Volume 1 | May 1, 2020
Town of Franklin E-Newsletter
Hello Franklin! We hope the May 2020 edition of the Town of Franklin E- Newsletter finds you well, staying healthy and safe! Despite the many closures in our Town, State and beyond, there is still a lot going on in our community. Find details from our departments and committees below!
Our COVID-19 information portal is updated frequently as new information, alerts and resources become available. Please check it frequently. In addition to news, and alerts, there are community resources, guidance for businesses and employees and many other important and helpful links. Stay healthy, safe and informed!
Meetings & Agendas
Town of Franklin meetings are being held remotely but are still accessible online during the COVID-19 closures. Meetings are accessible via web link or over the phone. Visit our website and/or social media to stay updated, view agendas, access login/call-in instructions and find all of the options to stay informed and connected.
Simple Recycling Returns to Franklin
Simple Recycling  will be picking up and processing recycling clothes and other items in Franklin on Monday, April 27th.
Clothes are put in the pink bags  and placed next to the trash or recycling cart placed before your collection day. There is no call in and they will service every week.
On the day of your current trash and recycling pickup beginning at 7:00AM, Simple Recycling will cover that days route and pick up the pink bags and leave empty bags for future use. For more information or to order bags directly please visit www.Simplerecycling.com
Franklin Fire Department
Franklin Fire Department is following State and Local directives and are operating with limited staff at Headquarters during regular business hours.

We would like to express our gratitude for the overwhelming support from the community towards the Fire Department. Many local residents and business owners have been stopping by or calling to offer supplies to our members for safety. Although we currently have a good supply of PPE, we greatly appreciate the generosity of the community.

Reminder: Open Burning Season ends May 1st.
Franklin Police Department
The Franklin Police Department has been fielding a lot of questions related to the RMV including:

  • Driver's licenses
  • Inspection stickers
  • Motor vehicle registrations.

The State has extended virtually all expiration dates and has many online tools to renew. Find the information HERE .
Visit our website to pay bills online.
Treasurer/Collector
Payments can be made in a number of different manners during the temporary building closure.
  • Online Payment Portal (Preferred)
  • White Dropbox at Municipal Building
  • Mail
On May 11th, the drive-up window will be re-opening. Hours are TBD and will be communicated on our website.

Please remember no cash is being accepted at this time.
Building & Inspections Department

The Department is open by phone at 508-520-4926 and email Monday - Thursday 8 am - 4 pm and Friday 8 am - 1 pm.
  • In- home Inspections: We may ask for photos in lieu of on-site visits to keep our staff and residents safe.
  • Permits: Our online permitting is available for commercial and residential work including plumbing, electrical, gas and more.
  • APPLY FOR A PERMIT HERE
Veterans Services
The Annual Memorial Day Breakfast is cancelled this year, however, other options for recognition of Memorial Day are being considered and will be communicated via the Veterans Services website.

The Veterans Memorial Walkway Project is still accepting engraved Brick orders for any veteran or active-duty service member. You can find details on placing an order at www.franklinveteransbricks.com or by filling out a Brick Order Form.

The Veterans Service Department is holding a Virtual Coffee Social to connect with their members during the COVID-19 closures. To find details on this and other ways our Veterans Service Department is offering support, please find their May Newsletter HERE
Stormwater Division

The Stormwater Division is working to educate the community about facts related to stormwater and the mandated mitigation plan. This helpful flyer provides important information for Franklin residents.

Rain Barrels are a great way to collect and re-use rainwater runoff. The Town of Franklin has extended the deadline to order a rain barrel until June 10th. A rebate is available!
Find our more about how to order one on out website at https://www.franklinma.gov/stormwater-division/pages/rain-barrels
Franklin Senior Center
The Franklin Senior Center is actively supporting our Senior community in a variety of ways. Zoom Coffee Socials, webinars, wellness checks and many other support services are available. Please visit the Senior Center website for a comprehensive list of resources and ways to connect. You can find their latest newsletter here

Franklin Public Schools

Our Leaping into Kindergarten event has been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 20th at 6pm. It will be live streamed on our Youtube Channel which can be found HERE and on the homepage of our website www.franklinps.net
News for Franklin Retirees
The Town of Franklin is currently preparing for open enrollment for health insurance for all our employees and retirees. Due to the COVID-19 situation, we will need to rely on email correspondence more than ever and will not be able to send bulk mailings to homes.

If you are a retiree from the Town of Franklin and currently on our health insurance, please send an email to   [email protected]  i dentifying your name (and spouse's name if applicable) and the best email address to reach you. Please keep an eye on your email in the first week of May for announcements from the Town. You may also find information on   the Human Resources Department's website. 

If you know someone who is a retiree from the Town of Franklin, please forward along this message!
Franklin Public Library
The Library has so much to offer even during the closure! Our digital library is still open! Explore our collection of audio-books, e-books, magazines, movies and more at https://minuteman.overdrive.com/

Our social media channels have a wide variety of story times, activities, challenges, and many other offerings so be sure to check us out!

On May 18th, the Library will be re-opening for no-contact pickups/book drop. Hours will be limited and details are still TBD. We will update out website with information.


Health Department

The Board of Health recently issued an Emergency Order regarding the use of face coverings in essential businesses. You can find the official order here: Public Health Emergency Order

I Got Your Covered - download poster to print

Visit the Board of Health website for more information and to sign up to receive email alerts for news and announcements.
Conservation Application Submittals
While the Town Hall is closed to the public, you may mail any applications and correspondence to:
The Conservation Department
355 East Central Street
Franklin, MA 02038
We only require 2 copies of any type of filing at this time. Please email Jen Delmore, Conservation Agent, at  [email protected]  before submitting a  new application.

For filing a Notice of Intent, please email an electronic copy of the application to ( [email protected] ) the Town Engineer at the DPW  instead of delivering in person and receiving a handwritten signature to submit to the Conservation Dept. Mike Maglio will email the Conservation Agent once he has received the electronic copy. Please always email the Conservation Agent PDFs of all material for all types of filings.

Remote Conservation Commission Meetings 
While the Town Hall is closed for public meetings, the meetings will be conducted through ZOOM. The meetings will be accessible through the Conservation Agenda posted on the Conservation Website with detailed directions on how to access the meetings. As we are working remotely, please email Jen Delmore, the Conservation Agent, with any questions or concerns. Thank you!
Recreation Department
The Recreation Departmen t and DPW would like to thank everyone who participated in Earth Day 2020! Over 200 bags of trash were collected along with various tires, bikes,refrigerators and other household items. Our town is cleaner and our planet is healthier thanks to the efforts of our community!

The street hockey/basketball court project at Fletcher Field is still underway, and the safety netting project at FHS will be starting next week.

We are hoping to resume programming for the summer months. Stay tuned!
The Franklin Historical Museum is looking for residents to participate in their COVID-19 Archive Project by sharing your stories. As you well know, we are currently living through an event which will be studied by researchers, scientists and anthropologists alike, as they work to figure out what happened. Now is an important time to think about how history is preserved and how what we choose to save now will determine how we will be seen by posterity.

What has quarantine been like? What are you doing to stay connected to friends and family outside of your household? Favorite moments? Hardest Moments? What do you want people to remember?
Share your stories on Instagram or Facebook @franklinhistoricalmuseum or #franklinstayhome
Talk Franklin: A Podcast from the Town Administrator's Office
This podcast provides a trusted information source from the Town Administrators office, featuring news, alerts, department info and more. Created in coordination with Franklin TV and Radio and Franklin Matters.

Town of Franklin Department Spotlights
Introducing: Department Spotlights! Our buildings may be temporarily closed but all of our departments are still hard at work getting important jobs and services done! Additional departments will be added each week.
The Franklin Cultural District is holding a Photography Scavenger Hunt Contest! Find out all the details, entry categories and how to enter on the Scavenger Hunt Website!
How many trails and walking paths have you explored? Find our Trails Website here, learn how to participate in our Trails Drawing and enter to win a FREE rain barrel!
Visit the Franklin Downtown Partnership's website to stay informed with local business hours, operations and updates.
Let's support our local businesses any way we can!