Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - FY 2019 Budget Hearing #2 - April 18, 2018

Wednesday, April 18, 2018 

at 7:00 PM 

Franklin Town Hall

2^nd Floor Council Chambers

	AGENDA
1.    Call to Order 2.    Public Comments 3.    Approval of Minutes 4.    FY2019 Budget Presentations:	Dept.	Tab
Recreation	630	Culture and Recreation
Library	610	Culture and Recreation
Town Clerk	161	General Government
Elections	164	General Government
Fire	220	Public Safety
Police	210	Public Safety
Dispatch	225	Public Safety

This was shared from the Town of Franklin page
http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/finance_committee_agenda_4-18-18_revised.pdf

The Town of Franklin Budget page  http://www.franklinma.gov/town-budget

Franklin, MA: Finance Committee - FY 2019 Budget Hearing #2 - April 18, 2018

Franklin resident struggles with Lyme disease. Can you help?

Jackson (Jack) Montgomery is young man from Franklin who has been fighting a battle with Lyme disease. A GoFundMe page has been created to help with the costs of this fight for health. The article  linked below provides additional details about his diagnosis, medical care to date, and the deep debt incurred by his parents to provide medical care. 

Jack's family has recently identified a new course of treatment that could provide a significant improvement in his quality of life; however the cost is quite significant. And you can help!

https://www.gofundme.com/jmontgomery

"Despite his illness, Jack has persevered academically. He is one of the hardest working individuals you could imagine. This affable young man is adored by his peers; and their parents too! Jack graduated from Franklin High last year and has an impressive academic and leadership record:

• 4.0 GPA weighted
• 4 Year Active Peer leader, headed committees
• 3 year class representative in student government
• President of French National Honor Society
• 3 Year peer mentor
• 3 Year worker of freshman high school experience
• 5 AP classes

Every donation helps get Jack closer to the treatment he needs."

https://www.gofundme.com/jmontgomery

Franklin resident struggles with Lyme disease. Can you help?

Review of Town Council Procedures - Apr 18 - 6:00 PM

The Town Council subcommittee looking to update the procedures that govern a Town Council meeting are scheduled to meet Wednesday, April 18 at 6:00 PM

The current procedure document marked up with the proposed changes can be found online and copied here for convenience

http://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/agendas/review_of_town_council_procedures_committee_meeting_4-18-18.pdf

or  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1N_eoieiXhFWPiaSSLtWo_01VDTXmLRA0

Review of Town Council Procedures - Apr 18 - 6:00 PM

Franklin Newcomers and Friends to host Jeff Nutting May 2

The Franklin Newcomers and Friends Club will host Franklin Town Administrator Jeff Nutting as our speaker. He'll update us on what's going on in town and he'll answer your questions. This is always one of our most popular meetings as it's very informative. Please join us for our monthly meeting at 7:30 PM, Wednesday, May 2 at Restaurant "3". To accommodate our speaker, we're meeting a week earlier than usual.

We invite any resident of Franklin, or a surrounding town that doesn't have a Newcomers Club, to join us at "3" Restaurant, 461 West Central Street, Franklin. Complimentary appetizers and beverages are provided and a cash bar is available. This is our last regular meeting of our calendar year.

We typically hold our meetings the 2nd Wednesday of the month, September through May. Additionally, we hold many fun and varied events to stay connected throughout the year. Look for us on Meetup.com, Facebook and our website, www.franklinnewcomers.com, to see what events we have coming up.

Franklin Newcomers and Friends to host Jeff Nutting May 2

Franklin Library - "Creature Teachers" and "Minute to Win It"

Two programs are scheduled for the Franklin Library today. Creature Teachers at 10:30 AM and Minute to Win it at 1:00 PM

Franklin Library - "Creature Teachers"

Franklin Library - "Minute to Win It"

This was shared from the Franklin Library posting on the programs for April school vacation week
https://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2018/04/april-vacation-programs-at-franklin.html

In the News: Jones to Haiti again; comfort care and 'conversation project'

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

"As a member of the town council, Glenn Jones is among those who seeks to help out his community. 

This week, he spreading that wealth of community service to another community, more than 1,000 miles away in Haiti, considered to be the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Accompanying him is another generation of community servants: His 17-year-old daughter, Jillian. 

Members of the New England Chapel, the Joneses have been on prior missions, but not together. Jillian, a junior at Franklin High School, went on a Mustard Seeds mission trip to Jamaica last year. 

As for Glenn Jones, Haiti has become a familiar place. It’s his third trip back and he has become such a familiar figure to the people from his past trips that he’s earned the nickname “Dig Dig” -- “because the first time we went all we did was dig.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180416/franklin-councilor-daughter-in-haiti-on-mission-trip

"As she nears death at age 92, former first lady Barbara Bush’s announcement that she is seeking “comfort care” is shining a light — and stirring debate — on what it means to stop trying to fight terminal illness. 

Bush, the wife of former President George H.W. Bush, has been suffering from congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to family spokesman Jim McGrath. 

In a public statement Sunday, the family announced she has decided “not to seek additional medical treatment and will focus on comfort care.” 

The announcement comes amid a national effort to define and document patients’ wishes, and consider alternatives, before they are placed on what has been described as a “conveyor belt” of costly medical interventions aimed at prolonging life."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20180416/barbara-bushs-end-of-life-decision-stirs-debate-over-comfort-care

The Conversation Project can be found online  https://theconversationproject.org/

The conversation starter kit will lead a couple through the conversation about end of life planning  https://theconversationproject.org/starter-kits/

The Conversation Project

“The camp has meant so much to all of us, we want the next generation to have the same experiences we had”

The Franklin radar turns up this article about renovations at the Armenian Youth Federation Camp Haiastan located on Summer St in Franklin.

"Thanks to the generosity and dedication of Mr. Gregory Arabian of Belmont, Mass. and the Rafaelian-Caruolo family of Cranston, R.I., AYF Camp Haiastan is set to embark on yet another significant infrastructure upgrade this spring. Three major projects have been already completed in the past three years: a new camp-wide septic system, a new water well, and most recently, a new shower and bath facility. 

Arabian is increasing his commitment to the Armenian Cause by donating $250,000 to renovate and add a second floor to our aging Director’s Quarters in Franklin. This dramatic transformation will allow our summer directors to live in enhanced quarters on the second floor with increased privacy and a second bedroom while adding four bedrooms on the first floor for semi-private accommodations for head counselors, assistant directors, guests and more. This donation was spurred by the love felt by Attorney Arabian during his numerous visits to AYF Camp Haiastan while executing the wishes of Neshon Hagopian as the executor of Mr. Hagopian’s Estate. 

“I have decided that this is how I wish my legacy to be,” Arabian said, while pointing to the 50-plus-year-old building. “I like what you are doing here.”

Continue reading about the renovations at Camp Haiastan in Franklin
https://armenianweekly.com/2018/04/12/its-happening-at-camp-haiastan/

AYF Camp Haiastan

Related posts from the archives

Robert Megerdichian's gave a talk at the Franklin Historical Museum on Sunday, October 2, 2016. His connection to Franklin was through his father's work building the camp.

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/08/franklin-historical-museum-to-host.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/10/the-box-tagged-in-armenian-these-are.html

In the News: Color run at FHS; 'cone of uncertainty' to be reduced

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

"The high school’s students are making color of a dark situation with year’s second annual Mr. K’s Color Run. 

Proceeds from the May 19 5-kilometer race will be put into a scholarship fund named after late physics teacher Keiichi Kitanosono. The recipient will be chosen by the science department. 

Born in Japan and educated in the United States, Kitanosono was early into his second year of teaching in 2016. William Bobrowsky, the head of the science department, said that on Nov. 9, 2016, the 25-year-old Kitanosono failed to show up for work. It was later announced that he had died unexpectedly."

Race Canceled - confirmed 5/17/18
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20180417/franklin-high-color-run-to-honor-late-teacher

"The National Hurricane Center plans to shrink the dreaded “cone of uncertainty” during the upcoming season based on an improving forecast record. 

The Miami-based center made the announcement Monday, along with a series of other changes intended to improve how hurricane forecasters convey warnings to the public. Along with the shrinking cone, forecasters will extend advisories, which include warnings and watches, to 72 hours in advance of a storm, providing a full additional day to prepare. Experimental graphics used last year to depict arrival times for dangerous winds will also become a permanent addition to forecasts. 

“The changes are to improve information contained in the hurricane center products and to provide it in maybe easier to understand formats,” said Dan Brown, a senior hurricane specialist in charge of warning coordination. 

The forecast cone has long been a fixture of the hurricane forecasts but frequently debated because the public tends to focus on the center track, ignoring dangerous winds and other hazards that can extend for many more miles."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20180416/dreaded-cone-of-uncertainty-will-shrink-for-coming-hurricane-season

Additional details on the forecast changes for hurricane season can be found online
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/news/NHC_new_products_and_services_2018_FINAL.pdf

The National Hurricane Center can be found https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

The primary graphic displays the “earliest reasonable” arrival time

AVAILABLE - 96 Grey Wolf Drive - Over age 55 Housing

"Meadowbrook Heights is located on Grey Wolf Drive in Franklin, Massachusetts 02038. The unit for sale is 96 Grey Wolf Drive. The unit is an affordable housing opportunity through the Local Initiative Program (LIP) and will be sold to first-time homebuyers with incomes at or below 80% of the area median income. The resale price for 96 Grey Wolf Drive is $178,241. 

Deadline for applications is May 14, 2018 at 4:00 pm. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. This unit is available 1st Come, 1st Serve unless more than one eligible purchaser is found, then a lottery will be held. 

The unit includes two bedrooms, 2 ½ bathrooms, central air conditioning, refrigerator, stove/oven, microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal and a one car garage. 

96 Grey Wolf Drive is subject to a deed restriction that will be recorded with the mortgage and deed. The restriction limits the amount that the home can be resold for or refinanced for and requires that it be resold to another affordable buyer. The deed restriction is in perpetuity."

Additional information can be found on the Town of Franklin page
http://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/available-96-grey-wolf-drive-over-age-55-housing

Additional details
https://drive.google.com/open?id=18a_iH0sAeiSZxW2SWB8GUi72LzBD-0JR

Age restriction application
https://drive.google.com/open?id=18nyZNyT8ximHpCvv0oAuMknTYNfyeUCk

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