Franklin MAtters Weekly: community relations

Showing posts with label community relations. Show all posts

Saturday, April 4, 2026

Budget, budget, budget

Yes, it is that time. The FY 2027 budget documents were released at the end of March. The Finance Committee is scheduled for their line by line departmental reviews this week over 4 consecutive nights

Monday General Government
Tuesday Schools
Wednesday Public Safety and Department of Public Works
Thursday, if necessary

It is worthy of note that at the end of the Finance Committee hearings this week, they will not vote on a recommended budget. The open enrollment period for the employees and retirees to move to the GIC plans runs April 1 to April 30. The costs associated with such a move (anticipated to be less than maintaining the current process) won’t be available until mid-May.

The Finance Committee also has sessions scheduled for May 28 and June 3. At one of those, it is likely for the budget recommendation vote to occur. The Town Council conducts their budget hearings May 20 & 21 and is scheduled for their vote on the budget at their June 10 meeting.

The time to ask questions about the budget of any particular department or operation or service the Town provides is BEST done during these budget hearings. The department leadership is present to answer your questions, provide the details on the how and why they do what they do.

Aside from the budget, there are a bunch of other Town & School meetings this week. The Planning Board meets on Monday (in the 3rd floor training room).

On Tuesday, the OPEB Trust committee meets as well as the Communications Subcommittee for the Franklin 250th Celebration.

On Wednesday, the School Committee Community Relations Subcommittee meets virtually

On Thursday, Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, Cultural District Committee, Conservation Commission and the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School Board of Trustees are also scheduled as well as a Pole Petition hearing for a new utility pole on Oak St.

The agendas for these individual meetings are provided below.

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-1706-fm-weekly-outlook-lookback-combo-04-05-26/

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town pages 4/03/26, 7:30 PM ***

Finance Committee Meeting - Budget Hearing

Monday, April 6 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04062026-2219

Planning Board Meeting

Monday, April 6 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04062026-2231

OPEB Trust Committee Meeting

Tuesday, April 7 Time: 11:00 AM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04072026-2235

Finance Committee Meeting - Budget Hearing

Tuesday, April 7 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04072026-2220

250th Anniversary Celebration - Communications Subcommittee Meeting

Tuesday, April 7 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04072026-2237

Finance Committee Meeting - Budget Hearing

Wednesday, April 8 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04082026-2221

Franklin Public School Community Relations Sub Committee Meeting

Wednesday, April 8 Time: 6:40 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04082026-2230

Pole Petition Hearing - High Street

Thursday, April 9 Time: 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04092026-2210

Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Meeting

Thursday, April 9 Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Agenda not available at this time

Finance Committee Meeting - Budget Hearing

Thursday, April 9 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04092026-2222

Cultural District Committee Meeting

Thursday, April 9 Time: 6:30 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04092026-2234

Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School Board of Trustees Meeting

Thursday, April 9 Time: 7:00 PM (virtual meeting)

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04092026-2232

Conservation Commission Meeting

Thursday, April 9 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/582?fileID=8685

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

The Horace Mann Legacy Subcommittee met on Monday, March 30. The recap and exclusive audio is available on Franklin.News https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/04/audio-recording-of-horace-mann-legacy.html

The Board of Health met on Wednesday, the recap and audio should be available Sunday on Franklin.News

The Town Council met on Wednesday, April 1. The recap with video link is available on Franklin.News https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/04/town-council-moves-4-zoning-bylaw.html

The ZBA met very briefly on Thursday, the video is available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHi68ZHGfxE

The Economic Development Subcommittee held its first session also Thursday. The recap and video link is available https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/04/the-economic-development-subcommittee.html

On the FHS sports front 2 videos are available

Monday, softball vs. KP - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Sl8783Bqh4
Thursday, boys lacrosse vs. Milford - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ygHcMQcWE&t=466s

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

Saturday, March 14, 2026

Major meeting this week: Joint Session of SchCmte & Town Council on Chapter 70 (audio)

The snow has mostly gone but the drought is still here

Yes, all that snow simply stayed above the frozen ground and the aquifer will take time to absorb. Hopefully, April showers will bring some periods of steady rain.

In the meantime, the Franklin Housing Authority meets on Monday. The School Committee Community Relations Subcommittee is also scheduled to meet.

Design Review is scheduled to review an update to another Camford Property development along West Central St.

The major meeting of the week occurs Wednesday with a joint meeting of the School Committee and Town Council. The Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) will provide an update on Chapter 70 and hold harmless. This should be a most view (if not must participate) session.

The Council and School Committee will also discuss the potential for a strategic planning initiative. We have a set of plans (Master Plan, Housing Production Plan, Open Space & Recreation Plan) but need to get to the next level of detail on what is the priority for implementation and how it is going to be funded. The structural deficit is the major problem facing Franklin and needs to be solved.

The Board of Health added a session on Wednesday at 5 PM to discuss prohibiting the sale of mind altering products.

The School Committee has an open office hours session scheduled for Thursday evening at the Lincoln Elementary school.

Audio link - https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1687-fm-weekly-outlook-lookback-combo-03-15-26/

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 3/13/26, 6:00 PM ***

Franklin Housing Authority

Monday, March 16 Time: 4:30 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03162026-2186

Franklin School Committee - Community Relations Subcommittee

Monday, March 16 Time: 6:30 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03162026-2181

Pole Petition Hearing

Tuesday, March 17 Time: 12:30 PM