Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Live reporting - Town Council - 5/6/09

Attending: Whalen, Mason, Vallee, Bartlett, Feeley, Pfeffer, McGann, Doak, Zollo (late)
Missing:

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April 1, 2009
motion to approve - passed 8-0

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
schedule change for June
June 3, 10, 11, if req'd special meeting on Jun 24th
10, 11 will be the budget hearings

Dedication of new monument on Memorial Day

WMRC - 1490 AM
free lunch for 1st 300 people
at Senior Center

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - none

E. APPOINTMENTS
  • Cultural Council - Kathy Stankard - approved 8-0
  • Council on Aging - Paul J O'Connell - approved 8-0
  • Charles River Pollution Control District - William J Goode - approved 8-0

Strategic Planning Survey Available

Strategic Planning survey announced previously is now available.

Please take a few minutes to provide your input online here

What is the survey about? This slide cast will explain:

Horace Mann yard sale 5/9/09


Horace Mann yard sale 5/9/09, originally uploaded by shersteve.

"will meet on Tuesday to make final decisions on what areas to cut"

Milford Daily News
Posted May 06, 2009 @ 12:12 AM

FRANKLIN —

The Finance Committee unanimously approved the School Department's $50.3 million, level-funded budget, as recommended by Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting, though school officials are banking on getting up to another $3.5 million to help keep pace with rising costs.

The budget does not reflect the School Department's final budget, as the School Committee is expecting at least $1.5 million worth of revenue from state and federal funds, and possibly another $800,000 from wage concessions by the teachers union, said Chairman Jeffrey Roy.

The School Committee is aiming for a level-service budget, at just over $53.8 million, and is still optimistic about closing the budget gap between the two versions, Roy said. "We've been targeting a level-service budget since the beginning of this process," Roy said.

The budget has been a moving target, with so many unanswered questions about funding, such as how much Franklin schools will get from state aid and the federal stimulus package, he said.

Read the full article about the Finance Committee meeting in the Milford Daily News here

In addition to what the article references, the Finance Committee also approved the Information Technology budget. The coverage of the complete meeting can be found here.


"Let us put an end to this public squabble"

Milford Daily News
Posted May 06, 2009 @ 12:43 AM

FRANKLIN —

In what has grown into online crossfire between school leaders, new teachers union President Robert McLaughlin posted a two-page letter on a Web site yesterday picking apart statements made in the School Committee's two YouTube videos.

In the letter, posted on franklinteachers.org/joomla, McLaughlin said he was heartened to hear School Committee Chairman Jeffrey Roy use the word "partner" in reference to contract talks with the union, but concluded the School Committee "certainly has not even met us halfway in attempting to resolve this stalemate."

The School Committee has asked the Franklin Education Association to defer its negotiated 2.5 percent wage increase until fiscal 2011 to save about 16 teachers' jobs.

"As always the members of the FEA were glad to pitch in and do their part," said McLaughlin.

Read the full article about the teachers response to the School Committee in the Milford Daily News here


Treesavers: Paul Barcelo

Paul Barcelo, author of The Sweet War Man

Paul Barcelo completed Army Infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia, then rotary wing training at Fort Wolters, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama. He flew one tour as a UH-1 pilot in Republic of Vietnam. He resides in Franklin, Massachusetts with his wife and four children. This is his first novel.
Will be appearing at Treesavers Books to sign his new book, The Sweet War Man.

May 16, 2009 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM