Franklin Matters

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Franklin Matters: Year in Review - November 2013

Rapidly coming to the close of 2013 we don't have to go back too far in the archives to find November. Did you remember

The NY Times article mentioning the preservation of Franklin's gift from Ben
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/11/none-of-those-books-will-ever-be-read.html

Recent photos of the construction progress on the new high school
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/11/the-exterior-of-new-fhs-building-is.html

The DelCarte playground work is almost complete
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/11/delcarte-playground-construction.html

The Turkey Trot collected food good sand funds to benefit the Franklin Food Pantry

The new Town Council held a planning workshop to lay out the priority on topics to be addressed by the Council http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/11/live-reporting-town-council-workshop.html

"The bear' was installed at the Sculpture Park (video)
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/11/franklin-sculpture-park-bear-video.html

Construction downtown will create an opportunity for 2014
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/11/downtown-improvement-project.html

The Franklin election results were very disappointing as only 11.5% of the registered voters cast their ballot
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/11/precinct-totals-for-nov-5th-election.html

Franklin Art Center: Zentangle Classes

Franklin Art Center

All ages and abilities can learn Zentangle with The Traveling Tangler this winter. This easy-to-learn drawing method　with an emphasis on working one line at a time, enables participants to builds simple penstrokes into unique intricate designs.In January and February, opportunities to tangle will be offered at two local locations. Tangle Time classes will be held at Franklin Art Center (Sunday afternoons starting Jan. 12, 12:30-2 p.m., $15 per class or $90 for all seven classes).

Meeting notes archive for 2013

2013

Master Plan - Public Hearing

Planning Board - 06/03/2013 (anaerobic digestion)

School Building Committee (Davis Thayer renovation options)

School Committee - 07/16/13

(due to conflict with Franklin Food Pantry Board of Directors meetings also held on Tuesday, I did not get to many of them)

Town Council - 12/11/13
Town Council - 12/04/13
Town Council - 11/20/13 (2014 planning workshop)
Town Council - 11/13/13
Town Council - 10/16/13
Town Council - 10/02/13
Town Council - 09/25/13
Town Council - 09/11/13
Town Council - 08/07/13
Town Council - 07/31/13 (special workshop on zoning bylaws)
Town Council - 07/17/13
Town Council - 06/19/13
Town Council - 06/05/13
Town Council - 05/16/13 (budget hearing and vote)
Town Council - 05/15/13 (budget hearing)
Town Council - 05/01/13
Town Council - 04/24/13
Town Council - 04/03/13
Town Council - 03/06/13
Town Council - 02/06/13
Town Council - 01/23/13
Town Council - 01/09/13

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Monday, December 30, 2013

Dec 31: All lines (except the Fairmount Line) will run additional and delayed late-night service from North Station and South Station.

Dec 31: All lines (except the Fairmount Line) will run additional and delayed late-night service from North Station and South Station.

Start of day Tues 12/31/13 until 3:00 AM Wed 1/1/14

Last Updated: 12/30/2013 5:23:44 PM

Click here for more information: http://www.mbta.com/events/

Sent by the MBTA. Manage subscriptions Manage account Help (or write subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com)

Where in Franklin? - 2013 07

The Sunday photo was correctly identified by Jamie Barrett as the playground at Jefferson Elementary School.

Jefferson Elementary School

Here is today's challenge - Where in Franklin do you find this?

Where in Franklin? - 2013 07

Send an email, or leave a comment with your answer.
First correct answer is the winner.
Complete guidelines for "Where in Franklin?" can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/12/2013-where-in-franklin.html

Annual Report 2013: Charles River Pollution Control District (CRPCD)

Continuing the trip through the Franklin Annual Report for 2013, we come to the section on the Charles River Pollution Control District. If you ever wondered why Franklin doesn't have a waste water treatment plant within town like other communities do, this is the reason. Franklin sends its waste water to the plant location in Medway for treatment.

During Fiscal Year 2013, the Charles River Pollution Control District’s (District) regional advanced wastewater treatment facility received and treated approximately 1,600 million gallons (4.4 million gallons per day) of raw wastewater, including 6.5 million gallons of septage from the District’s member and customer towns before discharge to the Charles River. The volume of waste treated was lower than the previous year due to a decrease in precipitation.

The District is anticipating the renewal process to begin for its National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for discharge of its treated wastewater to the Charles River. Under the preliminary draft NPDES permit, the District and the Towns of Franklin, Medway, Millis, and Bellingham will have to maintain an ongoing preventive maintenance program to prevent overflows and bypasses caused by malfunctions or failures of the sewer system and an infiltration and inflow reduction program. In addition, the new limit for phosphorus is being reduced from 0.2 mg/L to 0.1 mg/L in the summer months and a winter limit of 1.0 mg/L is being added.

CDM Smith and staff from the District prepared a 20-year capital improvement plan (CIP) to improve the wastewater treatment facility to meet more stringent NPDES permitting requirements and provide a more reliable wastewater treatment facility at its current capacity.

In July 2010, the District was informed of its acceptance on the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP) Bureau of Resource Protection Calendar Year 2010 Intended Use List for State Revolving Funding (SRF). In order to expedite the designs and proceed with the project in a timely manner, the CIP was divided into three phases (A, B and C).

Phase A, which has reached substantial completion, includes the replacement of both primary clarifier mechanisms, addition of two screenings washer/compactors in the wet well, primary scum handling improvements, and plant lighting and security improvements.

Phase B, the capping of the on-site residuals landfill, is also substantially complete.

Phase C, focuses on reducing phosphorus, improving the disinfection system, and extending the life of the facility for an additional 20 years. This phase is currently being designed with bidding scheduled for this fall. Construction is expected to begin in early 2014. A District-wide Global Information System was developed as part of this phase to assist with infiltration and inflow reduction requirements.

The District funded Phases A and B with a 20-year State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan of approximately $3.5M for costs associated with bidding, construction, and resident engineering. Planning and design costs for these phases were paid from the District’s capital budget. Planning and design costs for Phase C, which are not eligible for SRF loans, will be funded by a General Obligation Bond of approximately $1.95M. The total project cost is still under review and will become more detailed as design progresses.

The District is one of seven municipal wastewater treatment plants selected by the Mass DEP to participate in a pilot program that involves energy auditing, assessments for renewable and clean energy possibilities, and support of implementation for energy related projects. The purpose of this pilot program is to reduce the amount of energy used at municipal wastewater treatment plants by 20%, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving municipalities money. The District was granted $847,583 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to install a 20 kW solar voltaic array and two turbo style blowers. The solar panels will produce energy onsite whereas the turbo blowers will provide oxygen to the secondary treatment system using approximately 30% less power than the existing blowers. The District is anticipating a 20% reduction in energy costs from these energy improvements. At this time, the solar voltaic array is producing energy which is used at the treatment plant and the turbo blowers provide oxygen to the activated sludge process.

The District’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget is 8.3% lower than the previous years’ budget. The District’s FY 2014 budget for operations and maintenance is $3,033,690, while the capital projects budget is $643,150. Franklin’s share of the operation and maintenance and capital projects budgets are estimated to be $1,771,040 and $386,000, respectively.

Respectively submitted

Douglas M. Downing, Chairman (Medway)
William J. Goode, Jr., Vice-Chairman (Franklin)
Alfred H. Wahlers, Clerk, (Franklin)
Paul J. DeSimone (Medway)
Gene Guidi, (Franklin)

CRPCD Officers:
Cheri R. Cousens, P.E., Executive Director
Emma J. Catalano, Treasurer
Barbara Maffeo, Executive Secretary
Cornetta, Ficco, Simmler, and Vallee, Legal Counsel

Franklin Municipal Building

The full annual report can be obtained from the Town Clerk's office (hard copy) or viewed and/or downloaded from the Franklin website here
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/2013report.pdf

Annual reports of prior years can also be found online at
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/

Franklin Matters: Year in Review - October 2013

not too long ago, the archives contained some good stuff from October:

The candidates in contested elections got together for a forum to share their views
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/10/candidates-forum-oct-23-2013.html

The foundation for the playground at DelCarte Open Space was laid down. It was a gorgeous fall day for photos http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/10/delcarte-open-space-photo-essay.html

The Town Council resolved the license suspension appeal from Ichigo Ichies as well as gave the final approval for the Cook's Farm approval
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/10/ichigo-ichie-cooks-farm-and-bunch-of.html

The Fire Dept held its annual Open House at the #2 Fire Station on King St
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/10/fire-dept-open-house-photo-essay.html

Find a pothole or street light out? Use the new smart phone app to report this!
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/10/yes-franklin-has-app-for-that.html

Franklin Matters: Year in Review - September 2013

The year in review continues to dig into the archives and now we find ourselves in September...

The Library Book Sale put on by the Friends of the Library was canceled by the Library Board of Directors
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/09/denied-request-without-further.html

The Cook's Farm proposal moved to a second reading after a divided council voted
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/09/divided-council-moves-zoning-bylaw.html

wrought iron fencing was added to Dean College

The lineup of candidates for the November Franklin election had few races
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/09/franklins-election-lineup-set.html

After much good work by the Master Plan Committee, the 'Master Plan' was updated and brought to the Town Council http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/09/live-reporting-master-plan.html

“It’s easy for people to find a reason to oppose casinos”

Major funding sources in the state’s budget for the coming year and years to come may be eliminated if two ballot initiatives to be considered in the November 2014 election are successful next year.

Seven ballot initiatives have already received enough signatures - 68,911 - to be placed on the ballot next year. Among them are calls to repeal the casino legislation and the automatic gas tax increase, both of which are tied to sources of revenue for the coming fiscal or future fiscal years.

However, the leaders of the initiatives say their cause outweighs these budget concerns.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Where in Franklin? - 2013 06

The answer to Saturday's "Where In Franklin?" photo was initially correctly identified by Maura O'Brien via email. She subscribes to receive the daily email with what has been posted for that day. If you don't already subscribe via email, you can sign up here. (Note: it is a two step process. You add you email and then need to confirm it before you receive the next day's email.)

Where in Franklin? 2013 05 - near the Ben Franklin statue at the Library

The granite bench is one of a series that you can find around the brick plaza outside the Library where the Ben Franklin status is.

The tip of the bench is seen in the left corner of this photo

And for today's photo, where in Franklin would you be playing?

Where in Franklin? - 2013 06

Annual Report 2013: Town Attorney

Continuing our journey through the Franklin, MA Annual Report for 2013 we find the section on the Town Attorney

The Town has an in-house attorney, Mark G. Cerel. Attorney Cerel has an office in the Town Administration offices and works three days a week. In addition, he attends regular Council sessions and meetings of town boards and commissions on an as needed basis. His responsibilities include providing legal advice to the Town Administrator and other town officials, review and drafting of legal documents, and representation of the town in negotiations and litigation other than labor-related matters. Having an in-house attorney has enabled town officials to obtain prompt legal review and advice; it has also expedited various town projects which require legal input.

During the past year, Attorney Cerel has continued to be successful not only in resolving actual litigation but also in resolving disputes prior to litigation on terms favorable to the Town; he has also continued to draft proposed legislation and to be involved in contract and real estate negotiations. In addition, he has continued to work with the staff to review and update the Town's zoning and general bylaws.

An in-house attorney plays an essential role in limiting the town’s legal exposure. He assists in resolving matters before they result in legal action and he provides the town with a strong legal presence that discourages people from filing frivolous lawsuits. The Town Attorney represents the town and is only available to consult with individual residents if the Town Administrator’s prior approval is obtained.

Respectfully submitted,

Mark Cerel
Town Attorney

Franklin Municipal Building

Franklin Matters: Year in Review - August 2013

The end of summer came in August with the start of school before Labor Day and a flurry of news items

The allegation and suspension of a Franklin High School teacher
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/lets-note-that-this-is-all-about.html

A new drop off pattern for parents at the high school
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/high-school-traffic-pattern.html

New traffic speed signs were added to King St at the crossing to the Parmenter School
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/getting-ready-to-slow-down-on-king-st.html

The School Building Committee heard an update on the High School and the options proposed for Davis Thayer http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/school-committee-has-work-to-do.html

Warrant Officer David Bullukian, Jr.

A series of posts to share Franklin's Fallen Heroes from World War II
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/08/franklin-fallen-heroes-series.html

Franklin Matters: Year in Review - July 2013

Half way through the archives for 2013, we find ourselves in July

The Town Council, Planning Board and others held a special meeting to talk through the zoning issues for the proposed high density development at Cook's Farm
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/07/live-reporting-town-council-special.html

The Community Garden was in full bloom
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/07/community-gardens-photo-essay.html

Growing in the Franklin Community Garden

The timeline for the local election to be held November 5th was announced
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/07/franklins-local-election-timeline.html

The school district conducted a survey on the school calendar and published the results
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/07/school-calendar-survey-results.html

With the school construction underway, there were no fireworks for the 4th of July. Whether there will be for 2014 or not remains to be seen. We did share a video of the 2012 fireworks.
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/07/franklins-fireworks-2012-edition.html

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Where in Franklin? - 2013 05

The answer to yesterday's "Where in Franklin?" photo was correctly identified by Candi Lawrence Leeseberg on Facebook as Panther Way. Franklin signed an easement with Vendetti Motors earlier this year. The sidewalk is planned to be completed as part of the new high school project.

Panther Way - to get a new sidewalk as part of the high school project

For today's photo - "Where in Franklin" would you be?

Where in Franklin? - 2013 05

Annual Report 2013: Franklin TV

Continuing our series of sharing sections of the 2013 Annual Report of Franklin, MA we have Franklin TV

In November 2011 the town of Franklin incorporated Franklin Community Cable Access, Inc. (FCCA) d/b/a Franklin TV as an educational, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization to run the community’s three local cable channels. In taking up the charter of the cable committee, we are submitting this report as a nongovernmental body that maintains a close working relationship with municipal agencies, other nonprofit organizations and civic groups.

In February 2012 a seven member board of directors was elected to run the corporation. In March, 2012 the town funded FCCA through the licensing fees collected from Comcast and Verizon. No taxpayer dollars are used to maintain and operate the community cable access studios.

In April 2012 the board hired Peter Fasciano as its executive director to run the day to day operations. The first order of business was to stabilize our technical operation and brand our three channels.

Our channels are:
Franklin All Access TV,
Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 26),
Franklin Pride,
Our Educational Channel (Comcast 96, Verizon 28),
Franklin Town Hall TV,
Our Government Channel, (Comcast 11, Verizon 29).

Throughout the past 16 months, Franklin TV has upgraded its equipment and broadcast signal. We continue to work with Comcast to have them carry our channels in a digital format. Our cameras are now recording programs in HD, waiting for Comcast and Verizon will provide HD channel support.

Franklin.TV is our web site. Our weekly programming schedule is posted along with information about the station and contact information for posting messages to our Community Bulletin Board (CBB).

In February 2013 we purchased the market building at 23 Hutchinson St to serve as our new home and broadcast studios. Construction will soon be underway to renovate the building and add a 1200 Sq Ft studio in the rear. The site will provide Franklin and its residents with a free, open access, state of the art Media and Arts Center.

The Corporation is fully committed to serving the community. In April 2013 we entered into a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement with the town, becoming the first nonprofit organization to do so. We have also installed three small live TV facilities (video control systems and audio mixers with three cameras at each location) at two middle schools and at the high school. In June we awarded our $1,000 scholarship to Andrew Cyr, a deserving Franklin senior studying Communications. We are active members of the Downtown Partnership and Greater Attleboro Chamber of Commerce. We are working closely with other nonprofit and benevolent groups in Franklin to promote their mission goals and good works.

We are very thankful to the cable committee and local officials for their prudent planning and foresight in managing the access studios in the years prior to our formation, thus insuring a bright future for both Franklin TV and the Franklin Community.

Respectfully submitted,

Ken Norman,
President, FCCA, Inc.

one of the three channels, Franklin Town Hall TV

http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Clerk/annual/

Franklin Matters

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Franklin Matters: Year in Review - November 2013

Franklin Art Center: Zentangle Classes

Meeting notes archive for 2013

Monday, December 30, 2013

Dec 31: All lines (except the Fairmount Line) will run additional and delayed late-night service from North Station and South Station.

Where in Franklin? - 2013 07

Annual Report 2013: Charles River Pollution Control District (CRPCD)

Franklin Matters: Year in Review - October 2013

Franklin Matters: Year in Review - September 2013

“It’s easy for people to find a reason to oppose casinos”

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Where in Franklin? - 2013 06

Annual Report 2013: Town Attorney

Franklin Matters: Year in Review - August 2013

Franklin Matters: Year in Review - July 2013

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Where in Franklin? - 2013 05

Annual Report 2013: Franklin TV

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