Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - FY 2019 Budget Hearing #1 - April 17, 2018

Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at 7:00 PM Franklin Town Hall

2^nd Floor Council Chambers

1. Call to Order
2. Public Comments
3. Approval of Minutes
4. FY2019 Budget Presentations:	Dept.	Tab
Veterans	543	Human Services
Council on Aging	541	Human Services
Inspections	240	Public Safety
Health	510/525	Human Services
ZBA	176	General Government
Planning/Conservation	177	General Government
Assessors	141	General Government
Treasurer/Collector	147	General Government
Comptroller	135	General Government
Human Resources	152	General Government
Facilities	192	General Government
Street Lights	424	Public Works
DPW	440	Public Works
Enterprise	450	Enterprise
Tri-County	390	Education
Norfolk Aggie	395	Education
Employee Benefits	910	General Government
Liability Insurance	945	General Government
Debt Service	710/750	General Government
Town Council	111	General Government
Town Administrator	123	General Government
Finance Committee	131	General Government
Legal	151	General Government
Central Services	196	General Government
Animal Control	292	Public Safety
Historical Commission	691	Culture and Recreation
Memorial Day	692	Culture and Recreation
Cultural Council	695	Culture and Recreation
5. Adjournment

Trust Fund Balances Update as of 2/28/18

·         General Stabilization                                     $ 5,062,018

·         Recreation Fields                                                  156,802

·         Traffic Stabilization                                                    6,552

·         Open Space Acquisition                                   1,101,229

·         Budget Stabilization                                          1,848,663

·         Free Cash                                                               727,988

·         Fire Truck Stabilization                                        104,657

·         OPEB                                                                   4,537,521

·         Property Acquisition                                             260,620 

OPEB Obligation as of 6/30/17 (PAYGO):          $  69,295,796

This agenda can be found on the Town of Franklin page
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/finance_committee_agenda_4-17-18_revised.pdf

Finance Committee - FY 2019 Budget Hearing #1 - April 17, 2018

Town Council Recap - 4/11/18

The Town Council meeting held on Wednesday, April 11 was a short session with a juggled agenda. Franklin's State House legislators, Representative Jeff Roy, Senator Karen Spilka and Senator Richard Ross were listed as providing their update to the Council.

Rep Roy was present with Senator Ross in transit and due by 7:30ish with Senator Spilka under the weather and not able to participate this night. The Council Chair juggled the agenda order to cover the other items on the agenda to allow for Ross to arrive.

The remainder of the agenda was dispatched quickly. One gift to the Cultural Council was accepted. The first reading to raise the trash fees from the current rate of $204 to $208 was discussed and moved to a second reading.

The increase of $4 effective July 1, 2018 still leaves the rate under the peak of $244 that was effective in 2009 and 2010. The new single stream system has been working well. The trash receptacles, "totters", are all paid for. Some repairs are made to them as needed. The amount of trash collected has fallen while the amount of recycling has increased.

In the Administrator's update, it was revealed that use of the budget stabilization fund was planned to balance the FY 2019 budget. The budget hearings are scheduled for April 17, 18 and 24 with the Finance Committee. 

The Town Council is scheduled for May 17 and 18 for their budget hearings. Based upon recent experience with the budget hearing process. Residents are better off getting real and valid information from the Finance Committee meetings. The Town Council has done only a cursory reading of the budget with selective holds and minimal discussion.

With the use of the stabilization funds this year, combined with the use of the revolving funds to balance the school side of the budget, the can has been kicked down the road (so to speak) to address the real funding issues for Franklin. If there will be need for an override, the current informational aspects of the Council meetings will need to change.

The Council will need to spend more time sharing valid and appropriate information and less time trying to get the meeting over if they are going to be successful in addressing Franklin's financial needs.

Unable to delay any longer, Rep Roy began his update without Senator Ross. He provided highlights on the collaboration and cooperation among the legislative team and with Franklin's administration, Town Council and School Committee. 

As Roy was finishing, Senator Ross arrived. While catching his breath, Ross checked to see how much Roy had covered and as they revealed a couple of items not covered, those updates were provided. These last updates were interspersed with teasing from the Council Chair and others before finishing with a motion to adjourn.


The official "Actions Taken" document can be found here
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/news/town_council_actions_taken_for_april_11_2018.pdf

My notes recorded live from the meeting can be found here

• live reporting: Town Council - April 11, 2018
• Live reporting: Subcommittee reports, legislation ...
• 
  

Rep Roy highlighted a section of the House budget during his update to the Town Council

FM #143 - Economic Development Subcommittee meeting - 4/11/18 (Audio)

FM #143

This internet radio show or podcast is number 143 in the series for Franklin Matters.

This recording is of the Economic Development Subcommittee meeting that was held on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. The meeting began at about 5:45 PM and commenced with a round of introductions of the folks in the 3rd Floor Training Room. A couple of people did come in after the introductions.

The meeting itself runs about 55 minutes. My notes were captured via Twitter for this meeting and can be found at FranklinMatters.org/

Without further ado, here is the audio recording.




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This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I can use your help.

How can you help?

If you like this, please tell your friends and neighbors.
If you don't like this, please let me know.

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements.
Thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes = search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters on iTunes

The notes for the meeting can be found here

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/04/economic-development-committee-recap.html

FHS Softball says Thank You!

"The FHS softball players would like to thank all those families, friends, coaches and neighbors who came out with their recyclables to support our team."

sign holders

part of the FHS softball team

among the cans collected

Register O'Donnell Promotes Protection Against Real Estate Fraud

	Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
	Register O'Donnell Promotes Protection Against Real Estate Fraud Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell today reminded residents that over 750 homeowners have signed up for the free on-line Consumer Notification Service offered by the Registry to protect Norfolk County property owners against fraud. "The Federal Bureau of Investigation, (F.B.I.) continues to assign resources to combat property and mortgage fraud. Multiple jurisdictions across the country have reported individuals recording fraudulent documents and making it appear like they own another person's home or property. While we have been fortunate that this problem has not revealed itself here in Norfolk County, I want to make sure my office is proactively and vigorously protecting consumers," noted Register O'Donnell. Any owner of real property in the twenty-eight communities comprising Norfolk County can sign-up for the Consumer Notification Service free of charge by doing the following: Go to the Registry's website, www.norfolkdeeds.org, and click on the Consumer Notification Service Get Consumer "Alerts" button to complete the initial registration. From there, follow the remaining sign-up instructions. Once you have signed up for the service, each subscriber will be able to input two names, individual or business, and the corresponding city or town in Norfolk County for monitoring. They can monitor their real estate for such activities as changes in deeds, mortgages, mortgage discharges, non-mortgage liens, Homesteads or other land documents that might be recorded against the property. O'Donnell stated, "This is an easy process to sign-up for and will only take a few minutes of your time. This program will not prevent the fraud but it will allow residents to find out about it in order to address the fraud quickly." If a document is recorded against one of the names inputted for monitoring, the subscriber will be alerted via email, usually within 24 hours. The person can check the Registry's on-line land research records at www.norfolkdeeds.org as an option. If a subscriber believes a fraudulent land record has been recorded against their property, they should then immediately contact the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center at (781) 461-6101. After talking with a Registry employee, the subscriber will be given a list of public safety referrals by the Registry. Register O'Donnell concluded, "The core mission of the Registry of Deeds is to record land documents in a secure, accurate and accessible manner. As your Register, I also want to be proactive in minimizing the potential for fraudulent activity related to land document recordings. The Consumer Notification Service provides a level of protection to the program's subscribers against unscrupulous individuals who would attempt to commit real estate fraud. I urge people to sign up for this program." To learn more about these and other Registry of Deeds events and initiatives, like us at facebook.com/NorfolkDeeds or follow us on twitter.com/NorfolkDeeds and instagram.com/NorfolkDeeds. The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street, Dedham. The Registry is a resource for homeowners, title examiners, mortgage lenders, municipalities and others with a need for secure, accurate, accessible land record information. All land record research information can be found on the Registry's website at www.norfolkdeeds.org. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center at (781) 461-6101, or email us at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org. Register William P. O'Donnell Norfolk County Registry of Deeds email: registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org phone: 781-234-3336 web: http://www.norfolkdeeds.org

Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, 649 High Street, Dedham,, MA 02026-1831 Sent by registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org in collaboration with Try it free today

Register O'Donnell Promotes Protection Against Real Estate Fraud

School Committee Recap - April 10, 2018

This is the summary of the School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, April 10, 2018.

Acknowledgement of the tragic passing of FHS senior Jack Sewell and support for students available.

Work on the high school field concession stand will begin soon and appropriate preparation are being taken to minimize disruption. Superintendent Ahern distributed a letter to the community later in the week and that letter was shared here.
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/04/franklin-public-schools-concession.html  

Superintendent Ahern's report to the community can be found online
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fk6ZJwGggl1juIOdMYAxI4a_OdBXWbYM/view?usp=sharing

In the Discussion - Action section of the meeting, the School Committee formally approved the budget for Fiscal Year 2019. The budget is scheduled for review by the Finance Committee (6:00 PM - Apr 24) before going to the Town Council for their cursory hearings and vote.

Dr Joyce Edwards presented an update on STEM and digital learning. The presentation copy is shared here. Photos of the presentation pages can be found on the live reported notes below.

STEM and Digital Update 04/10/18 from Franklin Matters

An update on School Safety was presented. Franklin Police Sgt. Mark Manocchio joined Peter light and Sara Ahern for this presentation and discussion. The presentation and discussion focus on the overall process. It was (as most security discussions are right to be) light on details. The coordination and collaboration of the many parties is good. They also conduct a review and make adjustments after each incident. This is as much as can reasonably be expected for a public forum. Revealing more than this is not a good practice.

(Note: the safety presentation has not yet been made available on the Schools webpage. I did capture photos of each page and they can be viewed in the School safety link below)

My notes reported live during the meeting can be found here:

• Live Reporting: Consent Agenda through to Closing
• Live Reporting: Discussion - Action Items
• Live Reporting: School Safety Update
• Live Reporting: Stem and Digital Learning
• Live Reporting: School Committee - April 10, 2018

Dr Joyce Edwards presented an update on STEM and digital learning

Economic Development Committee Recap - 04/11/18

A collection via Storify of the Twitter posts during the Economic Development subcommittee  meeting held in the 3rd Floor Training Room of the Municipal Building on April 11, 2018

Be sure to scroll within the Storify widget to view all the posts.https://storify.com/shersteve/economic-development-committee-recap-04-11-18

The agenda document can be found on the Town of Franklin page
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/edc_meeting_4-11-18.pdf

The audio recording for this meeting is also available here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/04/fm-143-economic-development.html

Mr. K's 5K Color Fun Run - May 19 => Race Canceled - confirmed 5/17/18

Mr. K's 5K Color Fun Run will be held on May 19 at 9 AM at Franklin High School.

For registration follow this link:


Race Canceled - confirmed 5/17/18

https://twitter.com/FranklinHS/status/981151776635269120

"the hop-on, hop-off scheduled trains ticket"

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

"Digital signs across the region warn drivers about detours for the Boston Marathon starting early Monday morning. But state officials have several tips on how to get around either by car or rails on Patriot’s Day. 

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is encouraging travelers to use its real-time tools to find travel times between specific destinations. 

“We encourage all members of the public to think about their trips and about events such as the Boston Marathon which may impact how people will get to their destinations,” said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver in a press release. 

The MBTA is offering a special $20 all-day commemorative Marathon ticket on the Framingham/Worcester line, which allows spectators to get on and off all day at station stops close to the Boston Marathon route, according to the release. The trains will operate on a regular weekday schedule on April 16, with some additional trains to support crowds."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180414/tips-on-how-to-get-around-on-marathon-monday

Check out the MBTA/Keolis Marathon viewing map to stake out your stop

For more info from the MBTA https://www.mbta.com/destinations/boston-marathon

Support SEPAC and have a laugh or two - Annual SEPAC Comedy Show - May 4

SAVE THE DATE for The Annual SEPAC Comedy Show on Friday, May 4 at the 
Showcase Live, Patriot Place, Foxboro

The Annual SEPAC Comedy Show - May 4

It is that time of year again!! The 8th Annual Comedy show to benefit Franklin SEPAC is being held on Friday, May 4 at Showcase Live, Patriot Place. 

Enjoy good food, drinks, lots of laughs, and chances to take home fabulous items through the silent auction, food frenzy and raffle. 

All proceeds raised will fund SEPAC’s speakers and social events. Tickets are on sale now on our website: www.franklinsepac.org!! 

If you cannot attend but would like to contribute, we welcome any and all donations. 

Please email us at franklinsepac@gmail.com with any questions.
Hope you can make it!!

Franklin Public Schools: Concession Stand At FHS

Dear Franklin School Community,

A group of very generous community members, led by Mr. Mike Socci, have donated time, money, labor, and materials to construct a new concession stand at the location of the current concession trailer at Pisini Field at Franklin High School. This project received School Committee approval in December, pending sufficient funding. Significant fundraising efforts have yielded the necessary funds and the project is moving forward, beginning over April vacation.

We are very excited about this project. The current trailer will be replaced at the current location with a new building with improvements in the kitchen for serving concessions at events. Additionally, the facility will include bathroom facilities. We are very grateful for the generous donations.

Within the next few weeks, community members can expect to see materials being removed from the trailer, its demolition, and the construction of a fence around the construction area.

Construction will continue this spring, with some small projects occurring on weekends, when school is not in session. The majority of the work, however, will be completed over the summer, after school gets out. We anticipate that this will have little impact on our school or our summer programming.

All workers, as we do with every construction project, will have verified CORI checks for safety.

Please contact the Superintendent's office, if you have any questions.

Have a safe and restful April vacation.

Sincerely,
Franklin Public Schools

The GoFundMe page is still active
https://www.gofundme.com/z35a8n-support-pisini-field-franklin-ma

More about the proposed renovations
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/12/support-pisini-field-franklin-ma.html

Leofanti no-hitter leads FHS over Milford 4-0

Via HockomockSports and Twitter we share the results of the FHS spring sports action on Thursday, April 12, 2018.


Baseball = Milford, 0 @ Franklin, 4 – Final
– Franklin senior James Leofanti dazzled in his season debut on the mound, throwing a no-hitter to lead the Panthers to a win over visiting Milford. Leofanti struck out eight while allowing just two walks to earn the win. Senior Colby Fitzgibbons made a terrific diving play in the sixth inning at second to help preserve the no-hitter. Offensively, Franklin scored two runs in the bottom of the first and added two more in the fifth inning. Junior Alex Haba went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, Scott Elliott walked twice and scored once, and JB Flores went 1-for-2 with two RBI. Milford sophomore Colby Pires kept the Panthers without a hit for four innings. He finished with three hits allowed, three earned runs, two strikeouts, and eight walks.

Girls Lacrosse = Franklin, 8 @ Westwood, 13 – Final

For other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/fridays-schedule-scoreboard-04-13-18/

Franklin 4 Milford 0. Sr. James Leofanti throws a no-hitter (7inn, 8 K’s & 2BB). Special day for a hardworking young man. Sr. Colby Fitzgibbons makes a huge defensive play to preserve the no-hitter in the 6th. Next up: Franklin @ Walpole on Wed. April 18th @ 11:00am. pic.twitter.com/LRyQ5vubzi

— FHS Baseball (@FHSCoachZBrown) April 14, 2018

James Leofanti throws the game of his life, pitching a no-hitter to lead the @FHSSports baseball team past @HawkNationAD, by @kstone06 https://t.co/fRPARvpKdk

— Daily News Sports (@MetroWestSports) April 14, 2018

We lost a tough one to Westwood, but also became a better team. We are back to work next Friday. #OnToVacation

— John Leighton (@FHSJVGLAX) April 13, 2018

Franklin fighting back making some big plays on offense 8-6

— FHSGLAX Boosters (@FHSGLAXboosters) April 13, 2018

FHS Panthers