Vallee holds office hours next week

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Vallee holds office hours next week

via The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc. on 10/4/10

Rep. James Vallee, D-Franklin, will hold his monthly walk-in office hours next Friday, Oct. 15.

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Live reporting - Closing

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
Nutting - there is a gain of six spaces downtown overall and attempts still underway to find more


Reference to a company who was read into the Congressional Record for life saving armor


L. OLD BUSINESS
none

M. NEW BUSINESS
Zollo - is there a prohibition against parking cars on the lawn
there is for large vehicles but not for cars


Zollo - I want to comment on the King St project, I was here 15 minutes early and it was due to the improvement made there, I'd like to commend the State and Town for that project


N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Jones - thanks to Brian and Jeff for putting together this economic summit
a lot of hard work went into making this happen


thanks to Mark and Jeff for writing up this bylaw, it is well written, thank you


Pfeffer - congrats to Dean College on the opening of their campus center, it is a great job, well done and asset for the Town

O. EXECUTIVE SESSION – Negotiations, Litigation, Real Property, as May Be Required


motion to go into executive session, passed 8-0  (via roll call)






Franklin, MA

Live reporting - Action items

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 10-48: Appropriation – DelCarte Open Space Design and Permitting of Repairs to Dam

motion to approve, as amended (taking from Hotel Motel Tax Fund - for open space and recreational improvements) passed 7-1

Vallee - given the state of the economy, I can't support it now, I am open to revisit it later

Pfeffer - the money is being used for something it can, it can not be used for education, we need to keep this property for our children

Whalen - I am torn over this but I think we should

Jones - we dammed if we do, we're dammed if we don't, couldn't help but say that.

Mason - state mandate are two words to increase project cost

2. Resolution 10-60: Acceptance of Deed with Conservation Restriction for Open Space Parcels Located in Franklin for the Preserve At Oak Hill

Land being developed in the old ski area 

motion to approve - passed 7-0, 1 abstained

3. Resolution 10-61: Renewal of the Comcast Cable Television License

the last contract was 7 years ago, after a long and difficult negotiation, we have reached an agreement

I can't say enough about the multiple hours that Bob Dean has put into this

Comcast is paying 4.8% of their fees, Verizon is currently paying 5%

this covers just the cable

The attorney worked on this needs to have his name added to this

motion to approve,  passed 8-0

4. Bylaw Amendment 10-649: Amendment to Sewer System Map, Coutu Street- 2nd Reading

motion to accept, passed 8-0 (via roll call)

5. Bylaw Amendment 10-650: Chapter 168, Vacant Properties: Registration and Maintenance -1st Reading

idea initially from Cerel and Jones, requires registration of vacant buildings
if they don't register, it kicks off the timeline to enforce action
goal is not to fine but to keep the place maintained

Some of these entities will be hard pressed to be found, they are all over the country
We do recognize this as a challenge, at least we can let the Fire Dept know not to rush into a vacant building

I was talking with Wells Fargo about a property in Medfield and they do have to go into maintain it, in the same call, they said there is no bylaw in Franklin so they'd skip right over us, I think it is a good idea to put it on the books

motion to move to second reading, passed 8-0



Franklin, MA

Live reporting - DelCarte proposal

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS 
– DelCarte Dam Feasibility Study

Nutting - recommend to take the money from the Hotel Motel Tax Fund instead

Matt Bellisle, Pare Corp

2 of the structures meet the MASS DCR requirements, need to be registered and maintained
Town is responsible for this, outlined in the Phase 2 of the report (see the PDF in the document published earlier)

The water provides a great conservation and recreation area for use by the Town folks
The trail system can be augmented, red lines on the chart indicate the proposed recreational trails (see photo below)

Incidental benefits:

• flood control, hold back the storm water
• natural cleaning process for nutrient removal

Whalen - There is talk of earthen dams but I see concrete
The control section of the dam is concrete, the whole dam is the raised portion which is earthen, the spillways are concrete

In the current condition, they are in poor condition, significant erosion, large trees are growing there as well, the trees are not good for the dams
The rate of degrading can not be predicted but they will continue to fail

Given the size of the vegetation, approx ten years old, the had been maintained prior to that

They have seen a number of aqua-culture uses but now are designated as conservation space

There are 2 that have the power of the State dam safety requirements even if you don't do anything with the other five

You could loose some of the flood control by not doing anything on the other five

The lowest dam #5 is severely eroded, water does flow around the spillway, additional erosion possible with large water events, dam #3 also shows signs of beaver activity due to the vegetation there

The dams are proposed to be repaired by restoring what we have (no major concrete)
an increase in the spillway size but not a significant increase in the overall size of the dam

A restoration of the original dam, not looking to raise the dams to increase the body of water

What is the trigger event to register the dams with the State?
In 2006, the State passed legislation requiring registration and enforcement
At the State, they are working their way down the listing, they expected the listing to be addressed last December. They are working on it.

This amount is for the design and permitting which should enable us to look for grants and other outside help to defer the cost of this.

If there is reasonable progress, the State will work with the community. They don't like no action./

3 minute recess



Franklin, MA

Live reporting - Town Council

Present: Kelly, Jones, Vallee, Whalen, Mason, Pfeffer, Zollo, Powderly
Absent: McGann


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - none

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
-Meetings of the Town Council are Recorded
Economic Development Summit - Oct 27, 2010
Congratulation to Franklin Housing Authority for award as as Outstanding Agency

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS - none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS - none

E. APPOINTMENTS - none

F. HEARINGS - none

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
- New All Alcoholic Beverages Restaurant License, British Beer Company
Richard Cornetta, representing Franklin BBC

Located in former Applebees in the Franklin Village Mall
5700 sq foot building
extensive renovations to inside and outside the building
outdoor seating proposed
a partially enclosed area, control by a management station
enclosed by a 4 ft decorative wrought iron fence
all one level inside (currently two levels but the second is being removed)

British Beer Co a 'chain' of restaurants, most recently in Westford, next closest is Walpole
theme, an atmosphere of an 'Olde English pub'
food service is a central element to their offerings

motion to approve license, passed 8-0


Franklin, MA

"We just want to give you the tools you need to analyze"

Ken Moraff, EPA deputy director of ecosystem protection, said the agency hired the Horsley Witten Group, a Sandwich engineering firm to analyze the best options for each town.

Moraff said the study will conclude May 31, with the possibility of an extension.

"The study is supposed to give towns options," Moraff said.

Members from the company weren't present at yesterday's meeting in the Franklin Municipal Building. EPA officials said the company is finishing its final work plan, and will be available to meet with each town.

In an attempt to clean the Charles River, the mandate requires each town, and businesses with more than two acres of impervious surface to reduce phosphorous by at least 54 percent.

Read the full article on the EPA's new assistance for the local communities to handle their storm water here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1164157616/EPA-hired-engineer-prompts-questions

Prior posts on the EPA and storm water
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/08/epa-storm-water-proposal-information.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2010/06/epa-storm-water-proposal-information.html


Franklin, MA

the power to change the world

“Never doubt a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.  Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

This famous quote by the American anthropologist, Margaret Mead has always inspired me in my fight to end hunger. I am audacious enough to truly believe that Stop Hunger Now can be the catalyst to eradicate hunger in our lifetime.

Continue to read the remainder of Ray Buchanan's post here: http://blog.stophungernow.org/?p=795

What struck me was the coincidence (?) that this same quote is hung on the wall of the restroom at the First Universalist Church where the Board of Directors of the Franklin Food Pantry held their planning session last Saturday. This has to be a good thing! Stay tuned for more from the Food Pantry as the organization renews itself.