Live reporting: Washington St re-zoning and other legislation for action

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10 Prospect, somewhat rushed, once bylaw passed to further frame or adjust could be longer

about land use and rights

ill informed spot zoning decision

inconsistent with the legal principle

fragmenting the area of the two, two abutting streets are scenic roads

no specific criteria for planning board

conforming law to the development

not the concept per se 

should require demonstration of traffic and avoidance of safety issue

voiced issues and were apparently ignored

could be the wrong property number on the documents

why considering now?

the property have tried over numerous years and been previously denied

shouldn't the entire use base be considered?

concept of APR per the commonwealth, could that be applied

Notified in Aug, meeting positioned for feedback as important to the project

did refer to the Master Plan

several Town Councilors did attend, meeting was completely off the record

the neighborhood was a test case for similar proposals

the property can only be re-purposed back to RR1

just the land owner will gain the benefit of this law

all amenities are provided by others within a short drive

no mention of the timing of the proposal at the meeting

no record of the meeting

there were some in favor (friends and family)

received notice of series of meetings in Oct regarding of the Planning Board, etc. to Town Council

what was supposed to be a long process is now being completed in 2 months or so

there were not many abutters at the Planning Board meetings

comment on 'no issue' due the attendance at the Planning Board

now an addition of signing and lighting to the proposal

a classic example of 'spot zoning'

request suspension of action in lieu 

• Bruce Barker

part 1, non-confirming

part 2, vacant

told by Planning Board that the site plan will take care of that

rusting backhoe

directly against spot zoning, court said no

is at risk and likely would not survive appeal

traffic concerns 

proposal for 40 seats, to draw more traffic 

have you tried to pull out of Spring St at 7 AM?

let's slow down, maybe there is a way to accommodate

• Cynthia Garbacy

there was a lot of opposition to the proposal

at the meeting in August

however, wait on this particular plan

it is not ready, definitions are not proper

confusion about general vs country, liquor yes or no

I fear after the Depoto's

maybe there would be a Tedeschi's there

40% produce but that is competition for our farm

I could work with the Depoto's

1. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 16-768: Districts Enumerated. Creation of Rural Business Zoning District - 2nd Reading (6 votes)

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0 via roll call

 2. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 16-769: Definitions. Country Store - 2nd Reading (2/3 majority - 6 votes)

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0 via roll call

 3. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 16-770: Rural Business Zone Use Regulations - 2nd Reading ( 2/3 majority - 6 votes)

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0 via roll call

 4. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 16-771: Rural Business Zone Dimensional Regulations - 2nd Reading (2/3 majority - 6 votes)

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0 via roll call

 5. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 16-772: Rural Business Zone Sign Regulations - 2nd Reading (2/3 majority - 6 votes)

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0 via roll call

 6. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 16-773: Zoning Map Changes from Rural Residential I to Rural Business an area on Washington St (2/3)

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0 via roll call

 7. Zoning Bylaw Amend 16-775: Zoning Map Changes from Rural Residential I to Residential VII an Area/Summer St -  Referral to Planning Board

Bissanti recused himself

motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-0

Pfeffer - the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know. if this did not happen, a 40B could bring in more and we would have less say about it

 8. Bylaw Amendment 16-776: Chapter 82 Municipal Service Fees - 1st Reading (majority vote)

motion to approve, seconded, passed 8-1 (Vallee no)

fees reviewed, proposed and revise the bylaw for the first time in 15 years

simplification to enable online purchasing

consolidated, removed, added and updated

some fees increased in light of current expenses

Vallee - we are feeing people to death, I would vote against it

Padula - a difficult system cleaned up, well done

Mercer - some of the fees were cut in half, some were raised, we had questions and they were answered

Kelly - thanks to Padula, Pellegri, and Mercer for their work to understand and review this

 9. Bylaw Amendment 16-777: Chapter 151, Solid Waste and Recycling - 1st Reading (majority vote)

motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0

Live Reporting: Town Council - November 16, 2016

Present: Pellegri, Padula, Mercer, Vallee, Kelly, Pfeffer, Bissanti, Dellorco, Jones
Absent: 

Pledge of Allegiance led by Cub Scouts Pack 17

A. APPROVAL OF MINUTES two sets of minutes linked to above Oct 19 = motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0 Nov 2 = motion to approve, seconded, passed  9-0
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS
C. PROCLAMATIONS/RECOGNITIONS None
D. CITIZEN COMMENTS Don Stewart - raising that his wife had been verbally assaulted at the end of the prior meeting

E. APPOINTMENTS

Appointments to Cultural Council Barbara Gardner, motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0 Rob Coutillo, motion to approve, seconded, passed 9-0

I. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

Economic Development Subcommittee meeting scheduled for 5:30 PM on Nov 30th

Celebrate the Holidays with 3 Festive Productions

Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) celebrates the holidays with three festive productions. Ring in the season with Tchaikovsky’s timeless ballet The Nutcracker, FPAC’s original musical Humbug!, and A Glass Slipper Christmas, a holiday panto with a twist on the Cinderella fairy tale.

FPAC’s magical journey of The Nutcracker will be presented at the Franklin High School auditorium on December 3 at 7:30 p.m. and December 4 at 2:00. A popular FPAC holiday tradition for more than 20 years, the production features guest artists Vilia Putrius and Mindaugas Bauzys, company dancers with Festival Ballet Providence, as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. Rosario Guillen, a student of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, will dance the part of the Nutcracker/Prince, with Aaron Andrade of Lincoln, Rhode Island, playing the role of Dr. Drosselmeyer. Set to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, the world-famous ballet showcases more than 100 area dancers and features a 27-piece professional orchestra under the direction of Peter Cokkinias. 

 FPAC’s magical journey of The Nutcracker

FPAC’s original panto, A Glass Slipper Christmas, will be staged at THE BLACK BOX on December 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. with a Sunday matinee on December 11 at 2:00. Based on the story of Cinderella, the production follows in the British tradition, retelling a well-known fairy tale in an exaggerated style filled with audience participation, popular music, slapstick comedy, jokes, dances, and more. Audiences are invited to cheer for the hero, boo at the villain, and sing along to favorite songs. The panto also entertains with double entendre, references to modern culture, and open satire of other works.

FPAC’s large-cast holiday musical, Humbug!, will be presented on December 17 at 7:30 p.m. and December 18 at 2 p.m. at the Franklin High School auditorium. A family favorite since debuting as part of the company’s 2008 season, Humbug! is an original musical retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. With musical hits of every genre and live accompaniment by a 10-piece band of professional musicians, Humbug! transports audiences from Dickensian England to contemporary America as the novel’s iconic characters and storyline are cleverly reimagined with modern setting and dialogue. Humbug! stars the script’s writer, Nick Paone, as Ebenezer Scrooge. 

For more information or to purchase tickets, call (508) 528-3370 or visit www.FPAConline.com.

"there is still work to be done, especially with the subgroup that included disabled students"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Three local schools scored in the highest level of performance in standardized testing, district officials said Tuesday. 

The School Committee heard a presentation at its Tuesday night meeting on the district's progress in testing, with officials saying Franklin High School, Oak Street Elementary School and Kennedy Elementary School had earned the state's "level one" accountability rating, the highest available. 

Assistant Superintendent Joyce Edwards said the high school and Kennedy School had previously held the rating, while the Oak Street School's performance represents an improvement. 

"We're currently a level two district... that's the predominant level across the state," she said. "That number is based on the lowest-performing school in the district."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161115/franklin-schools-review-testing-results


The presentation document with the MCAS and PARCC summary can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/11/live-reporting-mcas-and-parcc-results.html

MassBudget: Feeding Students, Counting Kids, Funding Schools

Six Recommendations for Improvement

Feeding Students, Counting Kids, Funding Schools: Six Recommendations for Improvement To expand educational opportunity by making sure that more students are well-fed and ready to learn, the federal government has created a program that allows schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students in districts with large numbers of low-income students. Schools that implement this program, called Community Eligibility, no longer collect paper forms from every child to determine who is eligible for free or reduced price meals. Instead, schools use a data matching system to count students as low income for school meals purposes when they are enrolled in other programs that support low-income families. This data-matching direct certification process improves efficiency and expands access to school meals. The interaction of this program and our school funding formula has, however, led to some challenges. MassBudget's new policy brief Counting Kids at School: 6 Steps to Better Numbers, presents strategies to fix these unintended consequences. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has recognized the challenges and has already made significant improvements to its data systems. At the direction of the Legislature, DESE is developing further recommendations, which will be final by December 19. Based on MassBudget's ongoing research on direct certification and its impact on Chapter 70 funding, this new brief presents six recommendations that could help the Commonwealth to achieve a more accurate count of low-income students. You can read MassBudget's six recommendations in the new policy brief HERE (link). Related MassBudget resources: To read about implementation of the Direct Certification program in Massachusetts, read Direct Certification for School Meals: Feeding Students, Counting Kids, Funding Schools. MassBudget's Children's Budget provides a concise description and funding history of the School Food Programs and Chapter 70 Aid. See the Kids Count Data Center data on Free and Reduced Price Lunch Enrollment Rates by School District and Economically Disadvantaged Students by School District. For MassBudget's video and explanation of the Chapter 70 program, see Demystifying the Chapter 70 Funding Formula: How the Massachusetts Education Funding System Works. 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

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108 Sent by nberger@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try it free today

In the News: donation drive for rail trails; Council to consider 'country store'

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Bay State Trail Riders Association Inc., a local nonprofit, is planning a donation drive to fund trail improvements to local trail systems in state forests and parks. 

Projects currently underway will impact state forests and parks in Bellingham, as well as Douglas, Upton, Mendon and Blackstone. 

Items will be turned in to Savers of Woonsocket. Savers will pay BSTRA 20 cents per pound for soft items and 5 cents per pound for hard items.

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161115/bay-state-trail-riders-to-hold-donation-drive

"The Town Council will consider creating a new "rural business" zoning district and adopting a definition for "country store." 

The council is slated to vote at its meeting Wednesday on several zoning bylaw changes that would allow a country store within town that could sell such items as fruits, vegetables and arts and crafts. 

In a memorandum to the council, Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting said the change had been requested by the Washington Street business Hillside Nurseries, which is looking to offer goods for sale. Nutting wrote that such a move has been discussed for years. 

The new Rural Business District would allow for low-intensity commercial uses near or in residential neighborhoods."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20161115/franklin-council-to-consider-country-store

Live reporting: Closing

5. Information Matters
Superintendent’s Report
thanks to Mr Gleason for the article and to the Davis Thayer students for their contribution to the Franklin Food Pantry

Panther Pride night on Monday, an open house for the 8th grade game

Ticket still available for the Thanksgiving football game

Harlem Wizards game sold out for Friday

Horace Mann veterans day celebration for friends and family


School Committee Sub-Committee Reports

Policy Sub Committee – MaryJane Scofield
meeting on Nov 29th at 7:00 PM

Community Relations meeting last week
mostly about budget, how to get more for the schools
testing and data
communications interest

next meeting Dec 3, 9:00 AM in the conference room
thankful for the response by the policy subcommittee

School Committee Liaison Reports

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

request to have Roy, Ross, and Spilka to talk about the budget process

joint budget subcommittee looking to set meeting in early December


7. Motion to Adjourn
passed 7-0

Live reporting: Action Items

4. Action Items
a. I recommend approval of the Budget Transfers as detailed.
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

b. I recommend moving Policy JICA – School Dress Code Policy to a second reading.
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

c. I recommend adoption of Policy JKAA – Physical Restraint of Students as discussed.
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

d. I recommend acceptance of two checks totaling $9,104.61 for Davis Thayer as follows:
1. $8,100.00 from PCC for field trips.
2. $1,004.61 from O’Connor Portraiture for supplemental supplies
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

e. I recommend acceptance of a check for $800.00 from the Parmenter PCC for field trips.
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

f. I recommend acceptance of two checks totaling $2,213.00 from the Oak Street PCC as follows:
1. $1,288.00 for in-house enrichment
2. $925.00 for field trips
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

g. I recommend acceptance of a check for $725.00 from the JF Kennedy PCC for field trips.
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

h. I recommend acceptance of two checks totaling $3855.28 for Keller as follows:
1. $2,000.00 – IBM for supplemental supplies
2. 1855.28 – Keller PCC for field trips
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

i. I recommend acceptance of the grant - donation of 15 Ableton Push music devices, valued at $14,969.85 for FHS Sound Recording Teacher Drew O’Connors’ class.
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

j. I recommend acceptance of a check for $440.00 from BJ’s Wholesale Club for the Central Office gift account.
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0

k. I recommend acceptance of a check for $150.00 from the Jefferson PCC for in-house enrichment.
motion to approve, seconded, passed 7-0