Does FARA really need $500 from the Town of Framingham

42!

42!

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One of the members of town meeting is pushing for the town to give fara this. Actually it started out as a citizens petition to save the Danforth Museum but now that that is no longer an issue it's been twisted into something else entirely. The article was shot down since fara had nothing to do with the original petition, but now the sponsor is threatening to force a special town meeting just to get heard.

So my question is, does fara really need the 500 and can't get it through thier own fundraising? Is this whole thing in town meeting their idea or is their name simply being used so a particular town meeting member can get attention?

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As a FARA member I have not heard anything about any money. The only thing I know of was trying to get the town to provide a new home and were being mentioned in a emergency plan as a valued asset to help convince the town to give them a home.

Do you have a link I can look at to back up your post?
 
The original article is on the town sight. This specifies the Danforth Museum as the citizens patition did. The switch to fara occurred after the town settled its lease with the Museum.

I have no problem with the town working with fara. It works with fara providing space for meetings, testing, and flea market. And I'm sure if the town had space they would continue the history of cooperation. Did fara ask and was refused?

But the use of an unrelated citizens petition is an attempt to corrupt and abuse the system. It is also inappropriate to force the taxpayers to fund a private club, assuming it is ever brought to town meeting appropriately. And to try to menipulate the situations by threatening to force a special town meeting is also inappropriate. This is available online on the framgov forum. I'm in town meeting right now so I can't get the link. It's interesting that the article sponsor is currently suing the town on a number on issue that she does not agree with and I understand there have been past lawsuits that have failed.

I've seen parts of a supposed email from fara saying the town meeting member reached out to them. But town meeting members are not officials of the town and do not speak for the town. So again I ask, did fara approach the town , probably the town manager, and were they turned away?

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No idea on the inner workings, only what I have seen in emails as I work nights and cannot attend the meetings. I tried to find the article on the Framingham site but didn't see it. I am in no way defending any actions, I am genuinely curious. I am only a member because it is the only club in the immediate vicinity so I figured I would join.
 
ghettomedic said:
No idea on the inner workings, only what I have seen in emails as I work nights and cannot attend the meetings. I tried to find the article on the Framingham site but didn't see it. I am in no way defending any actions, I am genuinely curious. I am only a member because it is the only club in the immediate vicinity so I figured I would join.
Click to expand...

Like anything gov it's not easy. go here http://webapps.framinghamma.gov/Weblink8/DocView.aspx?id=603772&dbid=0
Its on page 13, article 20. Keep in mind that the petition signed by registered voters in order to bring it to Town Meeting was;
"ARTICLE: To Provide Emergency Funding to Keep Danforth Museum Open To see if the Town will vote to appropriate funds needed to secure a temporary boiler to keep the Danforth
Building habitable until September 2017.
Pass any vote, or take any action relative thereto."

The Motion shown was changed after the article was approved, and has change at least once since then that I've seen and one more time I've been told. All this without the endorsement of those that signed the petition. The original sponsor made the changes but simple put she doesn't have the right to do so.

Can you imagine signing a petition and having it changed to something unrelated but your name is still put forward as endorsing it?

I'm not against helping FARA but the way the sponsor is doing this is just plain wrong.

So again I ask;
Did FARA approach the Town, through the town manager or whoever they normally work with, directly and were they turned away?

My Opinion. The sponsor of article 20 is doing more damage than good for FARA. If FARA wants to ask for assistance they need to approach, first, the town manager. Sit down and talk with him. Do not involve the sponsor of article 20 as she has several suits filed against the town and no one is going to sit down and talk with her without a lawyer present. If that doesn't work FARA should go to the Selectmen.


BTW the whole temporary boiler thing was going to cost over $1.5M (I forget the exact amount), so that was never going to happen.
 
42! said:
Like anything gov it's not easy. go here http://webapps.framinghamma.gov/Weblink8/DocView.aspx?id=603772&dbid=0
Its on page 13, article 20. Keep in mind that the petition signed by registered voters in order to bring it to Town Meeting was;
"ARTICLE: To Provide Emergency Funding to Keep Danforth Museum Open To see if the Town will vote to appropriate funds needed to secure a temporary boiler to keep the Danforth
Building habitable until September 2017.
Click to expand...

I did see that, just no mention of $500.

From the emails I saw, yes they did approach the town management (Not sure who exactly) and were told they had no place to offer at that time. Based on the emails (Again I don't attend meetings) FARA was approached by an outside party who was working on the required (Unsure of frequency) disaster plan for the town and suggested FARA try to get in on it as a necessary resource in hopes it would encourage the town to provide a new location.
 
ghettomedic said:
I did see that, just no mention of $500.

From the emails I saw, yes they did approach the town management (Not sure who exactly) and were told they had no place to offer at that time. Based on the emails (Again I don't attend meetings) FARA was approached by an outside party who was working on the required (Unsure of frequency) disaster plan for the town and suggested FARA try to get in on it as a necessary resource in hopes it would encourage the town to provide a new location.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the sponsor may (and I am unsure of this so please don't sue me) have misrepresented the situation and/or her position. (This is pure speculation so please don't sue me).

I'm sure if the Town had suitable space they would have accommodated. After all the town is still providing meeting, testing, and fund raising space. But the town has neglected many of it's building over the years and as a result there is a space shortage as buildings become unusable.

The $500 came from one of the revisions posted online.

Personally I think FARA should approach the owners of 59 Fountain St. It's an older building with a lot of separate spaces in it. It's higher that the surrounding area. And it has an old smoke stack that would make a great place for antennas. But it's not town property so it would have to be a purely private arrangement.
 
ghettomedic said:
Yeah, I think they are trying to find a free space first before they consider something they will have to pay for.
Click to expand...

I was thinking 59 Fountain might have a small place not worth renting. You never know till you ask.

Could also reorganize as tax exempt, educational because they offer training and testing. Then I'm sure some property owner with unused space would be glad to take the right-off by donating it's use. Would also open up the possibility of donated equipment for the radio station. From the presentation I heard the old space was a station used for education/training. People buy what they learn on, that's why computer companies donate to schools.

Bottom line is the town gave them free space for years, and is still giving them free space for other activities. But there isn't suitable space available for a radio station. Regrettable. But forcing the tax payers to provide additional resources for a private club doesn't seem to be in the spirit of community minded cooperation. Still, if FARA wanted to bring an appropriate citizens petition to the town they are free to do so. But this twisting of a Danforth Museum temporary boiler petition into something it isn't is just BS.
 
Yeah they had quite the elaborate station with lots of radios and antennas. They provided training and assisted in education of youth groups such as the Boy Scouts.
 
I'd like to offer FARA my help in working with the town.
Just now Town Meeting rightly voted not to reconsider the twisted motion that was presented. But as the sponsor walked past me she commented that she would pursue a special town meeting. This is not the way to work within the community. This path is damaging FARA's relationship with the town. Because of her history of filing lawsuits against the town, people will not engage in discussion with her (my opinion, please don't sue me).



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Well FARA will get their $500. A different town meeting member moved to add this to a funding article. This went through under the threat of a special town meeting which would require everyone to come back. And of course there is the damage done to the relationship between the town and FARA.

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