Making Sure Voters Feel the Pain.... No More Trash Pickup at Public Facilities

Image above of Franklin's Fletcher Field Playground from town website. Used without permission.

In keeping with the avowed plan of making sure voters see and feel the consequences of failing to pass the recent property tax override, the Town of Franklin formally shared, Wednesday morning, its policy that began to be implemented on Tuesday, July 1.

Franklin has now established a new “Carry In / Carry Out” Trash & Recycling Policy for all users of the Town’s outdoor spaces. According to the town press release, this new policy is being put into effect due to staffing issues and budget constraints.

The rest of the press release is reproduced below:

The intent of this policy is to keep our parks and recreation areas clean, green, safe and sustainable.
What This Means
All visitors, teams, families, and sports organizations that use Town spaces are responsible for:
● Disposing of all trash, food waste, wrappers, bottles, cans, and recyclables properly that is brought into a park or field.
● Disposing “properly” means to use the proper trash or recycling containers that may be provided on site. If containers were taken off site, trash should be disposed of or recycled off site.
● Leave the area cleaner than you found it.
What You Won’t See
● Trash or recycling barrels will not be provided at the usual places at parks or fields as in the past.
● If trash and recycling containers are provided on site, they will be consolidated to one spot near an entrance/exit to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
● Public Works crews will not collect or remove any litter left behind.

Why It Matters
● Our facilities remain clean and welcoming for everyone to enjoy in a safe manner.
● Reduces operating costs and environmental impact.
● Encourages responsible stewardship of public spaces.

Important Notes
● Coaches, youth sports groups, parents and players are expected to help enforce this policy during games, practices, other events, and causal use.
● Failure to comply may result in loss of field permits or field closures.

We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our community clean!

Together, we can protect and preserve our outdoor public facilities.