Thread by @FranklinMatters

Getting ready to report on the Town Council meeting at 7, #tc0525 agenda doc franklinma.gov/town-council/a…

Meeting starts with moment of silence for those in Texas. Zoom info available, live stream via the Town of Franklin page as well
YouTube is also available for viewing tinyurl.com/FranklinMATV #tc0525

One citizen comment, Marissa B advocating for aggressive work to address climate change, stretch goal for building codes #tc0525

Thanks to Finance Cmte, finance staff, school committee, and others in their work on the budget, it is a team effort. Let's reflect on what we do have, schools delivering quality education, students making lots of achievements in music, sports, and academics. Fire ISO Class 1 ...

Police about to be certified, DPW award winning, green community and moving forward. #tc0525 triple AAA bond rating, the ultimate team achievement for the Town. "We are fortunate to be in the position we are in"

As mentioned the budget doc can be found online franklinma.gov/town-budget/fi… #tc0525
Facilites, Fire, Police, schools, DPW are in 'council' hold, other line items may be held by individual councilors

Clerk reads the line items per the voting doc, additional holds being raised. #tc0525 total operating budget $142M+
Chandler, kudos for FinCom watch the videos, they answered a number of questions I would have raised.

Q on Town Clerk salary, consultant in process working on salary compensation review results expected later this summer, labor market is a shifting dynamic, #tc0525 Pellegri doesn't agree with statements by TA Jamie Hellen

If Town Clerk were to get more than the agenda item scheduled for Thursday, the money would come from somewhere else in the budget. Hence, 24 hours to 'find' it. #tc0525

D'Angelo recognized for leading the Town in the installation of the UVGI filters as the first in the state #tc0525 Horace Mann interior court drains fixed, Red Brick restoration of exterior, internal work on municipal bldg underway; police station study will take time #tc0525

Design contingency built into the project as you won't always know exactly what you are getting into. School custodial staff having time to keep up, staffing or kids? The past year has been a much tougher year than anyone expected, things are coming together #tc0525

Next up, Police. Chief Lynch here. "The Town is blessed with the staff we have" accreditation is across 322 standards, currently about 100 fully accredited; certified last year, this year working for the full accreditation #tc0525

Police seeing decline is hiring pool; 275, then 150, then 40 in November Sat for the exam the last 3 years, not all pass; hence a short list to work with. Only be fully staffed for 2 weeks in last 5 years; running at min or below; what is difference between academy and list?

Turn around with transfers is so much faster, if not using this, would have used excessive OT to manage the shifts. #tc0525 there is an increase in training requirements and the new schedule has enabled this, already doing it to get it accounted for

Q on jail diversion positions are grant funded, if we get more grant $, we can bring on more, otherwise it is a budget item. Police details are paid for by the vendors requiring the work, (Verizon, etc.) and not from the operations budget. #tc0525

Hiring is the top future issue, fortunate so far but fearful of what's coming and ability to maintain staff. Police station is nice but too small and can't work for us, can't build out where we are. Study underway. Mental health related issues, getting worse #tc0525

Opioid is still an issue, hidden somewhat due to pandemic, narcan so prevalent, they sometime get covered without calling, we won't always know who needs help #tc0525 civil service depts having bigger trouble getting help with smaller pool

Next up, Fire Dept. Chief McLaughlin 55 of 56, one open being filled. #tc0525 next 5 years what is needed? staffing, equipment, training will help us maintain. Ladder truck is cross staffed with ambulance so it may not be used, would use 8 more to better staff ...

Applied for a Safer grant should here in June if we get it, the ladder truck is next item for us, new vs. return and evaluate to make a decision for the fall, either way, about 18-20 months away. Electric vehicle fires would be a challenge to address quickly #tc0525

The ladder truck is good now, it takes 24 months to deliver if we order today; #tc0525 planning in advance

Next up, Regional Dispatch; Q on the increases shown, TA Hellen is the Chair of the MECC regional directors board; grant for expansion by 2 is being processed over 4 years, also putting $ aside in stabilization, when full assessment comes back we have a problem #tc0525

Q first time raised on animal control, suggestion for consideration of reuse of on older police K-9 vehicle for their use, will offer and see #tc0525

Next up Schools, Supt Ahern, Miriam Goodman, Denise Spencer Chair, budget Chair Dave McNeill present with others in support in the room #tc0525 430 grads from FHS, 380 coming in next K class, so the decrease has been rolling through the district

DT decision coming to school committee at Jun 14 meeting, space needs subcommittee in process to do an evaluation of needs and future use of facilities, presentation scheduled for June 14 meeting, #tc0525 $6.6 in revolving funds, about 5.6 being used in FY 23

Thanks for your leadership for 5 years here in Franklin, Ahern responds working with the community faculty staff etc on the portrait of the graduate a key accomplishment; "as superintendent personnel is job 1" #tc0525

Biggest challenge: increase and diverse needs for fulfillment for our students/families, academic and social emotional, a lot of anxiety for when support gets pulled back; i.e. free lunch when Fed funds expire next year, what happens? #tc0525

Several clarification questions on the budget, Federal funds about $1.2M, state (Chap 70) remains basically flat "hold harmless" and only a $30/per student increase but with declining enrollment that goes down in total #tc0525

Q on closed school, lost enrollment, and yet budget is still increasing, how do we explain that? Efficient such that total savings was minimal with the closure, adding an assistant principal to Keller to help with the transition. Costs are growing higher than the DT $ #tc0525

We are experiencing high turnover, administrators initially (per school year practices), now we are seeing other resignation and retirements (19 recognized last night); a lot of relocations, career changes, personal circumstances causing the changes #tc0525

We are seeing some good hiring choices, some positions have been hard to fill, particularly with special Ed; substance abuse is increasing with SAFE, what's with FPS? Vaping, alcohol, marijuana all reported down; looking to get behind the numbers to understand #tc0525

Jones: As high as the school budget is, the Town only pays 32% of it, most from chapter 70, town should be increasing its investment in our future via the kids and their education #tc0525 getting a 100 candidates for some positions, others are really hard to find folks

Ahern: Where can we get relief from mandates so we can focus on what the local needs are? In response to an ask for insights on how to address unfunded mandates. #tc0525

While we are giving you what you asked for, what are you not getting? Reintroducing world languages at the elementary level, that is the prime time for it, adding more of language to both middle and high school. #tc0525 restoring librarians to K-8, ESP have done well but ...

They are not trained as librarians and those positions were cut in prior years. #tc0525 digital literacy and coding opportunities at the elementary level, could also expand elementary day to maintain time on learning; bring back free lunch, we are lean in Central office

Little thing of the morning news not always being shown in some of the teacher's rooms so not all the students are seeing them. #tc0525
Great closing remark by D McNeill highlights the unified basketball team representing MA at Special Olympics this summer

DPW up, this year adding 2 positions cut last year; Arlington St area done, Macintosh roads being repaved late June, Country Club water main this year July, Grove St signal starting in July; King, Union and some of 140 will be mill and overlay this summer, visible #tc0525

Cobi provides the abridged version of underfunding road infrastructure. #tc0525 working on better signalling with cameras so if no one is going by, the rather than waiting the light changes

Cobi: Looking to adjust priorities away from traffic to other modes, walking, biking, etc. Compost starting with in the home/on residence, later to have the recycling center handle drop off of compost material to ideally return for reuse #tc0525

"I could say, yes. But honestly no" we are doing sidewalks where we do the roads. There are so many roads that need work, I don't ignore sidewalks, we do when we do the roads #tc0525 if someone calls with a bad area, we do what we can

Q on the pink bag change in process, attempted to reduce the travel of the vendor esp with the increased gas prices, same service to call or bring to DPW or recycling center, pink bag not required, any bag can be used. 15-20,000 lbs a month collected #tc0525

DPW doesn't own all the trails, Conservation does. #tc0525 there are instances of illegal dumping fortunately many times the items left contain identity info as to where it came from, including a bong attempted to be discarded by a kid who had a party

Had been buying diesel at $2.35/gal but the contract expired and they won't renew right now so they are paying market price. #tc0525 Supt Ahern adds to story of trash on school grounds that there are also unsupervised kiddos playing there and notification was sent

Recreation Ryan Jette; about 1500 kids/year, looking to break a record for revenue this year, staffing going good, 58 active part-time at minimum wage, #tc0525 Rec is a total fee base supported program
No lifeguards at Beaver, too costly can't compete with other pools

Lifeguards are short supply, would love to do but no funding for it; could still rope off the swimming area #tc0525 cricket field at JFK fields as softball wasn't using them

Cultural Council up; concern over the level funding toward the festival which last year brought in over $400k in revenue to the vendors food etc from the last festival. The group needs support to allow the festival to grow #tc0525

First hearing closed, looking to see if any other departments to bring back for Thursday session. #tc0525 informative session and at time entertaining
Motion to adjourn, passes
Catch you Thursday night for part 2!

@threadreaderapp unroll