K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
water conservation still in place
Lincoln and Daniels have a base coat
additional contract signed for Summer St
and other streets where water mains were repaired last year
L. OLD BUSINESS
Union Cemetery
Facility maintenance plan still needed
M. NEW BUSINESS
train whistles, this comes up every several years
Nutting - strict Federal regulations
engineering study required, we have four intersections
couple hundred thousands of dollars
long complicated and expensive process
Cerel - to reinforce what the administrator mentioned
the Town was dragged into the litigation when the constructor got stuck on the tracks
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Feldman - Franklin Solar Challenge underway
SolarFlare starting to meet with those interested
volunteers looked for to help spread the word
Mercer - FHS dedication Sunday at 1:00
tours from 1:30 to 3:00
technology will be working as the students conduct the tours
a good opportunity to see what the tax dollars have brought
Saturday - tours from 10:00 to 2:00
Pfeffer - Housing Trust has a second house for lottery which should be held soon
P. ADJOURN
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Live Reporting: Presentations
H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
some have been used so far, more to be used where possible
meeting and presentation scheduled to outline the proposal and scope of work to assess interest
will need to be competitive
at the same time we have a business and not every task/or trade will be available
how do you get the word out to do this?
I am here tonight
I don't know if the Milford paper is here tonight or if the Franklin paper is
H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
109 restaurants, 30 retail establishments, inspected 2x a year
regular inspection schedule doesn't include complaint inspections or re-inspections as requried
an education for new proprietors coming to town to operate
summer food events (4th of July, St Rocco's, Farmers Market)
all require inspections
perc testing for septic systems
may take time to witness the perc test, in some cases 80-90 mins per inch
do have some of the best turn around for approved plans
MA DEP relinquished some of the responsibilities but it does require additional time for us to accomplish this
Franklin has quite a few apartments, the local Health Dept is required to enforce housing codes
very time consuming, not infrequent that it ends up in court
some can be resolved with a quick order letter, some take many months
we get hording calls, these are difficult to resolve
they are successful if the individual has a support system, otherwise they are difficult to resolve
we get complaints about 'public nuisance'
if involving grass clippings, it is really a private issue
if it is a unkept pool breeding insects, that is a public nuisance
inspect swimming pools and spa, not personal ones but those in health clubs and hotels
summer months bring a lot of activity, kids camps operate here
camp needs to follow state code, CORI checks, etc.
inspections for personal services (manicure, pedicure, tanning salons, etc.)
also issue beaver permits; trap bans issued several years ago
the DPW is one of the biggest applicants, can damage the water supply
the number is increasing each year
all inspections require infield component and paperwork to complete the inspection
lots of foot traffic at the office, designated office hours during the day to meet, answer questions and register complaints
been here 10 years, lots of challenges but lots of success as well
H1N1 virus response was one of the most successful flu clinics in the state
good collaboration on something not done before
none smoking area established 30 feet from an entrance to a public facility
there is a learning curve with this but we have had good compliance
staffing is one of the most challenging issues we have faced
recently hired a part-time inspector and now feel we are adequately equipped to support the requirements
may come for secretarial coverage for full time
when we are not in the office, the window needs to be closed
that is not a good service
Kelly - thanks for all your hard work
the process in other towns is not as easy
Bissanti - I don;t think I have heard anything derogatory about your dept
would the Blackstone situation have been covered by the Dept of Health
McKearney - yes, we would be covering
we need authority to enter the house
the police and fire can go in due to the medical incident
but if the responsible party is taken away, we can't get permission to go in
Feldman - are we going to do anything about Ebola?
McKearney - we have the health infrastructure in place to prevent the spreading here
if a case did occur, it would be taken care of rapidly
the new respiratory virus occurring in the Midwest, they expect it to reach MA and to spread through the schools; not much different from a normal virus
Ron Roux – Design Build, LLCregarding work being done at Cook's Farm to use Franklin resources
some have been used so far, more to be used where possible
meeting and presentation scheduled to outline the proposal and scope of work to assess interest
will need to be competitive
at the same time we have a business and not every task/or trade will be available
how do you get the word out to do this?
I am here tonight
I don't know if the Milford paper is here tonight or if the Franklin paper is
H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
David McKearney, Board of HealthAn overview of the Health Dept.
109 restaurants, 30 retail establishments, inspected 2x a year
regular inspection schedule doesn't include complaint inspections or re-inspections as requried
an education for new proprietors coming to town to operate
summer food events (4th of July, St Rocco's, Farmers Market)
all require inspections
perc testing for septic systems
may take time to witness the perc test, in some cases 80-90 mins per inch
do have some of the best turn around for approved plans
MA DEP relinquished some of the responsibilities but it does require additional time for us to accomplish this
Franklin has quite a few apartments, the local Health Dept is required to enforce housing codes
very time consuming, not infrequent that it ends up in court
some can be resolved with a quick order letter, some take many months
we get hording calls, these are difficult to resolve
they are successful if the individual has a support system, otherwise they are difficult to resolve
we get complaints about 'public nuisance'
if involving grass clippings, it is really a private issue
if it is a unkept pool breeding insects, that is a public nuisance
inspect swimming pools and spa, not personal ones but those in health clubs and hotels
summer months bring a lot of activity, kids camps operate here
camp needs to follow state code, CORI checks, etc.
inspections for personal services (manicure, pedicure, tanning salons, etc.)
also issue beaver permits; trap bans issued several years ago
the DPW is one of the biggest applicants, can damage the water supply
the number is increasing each year
all inspections require infield component and paperwork to complete the inspection
lots of foot traffic at the office, designated office hours during the day to meet, answer questions and register complaints
been here 10 years, lots of challenges but lots of success as well
H1N1 virus response was one of the most successful flu clinics in the state
good collaboration on something not done before
none smoking area established 30 feet from an entrance to a public facility
there is a learning curve with this but we have had good compliance
staffing is one of the most challenging issues we have faced
recently hired a part-time inspector and now feel we are adequately equipped to support the requirements
may come for secretarial coverage for full time
when we are not in the office, the window needs to be closed
that is not a good service
Kelly - thanks for all your hard work
the process in other towns is not as easy
Bissanti - I don;t think I have heard anything derogatory about your dept
would the Blackstone situation have been covered by the Dept of Health
McKearney - yes, we would be covering
we need authority to enter the house
the police and fire can go in due to the medical incident
but if the responsible party is taken away, we can't get permission to go in
Feldman - are we going to do anything about Ebola?
McKearney - we have the health infrastructure in place to prevent the spreading here
if a case did occur, it would be taken care of rapidly
the new respiratory virus occurring in the Midwest, they expect it to reach MA and to spread through the schools; not much different from a normal virus
Live reporting: Town Council - Sep 17, 2014
Present: Mercer, Kelly, Vallee, Pfeffer, Jones, Bissanti, Williams
Absent: Feldman, Padula
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.
Harvest Festival - downtown Franklin, Oct 5th
Lisa Piana, Executive Director of Downtown Partnership
touting the new brochure for Franklin
they are available at the Municipal Building, Downtown Partnership and many business
they will also be available at the Harvest Festival
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
new citizen addressing the train whistle problem
reference the quiet period per bylaws
newer technology available to minimize the noise
he is meeting with Norfolk to see how they
motion to go to the legislature items before getting to the appointments
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0
much talked about proposal to put out and solicit proposals for the purchase of the property
reserving green space
60 days from time of advertisement to reply
responses reviewed by Economic Development and brought to the Council for decision
not a binding proposal, could re-issue if necessary with no legitimate responses
Jones - Economic Development committee approved
maintaining an easement and green space
request the Council to move on this
2 questions would like to still address
1 - concerned with traffic backup if there would be a drive through
why not a clause to that effect
2 - question on the easement vs. town ownership
as to whether this would effect any grant funding for the statue
did speak with Rep Roy, should have an answer in a couple of days
Pfeffer - agrees with the EDC
with the easement and green space there are enough restrictions as to whether there would even be a response from a developer
Bissanti - EDC was left in the request proposal, hesitant about food but not against it overall
that is the meeting that I heard, there is also a committee formed to raise the funds for the statue
Nutting - at the end of the day, a P&S agreement could be worked out if the town needed to retain ownership
Mercer - I will support the measure tonight while sharing concerns about the drive through, we will have opportunity to address down the road
E. APPOINTMENTS
Franklin Advisory Committee
F. HEARINGS
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
Absent: Feldman, Padula
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.
Harvest Festival - downtown Franklin, Oct 5th
Lisa Piana, Executive Director of Downtown Partnership
touting the new brochure for Franklin
they are available at the Municipal Building, Downtown Partnership and many business
they will also be available at the Harvest Festival
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS
new citizen addressing the train whistle problem
reference the quiet period per bylaws
newer technology available to minimize the noise
he is meeting with Norfolk to see how they
motion to go to the legislature items before getting to the appointments
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 14-56: Franklin Advisory Committeemotion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0
2. Resolution 14-57: Support for House Bill 1840, Seniors and Retired Volunteers Act of 2013motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0
3. Resolution 14-58: Authorization to Issue Request for Proposals – Emmons Street PropertyKelly recuses himself from consideration
motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0
much talked about proposal to put out and solicit proposals for the purchase of the property
reserving green space
60 days from time of advertisement to reply
responses reviewed by Economic Development and brought to the Council for decision
not a binding proposal, could re-issue if necessary with no legitimate responses
Jones - Economic Development committee approved
maintaining an easement and green space
request the Council to move on this
Public comments
Lisa Piana, Downtown Partnership2 questions would like to still address
1 - concerned with traffic backup if there would be a drive through
why not a clause to that effect
2 - question on the easement vs. town ownership
as to whether this would effect any grant funding for the statue
did speak with Rep Roy, should have an answer in a couple of days
Pfeffer - agrees with the EDC
with the easement and green space there are enough restrictions as to whether there would even be a response from a developer
Bissanti - EDC was left in the request proposal, hesitant about food but not against it overall
that is the meeting that I heard, there is also a committee formed to raise the funds for the statue
Nutting - at the end of the day, a P&S agreement could be worked out if the town needed to retain ownership
Mercer - I will support the measure tonight while sharing concerns about the drive through, we will have opportunity to address down the road
E. APPOINTMENTS
Franklin Advisory Committee
Deborah L. Pellegrimotion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0
Joseph F. Halligan Jr.
Paul R. Compton
Richard Ciccone
F. HEARINGS
G. LICENSE TRANSACTIONS
Attention: Frankin Solar Challenge volunteers
Dear Franklin Solar Challenge Volunteers,
Thank you for offering to volunteer and help out with the Franklin Solar Challenge! This is a great program for the Town to reduce our dependence on the utility, help the environment, and receive great pricing on a solar PV system through tiered pricing with SolarFlair Energy. Remember, the more people that sign-up, the better price everyone gets and the town can get free solar installations as well!
I'd like to reach out and discuss the next steps, along with describing the type of help that's needed. To start we will have a short meeting with all volunteers and SolarFlair on Monday, September 22 at 6 pm in the Municipal Building, Room 205. This meeting will include more information on solar along with a short presentation on what makes a home or business a good fit for solar.
To kick off the efforts, we're looking for assistance at the Harvest Festival on Sunday Oct. 5th. This is an all-day event and we would like to have waves of volunteers so that we're not taking up your whole day and you're able to enjoy the festival also :)
After the Harvest Festival, we will have various types of marketing initiatives to spark interest in the program. These may include door hangers for homes that have been pre-qualified as good sites for solar and additional Town events like the Harvest Festival, where we need volunteers to staff the booth for a couple of hours.
Please respond to this email if you're still able to volunteer so that we know how many to expect at the meeting. I look forward to hearing back and meeting those of you that can donate some time to the program, and once again thank you for signing up!
Regards,
Brett Feldman (email = feldjamin@hotmail.com)
Franklin Town Council508-346-3643
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| solar farm under construction at Mount St Mary's Abbey in 2013 |
A new edition of The Franklin Connection is available
A new edition of The Franklin Connection has been published on the Town of Franklin web site.
Click the link below to read the latest edition.
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| WMRC Senior Expo - Sep 26, 2014 |
_______________________________________________
You are subscribed to the The Franklin Connection - Senior Newsletter mailing list.
William Lane feature as speaker at Franklin Art Association - Oct 1
The Franklin Art Association will meet Wednesday, October 1st from 6:30 to 9:00pm at the Franklin Senior Center, 10 Daniel McCahill Street.
Refreshments and socialization will begin at 6:30.
The program will feature William Lane, multimedia artist, who will demo a city scape in watercolor.
Meetings are free and opened to the public.
For more information, please email the FAA secretary at faasecretary@gmail.com or visit the website at www.franklinart.org
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| Franklin Art Association |
Blackstone Heritage Corridor News
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In her role, Charlene will provide day-to-da
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