Saturday, September 19, 2009

In the News - Dean grows, Harvest Festival, Pirelli

Dean to build performing arts center, dining hall

from The Milford Daily News News RSS

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Franklin Harvest Festival is Sunday

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Comedy night to raise funds to honor Franklin soldier who died

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Franklin's new "Express Line"

Subscribe to the Town News to receive an email update at least monthly.

This is what the first issue looks like:

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You can subscribe to the Town's newsletter via this link



In the News - H1N1 video

Franklin makes H1N1 video

from Wicked Local Franklin News RSS

You can view the video on the Town website here



Friday, September 18, 2009

Franklin: Farmers Market

The Farmers Market is open today. One of the regular local farms represented is Tangerini's from Millis.

Tangerini's offers fresh produce at the stand on the Town Common each Friday. It also offers shares in their CSA program.



Franklin: Farmers Market, originally uploaded by shersteve.

What is a CSA?
Community supported agriculture. You buy a share in advance and can receive produce from the farm regularly. More information on this program which helps to support the farm's operation can be found on the Tangerini's web site here

Franklin: Anniversary Specials at Jane's Frames

Do you have some photos collecting dust that really should be displayed?

What about that award, why is it sitting in the drawer and not hanging on your wall?

Oh, you never got around to finding the proper frame for those items.



Franklin: Jane's Frames Specials, originally uploaded by shersteve.

Now is the time to visit Jane's Frames. Celebrating its 15th year operating in Franklin, there are daily specials that may just help you find the right frame for that photo or award.

There is still time this month to visit and ask about the daily specials.

Franklin: Cheryl Vendetti Benefit

There will be a chicken BBQ dinner and silent auction at the Franklin Rod & Gun Club to benefit Cheryl Vendetti.



Franklin: Cheryl Vendetti Benefit, originally uploaded by shersteve.


The event is scheduled for Saturday, Sep 20, from noon to 3:00 PM

Tickets are $20 and are available at
  • Ferrara's Market
  • Franklin Tire & Auto
  • The Rome Restaurant

Harvest Festival

Come to downtown Franklin for the Harvest Festival, Sunday, Sep 20th!



Sunday, Sep 20th - 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM



In the News - seniors, casino, recipes

Addressing senior concerns in Franklin

from The Milford Daily News News RSS



Franklin Casino Night donations sought

from The Milford Daily News News RSS



Recipes sought for new St. Mary's Church cookbook

from The Milford Daily News News RSS






Thursday, September 17, 2009

In the News - charter proposals

Should you care about the Town Charter?


Does the US Constitution matter to you? It should. It provides the guidelines within which our Federal government operates. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are generally referred to as the "Bill of Rights". 


The Town Charter is the same document but focused on how our the local government will operate. The Preamble to the US Constitution reads:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
The Preamble to our town charter reads:
We, the people of the Town of Franklin, Massachusetts, in order to form a more perfect community, reaffirm the customary and traditional liberties of the people with respect to the conduct of our local government and take fullest advantage of the Home Rule Amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, do ordain and adopt this Home Rule Charter for our Town.


The Milford Daily News covers the charter discussion from the Town Council meeting here:


Franklin may make some positions appointed

from The Milford Daily News News RSS 



Town Council Mtg Smry 09/16/09

The live reporting for the Town Council meeting on Wednesday Sep 16, 2009 are collected here:


Secretary of Elder Affairs - visits Senior Center Thursday, Sep 17

Meet the Newly Appointed
Secretary of Elder Affairs,
Ann Hartstein
at
the Franklin Senior Center
On
Thursday, Sept. 17
At 12:30 p.m.

The public is welcome to attend to ask questions
and offer feedback
about elder issues!


Originally posted on the Town website (doc)


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Live reporting - closing items

L. OLD BUSINESS - none

M. NEW BUSINESS - none

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
McGann - went to an Eagle Scout ceremony for three scouts at the Elks

What is the duty.legal option for dealing with a coyote. He has a number of coyotes coming up to his door, he doesn't want to loose his golden retriever to a coyote.

Doak - omitted from earlier report on the Charter Commission, did not look at the people currently in the position

Pfeffer - New Secretary of Elder Affairs will be at the Senior Center Thursday.

motion to adjourn - passed 8-0


Live reporting - Administrator's report

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT


Thanks to everyone's patience, the roads that were to be paved, have now been, some stripping remains.


The first newsletter has been sent out via email. You can sign up at the Town Administrators web page.


Live cable show available for on-demand viewing on the H1N1 virus update.






Live reporting - legislation

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION

  1. Resolution 09-59: Amendment of FY 2010 Budget  motion to accept - passed  8-0
  2. Resolution 09-60 Endorsement of the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust  motion to accept - passed  8-0
  3. Bylaw Amendment 09-634: Amendment to the Franklin Conservation Bylaw Chapter 181-8D: Term of Years- 1st Reading  motion to accept - passed  8-0
  4. Bylaw Amendment 09-635: Amendment to the Code of the Town of Franklin, Chapter 25 – Personnel Regulations – 1st Reading  motion to move to second reading - passed  8-0
  5. Bylaw Amendment 09-636: Amendment to the Code of the Town of Franklin, Chapter 25 – Human Resource Management – 1st Reading motion to move to second reading - passed  8-0
  6. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 09-637: Amendment to Chapter 185-3. Definitions – Referral to Planning Board  motion to refer, passed 8-0
  7. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 09-638: Amendment to Chapter 185-39. Uses Accessory to Dwelling – Referral to Planning Board  motion to refer, passed 8-0
Notes for above
1 - balancing the budget with some minor adjustments now that the State budget numbers settled. This is a known adjustment, expected since the original budget was passed in June. About 1.4 million dollars was saved with salary deferments and co-pay adjustments.

2 - resolution added related to dissolving the Housing Partnership, the town would use the money to buy some housing and mark them for affordable housing forever.Looking to obtain smaller homes with this approach.

3 - A problem with consistency between the state level requirement and the local bylaw. This will provide some extensions one year at a time to bring the two into alingment.

4 - goes hand in hand with #5, the existing bylaw for personnel would be removed and replaced by a new bylaw to cover Human Resource issues. The Town Council would still be involved for approval as requried for the check and balence but to streamline the process for approvals to changes.
The one significant change is in the time off policy where it would provide more flexibility to the employee to use time but more responsibility and accountability.

Very few municipal governments do this, so they tried to account for the long term employees and still make it workable for the new employees. It is competitive.

Questions to clarify how this would be used, some of the questions are more to the day-to-day management of the personnel rather than the overall procedures being proposed. There are transition coverage items to help the existing employees move from the old way to the new way.

Suggestion to correct the document for the next reading to reflect the proper wording around the 30 days as discussed earlier.

6 and 7 go hand in hand, these had come before the Town Council previously, have been revised and are now being looked for to go to the Planning Board for further hearings and approval before coming back to the Town Council for final approval.

Discussion on need for "fulltime" in the definition, Per M Cerel, the text needs to be as tight as possible to put the onus on the resident to make the proof rather than the town having the burden of proof.

The resolution that was added reads as follows:

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Live reporting - Charter changes

Subcommittee - Doak, Whalen, Zollo

the page of changes to be added later, there are a number of minor changes to reflect better language
One change would remove from the Charter the requirement for the Town Council to meet twice a month and change it to meeting once a month. The Town Council should have the ability via other Town Council procedures to hold meetings.

cleaning up conflicts within the charter and to remove ambiguities

Change of the Finance Committee from 11 to 9, and change the term to 2 (from 1).

Section 7-7 - to be removed, these items should really be covered in a human resources section.

The three page handout from the subcommittee follows:

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