"Summer's here and the time is right Talkin’ ‘bout zoning"

Calling out around the Town

Are you ready for a brand-new heat

Summer's here and the time is right

Talkin’ ‘bout zoning along the street  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HasaQvHCv4w

Or is it? 

With apologies to David Bowie & Mick Jagger for redoing the lyrics of their Live-Aid performance of “Dancin’ in the street”

The outlook for current and future meetings concern hot topics around housing developments and zoning approvals for future developments. All in an attempt to address our housing issues.

Yes, affordability is a key factor and due to both Federal and State regulations, there is little we, in Franklin, have direct control over for affordability.  

We do have control over our zoning however. We can continue to keep multiple variances required for every project to ensure local control remains in the hands of the Planning Board, ZBA and others in the approval process. 

Or we can consider crafting the regulations to enable more ‘by right’ approvals. Clearly these changes would be within reason, and should be more reasonable than we have today.

Be part of the process by watching the Planning board and ZBA meetings this week. The next Council meeting will also take up the ‘friendly 40b’ policy again. It was tabled for future discussion during last week’s lengthy and only July Council meeting.  

The Town Council August 13 meeting likely will also be lengthy as it is the only one for this summer month.

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 7/25/25, 10:00 PM

Planning Board Meeting

Monday, July 28 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07282025-1833 

Massachusetts Strategic Health Group Meeting

Tuesday, July 29 Time: 1:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07292025-1836 

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) Meeting

Thursday, July 31 Time: 7:30 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07312025-1830 

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

The major meeting of the week was the single July meeting for the Town Council. It was a lengthy one consuming almost 5 hours. The recap, video and audio of the meeting is available.

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/07/town-council-spends-almost-5-hours_26.html 

The Town Council Quarterbacking session for the July meeting will be available mid-week (approx. 7/29-7/30)

There are two worthy interviews to share:

Chris Flynn talks about his Horace Mann project. He has developed a script for a 4-part video series on the life of Horace that he is ready to film and is looking for actors to fulfill the roles in Horace's life. Listen here ->   https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/07/actor-chris-could-use-your-help-in-this.html

Amy Adams talks about her "Healing with HeART" projects, the newest of them opens on the Natick Town Common. She creates a "wind phone" following the lead of a Japanese gentleman initially although there are hundreds if not thousands of "wind phones" around the world. Listen here -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/07/amy-adams-talks-about-wind-phone.html

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 

Bonus - YouTube has the audio output of these

• Outlook = https://youtu.be/BBUrqBb9OxE 
• Lookback = https://youtu.be/pNwBQS_Zvxg 

6 to 3 to 2 to 1, finally

One can pick and choose when it started, there are a number of key points along this budget journey for the Town of Franklin. Go back to the first successful override in 2007. Or to the failed overrides in 2008 and 2010. 

To the failed dedicated override for road repairs for $1M that folks chose not to accept in 2014.  Yes, even after hearing that the Town needed to confirm that money for the override would be spent for a specific item, the voters chose not to fund needed road repairs.  

Whether you call it the “fiscal cliff” or the “structural deficit”, it really comes down to a math problem. More money required to fund existing services than is scheduled to come in due to the 2 ½ override restrictions. You can try to ignore it but inflation is the major driver. Councilor Jones calculated the inflation impact of Prop 2 ½ since 1983 during the override discussions in the run up to the June 2024 failed attempt.

It is so much easier to blame someone else for the problem. That avoids the harsh reality of the situation our community faces. It seems there are a number of relatives of Rodney Dangerfield (“I get no respect”) who live here. They attempt to dominate or divert the conversation from facing reality. It gets a chuckle, laughed off, and the tragedy remains in front of us.

So the Town took on a massive effort with 

• 6 Joint Budget Listening Sessions 

• 3 Finance Committee budget hearings

• 2 Town Council budget hearings

In the run up to the special election Tuesday, June 3 at Franklin High School gymnasium from 6 AM to 8 PM.

Of the 25,865 registered Franklin voters, 2431 ballots have been cast by early and absentee voters (through 5/30/25 close of business) for this election per Town Clerk Nancy Danello. 

The questions that remain?

1. How many of the remaining voters will turn out on Tuesday? 

2. Will they be Rodney’s relatives? Or will they fund the current services our community needs? 

When will we get an answer?

• We’ll find out by about 9 PM Tuesday evening.

 

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 5/30/25, 11:00 PM

Planning Board Meeting

Monday, June 2 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06022025-1763 

Massachusetts Strategic Health Group

Tuesday, June 3 Time: 1:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06032025-1766 

School Committee Superintendent's Evaluation Sub Committee

Tuesday, June 3 Time: 5:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06032025-1726 

BOARD OF HEALTH MEETINGS

Wednesday, June 4 Time: 5:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06042025-1765 

Town Council Meeting

Wednesday, June 4 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06042025-1769 

Cultural District Committee June Meeting

Thursday, June 5 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5813/CDC-Agenda_Meeting_june_2025docx?bidId= 

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) Meeting

Thursday, June 5 Time: 7:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06052025-1744 

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

Election prep resources:

• Joint Budget Listening Session “Watch, Listen, or Read” info  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/02/joint-budget-listening-sessions-fy-2026.html  

• Finance Committee Budget Hearing “Watch, Listen, or Read” info  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/05/finance-committee-fy-2026-budget.html

• Town Council budget hearings “Watch or Listen” info  https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/05/town-council-fy-2026-budget-hearing-1-2.html 

The More Perfect Union radio show has resumed with an episode on the Special Election June 3

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/05/more-perfect-union-wfpr-98-june-3rd.html 

The most recent Town Council Quarterbacking session summarizes the Council budget hearings and the all alcohol license transactions they approved in the May 22 meeting

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/05/tom-mercer-i-condense-2-budget-hearings.html 

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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 very full week of Town and School business meetings is scheduled May 12 through May 16, 2025

A very full week of Town and School business meetings scheduled 

Both the Recreation and Planning Board are scheduled to meet on Monday. Housing Authority, Design Review, Friends of the Library, and School Committee and School Policy Subcommittee are scheduled for Tuesday.  The Board of Health, Cultural Council and Historical Commission are scheduled to meet on Wednesday.  Thursday morning starts with the Town and State official coffee social (8:30AM) at the Senior Center, followed by ribbon cutting for the new van and pavilion also at (10:00AM) the Senior Center. Thursday evening has the regular meeting of the Conservation Commission. Friday, the School Committee has a contract negotiation session to close out the busy week.

Over 200 volunteers, yes, some of your neighbors may be part of this group of non-paid volunteers spending some number of hours willingly to provide oversight for the Town and School operations. As a general rule, we should all be kind to our neighbors and more so to those who volunteer to help make this community work for us.

There may be disagreements on specific items but we are all here because we chose to be. We need to work together to make it a better place. Step away from the vitriol on the social webs and have a civil conversation with your neighbors. Franklin will be a better place for us.

*** The agendas for the week ahead can be found here: (as of 8:00 PM Friday, May 9, 2025)

Recreation Advisory Board Agenda

May 12, 2025, 7:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05122025-1713

Planning Board Meeting

May 12, 2025, 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05122025-1727 

Franklin Housing Authority Meeting

May 13, 2025, 4:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05132025-1733 

Design Review Meeting

May 13, 2025, 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05132025-1732 

Franklin School Committee Policy Subcommittee Meeting

May 13, 2025, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05132025-1737 

Franklin School Committee Meeting

May 13, 2025, 7:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05132025-1735 

Friends of the Franklin Public Library Meeting

May 13, 2025, 7:00 PM - 7:45 PM

No agenda posted

Board of Health

May 14, 2025, 5:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05072025-1722 

Franklin Cultural Council Meeting

May 14, 2025, 7:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05142025-1731 

Historical Commission Meeting

May 14, 2025, 6:00 PM 

No agenda posted at this time

Coffee Hour with State & Local Officials

May 15, 2025, 8:30 AM

No agenda for this informal gathering

Conservation Commission Meeting

May 15, 2025, 7:00 PM

No agenda posted at this time

SC Negotiations - Franklin School Committee

May 16, 2025, 4:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05122025-1713

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

The Town Council met on Wednesday, May 7. The audit is once again “clean” and we also heard of the renewal for our AAA bond rating. This provides significant financial value to the Town. The recap and video can be found

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/05/town-council-hears-of-clean-audit-and.html 

The Town Council Quarterbacking session with Council Chair Tom Mercer condensed the almost 3 hour meeting to about 30 minutes can be found

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/05/town-council-quarterbacking-condenses.html 

The Zoning Board of Appeals had a contentious but informative session on Thursday. More discussion on the key zoning and building topics, including the 40b topic will be coming. In the meantime, catch up on the meeting here (recap and video)

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/05/zba-listens-town-administrator-attempts.html 

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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