🔨 City Wants to Buy Another Building
🔨 City Wants to Buy Another Building
A Dive into the Depths of the Capital Improvement Plan | Thursday: Charter Commission Hearing | D4 Forum | Memorial Day | The Civic Week Ahead
Are we ready for the heat this week, Framingham? Wednesday looks like we suddenly jumped to August with temperatures in the 80s.Â
This week the Council’s Planning and Zoning Subcommittee discusses wayfinding signs. Wayfinding signs, for example, are signs that welcome you to Framingham or to a certain neighborhood, or direct to local landmarks and places of interest. Saxonville is the only neighborhood that has multiple welcome signs and they are better than anything welcoming you to Framingham.Â
This got me thinking and I want to hear your thoughts. Should Framingham have more formal welcome signs? How about neighborhoods (Nobscot, Pheasant Hill, Coburnville, Woodacres, etc.)? What signs would you like to see? Take this week’s poll and if you want to expand on your thoughts, send me an email.Â
Have a question about the goings on in Framingham? Drop me an email and I’ll answer it in the next Ham’er Mailbag.
The best way to help The Ham’er and, dare I be so bold, build community in Framingham is to forward The Ham’er to your neighbors.
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What to do about Framingham’s Capital Improvement Plan?Â
The hot topic this budget season: the capital improvement budget.
How is this budget different?: The capital improvement budget is the list of building, construction, parks and recreation, equipment and vehicle needs of the city. It is supposed to be based on a five year capital improvement plan (CIP) outlined by the city.Â
Projects can be approved off cycle, as needs arrive. In the past year alone, the Sisitsky Administration has purchased the former Marian High School Building and 188 Concord Street, planned for a regional emergency response center, renovated the Winch Tennis Courts, started renovations at Arlington Street Park and Mary Dennison Park, improvements to the Flanagan Drive pumping station, and purchased property for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and the Bethany property for a future southside school.Â
That is a lot of $$$.Â
Surprise!: Everyone was surprised when the Sisitsky Administration trashed - the Mayor’s word, not mine - their proposed FY25 Capital Improvement Budget back in March. Originally submitted to the Council in November, the budget featured a request of $72 million. The revised plan knocked that down to $25 million and discarded the entire FY25-29 CIP.Â
Why?: Framingham could not afford the original FY25 plan. Additionally, the city has a long standing policy not to spend more than 5% of the budget on capital and debt service. There is no official cap on how much a municipality can spend on debt service/capital improvement. MassDOR recommends a cap at 15%.Â
Projects that don’t fit within the 5% cap get deferred. Today Framingham has millions of dollars in a deferred list that keeps growing.Â
At the March 26 Finance Subcommittee meeting, Councilors Adam Steiner and George King discussed raising the 5% cap. King pointed out that raising the cap is something to explore, but how can the city spend money it does not have. Pratt confirmed saying that if the original FY25 plan stayed, there would be more cuts in other areas.Â
The revisited plan - yes to roofs, defer those bridge evaluations: The new plan gave the green light to roof replacements and repairs to DPW HQ, fire station 7, Potter Road, Brophy, Juniper Hill and King Elementary Schools. It also approves a police body camera program, new PA system in the high school and partial roadway improvements. It deferred Taralli Terrace and Second Street bridge evaluations, both bridges are over Beaver Brook in south Framingham, citywide ADA compliance, a new Zamboni, city wide solar and electric vehicles plan, and basketball court replacements. You can read the new plan online.
The Solar Panels: As I mentioned two issues ago, three sustainability projects were cut from the FY25 capital plan: Farley solar panels, citywide solar alternative energy and resiliency plan, and adding electric vehicles to the city fleet. Quickly, the Farley solar project, deferred every year since 2022, gained steam as the project to return to the approval column.Â
Energize Framingham presented to the Council on May 7 advocating for the Farley solar project. Citing new grants and refunds for municipalities, Aimee Powelka said “This is an opportune time for placing solar panels on public buildings. The Inflation Reduction Act enables municipalities to receive a 30% refund on the total cost of the solar installations, which completely changes the financial analysis of public solar projects."
Stating he was given incorrect information, the Mayor agreed to put the project back in the plan and said he will find funding for the design phase of the project, then move forward with an installation plan once that's completed.Â
The long and winding road of capital: Still following along? Tuesday’s Council meeting agenda states solar design funding is found. But the agenda includes a curve ball no one expected: the Sisitsky Administration wants to purchase another building: 196-200 Concord Street, the neighbor of newly purchased 188 Concord Street.Â
Why are we buying another building?: The Sisitsky Administration wants to purchase the building to demo the back of the building for the proposed parking garage behind the Memorial Building. The front section, currently home to a bank, could be the new home for the Treasurer Collector’s Office, and maybe the Council Office will move there, too. It is unclear when this parking garage will appear.Â
The cost of the building purchase is $1,500,000.00. It will require $286,000 in renovating costs. Renovations will occur from October 2024 - May 2026.Â
How are we paying for this?: Last year the Council authorized a $8,000,000 bond for a Joint Dispatch Center. This week the Mayor is requesting the ability to transfer $2,000,000 of that funds to pay for the building, and $500,000 for the Farley solar design project.Â
Okay, what is next?: The Administration has gone back to the drawing board on the capital improvement plan and will submit their updated plan in November. I’ll have more of an update on the building purchase in a future issue. Â
As the Chair of the Strategic Initiatives and Financial Oversight Committee, I may be biased, but one of the biggest issues with the capital budget is the city is not following a strategic plan. Revamping the capital plan and following a strategic plan will go a long way in tackling the massive backlog of projects building up. If you have any thoughts on this topic, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Charter Review Committee to Hold Public Hearing
After months of discussion and review, the Charter Review Committee wants to hear public feedback on their proposed changes. The Charter is Framingham’s guiding document outline the structure and rules for our city government.Â
When is the hearing: The public is welcome to attend the hearing on Thursday, May 23 in the Blumer Room at 7:00 p.m. and will be on Zoom as well.  Â
The process: After the hearing, the Charter Review Committee will wrap up their work and send their recommendations to the Council by the end of June. Once the Council approves the recommendations, it will be on a ballot for approval by the voters.Â
What are the proposed recommendations?:Â
According to the press release, here are the highlights:Â
A more inclusive operating budget process: The Committee is recommending a meeting earlier in the year where community members can share their key priorities for the next budget before it is developed. It also recommends earlier submissions dates for some parts of the budget to give the council and public more time to digest the proposal. Lastly, it requires all budget information be immediately placed online and that the final, approved budget be online for the public to view throughout the year.Â
A more efficient capital budget process: The Committee is recommending that the capital budget plan be approved by February 1 rather than be included with the operating. This may allow work on projects to start sooner, something both school and municipal departments saw as an advantage.
Added access to information/transparency measures: The Committee is recommending new rules to require that all meetings be recorded by audio/video, that meeting information be placed in one centralized location that is easier to find, and there be more focus on reducing language and accessibility issues so that meetings and materials are truly open to all.Â
More clarity in the strategic planning process: The original charter required a strategic planning process that goes beyond State requirements. The Committee is recommending more specific language in terms of timing and process to help make this important work flow well.Â
A new position to coordinate Framingham’s climate resilience efforts: This would be a position that can work across departments to make sure that Framingham is planning for climate impacts doing work in a coordinated manner.Â
Small tweaks to elections rules and process for vacancies: The Committee is recommending that there be a new rule that bars someone from being on two Framingham elected boards at once; it is also recommending that vacancies for School Committee and District Council be filled by special elections rather than our existing processes to make sure that District residents have more voice in these decisions.Â
Moves the next Charter Review to 2030 instead of 2033: Framingham is still a young city, and the Committee wanted a future Committee to get a chance to revisit issues that come up just a bit sooner.Â
You can see the full list of suggested changes in chart form here ( English, Spanish, Portuguese) and the actual draft Charter language can be found here. ( English, Spanish, Portuguese).  The documents are also available to view as PDFs at the Charter Review Committee website here.Â
If you cannot attend the hearing: Feel free to email the Charter Review Committee at charterreview@framinghamma.gov
This Wednesday: District 4 Community Meeting
Monday: Memorial Day at the Memorial Building
The Civic Week Ahead
Monday, May 20
Tuesday, May 21
Wednesday, May 22
2:00pm: Edgell Grove Cemetery Trustees Agenda
3:30pm: Board of Library Trustees Library Director Search Subcommittee Agenda
5:30pm: Veteran's Council Agenda
6:00pm: Council Rules, Ordinances and Ethics Subcommittee Agenda
7:00pm: Composting Task Force Agenda
7:00pm: Disability Commission Agenda
7:00pm: Sustainability Committee Agenda
Thursday, May 23
In Closing…
This Memorial Day weekend, may we remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Please take a moment to pause in the middle of gardening, BBQing, and enjoying family and friends. I wish you and yours a great weekend.
The Ham’er will be out on Tuesday.
-Mary Kate