The slow season of summertime lingers this week 07/14 - 07/20/25

“Another day in the park

I think it was the Fourth of July”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjylD7esXDo

The slow season of summertime lingers this week. Only 1 ‘major’ meeting and 3 ‘minor’ meetings on tap for the week. 

The Economic Development Subcommittee meeting on Wednesday previews zoning bylaw changes proposed for the Crossing Neighborhood District located at the junction of Union and & Cottage. 

Stop by the Senior Center for breakfast and open conversation with State and Town officials on Thursday morning. A good breakfast at a very good price and usually a good conversation opportunity.

The ZBA meeting scheduled for Thursday has been rescheduled for July 31.

If you have other Town of Franklin questions, you can also take advantage of the Franklin Q&A session on Wednesday morning either remotely or in person at the Franklin Senior Center. Open to all in Franklin, you bring your questions, I’ll provide the answers either then or via follow up.

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 7/11/25, 8:00 PM

OPEB Board of Trustees Meeting

Tuesday, July 15 Time: 11:00 AM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07152025-1813 

Economic Development Subcommittee Meeting

Wednesday, July 16 Time: 5:45 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07162025-1818 

(Note: due to equipment trouble in the Council Chamber studio, the meeting might be broadcast from the 3rd Floor Training Room.)

Coffee Hour with State & Local Officials

Thursday, July 17 Time: 8:30 AM

No agenda for this open session

Zoning Board of Appeals ZBA Meeting

Thursday, July 17 Time: 7:30 PM -> rescheduled to July 31, 2025

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07172025-1811 

Council on Aging Meeting

Friday, July 18 Time: 1:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06202025-1790 

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

The only meeting broadcast or recorded by Franklin TV was the 

Conservation Commission - July 10, 2025

Franklin TV video -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuhuJNjwcrk 

The Memorial Day breakfast was published to YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04CztHlxZKE

The Memorial Day parade and ceremonies was published to YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79er1B_Cpd0

And from the archives of Franklin TV, the video of Poetry Day at the Senior Center held Oct 25, 2017 was published to YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4LPTfBJ_vk

—------------

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendars 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

Franklin Schools close out for the summer, June 18, District prepares for September 2025

School closes out this week with half days as Franklin prepares for redistricting starting in September. The last day to register for bus transportation is Friday, June 20. Any requests after Friday can not be guaranteed a bus seat for September.

A small slate of meetings are scheduled for this shortened week with Town and School facilities closed Thursday for Juneteenth. 

The Planning Board meets on Monday and the Town Council on Wednesday. The Council agenda includes ratification of multiple union contracts. The School Committee approved their teacher contract in their last session June 10. 

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendars 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.

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 6/13/25, 10:30 PM

Planning Board Meeting

Monday, June 16, 2025 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/Planning-Board-23/?#_06162025-1786

Brownfields Cleanup Plan Review for 21 Grove Street

Tuesday, June 17 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/Legal-Notices-29/?#_06172025-1770

Town Council Meeting

Wednesday, June 18 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/Town-Council-4/?#_06182025-1788

Town officials office hours  canceled

June 19 all Town, schools closed for Juneteenth Holiday

ZBA Meeting canceled

Thursday, June 19th https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/Zoning-Board-of-Appeals-31/?#_06192025-1745 

Council on Aging Meeting

Friday, June 20th. Time: 1:30 PM

No agenda posted

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

State Representative Jeff Roy hosted an appreciation event on Monday, June 9 to recognize the collaboration to bring a single family home back into the Franklin Housing Authority (FHA) inventory. It has been stuck in a legal limbo for about 20 years and finally got unstuck, renovated, and is now occupied by a Franklin family.  The audio and video of the event can be found  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/06/audio-recording-of-fha-appreciation.html

The Franklin School Committee reluctantly approved their revised budget to account for the reduced allocation from the Town per the failed override. In addition to the 29 personnel cuts due to redistricting (saving the Town $3.1M annually), the District reduced an additional 12 personnel along with multiple sets of expenses to account for $2M less in revenue. This results in only a 1% increase over the prior year school budget the lowest annual increase since 2013. The recap and recording of the meeting -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/06/school-committee-reluctantly-approves.html

The Finance Committee held its shortest meeting on Wednesday. It struggled to gain quorum, then when it did achieve that, determined to postpone the Technology topic for presentation/discussion in the fall. 3 new members are scheduled to be appointed in July and they would benefit from such information. The very brief audio officially recording the short meeting  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/06/finance-committee-reschedules-their.html 

—------------

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendars 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 light meeting week with schools out on break, rest up now for the busy week of April 28

For the week after Easter with schools on break and Patriot’s Day Monday, this a very light week for Town/School meetings. 

However, the week after this break will be a busy one with 3 Finance Committee budget hearings, along with the School Committee & Town Council meetings, Planning Board. and Conservation holding their regularly scheduled meetings.

If anyone has any questions about the line item details on the FY 2026 budget, these three Finance Committee budget hearings (4/28, 4/29, & 5/1) are the time to do so.   

Prior year experience indicates that the General government departments/line items will be on one night, the schools (Franklin, Tri-County, Norfolk Aggie) on one night and the third night covers public safety (Police, Fire & Dispatch) as well as Public Works both operational and enterprise accounts (water, sewer, solid waste, & storm water). Exactly which night will come out when the agendas are posted.

We know through the Schools, that they’ll be on April 28, which of the other two will slot where, we’ll find out when the agendas come out by Friday, April 25. 

*** Meeting schedule for the week of April 21 - April 26  (as of the Town website on Friday evening, 4/18/25)  ***

Franklin Housing Authority - Special Meeting 

Monday, April 21   Time: 4:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04212025-1691 

Design Review Meeting - Cancelled

Tuesday, April 22 Time: 7:00 PM

no agenda for this cancelled meeting

Zoning Board of Appeals ZBA Meeting

Thursday, April 24 Time: 7:30 PM

No agenda posted at this time

Friends of Franklin Elders (FOFE) Meeting

Friday, April 25 Time: 9:00 AM

No agenda posted at this time

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

The Town Council met on April 16 for 3 hours. Key items covered can be fond in the Franklin Matters recap -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/04/town-council-starts-with-recognitions.html 

Franklin TV video replay -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9jXhRmTTlI&t=94s 

Town Council Quarterbacking with Chair Tom Mercer condenses the 3 hour meeting to approx. 35 minutes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/04/tom-mercer-and-i-condense-3-hour-town.html

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

 

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendars at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events on posted on the top of the page

• 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

April's 2nd week brings showers & a more 'normal' slate of meetings

April's second week is scheduled to bring showers and a more 'normal' slate of Town meetings even with 2 cancellations.

 

The Cultural Council & Planning Board have regular meetings on Monday. School Committee gets an update on the elementary & ECDC redistricting efforts Tuesday, after their Policy Subcommittee meets earlier that night. Friends of the Library also meet on Tuesday

 

Wednesday has a Historical Commission meeting and Thursday has the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust as well as the Charles River Pollution Control meetings.

A friendly reminder that the The Finance Committee has its set of 3 budget hearings scheduled for April 28, 29 and May 1. If anyone has any questions about the line item details on the FY 2026 budget, these three nights are the time to do so. 

 

Prior year experience indicate that the General government departments/line items will be on one night, the schools (Franklin, Tri-County, Norfolk Aggie) on one night and the third night covers public safety (Police, Fire & Dispatch) as well as Public Works both operational and enterprise accounts (water, sewer, solid waste, & storm water). Exactly which night will come out when the agendas are posted. 

One might ask why the Town is always looking to hire for one or more positions? This a normal part of business. The positions being hired for are generally backfilling for someone who has retired or moved on to another opportunity. The Town has infrequently added net new positions. These are the kinds of details that are addressed in the line by line department review of their FY 2026 budget by the Finance Committee budget hearings that close out April.

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

*** Meeting schedule for the week of April 7 - April 13

(as of the Town web site on Friday evening, 4/4/25)  ***

Franklin Cultural Council Meeting

April 7, 2025, 7:00 PM = https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/5131/Franklin-Cultural-Council-April-Meeting?bidId= 

Planning Board Meeting

April 7, 2025, 7:00 PM = https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/365?fileID=4379 

Design Review Meeting Cancelled

April 8, 2025, 7:00 PM

Franklin School Committee - Policy Subcommittee

April 8, 2025, 6:00 PM = https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04082025-1668 

Franklin School Committee Meeting

April 8, 2025, 7:00 PM = https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04082025-1669 

Friends of the Franklin Public Library Meeting

April 8, 2025, 7:00 PM @ Friends of Franklin Library Community Room (no agenda posted)

Historical Commission Meeting

April 9, 2025, 6:00 PM = No agenda posted

Charles River Pollution Control Meeting

April 10, 2025, 3:00 PM https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04102025-1664 

Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Meetings

April 10, 2025, 2:00 PM https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/5145/April-10-2025---Agenda?bidId= 

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) Meeting

April 10, 2025, 7:30 PM = No meeting, next meeting is April 24

 

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

The biggest news of the week didn't come from the meetings or agenda topics, it was the police report on the investigations underway regarding the 2 potential hate crimes associated with the vandalism reported.

 

The Board of Health met on Wednesday and the exclusive audio and recap of the meeting is available ->

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/04/board-of-health-meeting-april-2-2025.html

 

The Franklin TV video replay of the Conservation Commission meeting Thursday is available  -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYvAHAknjas

 

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

 

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendars at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events on posted on the top of the page

• 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