On April 5, 2012 Franklin will host an economic development summit including tours of Tegra Medical's award winning facility. Details can be found in the invitation document below. RSVP by April 1 to Bryan Taberner, Franklin's Director of Planning and Community Development.
Franklin, MA: 2012 Economic Development Summit Invitation
Thursday, March 29, 2012
“We feel it’s a better future for the children”
“I’m delighted. I’m just really happy about it,” resident Linda Dunnebier said of the 7,988 “yes” votes. That total was more than four times the 1,982 “no” votes. There was a single blank ballot.
Town officials are now working on contract documents to send the design plans for the school out to bid in the hopes of awarding the bid by August and starting construction in October.
If everything stays on track, students will be in the new school by fall of 2014, with demolition and the rebuilding of the athletic fields taking place after that.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x777658853/Residents-happy-about-passage-of-override-for-new-high-school#ixzz1qUrsGWTI
The collection of posts on the high school building project can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/12/collection-high-school-building-project.html
MBTA: Letter to Our Customers
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation by Klark Jessen on 3/28/12
By Richard A. Davey, MassDOT Secretary and CEO and Jonathan Davis, MBTA Acting GM
Let us start by first thanking each and every one of the nearly 6,000 individuals who attended our public meetings over the last several months and the thousands more who wrote in via email or letter. We understand that the MBTA is a lifeline for many of you, without which you may not be able to get to work, school or recreational activities.
It is because of your overwhelming engagement that our final recommendation to the MBTA board includes what we believe are modest fare increases and limited service changes. While both are necessary to close the $185 million gap we face next year, the proposals we released in January would have had a significantly greater impact than our final plan.
MassDOT and the MBTA have identified a number of savings and efficiencies and one-time financial actions that can be taken to reduce the operating deficit, thus reducing the need for the larger fare increases and service reductions originally proposed. Some of the most significant actions include enrollment of MBTA staff in a new, lower cost health care program, energy purchase savings and a reduction in Authority headcount of 51 positions. Additionally, the T implemented a hiring freeze for non-critical positions.
Today, we are proposing an overall 23 percent increase in fares, which will generate $72.9 million in revenue. This is the first time in more than five years that the MBTA would raise fares. Every other major public transit system across the country has raised its fares during this time period. Many have also reduced service.
What does this mean for riders? For CharlieCard users, the subway will now cost $2 per ride. Local bus service will cost $1.50. Students and seniors will each pay $0.75 for a bus trip and $1 for a subway ride. Building on your ideas, we will offer a new 7-day student pass in addition to the current weekday-only student pass.
The RIDE, our paratransit service, will also see price changes. Over the last decade, the cost of providing the RIDE has increased more than 400%, requiring a growing slice of our operating budget. As in both previous proposals, no current RIDE customers will lose service. For RIDE trips required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the fare will be $4. For non-ADA required trips, the new premium fare will be $5 per trip.
Commuter rail single trip and monthly passes would be increased an average of 29 percent, depending upon the zone of travel. Ferry prices will be increased an average of 35 percent.
Overwhelmingly, we heard your calls to protect your service. We worked diligently to identify additional efficiencies, some legislative changes and $61 million in one-time revenues that allowed us to avoid massive service cuts next year. Those one-time sources include $51 million from MassDOT's Motor Vehicle Inspection Trust Fund; $5 million in MassDOT snow and ice surplus funds; and $5 million from leasing the North Station Garage.
Coupled with the smaller fare increase, we are proposing $15.4 million in service changes for next year, including the elimination of four weekday bus routes and modifications to 14 others. Under our proposal certain bus lines would run less frequently and others would see their routes altered.
On commuter rail, we will continue to operate full weekday service during our current service hours. However, we will eliminate all weekend service on the Greenbush and Kingston/Plymouth Lines as well as Saturday service on the Needham line.
Based on your feedback, we are proposing to maintain ferry service at a higher cost to customers. We will, however, eliminate the low-ridership Quincy ferry service on the weekends.
To close the remaining gap, we will seek legislative authorization to use $51 million from the Motor Vehicle Inspection Fund, a fund that is dedicated to promoting green transportation. Without this, the air pollution impacts of cutting more service would be significant. We will also use $5 million in surplus snow and ice funds, and $5 million in other one-time savings.
We understand that even these moderate changes we are proposing today will have a significant impact on some of our customers, and we appreciate that. But we have an obligation to balance our books and to be honest with each of you about the cost of service.
This is not a permanent budget solution. As our fixed costs continue to grow, we anticipate the MBTA will have to close another deficit next year. While we have avoided drastic service cuts this year, we may not be able to in the future. The Governor and I will continue to work towards a long-term solution to our transportation funding issues and we ask you to remain engaged with us in that conversation.
The MBTA will continue to do everything it can to improve your commuting experience despite our fiscal challenges. We heard many good ideas from all of you, and we ask for your continued engagement in this conversation. It is because of your involvement in the process that we are here today.
A full report on our recommendations can be found at www.mbta.com
Thank you.
Let us start by first thanking each and every one of the nearly 6,000 individuals who attended our public meetings over the last several months and the thousands more who wrote in via email or letter. We understand that the MBTA is a lifeline for many of you, without which you may not be able to get to work, school or recreational activities.
It is because of your overwhelming engagement that our final recommendation to the MBTA board includes what we believe are modest fare increases and limited service changes. While both are necessary to close the $185 million gap we face next year, the proposals we released in January would have had a significantly greater impact than our final plan.
MassDOT and the MBTA have identified a number of savings and efficiencies and one-time financial actions that can be taken to reduce the operating deficit, thus reducing the need for the larger fare increases and service reductions originally proposed. Some of the most significant actions include enrollment of MBTA staff in a new, lower cost health care program, energy purchase savings and a reduction in Authority headcount of 51 positions. Additionally, the T implemented a hiring freeze for non-critical positions.
Today, we are proposing an overall 23 percent increase in fares, which will generate $72.9 million in revenue. This is the first time in more than five years that the MBTA would raise fares. Every other major public transit system across the country has raised its fares during this time period. Many have also reduced service.
What does this mean for riders? For CharlieCard users, the subway will now cost $2 per ride. Local bus service will cost $1.50. Students and seniors will each pay $0.75 for a bus trip and $1 for a subway ride. Building on your ideas, we will offer a new 7-day student pass in addition to the current weekday-only student pass.
The RIDE, our paratransit service, will also see price changes. Over the last decade, the cost of providing the RIDE has increased more than 400%, requiring a growing slice of our operating budget. As in both previous proposals, no current RIDE customers will lose service. For RIDE trips required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, the fare will be $4. For non-ADA required trips, the new premium fare will be $5 per trip.
Commuter rail single trip and monthly passes would be increased an average of 29 percent, depending upon the zone of travel. Ferry prices will be increased an average of 35 percent.
Overwhelmingly, we heard your calls to protect your service. We worked diligently to identify additional efficiencies, some legislative changes and $61 million in one-time revenues that allowed us to avoid massive service cuts next year. Those one-time sources include $51 million from MassDOT's Motor Vehicle Inspection Trust Fund; $5 million in MassDOT snow and ice surplus funds; and $5 million from leasing the North Station Garage.
Coupled with the smaller fare increase, we are proposing $15.4 million in service changes for next year, including the elimination of four weekday bus routes and modifications to 14 others. Under our proposal certain bus lines would run less frequently and others would see their routes altered.
On commuter rail, we will continue to operate full weekday service during our current service hours. However, we will eliminate all weekend service on the Greenbush and Kingston/Plymouth Lines as well as Saturday service on the Needham line.
Based on your feedback, we are proposing to maintain ferry service at a higher cost to customers. We will, however, eliminate the low-ridership Quincy ferry service on the weekends.
To close the remaining gap, we will seek legislative authorization to use $51 million from the Motor Vehicle Inspection Fund, a fund that is dedicated to promoting green transportation. Without this, the air pollution impacts of cutting more service would be significant. We will also use $5 million in surplus snow and ice funds, and $5 million in other one-time savings.
We understand that even these moderate changes we are proposing today will have a significant impact on some of our customers, and we appreciate that. But we have an obligation to balance our books and to be honest with each of you about the cost of service.
This is not a permanent budget solution. As our fixed costs continue to grow, we anticipate the MBTA will have to close another deficit next year. While we have avoided drastic service cuts this year, we may not be able to in the future. The Governor and I will continue to work towards a long-term solution to our transportation funding issues and we ask you to remain engaged with us in that conversation.
The MBTA will continue to do everything it can to improve your commuting experience despite our fiscal challenges. We heard many good ideas from all of you, and we ask for your continued engagement in this conversation. It is because of your involvement in the process that we are here today.
A full report on our recommendations can be found at www.mbta.com
Thank you.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Franklin voters approve tax hike for $104.5m high school
The Boston Globe YT (YourTown) Budget Blues website provided an update on the election results.
Construction on a new $104.5 million Franklin High School is scheduled to begin in the fall after residents voted Tuesday to override Proposition 2 1/2 by a nearly four-to-one margin.
With nearly 50 percent of the town's voters going to the polls, 7,988 were in favor of the override for the town's $49 million share of the project, while 1,982 were opposed.
Owners of a home valued at $352,700, the average in town, will pay an additional $260 in taxes starting in 2017 and ending in 2040, according to Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.
The state will pick up the remaining cost of the new school, which should be completed within two years on land now used for baseball and softball fields next to the current facility.
Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:
via YT: Budget Blues on 3/28/12
Construction on a new $104.5 million Franklin High School is scheduled to begin in the fall after residents voted Tuesday to override Proposition 2 1/2 by a nearly four-to-one margin.
With nearly 50 percent of the town's voters going to the polls, 7,988 were in favor of the override for the town's $49 million share of the project, while 1,982 were opposed.
Owners of a home valued at $352,700, the average in town, will pay an additional $260 in taxes starting in 2017 and ending in 2040, according to Town Administrator Jeffrey D. Nutting.
The state will pick up the remaining cost of the new school, which should be completed within two years on land now used for baseball and softball fields next to the current facility.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to YT: Budget Blues using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Trust tips #8 - Tell me more, please! (video)
Charlie Green is someone I follow and read regularly.
Note: Franklin Matters subscribers will need to click through to the website to view the video.
Note: Franklin Matters subscribers will need to click through to the website to view the video.
“This is a great day for the town of Franklin”
“I couldn’t be more excited,” said Town Councilor and School Building Committee Chairman Thomas Mercer. “A major decision for the town was made by 10,000 people. It would have been a sin to see this decision made by 3,000 people.”
The debt exclusion will raise property taxes until 2040, costing the average homeowner $1 in fiscal 2013, $45 in fiscal 2014, $85 in fiscal 2015, $216 in fiscal 2016, and $260 every year after that until 2040.
The 104.5 million debt exclusion was the biggest obstacle for supporters of a new Franklin High School to overcome.
Now, town officials will finish creating contract documents, with Mercer saying he hopes to put the project out to bid by the end of July.
If everything stays on track, construction will break ground on the current high school sports fields this October, with students moving into a new school by the fall of 2014.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x140148815/Voters-overwhelmingly-back-new-Franklin-High-School-project#ixzz1qOzMP2OI
The full set of results from the election can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/03/franklin-ma-debt-exclusion-precinct.html
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