Hot August nights winding down as the summer comes to a close

“Hot August night

And the leaves hanging down

And the grass on the ground smellin' sweet”

You can get into the spirit with this golden oldie from Neil Diamond.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K398Q4DYCW8

The summer nights are rapidly coming to a close. Labor day is around the corner. Nomination papers are still available for the Biennial Town Election coming November 4. While there are just enough candidates for most roles, the Board of Health and the Planning Board (Associate) are both lacking candidates for their open positions. 

Potential candidates are gathering signatures at the Farmers Market and elsewhere around town. Some are knocking on doors or having conversations in person, or on the social webs.

Some may be touting they will be the next savior for the Town. Listen, and listen well. What are they saying? What are they not saying? 

We’ll try and gather a set of information for the residents and voters to make their decisions. We try to get more than a sound bite. What is the candidate's story? What are they looking to do? And importantly, how do they think they’ll do it?

These are not questions with yes or no answers. Nor are they trick questions. So listen and listen well to be able to cast an informed decision on November 4. These folks are stepping up to volunteer to help our town provide services to the community. We are all in this together. 

On the meeting front, the Planning Board meets Monday, School Committee Tuesday, Police Station Building Committee and Agriculture Committee are both scheduled for Wednesday, and Zoning Board of Appeals on Thursday. Important meetings on key topics for town and school business. 

Meeting agendas where available are here to help prepare and understand what each group is doing on our behalf. Watch, listen, and listen well.

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 8/22/25, 7:00 PM

Planning Board Meeting

Monday, August 25 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08252025-1869 

Design Review Meeting

Tuesday. August 26 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08262025-1870 

Franklin School Committee Meeting

Tuesday, August 26 Time: 7:00 PM

https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4780/FPSD/5979273/SCAGENDA_8-26-25.pdf 

Franklin Agricultural Committee Meeting

Wednesday, August 27 Time: 7:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08272025-1873 

Police Station Building Committee

Wednesday, August 27 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08272025-1881

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) Meeting

Thursday, August 28 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08282025-1855 

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

The only meeting broadcast by Franklin TV in the short week of meetings was the Conservation Commission meeting on Thursday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpuG9wRB0mg 

While there was only one meeting broadcast, a couple of videos ended up getting finished for publication recently.

More Perfect Union: Teachers Unions (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqlylccC5cc 

Veterans' Call: Tom Marcone (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mnumAQnzvI 

Frank Presents: Cliff Winters (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MNnK8vGKu4

The individual video links can be found on Franklin Matters Weekly or use the Bit.ly link to go directly to the Franklin TV All Access page -> bit.ly / FTV - AllAccess -> https://bit.ly/FTV-AllAccess

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.

Town calendar -> https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx    

Community calendar -> https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar   

Subscribe for the daily dose of information -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html    

Subscribe for the weekly dose of information -> https://www.franklinmattersweekly.org/p/subscribe-for-email.html  

Deja vu: back to the drawing board to adjust the FY 2026 budget again

And you thought the FY 2026 budget decisions were behind us with the adjustments made at the June 4, 2025 Town Council meeting to line up with the failed override. Yet the assumptions made in the budget for the expected State revenue has now changed and will provide less funding than was budgeted for, hence the adjustment required for $231 thousand odd.

The Finance Committee gets the first crack at this on Monday, August 11. The Town Council then gets to this at their Wednesday, Aug 13 meeting. The key decision will revolve around splitting the deficit equally between Town and School budgets, or having the Town absorb the deficit and reinstate the 3rd ambulance. 

Yes, the 2 voting docs do require some explanation as one accounts for the $231 thousand odd adjustment, the other actually increases the budget by $18 thousand. How these are reconciled requires an explanation at the Finance Cmte and Town Council meetings.

The School Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug 12. We’ll get an update on educational activities during the summer as well as an update on the moving activities for the redistricting for the schools to reopen in September.

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 8/08/25, 8:00 PM

Finance Committee Meeting

Monday, August 11 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08112025-1822 

Planning Board Meeting - mtg canceled (next session 8/25/25)

Monday, August 11 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08112025-1844 

School Committee

Tuesday, August 12 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08122025-1851 

Design Review

Tuesday, August 12 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08122025-1849 

Town Council

Wednesday, August 13 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08132025-1852 

Historical Commission

Wednesday, August 13 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08132025-1853

Municipal Affordable Housing Trust - no meeting (next meeting is 9/11/25)

Thursday, August 14 Time: 2:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/466?fileID=5560 

Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School - BOT Mtg

Thursday, August 14 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08142025-1845 

Zoning Board of Appeals ZBA - no meeting (next meeting 8/28/25)

Thursday, August 14 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08142025-1842 

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

The Police Station Building Committee met on Wednesday, August 6 at 5 PM to tour the existing station facility. Additional opportunities for the community will be announced for Sept/Oct time frames. There is also work underway to create a video walk through of the facility for those who might not be able to participate in person. A recap of the tour is found https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/08/police-station-building-committee-tours.html 

The Commission on Disability met on Thursday, August 7 beginning at 4 PM. Mary O'Neill, was taken by surprise with the gathering of more than the Commission members and with the presentations of proclamations by State Rep Jeff Roy and Town Administrator Jamie Hellen. Among the many things Mary is known for it is her inspiration and persistence that produced the "Kindness Matters" signs seen around town. A recap of the meeting including some photos https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/08/mary-oneill-and-randy-jay-surprised.html 

The Conservation Commission met on Thursday, August 7. The Franklin TV video is available for replay on YouTube -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4kHhc-j_KE

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.

Town calendar -> https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx    

Community calendar -> https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar   

Subscribe for the daily dose of information -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html    

Subscribe for the weekly dose of information -> https://www.franklinmattersweekly.org/p/subscribe-for-email.html  

"A misunderstanding once But now we look it in the eye”

“There was a distance between you and I

A misunderstanding once

But now we look it in the eye”   *1

Oh, how I wish that were the case.  

Most problems are within our realm to correct. The problem resolution needs to start with a clear definition of the problem to be solved, a civil discussion around the proper, accurate data involved, and then the pros and cons of the choices to let the greater good prevail.

This first week of August 2025 has a light schedule of meetings. The Housing Authority has a special meeting to review a plan for the trees on their property. The Board of Health is scheduled to meet but they may not as there is not a published agenda at this time.

The Police Station Building Committee gets together on Wednesday to tour the existing facility. The public is welcome and there will be specific dates and times in September/October for the community to participate in a tour.  Work is also underway on a video tour for those who may not be able to go in person.

The Conservation Commission has the first of its 2 scheduled August meetings on Thursday to close out this week of Town meetings.

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 8/1/25, 8:00 PM

Franklin Housing Authority Meeting

Wednesday, August 6 Time: 4:30 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08062025-1840 

BOARD OF HEALTH MEETINGS Canceled (removed from calendar)

Wednesday, August 6 Time: 5:00 PM

no agenda at this time

Police Station Building Committee Meeting

Wednesday, August 6 Time: 5:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08062025-1801 

Franklin Commission on Persons with Disabilities Meeting

Thursday, August 7 Time: 4:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08072025-1843

Conservation Commission Meeting

Thursday, August 7 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/459?fileID=5437 

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

The Planning Board met on Monday, July 28, 2025. The Franklin TV video is available for replay -> https://www.youtube.com/live/esjFezYI2ls 

The Zoning Board of Appeals met on Thursday, July 31, 2025. The Franklin TV video is available for replay ->  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aomZAxoWXRw

Town Council Quarterbacking with Town Council Chair Tom Mercer was published recapping the almost 5 hour meeting of July 23, 2025 -> 

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/07/4-hour-plus-town-council-meeting-try.html

Franklin artist Amy Adams revealed her ‘wind phone’ in Natick on Sunday, the video of her remarks is available -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXkf_qo7Tiw& 

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.

Town calendar -> https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx    

Community calendar -> https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar   

Subscribe for the daily dose of information -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html    

Subscribe for the weekly dose of information -> https://www.franklinmattersweekly.org/p/subscribe-for-email.html  

*1 Video link to the song & lyrics quoted in the opening:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3sMjm9Eloo and the lyrics -> 

https://genius.com/Tom-cochrane-life-is-a-highway-lyrics

The playlist of all the music used in the intro of these weekly summaries can be found ->  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL2XKlvMgLAldgEtfDZo2UM9-W9pjc2qK