Live reporting - legislation, comments and closing

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
Senior subcommittee working on proposals to bring to the Council

J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 13-57: Submittal to Town Clerk of Final Form of Ballot Question, RE: Proposed Charter Amendment Changing Treasurer-Collector From Elected to Appointed Position
motion to approve, seconded,  pass 9-0

The language follows the statutory procedure
We do not need to include the actual charter language, do need to send to the voter before hand

Jim Dacey - I am 100% in favor of this
I hear the town should be run more like a business, appointing is the right way to go


2. Resolution 13-58: Intermunicipal Agreement For Regional Public Safety Communications and Dispatch Center
motion to approve, seconded, pass 9-0

Chief Gary McCarragher, I would urge you to approve this
it will allow us to do it better faster and cheaper

Rep Roy - I would urge support, I did use up some political capital to get this
the faciltiy will be state of the art, four communities can benefit from this
there are so many good things about this
I would urge the Council to support this

Nutting - I want to thank Rep Roy, we have been waiting for this
once he got elected, this got moving
the other three towns got this on their selectmens agenda in Sep/Oct

3. Resolution 13-59: Authorization to Sign Amended Regulatory Agreement
Kelly recused himself

motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0, 1 abstained
better to get folks into the building for less money rather than hold out for a higher price

Cornetta - ZBA did approve this in late July

4. Resolution 13-60: Acceptance of Gift – Town of Franklin
motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0

inlieu of putting a sidewalk in front of the gas station,
motion to amend sidewalks at West Central St, passed 9-0

5. Bylaw Amendment 13-718:Amendment to Chapter 185§7-Compliance Required – 2nd Reading
motion to conitnue to sep 4th


K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
FEMA has award of grant of $700+K to hire four firefighters with wages and benefits
it took awhile to get this but it is great news, looking to recruit ASAP

sold $50M worth of bonds, about 4% a little higher than thought but lower than the override specified
thanks to Jim Dacey for doing this good work
we have maintained our bond rating which is good news

L. OLD BUSINESS
none

M. NEW BUSINESS
Powderly - request to Citizens Committee, wish for Bennedetto, proposals all for sale of properties, would like to see other area public services, etc. would love to see applied to other areas of the town

Pfeffer - request a copy of last five years paid to ATC

Jones - Sep 4th meeting of EDC would like to listen to any ideas

Cornetta - as mentioned earlier BayState Dev is interested in Pond St property
some kind of general RFP, solicit ideas not just a specific proposal wold like to offer that idea to the Council

Vallee - we are looking for new ideas, we would like to see something specific

McDowell - we could pull something together for that by the 4th

Nutting- this is a public process and has legal complications, traffic, etc.

Mercer - I'd like to see them go to the EDC first and come to us later with a recommendation

Bissanti - this is a general argument about the general RFP

Nutting - an expression of interest is different from an RFP, it is a two step process. If you want to sell the land, you can do that but I think the town wants to control what goes in there. long legal process according to statue. The EDC needs to put its arms around what it wants.

Jones - there have been a few ideas around this property, it would be good to see some more specific ideas

Cornetta - from a developers perspective, they can come up with a proposal/concept, there is a competitive environment, they wouldn't want to come forward and have some one take their idea to run with it.

N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Mercer - Bldg committee 8/21 in council chambers on phase of the high school project
7:00 PM

Bldg Committee meeting on the 19th will be discussing the options for Davis Thayer
meeting at 6:30 in Training room upstairs

Kelly - Did see Bob Dean, recently, he was out and about

Powderly - thank you to the Chief, tonight was a big win-win

Pfeffer - Dean College put up a wrought iron fence, it looks very good
congrats to Rick's and Police Dept for fostering helmets with ice cream coupons
thanks to Rep Roy for getting his first legislation through for the regional dispatch

Jones -  the EDC is open and unbiased
I have posted what I hope to be an annual paint ball challenge, all proceed to go to the Franklin Food Pantry

Roy - Master Plan public hearing this Saturday, at the Library 10:00 AM
public comment period open until Aug 16th


O.EXECUTIVE SESSION
– Town Administrator’s Contract
motion to approve, passed 9-0 via roll call

Live reporting: DPW proposal on road repairs

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS 
- Department of Public Works

Kate Sjoberg, Mike Maglio, Robert (Brutus)Cantoreggi, and Laurie Ruszala



(document to be added)

http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_DPW/General_Pages/2013%20Roadway%20Presentation.pdf

roads rated 69 or less analyzed

quite a few roads rated 69 or less
if depending only upon Chap 90, the road repairs would decrease
proposal with a possible override shows getting to 70 or better within 5 years


focus had been on water/sewer repairs with road repairs
60% funding from water 40% from other sources

Chap 90 funding is variable (shown in chart)

Council appropriations also vary year to year (shown in chart)

initiative '14 plan
looking for a debt override of a $1M per year (how long not answered yet)

new water study being done in 2014

Nutting
200 miles of roads and each can have an individual issue
water can continue to supply funding for the foreseeable future

dedicated override can be kept to a fund for perpetuity
a million dollar override would cost about $18 per homeowner

Q - Kelly - would the plan be to get the roads accepted before we repaired
A - Yes, we would get them accepted before work is done

Q  - would be reducing the road size?
A - yes, 
discussion on size of the road in subdivisions, they cover that size of the road

reducing the size avoids the cost of repair and future maintenance

C - Powderly - thank you for this, easy to understand, folks can see where things fall out. The Town is reliant on a zero sum game. the only thing that will fix the roads will be a dedicated override

C - Roy - The legislature did authorize more money in Chap 90. The Governor is authorized to do so, he has not released the funds. he is getting pressure from legislators everyday. With the economy going, I am not sure if this is time to do an override. You'll have a new council in place in November and it would be better for their decision.

C - Bissanti - what happened in the 80's, the DPW were not doing the core and compression tests when they were being built, which is why we ended up with the roads we have now.

C - Nutting - you had residents come in a couple of months ago, more are likely, the only thing that will fix the roads is money. Utimately, the town is going to have to take more responsibility

Q - Dellorco - where are the road ratings?
A - The road ratings are on the town website (see link to be added). If I don't fix them, they are calling you. We are up against it. We have done a lot of work in town. full reconstruction is about $100 sq ft. I am not saying Brutus wants an override. If it is adjusted, we can live with it. The facts speak for themselves. The bubble of the last 80-90's is coming and needs to be addressed.

Live reporting: Town Council - Aug 7, 2013

Present: Mercer, Dellorco, Kelly, Powderly, Vallee, Pfeffer, Jones, Bissanti, Roy
Absent:  none


A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
– May 8, 2013, May 15, 16, 2013 Budget Hearings
motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0


B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
– This meeting is being recorded by Franklin TV and shown on Comcast channel 11 and Verizon channel 29. This meeting may be recorded by Franklin Matters.

motion to add to hearing
seconded, approved 9-0

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
none

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
Larry Bennedetto -
Town assuming ownership of train station, Stoughton doing this, want to talk with them first
acquiring 21 acres adjanct to the Recylcing center, Rep Jeff Roy will be working

Richard Cornetta introduced
Motion to allow non-residents to speak, seconded, passed 9-0

Roy McDowell, Todd McDowell
working Legacy Farms in Hopkinton
interest in Pond Street property
looking to work with whomever to do an RFP to sell the property
not a good idea yet but wanted to see interest from Town before pursuing
have looked atr previous plans and can work within those comments

can't be discussed under citizens comments but if they stick around, it can be discussed later

E. APPOINTMENTS
Conservation Commission: Paul Harrington
motion to approve appointment, seconded, passed 9-0

Cultural Council: Rev. Bob Johnnene
motion to approve appointment, seconded, passed 9-0

Election Workers: (see listing in agenda doc)
motion to approve appointment, seconded, passed 9-0
one name to remove Jorgenson(?) as they are no longer a resident

F. HEARINGS
- Violation of M.G.L. 138 §34: Sale, Delivery of Furnishing of an Alcoholic beverage to a person under the age of 21 – Postponed to September 4, 2013- 7:10 PM (Ichigo Ichie and Village Mall Liquors)

hearing added to be continued to Sep 4th

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
none

Master Plan: Zoning

The draft Master Plan 2013 for Franklin is chock full of great information. Zoning plans an important role in how Franklin operates and grows. Look around town, there are commercial zones and residential areas. These are all by design. The design can be changed via the zoning process and the overall guidelines to the design come from the Master Plan. The full plan document runs over 90 pages but should be required summer reading for each Franklin resident and voter.

You can participate in the Public Hearing on this draft on Saturday at the Library at 10:00 AM

The overview section on zoning is shared here:

Zoning

A municipality’s authority to create zoning laws comes from Chapter 40A of the Massachusetts General Laws and Article 89 of the Amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution. Zoning plays an important role in the character of the town and the spatial distribution of land uses. This distribution of land uses has social, environmental, and economic consequences on the Town. These consequences can have positive and negative impacts. For example, increased economic development can help support the Town’s tax base and provide local jobs, but it can also lead to increased traffic congestion. Also, the ways in which development occurs impacts how stormwater is managed, and therefore affects the quality and supply of the Town’s water. Since zoning regulations affect where specific types of development are allowed, it plays a crucial role in the livability of the Town.

In the past sixty years land use theory on zoning has changed considerably. During the mid-20th century single-use zoning became the norm. The developed areas of most communities increased substantially and spread out as residential, commercial, and industrial areas were built far apart from each other. Franklin experienced this pattern of development, commonly known as sprawl, to some extent in the mid twentieth century, but by the 1980s and 1990s residential sprawl had occurred throughout Town, substantial industrial development was occurring on industrially zoned lands west of I-495, and commercial development was
increasing along Route 140.

There are both benefits and advantages, and costs and disadvantages, to this type of development. Some of the benefits and advantages include: ease of permitting; segregated residential areas are thought of as safe; and homes segregated away from commercial and industrial uses often have higher values. Some of the disadvantages and negative consequences of sprawl include increased traffic congestion and time commuting, loss of open spaces, damaged natural resources and wildlife habitat, and loss of a rural New England character. Furthermore, low-density, sprawling development tends not to pay for itself due to the higher infrastructure costs. The Town has recognized the advantages and disadvantages of single-use development and has worked to minimize these issues by amending the Town’s Zoning Bylaws.

Description of Zones

Franklin’s zoning code is documented in Chapter 185 of the Town Code for the purpose of promoting the:

“health, safety, convenience, morals and welfare of the inhabitants of the Town of Franklin, to lessen the danger from fire and congestion, to encourage the most appropriate use of land and to improve the Town under the provisions of Chapter 40A of the General Laws, and of Article 89 of the Amendments to the Constitution. For this purpose, the use, construction, repair, alteration, height, area and the location of buildings and structures and the use of premises in the Town of Franklin are regulated as hereinafter provided.”

The zoning code is regularly modified to reflect the current needs of the Town. At present, the Town Code divides Franklin into 14 Zoning Districts. It should be noted however, that while Zoning Districts have been established within Chapter 185 Section 4 for Limited Industrial and Neighborhood Commercial, no parcels have formally been designated to those zoning districts, and thus are not shown on the Town’s Zoning Map (see Map LU-1: Zoning Map).


You can view the full document online on the Franklin webpage
http://www.franklinma.gov/planning-community-development/pages/master-plan

DelCarte Property: summer time!

I was overdue for a run out by the DelCarte Property and covered that with a visit on Sunday. A gorgeous weather day for running and a wonderful time to view the repaired dam.

shadowed approach to the dam

the reconstructed dam

A brief video with a panorama view




Going back to December 2012 for a comparison view
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/12/delcarte-property-video_20.html

In the News: General Cable accident, nomination papers available

Man injured in accident at General Cable in Franklin

An  employee of General Cable in Franklin suffered serious injuries after he was caught in a piece of machinery, said Deputy Fire Chief Paul J. Sharpe Jr.

Nomination papers available for Franklin elections

Nomination papers for the fall election - in which all seats on the Town Council and School Committee will be on the ballot - were made available this week.

Master Plan: Mission and Vision Statements

Leading up to the public hearing Saturday, Aug 10th on the Master Plan, I'll share sections of the draft document to help foster discussion. The hearing will take place at the Franklin Public Library, 118 Main St at 10:00 AM.

From the Master Plan draft document - 

The Master Plan Committee (MPC) developed the following Master Plan Mission Statement, which it used as a guide throughout the Plan development process:

“Franklin is a community committed to high quality education and the superb delivery of public services. We strive to attract and retain businesses, both profit and non-profit, that grow our economy, create jobs, and contribute to a vibrant downtown center. We are committed to cultivating accessible open space, a sense of neighborhood, and a desire to preserve the character of our New England town. We support the safe and efficient movement of people and goods within the Town of Franklin, and across the regional transportation network, by
providing a range of integrated transportation options. We are a community dedicated to effective planning, responsible land use, balanced growth, responsive government, racial, religious and economic diversity, and care and concern for its citizens and the environment. We value our arts, cultural and natural resources, heritage, and history, in order to foster a well-balanced community.”

The MPC also developed a vision statement for Franklin:

“To be a vibrant community that supports the arts, non-profit organizations, higher education and businesses in an atmosphere that allows growth and prosperity while at the same time conserving our heritage, natural resources, and history. We will build on and celebrate our uniqueness as a community and maintain the quality of life that is a strength and competitive advantage.”

You can find the whole master plan document here
http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/pages/FranklinMA_Planning/masterplandoc/doc


The presentation and notes from the Town Council meeting can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/07/the-master-plan-is-here-master-plan-is.html