Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Franklin, MA: School Committee - Agenda - Mar 11, 2014

Vision Statement
The Franklin Public Schools will foster within its students the knowledge and skills to find and achieve satisfaction in life as productive global citizens.

AGENDA
"The listing of matters are those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law."


1. Routine Business
Citizen’s Comments
Review of Agenda
Minutes: I recommend approval of the minutes from the February 25, 2014 School Committee Meeting.
Payment of Bills – (from 2/11/14 Meeting) Mr. Clement
Payroll Mrs. Douglas
FHS Student Representatives
Correspondence: Budget to Actual

2. Guests/Presentations
a. Parmenter Update
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/parmenter-music-program-pdf.html

b. FY15 Budget Hearing

3. Action Items
a. Pre-Approved via email: I recommend approval of the request for the FHS Jazz Band’s trip to the UNH Jazz Band Festival on March 8, 2014.
b. I recommend approval of the budget transfers as detailed.
c. I recommend acceptance of a check for $500.00 from Parmenter PCC for field trips.
d. I recommend acceptance of a check for $282.66 from Wells Fargo Community Support Program for FHS.
e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $242.28 from Wells Fargo Community Support Program for FHS.
f. I recommend acceptance of a check for $242.28 from Wells Fargo Community Support Program for FHS.
g. I recommend approval of the request of Anthony Joseph to take the Keller 5th Grade on a field trip to Roger Williams Zoo on April 29, 2014.
h. I recommend approval of the request of Peter Light for a field trip to the All State Music Festival, in Boston, MA - March 20-22, 2014 as detailed
i. I recommend acceptance of the award of $1,200.00 of furniture from Jordan’s Furniture and $100.00 IMAX tickets for Davis Thayer students for winning the “Coats for Kids Program” as detailed.
j. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,000.00 from the Friends of the Franklin Library for a FHS scholarship.
k. I recommend acceptance of two checks ($1,000.00 & $1,500.00) from Mr. & Mrs. Sabolinski and the Estate of Donald Sabolinski for a FHS Scholarship.
l. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,500.00 from the FHS Class of 1972 & 1973 for the Janet McHale Memorial Scholarship at FHS.
m. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,500.00 from the FHS Class of 1972 & 1973 for a scholarship in memory of Lexi and Sean Munroe.
n. I recommend acceptance of a check for $134.81 from PBC for FHS Athletics.
o. I recommend acceptance of a check for $240.00 from the Franklin Music Boosters for extra-curricular music.
p. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,800.00 from the Music Boosters for in-house enrichment at FHS.
q. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,000.00 from the Davis Thayer PCC for Library Books.
r. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,217.00 from Keller PCC for a Kindergarten field trip.
s. I recommend acceptance of a check for $1,506.00 from the Parmenter PCC for grade 5 field trip.
t. I recommend acceptance of a check for $700.00 from the Parmenter PCC for buses for field trips.
u. I recommend approval of the request of Mr. Light/Ms. Gilbert for the Transition class to visit Lincoln Technical Institute in East Windsor, CT on April 16, 2014 as detailed.
v. I recommend acceptance of the donation of 30 tickets to the advanced screening of Divergent for Horace Mann students on March 18 at the AMC Theater in Boston from Summit Entertainment.

4. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
School Committee Sub-Committee Reports
School Committee Liaison Reports

5. New Business
To discuss future business that may be brought before the School Committee.

6. Executive Session
Contractual Negotiations

7. Adjourn


Franklin Municipal Building
Franklin Municipal Building

Emmons St building discussion documents

The handouts from the meeting last week are available for reading and download.

Emmon St building seen from West Central St
Emmon St building seen from West Central St


From the American Planning Association "How cities use parks for ... Economic Development" (4 pages)




The Franklin Downtown Partnership input (2 pages)




The letter sent for the February meeting from Representative Jeff Roy (1 page)




Helen Chalk's suggestion sent to the Planning Dept via email (1 page)




Sue Sheridan's letter with the recommendation of a multipurpose cultural space (1 page)




The notes from the meeting last week on the future of the Emmons St building can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/live-reporting-emmons-st-public-meeting.html


Parmenter Music Program (PDF)

The Parmenter Music Program presentation document as scheduled for discussion at the School Committee meeting, Tuesday, March 11





The full School Committee agenda can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/franklin-ma-school-committee-agenda-mar.html

Senator Spilka: Updates from the State House


MARCH 2014
SAVE THE DATE

My annual Senior Health & Wellness Fair will be held at Keefe Technical School in Framingham on Saturday, October 18th, 2014.
EVENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT

Ashland High School
Saturday, March 22nd
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.


Exploring options and opportunities for after high school? The Ashland Education Foundation and the Ashland Parent Teacher Organization are sponsoring a terrific event for students and families to learn about colleges and career paths. For more information, click here.

Sheraton Framingham
Tuesday, March 25th
5 p.m. - 8 p.m.



The MetroWest Chamber of Commerce and the MetroWest Tourism and Visitors Bureau present Taste of MetroWest, an annual event showcasing our area's best restaurants, caterers, gourmet and ethnic markets, wineries and brewhouses. For more information about this fun, inexpensive evening out in MetroWest, click here.


Framingham Centre Common
Saturday, April 26th


Learn about ways to conserve energy, make sustainable choices, support local businesses, preserve natural habitats, and reduce, reuse and recycle. The event includes live music, kids activities, local food, and educational workshops. More details here.


INTERN IN MY STATE HOUSE OFFICE

We are always looking for motivated individuals to work as interns in my office. This is a great opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of Beacon Hill and the legislative process. For more information, visit my website. To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume and short writing sample to Puja Mehta at Puja.Mehta@masenate.gov.

CONTACT ME

Office of State Senator Karen E. Spilka
Room 320, State House
Boston, MA 02133





Dear Steve,

With Spring hopefully just around the corner, I'm pleased to share news about recent progress in the Senate on my legislative priorities and highlights of the many exciting community events happening across MetroWest. These upcoming events are a great opportunity to spend quality time with friends, neighbors and family and explore the activities and attractions our region has to offer. For more updates, visit my website, follow me on Twitter and "like" my Facebook page.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions or need my assistance at (617) 722-1640, or email me at Karen.Spilka@masenate.gov.

See you around MetroWest!


Senator Karen E. Spilka
2nd Middlesex and Norfolk
http://www.karenspilka.com

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Anti-Shackling and Safe Pregnancies

Last month, the Joint Committee on Public Safety reported favorably on my bill to prevent shackling and promote safe pregnancies for female inmates (S.2012). Shackling of women in labor is unnecessary and inhumane, and it can be detrimental to the health of the woman and baby. Read recent press coverage of this issue here:

Tax Fairness Commission

As part of last year's Transportation Finance Reform bill, I advocated for the creation of a Tax Fairness Commission to evaluate our state's system of taxation and find ways to ensure that the system is equitable and fair for all. The Commission issued its final report last week, making 5 recommendations for a more progressive tax structure. Read more here.


Electronic Privacy

Last month, the MA Supreme Judicial Court ruled that police need warrants in order to search cell phone records. The issue of the privacy of our electronic information is becoming increasingly critical, and now is the time to pass my Electronic Privacy Act. Read more about the SJC's ruling and the larger issue of data privacy here.

DISTRICT UPDATES

MetroWest Shop and Explore

I had a great time exploring Natick Center last week as part of the MetroWest Tourism & Visitors Bureau's 2nd annual Shop and Explore effort. I visited four terrific local businesses: Full Circle Arts, Renew Arts & Industry, COLORES KIDS and Five Crows Gallery and Handcrafted Gifts, and it was great to see so many examples of MetroWest creativity and talent in our community.



All of the beautiful art, accessories and crafts at Full Circle Arts (pictured above) are hand-made by adults with disabilities, as part of Justice Resource Institute's employment training program.

Click here to see more pictures from my Shop and Explore tour.

Share Your MetroWest Transportation Nightmares


Ten years ago, the 495/MetroWest Partnership and the MetroWest Daily News joined forces to report on the region's Top 10 Transportation Nightmares. A decade later, some issues have improved, but other problems still need attention:
As a follow-up to the 2004 survey and report, they are soliciting nominations for today's top "transportation nightmares." Knowing where the trouble spots are helps us all work to fix them. Reliable, well-maintained transportation infrastructure is key for quality of life and economic development in our community. This project is a terrific way to identify our region's top needs.

Make your voice heard: submit your nightmares by filling out this nomination form.




 


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In the News: testing equipment, Sunday sales, FHS performance


ProVerde has purchased most of its testing equipment from Waters. The Franklin location, while not ideal, has given DesLauriers and Hudalla a place to refine the many procedures, from testing for heavy metals to creating profiles for different strains. 
The marijuana they have used as samples came from licensed caregivers or people with permission from their doctor to use it, such as DesLauriers, because their staff cannot legally handle the drug. The state Department of Health has not released guidelines yet for the laboratories.
Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140311/NEWS/140319564/1994/NEWS


On voice vote and without debate, the House last Wednesday approved a bill (H 228) that would legalize Sunday morning alcohol sales starting at 10 a.m. - two hours earlier than allowed under current law.
...
The bill, also sponsored by Rep. Kevin Kuros (R-Uxbridge) and Rep. Steven Howitt (R-Seekonk), is now before the Senate Committee on Ethics and Rules, chaired by Sen. Stanley Rosenberg of Amherst.

Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140310/NEWS/140319683/1994/NEWS



Franklin High School students will perform "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" on March 14 and 15 at 7 p.m. at the Horace Mann auditorium, Oak Street. 
Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.

Read the full article here
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20140311/NEWS/140319568/1994/NEWS

Monday, March 10, 2014

Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - first Budget Hearing - Agenda

Franklin gets the budget hearing season underway Tuesday evening with the Finance Committee meeting at 7:00 PM in the 3rd Fl Training Room.

The listing of the mostly small and central administration budgets to be reviewed on Tuesday can be found here. The actual budget document has not yet been posted to the Franklin webpage. Once it is available, I will share it.

What is the budget process?
Jeff Nutting, Town Administrator (TA) and Susan Gagner, Town Comptroller, gather all the requirements from each of the departments and make a recommendation. The working budget document usually displays the last several years of budget for each department, this years request, and then the TA recommendation.

The Finance Committee does its review of the budget meeting with each of the department managers to get into a detail discussion of their operation as it relates to the budget. What is driving the increase (if any)?

After the Finance Committee hears all the budget details, it makes its recommendation to the Town Council. The Town Council used to go through a similar process of meeting with the department heads but the last couple of years has gotten away from that. They simply read the budget line items, a member has an opportunity to put a 'hold' on any item which they then come back to for a discussion.

So if you do want to find out what is really in the budget, you need to follow the Finance Committee meetings. This is where the details are revealed.

Franklin Municipal Building
Franklin Municipal Building


Dept - Budget - Page

Employee Benefits 910 G-10

Human Resources 152 A-21

Town Council 111 A-1

Town Administrator 123 A-2

Finance Committee 131 A-4

Comptroller 135 A-5

Assessors 141 A-10

Treasurer/Collector 147 A-14

Legal 151 A-19

Appeals Board 176 A-37

Central Services 196 A-50

Animal Control 292 B-56

Parking Meter 293 B-58

Memorial Day 692 F-12

Cultural Council 695 F-13

Debt 710/750 G-1

General Insurance 945 G-22



Franklin Newcomers Club: Jeffrey Roy to speak

From the Franklin Newcomers Club:
Franklin Newcomers Club
Our March speaker is our own State Representative, Jeffrey Roy. In addition, he is Chairman of the Master Plan Committee for an updated vision of Franklin. He will join us to speak about the vision for Franklin and to take any questions about what's new and exciting in our town. If there are any specific items that you would like him to address (i.e., any bills of interest at the State House), send him an email prior to our meeting at Jeffrey.Roy@MAHouse.gov and he will be sure to address it that night.

When and where does the Newcomers Club meet?

The meeting will be in the upstairs function room at '3' Restaurant Wednesday, Mar 12 at 7:30 PM. Light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages will be available as will a cash bar.

'3' Restaurant
461 West Central Street, Franklin