"Cuts have to be made"

The budget hearings continued Thursday evening and spent a good deal of their time on the Department of Public Works:

The department has lost more than 12 positions over the past six years while taking over maintenance of school grounds. That has reduced its ability to fix potholes, sweep streets, prepare fields and complete other tasks simultaneously, Cantoreggi said. 

"Our priorities have to be adjusted," Cantoreggi said. "Our response time is increasing. I think people are starting to notice." 

The department will also have a few less clerk hours as part of a townwide reorganization and reduction of clerk positions, Nutting said. 

Roche, the committee's chairman, said the department is an example of the difference between the town and a business. Companies lay off workers when business slows down but "we lay off people and have more demand for services."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1560709786/Franklin-hopes-to-address-snow-budget-gap#ixzz1LYtisrBs

The budget hearings close out Monday night with the Library, Schools and Fire Dept are reviewed. The Town Council conducts their budget hearings Jun 8 and 9 to have an approved budget before the Fiscal Year 2012 begins July 1, 2011.

These cuts are real. On this time line, there is no opportunity for an override to come before the voters to approve an increase in taxes to avoid the cuts.



Franklin, MA

In the News - Clark-Cutler-McDermott, roads closed Sat

Franklin's Clark-Cutler-McDermott honored

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Dean College graduation Saturday

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - Agenda - May 5, 2011

Part 3 of the budget hearing for Fiscal 2012 continues Thursday evening. The agenda showing which department budgets are scheduled for review this evening is shown in the document below:

FinCom Agenda 5/05/2011


Prior session agendas:
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/franklin-ma-finance-committee-agenda_03.html

http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/franklin-ma-finance-committee-agenda.html


Franklin, MA

Fluoride Choice vote in Franklin this Friday

You are receiving this email because you live and/or work in Franklin and because you care about your individual health freedom. 

Only you can consent to receiving a medication. No one has a right to force one on you. 

This Friday morning at 10:00 am, there will be a vote of the Franklin Health Board on whether or not to continue the old 1970 policy of forced fluoridation of the people in Franklin. Ingesting fluoride ought to be a personal decision, not a government decision. 

For the background on this story, see www.franklinminutemen.com/id2.html 

I will be representing fluoride choice at this Friday's health board meeting. If you are able to join me, that might make a difference in the vote's outcome. The meeting will be in the small conference room right next to the clerk's office. I know it's a work day, but standing room only would truly rock! 

Please forward to other Franklin residents who care about their medical rights. 

Thanks,
Rich Aucoin

"They're not all layoffs but they are degrading or reducing ... services"

"This budget has me very concerned," Town Councilor Tina Powderly said. "It's the same old story. It's death by 1,000 cuts. It's great the schools came in with a conservative budget, but they came in with a conservative budget because they cut 14 (positions)." 

In addition to the school jobs, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting's recommended cuts include two police officers, two firefighters, four Department of Public Works jobs and 5.5 library jobs. 

The proposed $89.2 million budget represents a 1.2 percent increase over this year's $88.1 million budget. 

Cuts have to be made despite the budget going up due to decreased state aid (down about $300,000), local revenue (down about $200,000) and $2 million less in school stimulus money. About a 12 percent rise in health insurance costs and increased contracted salary hikes have led to a rise in the school budget, administrators have said. 

The town's Finance Committee is scheduled to continue its budget hearing today and Monday. The council's budget hearings are June 8 and 9.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1760690278/with-links#ixzz1LTBVXJWW




Franklin, MA

Garden Registration is Officially Open!

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Garden Registration is Officially Open!

via Growing In Franklin by Franklin Community Gardens on 5/4/11

Calling all prospective Gardeners!

The wait is OVER!

THE LOTTERY IS OPEN!

Hooray!

Hop on over to the Franklin Rec page and sign up! click on the words  Online registration, below:

Community Garden

Sign up online for a plot to grow your own vegetables at the King Street Community Gardens.  Or volunteer to help out on Build Day (May 7, either 9am-12pm or 1pm-4pm).  Register on our Online registration

Important: when the link opens, Click on "Register for Activities", then select "Community Garden".

How's it going to work? You ask.

Easy.

Sign up for the lottery online, hurry up, get your name in or register for your community group because the deadline for the drawing is May 23rd at 3:00 p.m.  It is free to enter the lottery, winners will be responsible for the $40 per season charge for a plot.  A "plot" in this garden is actually a 4 foot by 10 foot by approx. 24" high raised bed, filled with a mix of organic compost and screened loam. The sides will be untreated spruce.

If you can not or choose not to do this online, you may go to the Franklin Recreation Department during business hours.

On Friday May 23rd, we will do the lottery drawing in public at the Franklin Community Garden Committee meeting held at the Franklin Municipal Bldg on East Central St, room 205, at 6:30 p.m.  You will be notified if you or your group was assigned a space, and you will be charged the $40.  You do not need to be present for the drawing, but there might be, like, cookies....Just saying.

The Garden's Official Opening Day is lined up for Saturday, May 28th, weather permitting.

Thank you to everyone who has helped bring this project closer to reality.  The major "pinch me" moment will come on Saturday morning, Build Day, but as I walked through King Street recently through the stakes and over to the water pipe and mentally surveyed the site, I about lost it.  Clicking on the Build Day sign up form and seeing new names---out of the woodwork, out of the ether---Names attached to People who will be digging and building and hauling and creating and making and growing and sharing. 

That is community building, my friends. Franklin, you totally rock.

If you are just hearing about this new community garden now, hope you can join us on Saturday, May 7th for Build Day.  Click on the top of this page to volunteer---Sign Up for Build Day---and meet us at the park on Saturday.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Growing In Franklin using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

We need your help for Build Day!

Hello everyone,

The first ever Franklin Community Garden is happening and we are full steam ahead.  We are building the 46 beds this Saturday, May 7th and we need your help! We will build them and then fill them up with that gorgeous soil!  There are two 3-hour shifts to choose from unless you want to help the whole day!  No amazing "building skills" required.  All the wood will be pre-cut, so if you know how to hold a piece of wood, then you are skilled enough to come help!

Click this link: https://spreadsheets0.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dFFBSGhPMWFXdG5kTl9faXFGS3lCLWc6MQ  OR visit www.franklincommunitygardens.org to sign up by clicking the word "Form".

Hope to see you this Saturday to help make Franklin an even greener place!

In health and sawdust,

Franklin Community Gardens

--

Subscribe to the blog!

www.franklincommunitygardens.org

Yes, we are on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Franklin-Community-Gardens/152040424825578

Library updates

New Items April 2011

from Franklin Public Library by Franklin Public Library

New Children's Items April 2011

from Franklin Public Library by Franklin Public Library

One Book One Community

from Franklin Public Library by Franklin Public Library

Franklin, MA

"everyone calls us for everything that goes wrong"

"We've turned into a reactive department" he said, adding, "What else are we not going to respond to? If you had a break-in with no evidence left, do we even respond (or take information over the phone instead)?" 

Franklin's police force had 54 officer positions about 10 years ago but will drop to 43 officers after two officers are cut in fiscal 2012, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said. One position is already vacant and Nutting said he anticipates the other position will be vacated before the end of the fiscal year. 

Nutting's proposed $89.2 million town budget cuts more than 31 positions overall, including the two officers, 14.3 school positions, two firefighters, four Department of Public Works positions and 5.5 library jobs. The budget represents a 1.4 percent increase over this year's $88 million budget. 

Cuts have to be made despite the budget going up due to decreased state aid (down about $300,000), decreased local revenue (down about $200,000), a loss of about $2 million in stimulus funds, increases in health insurance costs (up about 12 percent) and increased contractual obligations.

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1760690098/Move-to-avoid-cutting-Franklin-Police-snuffed#ixzz1LNJJA5Zb

The Budget hearings will resume Thursday, May 5.

Results of the Budget hearing on Monday evening are contained here
http://franklinmatters.blogspot.com/2011/05/obviously-its-continued-struggle.html


Franklin, MA

In the News - Art, Leaders, Summer program

Franklin Art Association hosts spring art show

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Young leaders honored at Tri-County in Franklin

by GateHouse Media, Inc.

Franklin schools to offer summer art programs

by Staff reports

Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - Agenda - May 3, 2011

The Finance Committee continues their series of budget hearings on the Fiscal 2012 budget Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM. The department budgets scheduled to be reviewed are contained in the document shown here.

An anonymous commenter on the Milford Daily News has already stated "Cut until someone in a town job actually has to go home tired." This is your town, these are your services. Get informed. These are your choices to make.

FinCom Agenda 5/03/2011



Franklin, MA

"Obviously, it's a continued struggle"

Last night, leaders of the administrative, comptroller treasurer/collector, town clerk and planning departments explained how reduced clerical support could result in longer waiting times, delays in providing services and reduced office hours. Those departments - coupled with the legal, human resources and inspection departments - will lose hours that combined will total the equivalent of one position. 

"We don't want to close the office, but I can envision that if something comes up and someone is out (sick) there's no way we're going to stay open," Town Clerk Deborah Pellegri said. 

Planning Director Bryan Taberner said he would normally write five or six grant proposals in six months, but only anticipates completing two with the reduced staff. 

"In 2009 I probably spent 50 percent of my time on economic development (activities)," Taberner said. "I don't do more than half-a-day a week now."

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1870097509/Franklin-budget-would-cut-31-jobs#ixzz1LHQ2pBNl

Budget hearings continue Tues May 3, 7:00 PM, and Thu, May 5 also at 7:00 PM.



Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - Agenda - May 2, 2011

The agenda document for the Finance Committee meeting Monday, May 2. This is the first of a series of budget hearings for the Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The fiscal year begins July 1, 2011 and ends June 30, 2012.


FinCom Agenda 05022011



Franklin, MA

Franklin, MA: Town Council - Agenda - May 4

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – March 16, 2011

B. ANNOUNCEMENTS

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS

E. APPOINTMENTS - Historical Commission

F. HEARINGS

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION:
1. Resolution 11-12: Order of Taking-Land Located on Colt Road and Washington Street
2. Resolution 11-13: Designation of “Special Municipal Employees” Under State Ethics Law
3. Resolution 11-14: Acceptance of Deed of Parcel 212-011, Pond Street Pursuant to G.L.
Chapter 60, Section 77C
4. Resolution 11-15: Acceptance of Deed of Parcel 212-012, Pond Street Pursuant to G.L.
Chapter 60, Section 77C
5. Resolution 11-16: Appropriation: Veterans’ Benefits
6. Resolution 11-17: Appropriation: Norfolk County Agricultural High School
7. Resolution 11-18: Appropriation: Debt & Interest
8. Resolution 11-19: Appropriation Snow & Ice Deficit
9. Resolution 11-20: Appropriation Personal Property Revaluation (3Yr)
10. Zoning Bylaw 11-652: Amendment to Chapter 185 §4. Districts Enumerated Zoning
– Referral to Planning Board
11. Bylaw 11-653: Amendment to Chapter 185 §7. Compliance Required Zoning
– Referral To Planning Board
12. Bylaw 11-654: Amendment to Chapter 185 §12. Schedule of Lot, Area, Frontage, Yard &
Height Requirements. – Referral to Planning Board
13. Zoning Bylaw 11-655: Amendment to Chapter 185 §2. Parking, Loading, and Driveway
Requirements, Subsection B - Referral to Planning Board
14. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 11-660: Amendment to Chapter 185 §45. L. (1) Administration
and Enforcement – Referral to Planning Board
15. Bylaw Amendment 11-659: Amendment to Chapter 135, Removal and Undergrounding of
Utility Poles and Overhead Wires and Structures – 2nd Reading

K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

L. OLD BUSINESS

M. NEW BUSINESS

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

P. ADJOURN



Franklin, MA

In the News - cooking way

Bellingham students trying to cook their way to the White House

by Alison McCall/Daily News staff

Franklin, MA