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Thursday, April 2, 2015
Blackstone Valley: Updated April 2015 Events
volunteers, and invite new volunteers to experience the unique opportunities that the Blackstone Heritage Corridor's Volunteers In Parks program has to offer!
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Live reporting: Legislation through to closing
Subcommitee reports
EDC meeting Apr 8 at 6:00 PM to continue to work on the Pond St RFP
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
condolences to the Rittenhouse family, on Sue's passing
Recylcing Center closed on Easter Sunday
FinCom meeting Tuesday
FEF Trivia next Weds
Welcome Supt Sabolinski back after a broken ankle
Letter from a citizen
snow/ice - About $550,000 over budget; will look for paying it off with 'free cash'
L. OLD BUSINESS
Kelly - looking to get someone to PR, hopefully the budget subcommittee will put that it in the budget
Nutting- it will be put in the budget
Bissanti - this is something that Matt and I discussed 3 years ago, I heard that before, I have read many Franklin articles and a lot of people miss what happens in the room, The reporters get so much and have deadlines, if the PR can be a wire item out to the Milford Daily NEws
Pfeffer - the last time we discussed this, we were going to look at Dean to see if an iterns would work
Nutting - they need to be timely
Vallee - why don't they do something
Nutting - they are scheduled to be at the next meeting
Vallee - go visit the studio, what we want is there
M. NEW BUSINESS
none
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Dellorco - I agree we can do more with the PR
P. ADJOURN
motion to adjourn, passed 9-0 via roll call
EDC meeting Apr 8 at 6:00 PM to continue to work on the Pond St RFP
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Resolution 15-13: Appropriation: Town Administration – Insurance Recovery Accountmotion to accept, seconded, passed 9-0 via roll
K. TOWN ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT
condolences to the Rittenhouse family, on Sue's passing
Recylcing Center closed on Easter Sunday
FinCom meeting Tuesday
FEF Trivia next Weds
Welcome Supt Sabolinski back after a broken ankle
Letter from a citizen
snow/ice - About $550,000 over budget; will look for paying it off with 'free cash'
L. OLD BUSINESS
Kelly - looking to get someone to PR, hopefully the budget subcommittee will put that it in the budget
Nutting- it will be put in the budget
Bissanti - this is something that Matt and I discussed 3 years ago, I heard that before, I have read many Franklin articles and a lot of people miss what happens in the room, The reporters get so much and have deadlines, if the PR can be a wire item out to the Milford Daily NEws
Pfeffer - the last time we discussed this, we were going to look at Dean to see if an iterns would work
Nutting - they need to be timely
Vallee - why don't they do something
Nutting - they are scheduled to be at the next meeting
Vallee - go visit the studio, what we want is there
M. NEW BUSINESS
none
N. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Dellorco - I agree we can do more with the PR
P. ADJOURN
motion to adjourn, passed 9-0 via roll call
Live reporting: audit results - "an unqualified opinion"
Susan Gagner, Karen Snow,
Melanson Heath audit results
The full set of results can be found in the package
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_CouncilAgendas/2015%20Complete%20With%20Documents/040115.pdf
"an unqualified opinion" is the highest rating to be received
9.4% unassigned fund balance
general and budgetary stabilization funds increased since last year
policy to be at 5-10%, and you are right where you want to be
page 14 - funds in two columns
include all the long term assets and liabilities
bonds for the high school increased
OPEB unfunded liability being recognized over 30 years
work underway to get it fully recognized ealier
need to recognize the Franklin portion of the Norfolk County retirement system
$45M is Franklin's piece will show on the statement for FY 15 (next year)
have started funding it with the trust fund
page 15 - unassigned fund balance
increase 8.1 to 9.4%
bond ratting to AA+, part of the increase due to the solid fund balance
page 20 - general fund budgetary results
positive revenue, motor vehicle excess in higher than forecasted, expenses also $1.4 less than expected hence the increase noted
all unrestricted fund balances in enterprise funds are healthy too
solid position, solid and well managed
recognizing these large liabilities is being done, you have been paying down
you are paying them as you are accessed each year
Nutting - when we talk about an annual budget issue, 10 years ago that didn't exist, we are not funding it anywhere we need to. Those pressures didn't exist. I will continue to 'cry wolf'. We are going to have to replace technology sooner as that is the nature of it
Kelly - $134 M in liabilities, how do we compare?
Snow - comparable to other towns of your size. It will need to be funded but you are about right there where others of your size are.
Kelly -
Snow - there are very few are fully funding, and their funding requirements are smaller. In most cases they are putting a little bit each year and that helps to reduce the liability
Kelly - I can't give enough credit to the town and our staff for getting us to our AA+ rating, nice work
Padula - I am concerned about this, the fact that we are going to have to recognize this doesn't help. How are we going to pay for this?
Nutting - pensions have to be funded by 2040, cost of pensions on an ongoing basis, we didn;t fund it for 50 years like every other community. We need to fess up and pay up. It will be here tonorrow. The state needs to make some stautory laws to help, folks living longer, retirements earlier, so that helps to create the issue.. Rigth now you can work 10 years, 20 hours and then get benefits for the rest of your life. We can't afford to do that. Thos would eat up every dollar of new money if something didnt happen
Feldman - recommendation in management letter
Snow - developing a long term project for a risk assessment, defined and established procedures to ensure towns assets are protected. This is the only unresolved
Nutting - the reason we are in fiscal position, the Council takes the action on the budget not to keep everybody happy but to keep us healthy financially. It is a long term commitment by the COuncil that does the progress. Acolades to the COuncil
Snow - thanks to the Administration and every one involved, we have no issues in getting info and responses,
Melanson Heath audit results
The full set of results can be found in the package
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_CouncilAgendas/2015%20Complete%20With%20Documents/040115.pdf
"an unqualified opinion" is the highest rating to be received
9.4% unassigned fund balance
general and budgetary stabilization funds increased since last year
policy to be at 5-10%, and you are right where you want to be
page 14 - funds in two columns
include all the long term assets and liabilities
bonds for the high school increased
OPEB unfunded liability being recognized over 30 years
work underway to get it fully recognized ealier
need to recognize the Franklin portion of the Norfolk County retirement system
$45M is Franklin's piece will show on the statement for FY 15 (next year)
have started funding it with the trust fund
page 15 - unassigned fund balance
increase 8.1 to 9.4%
bond ratting to AA+, part of the increase due to the solid fund balance
page 20 - general fund budgetary results
positive revenue, motor vehicle excess in higher than forecasted, expenses also $1.4 less than expected hence the increase noted
all unrestricted fund balances in enterprise funds are healthy too
solid position, solid and well managed
recognizing these large liabilities is being done, you have been paying down
you are paying them as you are accessed each year
Nutting - when we talk about an annual budget issue, 10 years ago that didn't exist, we are not funding it anywhere we need to. Those pressures didn't exist. I will continue to 'cry wolf'. We are going to have to replace technology sooner as that is the nature of it
Kelly - $134 M in liabilities, how do we compare?
Snow - comparable to other towns of your size. It will need to be funded but you are about right there where others of your size are.
Kelly -
Snow - there are very few are fully funding, and their funding requirements are smaller. In most cases they are putting a little bit each year and that helps to reduce the liability
Kelly - I can't give enough credit to the town and our staff for getting us to our AA+ rating, nice work
Padula - I am concerned about this, the fact that we are going to have to recognize this doesn't help. How are we going to pay for this?
Nutting - pensions have to be funded by 2040, cost of pensions on an ongoing basis, we didn;t fund it for 50 years like every other community. We need to fess up and pay up. It will be here tonorrow. The state needs to make some stautory laws to help, folks living longer, retirements earlier, so that helps to create the issue.. Rigth now you can work 10 years, 20 hours and then get benefits for the rest of your life. We can't afford to do that. Thos would eat up every dollar of new money if something didnt happen
Feldman - recommendation in management letter
Snow - developing a long term project for a risk assessment, defined and established procedures to ensure towns assets are protected. This is the only unresolved
Nutting - the reason we are in fiscal position, the Council takes the action on the budget not to keep everybody happy but to keep us healthy financially. It is a long term commitment by the COuncil that does the progress. Acolades to the COuncil
Snow - thanks to the Administration and every one involved, we have no issues in getting info and responses,
Live reporting: Ping4Alert
H. PRESENTATIONS/DISCUSSIONS
Gary McCarraher – Ping 4 Alert
(presentation to be added later)
no user information required, info delivered via GPS location to mobile devices
also enables alerts to be posted to Twitter and Facebook, one tool for all the posts
can be used by Police, Fire, DPW, Schools, Town Administration for all the notices in emergency and standard business uses
While the State uses it purely for emergency notifications, Franklin will try to broaden the uses. For example, during the downtown construction it can notifiy on the delays or detours.
Fire Dept uses it for burning alerts.
other departments will be coming online in coming weeks
Executed through emergency management
need one unified message in an emergency
working to coordinate with the departments
each department has access uniquely
we have a grant through MEMA
Fire Dept has been the point of contact for the town
Feldman - I am already on it and it works well
McCarragher - Ping4 is a for profit company in NH, grants have been providing the funding
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