Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Live Reporting: Presentations

H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS 
Ron Roux – Design Build, LLC
regarding 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 Health
An 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
1. Resolution 14-56: Franklin Advisory Committee
motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0 
2. Resolution 14-57: Support for House Bill 1840, Seniors and Retired Volunteers Act of 2013
motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0 
3. Resolution 14-58: Authorization to Issue Request for Proposals – Emmons Street Property
Kelly 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 Partnership
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
Deborah L. Pellegri
Joseph F. Halligan Jr.
Paul R. Compton
Richard Ciccone
 motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0 


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

solar farm under construction at Mount St Mary's Abbey in 2013
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.




WMRC Senior Expo - Sep 26, 2014
WMRC Senior Expo - Sep 26, 2014


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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

Franklin Art Association
Franklin Art Association

Blackstone Heritage Corridor News



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Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
Volume 2 Issue 9/ September 2014
Join our mailing list
Forward to a friend
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In This Issue
Greenway Challenge
Video of the Month
Ranger Walkabouts
Greenway Challenge
Connect on Facebook
Become a Corridor Keeper
Quick Links

Enjoy the Blackstone Valley on the go with our mobile Web app. 
And, it's free!
Go Blackstone
Click on the image above to get the free web app

Ashton
Ashton Mill

ANNOUNCEMENT
Call for local photographers!

Do you enjoy taking photos of the beautiful Blackstone River Valley? 

If so, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. has a contest for you. The nonprofit is searching for special images that capture the spirit and beauty of the Corridor to illustrate its 2015 Calendar.

Submissions are due by email no later than noon on September 30, 2014.  





Video Camera 
VIDEO OF THE MONTH
Canalfest 2014 - How to Build a Canal
canalfest 2014 building a canal
Click on the image to watch the video

Canalfest returned to the canal district on September 6. What draws many people is the recreation of the Blackstone Canal. Take a look to see how the canal was constructed in just 2 hours.

Enjoy a self-guided tour of Worcester:


NEWS
Blackstone Heritage Corridor Announces Hiring of Executive Director


Donna M. Williams, Chair of Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. (Blackstone Heritage Corridor), is pleased to announce the hiring of Charlene Perkins Cutler as Executive Director, effective September 2. 

charlene perkins cutler In her role, Charlene will provide day-to-day guidance for thenewly formed nonprofit. The Blackstone Heritage Corridor manages operations in the Blackstone Corridor on behalf of the former federal commission; and, works with partners to preserve, protect and interpret (telling the story) the heritage of the 24 Corridor communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 

"I have followed the success of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor for years and am thrilled to be part of such a great organization," says Charlene.

 

EVENT
2014 Greenway Challenge Course Has Been Revealed!
greenway challenge logo 2014

The site maps are posted on the website.

Make sure you practice the newly designed Mountain Bike Course this year.

Thanks Team Bums for your work and continued support!

Interested in volunteering? Contact Barbara Dixon at 401-762-0250, ext 5503 or barbara_dixon@partner.nps.gov.


Check out the Greenway Challenge Facebook page and web site for the latest information.



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We want to share news and information with our readers using social media.





GET INVOLVED
Corridor Keeper Logo  
Become a Corridor Keeper Today!

The success of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor has always been due, in large part, to public support and active participation by the people and communities of the Blackstone Valley.
People like you!

For more than 25 years, the people of the valley have shared in rediscovering their roots, their heritage and their common identity. They have supported the Corridor by speaking or writing to their elected officials, by showing up at public events, and by participating in numerous projects and programs.





BRVNHC

Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc.
The Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor is a unique cultural landscape of industrial history and immigration in the interconnected system of the Blackstone River watershed. An energetic nonprofit, the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, Inc. partners with organizations, local communities and businesses, and residents to insure the long term vitality of the Corridor.
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Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor | One Depot Square | Woonsocket | RI | 02895

Franklin High School sports results - 9/16/14

From Hockomcok Sports we find the results from Tuesday's action in the Hockomock League:

Volleyball

Franklin, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 - Final - Mansfield's Alyssa Kelley had a team-high 18 kills and Sarah Mullahy added 13 kills for the Hornets.

Field Hockey

Franklin, 1 @ Mansfield, 2 - Final - Mansfield's Julia Todesco scored the tying goal and then Lexi DiPierro scored with the game winner with four minutes left. Senior Maddie Bressler scored Franklin's goal in the first half on an assist from Taylor Reutlinger. Franklin's Samantha Jones had seven saves in net for the Panthers.
FHS Panthers
FHS Panthers


Read the full listing of results here
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-091614

New MassBudget factsheet: Balancing Work and Family


  MASSBudget     kids count

BALANCING WORK AND FAMILY:
The Economic Effects of Earned Paid Sick Time
To build a life of economic security for themselves and their families, people need to be productive at work and meet their responsibilities to their families. "Balancing Work and Family: The Economic Effects of Earned Paid Sick Time" examines how providing paid sick time affects working people, their families, and the broader economy.

Most children now live in families where all parents work. The share of children with a nonworking parent declined from 64 percent in 1967 to 34 percent in 2009. Yet our employment policies often don't reflect the challenges faced by working parents. Earned paid sick time provides one useful support by allowing workers to earn paid time off to address a health issue or care for a family member in need.


Most higher-paid employees already have this benefit. But one in three Massachusetts workers doesn't, including more than half of low wage workers. 

Click HERE to read the factsheet.


MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER
15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700
BOSTON, MA 02108
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The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.


Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Franklin Public Forum - Sep 22


Hello Steve, 
Please add to events on Franklin Matters the following public forum. On Monday September 22nd 730 pm at Franklin H.S. lecture hall will host Concord attorney Jeffrey Clements. He is a co-founder of Free Speech for Free People a nonpartisan campaign to reverse Citizens United. He is Author of Corporations Are Not People Reclaiming Democracy from Big Money and Global Corporations. 
He will be speaking about the need for campaign finance reform. Eighteen districts will be voting on this issue in November including Franklin.  
Thank you,  
Christine Manns

For more about the Jeff Clements visit his page here

For more about the 2014 edition of the book

For more about "Free Speech for Free People"