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 Wage and Salary survey each winter, providing detailed information on municipal compensation and benefits packages for Franklin County local officials. Click on the link below for the most recent survey results.

FRCOG Municipal Wage and Salary Survey FY21

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 ONLINE VIA ZOOM DUE TO COVID UNTIL AT LEAST JANUARY 2021.

Materials from the Local Official Capacity Building Series 2020-2021

Franklin County COVID Testing Capacity Fall Forecast – August 13, 2020
Selectboard 101 – August 20, 2020.
- Click here for the agenda.
- Click here for the handouts for this training.
Municipal Reimbursement for COVID Expenses: An Information Session for Small Towns – September 10, 2020
FinCOM 101 – November 5, 2020
- Click here for the workshop slides.
OSHA Compliance at Transfer Stations – November 12, 2020. Click on event title for full list of workshop handouts available.
Roles & Responsibilities of Boards (Co-sponsor with Citizen Planner Training Collaborative and Pioneer Valley Planning Commission) – December 2, 2020
Diversifying Rural Housing Opportunities: a presentation & discussion about undoing racial and economic inequities in Franklin County’s housing market – January 14, 2021. Co-presentation with the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA).
Funding Municipal Water & Sewer Infrastructure in Small Towns – February 24, 2021. Co-sponsored with BRPC, PVPC, Sens. Comerford & Hinds, and Rep. Blais.
- Click here for the event page, which contains all of the workshop slides.
SAPHE Grant Information Session – March 8, 2021.