Town of Franklin Board Newsletter
Volume 1 Issue 3 - October 2010
Rescue Service Changes
The Saranac Lake Rescue Squad is about to become
independent from the Fire Department., thereby allowing
them to submit bills to insurance companies, Medicare, etc.
for payment. As a result, the towns that use this service
should see a reduction in costs.
HOWEVER, to date, the new administration has changed the manner in which they compute the charges to the towns for fire and rescue service. Where previously it was based on the volume of calls to a particular town, it is now
based on the total taxable assessed value of the town. This
translates to an increase of over 23% in rescue cost charged to
the Town of Franklin. This increase is currently being
addressed in the budget process. The Village is asking that
contracts be signed by October 15th and, since we don't as yet
have any viable alternatives, the board will probably vote to
execute the contract at the October 13th meeting.
We are currently researching to find possible future
alternatives to the Rescue Squad service. If anyone has
suggestions, please let me know
From the Supervisor By Art Willman
Town Hall Furnace Repairs, Asbestos
Abatement, Energy Conservation
I hope this edition of the "Franklin Flyer" finds
everyone healthy and happy. As I write this, the sounds of
some serious work are emanating from the basement as the
workers from All Trades Contracting are busy replacing the
furnace in our Town Hall. As I mentioned previously, the
old furnace developed a crack in one of the welds in the
heat exchanger which allowed exhaust to enter the duct
work and then travel into the
Town Hall offices. The work should be completed in a few
days and well ahead of the upcoming heating season. Also,
I am happy to announce that all of the asbestos boarding
has been removed by Op-Tech, an environmental hazards
mitigation and remediation firm. This process took the
better part of a week back in July. The Town Hall
basement is now asbestos free.
In the area of energy savings, we have received the
green light from the folks at the State Historic Places Office
to replace the windows and doors in the Town Hall. It is
obvious from the condensation between the panes of the
windows that the glass has failed in most of the windows
and is no longer serving as an insulating factor. The
replacement of the windows and doors should result in
significant energy savings in the future. We are currently
soliciting quotes for the windows and their installation.
Highway Department Commended
Over at the Highway Department, Jacques and the men
have been hard at work on our roads. They spent the
summer cutting brush, cleaning and replacing culverts, ditching, cleaning banks, and paving, and busy hauling and stockpiling sand for the winter. After that they will finish up any other road work and then get the equipment prepped for
plowing. Hopefully, we will have another fairly light winter,
but those who live here year 'round know that it is only a
matter of time before Mother Nature hands us a tough one.
With this in mind, I want to extend my sincere appreciation
to the men at the Highway Department for their efforts,
dedication, and professionalism in making sure that our
roads are save and passable.
Community Events at Kate Mountain Park:
55+ Club Franklin Fun Fest, KMCR Town Picnic
Day
This summer saw the inauguration of a couple of annual
events in the Town of Franklin. The 55+ Club held their
first "Franklin Fun Fest" on Sunday, August 8th. There was
food, music, and vendors and a good time was had by all.
Later in the month, the Kate Mountain Community
Recreation Assn. held their first annual Town Picnic Day at
the park on Saturday, Aug. 21st. This event was very well
attended and featured exhibits of art work done by the
children in the Summer Youth Program. Also, there was an
historical exhibit put together by Historian Kevin Ransom
and Town Clerk Sandy Oliver which gave folks a peek into
our town's history.
There was a lot of great food including clam chowder,
smoked brisket and pulled pork prepared by Smokey's 911,
burgers, dogs, michigans, sausage and peppers, baked beans
prepared by Rhonda Swinger, and Julie Foley's cole slaw.
Over on the ball field, Kathy Drake and crew had games for
the kids and there were amusements provided by Eric
Wilson and Good Guy Productions. A great group of
vendors came to show their wares which included a wide
selection of everything from jewelry to baked goods to rustic
furniture.
Hats off to Derrick Romeo and the members of the
KMCRA for all their hard work in making this event happen.
Many thanks as well to all who donated items for the silent
auction. Put Sat., Aug. 20th, 2011 on your calendar for the
second annual Picnic and set aside the 3rd Saturday in
August for all future picnics. The KMCRA is hoping that
this event will develop the same kind of following as the
Redford Picnic.
Budget Process Begins. Public Hearing Nov.3
In the area of fiscal matters, the annual budget process is now
under way. Two workshops were held on Sept. 27th and Oct.
4th. The budget is now in the preliminary stage and the annual
public budget hearing will be held on Wed., November 3rd at 7
pm at the Town Hall. Briefly put, the budget contains a small
decrease on the General Fund side and a modest increase on the
Highway Fund side. Actual spending appropriations were kept
flat when compared to last year with the only increases being in
non-discretionary spending such as retirement, social security,
rescue, contractual obligations, and unfunded state mandates.
On the revenue side, we are projecting another drop in revenue
with a 14% decrease on the General Fund side and a 1.3%
decrease on the Highway side, which translates into a 4.3%
decrease in revenue over all.
Although the financial picture isn't rosy by any stretch
of the imagination, we are committed to holding spending down
to minimize the impact on taxes while ensuring that the same
level of service is maintained to keep our roads safe and the
town running smoothly. I encourage everyone to pay close
attention to what is going on during the budget process and
attend board meetings and the public hearing to give input and
get information first hand.
Lastly, the Town Clerk has asked me to pass along the
latest on the issue of dog licensing. The State Dept. of Ag and
Markets has informed us that they are going out of the licensing
business and is passing that function along to the towns. We are
in the process of drafting a law to reflect this and which will
contain a fee schedule for dog licenses. As this process unfolds,
we will keep you all informed.
Until next time, please be well.
Fun, Food, Music and Games Enjoyed at
the First KMCRA Annual "Town Picnic
Day"
L to R: "Hambone," Chef "Ed Ardee," "Art of Cooking"
August 21, 2010 and had a great turn out, we served approximately
250 meals. We had great music and the kids had fun with all the
games from Good Guy Productions. Clear your calendar for next
year, August 20, 2011, will be the date to plan for. We would like to
take this opportunity to thank everyone who came to the picnic to
have fun and give us your support.
The money from the event will benefit the Kate Mountain
Community Recreation Association's youth and activities programs,
so we can continue to give the youth and community at large
activities to attend.
KMCRA's Vision
If you are just hearing about the KMCRA, The Kate Mountain
Community Recreation Association (KMCRA) is a communitybased
organization that was founded to promote character-building
youth activity programs and community involvement.
In addition, the KMCRA is an ongoing and collaborative project to
help accomplish the enhancement of the park's athletic fields in
order to support high quality sporting programs. With the
cooperation of the DEC and the Town of Franklin's Town Board,
KMCRA aspires to expand the current Kate Mountain hiking trail
for hikers, mountain bikers, snow-shoe enthusiasts, and cross
country skiers, through the implementation of various fundraising
activities and events.
In the future we hope to reinstate the winter youth programs that
would establish a weekly game or movie night for the community's
enjoyment during the winter season.
The KMCRA would like to establish an adult activities program.
Other programs KMCRA is looking into include children's
swimming, cross-country, Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding,
and snow-shoeing lessons.
Most of all, KMCRA aims to get the youths involved in the
community with community service programs that are presently in
development.
We want your suggestions on what you would like to see
accomplished for the youth, adults, seniors, and the community as a
whole. Please feel free to contact us at kmcra@roadrunner.com or
PO. Box 181, Vermontville, NY 12989, or you can find us on
Facebook.
Thank you all, and please know we appreciate the investment of
your time and getting involved in the support of this worthwhile
effort.
We hope to see everyone next year.
All the best,
Derrick J. Romeo
President,
And all the members of the KMCRA
Willman and Demars Guest Speakers at Loon
Lake Homeowners Association (LLHA) Annual
Meeting.
Both Town of Franklin Supervisor Art Willman and Highway
Superintendent Jacques Demars spoke at length and entertained
many questions and concerns at the meeting. Art reported on
recent Town activities; however, the membership focused on
the Garden Road issue; that is, in an effort to promote
efficiency, safety and limit Town liability, the Town Highway
department widened Blue Spruce Drive and notified Garden
Road property owners that any obstructions in the right-of way
were to be removed prior to the commencing of the expansion
of the right-of-way.
In this connection, a LLHA petition protesting the widening of
Garden Road was presented as well as a Resolution supporting
Garden Road residents' concern that such a project would have
a negative impact on their property and the aesthetic and
historic character of the road.
Both at the LLHA meeting and subsequent Town Board
Meetings, town officials addressed the Garden Road issue and
indicated that the Highway Department would be complying
with DOT requirements and that "any historic structure or
healthy vegetation will be reviewed and if possible, not be
disturbed unless absolutely necessary."
Editorial
Home Town Heroes
When Olympian Bill Demong was awarded gold and silver
medals, our Town rejoiced and celebrated in honor of his
outstanding achievements. Undoubtedly, he is a home town
hero and a role model for our youth and we are proud.
But what about our other heroes - the unsung ones. True, they
may not have achieved greatness or fame; nevertheless, we are
lucky to have them in our midst. Who are they? They may be
you or anyone who gets involved in helping the community by
volunteering his or her time and effort and/or contributing to
our Town's worthy causes - volunteer firefighters, food pantry
workers, fundraisers, those who work with our youth, Town
employees who go the extra mile, and others not mentioned
here.
We wish them and you all the best.
Meetings & Events
KMCRA Holiday Dinner
• Saturday, December 4
• 4 pm to 7 pm
• Roast Beef / Ham
• Santa for children at 2 pm to 4 pm
• $8 Adult, $7 Seniors, $5 Child <= 12 yo
• Take Outs available day of event
call 891-2189
Election Day
Tuesday, November 2nd , 6 am to 9pm, Town
Hall, Vermontville
Budget Hearing
Wed., November 3rd at 7 pm at the Town Hall,
Vermontville.
55+ Club Meetings
2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the Month at the Town
Hall, Vermontville. Bring "Covered Dish".
Contact Donna Buckley 891-9214
Town Board Meetings
7 p.m. 2nd Wednesdays of the Month at the Town
Hall, Vermontville
St. Paul's Food Pantry
Building behind Town Hall.
Distribution one day a month and as needed..
Make out donations to St. Paul's Food Pantry
c/o Mary Ellen Keith, 9 Tyler Rd, Vermontville,NY
or drop off at Birchbark Deli