Town of Franklin, MA: Planning Board - Agenda - Jan 25, 2021

January 25, 2021

7:00 PM Commencement/General Business

7:05 PM PUBLIC HEARING - Continued

138 East Central Street Adv.: Dec. 7 & Dec.14, 2020

Site Plan Abuts: Dec. 7, 2020

TO BE CONTINUED

7:10 PM PUBLIC HEARING - Continued

515 West Central Street Adv.: Nov. 2 & Nov. 9, 2020

Site Plan Abuts: Nov. 2, 2020

TO BE CONTINUED

GENERAL BUSINESS:
A. Bond Reduction: Maple Preserve
B. Endorsement: Maple Hill
C. Discussion: CPC Nomination
D. Meeting Minutes: December 7 & 21, 2020, January 8, 2021

This agenda is subject to change. Last updated: January 19, 2021
The next meeting of the Planning Board is scheduled for February 8, 2021. 

Agenda documents can be found online

https://www.franklinma.gov/planning-board/agenda/planning-board-agenda-104

Town of Franklin, MA: Planning Board - Agenda - Jan 25, 2021

FHS gymnastics: results from Attleboro match; meet Olivia

"The girls did amazing today.  Not sharing scores, Attleboro to compete on Friday night. Here is who were top 4 in each event!  Shout out both freshman scores count!! Ryann Chandler & Kate Heun"

Shared from Twitter:  https://twitter.com/fhs_gymnastics/status/1353516535286026243

FHS gymnastics: results from Attleboro match

Meet Olivia!

Shared from Twitter:  https://twitter.com/fhs_gymnastics/status/1353134846357467138

Meet Olivia! @FHSSports @FranklinHS @FranklinMatters @R_Lanigan @BostonHeraldHS @MetroWestSports @HockomockSports @MyFM1013 @KatCornetta @FHSTrainingRoom @_oliviareagan pic.twitter.com/KB5uwpCaIg

— FHS Gymnastics (@fhs_gymnastics) January 24, 2021

Estate Planning With Attorney Jennifer Taddeo - Jan 27 - 1 PM

The basics of estate planning
 

Join us for a check in about the basics of estate planning. Together, we will talk about the probate process (and how to eliminate it, if that is what you want), the basic estate planning documents each Massachusetts resident should understand, Massachusetts and federal estate taxes, Medicaid basics, and how to choose and work with an estate planning attorney.

Q & A

In order to protect your privacy, please email questions to Ariel Doggett in advance, and they will be answered in the course of the presentation. We will end with a Q & A to answer general questions, but please remember that attorneys can not provide advice outside of a formal legal engagement.
 

Jan 27 - 1 PM

 

Join us Wednesday, January 27 at 1 PM via ZOOM. Email adoggett@franklinma.gov for the link to attend

Download a copy of the flyer

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zYr5q9cX3HX8spgFm_4A_mNLYoKLYDUJ/view?usp=sharing

Estate Planning With Attorney Jennifer Taddeo - Jan 27 - 1 PM

Franklin Senior Center: Memory Cafe - Jan 25 - 2 PM

Please join us tomorrow, Monday, January 25 at 2 PM for the incredible entertainment of PE James.  PE has been entertaining audiences with his singing and acoustic guitar for over 3 decades.  If you love music you won't want to miss this event.  

This month's "Where's the Toast" Memory Cafe' is generously sponsored by Benchmark. 

Click below to join our Memory Cafe' Monday at 2 PM
https://zoom.us/j/91674028130?pwd=NWdZS3hZTlpGOWpUNEtoN3FKZjRiZz09

Meeting ID: 916 7402 8130
Passcode: 161293 

Franklin Senior Center: Memory Cafe - Jan 25 - 2 PM

MMA: Gov Baker, Lt Gov Polito provide updates on forthcoming MA budget

Gov Baker spoke to the MMA meeting on Friday, Lt Gov Polito spoke on Thursday. Highlights of their remarks including insights on the State budget to be released on Wednesday as shared here:

"During the MMA Annual Business Meeting this afternoon, Gov. Charlie Baker thanked hundreds of local officials for their “invaluable” partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic and announced that he would be filing legislation next week to authorize $200 million for the Chapter 90 local road and bridge program.

The governor highlighted a number of programs and recently signed laws intended to help give an economic boost to main streets and downtowns that have suffered during the pandemic, particularly a $626 million economic development bond, $16.5 billion transportation bond and a new small business relief initiative that has distributed $232 million thus far to more than 4,000 small businesses. The multi-year transportation bond law includes funding for the popular Complete Streets and Municipal Small Bridge grant programs, as well as new Municipal Pavement Partnership and Local Bottleneck Reduction grant programs. "

Continue reading the article online 

https://www.mma.org/gov-announces-200m-ch-90-bill-and-full-funding-for-student-opportunity-act/
 

"Speaking to more than 800 local leaders from across the state during the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show this morning, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced that the administration’s state budget plan for fiscal 2022, set to be released next Wednesday, will increase general municipal aid by 3.5%.

This meets the administration’s commitment to increase the Unrestricted General Government Aid account at the same rate as the projected growth in state revenues. The consensus projection of 3.5% was announced by legislative and administration budget writers late last week."

Continue reading the article online 

https://www.mma.org/lt-gov-announces-3-5-increase-in-local-aid-new-central-grant-portal/

New DLS Data Visualization Tool Now Available: Municipal Finance Snapshot

The Division of Local Services has a new tool available for quickly finding key financial and demographic information for all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns. 

The Municipal Finance Snapshot Dashboard uses Tableau visualizations to display data in 14 financial categories including Average Single Family Tax Bill, Local Receipts, New Growth and much more. Selecting a city or town from the map provides a wealth of data about that community. 

Please visit the Municipal Finance Snapshot Dashboard to explore all the information DLS has to offer in a new, easy-to-use way! 

In a trial run of the new snapshot dashboard, I found this Town of Franklin info (image below). Go try for yourself:  

https://edit.mass.gov/info-details/city-and-town-municipal-finance-snapshots

Municipal Finance Snapshot - Town of Franklin Info

“We don’t believe this is easier to do now”

"THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE between Gov. Charlie Baker and the Legislature on climate change legislation comes down to an issue where the two sides don’t seem very far apart at all.

Baker, in his roadmap for getting to net zero emissions by 2050, set a target for 2030 of a 45 percent reduction in emissions below a benchmark level. The Legislature, in the measure it passed at the end of last year’s legislation session, approved a 50 percent reduction. It was a mere 5-point difference, which lawmakers and environmental advocates dismissed as little more than a rounding error, but the Baker administration insisted it was a very big deal.

In his January 14 letter vetoing the legislation, Baker for the first time said those five percentage points would unnecessarily cost state residents $6 billion. Sen. Michael Barrett of Lexington, the Senate’s point person on climate change, said he had never heard the number before, and hinted it might have been made up. Environmental advocates were also dismissive. House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka say they are determined to send the bill back to the governor as is.

Now, Kathleen Theoharides, the governor’s secretary of energy and environmental affairs, is explaining where the number came from and why the difference between 45 percent and 50 percent is so substantial. "

Continue reading the article online   https://commonwealthmagazine.org/environment/theoharides-explains-6b-cost-figure/