Monday, September 15, 2008

Town Council Agenda - 9/17/08

FRANKLIN TOWN COUNCIL


September 17, 2008
7:00 PM

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS - Design Review Commission

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS – New Town Website

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
  • Resolution 08-48: Acceptance of Sewer Easement Off King Street
  • Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5:Zoning Map: Business to Commercial II- 2nd Reading

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M. NEW BUSINESS

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required

P. ADJOURN

Sunday, September 14, 2008

FM #12 - Street Opening Bylaw

Another in a series of podcasts on what matters in Franklin, MA. This one features the discussion from the Town Council meeting on 9/3/08 on the Street Opening Bylaw.

Time: 22 minutes, 18 seconds



MP3 File

Session notes:

Music intro

My intro

FM #12

By way of catching up, I will do some shorter podcasts to provide the detailed discussions to you in their entirety. There is little I can add to the discussion itself so you might as well listen to it all and take from it what you will.

The first is from the Town Council meeting on Wednesday 9/3/08 where they discuss the proposed bylaw covering digging into a street in less than five years after it was re-done. The council completes the discussion and leaves the bylaw unchanged.

This will leave some residents with a situation that they are not happy with but it will leave the town overall with a better road infrastructure.

Choices, choices.

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

This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow Franklin citizens and voters by Steve Sherlock

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music

Windows and doors

It appears to be the season for windows and doors.

The house at 188 King St now sports them:

Franklin: 188 King St

There is a Creative Commons license attached to this image. AttributionNoncommercialShare Alike

The renovation/rebuilding of Honey Dew Donuts on East Central St now sports them as well. Looks like the coffee will be brewing soon!

Franklin_80914 002

There is a Creative Commons license attached to this image. AttributionNoncommercialShare Alike

How important are windows and doors?
Without them, all you have are four walls and no way to get in or out.

In the News: defibrillators, Pirelli Scholarship, Back to Business

Since Franklin, which has five AEDs, began sending them out in every car during a shift several years ago, they've become an important staple, said Chief Stephen Williams.

"We have had to use them, and we have had saves," he said. "If we're there a minute or two before emergency services, minutes count for a person having a heart attack."

Read the full article about local police departments and their defibrillator inventory in the Milford Daily News here

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

Staff Sgt. Pirelli, 29, was killed in a gun battle on Aug. 15, 2007 in Diyala Province while serving a tour in Iraq with the Army Special Forces. The Green Beret had been a goalie for the Franklin High School Panthers hockey team.

"My main job for the rest of my life is to keep his name alive,'' Pirelli said.
One of the ways he will do that, with the help of family and friends, is through establishing a perpetual scholarship for Franklin High School graduates.

To raise money for the first set of scholarships, which the Pirellis plan to hand out in 2010, they are holding a comedy night (for ages 21+) on Sept. 27 at the Doubletree Hotel in Milford (formerly the Milford Sheraton), at 7 p.m.


"We're really putting on a Las Vegas-quality show in Milford. There are headliners, Johnny Pizzi, who is in Vegas right now, Paul Gilligan, Tony Vee, Paul D'Angelo,'' Alberts said.
Read the full article about the Pirelli Scholarship fundraiser in the Milford Daily News here.

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

A "super mom'' was sitting with her, talking about how she had just sent her child to college and needed to find a job, but felt she had nothing to offer, Waters recalled.

"I thought she had it all together. She sat in front of me and started crying, and told me nobody would talk to her,'' Waters said.


The woman had spent a lot of time volunteering and was active in the community, but didn't think potential employers would value that experience, she explained.

So Waters used her corporate vocabulary and applied it to her resume, showing her she had many transferable skills.

"She started to sit up straight and became confident she was worth something out there,'' Waters said.


That woman, in turn, inspired Waters to start Back to Business, instead of one of the other dozen or so ideas she was kicking around, she said.


She spent the next year and a half researching, interviewing human resource managers, recruiters, and other hiring entities to learn what they wanted in employees.


"They're not against moms returning to the workforce, or people making a job transition. They just want to see transferable skills, computer skills, and they want the candidate to be clear about what they want,'' she said.


Waters realized she could bridge the gap and clear up misperceptions, she said.

Unable to find a good alternative to their situation, many women do nothing and simply continue feeling stuck, she said.

"We un-stick these fabulous women,'' Waters said.

"Confidence is the biggest thing missing,'' she said, adding that hiring managers do comment about applicants needing to have more of it.
Read more about getting women Back to Business in the Milford Daily News here.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Recycle electronics at Gillette today update

utterz-image

The Sony recycling event at Gillette Stadium is a logistics marvel! You don't need to leave your vehicle. You drive through a brief slalom-like set of cones, get directed to a lane and stop. Recyclers are ready to empty your vehicle into large boxes. As the boxes fill, they are fork-lifted onto trucks. As soon as you are empty, you drive up to be handed a Sony recycle bag and pointed to the exit. A quick drive out and you're on your way again.

It's the least amount of time you'll ever spend getting out of an event at Gillette! Well worth the effort loading your car with electronics to recycle!

Mobile post sent by shersteve using Utterz. reply-count Replies.

Industry: Vacumet - holography

I found this press release recently and want to add it to our growing collection of what is happening in the industry located here in Franklin.

Franklin, MA, September 08, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Vacumet, Corp., the world’s leading vacuum metallizer, today announced the launch of its new commercially available holographic stock design library. Vacumet’s new library houses over 100 holographic stock designs and represents two years of research and development efforts and an over $2 million investment. Vacumet’s holographic stock designs are being used to create unique, illuminating effects for packaging across industries, including food and beverage, beauty, publishing, home entertainment and holographic security. While maintaining the expanding holographic stock library, Vacumet will continue to offer its award-winning custom holographic design service.

The new library offers an assortment of exclusive stock patterns and utilizes all manners of holographic techniques, including dot matrix and conventional “full wave” holography. Vacumet’s library represents both traditional and modern patterns, and is currently stocking a variety of “Multiple Dots” patterns, “Cracked Ice/Broken Glass” designs, as well as distinctive lenslet and kinetic plaid designs. Vacumet plans to continually add to this stock library and will announce additional exclusive holographic stock patterns in the coming months.

“Brand differentiation and shelf appeal continue to be important factors in building a successful point-of-purchase sales strategy,” said Joe Formosa, business manager for HoloPRISM® at Vacumet. “With our extensive holographic stock design library, Vacumet can provide virtually limitless packaging solutions than can increase brand visibility while boosting sales.”

About Vacumet Corp.

Vacumet Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Scholle Corporation, is the single largest commercial metallizing company in the world. Its metallized products are used in the production of some of the most exciting and functional, barrier, cosmetic, labeling and promotional packaging products for major brands across industries and around the world. Vacumet products and processes are representative of its ongoing commitment to sustainable packaging. For more information, please visit http://www.Vacumet.com.

Vacumet Corp. - Holography
is located at 24 Forge Park, Franklin, MA 02038 USA

"a profound sense of history"

GHS
Posted Sep 12, 2008 @ 11:08 PM

FRANKLIN —

It happens, sometimes, in the White House - or a ranch house in Franklin - that great minds come together and do something amazing.

In the name of promoting literacy, 108 renowned authors and illustrators joined forces and created the anthology: "Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out."

The star cast of contributors include a National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, four Pulitzer Prize winners, three National Book Award recipients (and eight finalists), two MacArthur "Genius Fellows," 13 Newbery Medal winners (and 15 finalists), eight Caldecott Medal recipients (and 20 honors) and 12 Coretta Scott King Award winners (and 22 honors).

The idea for the historical book arose nearly a decade ago in the Franklin home of Mary Brigid Barrett, the founder, president and executive director of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

The book's website is found here

National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance website


I love the quote attributed to Barbara Tuchman that is found on the NCBLA home page:

"Without books, history is silent, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill... They are the engines of change, windows on the world, and ... 'Lighthouses erected in the sea of time.' They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind. Books are humanity in print."


What was the last book you read?

Have you read Dark Tide, Stephen Puleo's book on the Molasses Flood? The library has a number of copies available as part of the program this year "On the Same Page".


Friday, September 12, 2008

In the New - author in residence, senior residence assistance

FRANKLIN -

Jed Horne, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and former editor of the Times Picayune (New Orleans) will be the author in residence at Dean College.

Horne, author of the book "Breach of Faith," will read, present and sign copies of his book at a community event on Wednesday, Sept. 24, starting at 7 p.m., in the College’s Campus Center.
The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. The event is sponsored by Dean College’s Student Government Association.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

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

GHS
Posted Sep 11, 2008 @ 10:01 AM

FRANKLIN —

For the past two years, resident Ron Higginbottom and Town Councilor Joseph McGann have been making life at home safer for more than 100 Franklin seniors.

Every time the Senior Center's nurse inspects an elderly resident's home to prevent falls and finds a lack of grab bars in the bathroom, Higginbottom and McGann volunteer to install one there, said Senior Center Director Karen Alves.

As part of the center's Safe and Secure at Home program, the nurse visits seniors' homes and conducts risk assessments for falls, she said.

"Statistics say that for a lot of seniors, when they take a fall, it's usually a hospital visit or death (that results). Typically, they'll break a hip, which leads to a nursing home," Alves said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

For a picture of Ron Higgenbottom's Town Council Proclamation, look here

Thursday, September 11, 2008

In the News - superintendent search, local princess

GHS
Posted Sep 10, 2008 @ 10:00 AM

FRANKLIN —

The School Committee last night unanimously supported conducting an internal search to replace outgoing Superintendent Wayne Ogden, who announced his resignation Aug. 27.

"We have a lot of internal talent. I think it's important to promote from within," said Vice Chairwoman Paula Mullen.

Choosing an internal candidate will save money and has the added bonus of having a ripple effect, she said, as selecting a current staff member will leave an opening for another employee to fill.

An external candidate, on the other hand, would have a learning curve in getting to know a new and large school district, Mullen said.

The other six School Committee members expressed similar thoughts.

Noting that the last search for a superintendent took "quite a while," School Committee member Ed Cafasso said the district would save time and money by selecting Ogden's successor from an internal pool.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

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

GHS
Posted Sep 11, 2008 @ 12:06 AM
Last update Sep 11, 2008 @ 12:10 AM

FRANKLIN —

As a little girl, Gabrielle Murray dreamed of being a princess and becoming a professional singer.

Not too much to ask, if you're 5 years old.

Today, at 26, Murray actually is a princess - the only princess - at King Richard's Faire in Carver, which runs on weekends now through Oct. 19.

"Little girls believe she really is a princess, and a lot of them believe she's the princess from (the movie) 'Enchanted,"' said Gabrielle's mother, Elaine Murray.

"You tell them no, and they won't believe you. Even grown men - she goes by them and they go all mushy," she said, chuckling and shaking her head.

Even sitting at the dining room table at her Franklin home in regular clothing, sans her soft pink gown and tiara, it's easy to imagine Murray as a princess.

Like a royal from the Renaissance, her flowing red locks fall to her waist, she kicks into high soprano and takes on a slight English accent as she belts out one of Princess Aria's songs, pining for true love to find her.

Amid the jousting, jugglers, angels and variety acts, Murray plays Princess Aria Lumere all day, she said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here


Tuesday, September 9, 2008

live reporting - information matters

5. Information Matters

Superintendent’s Report
  • Enrollment / Class size(already covered)
  • PCC Leadership (new listing in your packet)
  • HMMS / Oak Street / ECDC (repairs complete, sheet rock left off temporarily to allow for drying, good response by Fire Dept., got to test the ConnectEd system and got almost universal compliments, far more difficult was connecting with the media outlets and getting them to believe that I was indeed the Superintendent. Their system is set to handle the snow warnings. They still need to speak to the State and see if we need to make up the day.)
  • Courses not offered this year
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports - none
School Committee Liaison Reports - none

meeting adjorned to Executive Session not to return to a public forum this evening

live reporting - action items

  • I recommend easement of land behind High School to Town for Senior Housing Project as described in the attached document. approved unanimous
  • I recommend acceptance of a check for $4,800.00 from the Horace Mann PCC to support the Video Yearbook, Middle School Magic & Talent Show. approved unanimous
  • I recommend acceptance of a check for $2,500.00 from the Parmenter PCC for the Kindergarten field trip to Davis Farmland and the Gr. 1 field trip to the Acton Discovery Museum. approved unanimous

live reporting - superintendent goals

Superintendent goals

Cafasso -
I think there need to be fewer quick goals.
  • The high school
  • An early budget process
  • Maintain student performance
The principals were here and warned us that the cuts would lead to declines in student performance. I think we need to understand this and stabilize this.

Armenio
I agree with the foreign language analysis. We received the report but we need some actions from it. We should look at this K-12

Mullen
We should also consider a transitional goal, assuming we get an internal candidate.

Roy
Incorporating a budget goal, getting a document beneficial to us and to the financial planning objectives.

live reporting - class size update

40% (200 sections) with less than 25 students per class
  • 20 of these are the Freshman collaborative sections which were protected

60% exceed 25 students per class
  • 167 sections with 25-29 students
  • 61 sections with 30-34 students
  • 44 sections with 35 or more students
Armenio
Appears that the cuts have affected the electives with larger class sizes

Ogden
Yes, we protected the core classes and allowed the electives to grow. Those classes can generally deal with the larger class sizes better than the core.

----

Ogden -
Better numbers are forthcoming with the official numbers that are due into the State in October. These are preliminary and raw numbers. We'll have a better understanding and explanation when the school year has settled.

We are at a saturation size for cuts. Many classes are over-sized. When you have to provide feedback to 100-150 students, you get shortcuts and less meaningful feedback. Some researchers say that 80 kids is the maximum to allow teachers to provide appropriate feedback.

----

Cafasso -
NEASC has no specific number that they are looking in for?

Ogden -
No, there is no specific target at that level. This will peek their interest. They will start asking questions to get into where the numbers may be changing the actual learning experience. They will ask those kinds of questions. They will give us 6-8 months to respond. They will decide to continually receive a update through our five year anniversary date, or they could take the step to put us on a probation status (we are already on a warning status).

Cafasso -
We have 500 plus 8th graders and 300 plus seniors, this will be an increase of a hundred students at the high school next year. We'll need to think about this as we try to handle the budget for next year.

Cafasso -
Horace Mann has 45 over the guidelines, Remington has 36. You followed a similar effort in those places.

Wittcoff -
We average 28 but that means some are 30 and some are 24. We artificially we able to handle the math but that created problems such that science is higher (with 30 in both sections).

Cafasso -
Jefferson, Kennedy, Thayer are taking the brunt of the hit with the class size and cuts in teachers.

Ogden -
The teachers and principals looked at the numbers but also at the complexity of the learning requirements to make their decisions. The other factor is space. 25 fourth graders in a room is tight.

Cafasso -
Only plus looks like there will be less in the middle schools next year than there are this year (approx. 25).

Ogden -
The teachers are very worried and very challenged about this year in delivering to the high standards they we all have. The kids are not feeling the stress if it is there. There is a high spirit.

Mullen -
The high science class size is a concern and you have the newer facilities to utilize.

Ogden -
Not a universal problem but there are enough large class sizes to be concerned about the overall student performance.

Wittcoff -
When she talks to the teachers about their labs, they won't talk about giving up with they do. They haven't started labs yet, they will somehow maneuver to accomplish as many labs and experiments yet. Talk to me later to see what has been done.

Mullen -
Can you remind me, I know the teachers are not teaching 4 classes.

Wittcoff -
This is due to how the middle school model has transformed. 4 classes in their discipline, split team teachers teach 2 in two different subjects, then all teach in that multi purpose session (re-teaching, homework session). If not teaching, three times during the week they are in planning or prep or meeting with parents, etc.

Mullen -
Can you sustain the numbers in your building?

Wittcoff -
I have looked at the numbers and we can sustain next year. I think it is the 2011 year that the 6th grade can't sustain and then each year there after we would need to add a team for 7th and then 8th as the "bubble" moves through.

Sabolinski -
She did a wonderful job with the projections and those numbers are without the Franklin Heights grow.

Rohrbach -
During the override tour, we had stated that our class sizes would be higher than our target in about 50% of the classes. What are we at now?

Ogden -
I think we are about 40%. The elementary numbers are not as high because when we had the 180,000 to play with we added back three teachers at the elementary teachers. Overall the estimate was right. Elementary was a little low, the high school was higher but it averages out.

Mullen -
I had the opportunity to attend the PCC meeting at FHS. There was a question from one of the parents: Are there desks for everyone. The answer was interesting, there are desks for everyone as there are empty rooms so the desks from those rooms were repositioned to help out.

live reporting - superintendent replacement

Roy - should we outside, or look inside, or do some combination of both?

Mullen - I think we should look internally, saves some money, internal brings a better start, hit the ground running

Cafasso - last search did take some time and money, with the problems we have we can't afford the focus elsewhere

Kelly - hate to jump on the same train but we have good staff here, let's see what we can do

Trahan - not much more to add than what has been said, it will save us time and money to help us focus on the pressing issues we have

Rohrbach - endorse the concept of going internally first

Roy - do an internal posting via FIRSTClass, put us on a time line to complete the internal search by the end of October

Cafasso - expand it to other recent departures from the system, they have the experience, they probably read the papers and have heard

Approved to go forward this way!

Live reporting - Annie Sullivan Middle School Tribute

2. Guests/Presentations
  • Annie Sullivan Middle School Tribute
--- video and audio presentation ---

Ms Beth Wittcoff, Mr Eric Ledebuhr

Live reporting - school committee 9/9/08

All committee members present: Armenio, Cafasso, Kelly Mullen, Roy, Rohrbach, Trahan

-------

7:01 PM - Call to order Mr. Roy

Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence

1. Routine Business
  • Citizen’s Comments - none this evening
  • Review of Agenda - strategic plan update will move out as the meeting did not occur yesterday
Minutes:
I recommend approval of the minutes from the August 26, 2008 School Committee Meeting.
6 - approved, 1 abstain
  • Payment of Bills - Mr. Kelly unanimous approval
  • Payroll Ms. Armenio
  • FHS Student Representative - Brittany MacLeod

In the News - parking, tutors

GHS
Posted Sep 09, 2008 @ 01:01 AM

FRANKLIN —

Downtown does not have a shortage of parking but continued development could create one, according to a recent study.

The study was done to identify parking problems to help town officials best plan revitalization.

The assessment, done in March and April, included a survey taken by downtown business owners and residents, a parking space inventory, site visits, research and analysis, said Franklin's Director of Planning Bryan Taberner.

An initial inventory found cars used just 1,150 of the 2,088 parking spaces (about 55 percent) downtown, he said, and on numerous site visits, a "substantial" number of spaces were not in use most days and times.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

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

Milford Daily News
Posted Sep 08, 2008 @ 06:00 PM

FRANKLIN —

Franklin Public Library is seeking volunteers to teach English to non-native adults in the community who want to improve their language skills. Qualifications for this position are dependability, a friendly and optimistic attitude, patience and a sense of humor. To learn about other cultures and countries and see America through someone else’s eyes, give this a try. ESOL training, materials and computer assistance are provided.

Classes begin Monday, Sept. 15, from 7-8 p.m., in the library lobby near the reference area.
If you are interested in making a contribution to your community through volunteering, please call the Franklin Public Library at 508-520-4940 X4517.

This was posted in the Milford Daily News here

School Committee Agenda - 9/9/08

Call to order Mr. Roy
Pledge of Allegiance
Moment of Silence

1. Routine Business
  • Citizen’s Comments
  • Review of Agenda
Minutes:
I recommend approval of the minutes from the August 26, 2008 School Committee Meeting.
  • Payment of Bills Mr. Kelly
  • Payroll Ms. Armenio
  • FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence:
  • Budget to Actual


2. Guests/Presentations
  • Annie Sullivan Middle School Tribute

3. Discussion Only Items
  • Superintendent’s Search Process
  • Enrollment / Class Size
  • Superintendent’s Goals
  • Strategic Plan Update

4. Action Items
  • I recommend easement of land behind High School to Town for Senior Housing Project as described in the attached document.
  • I recommend acceptance of a check for $4,800.00 from the Horace Mann PCC to support the Video Yearbook, Middle School Magic & Talent Show.
  • I recommend acceptance of a check for $2,500.00 from the Parmenter PCC for the Kindergarten field trip to Davis Farmland and the Gr. 1 field trip to the Acton Discovery Museum.

5. Information Matters
  • Superintendent’s Report
  • Enrollment / Class size
  • PCC Leadership
  • HMMS / Oak Street / ECDC
  • Courses not offered this year
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports


6. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.


7. Executive Session
Contractual Negotiations


8. Adjourn

Putting the storm water presentation to use

Franklin: Union St storm drain

Franklin: Union St storm drain 2

There is a Creative Commons license attached to this image. AttributionNoncommercialShare Alike

Remembering the storm water presentation from a recent Town Council meeting, I took notice of a couple of storm water grates on a recent walk up Union St. The photos don't show it very well but one of these has some water about 4-6 feet below the surface (apparently the way it should be) and one of these has a dark pile of refuse about 4 inches below the surface (probably not the way it should be).

In either case, the material on the grate should be removed to keep the grate clear to handle the next rainfall.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Tom Sousa Letter to Editor

This was in the print edition of the Franklin Gazette but unfortunately is not found in their online edition. The last "Letter to the Editor" on their web site is from October 1, 2007. Tom's letter is well argued so I asked if I could republish it here and he granted permission to do so. Thanks, Tom!


Franklin’s School Superintendent Wayne Ogden’s resignation this week was very disturbing to many people. Reading Mr. Ogden’s quotes, it seems to me he resigned because he felt he couldn’t improve the school system with diminishing funds and a lack of community support.

What’s happening to Franklin? A telling sign on the state of Franklin’s education system is that approximately 10% of the incoming Franklin Freshman High School boys are going to private schools! Will we have to continue to ship our kids out of town to ensure they receive a proper education? What about those less fortunate who can’t do this?

Milford Daily News blog contributors hammered Mr. Ogden, and belittled those who appointed him, as if his departure is the critical issue at hand here. Ogden's departure is a telling sign that he doesn't want to be associated with a failing school system, because we, the people of Franklin, are incapable of managing and controlling our budget and finances.

What are "we" the residents, thinking here? Okay, okay, we didn't pass another Proposition 2.5 because our taxes would be too high, right? Why did we have to lay off 70 school employees? Since the population has almost doubled in the last 12-15 years, all of the residents with kids can only blame themselves for this happening!

Franklin’s tax rate is still one of the lowest in the state! Think about that… Franklin, voted as one of the "Best places to bring up kids”, and to “Start a Small Business” in the country has a lower tax rate than more commercialized towns like Milford? Millis, Medway, Wrentham and Norfolk have fewer infrastructures to support, some shared High Schools and yet they have higher tax rates than us; what makes us think we shouldn’t pay more to get something similar? Franklin residents must understand that all of our property values will diminish if our school system continues to wane.

I would hope that when decision time comes around again, that Franklin residents with children and grandchildren, and the Franklin residents with businesses, and the Franklin residents with town pride, and the Franklin residents that have history here will all stand up together and understand and accept that change has occurred here, and some of it seemingly out of our control. With this change though, comes a financial responsibility for the betterment of our way of life, and for that of our children and our elderly.

Can we prioritize our spending between safety (new Fire House), our history (new Sr. Center), and our future (education budget)? I think there could be a balance, there should be a balance, but the first thing we need to do is get the ship straightened out! I don't know what the answer to this problem is; I am not a politician.

Best wishes, Mr. Ogden. I for one cannot blame you for your departure. I wouldn't want this bloody situation on my hands either.

Thanks; Tom Sousa, 508.954.2911 (c), tomsousa@gmail.com

"I see a bleak future if public funding for school districts doesn't change"

Along with stocking their children's backpacks, parents are increasingly helping teachers fill their cash-strapped classrooms with glue sticks, markers, hand sanitizers, toilet paper, and other basic materials once covered by school budgets.

Many teachers sent out the pleas last month before the first day of school as part of welcoming letters. Others handed out the lists last week on opening day. And a growing number, such as those at Chelmsford's Harrington Elementary this year, posted requests on school websites, saving money on postage and paper.

The lists are another telltale sign of how budget-cutting in recent years has affected the pocketbooks of parents, coming on top of the hundreds of dollars they spend annually on ever-increasing fees for school lunches, sports, after-school programs, and buses.

With household budgets this year stretched thin by rising grocery and fuel prices, parents are questioning how much longer they can keep giving.

"Parents are starting to feel like a piggy bank," said Holly Ewart-O'Neall, the mother of a second-grader and cochairman of the Worcester Arts Magnet School's parent-teacher group, which experienced a decline last year in fund-raising revenue that sometimes goes toward supplies.

School districts, wanting to avoid cuts to staff and programs, have been spending less on classroom supplies and materials during this economically turbulent decade. Statewide, school district expenditures on instructional supplies and materials, including textbooks, dropped 4.3 percent between fiscal years 2002 and 2007 to $334.7 million, despite a dramatic increase in the cost of many items.

Read the full article from the Boston Globe here

This is one area where Franklin School policy prohibits teachers from asking parents to contribute to the classroom. Do parents still contribute? Yes. Many of them know the situation is tight and will offer to bring in items used in the classrooms. In some cases, the teachers themselves make up the shortfall.


Sunday, September 7, 2008

In the Globe - high school building committee

Local officials are looking for ways to deal with the aging Franklin High School, but say they don't believe the town's taxpayers would be able to foot the entire bill for a proposed $100 million renovation or a $130 million new high school.

The town is putting together a committee to assess the school district's building needs, and first on the list is the future of the 37-year-old high school.

"There are other initiatives in town and in the school system that need to be addressed as well," said Town Council chairman Chris Feeley, but the committee is "going to focus on the high school."

The school has already been the source of an architectural study commissioned by the town. Now, officials are looking for help from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, the agency responsible for disbursing $2.5 billion in state funds for projects across the state over the next five years.

Read the full article in the Globe West section of Sunday's Boston Globe here


GATRA - updated schedule

The updated GATRA schedule can be found on the new Franklin web site here (PDF)

"There were several options discussed"

Milford Daily News
Posted Sep 06, 2008 @ 10:27 PM

FRANKLIN —

Laying off 17 teachers this school year following the failed override left Franklin High School with major scheduling headaches, including gaps in 200 students' schedules, said Principal Pamela Gould, a problem which has now been fixed.
Three weeks before school began, she said, attempts to realign everyone's schedule were still not completed and about 200 students had a hole in their schedules - one empty period - because administrators did not have enough courses to put the students in.
The Massachusetts Department of Education essentially banned study halls, said Superintendent Wayne Ogden, so they were not an option.
Heidi Guarino of the DOE said as part of Education Reform 1993, the state requires 990 hours of instruction for secondary schools per year, which leaves no time for study hall. Some districts still have some, but the state frowns upon them and requires them to have some learning going on.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

This was part of the School Committee meeting live reporting on Tuesday 8/26/08


Financial Planning Committee Charter - DRAFT

Draft: For discussion purposes only

Financial plan
  • Develop a 3 year budget that reflects a range of feasible economic scenarios and funding choices that may be required o Develop metrics to measure and report the town's financial and operational health

Build trust in the process
  • Involve key town committees, department, and others to ensure an inclusive process o Achieve buy-in from a critical mass of town leaders for the current situation and recommended course of action

Education and outreach
  • Better understand the views of citizens at large, including conventional wisdom that may not be supported by facts o Educate citizens regarding the town's financial health and financial outlook, including as necessary, the need for future overrides

Recommend one or more courses of action to ensure town finances support the overall goals of the town

Financial Planning Committee Minutes of August 7, 2008

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 pm

Members present: Finance Committee Chair James Roche, Councilors Deborah Bartlett, Shannon Zollo and Steve Whalen. Finance Committee member Rebecca Cameron, School Committee Member Matt Kelley, resident Doug Hardesty. School Committee member Roberta Trahan arrived late.

Also present were Town Administrator Jeff Nutting, and School Superintendent Wayne Ogden.

Not in attendance: Resident Gwynne Wilschek

Chairperson Roche asked the Committee to determine what they should accomplish and set a schedule of meetings. Steve Whalen believed there should be an educational and communication component, a printed document that could be distributed to all residences. A discussion ensued concerning potential forms of communication, education, outreach, etc.

The Committee thought that the Council, School Committee, and Finance Committee should work hard towards agreement with the final report.

Suggestions included a historical prospective, understanding that the budget is subjective, a potential questionnaire at the November election.

The Town Administrator handed out four-year revenue and expense information and a potential list of issues the Committee would need to obtain information on.

The group thought that a three-year projection that included outreach, education and communication was the goal of the Committee.

The Committee scheduled the next meetings for August 21,2008.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 pm.

Respectfully,

Jeff Nutting

Financial Planning Committee Minutes of July 10, 2008

The meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM
Members present were Deb Bartlett, Matt Kelly, Jim Roche and Rebecca Cameron. Doug Hardesty and Roberta Trahan arrived late.

Nancy Galkowski the Assistant Town Manager from Arlington, MA presented Arlington's approach to successfully passing an override that would meet the town's needs for a five-year period.

She explained that an override had failed and that they have an annual revenue gap of about $2,000,000.

The override was successful but they have learned a few things that they would do differently including not promising an expenditure cap.

The committee also, set the next meeting for August 7, 2008 with the hope of developing a mission, goals and times. They further discussed the challenges of getting information to the public and discussed a handout at the November election along with other media options.

The meeting adjourned at 8:45 PM

Respectfully

Jeff Nutting

Financial Planning Committee Minutes of June 11, 2008

The meeting was called to order by Chairperson pro-tem Deb Bartlett at 8:05 PM

Members present were Deb Bartlett, Matt Kelly, Jim Roche, Rebecca Cameron, Doug Hardesty, Gwynne Wilschek, Shannon Zollo and Steve Whalen.

A motion was made by Deb Bartlett and second by Steve Whalen to elected Jim Roche Chair. No other nominations were enter. The vote was 8-0.

Jim Roche asked for nominations for Vice Chair. Steve Whalen moved and Deb Bartlett second that Doug Hardesty for vice chair. No other nominations were entered. The vote was 8-0.

Jim Roche asked for nominations for Clerk. Steve Whalen moved and Deb Bartlett seconded that Gwynne Wilschek be clerk. No other nominations were entered. The vote was 8-0.

A discussion ensued about asking if someone from the Town of Arlington could attend the next meeting to outline their approach to a long-term override. It was also discussed about gathering information about the history of the budget, stabilization fund, fiscal policies, hold public hearings, and making a list of barriers to success of making government more effective and more efficient.

The Town Administrator stated he would work on the above mentioned requests. The meeting adjourned at 9:00pm

Respectfully

Jeff Nutting

Saturday, September 6, 2008

In the News - GATRA schedule change, fund raisers for youth

Milford Daily News
Posted Sep 05, 2008 @ 04:55 PM

BELLINGHAM —

Beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, GATRA will begin its new, expanded bus service, bringing riders to the movies and shops at the Bellingham Shopping Center and Barnes & Noble plaza off Rte. 495. The new route also includes a few stops to pick up high school and middle school students (who walk to the high school) at Franklin High School, 218 Oak St., before and after school. The bus will stop at Franklin High at 7:09 a.m., 2:10 p.m., and 3:08 p.m.

For more information about the new GATRA service, please see the Sunday edition of the Daily News on Sept. 7.

Yes, the service change starts today but you get to find out about the new schedule tomorrow. Go figure that one out!

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

Milford Daily News
Posted Sep 05, 2008 @ 04:48 PM

ASHLAND —

The Franklin Music Boosters is holding a car wash, $5/car, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with a raindate of Sunday at the Pizzeria Uno's in Bellingham, through Franklin public schools' "Dough Rai$ers" fundraising program. Pizzera Uno is sponsoring the car wash and dining coupon program - giving proceeds directly to the Franklin Music Boosters.

Pizzeria Uno Chicago Grill is located at 205 Hartford Ave, Bellingham. Click here for coupons http://franklinmusic.org/floridatrip2009/Uno%20Tickets.pdf

Also on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Franklin High School Boys Ice Hockey team will hold its can/bottle fundraiser at the Franklin High School parking lot at 218 Oak St. The fundraiser benefits the FHS Boys Ice Hockey Team.

So what does Ashland have to do with these fundraisers? Another one to figure out!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Ben Franklin questions

Morning question, what good shall I do this day?



Evening question, what good have I done this day?

>From "Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography and Other Writings"

Mobile post sent by shersteve using Utterzreply-count Replies.

Financial Planning Committee 9/4/08

Financial Planning Committee - my summary

recycle electronics at Gillette Stadium

On Saturday, Sept. 13, Sony Electronics Inc. and Waste Management Recycle America are planning some interceptions of their own with a recycling event to collect old electronic devices and keep them from the waste stream.

The drive-through event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the stadium, is part of Sony's Take Back Recycling program, which provides free recycling for its products.

On Saturday, however, all brands of electronics will be accepted, including everything from cell phones, computers and monitors, to televisions, radios, DVD and MP3 players, pagers, personal digital assistants and other devices.

"It's all brands of household electronics," said Wes Muir, director of corporate communications for Waste Management.

The event does not include white goods, microwaves, power tools, or the like, he said.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Updated with a picture and description of the logistic marvel the recycling event here

"Somebody with the energy and enthusiasm"

GHS
Posted Sep 04, 2008 @ 11:26 PM
Last update Sep 05, 2008 @ 12:48 AM

FRANKLIN —

In the wake of sizable layoffs, program cuts, increased fees and, most recently, Superintendent Wayne Ogden's resignation announcement, the school community must remember its pursuit of greatness, School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy said.

Many are disappointed Ogden is leaving at end of the school year, he said, but district leaders "still have a job to do," he said.

"One person can't make or break a district. We have 1,000 employees in Franklin public schools, and every person is an integral part of that team. It doesn't rise or fall on one person's shoulders.

"A really good leader can leave the team and (still) have a great system in place. I think we have that leader and that team," said Roy.

read the full article in the Milford Daily News here

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Financial Planning Committee - my summary

I was quite pleased with the meeting tonight. I was concerned after the no shows from the meeting on 8/21/08. This group still has it's work cut out for them but I think they have the proper approach.

I suggested to them to work through each item, obtain the numbers and the in's and out's of the various options as the department heads come to present. Be careful to not get wrapped into trying to solve the problem. Focus on gathering the information. Once it is all together, then you can look at making some sense of it and starting to tell the story. An hour for each department will not be enough if you try to solve the problem as you go.

Jeff's statement that in MA we have two choices (continue to increase taxes to pay for services, or cut services) is not understood or accepted. There will be a major challenge in painting the picture so that each person can see what the impact is for them. For the school family, for the senior citizen, for the driver on the road being constructed. Each will need to understand the issue of this is what we get for this amount, or this is what you get for that amount.

Live reporting - wrap up

Citizen 1 (name to be provided later) made reference to the Arlington plan, building confidence with the Town, trust. Look at the five year goals. Police, ambulance; I don't notice those.

Stacy Bower: I did like to see more residents here. Can the meetings be televised? People don't know what you are doing.

Jeff: Usually will bump up against the Zoning Board which has the Council Chamber.

Steve: It is a good idea.

Jim: Our game plan is to do some public forums.

Sep 18th next meeting

live reporting - process continued

Jeff: state aid will be very lean next year

Jim: they might also repeal the income tax

Jeff: that would be a disaster and relatively easier to deal with

Doug: if level service would lead us on a trajectory that would endanger us with accreditation

Wayne: we are already on probation for the high school facility, we are notifying them of the teacher cuts which may change that status. The school committee was notified of this.

Jim: come from with a level service budget beginning

Doug: two options, really. one with level service, two what would we propose to cut to maintain the budget within the level allowed.

Jeff: this is the potential menu, one or more of these scenarios will get us to the number

Gwynne: if you cut some number from roads, what does that mean for me. If you could say that the work on Daniels instead of being completed in 2009 would be completed in 2012, that might be more meaningful. That is just an example.

Doug: even loosing 17 teachers tells most folks nothing

Jeff: we had 50 police officers in 2001 and we have 42 today. Did you see that? It is really hard to show that to the average citizens.

Wayne: in 2002 I had 500 teachers, this year we have 430 with 350 more students. This is more easily shown

Rebecca: it would be easier to tell the school story, everyone either has someone in the schools or knows someone with one in the schools. this is a family town

Wayne: only 33% of the households have children in the school system

Doug: it has to be more than numbers on paper, it has to be the "so what does it matter"

Jeff: I have asked the department heads for that, it doesn't need to be much but it needs to be at least a bullet item

Gwynne: are there examples from other towns where there were cuts in police and fire and the crime rate rose, etc.

Deb: I don't know that I need to justify every police or fire person when it is a town problem.

Doug: maybe some standard, in response time for police and fire; accreditation for the schools, etc. and by those standards, the metrics could be shown where Franklin relates. What are the metrics we could use?

Jeff: there is no long term answer, there is either more taxes or less services in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Every once in a while we may skip a year of the Legislature is generous. There is a minimum level of education required by the law. If you want to maintain the minimum, then other services will be cut to maintain the level.

Deb: some solutions may come out of this, that I my hope

Steve: I hope so

Deb: why can't the inventory of the school library books be counted as part of the town library? if it requires major changes, where do we go to start that process.

Shannon Zollo arrived late

Live reporting - process discussion

Present:
Doug Hardesty, Steve Whalen, Rebecca Cameron, Deb Bartlett, Jim Roche, Gwynne Wilschek, Shannon Zollo (late)

Not Present:
Matt Kelly, Roberta Trahan

Adjunct members present:
Jeff Nutting, Wayne Ogden


Discussion on charter for group.

Discussion on the minutes for meetings of June 11, July 10, August 7.
Motion made an approved by unanimous vote to accept minutes.

Discussion on how to gather information on the budget
Jeff is meeting with the Town department head next week to finalize their planning contribution to the discussion. They are developing a model with historical numbers and forecasts based upon known items and capital requirements.

Jim suggested 2 departments per meeting and 1 for the school department

starting with the current budget with additional color explanation with some outlook
A modest increase for me maybe different than someone else would be looking at

The school department took the hit this year that no other Town departments did.

Jeff: need to look at staff assumptions, wage assumptions, student population, High School renovate or replacement, energy assumptions... these type of items need to be looked at

Everyone tends to forget that the schools lost 20 plus positions and the override passed.

The library had a budget several years ago of 900,000. This year they are at 700,000.

Wayne: can provide the information according to the questionnaire Jeff sent to the department heads. I would refer to get a little more guidance to bring the appropriate info to the table.

Steve: I can appreciate that your situation is different and maybe you do need a little more guidance.

Jeff: you need at least a baseline for last year and this year, then the committee can build upon that the assumptions and models to determine what it would look like.

Rebecca: Within 2 1/2, there is very little room.

Jeff: if you stay within the 2 1/2, we need to keep it simple and outline what it would take to stay within.

Rebecca: people don't understand what the details are.

Steve: how do we bridge the gap to get a good discussion when you bring the numbers to the table

Deb: I don't want anyone to bring forth a budget number that would further degrade the level of town services.

Doug: we don't have to make the decision, we need to outline the range of options upon which someone can make a decision

Live reporting - Financial Planning Committee meeting

There will be a quorum tonight

Town Council Mtg Summary - 9/3/08

The summary of reports concerning the Town Council meeting of 9/3/08

TOWN COUNCIL - Agenda - 9/3/08

Harvest Festival - 9/21/08

Harvest Festival - 9/21/08

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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Live reporting - Administrators report, Councilor comments

Nutting - provided an update on the real story at the Horace Mann complex, a leak not an explosion caused the problem.

Making steady progress on the Norfolk water issue, hopefully we'll get a check at the cut off date so hopefully all things will end well.

Reviewed cell phone usage, reduced minutes by over 6,000 per month.

Old business:
Doak - web site
Nutting - next meeting

New business:
Bartlett - ridership increase if GATRA makes the accomodations

Councilor Comments:
Whalen - Supt resignation, got a wide variety of responses from the town residents. I worked closely with him over the previous months on the override campaigns. When I read his resignation, I was sympathetic. When you deny that person the resources to pursue their talent and interests, then this is not a surprise. I hope we figure out a way to reverse course.

Mason - On the Supt resignation since it was brought up, basing his resignation on the belief that the citizens have backed away from education is stupid and an insult. I don't know of a Franklin voter who voted no intentionally to give up on education.

Pfeffer - also had some negative comments on the resignation

Live reporting - Parking study

2,088 striped parking spaces available
additional unstriped 2 hour parking spaced

77,8 believe there are problems with parking

There is a perception that there are problems when with a little walk there are available spaces available. Can we increase the spots in specific areas? How else can we help to address the perception?

Rarely are more than 80% of the metered spaces utilized.

Bartlett - is there still discussion amongst the businesses to improve the walking within the downtown?
Taberner - while there was good discussion before, I am not sure that has been a current discussion. There is no consensus on a resolution to parking.

Whalen - There is good news on the availability of spaces. It may just be an awareness campaign that is needed.
Taberner - if the town does go down the road of bricks and mortar we should only go forward with businesses as a partnership to share the expense.

Live reporting - presentation on DP&CD

Brian Taberner, Director of Department of Planning and Community Development
Beth Dalhstrom also present at the meeting

Open space and recreation plan due for public review in October 2008

Affordable Housing plan due for 2010

Zoning bylaws
  • Non-conforming use bylaw due to Town Council in 2-4 weeks
  • Sign Bylaw revisions to follow
  • Inclusionary bylaw to follow

Commonwealth Capital
Avg score 76.5, Franklin score 102. Currently only 11 communities have a higher score

Doak - What are the top things that are driving that score?
Taberner - an aggressive and proactive policy development is driving that, will be tougher to get a hig score each year as we go forward. It looks at what you are doing now, not what you did before.

Create a community where entrepreneurs will want to settle and raise their families
Bartlett - given the recent major layoffs, will that pattern affect this?
Taberner - yes, not directly but yes
Nutting - yes, declines in education will cause property values to decline


Nu-Style Property, Grove St
  • may get a brownfields grant to help in this

Town owned properties
working on unresolved parcels and tax title properties

Four Corners: just about ready to go to the Planning Board and begin that process

Business outreach - don't have the resources to go out and attract specific businesses to Franklin. No longer have the Downtown Manager position to do this.

Industrial zone - substantial opporuntity
900,000 sq ft either empty or underutilized

We want to identify and work with the owners to get the property occupied and generating more revenue than it was before.

Downtown Revitilization plan
  • continue to work with the Downtown Partnership
  • establish an image and identiy
  • Promote Franklin as a Historic Commercial District
  • Create and promote Cultural Corridor including a historic walking trail
Bike racks - reimbursable project, need ideas for locations

Public transit - EMC interested, meeting with GATRA later this month to explore options

Live reporting - Zoning bylaw

  • Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5:Zoning Map: Business to Commercial II- 1st

resumed after recess

----------

Vallee - the business zoning is already set for allowing a number of items

Doak - I worry about things going bad and something else coming in with the change and we wouldn't be able to stop it.

Taberner - this is the ideal zoning for that area.

Nutting - Condos are a good thing for the town. One where there were 1200 residents and 22 students was a favorable deal for the town.

Approved for second reading (unanimous)

Live reporting - rezoning bylaw moved to 2nd Reading

  • Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5:Zoning Map: Business to Commercial II- 1st Reading
Motion to move to second reading, under discussion

Vallee - I won't for that bylaw until they tell me what they are going to do with that.
Nutting - I heard that they are attempting to get a car dealership in there.

Doak - I share Vallee's concern. I don't think we should change this to open an opportunity for housing or a car dealership.

Nutting - intent is to take a piece of property that does not pay taxes and turn it into a paying property.


(two minute recess)

Live reporting - Resolutions approved

  • Resolution 08-56: Establishing an Economic Opportunity Area
approved
  • Resolution 08-57: Authorizing Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
Further to the Economic Opportunity Area being passed above, there is interest in obtaining the Tax Increment Financing.

Foundation tax collection does not change, the proposal is to provide a tax reduction for the improvement. With the improvements come 200 manufacturing jobs being relocated here from Holliston and RI.

By doing so, the owner would also get state tax credit. If he doesn't do the investment, he doesn't get the tax break.

Approved - unanimously

Live reporting - Street opening bylaw

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS –

  • Street Opening Bylaw – Gas Conversions
Doak - can we use discretion to do this instead of changing the bylaw?
Nutting - No, that is a slippery slope.

Whalen - I disagree, I think we are in unchartered waters here. The spot market for home heating and gas prices are still higher than they have been. Anything that we, the Town Council, can do to help our citizens get through this period we should.
Brutus - In an emergency, it is a formality to provide a permit where there is a gas leak. It is between the owner and the gas company (or other utlity company) to repave the street.

Whalen - they are digging up Charles River Dr, what is that for?
Brutus - Verizon is putting in FIOS there. It is permissible because of the age of the road.

Vallee - We have to protect the roads. I helped work this bylaw. It needs to be tightened.
Brutus - the builder had the option to tie in when the road was being done. Others in the development tied in at that time. It is unfortunate that he happened to buy into the property after the opportunty came and went.

Bartlett - How does a road degrade?
Brutus - good recap of the life of a road. (will do more justice with the recording of this later).

Bartlett - What did Maple St cost us?
Brutus - About $350,000 for the top, it was another about 500,000 for the water lines.

Pfeffer - how much was the overlay on Summer St?
Brutus - about $47,000 for that portion.

Zollo - How many requests of this type have come in during the past year?
Brutus - About a couple of dozen.

Vallee - I didn't think we paid that?
Brutus - no it was a betterment fee. The Councilor asked how much it cost and it did cost that amount. We did not pay it.

Live reporting - Town Council - 9/3/08

Councilors Whalen, Mason, Vallee, Bartlett, Feeley, Pfeffer, Doak, and Zollo present


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 9, July 23, August 6,

minutes approved -

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

1 - Harvest Festival - rain date Sep 28th

2 - Rep Vallee has sent Mr Campbell to represent his office tonight and will have someone at each future Council meeting

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

recognition to Joe McGann and Ron Higgenbottom for installation of grab bars for elderly residents in Franklin


Franklin Proclamation

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D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

Bottle & Can Drive - FHS - 9/6/08

Bottle & Can Drive - FHS 9/6/08

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Take your bottles and cans to the High School parking lot and help out the Hockey Team!

TOWN COUNCIL - Agenda - 9/3/08

FRANKLIN TOWN COUNCIL
September 3, 2008

7:00 PM

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 9, July 23, August 6,

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS –

  • Street Opening Bylaw – Gas Conversions
  • Department of Planning & Community Development – Bryan Taberner – Downtown Parking, DPCD Update

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

  • Resolution 08-56: Establishing an Economic Opportunity Area
  • Resolution 08-57: Authorizing Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
  • Zoning Bylaw Amendment 08-625: Chapter 185-5:Zoning Map: Business to Commercial II- 1st Reading

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M. NEW BUSINESS

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required

P. ADJOURN

Link to the agenda on the Town page here

Link to the package on the Town page here

In the News - Plain St fire, schools re-open

Franklin woman escapes blaze

By Danielle Ameden/Daily News staff

A napping woman escaped her second-story Plain Street apartment without injury yesterday afternoon, awoken by fire alarms and fleeing as her house filled with smoke and flames, officials said.

As Cheryl Colby ran out of the185 Plain St. home, neighbors say they called 911 and ran to the rescue, setting up a ladder, believing Colby's son was still upstairs. As it turned out, they said, he was not home.

Fire Chief Gary McCarraher said the two-alarm blaze, called in at 4:20 p.m., is under investigation. It resulted in substantial fire, smoke and water damage to the home, he said.

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

Fire caused by match or cigarette

By Danielle Ameden/Daily News staff

Fire Chief Gary McCarraher Tuesday, Aug. 2, announced the two-alarm blaze that roared through the home at 185 Plain St. Monday was accidental, caused by careless disposal of smoking materials.

James Colby, who lives on the second floor, was smoking a cigarette around 1 or 1:30 p.m. on the wooden back deck before he left the house. Either a match or the cigarette butt later ended up igniting the deck, with fire ripping up the two-family home's vinyl siding to the attic, the chief said.

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

Franklin schools to reopen after pipe explosion

By Joyce Kelly/Daily News staff

School will resume tomorrow at Oak Street Elementary School, Horace Mann Middle School, and the Early Childhood Development Center after Superintendent Wayne Ogden closed the schools today for emergency repairs.

Early Labor Day morning, a piece of plumbing that controls hot water and steam failed and exploded at the school complex at 224 Oak St., Ogden explained.

"The pressure was so intense, it blew a hole through the sheetwall in the utility closet ... and shorted an electrical panel for the whole complex," which set off the fire alarm, he said.

The Fire Department and facilities workers cleaned up the water and started to repair the electrical panel on Monday, he said, but were unable to buy plumbing parts on Labor Day weekend.

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Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Primary Election - 9/16/08

Election Day - 9/16/08

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For additional information on the Primary Election coming up two week from today -> Tuesday, 9/16/08 visit the Secretary of State web page here

FM #11 - School Committee 8/26/08

Another in a series of podcasts on what matters in Franklin, MA. This one focusing on the School Committee meeting of 8/26/08 and then the news of Supt Wayne Ogden's resignation.

Time: 40 minutes, 6 seconds



MP3 File

Session Notes

Music intro

My intro

FM #11

From the School Committee meeting on Tuesday 8/26/08, there were a few items of real interest. There are a number of items on the agenda and respectfully while all of them are important these are the most important. The most significant item of all for the week occurred after the public portion of the meeting but we’ll get to that in due course.

If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write something worth reading or do things worth the writing. Benjamin Franklin


Pay-to-Ride
Miriam Goodman and Maureen Sabolinski provided an update on the pay-to-ride program. Miriam also had an analysis (copy of the one pager provided) of pay-to-ride for the past four years and an outlook for this school year 2008-2009.

Franklin: Pay-to-Ride FY05 - FY09


Late bus
Based upon the decline in enrollment Supt Wayne Ogden recommended keeping with the failed override plan of cutting the late bus. It was not included in the budget unless the override had passed so no additional action was required of the School Committee on the recommendation. There was additional discussion primarily from Ed Cafasso to find the “short money” and keep the bus running. There was not additional support for this idea across the committee. The override failed hence no late bus.

FHS Scheduling problem
The High School encountered a scheduling problem. After cutting the teachers and the classes associated with the override failure, the schedule came up with a hole were approx. 200 students had an empty period. As state last forbids study halls, they played with a couple of options. One additional teacher (in English) resigned in early August and backfilling that position with another English teacher did not provide coverage for the schedule. Backfilling the English teacher with a music teacher did cover the hole so they did hire a music teacher.

The major news of the week occurred after the public portion of the School Committee meeting ended. As you have no doubt heard by now, Supt Wayne Ogden submitted his resignation effective June 30, 2009. To those who call him a quitter, he is hardly that. A quitter would have provided two weeks or less notice and gone out the door. Wayne took the far more courageous option of providing significant notice to the School Committee in order for them to start to look for a replacement, while he continued in his role running the school department.

Yes, it is a disappointment but Franklin voters have no one to blame but themselves. The majority of those who came out to vote on the override defeated the increase to provide a level service budget to the schools. The real issue lies with the many, many voters who did not come out to vote at all. As I have mentioned previously, the quick numbers on the override showed that 500 voters changed their vote from 2007 to 2008 and voted NO. An additional 1000 voters who came out in 2007 to vote Yes, simply did not show up.

We do have tough time ahead of us. We need to work together. We need to make our presence felt at each and every school committee meeting and town council meeting.

Don’t just sit there.
Please get up and do something.

If you need inspiration, view the Do You Believe video posted from YouTube on Franklin Matters on 8/30/08.


The Ben Franklin quote comes from the following website:http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Benjamin_Franklin/31

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

This podcast has been a public service provided to my fellow Franklin citizens and voters by Steve Sherlock

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.blogspot.com/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The musical intro and closing is from the Podsafe Music Network
Jon Schmidt - Powerful Exhilarating Piano Music