Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Live reporting - School Committee

Present: Douglas, Cafasso, Rohrbach, Mullen, Roy, Trahan, Glynn
Absent: none

1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda - adding MSBA letter being added as an action item
Minutes: I recommend approval of the Open Session minutes from the April 27, 2010 School Committee Meeting. motion to approve, passed 7-0
Payment of Bills - Mr. Glynn   motion to approve, passed 7-0
Payroll - Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
What does OSKEY stand for - "Our School Key"

Night of the Arts at the high school at 7:00 PM, art show in the hall, all the bands and chorus will perform as well

Pat Slight - went in early for cross country
was well prepared for school, tested out of some Math classes
He did watch some meetings, couldn't top Brittany's return to the School Committee meeting
He is now class president


Franklin, MA

Override History updated

I met with Treasure/Collector Jim Dacey today to get into some of the stories around the overrides and debt exclusions. I ended up making an update to the spreadsheets to correct:
  • one typo (5/22/1998 should have been 5/2/1998) 
  • changed 6 election categories from "overrides" to "capital exclusions". All 6 occurred in 1991.

The history now shows only one override has passed of 6 put forward with the 7th override scheduled for June 8, 2010.


The updated spreadsheet can be found here:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkwjbnXDBhczdDVWaFU0N2ZsTEE2TUVuWHk5NURvQWc&hl=en



Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Fire Dept presentation

This is the presentation document used by Chief Gary McCarraher and Paul Sharpe, Jr for the Budget Hearing at the Finance Committee meeting on May 10, 2010:



The discussion notes as captured live during the meeting can be found here:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/live-reporting-finance-committee_10.html

Reminder: Special Election - Precinct 2, 3, 4 only

SPECIAL STATE ELECTION
May 11th
Precincts 2-3-4 only
Franklin High School
6:00am – 8:00pm


If you have any questions please call

Deborah L. Pellegri, CMC

Town Clerk/Election Administrator 508-520-4900



Finance Committee 05/10/10

The collection of posts that were live reported from the Finance Committee meeting on Monday, May 10th can be found here:



Franklin, MA

Franklin Food Pantry - Stamp Out Hunger drive

About 40 volunteers got really organized to help the Franklin Food Pantry to process the receipts from the US Post Office letter carriers on Saturday, May 8th. As the letter carriers finished their routes, they drove by the Food Pantry to drop off the bags of food items they collected. Prompted by post cards and TV advertisements, as well as word of mouth, Franklin residents left out bags of non-perishable food to be donated.


With the new Food Pantry location in the middle of downtown, it was a convenient drive through operation. The trucks pulled up. A group took out all the bags of food stuffs.

Individual bags were put into letter boxes.

The bags and boxes were weighted.


The bags/boxes were opened and checked for "freshness dates". The good items were passed along to the sorters. The older items went into a waste box. Items that could not be determined by date when into a 'check later' box.

The sorters put like items together.


"flats" of similar items then stocked the shelves.


The shelves were completely empty early Saturday afternoon and filled up as the processing took place.

For those who did leave out a donation, the letter carriers left a thank you card:


Thanks to the many hands for helping to process over 5.000 pounds of food!

Weight In4746.7

Spoils877.2
18.48%




Net3869.5

Strictly speaking, since the food was handled going in and then the spoils (waste) was handled again going out, we did go over 5,000. Which also excludes the multiple touches on a single item as it moved along the process.


Visit the Franklin Food Pantry online here: http://franklinfoodpantry.org/

In the News - middle school football, military supply


Franklin Middle school makes play for football

from Wicked Local Franklin News RSS 


McGovern impressed with Franklin military supply company




Franklin, MA

Election costs reimbursed

Franklin will get about $12,000 back from the State for their costs in running the special election on Dec 8th and Jan 19th.

The full article can be found in the Milford Daily News here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/newsnow/x1920415040/Local-towns-get-money-back-for-special-election


Franklin, MA

Monday, May 10, 2010

Live reporting - Finance Committee endorses the override

Rebecca Cameron provides an update on the Long Range/Financial Planning committee report
brought the 2 1/2 override to the Council and to the voters for a vote
we need to be on the same page to help the process

Roche
The plan was right on target except for the items that weren't on the planning horizon
the forecast has been reconciled to the original report
the Town Council has a $3 M override budget
to use $1.8 M for schools, $300,000 for the Town, and $900,000 for the roads to get started in addressing that problem
we have a way to go with $15 M to fix the worst 30 miles of roads and only $900,000 to start with

Goldsmith - I feel very comfortable asking the Town's people to consider coming forward, the increase are warranted to provide the services to the Town

Roche - There is not a lot of waste out there, the department heads are doing their job and we are getting to lean

Quinn - If you look at the five year plan, it gets worse. Police down, Fire down, DPW, Schools (hundred lost teachers, 1,000 more students). It is unfortunate, times are tough but I think failure to pass the prop will be an issue

Rivera - one of the most important things we can do is to educate the residents as much s we can, if we don't do something what will it look like in a few years, if they have questions, the info is on the website

Roche - Town wide forum on May 24th at 7:00 PM at Horace Mann/Thomas Mercer Auditorium

Cataldo - We can't keep going this way, personal safety is important, this money is not going to be slopping in a trough, this is to provide services that we have had , not increases but the same services

Q
Nutting - Est $255 per average bill for the $3 M override

Quinn - It is important to say, 10 failed overrides with one passed, we are asking for a tax increase because some of the others haven't been passed with growing expenses. Got to make ends meet.

Feldman - we can see some signs of improvement in the economy here and there, hopefully things will continue to improve

Cameron - the important thing is that everyone comes out and vote, the votes need to be cast, we understand the impact it can have on certain people. I get the feeling that this group understands the override is necessary to keep the services. I would like to make a recommendation to support the override.

Motion to recommend $3 M override, passed 8-0

meeting for 1st Tue in June (Jun 1) to be kept for now

motion to adjourn, passed


Franklin, MA

Live reporting - Water/Sewer Enterprise funds

Solid waste

The rate was as high as 300 then 280, now coming down. It includes buying the totters and financing the cost to supply them as we go forward

The enterprise funds are self-sustaining, they are maintained by the fees

motion to approve, passed 7-0 (Cameron recused herself)

Nutting was remiss to thank Mr Dacey, we paid .005% when we went to bond the totters

Sewer
can't continue to draw down our fund balance to zero,
they also certify our fund balances when they do free cash
folks should expect a sewer rate increase due to the 19M increase in a required plant upgrade

motion to approve, passed 7-0 Cameron recused herself)

Water
budget trimmed, mandated by state can sell more than 65 gallons per person per day
continue to need capital improvements, long run will need to comeback for funds to continue those programs
we have some cast iron pipe that needs to be replaced, and asbestos lined pipes that need to be replaced
appealing permit now, trying to put in a new well for 12 years and haven't been able to do so

Q
chemical increase
we bid it out when we can, the prices are very volatile
limited choice on supply

A water permit is given for a five year period, we are appealing some of our differences of opinion

motion to approve, passed 7-0 Cameron recused herself)

Franklin, MA

Live reporting - DPW, continued

Street lights
we own ours, electricity we don't control the price
most of this is a rate increase


Q
tax law change on charging for the utilities

Q
we don't add many, we have a contract for replacements

motion to approve, passed 7-0 (Cameron recused herself)


Franklin, MA

Live reporting - DPW

DPW, Water/Sewer enterprise accounts
Brutus Cantoreggi
Paula Lombardi


Nutting overview
budget is up, staffing is down, less folks to do the same amount of work

Cantoreggi
no additional funds added to snow and ice removal for this year
reduced .5 for a non-union employee for environmental affairs
one full-time mechanic was reduced
800 man-hours were eliminated
$100,000 reduced in a number of small items (i.e. weed control for the sidewalks)
major concern for the loss of personnel
where there will be a delay in responding will be in the mundane things like potholes
we don't have the people like we used to, why are trash barrels getting emptied
Storm water is a huge thing and the town does not have an identified funding source for this
this is a big thing and you'll hear from me again

60% of my budget is based upon expenses, how to forecast and budget for this
it is like a tumor, i don't know when it will burst
we are very lean right now, I can answer specific questions about the budget

Q
we look at reducing impervious areas, it doesn't work everywhere
snow plowing is probably a minor thing, minor to plow around it, reducing road width
moving road width down to 26 feet from 30-36 feet

Q
is there an unfunded liability on storm water
EPA is identifying Milford, Bellingham, and Franklin to reduce and it would cost $70 M
The $100,000 is just to get their permit to start

Nutting
The process is going on and on, a minimum would be about $500,000 per year
subdivision retention ponds have never been cleaned
street sweeping may need to be twice a year instead of once

$15 M would just fix the roads that cover the first 30 worst miles, we have 200 miles of road

Q
salt is continuing to be a high expense
Are there other technologies to look at?

Nutting
actually salt only works down to 20 degrees, below that we have to add something that is more expensive
we are in a consortium to improve our buying power
we are buying $1.90 per gallon of gas, but it won't be that it is also going up

Q
Nutting
when storm water comes full throttle, we'll need help there but that is not anything immediate

motion to approve, passed 7-0 (Cameron recused herself)

Franklin, MA

Live reporting - Building Inspector

Building Inspector
Dave Roche

most of the budget is payroll, staffing is about the same, we lost an inspector last year
we seem to be maintaining, if things get busy it could get interesting
inspecting yearly for license renewals
economy off, inspections have been steady, permits should be close to what we had last year
not asking for any more by way of expenses

Q
has there been a fee increase?
building inspection fees have been the same for the last six years

Q
steady, but was there a dip?
there was a dip but it has been picking up, compared to other towns we are doing more
some are doing much, we are doing well
we are still building houses, building over 55's, others have stopped

motion to approve, passed 8-0

Appeals

Nutting
the same $5,000 for advertising we ask every year

motion to approve, passed 8-0


Franklin, MA

Live reporting - Finance Committee (Fire)

Present: Messere, Cataldo, Cameron, Roche, Quinn, Goldsmith, Feldman, Rivera
Absent: Maire, Huempfner, Teixeira,

Fire Dept
Chief McCarraher, Paul Sharpe

Recognizing the hard work and service of the member of the department
They are truly the source of all the success of the organization

Mission statement
(see document attached)

second year not meeting on time response
experiencing more requests for service in the north area of the town where they can not reach in time

monthly response time audit to identify barriers on a call-by-call basis, about 6% of the overall call basis

from a public safety stand point, busy is not good, ready is better for prompt response
1600 man hours of training last year, down 50% from 2008 due to budget constraints

GIS Data charts, 2007, 2008, 2009

Items not funded in FY 2010 are also currently not funded in FY 2011
Goals adjusted due to decreased staffing levels

Honor Guard not reconstituted
Hazardous response plan updated
Software upgrades completed to provide improve building and facility data

The FY 2010 budget plan document can be found here:
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_Fire/Fincom%20Budget%20FY10.pdf

The document being used tonight is an updated version of the one above

Leaves 3 firefighter paramedic positions unfulfilled
reduces minimum daily staffing of firefighters and paramedics

reduction in overall responses from 84% to about 75%
response systems at 70% are deemed to be "in crisis"

a decrease in quality of service is not the fault of the men and women who are attempting to provide the services

2 in an ambulance, 3 in a truck
with on four on staff, there can't be four vehicles staffed

Q
with people sent out of Town (i.e. carrying a patient to a hospital)
we loose the response
if we use the mutual aid transport, we loose the revenue associated with the ambulance run, est. at about $200,000-300,000 in revenue.

Q
training was stopped in January to keep the overall budget whole and dept operating
going much longer will really hurt the training as it will be longer and more expensive to recover

Q
discussion underway with surrounding towns to try and cover the northern area, they are anxious about the issue as their budgets are hurting and may not be able to provide service

Q
the downtown 2-way plan could achieve about a minute improvement in response time to the northern area

Q
this is the last year of the data plan, the largest building in the industrial park is vacant
the loss in volume from the empty building is taken up by an increase in civilian calls
our system should be 70-80 percent resting, in order to get a better response rate
to improve response, you either stop going to some calls or add additional resources

medical emergencies are the highest hitter in volume
bench mark on 8 minutes for medical emergencies due to standards, each minute after that, the response declines
for fires, once a room hits flash-point, no one survives in the room
in fire emergencies, there are usually more people involved

fire and other - covers alarm activations but none flame/medical related
the greatest risk is in the nest major emergency, I have staffed for one but when the second comes in right way, that we are at risk for

Q
As long as our mutual aid partners don't increase their calls, then we can handle those.
If we have a very quiet year, it will be okay
If we all expect to have someone else cover for us, we'll be tight

Q
national data shows fires decreasing, yet our own numbers are slightly increasing

Q
Monthly response time audit, prompted by?
the inquisitive in us, want to know; our folks take it to heart
we are in the opportunity business, we need to get their quickly, not recklessly but quickly

Q
difficult to estimate
coverage widely varied, one building fire, a piece of equipment was a $10 M loss
when do you measure the patient outcome, there is no clear consensus in the industry

Q
regionalization, dispatch?
it is an easy buzz word, you can polarize the room quickly
shared services makes more sense, how can we, what makes sense to share
you have to have a partner, candidly we don't have partners, there is resistance to that

we are 13 of 16 in communities we benchmark against so we don't have a whole lot to loss

Q
meetings, etc.
mostly training, contractors to do the training, not a great line for that

motion to approve, passed 7-1

we are back to 2007 level

Franklin, MA

State education mandates - the collection

From time to time, in particular around the budget period, reference is generally made to Franklin Public Schools having to support "unfunded mandates." I managed to find a listing of such compiled by the Massachusetts Association of School CommitteesThe series of posts on State Education Mandates can be found here:

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-1.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-2.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-3.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-4.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-5.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-6.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-7.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-8.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-9.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/03/state-education-mandates-part-10.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2009/04/state-education-mandates-part-11.html



Franklin, MA