FM #542 - Economic Development SubCommittee Mtg - 05/12/21 (audio)

FM #542 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 542 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the Economic Development SubCommittee meeting held on Wednesday, May 12, 2021.

The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format: some of the SubCommittee members were in the Municipal Bldg, other members joined the public via conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

Links to the meeting agenda and associated documents released for this meeting are included in the show notes. My notes taken during the meeting are also linked to.

The recording runs about 1hour and 46 minutes, so let’s listen to the EDC meeting for May 12.

Audio file =  https://player.captivate.fm/episode/de4a9bc7-faac-4986-a095-8a6c81388229

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The agenda doc for this meeting can be found

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/edc_agenda_for_may_12.pdf 

Housing Production memo

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/memo-_2021_public_draft_housing_production_plan.pdf 

 

Housing Production Plan

https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/franklin_housing_production_plan_-_may_2021_public_draft.pdf 

My notes captured during the meeting

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/05/recap-economic-development-subcomm.html

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The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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Housing Production Plan

“Putting Humpty Dumpty back together again is a monumental task”

"About 8 million fewer people are working in the United States than before the pandemic hit and there are about 8 million job openings. That would seem to align perfectly for a booming and fast-healing labor market as the nation’s reopening accelerates.

It’s proving not nearly that simple.

“We have job fairs. We have ads going on everything from social media to Indeed, to the Globe and the Cape Cod Times. We’re not getting responses,” said DeWitt Davenport, chief executive of the Davenport Companies in South Yarmouth, which has had to scramble to hire housekeepers and other workers for its five Cape resorts. “This is something I’ve never seen in my entire life of 40 plus years of the hospitality industry on Cape Cod.”

COVID hit the economy last year like a category 5 hurricane, blasting away more than 22 million jobs, upending entire industries, and exposing deep inequities in pay and working conditions. The upheaval is dramatically reshaping the jobs market, leading many Americans, especially in the low-wage restaurant sector, to reconsider their careers, while causing government officials to reassess their policies and business owners to redouble their efforts to lure workers as pandemic restrictions disappear."

Continue reading the article online  (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/15/nation/why-reassembling-shattered-jobs-market-is-proving-so-difficult/

Senior Center - Town Officials, State Rep Jeff Roy office hours - May 20

State Representative Jeff Roy, Town Council Members, and Town Administrator Jamie Hellen will be available to chat, answer questions and provide updates. 

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: May 20, 2021 08:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kdu2spjsiGtx0AUbmkjiKA_LqhIZK9G8L

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Senior Center - Town Officials, State Rep Jeff Roy office hours - May 20

Hold the dates! - Franklin ArtWALK Celebration - June 11-13, 2021

"Mark your calendar! The Franklin Cultural District is sponsoring a 3-day art & cultural event, Franklin ArtWALK Celebration from June 11-13! Events include live performances, art exhibits, family activities, a kick-off reception & more!

Visit https://www.franklinculture.org/home/pages/franklin-artwalk-celebration-escape-arts for details!"

Shared from Twitter:  https://twitter.com/franklinculture/status/1392934220910190597

 

 

Hold the dates! - Franklin ArtWALK Celebration - June 11-13, 2021

Join the HMEA May 16 and May 23 events virtually

May 16, 2021 is HMEA's 60^th Birthday! To mark this occasion and get in shape for incredABLE Day, we'll be taking a Stroll Down Memory Lane on Sunday, May 16 at 6pm. Join us for some virtual social time, lots of giveaways, and a brief slideshow of the last 20 years of incredABLE Day; you'll probably see yourself from over the years!

• It's FREE! Just click HERE to join, or click the invitation attached to add to your Outlook calendar
• Use Passcode: 20years
• Tons of GIVEAWAYS, including special-edition HMEA swag, Dream Raffle tickets, Papa Gino's party packs, and more!
• Get food for the show! Order from ANY Papa Gino's location or ANY participating D'Angelo location on May 16 between 12pm and 7pm, mention you're supporting HMEA's 20^th Anniversary incredABLE Day, and 20% of your order will be donated to the incredABLE Day team of your choice! 

 

Also for your calendar:

May 23 is HMEA's 20^th Anniversary incredABLE Day! Tune in to HMEA's Facebook page or YouTube page on Sunday, May 23 for special live coverage of incredABLE Day, starting at 10:00am!

• It's FREE to watch!
• See who wins the incredABLE 5K, photo and video contests, challenges, and auction!
• Hear from special guests and chime in with your live comments!
• Find out if you're a winner during LIVE Dream Raffle an 50/50 Raffle drawings!

 

                

National Weather Service readies for the 2021 hurricane season. Are we ready?

The weather is so nice and warm, after being confined indoor for winter (and due to COVID=19) it is about time we could enjoy it. Did you know that hurricane season officially starts soon? Alerts started on May 15. The season officially opens June 1.

Sign up for alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS)  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Additional info on service enhancements for this season as well as info on the social media accounts to track   https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/NHC_new_products_services_2021.pdf

Oops, we already missed "Hurricane preparedness week" (May 9-15)

https://www.weather.gov/wrn/hurricane-preparedness

"Today, May 15th, marks the first day of routine issuance of the
Atlantic basin Tropical Weather Outlook in 2021. This product
describes significant areas of disturbed weather and their potential for tropical cyclone formation during the next five days. The Tropical Weather Outlook is issued from May 15 through November 30 each year. The issuance times of this product are 2 AM, 8 AM, 2 AM, and 8 PM EDT. After the change to standard time in November, the issuance times are 1 AM, 7 AM, 1 PM, and 7 PM EST. 

A Special Tropical Weather Outlook will be issued to provide
updates, as necessary, in between the regularly scheduled issuances of the Tropical Weather Outlook. Special Tropical Weather Outlooks will be issued under the same WMO and AWIPS headers as the regular Tropical Weather Outlooks. 

A graphical version of the Tropical Weather Outlook is available on the web at: https://www.hurricanes.gov."

There are no tropical cyclones in the Atlantic at this time.

MA Consumer Affairs: COVID-19 vaccine survey alert; Emergency broadband benefit announced

"FRAUD ALERT: COVID-19 Vaccine Survey Scam"

"Distribution of the approved COVID-19 vaccines is well underway, but fraudsters are gaining access to vaccine-related data almost as fast as the rollout. According to Google’s vaccination statistics, over 7 million people in Massachusetts have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine – that’s over 60% of the state’s population.

After getting the first dose of any approved iteration of the COVID-19 vaccine, some consumers may receive imposter emails or texts posing as Moderna, Pfizer, or Johnson and Johnson. These messages often claim to be “post-vaccination surveys,” however none of the current vaccine providers are conducting surveys at this time. Special Agent William McNamara from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says “consumers receive the surveys via email and text message, and are told that, as a gift for filling out the survey, they can choose from various free prizes, such as an iPad Pro.” This is a scam – do not respond!"

Continue reading the article online http://blog.mass.gov/consumer/massconsumer/fraud-alert-covid-19-vaccine-survey-scam/

"The Federal Communications Commission Offers New Emergency Broadband Benefit"

"Staying connected has taken on a whole new meaning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The orders to shelter in place over the past year have created a surge in our digital landscape. This transition happened quickly and caused some to be left behind as work, school, health, and social activities moved to online platforms. To make internet service more affordable, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is providing Emergency Broadband (EBB) discounts to struggling families through a temporary program which just launched this week.

The EBB will provide eligible households with a monthly discount of up to $50 towards broadband service and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.  See link for EBB details: GetEmergencyBroadband.org."

Continue reading the article online  https://blog.mass.gov/consumer/massconsumer/the-federal-communications-commission-offers-new-emergency-broadband-benefit/