Franklin MAtters Weekly: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly” Insights on the week ahead, Jan 18, 2026

“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

—“Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” written by Martin Luther King Jr in 1963. The complete letter is a worthy read and you can find the link https://letterfromjail.com/

The week starts with Martin Luther King Day on Monday, while legally designated a holiday it is not fully observed. For example, the MBTA commuter rail runs a ‘normal’ weekday schedule.

Worthy of note is that there is a scheduled virtual only meeting on Sunday evening for the 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee at 5:30 PM.

Tuesday we see the normal schedule for a Design Review meeting. The site (12 Main St) of the former book store is potentially a convenience store and their proposed signage is up for review.

Wednesday is the Town Council meeting with some key items on its agenda.

2 appointments to the Zoning Board of Appeal are up for approval. That action alone may not shut down the vociferous calls for a ‘new’ board from some community members but we’ll see what the Council does.
The Council gets an update on the infrastructure of the Town from DPW Director Brutus Cantoreggi. The dollars for continuing to maintain all our water, sewer, roads, fields, etc. has continued to grow. A plan is needed for funding. “Pay me now, or pay me more later” becomes very real.
The budget timeline for the FY 2027 cycle is presented. The recent capital budget items reviewed by the Finance Committee come before the Council on Feb 11. The official town budget is on schedule to be filed in late March.

Thursday, the Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to meet and likely for the first time with their new membership (depending upon the outcome at the Council meeting on Weds).

We’ll close this outlook with a referral back to the MLK quote we opened with: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly” . You reading this, are either a close or remote neighbor. Either way, we are faced with some challenges this year.

On the one hand, I am very grateful for what we do have. On the other hand, there is a lot of work and tough conversations to be held to ensure we can maintain the community we all live in and love.

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendar at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events are posted on the top of the page, the TV and radio schedules are on the bottom, and all the other goodness falls in-between.

Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1628-fm-weekly-outlook-lookback-combo-01-18-26/

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 1/16/26, 6:00 PM ***

250th Anniversary Celebration Committee (remote only)

Sunday, January 18 Time: 5:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01182026-2096

Design Review Meeting

Tuesday, January 20 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01202026-2099

Town Council Meeting

Wednesday, January 21 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01212026-2101

GATRA Regional Bus Meeting (at Franklin Senior Center)

Thursday, January 22 Time: 2:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01222026-2085

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) Meeting (remote only)

Thursday, January 22 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01222026-2093

*** Looking back at the week that was ***

On Monday, the School Committee Community Relations Subcommittee met. On Tuesday, the Policy subcommittee met before the full School Committee meeting. Both audio recordings will be available shortly.

The School Committee recap and video is available for their 4 hour plus session https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/01/school-committee-approves-trip-program.html

SchCmte member Reis Hansen joined me in a recap of the session which is available via video and audio formats https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/01/chalkboard-chat-condenses-4-hour-jan-13.html

The Finance Committee had a lengthy discussion on the ‘economics of development’. Personally, it was not what I expected. The primary reason being “It is complicated.” The first pass on the Capital budget was also reviewed at length and ultimately recommended to the Council for their review and vote.

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/01/finance-committee-hears-economics-of.html

The Conservation Commission met on Thursday, the video of their session is available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=881gI4sj0kM

On the FHS sports live streaming front