Alfieri, who lived in Franklin for 17 years, holding multiple positions in town government, including town planner and geographic information system administrator, died in his sleep of a heart attack Sunday. He was 53.
“Nick played a very large role in turning around and fixing the relationship between the town and the Conservation Commission,” said Commissioner Jeff Livingstone. “He really did change the entire town’s perception of obtaining the right permits as a hassle-filled process to one that was more of partnership driven.”
And Livingstone said yesterday he expects Alfieri’s passing to affect the commission for a long time.
“Franklin has become a poster child for how to do things and a highly rated town in terms of its ability to promote conversation initiatives,” he said. “We have relied extremely heavily on Nick’s perception, his feedback and his knowledge of the town.”
“Franklin has an excellent reputation as a place to live, work and go to school,” said the Long Range Finance Committee in its annual report. “The decisions we are making (or not making) now will determine how long this reputation endures.
“Quality of life in the town will continue to erode, affecting our infrastructure, public safety, education and other core services,” the report says.
According to the report, future road maintenance will present a serious financial hurdle for the town, as budget constraints have postponed work, costing Franklin in the long run.
Two Democrats and three Republicans are seeking the state representative seat formerly held by James Vallee, who resigned last month.
In the Sept. 6 primaries, Jeffrey Roy, a member of the Franklin Town Council, and Peter Padula, a criminal defense lawyer, will face off for the Democratic Party’s nomination, while the Republican race will have John Jewell, a member of the Franklin School Committee; lawyer Rich Eustis; and C. Stolle Singleton, who works as a policy adviser to the 33-member House Republican Caucus.Read the full article here
