Franklin Matters

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Live reporting: DPW update - Initiative 2014

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Brutus Cantoreggi, DPW Director – Presentation: Roads, Water, Trash, & Lincoln Street

Robert Cantoreggi, Director
Deacon Perrotta, Deputy Director
Mike Maglio, Town Engineer
Laurie Ruszula, Water and Sewer Superintendent

overall road rating is 76, was 77 when the first analysis was completed last year

lack funding for pavement presentation

Chap 90 funding varies from year to year

Council appropriations vary depending upon 'free cash' and other priorities

looking for $1.5 million for road improvements, pavement preservation

the total backlog is $42M for all the roads

Would like to add sidewalks where they don't exist

Q - Regent Circle?
A - this would be subject to the $7.5 M bond for the water bond
We don't have a consistent source of funding for the roads. We need to decide to do an dedicated override of something to obtain funding

Q - triage for the roads?
A - there are two programs, one is the water line replacement program and one is the maintenance. Some of the 'triage' would be crack seal, chip seal, overlay extends the life of the road. Ultimately we would need to replace the road.

Q - so the people in town understand what we are doing, short of replacement what are we doing?
A - chip seal on Chestnut will last but not as long as Longabardi which takes less traffic

Q - if we don't do the override, what do we do?
A - we present to the Council the best five year plan. The roads are just going to get worse. Think of Franklin like a wagon wheel, a hub with lots of spokes. We have done the main ones, but the lesser roads all the subdivisions are coming due at once.
A $1.5M would go a long way to handling the road problems. The price of asphalt affects things, this is a strong plan.

Q - if we were to do an override, we could have to do it every year?
A - no, if it is dedicated, it stays for the purpose unless the vote is changed.

$130 for the average taxpayer per year = the $1.5M

Q - if the $1.5M get us there, other wise the $42M... so Brutus floats out of here and doesn't need to come back
A - assuming the State doesn't change their funds

Q - we have an app that we have been using, can you tell us how it has been going?
A - rough figures, we have received 103 about potholes, 45 about street lights
10-15% come from the phone, the rest from the computer systems

Q - what is the policy for mailboxes?
A - the current policy if for reimbursement up to $40

Update on the holidays for trash collection
trash delayed one day for the major holidays, not the current 10
with one day, you can fall back on Saturday, if there are two delays, you are into the next week
it would help to reduce by eliminating the lesser holidays, would not be effective until next fiscal year (after July 2014)

We are building cool parks how many other communities are doing that?

We will be doing High St when we do the Main St work

The presentation doc can also be found here
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczMm9OLXRhTHBuUFk/edit

Live reporting: DPW update - road projects

Live Reporting: Town Council - Mar 19, 2014

Present: Feldman, Padula, Mercer, Kelly, Vallee, Pfeffer, Jones, Bissanti, Williams
Absent: None

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

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.

C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
– Hillside Nurseries

D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
none

E. APPOINTMENTS
»Historical Commission - Caitlin Coyne
motion to approve, passed 9-0

»Municipal Affordable Housing Trust - Eric Buliung
motion to approve, passed 9-0

F. HEARINGS
none

G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
none

Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - Budget Hearing #3

The Finance Committee has their next in the series of budget hearings scheduled for Thursday, Mar 20 at 7:00 PM.

The agenda is scheduled to review the budget for the Senior Center, the Library, the Police and Fire Dept as well as the regional dispatch function.

The agenda document can be viewed here

Franklin Municipal Building

Additional information on the Finance Committee can be found on their webpage
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Finance/index

The notes from the prior budget hearings can be found here

#1
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/live-reporting-finance-committee-budget.html

#2
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/03/live-reporting-finance-committee-budget_13.html

Senior Center - Open House - March 31

The Franklin Senior Center will hold an open house on Monday, March 31.

Franklin Senior Center - Open House - March 31, 2014

Call to sign up -> Phone: 508 520-4945

Additional details can be found in this flyer (see below) or on the Franklin Senior Center webpage
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_Senior/openhouse14.pdf