Franklin Annual Report - 2018: Department of Public Works

The Department of Public Works provides a wide range of services to the residents of Franklin. It is organized into seven (7) Divisions:
1. Administration
2. Engineering
3. Highway and Grounds (including Highway Maintenance and Construction, Central Motors, Snow & Ice Control, Parks, Town and School Grounds Maintenance and Forestry/Insect Control)
4. Water (including ground water withdrawals, water treatment and distribution)
5. Sewer
6. Solid Waste and Recycling (including the operation of the Beaver St. Recycling Center)
7. Street Lighting

DPW ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
The major functions of the Administrative Division includes developing capital projects, long range planning, intergovernmental relations and compliance, grant writing, processing various private construction permits, drain layer licenses, purchasing, budgeting, accounting and payroll, and multiple forms of utility billing.

Capital Projects
The Administrative Division, in conjunction with Engineering and the operating divisions, develop major capital projects.

The DPW continues to design and construct long-range projects over the next three to four years. Progress on specific capital construction projects is outlined in subsequent portions of this report. It is important to note that many of these projects are performed by existing staff members and saves significant amounts of money by avoiding the need to contract out these services. The process of planning, designing, permitting and oversight of these projects is an arduous task that requires a great level of coordination and cooperation between DPW divisions and other state, municipal and federal departments.

Grant Writing
The Town received a grant of $124,000 to improve stormwater infiltration at various locations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Mass DEP to look at approaches for Franklin, Medway and Milford to work together to meet the permit requirements and save money. The Town partnered with the Great American Rain Barrel Company to offer the discounted purchase of rain barrels to Franklin residents. Along with the discount, residents were eligible to receive a $50 rebate through the water conservation rebate grant.

Permits and Long Range Planning
The Town of Franklin also continues to oppose the implementation of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II and pending Phase II Stormwater Permit for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) as required by the EPA. Phase II required the Town to highly regulate and monitor stormwater throughout the Town at a significantly increased cost. Phase II is projected to include increased regulatory requirements and cost even more. The Department will continue to refine and improve adopted regulations and practices to improve the stormwater in Franklin while minimizing the associated costs.

The Town of Franklin led a coalition of 16 other communities and challenged EPA in Federal Court. Over the last year, the Town of Franklin has been in mediation as directed by the Federal Court to try and work out disagreements and costs associated with the new MS4 stormwater permit.

Long range planning is critical in the area of Public Works and must be accomplished consistently in order to ensure that the Town water, sewer and roadway infrastructure can support the needs of our residents. With the success of the 20/20 Plan, the Town Council authorized additional funding for waterline replacement and the improvement of roadways. Details on specific locations can be found in other parts of this report. 

With that funding already allocated, the Town Council continued with additional funding for the waterline replacement and road reconstruction of the Northgate Rd neighborhood, Cleveland Ave neighborhood, Cottage St area, Squire St areas, sections of Maple St, Ruggles St area, sections of Partridge & Elm Streets, Skyline Dr. neighborhood, Oak St Extension, Marvin Ave area and the Stanford Rd area. With the completion of the above mentioned projects we are looking at the next major waterlines and neighborhoods to be rehabilitated.

The DPW has continued to work with both the DEP and the Massachusetts Department of Recreation and Conservation to facilitate the final closing and capping of the Beaver Street Landfill Site.

The Town of Franklin has continued to work with other area Towns and conservation groups towards insuring that regional water supplies are protected.

Solid Waste and Recycling Collection Program
The single stream automated solid waste and recycling program continues to be a very successful program in reducing costs, improving recycling rates and providing greater convenience for users. Additional landscaping improvements have been made to the Beaver St. Recycling Center to make the facility more attractive and customer friendly.

Hails and Farewells
Mr. “Buddy” Lowell, a long time dedicated employee who worked for the Water/ Sewer Department retired last year. He was an extremely valuable member of our team and will be missed! Ms. Amy Blakesley from our Admin Dept and Mr Joshua Shaw from our Highway Dept moved on to pursue new positions. With losses there are also gains! 

The DPW was able to hire some new employees. These included: Ms. Roseanne Szczepanowksi in the Administration Dept., Mr. Kevin Parslow and Mr Loretto Gobbi in the Highway Dept., Mr. James Henchy in the Park & Tree Dept., and Mr. Charles Woodman in the Water Dept.

Thanks
As the Director, I owe many thanks to my entire staff as they make this whole department work and serve all residents in a timely manner. Everyone is committed to providing extraordinary service to the Town in the most cost-effective manner possible.

The Town Engineer Mr. Mike Maglio, Budget & Administration Manager Ms. Kathy Mooradd, Director of Operations Mr. Deacon Perrotta, Highway and Grounds Superintendent Mr. Carlos Rebelo, Water and Sewer Superintendent Laurie Ruszala, Assistant Town Engineer Jay Mello and GIS Coordinator Kate Sjoberg are all dedicated professionals that put in so much extra time and effort to make this Department a success. The Town and I are very fortunate to have such talented individuals to work with.

I would also like to thank, Paula Juarez, Pam Vickery, Lynne Marchand, Jamie Sharpe and Roseanne Szczepanowski who support the Administration Division. These individuals respond quickly and with courtesy to thousands of requests for assistance and information throughout the year. Continued thanks go to Mr. Christopher White, the Town’s Solid Waste Coordinator. Even though his position is a part time one, he gives his heart and soul and spends much of his personal time to insure that the solid waste and recycling program is a success.

Ms. Jen Gouthro has done a wonderful job at the Beaver Street Recycling Center.

I would especially like to thank the “Crew” and the mechanics that work out of the DPW garage. These are the gentlemen that are not always seen, but provide the day-to-day services that are all too often taken for granted. They pump, treat and deliver safe drinking water; they care for parks and ball fields, and they maintain the roadways, repair and sustain all Town and school vehicles and handle all our waste. 

They are always available, day and night, and work long hours to assist in any emergency situation whether it is snow removal, water breaks, sewer backups, wind, lightning storms and flooding, among many others. They are all extremely professional and dedicated to their jobs. I cannot thank them enough.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert A. Cantoreggi II
Director of Public Works

Kathy Mooradd
Budget & Admin Manager
“Gettin’ It Done”



There are additional details in the DPW that cover the 7 sections of the overall operations that were too long to copy here yet well worth reading. I recommend getting a print copy of the report or viewing the PDF to continue reading about all the DPW accomplishes. (page 140 of the print, page 151 of the PDF)

You can read the full Annual Report for 2018 online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/franklin_2018_town_report.pdf

The archive of prior year annual reports
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

Franklin Annual Report - 2018: Department of Public Works

Harvest Festival - 2013

The Festival got off to a decent start in 2013 but then the downpour came and that washed the remainder away. There'll be another year!





Or go directly to Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157636268013466/


The lollipop garden was installed at the Sculpture Park and remained there for quite some time in the weather. Alas, they are no gone to wherever lollipops go when their color has ended.

The lollipop garden was located on the ground to the left of the rainbow arches

On this date: Mar 3, 2008: School Committee budget issues (Deja Vu?)

Stepping back into the archives for March 3, 2008 we find a recap of the School Committee meeting with a budget discussion. Deja Vu? 

The School Budget this year is looking for a 6% increase or $3.8M dollars. In round numbers that is more than the 2.5% or $2.5M increase Franklin automatically gets each year. Will this be a challenging budget year? Jeff Nutting and others have said so before. Last year and multiple times this year.

March 13 will be a joint Town Council, School Committee and Finance Committee meeting. This session is likely to shed the most light on what we can look for with this budget cycle.

What was the budget issues for the School Committee in 2008?
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2008/03/recap-of-school-budget-situation.html

What are the budget issues for the School Committee this year (FY 2020)? The Superintendent's proposed budget was presented here (Jan 22, 2019)
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/01/school-committee-hears-superintendents.html

The real issues will be revealed as the discussion continues during this budget cycle. Stay tuned.

Goodman and Ahern presenting the FY 2020 budget

Happy birthday - Franklin!

On March 2, 1778 Franklin came into being. It was incorporated as a town and remained a small town for many, many years. Then in the 1980's and 1990's the population growth hit great numbers. Entire farms disappeared into residential developments and the population has now settled around 30,000. Franklin operates as a city form of government but we still call ourselves "The Town of Franklin."

Jamie Barrett recorded and posted to YouTube the song he composed for Franklin: "The City that calls itself the Town of Franklin". 






And another version

Franklin Annual Report - 2018: Police Department

I hereby submit the Annual Report of the Franklin Police Department.

This past year, the agency has been working diligently to accomplish the goals we set for FY18 and create new goals for FY19. Many of our previous and current initiatives are familiar and have been discussed in past annual reports as they are multi-year projects due to the complexity involved in their implementation.

In September, the Franklin Police Department joined the One Mind Campaign of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). This campaign requires the department to adopt a policy on serving the mentally ill, establishing a formal relationship with a mental health service provider, training every officer in “mental health first aid” (8 hour training), and training 20% of the department in Crisis Intervention Team protocols (40 hour training). The campaign is designed to provide agencies with the training and tools necessary to better serve the mentally ill. The IACP provides three years to complete the 4 goals. The FPD anticipates completing the project by the end of 2019.

In January, 2018, the FPD in collaboration with the Medway Police Department applied for and was subsequently granted a Jail-Diversion grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Law enforcement based jail diversion programs seek to redirect individuals with behavioral health disorders from the criminal justice system into treatment when appropriate and safe to do so at the point prior to arrest. In addition these programs seek to enhance public safety by identifying strategies that can be safe and effective in handling acute situations in which police are called regarding a person who is in an emotional crisis. The grant will provide the hiring of a full-time (40 hours) mental health clinician who will work directly with patrol division personnel to evaluate and recommend alternatives to arrest during incidents. The agency looks forward to implementing this program in the fall of 2018. The FPD continues to pursue certification and eventual accreditation through the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission.

Accreditation/certification is a self-initiated evaluation process by which police departments strive to meet and maintain standards that have been established for the profession, by the profession. These carefully selected standards reflect critical areas of police management, operations and technical support activities. They cover areas such as policy development, emergency response planning, training, communications, property and evidence handling, use of force, vehicular pursuit, prisoner transportation, and holding facilities. The program not only sets standards for the law enforcement profession, but also for the delivery of police services to citizens. Members of the Accreditation Team have been working very hard and I’m pleased to announce the FPD will achieve certification within the next 3-6 months.

Franklin had 48 overdose incidents reported in 2017, four of which were fatal. In 2016 there had been 58 overdose incidents reported with nine fatalities. In 2015 there were 42 overdose incidents reported with four fatalities. The FPD continues to collaborate with the SAFE Coalition and other partners in our efforts to provide those suffering from substance use disorders with resources, referrals, assistance and support in their efforts to get well.

Another major development we continue to prepare for is the department’s inclusion in a regional communications initiative known as the Metacomet Emergency Communications Center (MECC). The MECC will provide dispatch and other communications services to eight public safety agencies to include the police and fire departments of Franklin, Wrentham, Norfolk and Plainville. Needless to say, this will be a significant change in our current operations. We are working hard to prepare the department for this change and to ensure that service delivery and customer service are positively impacted by this initiative. The MECC is projected to open and begin providing services in the spring of 2019.

In December, 2016 the department created a Domestic Violence Coordinating Unit to provide follow-up and specialized services to victims of domestic violence and other family related issues in an effort to break the cycle of violence. The unit conducted 207 follow-ups during FY18 and I’m pleased to announce the feedback we have received from victims has been nothing but amazing.

IN RETIRMENT:
The Franklin Police Department had four veteran officers retire in the past year.

In March of this year, Officer Brian Chandler retired after faithfully serving the town of Franklin for 22 years. Brian started with the department in 1996 and served with the Patrol Division throughout his career. Affectionately known as BING, after the character on the TV show FRIENDS, Brian was always known for his warm smile and good natured laugh around the station.

In July we said goodbye to Officer Robert Burchill. Officer Burchill started his career with the Franklin Police Department in 1985 as a police dispatcher, and was promoted to patrol officer in 1986 and attended the police academy. We thank him for his 33 years of dedicated service to the Town of Franklin.

Officer Paul Fiorio, Known to more people around Franklin as “Hoofy”, than any other name, has unconditionally served the Town for 34 years. A larger than life presence, and a heart as big as they come, Paul has touched the lives of so many in this community.

Most recently Detective Michael Kenney retired after 27 years of service to the Town. Detective Kenney started as the Parking Control Officer in 1991, started the police academy in 1992 which led to a career that allowed him to be a patrol officer, traffic enforcement officer and then Detective.

We wish all of these officers the very best, health, happiness and prosperity in their next chapter. We hope that they will stop in from time to time to let us know how they are doing. You are always welcome at the FPD!

If you have a question, concern or wish to speak to me, please do not hesitate to call my office at 508-440-2710. I encourage you to call and look forward to speaking with you.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Franklin, town officials, especially Town Administrator Jeff Nutting, Deputy Town Administrator Jamie Hellen and members of the Town Council for their support of the FPD during this past year.

In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge the tireless effort and dedication of the men and woman of the Franklin Police Department. Our employees are the only reason we are able to continually succeed in providing excellent and professional law enforcement and community related services to you. They are the embodiment of “doing more with less” and have been doing so for years. I’m very proud of the men and woman of the Franklin Police Department and I know you are also.

Respectfully submitted,
Thomas J. Lynch, Chief of Police



Chief Lynch also includes some tables with information on the department's operations that were not easily copied here. I recommend getting a print copy or viewing the PDF to continue reading the information there. (page 133 print copy, page 144 PDF copy)

You can read the full Annual Report for 2018 online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/franklin_2018_town_report.pdf

The archive of prior year annual reports
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

Franklin Police Department retirees were recognized at a Town Council meeting 

Memorial Day Parade - 2013

Photos of the groups and organizations marching in the parade in Franklin, MA on May 27, 2013



or go directly to Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157633750786968/

On this date: Mar 2, 2018: Community Calendar

Stepping back into the archives for March 2, 2018 I find one of our regular features, the weekly outlook. The weekly outlook is posted Friday morning and shares the scheduled events through the following Thursday.

The Community Calendar was developed as a collaborative effort to help with the Cultural District application. Franklin is now one of 46 communities designated with a "cultural district". 

Many organizations with a Google calendar have integrated directly into the calendar. They can enter an event in their calendar and it appears magically on the Community Calendar. If an organization doesn't have a Google calendar, there is a form to request an entry to the calendar. This form is also open to anyone with an event to share for the community.

To submit an event for this Community Calendar, please use this formhttps://goo.gl/forms/7Pr1iBuAiIna7cUo2  (one entry will get your event visible on all three views of the Community Calendar)

If your organization or business would like to integrate with the community calendar, please contact me. If your organization would like to set up a Google calendar and integrate, that is good; if you need help, let me know.

The March 2, 2018 schedule outlook
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/03/upcoming-events-in-franklin-ma-fri-3218.html

Community Calendar

Franklin Annual Report - 2018: Department of Planning & Community Development

The Department of Planning & Community Development (DPCD) maintains a professional staff that provides the Town of Franklin with a wide array of planning services. DPCD’s mission is to plan and implement comprehensive policies and initiatives that work to fulfill the land use-related goals of the people of Franklin. We make every effort to maintain the character of the community while enhancing its economic, cultural and social vitality.

The DPCD’s staffing reflects the diverse skills needed to complete the many activities and roles the Department participates. DPCD’s activities and services include, but are not limited to comprehensive planning, economic development, subdivision plan, site plan and conservation plan review, open space and wetlands preservation, historic preservation, zoning by-law and subdivision regulation development, downtown revitalization, brownfields redevelopment, affordable housing, public transportation, transit oriented development, and sustainable development including use of smart growth and low impact development concepts. The Department regularly identifies and sources funding for various community development projects and activities. DPCD balances its approach to these initiatives through long-term planning and public participation.

Support of Town Boards, Commissions and Committees
DPCD personnel provide staff support to several boards, commissions and committees, including the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, Design Review Commission, Technical Review Committee, and the Cultural District Committee.

Approximately 65 percent of the Department’s total staff hours are utilized on Planning Board and Conservation Commission related issues. In addition, DPCD staff occasionally provides professional technical assistance to other public entities including Town Council, Zoning Board of Appeals, Town Council’s Economic Development Sub-committee, and various ad hoc committees including the Town’s Master Plan Committee.

Site Permitting and Guidance
DPCD is not a permit granting authority; its function during the permitting process is to integrate laws, regulations and plans with the Town’s goals to ensure that the best interests of the Town and its residents are served. DPCD personnel organize and attend meetings, provide technical assistance, offer professional opinions, and guide developers, businesses and residents through the Town’s various permitting processes.

Conservation and Land Use
DPCD provides support to the Conservation Commission, as provided by MGL Chapter 131, Section 40. Conservation Staff, specifically the Town’s Conservation Agent, is responsible for speaking for the Conservation Commission when they are not present (see separate Conservation Commission Report). Although not a permit authority, the Conservation Agent does have limited police powers to regulate already approved Conservation Commission activities, stop unauthorized activities, and promote and protect the natural resources of Franklin and its wetlands, streams, brooks, ponds, lakes and watersheds. In addition, Conservation staff provides administrative support and reviews applications being presented to the Conservation Commission, as well as provides professional support to other Town Boards and Departments. During FY19 DPCD worked on various conservation and land use related projects.

Chapter 61 Properties.
During FY17 and FY18 DPCD staff, headed up by Conservation Agent George Russell, assessed privately-owned parcels within Franklin that are known as Chapter 61 parcels.
Chapters 61, 61A and 61B of Massachusetts General Law outline programs that require municipalities to reduce assessments of farm, forest and open space lands, provided the owners make a commitment to keep their lands in one or more of those uses. Should the owner of any of these parcels decide to remove them from their current tax status and offer them for sale, the town would have the right of first refusal. The parcels were evaluated in order to gain a greater understanding of which may be more prudent for the town to acquire, and to ensure that the Town gains the greatest benefit from its open space and recreation funds by objectively reviewing proposed land acquisition projects using established criteria.

Conservation Commission Managed Land.
During FY18, DPCD staff, again headed up by Conservation Agent George Russell, assessed the 125 Town-owned properties that are managed by the Conservation Commission. One result of the study was to identify parcels that could be utilized for passive recreation purposes, including the possibility of connecting Conservation properties with other public lands. DPCD continued to implement the Master Plan for the DelCarte Conservation area, including beginning the second year of pond treatments, and worked to procure the services of a contractor to construct ADA improvements to access the canoe launch. In addition, DPCD began the process of amending the Conservation Commission’s regulations and standard operating procedures to help streamline the approval process for "minor" projects.

Comprehensive Planning and Zoning
DPCD is responsible for traditional land-use related activities including updating the Town’s plans, and amending and creating zoning bylaws. A description of zoning and land use issues worked on by DPCD during the 2018 fiscal year is summarized below.

Zoning Bylaw Amendments.
During the 2018 fiscal year DPCD worked on amendment of several sections of Franklin’s Zoning Bylaw. Zoning Map Amendment 18-795 amended Franklin’s Zoning Map by changing the zoning district of two dozen parcels in area near Union, Cottage and Saxon Streets. The Zoning Map Amendment eliminated the Commercial II Zoning District from that section of Town. Zoning Bylaw Amendments 17-797 changed the setback requirements for accessory buildings and structures. DPCD is undergoing a project to better define the Town's zoning districts by following parcel lines. Where parcels are within two or more zoning districts the subject Zoning Map Amendment will move the
Zoning District line so each parcel is only in one zoning district, in most cases based on the current land use. DPCD will develop roughly a dozen Zoning Map Amendments to complete this project. The first three, Zoning Map Amendments 18-802, 18-803 and 18-804, were developed in the last quarter of FY18.

Planning and Implementation of Community Development and Economic Development Projects
Each year the DPCD works on many community and economic development initiatives. The Department develops strategies, proposes policies, bylaw changes and Town Council resolutions, manages projects, and seeks grants in efforts to balance Franklin’s community livability and its economic viability. DPCD encourages responsible community
development that meets the goals and objectives of the Town’s various planning documents, and the State’s Sustainable Development and Smart Growth Principles. Some of DPCD’s more important recently completed or ongoing projects and initiatives are summarized below.

Regional Planning. 
DPCD attends meetings and works on various regional planning issues with a variety of regional organizations, including Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the Southwest Advisory Planning Committee, I-495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership, and the I-95/495 South Regional Technology Economic Target Area’s Coordinating Council. In addition, the DPCD occasionally supports the initiatives of other regional organizations including the Franklin Bellingham Rail Trail Committee, Friends of the SNETT, the MetroWest Tourism and Visitors Bureau, and a workforce development advisory committee established by Employment and Training Resources in Framingham. DPCD also provides support for the Charles River Meadowlands, an effort among citizens and officials from the Towns of Bellingham, Medway and Franklin, to work together and to work with Federal and State officials, to improve management and access of the Federally-owned meadowlands, and adjacent public lands.

Downtown Revitalization. 
For more than fifteen years the Town has made revitalization of Downtown Franklin a major focus and has worked to improve the Downtown in a variety of ways. The revitalization of Downtown Franklin must be carefully planned to ensure that improvements positively impact the entire community. During the 2018 fiscal year DPCD continued to work on projects related to implementation of the Franklin Center Plan, which was developed in 2002 and 2003 to provide Town officials with a vision and basic strategy for revitalization of Downtown Franklin. 

One component of the Franklin Center Plan is Cultural Uses. The issue of Cultural Economic Development has been a focus for DPCD in recent years, including working with the MetroWest Tourism and Visitors Bureau on a variety of cultural economic development marketing activities. As part of these efforts DPCD provided assistance to the Franklin Cultural District Steering Committee, a group of individuals and organizations working to increase the number of art and culture related events in the area, create a State designated Franklin Cultural District in Franklin center. 

The Cultural District Steering Committee has accomplished much; this group of hard working arts and culture advocates has: assisted DPCD with the Cultural District application process including development of a strong cultural district Partnership; worked hard to support art and culture programing; and even organized the annual Franklin Cultural Festival. Lovers of the arts in Franklin owe them a great deal for their passion and hard work. During recent years DPCD prepared Cultural District marketing materials, coordinated efforts with local stakeholders, and performed outreach and educational activities, including setting up booths and displays at various events.

A cultural district is a specific geographical area that has a concentration of cultural facilities, activities, and assets. It needs to be walkable, easily accessible, easily identifiable to visitors and residents, and serve as a center for cultural, artistic and economic activity. The goals of a Cultural District, as defined by the legislative statute, are to encourage business and job development, attract artists and cultural enterprises, establish the district as a tourist destination, preserve and reuse historic buildings, enhance property values, and foster local cultural economic development.

In June 2017 Franklin Town Council passed two resolutions that accomplished the following: created the Cultural District Committee; formally expressed Franklin’s interest in establishing a state-designated cultural district; endorsed state-sponsored cultural district goals; and endorsed submission of a Cultural District application. During FY2018 the Cultural District Committee was formed. DPCD provides the Committee with administrative and Technical support; during June 2018 the Town submitted a Cultural District application to Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The Cultural District Committee’s responsibilities include applying for Cultural District designation, managing and marketing the District, assuring the Districts goals are obtained, and managing and strengthening the Town’s Cultural District Partnership.

Over the last few years a strong Partnership has formed in support of creating a state-designated cultural district in the Downtown area. The Cultural District Partnership includes many of Franklin’s well known organizations and businesses, including: Franklin’s School Department, Historic Commission, Public Library, Cultural Council, and Senior Center/COA; Franklin TV/Franklin Radio; Franklin Downtown Partnership; Dean College; Franklin Art Association; Franklin Performing Arts Company; the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse; and Franklin School for the Performing Arts.

Town Properties. 
DPCD regularly works with the Administration and other Town departments to assess and develop recommendations for Town-owned parcels of land, including Tax Title Properties and lands of low value. Each year recommendations are developed for a number of these properties, and the work is submitted to the Town Administrator and Town Council for consideration. DPCD works regularly on a wide range of economic development projects and programs, and is one of DPCD’s top priorities, second only to providing excellent administrative and technical assistance to the Town’s boards, commissions and committees. Potential benefits to the Town from successful implementation of DPCD’s business retainage and attraction initiatives are significant. Efforts focus on increasing the value of Franklin’s commercial and industrial tax base, filling the Town’s empty and underutilized industrially zoned buildings, and attracting the right mix of companies to the community.

As part of efforts to market the Town of Franklin, DPCD staff maintains a site selection web page - franklinmasiteselector.com, and develops press releases, advertisements for industry periodicals, and economic development marketing brochures. DPCD regularly communicates with realtors, property owners and businesses to make them aware of State and Federal technical assistance programs and financial resources that can be made available to further their development, and to raise awareness of DPCD as a resource for local businesses. DPCD works regularly Massachusetts Office of Business Development, MassDevelopment and other agencies in efforts to attract the right mix of companies to Franklin’s industrial and commercial areas.

Redevelopment Projects. 
Redevelopment of Town owned properties is a regular DPCD activity. In recent years much progress has been made with three important Town-owned properties. Redevelopment of the former Municipal Building property at 150 Emmons Street was completed in FY17. The Town’s so-called Pond Street Property, former sewer beds, was sold to a developer in FY16, and construction of a condominium housing development is well on its way. 

The Town’s so-called “Nu-Style” Property on Grove Street, has been the subject of environmental assessment and remedial activities since 2006. The results of testing showed that to fully assess the property’s soil and groundwater contamination, a dilapidated former manufacturing building on site needs to be removed. During FY18 DPCD developed and the Town advertised a Request for Proposals, in attempt to find a company or individual to purchase, clean and redevelop the site. One proposal was received from an adjacent property owner, and the Town is working to execute a purchase and sale agreement.

DPCD will continue to undertake a wide range of community and economic development projects, programs, and planning initiatives that will keep the Town of Franklin’s goals and objectives current and representative of residents’ needs and desires. DPCD is proud of its accomplishments and welcomes public input on all of its efforts to improve the quality of life for the residents of Franklin.

Respectfully submitted,

Department of Planning & Community Development Staff.




You can read the full Annual Report for 2018 online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/franklin_2018_town_report.pdf

The archive of prior year annual reports
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

Franklin Annual Report - 2018: Department of Planning & Community Development

Franklin Junction - 2013

Presentation by Ron Clough (MA DCR) on the history of trains in Franklin and a brief overview of the RailTrail effort by Ed Barth. 

Franklin Historical Museum - Sunday, Feb 17, 2013




or go directly to Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157632787919217/

While some of the photos are shown here, the photo essay published also includes a link to the presentation document shared
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/02/franklin-junction-photo-essay.html

On this date: Mar 1, 2017: Live reporting from the Town Council

Stepping into the archives for March 1, 2017 I find that among the posts that day was my usual "live reporting" from a Town Council meeting. I try to report from as many Town Council, School Committee and Finance Committee meetings as I can attend each year to "follow the money". 

Working from home tends to help with some of the schedule but meeting work commitments with 8:00 PM conference calls can also interfere. It is the nature of the beast trying to balance work and life schedules.

Note: "Live" reporting is used when I am in the room. "Real time" is when I report via the live cable or internet feed. I laid out these definitions back in 2010. 
 https://www.franklinmatters.org/2010/07/note-of-distinction.html


For the meeting notes of Mar 1, 2017
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/03/live-reporting-town-council-march-1-2017.html

All the notes from the meetings I report on live or remote are contained on the tab "Meeting Notes"  https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/meeting-notes.html

Assistant Town Clerk Nancy Danelo (in blue) swearing in the new Fire Dept Deputy chiefs
at the Council meeting of Jan 30, 2019

Franklin Annual Report - 2018: Metacomet Emergency Communications Center (MECC)

Construction on the building continues. We anticipate dispatching our first call in early 2019. Once complete the MECC will operate state of the art systems and equipment to handle the dispatching of police, fire and EMS calls for service for the four communities; Franklin, Norfolk, Plainville and Wrentham. We will serve a combined population of just under 66,000 residents (2015 census data) covering 76.7 square miles.

The State 911 Department will begin “text to 911” service of the Next Generation 911 (NG911) system later this year. This will enable our call takers to assist with emergency calls with the deaf and hard of hearing population or those who cannot verbally communicate. Remember, “Call If You Can, Text If You Can’t”.

The MECC will staff highly skilled, trained, professional telecommunicators ready to assist, day or night. Rest assured we stand ready to help you in your time of need.

Respectfully submitted,

Gary M Premo
Executive Director



You can read the full Annual Report for 2018 online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/franklin_2018_town_report.pdf

The archive of prior year annual reports
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports


In the Finance Committee meeting of Oct 16, 2018, we learned that Norfolk construction delays for regional dispatch center will affect Franklin and the budget for an additional three months. It was supposed to begin operation in Jan 2019, and is now scheduled for operation in March (Apr 1 for budgeting purposes). The discussion was to fund an $28K for Police and $70K for Fire to cover the delay.

The Franklin Matters notes from the FinCom meeting Oct 16
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/10/live-reporting-finance-committee-oct-16.html

Facebook photo for MECC  https://www.facebook.com/meccdispatch/?nr

Public Tour of JF Kennedy School - Oct 2012

Photos from the public tour of JF Kennedy School held on Oct 4, 2012. At the time the School Committee was hosting a tour of each of the schools in the District, one per month.



Or go directly to Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_sherlock/sets/72157631703646697/

School Delay 2/28/19 - 2 hours

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Due to the weather conditions, Franklin Public Schools will have a 2 hour delay on Thursday, February 28, 2019.

When Franklin Public Schools has a delayed opening, ECDC will have a cancellation/delayed opening as follows:

The ECDC morning session will be cancelled. The ECDC extended and full day sessions will delay opening by 2 hours. The delayed opening will NOT impact the afternoon session.

Emergency busing will be in effect and students walking or waiting along routes will be offered rides by our drivers.

Office staff, please arrive as you are able.

Sincerely,

The Franklin Public Schools

On this date: Feb 28, 2016: Reporting by Walking Around

Stepping in to the archives for Feb 28, 2016 I find that this was one of the "reporting by walking around posts" I did from time to time. I find myself doing less now as I am working from home most of the week and thereby can walk almost everyday to stay current. So hopefully, you see more photos daily rather than bunching them like I did.

"Reporting by walking around, I'll share some photos of the walk around Franklin Saturday morning."

The new Recreation Dept facility at 275 Beaver St

Dip into the archives for 2016 and see what has not changed, or changed since Feb 28, 2016
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2016/02/photos-from-walk-around-franklin.html

Franklin Annual Report - 2018: Human Resources

I just finished my first year as Human Resources Director for the Town of Franklin and it was a very busy, but rewarding year. It has been a wonderful experience so far and I look forward to serving as your HR Director for many years to come!

Fiscal Year 2018 was a big transition year for the Town. We had turnover in three key managerial roles, the Human Resources Director, Comptroller, and Treasurer/Collector. Stephanie Lutz, Susan Gagner, and Jim Dacey had almost 50 years of combined service and institutional knowledge with the Town. Finance Director Chris Sandini, Treasurer/Collector Kerri Bertone, and I have tough shoes to fill, but are catching on quickly and operations have continued without a hitch. Jeff Nutting and Jamie Hellen should be commended for their hard work in making sure that there was a smooth transition in leadership.

In addition to these three key managers, several other employees chose to retire or pursue other opportunities this year. We had a very busy year backfilling positions and even adding a few new positions. There were 16 new full time employees including 4 Police Officers, 3 Firefighters, 6 DPW Laborers, the Finance Director, and 2 Civilians at the Police Department. We also hired 3 new part-time Library Assistants at the Franklin Public Library, several part-time and substitute Custodians for the Facilities Department, part-time dispatchers for Police and Fire, part-time administrative positions and over 40 Referees, Camp/Program Counselors, Gate Guards, and Program Coordinators at the Recreation Department. In addition to local students working summer jobs in the Recreation Department, the Town also hired about 30 Franklin students to work in the Department of Public Works and Facilities Department. These students were instrumental in helping landscape our community and get the schools ready for the 2018-2019 school year.

In Fiscal Year 2018, we continued to struggle with the rising cost of healthcare. Other than wages and salaries, the health insurance budget represents one of the largest single costs to the Town. The Town offers health insurance to all active employees working more than 20 hours per week as well as retirees and their families. We currently have approximately 1200 employees and retirees from both the Town and Schools on our plan. Even a small increase in health insurance premiums can have a huge impact on the total budget.

When we started reviewing health insurance for FY19, we were faced with a potential increase of 10.9% on the HMO plan. Town and School management came together with the Insurance Advisory Committee to try to come up with creative solutions to keep costs down, for both employees and the Town. We enlisted our benefits broker, NFP Inc, to prepare a RFP and went out to bid on health insurance. The Insurance Advisory Committee ultimately decided to save costs in several different ways. We went through the arduous process of switching Health Insurance companies from Tufts Health Plan to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and added a small prescription deductible to our plans.

We also, for the first time, offered employees the option to enroll in a Qualified High Deductible Health Plan coupled with a Health Savings Account. A High Deductible Health Plan offers a lower monthly premium, but the employee may have a higher out of pocket cost, since the deductible would increase from $400 to $1500 for an individual and from $1000 to $3000 for a family. Since the decrease in monthly premiums would save the Town a significant amount of money, we were able to share the savings with the employees by depositing money into the employee’s Health Savings Account ($750 for employees on an individual plan and $1500 for those on a family plan). This money could then be used to pay for any health related expenses and reduce out of pocket costs. Even with this arrangement, the cost to the Town for the High Deductible plan was still lower than the standard HMO plan.

Through the changes listed above, our overall Health and Life Insurance budget for the Town increased by just 5.42%, which is slightly lower than last year and below the national average.

The Town continues to offer a very competitive benefits package, which, in addition to health insurance, offers employees the option to sign up for Life insurance, Dental insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts and/or Health Savings Accounts, Short and Long Term Disability, and two different vendors for deferred compensation retirement plans. In FY19, we plan to review all the benefit plans to make sure that we stay competitive and offer our employees robust, cost-effective benefits.

This year, we worked with MIIA (the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association) to offer Harassment Training to all our employees. A professional trainer came in and offered 12 different classroom sessions. The training focused on the federal and state laws around discrimination and harassment and our responsibilities as employees in preventing harassment and responding appropriately if it does happen. Employees generally had positive feedback about the training and felt that they learned a great deal.

2018 was a very demanding, but fulfilling year. I, along with Sandy Golebiewski, look forward to another great year of serving our employees and our retirees in 2019.

Respectfully submitted,

Karen Bratt
Human Resources Director



You can read the full Annual Report for 2018 online
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/franklinma/files/uploads/franklin_2018_town_report.pdf

The archive of prior year annual reports
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-clerk/pages/annual-reports

Franklin Annual Report - 2018: Human Resources