COVID-19

In response to COVID-19, FRCOG offices are closed until May 4. Staff are working remotely. Email is likely the most efficient way to reach us. You can find our contact information here: https://frcog.org/about/staff/

Building, plumbing and wiring inspectors are responding to emergencies only.

All meetings, workshops and forums are cancelled or have been changed to a call-in or video format.  Please look for emails from FRCOG staff about specific meetings or on our calendar https://frcog.org/events/category/meetings-and-events/.

Municipal Resources

Along with being available to assist you with questions about local government and regional issues, the Franklin Regional Council of Governments also provides multiple resources, such as county road maps, surveys, directories, and training opportunities for municipal officials. Here are some highlights of our municipal resources:

 Wage and Salary Survey : The FRCOG publishes the results of its annual wage and salary survey each December, providing detailed information on municipal compensation and benefits packages for Franklin County local officials.

FRCOG Municipal Wage & Salary Survey FY2020

Municipal Directory :  The Franklin Regional Council of Governments annually publishes Municipal Directory a which lists contact information for municipal officials, departments, and services for each of the county’s 26 municipalities.  FRCOG 2018-2019 Municipal Directory

If you find any inaccuracies or wish to update the information from your municipality for either the Wage and Salary Survey or the Municipal Directory, please do not hesitate to contact Rebekah Boyd at admin@frcog.org or 413-774-3167, ext. 100. 

District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA)

Thanks to the Baker/Polito Administration and the Legislature, the FRCOG is pleased to once again be able to offer member towns technical assistance on a wide variety of priority issues. Among the priorities that can be addressed using these DLTA funds are the Massachusetts Community Compact Best Practice Areas.

Vacant and Abandoned Buildings: Options for Town Officials: Vacant and abandoned buildings can be a financial drain on towns, can pose health and safety issues for residents and first responders, and can decrease the value of nearby properties. FRCOG Planning staff, partnering with our Cooperative Public Health Service, developed a Toolkit to help towns address vacant and abandoned buildings, focused on housing. The toolkit includes: 1) How to form a task force and who should serve on it, 2) How to inventory vacant and abandoned properties and set priorities for resolving issues and 3) how to follow various paths a town can pursue to clean up these properties. Click here to download a copy of the Toolkit. Learn about the Attorney General’s Abandoned Housing Initiative here. More information: Phoebe Walker at walkerATfrcog.org or (413) 774-3167 x 102.

Local Official Capacity Building Workshop Series
The  Workshop Series is a monthly series that provides new and veteran town officials with continuing education on statutory requirements, best practices, and emerging issues of town governance. All town officials are always welcome. The workshops are free but we request that you register ahead of time. A flyer will be available before each workshop on the Meetings and Events calendar on this website. All workshops are held at the John W. Olver Transit Center, 12 Olive Street, Greenfield, Massachusetts.

 

Materials from the Local Official Capacity Building Series 2019-20

Materials from the Local Official Capacity Building Series 2018-19

  • Short Term Rental Resources for Towns — from 3/7/19 workshop
  • Slides from the State of the County’s Emergency Preparedness Training on 12/6/18
  • Materials from the November 2018 Municipal Finance training:

    • Materials from the Local Official Capacity Building Series 2017-18
    Short Term Rentals and Your Town
    Elected Officials Preparedness Series
    Mass Atty General Office Adult Use Cannabis Muni Info Session Notes
    Abandoned Property Toolkit (see above)
    Cannabis Control Commission presentation on final regulations

    Materials from the Local Official Capacity Building Series 2016-2017
    marijuana-and-the-developing-brain-july-5-2016
    Commercial Wood Heat and Air Quality Peltier
    MassDEP-wood-heat-air quality
    kp-565115-v4-public_records_law_training_sessions
    the-new-public-records-law-top-ten-practical-and-policy-issues
    Local Officials Climate Change Workshop Presentation materials
    Public Records Law workshop 6/29/17: KP Law Presentation Slides      

    Sample-Guidelines-for-Public-Records-Requests
    Copy of 950 cmr32[1]

    Materials from Selectboard Essentials Workshops, 2015-2016
    USDA Rural Devpt. Presentation
    USDA Program Matrix Handout Rev. 04 2015 (3)
    DESE Regional School District Minimum Contribution Formula Presentation 2015.12.10
    Town Financial Management Review 2015.9.16
    Selectboard 101

    Materials from Past Workshops:
    Click here to review presentations from the Selectboard Essentials Series of 2014-2015
    Click here to review presentations from the Selectboard Essentials Series of 2013-2014
    Click here to see the materials from our 2014/15 Municipal Financial Management Workshop Series
    Click here for materials from our 204/15 Conservation Commission Workshops
    Please contact admin@frcog.org for hard copies of the materials from a particular session.

    Interesting Links for Local Officials

    Franklin County Town Meeting dates

    Funding/Procurement

    Other Municipal Agencies
    Massachusetts Municipal Association

    Franklin County Regional Agencies

    State Agencies

    Regional Planning Agencies