FINCOM: Ken Norman

After the 5 minute break, the Franklin Finance Committee returns to business missing two members. Ken Norman opens the discussion on the override with his statement calling for a multi-year plan.

Time: 2 minutes, 24 seconds



MP3 File

In the News - override, Council meeting

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Apr 15, 2008 @ 09:36 PM

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FRANKLIN —

Tonight, Councilor Joseph McGann and School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy will both urge the Town Council to put an override question before voters this year to prevent layoffs and cuts in schools and town departments.

"I would like to see the people express their voice on it," said McGann, adding, "I don't think it's going to fly."

Still, McGann wants the council to put feelers out in the community to get a sense of whether people want to pay more to keep the 45 teachers and school staff expected to be laid off in the budget proposed by Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting, which the Finance Committee voted to support Monday night.

Individual members of the Finance Committee supported a tax increase. Chairman Jim Roche and Pat Goldsmith both made motions to recommend the Town Council place a $1.5 million override question on the ballot. The board as a whole, however, did not take action because they had no time to prepare an adequate plan, they said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here.

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FINCOM: Mike D'Angelo's statement

From the Franklin Finance Committee meeting of 4/14/08, this segment is the statement (very well done, by the way) of Mike D'Angelo laying out what is really going on with the schools providing the support for the town wide facilities already and recommending NOT to go ahead with the consolidation.

Time: 8 minutes, 20 seconds



MP3 File

My notes made during Mike's statement:

One facilities dept already, the school manages the town facilities
Four people on facilities, all happen to be school employees
Part time custodians and trade staff are town
1M vs. town 200,000 sq ft
School required to for certifications, schools are in a lot of business
Tim (Raposa) runs town technology
School runs the food services
Town gets a lot of benefit from the schools
School grounds staff does a good job
Took town employee to a seminar for the first time
Schools are a different entity, 38 folks work hard today
Reduced staff from last year, work around children every day
They want to be involved in schools, cleaned areas that are larger due to cuts
Folks are working harder

Reality is school is doing a lot for the town
Really is the tail wagging the dog

Jeff Nutting knows my opinion
School guys there to do the floors
Debate on the 29th will be good
No MOA to let Mike do what he is doing
His recommendation is not to move, to keep it as is
All this was done out of good will for last five years

FINCOM: School Budget vote

From the Franklin Finance Committee meeting on 4/14/08, this segment skips ahead of all the discussion and get right to the motion for the School Committee budget. They approved the Town Administrator recommended level funded budget with this vote.

Time: 3 minutes, 2 seconds



MP3 File

Ed Cafasso - Citizens Comment Appeal

Any parent who supports a level service school budget issue should try to attend the 7 p.m. Town Council meeting on Wednesday (tomorrow) and use the “Citizen Comment” period right at the start of the meeting to ask the town councilors to look into their hearts and find a way to help the schools fund a level service school budget -- either through existing resources, an override or some combination of both.

The schools are not on the meeting agenda, so “citizen comments” will be the only chance to be heard on this issue. Committee Chairman Jeff Roy will make a statement, and the vocal support of parents would be appreciated.

Ed Cafasso

Member Franklin School Committee

in the News - FINCOM Meeting - 2 articles

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Apr 15, 2008 @ 12:30 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Despite support from most individual members of the Finance Committee, last night the group collectively decided against recommending an override to Town Council because they did not have enough time to properly plan.

After School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy requested the board discuss putting an override question to the public to prevent 45 layoffs in the schools, Finance Committee members spoke in favor of a tax hike.

Finance Committee Chairman Jim Roche made a motion to ask the Town Council to place a $1.5 million override question on the ballot to support the school, police, and fire departments. No one seconded his motion.

Read the full article here

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By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Apr 15, 2008 @ 12:46 AM

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FRANKLIN —

After a lengthy presentation from school officials advocating for a $58.6 million budget, the Finance Committee last night voted to recommend the $55.4 million budget proposed by Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.

Finance Committee Chairman Jim Roche said he wanted to be clear that the school budget is not being cut, "it's just not getting increased by as much" as officials say is necessary to maintain teachers, other staff and programs in schools. Nutting's recommended budget represents a 1.5 percent increase, or about $800,000 over this year's $54.6 million budget.

Even if the School Department gets the $58.6 million it is seeking, schools will not be able to hire new teachers, Superintendent Wayne Ogden said.

Read the full article here

FINCOM votes to adjourn

Yes, that was one major highlight of the long evening Monday 4/14/08.

After hearing and reviewing the school budget and the need for an override,
with two members not returning from a five minute break,
the eight remaining could not reach an agreement on two motions for an override,
both motions ended up being withdrawn,
which quickly lead to the motion to adjourn at approx 10:20 PM.

So the FINCOM has yet to vote a full budget (schedule to be determined).

The Town Council probably won't get the budget until their second meeting in May (at this rate).

Which cuts it almost impossible to schedule a town vote for an override before June 30th.

So as it stands the school budget voted is the level funded Town Administrator approved budget which is short $3.3 Million and will result in 45 folks going out the door in June to not return in September.


Oh, and the school committee has yet to vote on their final budget. That comes on April 29th.



more details and recordings to be made available as I have time to process them

In the News - override views mixed, FINCOM to hear school budget

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Apr 13, 2008 @ 09:08 PM

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FRANKLIN —

Dale Lippert, a retired instructor from Dean College, didn't pause before expressing his thoughts on a tax override to save the schools from drastic layoffs and cuts this year.

Sitting at the Honey Dew Donuts on Rte. 140, Lippert shook his head, and looking to his friend, another senior, said, "It's not going to happen."

"The bucket is only so deep. I don't think it's a Franklin issue - I think it's a U.S. issue, an economy issue," said Lippert, lamenting the rising cost of gas, milk, and bread.

People on fixed incomes can't meet their basic needs, and others are losing their homes, he said.

"I was a teacher, and I'm 150 percent in favor of education, but there has to be fiscal responsibility. They can't just keep asking people (for more)," Lippert said.

If Franklin puts a tax override question on a ballot this year, he predicted, "a gray revolution" - the senior generation organizing to fight it - adding that he'd be "on the front line."

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News

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By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Apr 13, 2008 @ 08:33 PM

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FRANKLIN —

Tonight, School Committee Chairman Jeff Roy will make two financial requests of the Finance Committee: To support a tax override and agree to a $58.6 million budget for schools - $3.2 million on top of Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting's proposed $55.4 million budget.

The School Committee is seeking the tax hike to fund a budget sufficient to maintain the same level of services, teachers and staff at schools.

An adequate tax override would prevent 45 layoffs (mostly teachers) in schools and increased pay-to-ride fees, and save the late bus.

"I'm hoping the Finance Committee will support an override, or at least an override question. I think it's the only real option, because there aren't any real sources of (additional) revenue," he said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Poll #2

Thank you for your feedback to the first poll.
My second one is now along the right column under the subscription options.

How do you prefer to catch up on what happens with a meeting?

You have three options and can choose one: audio files, audio and text, or text.

I have experimented with all three delivery methods over the last several months. I have my preference. Now you get to express your choice.

Letter From Ed Cafasso

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a restful weekend. As promised, here is an update on school budget matters, including a schedule of important public hearings that you may wish to attend.

The School Committee this week voted unanimously in support of a level service budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. That means we will ask the Town Council for approximately $4 million in additional funding, enough to cover our increasing costs so that we can support the same level of service students and parents currently receive.

As you know, Town Administrator Jeff Nutting has proposed that the schools receive only $800,000 in additional revenue for fiscal year 2009. If the Town Council accepts Mr. Nutting’s proposed funding level, the School Committee and Supt. Ogden would need to impose $3.2 million in cuts, including:

- 15 teaching positions at elementary level

- 12.5 teaching positions at middle school

- 17 teaching positions at FHS

- A $100 increase in the pay-to-ride bus fee hike, and

- The end of late bus service for students who need to stay after school for academic, clubs and extracurricular programs.

To date, we have not received any indications that the Town Council is willing to support additional funding for the schools beyond Mr. Nutting’s proposed appropriation. In light of this, the School Committee also voted unanimously to authorize Committee Chairman Jeff Roy to pursue the possibility of placing a Proposition 2½ override on the town ballot.

Dozens of you have written to me and to other members of the School Committee to express your deep concern over the impact of these potential cutbacks, including inappropriate class sizes, reductions in arts, music and extracurricular offerings, intolerable burdens for working families; destabilized property values, etc.

I appreciate all of the messages of support I have received and the great many smart questions parents are asking. I urge you to make your opinions known to the elected members of the Finance Committee and the Town Council. I have included their email addresses below, arranged in easy cut-and-paste blocks.

Finance Committee members:

RobustAlternatives@comcast.net; feldjamin@hotmail.com; pmessere@earthlink.net; rebecca65@comcast.net; mark.cataldo2@verizon.net; jfc322151@yahoo.com; pat@cbsfinances.com; csmaire@aol.com; wnorman18@comcast.net; rfvitale@msn.com; John.redwine@fmr.com; jnutting@franklin.ma.us

Town Council members: cdds2@comcast.net; bartlett.family@comcast.net; judpfeffer@verizon.net; TDoak@comcast.net; smason2@comcast.net; DMC2466298@aol.com; Vallee480@aol.com; whalen_stephen@hotmail.com; szollo@mbbp.com; jnutting@franklin.ma.us There are several public meeting opportunities coming up at which you also can ask questions of your elected officials and express your views as voters and taxpayers. These include;

Monday, April 14: The Finance Committee will hold a hearing to examine the School Department’s proposed FY09 budget at 7 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers on the 2^nd floor of the Municipal Building.

Tuesday, April 15: Town Administrator Jeff Nutting and School Supt. Wayne Ogden will appear at the meeting of the Franklin Schools at 9 a.m. at Horace Mann Middle School.

Tuesday, April 29: The School Committee will hold its public hearing on the school budget at 7 p.m. on 2^nd floor of the Municipal Building.

Wednesday, May 7: The Town Council will hold its hearing on the School Department budget at 7 p.m. on the 2^nd floor of the Municipal Building.

Thanks again for your feedback and support. I will do my best to keep you informed. The next three to four weeks will be crucial in determining the state of our schools this fall. Stay tuned. Stay involved.

Ed Cafasso, Member

Franklin School Committee

Fire Station Open House (audio)

The ceremonies from the Fire Station Open House on Saturday. The speakers were in order: Lou Allevato, Building Committee Chair; Chris Feeley, Town Council Chair; Rep Vallee and his special assistant; Chief McCarraher; and Father Bob from St Mary's.

Time: 17 minutes, 50 seconds



MP3 File

Franklin Fire Station Open House 4/12/08

Franklin Fire Station Open House 4/12/08, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The speakers (in order of appearance) at the Fire Station Open House held Saturday 4/12/08:

Top left - Lou Allevato, Building Committee Chair
Top right - Chris Feeley, Town Council Chair
Mid left - Rep Vallee and his special assistant
Mid right - Chief McCarraher
Bottom left - Father Bob
Bottom right - the flag raising

Where in Franklin? #44

Where in Franklin? #44, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Where are you in Franklin to find this site?

The guidelines for playing "Where in Franklin?" can be found here.

Where in Franklin? Answer #43

Where in Franklin? Answer #43, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The answer to picture #43 is the former Tompson Printing Press building along Dean Ave.

ltsjs contiued their streak of correct answers. Thanks for playing.

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What was this building used for before Thompson? I have been here almost 13 years but have only seen the building from the train as I go to or return from Boston.

Can anyone fill in some details?

In the News - solar powered trash, fire station

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

GHS

Posted Apr 12, 2008 @ 10:00 AM

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FRANKLIN —

Just in time for the town's Earth Day celebration April 19, the public works department has installed two $4,000 solar-powered trash compactors on Main Street and at the Beaver Pond recreation complex.

The "BigBelly" cordless trash compactors can hold up to 200 gallons of garbage - up to six times the typical load, said Denise Zambrowski, Environmental Affairs Coordinator for the Department of Public Works.

"It's really a neat invention. Using solar energy, it will help us maintain a neat (town), just controlling litter and trash in our parks, in our ball fields.

"It's a really interesting invention to help us deal with solid waste management in public places," said Zambrowski, who first learned about BigBelly at an energy efficiency workshop.

Read the full article at the Milford Daily News

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By Staff reports

Milford Daily News

Posted Apr 12, 2008 @ 11:05 PM

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FRANKLIN —

The town of Franklin on Saturday opened its new fire station on West Central Street. The new 22,250 square foot station more than twice of the facility it replaced, which was built on the same site in 1922 and demolished last year.

This is the complete article but you can click through to see the photo at the Milford Daily News.