FRANKLIN RAIL TRAIL COMMITTEE MEETING - Jan 11

Proposed Agenda for Jan 11, 2011

Location: Franklin YMCA 45 Forge Hill Road

Start Time: 7:30PM

I. Call to Order
A. Ask for volunteer to keep minutes of meeting
B. Introduction of new attendees
We encourage new attendees to join a committee ASAP
C. Review & approve minutes of previous meeting

II. Nomination of Officers for 2011
Committee Chair – Nominations - -
Co-Chair – Nominations - -
Treasurer – Nominations - -
Secretary (Please Anyone) – Nominations - -


III. Vote on Election of Officers for 2011
Committee Chair –
Co-Chair –
Treasurer –
Secretary (Please Anyone) –

Note: To all meeting attendees, please remember that the rules that we set up for paying membership fees were that it bought you one vote on important Committee issues. Consequently, only paying members will be allowed to vote. Whether a paid member or not, we appreciate your contribution and attendance at our meetings.

IV. Report from our representative from DCR
Need for signage disallowing motorized vehicles on trail
Volunteer Eamon Earls is researching history of railroad
Contact made at WPI and with Tetra Tech Rizzo for Design
Can we meet on Thursday nights?


IV. Membership Committee Report
Committee to report on membership activity


V. Report from Finance Committee
Report from Treasurer


VI. Report of Fund Raising Committee
Report on fund raising activities
Report Road Race Committee
Promoting the Road Race – Fundraising Activity


VII. Report from Grant Writing Committee
A. National Public Lands Day web site is announcing Grant Opportunities – Can we apply?

IX. Unfinished Business:
Business plan in the making
Distribute revised brochures and support locations with displays


X. New Business:

XI. Set Date & place for Next Meeting and Adjourn



Franklin, MA

We need to talk, with respectful voices

... there are some very serious long-term economic trends that are absolutely ripping apart the U.S. middle class. For example, did you know that even though our population has been growing at a brisk pace we have lost about ten percent of our middle class jobs over the past decade? The vast majority of jobs that have been created have been low paying service jobs.

We now have hordes of highly educated young people that are waiting tables and that are welcoming customers to Wal-Mart. Without good paying jobs there is no middle class, but today American corporations are actually creating more jobs overseas than they are inside the United States. This has helped pad the profits of the big corporate fatcats, but it has been devastating for middle class communities across the United States.

Sounds of doom and gloom resonate through this piece. I do think it is important to look at the big picture. I do think there are structural changes underway in our economy that will become real obvious AFTER they have fully taken effect. We'll look back and say, "Wow, so that is what was happening!"

Times are hard and they are going to get harder, but that doesn't mean that you can't thrive in the middle of all this. Hopefully we can all take this as a wake up call. We all need to work harder, become less wasteful, become more independent and stop living as if the good times are going to last forever.

We can rant and rave against the facts. WE CAN RAISE OUR VOICES AGAINST EACH OTHER! Or we can talk, calmly and thoughtfully about what is happening.

This is where our choice really will make a positive change for the good. Let's recognize that we are in this together. Let's recognize that we can work together to make sense of this. Let's recognize that perhaps you do have a good idea. Perhaps there is a better way through collaboration, cooperation, coordination and civil discussion!

What do you think are our chances are?



You can continue reading the full article here



Franklin, MA

Live reporting - Long Range Financial Planning Committee

Present: Doug Hardesty, Deb Bartlett, Orrin Bean, John Hogan, Ken Harvey, Craig DiMarzio, Graydon Smith, Tina Powderly (ex officio), Jeff Nutting (ex officio)
Absent: none

meeting opened after the committee was sworn in by Town Clerk Deb Pellegri

the group made a round of introductions

draft charter presented for discussion and revision, 'strawman'

focus on the facts and details of the financial issues

when decisions are made that will affect a multi-year outlook, the committee should be able to weigh in on those in a timely manner; would not be focusing on the day-to-day operational items, the Town Council has the oversight of the Administrator, who in turn directs the activities of the town departments.

what are the cost drivers?
They vary. Collective bargaining is a challenge. to adjust the co-pay requires talking with each of the 13 unions. The State also has a myriad of rules and regulations around purchasing, bottom line it doesn't always guarantee the best price.

Most of the expense side is statutorily driven. We do need a clerk, a health inspector, etc. However, this is no law that says we have to have a police and fire department.

We are paying for the inefficiencies of a long term parochial system which is very, very difficult to change at the local level.

"We know what we want to do it if we could do it" The more attention that is brought to it, the better chance we'll have of actually getting something done.

Charter is not finalized as we wanted to get time for people to think about it and have an opportunity to suggest changes before the Town Council does finalize it.

"come up with a document to tell the story to the town in a way that is credible"

group assignments to draw on individual preferences and strengths

review of the final report of the prior committee from last year (PDF)

review of the Chap 70 story, growth from $4M to $28M over about 15 years
due to census data from 1990's on community wealth and the rapid growth of the school population from 3,000 to 6,000

There are things that are not in the school budget that the Town provides; facilities being the major one, debt service is another.

Charter school - how is that funded? The State sends a portion of our Chap 70 directly to the Charter School. The funding formula has been debated forever.

The Governor's budget due is Jan 26th followed in the next several weeks by the House and the Senate versions with an overall conference committee agreement before getting finalized by July 1

discussion on timeline for deliverables, a brief update (similar to the mid-year report) in an April time frame with updates to sections as needed. Look at when the data will be available and include that in the timelines (i.e. the tax rates are set in Dec so would be available from the State after that).

"It is great in telling what we paid for it, can you tell me what I actually got for it?" Can we benchmark ourselves on what we are achieving?

What new analysis do we want to do and add to this document?

Next meeting Jan 26th



Franklin, MA

MassBudget Briefs: Fiscal Year 2012 Budget, Chapter 70 Previews

Explore our online budget database Is our research helpful to you? Support our work Contact Info   Noah Berger   President   nberger@massbudget.org   (617) 426-1228 x102   Tom Benner   Communications Director   tbenner@massbudget.org   (617) 426-1228 x100 Two new briefs: Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Preview and Chapter 70 Education Aid Preview January 4, 2011 The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center is releasing two new budget briefs previewing the Fiscal Year 2012 budget. MassBudget Brief: Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Preview examines the condition of state finances as the budget process begins for the fiscal year that starts on July 1, 2011. Walking readers through the steps involved in calculating a state budget gap, the brief projects a $1.78 billion preliminary budget gap facing the Commonwealth in FY 2012. MassBudget Brief: Fiscal Year 2012 Chapter 70 Education Aid Preview outlines three scenarios for calculating Chapter 70 education funding for FY 2012, each based on a different set of assumptions. The briefs, Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Preview and Fiscal Year 2012 Chapter 70 Education Aid Preview, are available at www.massbudget.org.                                  - - - - - See MassBudget's Budget Browser to explore Massachusetts state budgets from Fiscal Year 2001 to the present. MassBudget provides independent research and analysis of state budget and tax policies, as well as economic issues, with particular attention to the effects on low- and moderate-income people.

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Downtown Partnership - Meeting Info

Public Meeting

Monday, January 10 at 7 pm

Dean College's Alden Center (S11)

located in the Arthur W. Pierce Center for Science and Technology

The public is invited to provide feedback to the PWED grant-funded portion of the Downtown Franklin Roadway and Streetscape Improvement Project. 





Networking Luncheon

Friday, January 14 at 1:00 pm

Dean College Campus Center Cafeteria

Cost:  $5

Please note:  We will be meeting in the new cafeteria, NOT the Golder Room.

For more details please email Joel Carrara at jcarrara@printsmartoffice.com





General Meeting

Thursday, January 20 at 8:30 am

Dean College Campus Center, Golder Room, 2nd Floor

We welcome all new members!

We encourage downtown business owners to attend!





Networking Luncheon

Friday, February 11 at 1:00 pm

Dean College Campus Center Cafeteria

Cost:  $5

For more details contact Joel Carrara at jcarrara@printsmartoffice.com

"it doesn't fit the script"

Here is one listing that I am glad MA did not make. The list also helps to put our budget crisis into perspective. As bad as it is, there are others far worse.

But there's one state, which is fairly high up on the list of troubled states that nobody is talking about, and there's a reason for it.

The state is Texas.

This month the state's part-time legislature goes back into session, and the state is starting at potentially a $25 billion deficit on a two-year budget of around $95 billion. That's enormous. And there's not much fat to cut. The whole budget is basically education and healthcare spending. Cutting everything else wouldn't do the trick. And though raising this kind of money would be easy on an economy of $1.2 trillion, the new GOP mega-majority in Congress is firmly against raising any revenue.

You can read the full post here


Franklin, MA

Tree Pickup - Alternatives

Thanks to Paula Lombardi, Office Manager for the DPW, for providing the following info:

• If you have missed your day of pick up this week maybe you can contact a friend or relative in Franklin who may have a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday pickup and ask if you can put the tree at their curbside.

• The Beaver Street Recycle Center is open Friday and Saturday throughout the year from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.

• All trees must be free of ornaments and tinsel. Do not place in a plastic bag.