🏛️ Franklin at a glance

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🗳️ NEXT ELECTION
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Massachusetts State Election · 140 days away
Governor and statewide offices on the ballot. Polls open 7 AM–8 PM. Your town's own election (Select Board, School Committee, etc.) is held each spring.

This week in Franklin

Updated June 16, 2026

📅 Coming up

3 meetings

These meetings haven't happened yet — you can still attend, speak, or write to the board.

June 17, 2026
Town Council
Town Council
Franklin's main governing body. Passes local bylaws, approves the budget, and makes key appointments.
Coming up June 17: Council to vote on year-end FY26 budget transfers, a snow/ice account transfer, and swear in new fire and police personnel.
Resolution 26-36: General Funds Appropriations, Transfers and Adjustments FY26
Year-end FY26 budget appropriations, transfers, and adjustments up for a majority vote.
💰 FY26 fund transfers (amounts not specified in agenda)
Resolution 26-30: FY26 Snow and Ice Stabilization Account Transfer
Transfer into the FY26 snow and ice stabilization account, requiring a two-thirds (6-vote) majority.
💰 Snow and ice account transfer (amount not specified)
11 more items on the agenda
Announcements from the Chair
Recording notice, remote-participation details, and upcoming town events.
Citizen Comments
Residents may speak up to three minutes on non-agenda matters.
Councilor Comments
Open comment period for councilors.
Subcommittee & Ad Hoc Committee Reports
Updates from Joint Budget, Economic Development, Communications, Town Charter, and Police Station Building committees.
Town Administrator's Report
Report from Town Administrator Jamie Hellen.
Swearing in of new Fire and Police personnel
New Firefighter/Paramedic Johnna Moitoso, Police Clinician Danielle Machado, and Officer Caleb MacLean to be sworn in.
Approval of Minutes
Approval of April 15, May 13, May 20, and May 21 minutes.
Annual Reappointments and New Appointments to Boards and Committees
Council to ratify annual reappointments and new members across town boards and committees.
Resolution 26-37: Acceptance of Gifts - Veterans Services Dept.
Acceptance of a $750 gift to the Veterans Services Department.
💰 $750 gift
Future Agenda Items
Councilors may raise items for upcoming meetings.
Adjourn
Meeting adjournment.
Open to all residents — you can attend and speak during public comment. View agenda → ·Contact the board →
June 18, 2026
Conservation Commission
Conservation Commission
Protects Franklin's wetlands, rivers, and open spaces. Reviews any construction projects near sensitive natural areas.
Commission will review a culvert repair on Nicholas/Prospect Street, a Mass Electric wetlands filing on Pleasant Street, and a revised site plan at 670 King Street on June 18.
Nicholas/Prospect Street Culvert Repair
Peer review of a proposed culvert repair at the Nicholas Drive/Prospect Street intersection — a peer-reviewed drainage infrastructure project near wetlands.
📍 Nicholas Drive / Prospect Street
Mass Electric MBZA — Pleasant Street
Minor Buffer Zone Activity (MBZA; a wetlands-permit category for limited work near wetland edges) filing for Mass Electric work on Pleasant Street.
📍 Pleasant Street
670 King Street — Revised Site Plan
Revised site plan for 670 King Street will be reviewed under the Commission's wetlands jurisdiction.
📍 670 King Street
Open to all residents — you can attend and speak during public comment. View agenda → ·Contact the board →
June 25, 2026
Zoning Board (ZBA)
Zoning Board (ZBA)
Grants exceptions to local zoning rules — for example, allowing a building that's slightly too close to a property line. Their decisions can be appealed to court within 20 days.
ZBA hears two variance requests June 25 — a garage addition and an inground pool — both blocked without ZBA approval.
79 Oxford Drive — Variance Request (Attached Garage)
Matthew Gagnon & Kelly MacBain seek a variance to build a 30'×30.5' attached garage with a room above, sitting 12.2' from the right side yard where 20' is required.
📍 79 Oxford Drive, Franklin, MA
365 Prospect Street — Special Permit Request (Inground Pool)
Vinicius Almeida seeks a special permit to install an inground pool that would raise impervious surface (hard-paved/covered area) to 19.67% of the lot, exceeding the 15% cap.
📍 365 Prospect Street, Franklin, MA
4 more items on the agenda
Chair Announcements
Chair identifies any members participating remotely.
Approval of Minutes — May 14, 2026
Board votes to approve minutes from the May 14, 2026 meeting.
General Business
Board addresses any miscellaneous general business items.
Adjourn
Meeting adjourned.
Open to all residents — you can attend and speak during public comment. View agenda → ·Contact the board →

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What happened

12 items · last 60 days

Decisions and notable items from recent meetings, most significant first. Routine procedural items (194) are left out.

Nothing matches that filter.
📋 Proposed School Committee · June 11, 2026
Executive Session – Bargaining Strategy (M.G.L. c. 30A §21(a)(3))
Closed session to discuss negotiating strategy for contracts with Van Drivers, Cafeteria, ESP/LPN, and Secretaries units — open discussion would hurt the Committee's bargaining position.
📍 Municipal Building Training Room
Why this matters: Staff contract talks affect school budgets and services.
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed School Committee · June 11, 2026
Executive Session – Collective Bargaining Sessions (M.G.L. c. 30A §21(a)(2))
Closed-door bargaining sessions conducted directly with Van Drivers, Cafeteria, ESP/LPN, and Secretaries unions.
📍 Municipal Building Training Room
Why this matters: Contract outcomes can affect school budgets and staffing.
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed Town Council · June 10, 2026
Resolution 26-25: FY2027 Budget Adoption
Adopting the FY2027 budget with total appropriations of $169,687,307, of which $150,241,014 is raised through taxes; Finance Committee approved 9-0.
💰 $169,687,307 total; $150,241,014 raised and appropriated
Why this matters: Sets town spending that drives your tax bill
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed Town Council · June 10, 2026
Resolution 26-26: Council on Aging Budget Amendment
Adds the $597,258 Council on Aging budget, raising the FY2027 total to $170,284,565.
💰 $597,258
Why this matters: Increases total town budget funded by taxes
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed Resolution 26-33: Capital Round 2 Town Council · June 10, 2026
Appropriates $1,466,419 in free cash for a health insurance deficit ($1M), a DPW dump truck, school chillers, teacher laptops, and classroom repairs.
💰 $1,466,419 from free cash
Why this matters: Large one-time spending including school upgrades
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed Resolution 26-32: Fire Truck Stabilization Transfer Town Council · June 10, 2026
Moves $62,500 of free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Finance Committee backed it on a 5-4 amendment instead of a building code review.
💰 $62,500
Why this matters: Saves toward future fire apparatus
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed Resolution 26-31: Capital FY26 Enterprise Funds Town Council · June 10, 2026
Appropriates $90,000 from Stormwater retained earnings for a Stormwater Asset Management Plan.
💰 $90,000
Why this matters: Stormwater planning tied to drainage fees
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed Resolution 26-35: Ambulance Purchase Town Council · June 10, 2026
Appropriates $440,220 from Ambulance Receipts to buy a new Horton ambulance, trading in the 2014 unit.
💰 $440,220
Why this matters: New ambulance for emergency response
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed Resolution 26-24: CPA Capital Projects Town Council · June 10, 2026
Appropriates $2,989,140.58 in CPA funds for projects including Maple Hill and Schmidt's Farm, King St Memorial Park, Kennedy School playground, FHS track/tennis, and a Washington St basketball court.
💰 $2,989,140.58 📍 Various (Maple Hill, Schmidt's Farm, King St, Kennedy & Washington St schools)
Why this matters: Funds local parks, playgrounds, and school fields
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed Bylaw 26-952: Service Fee Schedule (Second Reading) Town Council · June 10, 2026
Final vote raising various fees: trash carts now $336/$245, recycling center sticker $35→$50, overflow bags $3→$4, plus passport, abutter list, and ambulance rate increases.
💰 Recycling sticker $35→$50; overflow bag $3→$4; ambulance and other increases
Why this matters: Directly raises trash, recycling, and service fees
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed Bylaw 26-953: Winter Storm Overnight Parking Ban Fines (First Reading) Town Council · June 10, 2026
Replaces the flat $25 fine with escalating penalties of $75 first offense, $150 second, and $300 for third and beyond.
💰 Fines $75 / $150 / $300
Why this matters: Steeper fines for snow-ban parking violations
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome
📋 Proposed Executive Session – Collective Bargaining / Litigation Strategy School Committee · June 9, 2026
Committee enters closed session under M.G.L. c. 30A §21(3) to discuss collective bargaining or litigation strategy.
Why this matters: Collective bargaining talks can affect school budget and staffing costs.
View official document → · from an agenda — check minutes for the final outcome

133 older items not shown.

How to get involved

📅
Show up and speak
Every meeting above is open to any resident, and most have a public comment period — usually a few minutes per person, no sign-up needed. Showing up matters more than you'd think; most decisions are made in front of nearly empty rooms.
✉️
Write to the board before the meeting
Often more effective than speaking at the meeting itself — board members read constituent email, and a handful of messages on one topic gets noticed. Each board's contact page is linked from its meetings above.
⚖️
Know the appeal windows
Some decisions aren't final right away — zoning board rulings, for example, can be appealed to Superior Court within 20 days. Items with an open appeal window are flagged above with a countdown.
⚠️ These summaries are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always check the original source documents for anything important. This site is not affiliated with the Town of Franklin and is not legal advice.

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