Adirondack Town Of Franklin
Adirondack Town Of Franklin

Town of Franklin Board Newsletter

VOLUME 9 ISSUE 1 - The Franklin Flyer Our Town News - MARCH 2018

From the Supervisor

By Art Willman

Town of Franklin

We are two months into the New Year and already with a fair amount of stuff on our agenda.

Highway Department
Over at the Highway Dept. the guys have been in full swing with plowing and sanding. There has been above average accumulation of ice this year, so we have gone through a fair amount of sand. Drivers, please remember that it is still Winter and dangerous road conditions can present themselves at any time. Slow down and allow extra time to get where you are going to avoid any mishaps.

Spring and Summer will be upon us soon and we will be prepping for paving soon. We plan this year to complete the paving on Fletcher Farm Rd. and perhaps do an overlay on Cold Brook to fix some of the more ragged spot

Town Hall
Over at the Town Hall, things are moving along on several fronts. To start with, our last two events, our lasagna dinner and roast pork dinner were well attended. Please keep in mind that the proceeds from these and future events will go directly into the Kate Mtn. Special Reserve Fund to help us fund our new community center.

Community Center
Speaking about the Community Center, we have finished the planning phase and have begun the bidding process. I have sent out a number of CD’s with the plans to local contractors. If you haven’t gotten yours and are interested in bidding on the building, please give a shout and I will be sure to get one in the mail to you. We had a pre-bid meeting on Feb. 15th. I am hoping that we get a good response to our bid requests and we can proceed on schedule. We plan on breaking ground sometime in April, weather and soil conditions permitting. With some luck we should have a completed building by the Fall. Also over at the park, after the snow is gone, you will see the construction of a 33 Kw solar array. 33 Kw is enough production to take care of our electrical supply for the Town Hall, Garage, and the Park and Community Center. This will save us quite a bit on our electrical supply. In relation to our Park and the State lands that adjoin it, here is a message from the Regional Waterfront Program:

We Need Your Input
Our Town is working with other communities along the Saranac River/Rt. 3 Corridor to develop a plan for community revitalization and recreational enhancements for residents and visitors.

This planning effort will better position our community and the region to receive funding for future projects identified in the Plan.

A community workshop was held Feb. 12th at 6:00 pm at the Saranac Town Hall at 3662 Rt. 3 in Saranac to discuss community needs and ideas.

The plan is being developed with funding provided by the NYS Dept. of State under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund. A follow up workshop will be held at 6pm on March 28 at the Saranac Town Hall to unveil where we stand with the planning portion at that time. We hope you can join us.

Finally, on the subject of the Bigelow Rd., last Spring the DEC went back in there and picked up a considerable amount of trash ranging from small trash to larger pieces of old furniture. I would seriously be disappointed to find out that any of our tax payers are responsible for this behavior. To encourage proper use of this area and increase usage, we will be constructing a parking area for people to walk in and enjoy this unique road. There will also be parking further in for people with disabilities near to access fishing, etc. Plans are in the works to perhaps plank the existing bridge to make crossing the brook possible for pedestrians, cyclists, and snowmobilers. In terms of the trash, we have it on good authority that the fine for anyone guilty of dumping on State land is $1500 for the first offense. We plan to set up signage and surveillance to discourage this dumping and so we can more closely monitor the area. To those who are dumping: Please stop. We are serious about keeping this area clean. You don’t want to be the first one who has to shell out big bucks. Take your stuff to the transfer station in Lake Clear. It is a lot cheaper. Finally, please keep an eye out for upcoming events. That about does it for now. Until next time, be well.

Odds and Ends

by Lauren LeFebvre, Town Clerk

Carcuzzi's Car Care Center

Gosh, it's been a while! So, what's happened since last we spoke? 2017 fizzled out and 2018 began. Just prior to the fizzle, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise published an article regarding Town of Franklin Local Law #1 2017 Prior Written Notice of Highway Defects. This provision has existed in NYS Town Highway Law for years. The full text of the law is on our website but here's the lowdown. If you want to take legal action against the Town of Franklin regarding road a maintenance issue (the law calls it a defect), you must have given the Town Highway Superintendent or Town Clerk written notice of the defect before you can initiate said legal action. That's it. Some people are reading far too much into this. There is no fine print. There is no hidden agenda. The Town did this at the behest of our insurance company. No one sat around dreaming up ideas how to create more red tape. As I said before, this provision has existed in NYS Town Highway Law for years. NOTHING HAS CHANGED

You'd think this explanation was enough but, alas, you'd be wrong. My phone at the Town Hall and the phone at the Highway Garage started to ring before the ink dried on the newspapers. I'll be the first to say the article was a tad misleading. Callers were concerned that they had to put everything in writing. No. If you want to let the Highway Department know about an icy spot, a troll lurking under a bridge, broken pavement, an open vortex from Hell with thousands of demons blocking traffic, a dangerous pothole or an army of evil wizards turning all roads into lava.... you can still just let the Highway Department know with a phone call, text, email, stopping in, etc. If you discover the cast of Magic Mike 3 rehearsing in the middle of the road, blocking traffic thereby creating dangerous situation, call the Town Clerk's Office immediately. I guarantee I will get there much faster than the Highway Department.

Only if you want to take us to court regarding a highway issue you do need to have informed us of the issue in writing first, otherwise it's business as usual. FYI, in the case of the troll, bridges belong to Franklin County

Now, I'm going to throw a few dates out at you.

March 27 @ 6pm-Planning meeting at the Town Hall for Founder's Day, Golf Tournament, Community Dinners and Pumpkin Heaves. All events are to raise money for the Community Center. Everyone is invited, encouraged and BEGGED to get involved. You're not committing to every event by coming to this meeting. If you have an idea for another type of fundraiser for the Community Center, by all means speak up. Personally, I'd love to do a Trivia Night.

April 14-Community Dinner at the Town Hall, 4-7. This time it's the ultimate comfort food...Meatloaf! Call 891-2189 that day after 3pm for take-out.

July 28-Founder's Day at Kate Mountain Park.

September 23 (or 30th)-Town of Franklin Golf Tournament at Saranac Inn Golf Course. $300 per foursome—includes registration, cart, greens fees, prizes and roast pork lunch.

October 13-Pumpkin Heaves at Kate Mountain Park. That wraps it up for me. I REALLY, REALLY hope to see you on March 27.

From the Historian

As 2018 Founder's Day is starting to be planned, Phyllis King, Town Historian is requesting your ideas, copies of photos, artifacts and memories of “firsts” Town of Franklin from “back in the day”. What's your first memory? What would young people do on a first date? What was a common first job? What was first grade like? Let's remember our history before it's lost forever. Call Phyllis if you'd like to contribute. 891-1995

Odds and Ends

by Lauren LeFebvre, Town Clerk

Town of Franklin 55+ Club

by Lauren LeFebvre

No, I'm not 55 yet. I was asked to do this month's write-up by the club president, Phyllis King. (Yes, the Historian, too) For those of you who don't know, this is my second stint as Town Clerk. My first go 'round was 1998-2004. I have to say, the 55+ Club was SO MUCH LARGER back then. Why? The first thing people say is “Well, people die”. I know that! People also age. I'm much closer to 55 now than I was back then. So, where are the people who were in their 30's

Is there a misconception that the club is for “locals”? You know what I mean….born and raised. Not true. It's for everyone 55 and over. Do they ID you at the door for proof of age? No, but wouldn't that be hilarious?!

One thing that is probably different is that many people cannot afford to retire. I hear that loud and clear. So ok, you're working during the day. Did you know that the club meets in the evenings April-October? They meet during the day November-March. So, is it the unknown? What do they do at the meetings? Will they expect you to tell them your life history? No, first of all—they eat really good food. It's a potluck meal. I've been lucky enough to be a member-in-training for years by being invited to share lunch with them.

Not a big talker? Don't worry. Some of the members are. They'll pick up your slack. Here's the lowdown. The Club meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. March 13, 27 at noon and starting in April at 5 (or 5:30?). The group makes plans for guest speakers to attend future meetings, they plan outings to see local live performances, go to museums, etc.

Is transportation to/from the meetings an issue for you? I know it's a biggie in these parts for sure. Let me know. I can help you figure it out, I promise. I'd love to see this group grow! You can call Phyllis at 891-1995 for more info. (You can also call me—I do know a few things.) Town Board Meetings

5:30 p.m. (Winter), 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 Sara Besaw: 518-891-5087



55+ Club Meetings

2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the Month(winter 12 noon; 6pm summer) at the Town Hall, Vermontville. Contact Mary Ellen Keith 891-1619

Town Board Meetings

5:30 p.m. (Winter), 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

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Town of Franklin
P.O. Box 209, Route 3, Vermontville, NY 12989  ·  Tel: 518-891-2189  ·  Fax: 518-891-6389  ·  info@townoffranklin.com
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