Motion to adjourn, passed
• Swivel seat to do listening session starting now. #edc0113
• Completing the #fincom0113 session earlier, with view provided unable to determine full attendance of Committee hence vote counts not included. All (x = ?) present voted.

The doc released for the Finance Committee meeting and background links 

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/01/stormwater-utility-fee-recommendations.html

one slide of the presentation deck, and yes, the Charles begins here in Franklin