Live reporting - Planning & Community Development

Brian Taberner and Beth Dahlstrom

The presentation that was used for this portion of the meeting can be found here

Preliminary work for an update to the Master Plan

• will put a committee together to help implement with public imput

Zoning Bylaws

• Uses accessory to dwellings (Home occupation)
• Signs
• Commercial 1 Zoning District

Later in FY 2010

• minor changes to Subdivision regulations
• minor changes to Plan Review Bylaw
• Exploring need for Wind Turbine and Mural bylaws

Operational guidelines
Create a community where entrepreneurs will want to settle and raise their families

Town Owned Properties

Nu-Style property
what to do next needs to be determined

Four Corners (no longer Town owned)
building demolished and construction underway for Walgreens

Pond St Property
consultant working on studies, designated as Priority Development Site (PDS) and Economic Opportunity Area (EOA)

Business attraction and retainage
highlight Franklin's community assets

Working with Downtown Partnership on the downtown plan
Bartlett - Where are we with the downtown, this has been in planning for years?
Nutting - we are waiting upon the state approval for the contract, we are hopeful that this fall the design and public process would begin

4 interns have provided over 60 hours of good work for us for free since the beginning of the year

Zollo - best case when would the downtown project be completed?
Nutting - 3 years
Taberner - 3 years is very realistic at this point, we have been doing as much as we can

Live reporting - Water Q&A

Vallee - why do you use chlorine?
Brutus - good long explanation, use to avoid potential 2 point per million, smallest amount to use, so it is constantly being run

Vallee - would you be better off replacing the asbestos pipes?
Brutus - the pipes are actually lined with asbestos, we have done that where we can.

Vallee - can you put in sidewalk when you do the road
Brutus - we don't have the funds for that, the driveway aprons kill us because of the hand work involved.

Bartlett - help me understand how this town or any town come to a reservoir or a tank?
Brutus - You need a place for a reservoir, we have a great water aquifer to pump from so the tanks make the most sense.

Bartlett - we have had some much rain this year, it is hard to explain why we still have a water restriction
Nutting - every year in perpetuity, we will have a restriction due to our permit not due to the water coming down as rain

Vallee - does the State limit us to how much we can pump?
Brutus - Yes, we are permitted to draw water, our water bans are later than most others.

Live reporting - License hearings

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS:

New License – The Alumni Club : motion to accept, approved 7-0, 1 absent, 1 recused (Feely)

Pledge of License - Three : motion to accept, approved 8-0

Live reporting - Water update

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Water & Sewer Update – Brutus Cantoreggi

Water funds generated are used only for water expenses not for other operational departments in the Town. $4.9 million enterprise budget for FY 2010

Almost 1 billion gallons of water pumped last year, the year before was actually over 1 billion.

Fluoride added and a small amount of chlorine added to improve the quality of water.

In 2002 there were 126 tests were conducted. In 2008, there were 626 tests conducted, and testing expense increased from $10,000 (2002) to $55,000 in 2008.

The old permit was for 4.1 MGD, the new permit is for 3.64 MGD. (MGD = million gallons per day)

Reduced consumption (about 400,000 MGD) equates to reduced water revenue.

In the 20/20 capital plan for the water improvements there were

• new water treatment plant
• replaced over 15 miles of water main
• 90% replacement of residential water meters, 100% replacement of commercial
• renovation of existing wells
  

Goals/Plans for future

Continue water main replacement

• Emmons and Main Sts (next year)
• Sahlin Circle (next year)
• Lincoln St (multiple phases)

Life-cycle repair and renovations for Wells 3, 7, 8
Permitting approval for Pump #12
Replacement of FIP Water Tank

Live reporting - Town Council 7/15/09

Attending: Whalen, Mason, Vallee, Bartlett, Feely, Pfeffer, McGann, Zollo
Missing: Doak

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - none

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS - none

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - none

E. APPOINTMENTS - none

"biotechnology companies in general tend to offer well-paying jobs"

"It means we accept biotechnology in the community. We're trying to attract biotech in the community, because any such company will increase the assessed value of property, which means more tax revenue and jobs for the town," said Taberner.

Read the full article about Franklin's economic development efforts to attract business in the Milford Daily News here

Harvest Festival - Sunday, Sept. 20

"This is much, much bigger than the Strawberry Festival - double the size, at least." said Lisa Piana, partnership executive director. "It's an event that people now put on their calendar, and vendors start calling in March and April," to reserve booths, as the partnership tries to avoid having competing vendors, said Piana.

Read the full article about the preparations for the Harvest Festival in the Milford Daily News here