A Debate in Print Between Charles Bailey and Jeff Roy #4

Above, Jeff Roy and Charles Bailey.

Long-time Franklin-Medway State Rep. Jeff Roy, who is from Franklin and challenger, Charles Bailey, also from Franklin, agreed to an in-person debate, which was conducted at the Medway Middle School,  on Tuesday, Oct. 8, sponsored jointly by the Democrat and Republican Town Committees. The full debate can be viewed on Medway Cable channel and in Franklin on Verizon 29 and Comcast 9. In addition, it can be streamed from the Medway Cable Facebook Page and Franklin’s All Access TV on Youtube.

In addition, both candidates agreed to participate in a debate -- responding to questions suggested by Observer readers -- in writing, in the Observer. One question and the candidate's respective responses will be published for a total of seven weeks leading up to the election. The sequence of responses will be altered each week (eg Roy first then Bailey first and vice versa).

QUESTION #4 - What can be done or should be done to extend SNETT to downtown Franklin? How and when?

JEFFREY ROY

Out of concern that his comments had been altered by removal of a graphic in a previous posting, he has instead provided a link to his answer to Question 4 on his web site (below) and also asked that the editor acknowledge his own support for Mr. Bailey.

In fact, I the editor, Alan Earls, as an individual, contributed $150 to Mr. Bailey’s campaign. Furthermore, I am the former chair of the Franklin Republican Town Committee and currently serve as the clerk/secretary. This is and has been an open secret. Many people in Franklin are aware of my political affiliation and I am happy to discuss that with anyone. I also always work to deliver balanced coverage of news in Franklin and Medway.

Rep Roy's Responses on Question 4 can now be found at the link, below:

https://jeffreyroy.com/2024/10/10/franklin-observer-online-debate-question-4-snett-trail/

CHARLES BAILEY

Franklin is fortunate to have the Southern New England Trunkline Trail that is owned and managed by the DCR. I am an outdoorsman, a proud member of the Franklin Rod & Gun Club, and a former Light Infantryman that spent six years on active duty outdoors training and patrolling austere environments. I continue to hike through these areas regularly and appreciate the preservation of the land. All physical activity (particularly outdoors) is therapy for the body, mind, and spirit.

While at the surface it seems like a good idea to extend the SNETT to Union Street near our downtown, I have some concerns about safety, resources, and cost and about how the proposed extension fits with DCR’s guidelines: “Ideally, each road and trail system should effectively highlight ecological, scenic, and cultural features within our facilities; provide specific, enjoyable recreational experiences to a variety of users; provide vital access for forest management, fire control and emergency response; and connect important trail corridors, destinations and population centers both within and outside of our facilities. Our road and trail systems should achieve these goals while simultaneously avoiding sensitive areas, meeting user expectations, minimizing ecological impacts and minimizing maintenance requirements.” --DCR Trail System Planning https://www.mass.gov/guides/dcr-trail-system-planning
Some concerns I have are proximity to the commuter rail that runs to Forge Park, increased bicycle traffic going into an already congested downtown making it unsafe for pedestrians, other cyclists, and motor vehicle traffic. Will any other infrastructure in the downtown area need to be modified (i.e. sidewalks and brick crosswalks), etc.? Will additional resources like police and fire be needed and will they have proper access to the trail? Who will maintain the area in future years? Will the Franklin DPW be responsible for this or DCR? It is unclear what the total costs including construction, maintenance, potential environmental cleanup i.e. HAZMAT, and public safety will be now and in future years. Was a pro forma done that can be shared with the public to see if the majority would like to invest in this extension of the trunkline? If the DCR owns and manages the trunkline, can they be counted on to contribute toward these expenditures in future years?

We recently had a contentious override vote in Franklin that failed largely due to concerns about how the taxpayers’ money is being spent and the lack of transparency that exists. While it would be nice to improve upon an already wonderful SNETT, we need to get our HOUSE in order and prioritize our expenditures. If the town budget is as dire as we have been told, Franklin should focus on making sure ALL citizens can afford their primary needs, that we have safeguarded the programs in our schools that matter most, that we have addressed the existing needs of public safety and are doing all we can to assist our seniors. Therefore, I have to say that now is not the time to invest in extending the SNETT.