Thursday, January 11, 2018

FHS boys hockey and wrestling teams take the wins on Wednesday

Via HockomockSports and Twitter we share the results of the FHS sports action on Wednesday, Jan 10, 2018 


Boys Hockey = Franklin, 4 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final
– North Attleboro took a 1-0 lead in the first period, but Franklin scored twice in each the second and the third periods to earn the win. Jeremy Miller, Joe Lizotte, Scott Elliott, and Luke Downie each scored once for the Panthers. Will Yeomans (from Jake Ebert), Jason McNeany (from Jake McNeany) and Brendan McHugh (from Jason McNeany) scored for the Big Red.

Girls Hockey = Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 1 – Final
– Nicole Conner scored the game’s only goal to lift KP to a Hockomock win.

Wrestling = Taunton, 3 @ Franklin, 66 – Final
– Taunton’s Woudanly Danger earned the Tigers’ lone win, coming away with a victory at 220.

Boys Swimming = Franklin, 76 @ Oliver Ames, 93 – Final

Girls Swimming = Franklin, 79 @ Oliver Ames, 91 – Final


For the rest of the results around the Hockomock League on Wednesday
https://hockomocksports.com/wednesdays-schedule-scoreboard-01-10-18/

FHS Panthers
FHS Panthers

Via the Twitterverse

















Franklin SEPAC: January Workshop - Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities - Jan 18


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January 2018

Happy New Year!!

January Workshop

Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities

By Dr. Joseph Moldover

Children with these disorders may have trouble interpreting non-verbal cues like facial expression or body language and may have poor coordination, but are strong verbally.

Dr. Moldover is a neuropyschologist practicing independently in Wellesley, MA. He evaluates and treats children and adolescents with learning disorders, developmental disorders, neurological injuries and psychiatric disabilities.  Dr. Moldover frequently works with individuals diagnosed with ADHD/ADD, neurological and psychiatric disorders and cognitive disabilities. He is a graduate of the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology at Widner University. 


Thursday, January 18th at 7:00 PM
3rd Floor Training Room
Franklin Municipal Building 
We look forward to seeing you there. 

Parent Support Group
When: Thursday, January 25 at 7:00 PM
Where: Cole's Tavern
, 553 Washington Street, Franklin

We will be providing monthly opportunities for parents/caregivers to get together in a relaxed environment to share stories, make connections and learn from one another.  

The mission of the Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to promote a network for parents of children with disabilities and provide a forum to share information and discuss matters of relative interest and concern regarding our children. This group provides regular forums for Pupil Personnel Services and parents to share information and discuss pertinent issues; develops, maintains and shares tools and a resource guide; and raises awareness of children with special needs.

We host monthly workshops educating parents on special-needs topics. We also hold support groups, fun meet-ups for the kids and donate educational supplies to the Franklin Public School Special Education programs. We are a volunteer-run organization and need donations to help alleviate the costs of the above-mentioned programs. We receive our primary funding through an annual "Evening of Comedy" fundraiser that we host in April.


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We are always looking for feedback and ways that we can help meet the needs of our community here in town.  Please don't hesitate to reach out to us via email at franklinsepac@gmail.com, follow us on Facebook at @franklinsepac, and now on Twitter at @franklin_sepac.
Stay updated about our workshops, support groups and events. Get social with us!



Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council
355 East Central St.
Franklin, Massachusetts 02038
US

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MassBudget: How the MBTA is held back by slow growth of its major funding source



MassBudget  Information.
  Participation.
 Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center  Democracy.
How the MBTA is held back by slow growth of its major funding source

Many workers and families in Massachusetts depend on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Regional Transit Authorities to get to work, school, grocery stores, and other essential activities. The MBTA provides transit services connecting 175 cities and towns containing almost three-quarters of the Massachusetts population. But the MBTA has a persistent funding problem.

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center's new report, "How Slow Sales Tax Growth Causes Funding Problems for the MBTA," explains how the MBTA's largest source of funding has fallen $219.5 million short of original projections.

Legislators established Forward Funding in 2000 to dedicate a "penny" of eligible sales tax to the MBTA, so the system would have an adequate source of growing revenue. At the time, the conservative estimate was for an average growth rate of three percent a year. Instead, average annual growth has been less than 1.5 percent. While the Legislature has provided other funding over the years, the failure of the penny of sales tax funding to meet projections has contributed to structural funding problems at the MBTA.

 
MassBudget: How the MBTA is held back by slow growth of its major funding source
 

 
In addition to sales taxes overall growing slowly, the sales tax "penny" dedicated to the MBTA has grown more slowly than general sales tax revenues because taxes on prepared meals are excluded. Tax revenues from meals have grown more than three times as quickly as total sales tax revenues. They have grown as a share of total sales tax revenue from 12.8 percent in Fiscal Year 2001 to 17.9 percent in Fiscal Year 2017. If sales taxes dedicated to the MBTA had grown at the same rate as sales taxes overall, the MBTA's penny would have been worth an additional $49.9 million in Fiscal Year 2017.

 
Read the full report here.
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
Constant Contact

“Right now, we don’t have science labs”

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

"Though not quite ready to break ground, Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School will be leaving its Main Street location for a more spacious area at 100 Financial Park, previously the address of Putnam Investments. 
Head of School Heather Zolnowski said the school will be built from scratch, and plans to open for the 2019–2020 school year. 
The school opened in 1995 as one of the first charter schools in Massachusetts. The building was used as St. Mary’s Catholic School for decades in the mid-to-late 1900s. In 1995, it became the school it is today, but the building remains under ownership of the archdiocese of Boston. 
Zolnowski said that though the archdiocese has been accommodating when it comes to after-school activities, having exclusive use of the new building will be a plus."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180110/franklin-charter-school-to-construct-new-building

“Right now, we don’t have science labs”
“Right now, we don’t have science labs”

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Live reporting: Workshop - (part 3)

Recreation/Open Space

  • Purchase Open Space as may be available
a placeholder as opportunity arises

  • Continue to implement 2016 Open space/recreation plan
subject to funding

  • Continue supporting SNETT trail development and other trail projects
CSX not cooperative about the land on the corner of Cottage/Union
rail still has an active branch to industrial park

  • Continue on Delcarte - weed and fish issues, etc
continue to fund weed control, Master Plan for conservation ongoing
will require capital funding
Conservation doing a full study of all lands, 61a and 61b lands under review
playground always being used

  • Develop Bike lanes and Trails plan - Staff has started

Community - Generally

  • Implement Electric Aggregation when appropriate
still looking but haven't been able to get under a penny than general rates
there will be a supply demand problem and that may help provide an oppotunity

  • Continued work on the recommendations in the Master Plan
  • Continue to work with SAFE Coalition
  • Continue to accept Public Ways
a struggle with unaccepted public ways, keeping up with new ones but the older ones, esp if a new survey is required costs money; folks have been on streets where the builder left things unfinished

  • Continue Nu-Style project
did get one proposal via RFP, still evaluating their options could hear by end of month

  • Transition to Regional Dispatch

  • Purchase 120-122 School Street from Dean for additional Library Parking 
if comes up for sale, would be good to obtain
the 'parking lot' across the street actually is leased from Dean

  • Plan for charging stations for electric vehicles
looking for grants

  • Implement "Green Community goals"
looking for grants

  • Adopt Affordable Housing Plan
required every 5-6 years, proposal for adoption by Council

  • Customer Service technology improvements
continuing the e-permitting, inspections, Board of Health items
one day liquor license, other similar items under consideration

  • Historical Commission "Master Plan"
how do we get the Museum to the next level? may need some funding to further developed and cataloged, volunteers would have direction on what to be required
siding for Museum, back and side this year, then next year, need a crane to get to the cupola to do that

  • Town Council Procedures review
first meeting tonight, a couple of meetings required to finish up and bring to Council

  • Successful Collective Bargaining - Spring of 2019
what is the fiscal position of the Town? and how does that drive the negotiations? better communication will help to avoid issues, how would the three year deal be structured and still be fair to the employees; through joint budget committee

Legislators coming to the Community Forum Feb 13 at High School, another meeting still to be done, jointly done with Town Council and School Committee



Thoughts/questions/ideas from Councilors

  • IT security
looking to leverage more of the skills and abilities of the community
get a presentation from the IT on what they are doing

  • Open Space
Conservation does well with what they have but it is not 'open space'
get a presentation from Conservation on what is being done
never did the Community Preservation Act (CPA) so we are limited by what money we have

  • Poultry bylaw
we get so many chicken complaints it is unbelieveable
Ag Comm had met, can have the discussion
the regulations are already there, it makes it sense to get poultry out of the live stock zoning and it can be easy 

  • Temporary sign bylaw
looking to address the current ban on temporary signs
had been expanded, previously had been totally restricted
send to EDC

  • Sale of Town owned land
send to EDC

  • Other
motion to adjourn, seconded, passed 8-0

Live reporting: Workshop - (Part 2)


Facilities

  • Transfer/Recycling Center improvements when land transfer complete
est $3M needed to revamp per prior planning after the land transfer goes through, engineering study needed to determine remaining cap
Citizens committee had been driver of this

  • Review Police Station space - Commence study in 2019
could go live Jan 2019
police station was built in 91, current use has outgrown space, dispatch center will take some use, need architect to determine need and plan for redesign, perhaps a small addition, reconfiguring space internally

  • Future of Red Brick School - Charter School pulled building permit.
Charter to build up on Washington St, school to be build as prefab, so it might go quick but wouldn't be open until Sep 2019(?); with Charter no longer using, what would be the use for the building?

  • Future of Old South Meeting House
ADA upgrades would be price prohibitive
no real valid use for the facility currently
maintain for time being, unless someone has a use for it

  • Implement Preventative Maintenance (PM) for Facilities
Norwood HS had the same pipe burst over the principals office like we did, it is a design issue and the contractor covered it

Keller Sullivan sprinkler head prior time will spill dirty water
Library spilled clean water
cold weather protocol costs for heat but is better than a pipe burst
custodial staff has lots of coverage late and weekends
2 of the last 3 breaks happened while facilities personnel were standing there
both dry and wet systems, mostly per code requirements

DPW

  • Road Funding
always a problem, no regular funding source, backlog continues to grow

  • Fund sidewalk plan for Beaver Street and Washington Streets
from 140 to the beach desired
Washington St from 495 to Coles
looking to follow the sequence defined in the Master Plan

  • Finalize and begin to implement Bike lane plan
looking to expand bike lanes as road gets done over, the cost is in striping
i.e. Pond St shift of lines to create a lane where it makes sense
Pleasant, Chestnut, Pond, streets to connect to the center of town
  • Water - Continue Water line replacement plan, Water Treatment Plant, Water Tanks, other improvements
(recall the DPW presentation from Dec 17)
in mediation
  • Continue sewer system improvements
  • Future of Beaver Street interceptor
  • Storm Water Plan - Potential fee?



Live reporting: Town Council - Workshop - Jan 10, 2018 (part 1)

Present: Kelly, Dellorco, Earls, Hamblen, Mercer, Pellegri, Padula, Casey
Absent: Jones

every two years, get together to agree on agenda items, no debates, councilor conversation
contact chair or vice-chair for public to add comment


Fiscal

  • Annual Capital Plan - Council subcommittee to review shortly
17, 24 and 31 scheduled for capital plan discussions
FinCom meetings remain to be scheduled
Free cash down about $1M from last year, estimate of baked in costs for use of Free cash, i.e. snow/ice, stabilization funds, about 1.5M remaining to be allocated

capital budget for first round likely in Feb (either 14 or 28)

  • Annual Operating Budget - Large shortfall projected for FY 19
info being gathered, schools on parallel path, what is the gap, how can we resolve the gap, Council to ultimately resolve. Insurance numbers come in later

  • Review/update/adopt Fiscal Policies - Budget Committee to review
hasn't been looked at in about 10 years, should be refreshed

  • Continue to ask for OPEB options with state officials
going to be a goal for every year
typically 280,000 from free cash; attempting to add 500,000 per year

  • Determine Sewer rate increase for FY 19
sewer fund balance only $900,000. only a balance of 500K projected and that is too little, sewer plant assessment increased
Charles River assessment, 60% of the cost is Franklin
no money available for sewer in capital funding
possible 10% this july, another 10% next year
approx. $40 this and next; remains to be decided

  • Determine Water rate increase for FY 19
water increase would include treatment plant, haven't gone up in 5 years
  • Explore new revenue options
looking for more grant options, Green Community just came in


Economic Development - I suggest a separate workshop

  • Continue to look at downtown redevelopment
  • MBTA parking Lot
  • Cultural District Marketing Plan
  • Zoning - R-7, C-1, "over 55", inclusionary, lot lines, other zoning issues
above items to be referred to Economic Development Committee
last to Council
still need to attract more business
need to address parking, i.e. deck or something, hence MBTA lot is key piece of the puzzle
solar going in at the Forge Park station; T caught trouble for their lack of communications on the solar planning
what do we do with a friendly 40B, while we are at about 12% if the right project comes along, what do we do

  • Marijuana tax - increase from 2 to 3%
the prior State legislation permitted up to 2, then final rules raised it to 3, we currently have 2 so an increase to 3 before July is needed

expansion of current plant requires new scrubbers to fix existing plant