Congratulations to all the Franklin finishers of the Boston Marathon

The official Boston Marathon results for the Franklin residents who completed the course on Monday are show below.

If you would like to inquire on another runner, you can use this link   http://baa.org/searchable-results.html

http://baa.org/

Best wishes to all the Franklin Marathon Runners

From the official Boston Marathon webpage, I pulled the listing of Franklin residents registered to run.

If you want to track an individual runner, you can follow their progress via
http://boston.r.mikatiming.de/2017/?pid=tracking

http://baa.org/

Norfolk County Mosquito Control District: Notice of Aerial Larval Control Application

In accordance with 333 CMR 13.04 (7) (a & b), please consider this as notification of the pending aerial application targeting mosquito larvae in the wetlands in the District. 

The Norfolk County Mosquito Control District will be conducting helicopter applications of the biorational larvicide Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) to control mosquito larvae.   

These applications will be conducted over specific large wetlands in the Towns of: Avon/Bellingham/Braintree/Canton/Dedham/Dover/Foxboro/Franklin/Holbrook/ Medfield/Medway/Millis/Milton/Needham/Norfolk/Norwood/Plainville/Quincy/ Randolph/Sharon/Stoughton/Walpole/Westwood/Weymouth/ Wrentham

These applications will be conducted for 2 to 4 days, anytime between April 9, 2017 and April 28, 2017. As always, the weather in the spring is unpredictable. For this reason the District cannot pin down actual application dates with any more accuracy at this time. 

The trade name of the granular formulations of Bti to be used is VectoBac GR (EPA Reg. #73049-486). For further information contact David A. Lawson, Director at (781) 762-3681 or the Boards of Health in the towns listed above. Information is also available on line at www.norfolkcountymosquito.org

The Norfolk County Mosquito Control District utilizes Geographic Information System (GIS) to document and distribute information to the public about various aspects of our program.

This was shared from the Town of Franklin page
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/notification_of_aerial_application_board_of_health_march_2_2_0.pdf

In the News: 40B relief discussed

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

"Town councilors last week asked state lawmakers for relief from affordable housing rules, saying they feared housing developments unfettered by local regulations. 

The town’s legislative delegation - state Sens. Richard Ross, R-Wrentham, and Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, and state Rep. Jeffrey Roy, D-Franklin - spoke to the council Wednesday as part of a regular update on lawmaking efforts. 

Councilor Judith Pfeffer first raised the matter, criticizing the state’s 40B rules, which allows developers to avoid town zoning bylaws if affordable housing makes up less than 10 percent of the municipality’s housing stock. 

“No one wants to come out against affordable housing, but there has to be some kind of fail-safe,” she said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20170416/franklin-councilors-seek-relief-from-affordable-housing

For the Franklin Matters recap of the Town Council meeting April 12
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/04/town-council-recap-of-april-12-2017.html

a row of forsythia surrounds a catch basin

Franklin Public Library: April 18 - Dino Discovery and Egg Hunt

Dino Discovery Animal Program! Tuesday, April 18th, 10:30 a.m.

This one of a kind program is a blast from the prehistoric past! Meet our most ancient animal friends in person and you even get to touch and hold real fossils that are millions of years old!

Egg Hunt in the Library! Tuesday, April 18th, 3:00 p.m.

Join us as we hunt for dino eggs around the library! You will be given clues that lead to eggs hidden in books all around the library! Use your knowledge of the collection AND of the Dewey Decimal system to track down your egg!!

Franklin Public Library: April 18 - Dino Discovery and Egg Hunt

For additional programs during the April vacation
http://www.franklinma.gov/franklin-public-library

Town Council Recap of April 12, 2017

The Town council meeting of April 12, 2017 provided a variety of items for discussion and action. From the recognition of the FHS boys basketball team that opened the meeting, to the legislative update on what's happening at the State level on the budget and other items of interest, and then the legislation slated for action among which the key item was the Residential VII re-introduction for Summer St, there was something for everyone. 

FHS Boys Basketball

Skipping through the whereas and wherefor's of the proclamation language, regular readers are aware of the accomplishment of this year's FHS boys basketball team, getting to the Division 1 State Championship game for the first time in FHS history. Coach CJ Neely was also recognized as the Division 1 Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe. Council Bissanti read the proclamation that the Town offered to recognize the accomplishments of this team.

Council Bissanti read the proclamation

Council Bissanti read the proclamation 2

Legislative Update

Senator Karen Spilka, Senator Richard Ross, and Representative Jeffrey Roy presented status updates on the budget process and other legislation of interest (OPEB, school foundation funding, etc.). Details on their comments can be found 

• Live Reporting: Spilka, Ross, Roy update from Stat...

Residential VII - Summer St

The proposal brought before the Town Council (and Planning Board) in the week before Christmas and then voted down in the first meeting in January, was brought back before the Council for reconsideration. The Council procedures differ from Roberts Rules of Order and the re-introduction is allowed within 2 years of the initial denial. Hence it was back.

As the discussion was going to begin, Chairman Kelly also read a letter from the home owner asking for a continuation to a June meeting as the owner was exploring 'other options'. 

Discussion on the motion on the floor to refer the proposal to the Planning Board was diverted to a new discussion on the deferral to a proposed June 28th meeting. The motion to defer was voted down 5-3. They they returned to the original motion and voted NOT to send it to the Planning Board by a 6-2 vote. The Residential VII option for that land on Summer St seems to be done at this point. Other options, for example a 40B proposal, are still possible. Time will tell what the property owner decides to pursue.

ACTION: Mr. Vallee MOVED to postpone this agenda item until the June 27th Town Council meeting. SECONDED. Denied 3-5 (Yes: Padula, Kelly, Vallee; No: Dellorco, Jones, Mercer, Pellegri, Pfeffer; Recused: Bissanti). 

ACTION: The Town Council rejected a proposal to approve the resubmittal of zoning bylaw amendment 16-775: a zoning map change on Summer Street. Rejected 2-6 (Yes: Padula, Kelly; No: Dellorco, Jones, Mercer, Pellegri, Pfeffer, Vallee; Recused: Bissanti).

Other Legislation of note

The Council voted not to exercise their right of first refusal on property at 4 Mount St. If the land use is changed from farm, the new owner is liable for the back taxes for the period the land was a farm. The Town chose not to exercise its option as the land value and location (not connected to other Town land) would not have been sufficient to recover the costs for clean up of the land.

The Council voted to refer to the Planning Board the proposed bylaw allowing for
brewery, distillery and wine making facilities to offer tasting rooms. This had come up as a proposal before the Economic Development Committee and sounds like a real good opportunity for some revenue growth.

The Council approved the final reading of the bylaw updating the water conservation measures the town has been performing for decades. This version of bylaw does NOT include prohibition measures for private wells that had created controversy when discussed earlier this year.

The Council approved the first reading of amendments to the water and sewer system maps. There is a proposal for a school for developmentally challenged children being relocated from Attleboro to Mount St. The school would need the water and sewer to operate their facility and future development plans.

Additional details can be found in my notes recorded live during the meeting

• Live reporting: Closing
• Live reporting: Legislation
• Live Reporting: Spilka, Ross, Roy update from Stat...
• Live Reporting: Town Council - April 12, 2017

The full agenda and associated documents can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/04/franklin-ma-town-council-agenda-april.html

April vacation programs with the Franklin Recreation Department

The Town of Franklin Recreation Department has a variety of programs and activities panned for the April vacation. Check out the brochure shown below for details on each one. 







Registration can be processed through the Town of Franklin webpage

did you know there was a disc golf course at Dacey Fields?