Franklin MAtters Weekly

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Week ending - May 20, 2012

The Town Council did something interesting this past week. They punted when they could have knocked the ball out of the park. Yes, I understand that is mixing metaphors and it is a deliberate choice.

The agenda was published on the Friday before their Wednesday meeting as normal. The agenda included Res 12-33 which was an endorsement of the People's Rights Amendment. I thought this interesting because while I consider my radar pretty good, there are always holes and new opportunities and this was a surprise.

The Town Council was going to step into a discussion on people's rights? A national discussion that derives itself with roots in local politics (yes, all politics is local). A discussion fraught with political overtones covering the full spectrum of the rainbow. This Council was indeed going to set new ground!

Alas, this was not to be. The agenda was modified and republished on Tuesday without Res 12-33 and the associated documentation. The item was left as a 'presentation'.

Wednesday evening comes and several members of the Council make their sentiments clear that this was not the proper forum for the Council to discuss this item.

I beg to disagree. There may be a better set of language to put forward for this issue. There are at least two proposals out there, there may very well be more. The problem I have with the Council is that the Council is indeed a good forum for this discussion. Why?

What does the US Constitution say? You may recall that the US Constitution begins

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

http://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/constitution/

What does the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts say? In the third paragraph, you'll recognize the key phrase but pay attention to the first two paragraphs!

The end of the institution, maintenance, and administration of government, is to secure the existence of the body politic, to protect it, and to furnish the individuals who compose it with the power of enjoying in safety and tranquility their natural rights, and the blessings of life: and whenever these great objects are not obtained, the people have a right to alter the government, and to take measures necessary for their safety, prosperity and happiness.

The body politic is formed by a voluntary association of individuals: it is a social compact, by which the whole people covenants with each citizen, and each citizen with the whole people, that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good. It is the duty of the people, therefore, in framing a constitution of government, to provide for an equitable mode of making laws, as well as for an impartial interpretation, and a faithful execution of them; that every man may, at all times, find his security in them.

We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course of His providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud, violence or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit, and solemn compact with each other; and of forming a new constitution of civil government, for ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, do agree upon, ordain and establish the following Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, as the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/Constitution

And of course, the Franklin Charter, by which we are empowered to govern ourselves begins:

We, the people of the Town of Franklin, Massachusetts, in order to form a more perfect community, reaffirm the customary and traditional liberties of the people with respect to the conduct of our local government and take fullest advantage of the Home Rule Amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, do ordain and adopt this Home Rule Charter for our Town.

http://franklinma.virtualtownhall.net/Pages/FranklinMA_TownCharter/towncharter.pdf

So we have three levels of government, the two most local to us (MA and Franklin) clearly state that we the people have "a right to alter the government", the process includes "an equitable mode of making laws, as well as for an impartial interpretation, and a faithful execution of them; that every man may, at all times, find his security in them."

We should have a discussion on the people's rights amendment. Maybe we can come up with the phrasing that will correct the money problem!

May 20

May 19

May 18

May 17

May 16

May 15

May 14

Week ending - May 13, 2012

Catching up as I realized I never did the summary last week. I guess Mother's Day and the events around it took priority. I hope they did for you as well!

May 13

May 12

Things to do today in Franklin

"everybody knows where we are"

May 11

May 10

May 9

May 8

May 7

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Week Ending - May 6, 2012

May is upon us. So it is busy, we all have things to do. It is also important to have a priority and a focus on what matters. There is a mix of things to do today that can't wait and stuff that needs to get done today to prepare for tomorrow.

The Master Plan Committee is one of those future opportunities that happens now. It also happens only once every ten years. The super moon may have been hidden by the clouds this time for this area (at least it was for Chicago so I missed it) but the Master Plan meeting will be held twice this month. Once in the third floor Training Room at the Municipal Building on Weds May 9 at 7:00 PM. The second time at the Public Library on Sat morning May 19th at 10:00 AM.

There is not likely to be a replay available via cable as the Training Room is not set up for broadcast. I have a conflict with the 9th but should be able to record/broadcast on the 19th for those who can not make either date.

The Master Plan lays out the priority for Franklin's business and residential growth. Wouldn't you like to have a say? You can.

1 - Visit the Town website to review the information prepared there. http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_BComm/Masterplan.

2 - Participate in one of the two meetings.

You already think that Franklin matters or you wouldn't be reading this. If it really matters, tell your friends and neighbors about the Master Plan meetings. This opportunity to have a say comes once every ten years.

May 6

May 5

May 4

May 3

May 2

May 1

Apr 30

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Week ending - Apr 29, 2012

Like gardeners, planning the layout of the growing space, setting out the stakes, tying off the supports, the Franklin budget process is very similar. The department managers assess what they have and what they need to provide services they need to deliver. They have several discussions and present the plan to the Town Administrator who either makes an adjustment or brings it forward.

The first step is the review with the Finance Committee. Over the course of several nights, the Finance Committee reviews the budget with each of the department heads, discusses their processes, their needs, their issues and ultimately makes a decision.

Their decision goes before the Town Council who holds formal budget hearings on two consecutive nights. They are currently scheduled for May 23 and 24 to review the FY 2013 budget. During these hearings, the Council has the opportunity to discuss budget details with each of the department heads. From experience, there tends to be less discussion than in the FinCom sessions.

Given the Prop 2.5 rules for MA, there are restrictions on how much revenue that the community can raise via property taxes. The established levy can only increase 2.5%. Anything above 2.5% requires a special vote. There are two kinds of votes to approve a greater than 2.5% increase.

If it is for a capital item (like a new school), the vote is called a debt exclusion. The amount of increase is set for a specific number of years and then expires.
If it is for regular operational budget, like an additional DPW worker or for the salary increases due to collective bargaining agreements, then it is an operational override. The override amount in this case becomes a permanent addition to the tax base.

Franklin has passed only one operational override (in 2007) and has passed several debt exclusions for school buildings (mostly). The most recent debt exclusion was passed in March to approve the new Franklin High School. During the time that the debt exclusion amount will be building up to its maximum amount for the new high school, debt exclusion amounts for Horace Mann, Remington/Jefferson and Keller/Sullivan will be coming off the tax levy

You can see the current amount for these debt exclusions in the FY 2013 Budget Revenue document
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2012/04/franklin-ma-fy-2013-budget-documents.html

Franklin has automatically taken the 2.5% increase. It could choose to take part of it, or none of it. Given that it has taken all of it, we (as taxpayers) can expect a minimum of 2.5% increase each year.

All is well and good with this. It sets the planning horizon. Like the gardener, Franklin needs to live within its means. So when contract negotiations grant 2.5% increases in any given year then the automatic amount is already used up. If anything in operations would be needed, it would require a cut from somewhere else in order to balance the budget. If you only put up a two foot support, and your plant grows four feet, then what do you do?

Apr 29

Apr 28

Apr 27

Apr 26

Apr 25

Apr 24

Apr 23

"lower the amount of phosphorus discharged"