Live reporting - School Committee Meeting

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

1. Routine Business

Citizen’s Comments - none
Review of Agenda - no adjustments
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the Open and Executive Sessions of the May 11, 2010 School Committee Meeting and the Executive Session minutes of 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
Correspondence:

1. Letter from Mrs. Bullers

2. Letter from Mrs. Jacoby

3. Letter from Mrs. Juszczyszyn

4. Letter from Mrs. LaRoche

5. Letter from Mrs. Lipson

6. Letter from Mrs. Masters

Franklin, MA

Town Council - 4th of July Committee report

4th of July cost for the 4-5 days is between $80,000 - $100,000.
$50,000 is generally seed money to get started, without that nugget commitment for the next year is a problem.
An annual mailing is planned for the fund raising for this event.

At the fire works, Franklin residents will be waved through to park, those without stickers, i.e. non-residents would be asked for a dollar contribution.

The soda booth has been taken over by the committee to generate some revenue for the event.

The committee is looking for more help to run the event.

New food booths will be out on the Town Common. The prior ones were too old and worn to continue with this year. The others were 'hand me downs' from other sites and reused.

They could do a '50/50' but would need to pull a permit.

The committee is looking to have the Town waive the permit fees for the 4th of July event.
This will come up for a vote at a future Council meeting.


Contributions for this cause can be made to

• Franklin 4th of July Coalition
• PO Box 152 
• Franklin, MA 02038

The web site can be found here:
http://july4thfranklinma.com/

Town Council - Recycling Committee Report

Reported on via the on-demand video from the Council meeting of 5/19/10
http://view.liveindexer.com/ViewIndexSessionSL.aspx?ecm=634104006582854787&indexSessionSKU=LipBejLy3Ekw0Fr8MHD//g%3D%3D&siteSKU=L7qhQ46xin/r3Z0jcDVCNw%3D%3D

Original goals:
Increase curbside recycling
100% recycling in schools
Recycling on Town Common/Fields
Investigate automated trash system

Increase curbside recycling increase by 3.6% (goal was to increase 2%)
Recycling increase on common and fields but work remains to be done

Need to keep oversight on automated trash process to ensure recycling increases

Both trash and recycling have a fixed cost for the pickup
The more recycling we save on the cost to burn the trash (i.e. less trash).

Recommendations
1 - subcommittee to do an annual review of solid waste (due to contract dependence upon recycling rates)
2 - follow up on indoor facilities to ensure recycling on what should be recycled is being done at Town facilities (schools, etc.)
3 - continue to work on public spaces (Town Common and fields)
4 - Beaver St, to maximize breakdown of refrigerators into resalable items

Recycling charter committee expires on June 30, 2010


Franklin, MA

Franklin Facts: High performing school district

High performing school district: Franklin has always been a community with high expectations for its schools – in academics, in athletics, in the arts and in community service. Our focus on the classroom delivers a consistently high‐performing school district. Students and parents here have enjoyed a high return with minimal investment. Our children face an increasingly competitive and demanding world. We must continue to invest in their future.

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


The special election on June 8th gives Franklin voters the choice:

• Increase taxes to continue to provide the services we have this year (and that does not restore any of the services already cut) 

Or

• Continue to cut municipal services for all and cut educational opportunities for our children

I'll help to provide the information. You need to do two things:

1. Make your choice
2. Vote on June 8th

You get bonus points if you talk with your neighbors about this and get them to vote!


Additional information on the override can be found here:
http://investinfranklin.weebly.com/index.html

http://franklinschoolcommittee.wordpress.com/override-page/

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/05/budget-override-collection-fy-2011.html



Franklin, MA

"It's an investment not just in our town, but in our kids"

In a forum to discuss the town's finances and the June 8 override vote, some residents asked what the cuts will really mean if a Proposition 2 1/2 tax override is not passed.

"It's cutting down to the bone. If the override fails, the (harm) will start (to show). If we want the (standards) to be maintained, we're going to have to invest more," said Town Councilor Shannon Zollo.

Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here:
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x88774700/Case-made-for-Franklin-tax-override


Franklin, MA

Charles River Watershed Assoc - Live broadcast

The live broadcast of the presentation and discussion began at 7:00 PM and ended a little after 8:00 PM. Unfortunately due to some technical difficulty, it is not available for rebroadcast.

Free live streaming by Ustream


Franklin, MA

follow the money

Remember that today you get to make a choice between water and money

1 - The open forum on the Franklin override vote for $3 million dollars will be held at the Horace Mann/Thomas Mercer Auditorium at 7:00 PM. Members of Town Council, and School Committee amongst others will be available for questions and discussion on the budget details.

2 - Also that same night at the same time in the Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of the Municipal Bldg, the Charles River Watershed Association will make a presentation on a storm water management plan to reduce phosphorus from the Spruce Pond Brook sub-basin.

As much as water is important, I had planned to "follow the money".
I just received an email that the cable folks are broadcasting the Town Forum at Horace Mann and I have been asked to broadcast the CRWA presentation at the Council Chambers. I really would like to be part of the Horace Mann discussion but Franklin would benefit more from having both available.

Stay tuned for a live broadcast of the CRWA presentation!


Franklin, MA