Saturday, June 24, 2023

Healey-Driscoll administration releases "$14 Billion Capital Investment Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-2028"

"The Healey-Driscoll administration announced today (06/22/23)  a new five-year, $14 billion capital investment plan that includes more than $1.5 billion in housing-related spending and a new program to incentivize the creation of more affordable housing.

The administration’s plan, covering fiscal years 2024 through 2028, includes $97 million a year for the new HousingWorks program, which aims to encourage the production of 200 to 300 units of affordable housing each year. In addition, the spending plan also includes $90 million annually for housing acquisition, development and rehabilitation, and $120 million a year to preserve the state’s more than 43,000 units of public housing.

Besides housing, the spending plan focuses on advancing climate and economic development goals, and administration officials said it will help preserve and modernize the state’s infrastructure, invest in cities and towns, and make government more effective."
Continue reading the article ->

The Governor's official press release ->


Healey-Driscoll administration releases "$14 Billion Capital Investment Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-2028"
Healey-Driscoll administration releases "$14 Billion Capital Investment Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-2028"

Friday, June 23, 2023

Franklin's Event Outlook: June 23, 2023 to June 29, 2023

  • Music, music, music - at the Farmers Market, at 67 Degrees, at THE BLACK BOX, at La Cantina Winery  ... 
  • books and reading - the summer reading kick off at the Farmers Market 
  • and close the weekend with either an all you can eat breakfast, or yoga in the taproom or Celebrate with Pride Sunday on the Town Common... 
and get ready for the Franklin 4th of July Celebration starting Friday, June 30


Friday, June 23

Love Letter - art display (Franklin Public Library during open hours)

2:00pm - Franklin Farmers Market  (Franklin Town Common)

3:00pm - Cousins Maine Lobster (food truck)  (Franklin Town Common)

3:30pm - Mike Tarara (live music)  (Franklin Town Common)

6:00pm - Bigelow Station (live music)  (La Cantina Winery)

6:00pm - Jesse Liam Band (live Music)  (Franklin Town Common)


Saturday, June 24

Love Letter - art display (Franklin Public Library during open hours)

10:00am - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

4:00pm - The Fourtet (live music)  (La Cantina Winery)

5:30pm - Community Cookout (Franklin Methodist Church)

6:00pm - Elastic Five (live music) (67 Degrees Brewery)

8:00pm - Radio Daze featuring Paul Souza (ticketed event) (THE BLACK BOX)


Sunday, June 25

12:00pm - Franklin’s LGBTQ+ Community Pride Celebration (Franklin Town Common)

1:00pm - Franklin Historical Museum (always free)


Tuesday, June 27

2:30pm - Rainbow CafĂ©  (Franklin Senior Center)

7:00pm - Cinema Zeotrope: "Little Women" ($5 donation suggested) (THE BLACK BOX)

7:00pm - Library Book Club (Franklin Public Library)


Wednesday, June 28

1:00pm - Senior Scribblers (writing group) (Franklin TV Studio & remote - recording session)


Thursday, June 29

6:00pm - Charlie Rock (live music) (La Cantina Winery)

6:30pm - Genealogy Club   (Franklin Public Library)


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The Franklin Art Association Art Gallery remains open during business hours at Escape into Fiction (Main St, Franklin)

Find the full Community event calendar  https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

The Cultural calendar displays only the cultural events      https://www.franklinculture.org/things-do/pages/calendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://forms.gle/oPdi8X3ZbHHyrHzo6

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar
The School district calendar is found  https://www.franklinps.net/calendar-by-event-type/26 


Franklin's Event Outlook: June 16, 2023 to June 22, 2023
Franklin's Event Outlook: June 16, 2023 to June 22, 2023

Amy M. Frigulietti introduced as Deputy Town Administrator, starts July 3, 2023

To: Town Council, Department Heads
From: Jamie Hellen, Town Administrator

Re: Deputy Town Administrator

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Amy M. Frigulietti as Deputy Town Administrator. Amy is a career public servant who brings nearly 20 years of in-depth, diverse, and extensive public sector experience to the organization. I have included her professional bio below. She will start on July 3, 2023.

Amy M. Frigulietti
Amy M. Frigulietti


The hiring process went very smoothly and took several months to complete. The town received 119 applications for the position. The interview panel consisted of HR Director Karen Bratt, Police Chief TJ Lynch, Fire Chief Jim Mclaughlin, Library Director Felicia Oti, Treasurer-Collector Kerri Bertone, DPW Director Brutus Cantoreggi, and myself. After 3 days of interviews with almost a dozen candidates, the panel independently selected Amy as the unanimous choice. The community was very fortunate to have such an extensive and qualified candidate pool and we appreciate every applicants’ time participating in the process.

In addition to familiarizing herself with the community, Amy’s early slate of work will include several business development projects, including marketing and branding, cultural and historical resources development, college relations, shared streets initiatives, communications and public relations planning, as well as several other unique, special projects. We will also ask Amy to assemble and lead a more enhanced coordination of social services in town, including mental health, opioid and substance abuse education, prevention and response, food security, homelessness and housing. It has become very clear that the need is growing in these areas and we need to increase our ability to collaborate and coordinate services amid our town and the community. Over the course of time, additional responsibilities will be phased onto Amy’s plate, including the ideas she brings to the table as she grows in the position. Per the Town Charter, Amy will serve as Acting Town Administrator, while I am out of town.

I hope the community will give Amy our traditional, warm welcome to the Franklin Family!
 
Amy M. Frigulietti introduced as Deputy Town Administrator, starts July 3, 2023
Amy M. Frigulietti introduced as Deputy Town Administrator, starts July 3, 2023


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Amy M. Frigulietti

Ms. Frigulietti has nearly 20 years of experience in administrative and professional management and brings expertise in economic development, public policy, and community outreach in the public sector. A Massachusetts native, Amy most recently worked as the Assistant Executive Director of General Government Services for the Town of Wellesley.

As Wellesley’s Assistant Executive Director, Ms. Frigulietti managed all aspects of town government operations, overseeing economic development projects, and collaborating with numerous Town boards and departments on issues impacting local government, including housing, transportation, and public health and safety.

In this role, Ms. Frigulietti served as Wellesley’s Health Insurance Representative for the West Suburban Health Group, and on the Wellesley Business Alliance as part of the Charles River Chamber of Commerce. Amy was also a member of Wellesley’s Traffic & Parking Committee, Mobility Committee, Housing Task Force, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. She also volunteered her time as a founding member of the Wellesley Freedom Team and the Wellesley Civil Discourse Initiative. She was Wellesley’s lead as Norfolk County Representative, Norfolk County Finance Committee member, State legislative liaison and, during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, was on the Advisory Board of the Community Fund for Wellesley COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Prior to working in Wellesley, Ms. Frigulietti served in several capacities in state, county and local government, including in the General Court of the State Legislature, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, and for the Boston City Council.

Ms. Frigulietti is a member of the Massachusetts Municipal Association as well as the Massachusetts Municipal Managers Association. She received her Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the John W. McCormack School of Public Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, concentrating her studies in municipal management. She was the 2018 recipient of the MPA Public Service Award and is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, Global Honor Society for Public Affairs Administration. She received her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Shared from the press release -> 
 

Celebrate with Pride - Sunday, 12 to 4 PM on the Franklin Town Common

Celebrate With Pride
Sunday, June 25th
Franklin Town Common
 

The second annual Celebrate with Pride is on Sunday, June 25, noon-4pm on the Franklin Town Common.  This family-friendly event is organized by a grassroots, volunteer run non-profit, the Franklin LGBTQ Alliance.  Come enjoy performers, vendors, food trucks, LGBTQIA+ organizations, crafts, games, and vendors!!! We can truly Celebrate with Pride.  

Franklin LGBTQ Alliance relies on the generosity of our community to help fund the event. These funds are then used to pay performers, promote the event,  and purchase/rent equipment needed for the event. 


We are excited to Celebrate with Pride with you this weekend! 


Celebrate with Pride - Sunday, 12 to 4 PM on the Franklin Town Common
Celebrate with Pride - Sunday, 12 to 4 PM on the Franklin Town Common

FHS Daniels, Tolonen, & Georges selected for girls & boys tennis Hockomock All Stars

Below are the official 2023 Hockomock League Girls & Boys Tennis All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league. The Franklin selections are shared here, the full listing is linked to below

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP
Hailey Kornbluth, Foxboro

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS
Brooke Daniels, Franklin
Sydney Tolonen, Franklin

Honorable Mentions
Izzy Trull, Franklin

For the complete listing of girls tennis all stars


Below are the official 2023 Hockomock League Boys Tennis All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP
Max Kupferman, Canton

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS
Jay Georges, Franklin

Honorable Mentions
Tyler Fitzpatrick, Franklin

For the complete listing of boys tennis all stars

FHS Daniels, Tolonen, & Georges selected for girls & boys tennis Hockomock All Stars
FHS Daniels, Tolonen, & Georges selected for girls & boys tennis Hockomock All Stars

FHS Peterson & Davis selected as MVPs for Hockomock League Lacrosse All Stars

Below are the official 2023 Hockomock League Girls Lacrosse All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league. Franklin was selected for sharing here, the link to the full listing is provided below


HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP
Katie Peterson, Franklin

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS
Katie Peterson, Franklin
Jamie Tanner, Franklin
Lindsay Atkinson, Franklin
Payten Crandall, Franklin
Kaitlyn Carney, Franklin

Honorable Mentions
Katie Ryan, Franklin

For  the full  listing of girls all stars


Below are the official 2023 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE MVP
Luke Davis, Franklin

HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE ALL STARS
Luke Davis, Franklin
Jayden Consigli, Franklin
Tyler Sacchetti, Franklin
Ben Harvey, Franklin
Justin Alexander, Franklin

Honorable Mentions
Chris Drake, Franklin

For  the full  listing of boys all stars

FHS Peterson &  Davis selected as MVPs for Hockomock League Lacrosse All Stars
FHS Peterson &  Davis selected as MVPs for Hockomock League Lacrosse All Stars

Town Council approves CPC appointments, closes out FY 2023, refers 2 measures to Planning Board, welcomes new Deputy Administrator (video)

The Franklin Town Council met on Wednesday, June 21 as scheduled. The recording is available via Franklin TV -> https://www.youtube.com/live/P6oDVqj_xqI

Brief recap:
  • The appointments to the Community Preservation Committee were approved. 6 were reappointed to a new term. One new member representing the Planning Board was made. Two existing members terms did not expire this year and will continue
  • Downtown parking bylaw was adjusted for anew start time to account for a change in the MBTA schedule as well as the overnight parking restriction changed for Fri-Sat nights to allow for the late hours of Teddie Gallagher's. Modified bylaw moved to 2nd reading as amended
  • 3 resolutions closed out the accounting transactions for the FY 2023 fiscal year for this time. The MECC fund which was reallocated to be part of the school adjustment effectively regained what it 'lost' as there were excess funds that needed to accounted for
  • A resolution to clean up some house keeping for the land swap with the State was approved. There was not material fund impact, the funds had already been approved in prior years, the text of the measure needed to be adjusted as requested by the State to better account for their process and records
  • 2 bylaws were referred to the Planning Board, both had come forward from the recent Economic Development committee meeting; one to adjust the marijuana overlay district maps, two to allow for reduce impervious coverage in general residential 5 zoning
  •  new Deputy Town Administrator Amy M. Frigulietti was introduced. She starts in July

The agenda doc and released supporting documents -> 

Franklin, MA: Town Council Agenda for June 21, 2023 Meeting
Franklin, MA: Town Council Agenda for June 21, 2023 Meeting

Public Hearing Notice: 5 Hemlock Lane - Site Plan and Special Permit Application - Planning Board

5 Hemlock Lane - Site Plan and Special Permit Application - Planning Board

In accordance with the Town of Franklin Zoning By-Laws, the Franklin Planning Board will hold a public hearing at the Town Hall (and can also be attended remotely) on Monday, July 24, 2023 at 7:00 PM in the Town Council Chambers of the Franklin Municipal Building, 355 East Central Street, for a Special Permit and Site Plan application titled “Plot Plan & Special Permit 5 Hemlock Lane Franklin, MA” prepared by Guerriere & Halnon, Inc., Franklin, MA., and submitted to the Department of Planning & Community Development on June 21, 2023, by Gregory Galeaz, Franklin, MA.

The property is located in the Rural Residential II Zoning District (Assessors Map 226, Lot 98). The applicant is proposing to construct an 18’x 22’ pool cabana. The applicant is applying for one (1) Special Permit under Chapter 185-36: Impervious Surfaces.

Please note: This will be your only written notice of this public hearing. Should the Planning
Board vote to continue this Public Hearing, the date and time will be posted on the Planning
Board’s website under Agendas.

Please contact the Department of Planning & Community Development at (508) 520-4907 if you require further information or if you need to make arrangements to provide translation services for the hearing impaired, or for persons with language barriers.
Copies of the plan and supporting documentation may be reviewed in the Department of Planning & Community Development during regular office hours.

Greg Rondeau, 
Chairman


Public Hearing Notice:  5 Hemlock Lane - Site Plan and Special Permit Application - Planning Board
Public Hearing Notice:  5 Hemlock Lane - Site Plan and Special Permit Application - Planning Board

Commuter Rail notice for Franklin Line - to run a weekend scheduled on July 4, 2023

On Tuesday, July 4th, for Independence Day, the Commuter Rail will operate on a weekend schedule.

Affected routes:
  • Newburyport/Rockport Line
  • Haverhill Line
  • Lowell Line
  • Fitchburg Line
  • Framingham/Worcester Line
  • Needham Line
  • Franklin Line
  • Fairmount Line
  • Providence/Stoughton Line
  • Middleborough/Lakeville Line
  • Kingston/Plymouth Line
  • Greenbush Line

For more information: https://www.mbta.com/holidays

Last Updated: Jun 22 2023 10:00 AM

Commuter Rail notice for Franklin Line - to run a weekend scheduled on July 4, 2023
Commuter Rail notice for Franklin Line - to run a weekend scheduled on July 4, 2023


Town of Franklin: Wellness Update - Men's Health Month

June is Men's Health Month! Men die an average of 5 years earlier than women. Many diseases that disproportionately impact men, like heart disease and cancer, are preventable through regular doctor's visits and healthy lifestyle choices. 

During Men's Health Month, men are encouraged to:
  • Exercise
  • Get screened
  • Eat a healthy meal
  • Get regular medical checkups
  • Avoid smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke
  • Limit alcohol consumption
  • Manage stress

Learn more: https://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/health-topics/mens-health


Town of Franklin: Wellness Update - Men's Health Month
Town of Franklin: Wellness Update - Men's Health Month

Franklin TV and wfpr.fm schedule for Friday, June 23, 2023

  • wfpr.fm or 102.9 on the FM dial = Friday

9:00a/12:00p /6:00p Chapters – Jim Derick  Insightful, life-affirming stories and interviews

10:00a/1:00p/7:00p Music to Lift the Spirit - Jim Derick & Frank Falvey

11:00a/2:00p/8:00pm Senior Story Hour – Senior Center Scribblers Group

  • Franklin All Access TV - Our Public Access Channel (Comcast 8, Verizon 26) = FRIDAY

7:30 am     Matt York: Highway Men
9:00 am     Frank's Musings: Joe Biden
10:30 am Franklin Disability Expo
11:00 am Senior Connection: Joe Landry
12:00 pm Brook'n'Cookin: Meatballs
12:30 pm Sandhya: Eclairs
1:00 pm     Drink Responsibly: Craft Roots
1:30 pm     Pizzapalooza: White Pizza
2:00 pm New England Candlepins: Summer 2018 Show 3
3:00 pm Winning Ways with the MIAA: Shaun Hart Pt 1
4:30 pm     Memorial Day 2023
8:30 pm Circle of Friends: Tracy Grammer

  • Franklin Pride TV - Our Educational Channel (Comcast 96, Verizon 28) = FRIDAY

7:00 am     Public School Event: Lifelong Music Pt. 2 05-13-19
8:30 am     It Takes A Village: Hockomock Area YMCA
10:30 am FHS Varsity Softball: v Milford 05-22-23
12:30 pm FHS Theater Company: Lord of the Flies
1:30 pm     All-Town Showcase 2023: Band
3:00 pm FHS Boys Varsity Lacrosse: v Needham 06-08-23
8:30 pm FHS Senior Awards Night 2023

  • Franklin Town Hall TV - Our Government Channel (Comcast 11, Verizon 29) =  FRIDAY

8:00 am Zoning Board of Appeals: 06-08-23
2:00 pm Zoning Board of Appeals: 06-08-23

Get this week's program guide for Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) online  http://franklin.tv/programguide.pdf   

Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm)
Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm)

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Preparing to Celebrate with Pride in Franklin Sunday, June 25 from 12 to 4 PM (audio)

FM #1016 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1016 in the series. 


This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Amber Wilson, President of the Franklin LGBTQ Alliance. We talk about the Celebrate with Pride event scheduled for the Franklin Town Common on Sunday, June 25. We talk about the evolution of the committee and future plans for the group.


Listen to the recording of our conversation (approx. 43 minutes) -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1016-celebrate-with-pride-06-19-23


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The event page on Facebook ->  https://www.facebook.com/events/724337825660145 


2023 Celebrate with Pride flyer -> 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14vD-daq8ufUKqE2rzbzt4h2IsyBEQnul/view?usp=drive_link

Sign up for the Franklin LGBTQ Alliance emails on this Google Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfnRB-LK3z7DKSe1Rl0ClaY7LQpAteHAhf3YpLLjejFi_A6gQ/viewform 


Send an email FranklinLGBTQAlliance@gmail.com  if you questions or to express interest in helping with the group


--------------


We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  


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

 

How can you help?

  • If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

  • If you don't like something here, please let me know


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


For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/


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!

------------------


You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"


Preparing to Celebrate with Pride in Franklin Sunday, June 25 from 12 to 4 PM (audio)
Preparing to Celebrate with Pride in Franklin Sunday, June 25 from 12 to 4 PM (audio)


Roy & Hellen testify on H.2108 to enable Town of Franklin to publish legal notices by alternative means to save money

On Tuesday, June 20, State Rep Jeff Roy and Town Administrator Jamie Hellen testified on a local home rule petition to save the Town of Franklin approx. $40-50K per year by not sending legal notices to the newspaper. Legal notices are posted to the Town website, residents (and others) can subscribe to receive them. Newspapers have been declining in publication. The savings will not significant are substantial.

The testimony submitted by Rep Roy

"Representative Carol A. Fiola, Chair
Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government Room 236
Boston, MA 01233

Senator Jacob R. Oliveira, Chair
Chair Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government Room 416-B
Boston, MA 01233

RE: H. 2108, “An Act authorizing the city known as the town of Franklin to utilize alternative methods for notice of public hearings”.

Dear Chair Fiola and Chair Oliveira:

I respectively request that H. 2108 - “An Act authorizing the city known as the town of Franklin to utilize alternative methods for notice of public hearings” be released favorably from committee.

The proposed unanimous home rule petition would authorize Franklin to post statutorily required legal notices through means other than print newspaper. The language is modeled after Chapter 369 of the Acts of 2022 which authorized the town of Acton to use similar alternative methods of notice for public hearings.

Franklin is well known for its robust community engagement. Citizens are active and regularly consume many forms of media connected to the current events of the town. For instance, the town has over 5,000 email subscribers, multiple sources of social media, cable access through Franklin TV, civic news services such as Franklin Matters and the Franklin Observer as well as the town’s official website. In addition, notices would be posted by the Town Clerk on the bulletin board as well and over time would be expanded to other bulletin boards in heavily frequented areas around town. Since 2017 the town has spent $200,000 publishing meeting notices in print newspapers despite fewer and fewer people reading or subscribing to local print media. With so many readily available alternatives a savings of $40,000-50,000 a year would mean a great deal to the town budget.

As State Representative for Franklin, I can attest to the commitment of Town’s officials to ensuring that town business is conducted in an upfront and transparent way. Franklin has been recognized by the Massachusetts Municipal Association for its transparent approach to public meeting accessibility, especially during the pandemic. The town takes its responsibility to promote civic engagement very seriously and is always looking for new and better ways to inform its citizenry. I have no doubt that as technology continues to expand, Franklin will continue to innovate and expand their notice capabilities. For these reasons, I believe the request to eliminate one small facet of the notice requirement can be accommodated without negative impact.

Thus, I urge your favorable action on H. 2108 and thank you for your consideration of this request. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns."

Full text in PDF form ->  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XeFmQk1DWeTcSPOta_SrvsauZAlbp30N/view?usp=drive_link

Testimony submitted by Town Administrator Jamie Hellen

Re: Testimony on House 2108, An Act authorizing the city known as the town of Franklin to utilize alternative methods for notice of public hearings

Dear Chair Fiola and Chair Oliveiro:

On behalf of the Franklin Town Council, I am submitting testimony on behalf of the House 2108, An Act authorizing the city known as the town of Franklin to utilize alternative methods for notice of public hearings. I request a favorable report from the Joint Committee and passage of this home rule legislation. The legislation approved and submitted by the Franklin Town Council was modeled after Chapter 369 of the Acts of 2022.

In a unanimous decision, 9-0, the Franklin Town Council petitions the General Court with this home rule legislation to allow the Town to post statutory required legal advertisements through means other than through a print newspaper. As you know, cities and towns are required by statute to file (certain) public hearing and legal notices via a print newspaper publication of general circulation. A few examples of required hearing notifications in print newspapers include conservation, certain financial or property hearings, certain licensing hearings, land use permitting, and tree hearings, among many more. As technology and accessibility to government officials has evolved, advanced, and expanded significantly, the Town believes we can communicate in greater effectiveness to our citizens through electronic and in-person methods, while saving taxpayers significant resources each year from publishing legal advertisements in print newspapers.

Since 2017, the Town of Franklin has cumulatively spent over $200,000 to publish legal ads in print newspapers. That total would have been higher if not due to the two COVID years of 2020 and 2021. The Town is not convinced it’s seeing a significant return on that financial investment with greater attendance, participation or awareness of public hearings through print newspapers. It’s an exceptionally rare situation to have a citizen arrive at any public meeting and suggest they saw the public notification in the print newspaper. Occasionally, this may be the case, and I fully understand this will affect a small portion of the citizens in town. But learning about public hearings via a print newspaper is far from the norm and further fades each year.

The overwhelming number of citizens, including most senior citizens, receive their town news, legal notifications and updates from the Town’s various electronic and in-person sources. The Town has over 5,000 subscribers to various email lists on how citizens stay in touch with local news, hearings, meetings, announcements and public hearing notifications. That content is also published on town authorized social media channels. Specifically for legal public hearing advertisements, the town has nearly 855 subscribers on the “Legal Ads” email subscription list and is a free service for everyone.

Notifications of hearings can also be found on local cable access, the town website, and are often published by local, third party civic news sources in Franklin Matters and the Franklin Observer.

If this legislation is approved, the Town would use this email subscription service as the predominant legal notification method for all state required public hearing notifications. We would facilitate a policy for the entire organization. The Town would also dedicate a bulletin board in the Town Clerk’s Office to post hearing notices. As time evolves, I could even envision numerous posting areas of high visibility or foot traffic. And of course the notices would all be posted on the town website as we currently do.

Furthermore, the Town would also work closely with our local cable access station, Franklin TV, to post legal ads throughout regular programming. They reserve a fair amount of air space for local town news, hearings, meeting notices and also have an archive of all town meetings on YouTube called “Franklin Town Hall TV.” The methods the town has used to inform citizens of hearings have been effective and we would like to continue them without having the additional cost or responsibility to post those same notices in a print newspaper of general circulation. In tightening budget times, saving $40-$50,000 a year on legal ads would be beneficial to the town budget to either reinvest in other civic engagement projects, or in other areas in need of investment.

Franklin is well respected for its transparent publication of information, meetings, hearings, outreach, and communication. The Town has been recognized by the MMA and many other communities for our comprehensive approach to transparency and public meeting accessibility, notably during the pandemic, by meeting citizens where they are consuming content rather than asking them to find antiquated locations for notifications. I rarely hear complaints about the public not knowing about an issue, meeting or a hearing. As Representative Roy and Senator Rausch know well, citizens in Franklin are extremely well informed of when critical meetings, hearings or events are being held in the community.

At the end of the day, with print newspapers in a slow decline and public attention turning into purely electronic and in person forms of communication, it may not be that far off in the future when many other municipalities will be looking for a similar exemption from being required to post certain legal ads in a local print newspaper. Similar to Chapter 369 of the Acts of 2022, many communities will be facing a reality that there is no print newspaper option to suffice this legal requirement, or other communities will simply this legal requirement not the most cost effective use of public spending. This legislation could serve as an additional test case of how to develop better policy on this future trend.

On behalf of the Town Council, I greatly appreciate the time of the Joint Committee to hear this bill. We thank you for your attention to this legislation and urge a favorable report from the committee. I am happy to discuss the legislation with any member of the committee or the legislative committee staff.

Full text in PDF form ->   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KsMK4jewlbsuK2cmGgnl6TPCdY0h9jkd/view?usp=drive_link 

The H.2108 legislation text can be found -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H2108

Link to the hearing testimony -> https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/4561 Rep Roy and Hellen appear approximately 10 minutes into the hearing video