Town of Franklin Board Newsletter

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