Inside the Proposed FY 2020 Town of Franklin proposed budget

In answer to some questions on rising cost of health insurance and it impact on the budget, I offer the following. Per the budget voting document released for the Finance Committee for the March 18, 2019 meeting I have copied the following numbers.

1 - Rising health care costs drive benefits

	FINAL - FY 2017	FINAL - FY 2018	FINAL - FY 2019	Proposed - FY 2020
Subtotal, Employee Benefits	10,955,567	11,693,882	12,360,354	12,315,354

Will the benefits line item really come down in 2020? 

Probably not. These numbers are preliminary and will likely change before the Town Council sees the 'final' budget numbers for their May budget hearings (May 22-23)

Rising health care costs drive benefits

2 - How much is the School budget part of the whole Town budget?

	Proposed - FY 2020 Percent
Subtotal, General Government	8.9%
Subtotal, Public Safety	10.5%
Subtotal, Education	57.5%
Subtotal, DPW - Highway	4.2%
Subtotal, Human Services	0.6%
Subtotal, Culture & Recreation	1.4%
Subtotal, Debt & Interest	5.9%
Subtotal, Employee Benefits	10.6%
Subtotal, Liability Insurance	0.5%
	100.0%

The Schools budget here includes Tri-County, Norfolk Ag and the Franklin Public Schools. As near as I can tell, the Charter School portion comes in and out on the State funding lines of the budget document.

How much is the School budget part of the whole Town budget

The spreadsheet copy of these numbers can be found online. The original Town of Franklin doc is also found online.

Spreadsheet

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14PgwpH5SWfA79QBgNblPG_w2bM11NU8x/view?usp=sharing

Town of Franklin budget doc

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1diIXj9_EGFCR165veeg8-SFPi4ox202d/view?usp=sharing

Peter Willis Photographer: Next art show scheduled for the 4th of July week

Franklin photographer Peter Willis has an show coming up the week of July 4th. To be held at the Orleans Artist Cottages.

For more about the show times and location: http://artcottages.com/OurArtists/Peter%20Willis/


Peter's web page  https://www.peterwillisphotography.com/what-s-happening

Peter Willis Photographer

For more about the Orleans Artist Cottages:

Artist Cottages Sprout at Orleans Market Square from Lower Cape TV on Vimeo.

Franklin ArtWeek Schedule for Monday, April 29, 2019

Monday, April 29

9:00 - 8:00: Post-It Note Collage at Franklin Public Library ~ In celebration of ArtWeek 2019, the Youth Services department will be building a Post-It Note Collage! But we need your help! Stop by anytime during the week to help add post-it notes to the wall. What will the final image be?? Only time will tell!!

6:00 - 8:00: Franklin High School Jazz Open Rehearsal at Franklin High School (FREE) This open rehearsal with FHS Jazz Ensemble students and the Kenny Hadley Big Band is open to the public so that audience members can watch, listen, and ask questions of the professionals, who will give students helpful tips and pointers of how to play proper jazz articulations within different genres.

6:00 - 8:00: Art of Game Design with Michael Epstein at Pete's Nerd Emporium (FREE) Michael Epstein, the MA-based game designer of Copper Frog Games, will talk about his creative process as it relates to game design and the power of art, followed by a demo of his game Pigment, a worker placement game where you send out your apprentices to gather paint to create Renaissance masterpieces.

6:30 - 8:30: Zentangle for Adults at the Franklin Public Library (FREE)
Zentangle is an easy-to-learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. Come try your hand at this fascinating new art form! No experience necessary! Materials provided.
Register: 508-520-4941 or kshipala@minlib.net

Download your copy of the full schedule for ArtWeek here
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0wjbnXDBhczODN4X2hTdVdobWpWWTlpR19WMFZHZE5JWHVz/view?usp=sharing

Franklin ArtWeek Schedule for Monday, April 29, 2019

Town Council Actions Taken for April 24, 2019

The Actions Taken provide a quick summary of the specific actions taken by the Town Council. For more details we'll need to await the Franklin TV broadcast via on demand or the full minutes once approved by the Town Council.


Get your copy here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SP3acgckXUTpujK8YTC62ST5LSEBBJuA/view?usp=sharing

old South Meeting House on Washington St

Register O'Donnell Warns Homeowners About Deed Scam

	Norfolk County Registry of Deeds
	Register O'Donnell Warns Homeowners About Deed Scam As part of an ongoing effort to combat consumer fraud, Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O'Donnell is once again advising county residents to disregard a direct-mail solicitation offering them a certified copy of their property deed for an outrageous fee of anywhere from $59.50-$86.00. Register O'Donnell stated, "Today there is a California company that continues to send direct-mail solicitations to unsuspecting homeowners asking them to send a check for $86.00 in order to receive a copy of their deed. If a consumer knew that they could print a non-certified copy of their deed for a charge of only $1.00 per page, plus an additional $1.00 for postage, they would never agree to pay such an outrageous fee for service. The average price for a mailed homeowner's certified deed by the Registry (usually two pages) is $3.00." "These solicitations," noted O'Donnell, "are labeled Recorded Deed Notice and request that the homeowner forward a check in the amount of $86.00 for a copy of their deed. The Registry has been contacted by many who have received this solicitation. Please do not fall for this scam." Register O'Donnell concluded, "While the deed direct-mail solicitation may be legal, it's certainly not ethical. In my judgement, this is a scam being perpetrated against hard working Norfolk County residents, many of who are first-time homeowners or elderly. Consumers are interpreting these notices as a bill, since they are affixed with a due date. I again urge in the strongest terms that Norfolk County citizens not let themselves fall prey to these types of misleading deed scam advertisements." If you receive such a deed solicitation notice, please contact the Registry's Customer Service Center immediately at (781) 461-6101 or by email at registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org. Additionally, if you desire a certified copy of your own deed, also contact the Registry's Customer Service Center and we will be glad to provide you with one for a nominal fee of usually $2.00-$3.00. 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/or Instagram.com/NorfolkDeeds. The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds is located at 649 High Street in 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 www.norfolkdeeds.org. Residents in need of assistance can contact the Registry of Deeds Customer Service Center via telephone 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

screen grab of Norfolk Deeds webpage

What is the Role of the Town Council?

1. A member of the Council, in relation to his/her community should:

• A. Realize that his/her basic function is to make policy, with administration delegated to the Administrator.
• B. Realize that he/she is one of a team and should abide by, and carry out, all Council decisions once they are made.
• C. Be well-informed concerning the duties of a Council member on both local and state levels.
• D. Remember that he/she represents the entire community at all times.
• E. Accept the office as a means of unselfish service, not benefit personally or politically from his/her Council activities.
• F. In all appointments, avoid political patronage by judging all candidates on merit, experience, and qualifications only.
• G. Abide by the ethics established by the State and not use the position to obtain inside information on matters which may benefit someone personally.

2. A member of the Council, in his/her relations with administrative officers of the Town, should:

• A. Endeavor to establish sound, clearly defined policies that will direct and support the administration for the benefit of the people of the community.
• B. Recognize and support the administrative chain of command and refuse to act on complaints as an individual outside the administration.
• C. Give the Administrator full responsibility for discharging the duties of his/her office.

3. A member of the Council, in his/her relations with fellow Council members, should:

• A. Recognize that action at official legal meetings is binding and that he/she alone cannot bind the Council outside of such meetings.
• B. Not make statements or promises of how he/she will vote on matters that will come before the Council until he/she has had an opportunity to hear the pros and cons of the issue during a Council meeting.
• C. Uphold the intent of executive session and respect the privileged communication that exists in executive session.
• D. Make decisions only after all facts on a question have been presented and discussed.
• E. Treat with respect the rights of all members of the Council despite differences of opinion.

Shared from the Town of Franklin page
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-council/files/role-town-council

How to contact your Town Council
https://www.franklinma.gov/town-council

What is the Role of the Town Council?

Franklin Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger on May 11 - Franklin Food Pantry Asks for Specific Items and No Expired Food

The Franklin Food Pantry is asking the community for some very specific items in this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. On Saturday, May 11, Franklin letter carriers will pick up donated goods from town residents at their mailboxes and deliver them to the Franklin Food Pantry.

The Pantry is asking for residents to please consider donating the items most needed:
• Canned vegetables (potatoes, yams, carrots)
• Soups (chowder, cream of (any kind) soup)
• Canned pasta (spaghetti, ravioli, etc.)
• Beef stew
• Chili
• Tomato products
• Pasta sauce
• Pasta and rice side dishes
• White, red and baked beans
• White Tuna
• Baking items (brownie and cake mixes, flour, sugar, etc.)
• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Personal care items (toothpaste/toothbrushes, shampoo/conditioner, body wash/soap, deodorant, body lotion, feminine hygiene products and hand soap)

The Pantry does not need chicken soup, garbanzo beans/chick peas, black beans, green beans and boxed macaroni and cheese since it is overstocked with these items.

Stamp Out Hunger is a great opportunity
for high schoolers to earn community service hours

“We have very limited building space to store a surplus of items,” said Amy Cataldo, interim executive director of the Franklin Food Pantry. “We are asking the community for these very specific items, as well as no expired food. We are so grateful for all the donations we receive, but unfortunately, we have space constraints.”

The Pantry receives thousands of pounds of food donations monthly. Every item is checked for expiration dates by volunteers. The expired food must be disposed of, which costs the Pantry time and money.

According to Cataldo, “We are asking the community to please check expiration dates on their donations so that we can prevent excess waste and avoid volunteer burnout. This would be such a huge help to us, and much appreciated by our hard-working volunteers.”

In last year’s drive, volunteers helped
unload 8,000 pounds of donations 

Volunteers are still needed for the event. If anyone is interested, they can sign up online at www.franklinfoodpantry.org.

Franklin residents can donate to the food drive by leaving a bag of non-perishable food where their letter carrier normally delivers their mail on Saturday, May 11. Some residents may receive the yellow Stamp Out Hunger grocery bags to use, but any paper or plastic bag can be used. Letter carriers will pick up the bags during their normal mail rounds and will deliver the food to the Franklin Food Pantry.

“We are so thankful to the letter carriers, and a supportive community, for helping us acquire the items that are most needed,” said Cataldo. “We have more than 1,100 individuals who count on us for food on a regular basis. We could not provide for them without the support of such a generous community.”

Cataldo said that in lieu of donating goods, individuals who want to support the Pantry can donate online at www.franklinfoodpantry.org. Monetary donations allow the Pantry to purchase fresh food such as fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products to supplement the canned and boxed food donations.

For more information on the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com. The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a nationwide effort organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) that provides food to local food banks and pantries.