Votes at a glance: Franklin BOMA approves rezoning, hotel tax increase, contracts and appointments

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved several routine and contested agenda items on Feb. 10. Key outcomes:

Rezoning: Ordinance 20-25-50 — The board unanimously approved rezoning 7.01 acres at 4325 Long Lane from single-family residential to Office Residential (OR). Planning staff said the site is placed in Envision Franklin''''''''''''''s regional commerce design concept and recommended approval.

Hotel/motel tax: Ordinance 20-25-15 — The board unanimously approved an amendment to Franklin Municipal Code section 5-703 to increase the hotel/motel tax from 4% to 5%, with the ordinance effective April 1, 2026.

Contracts:
- Amendment 1 to Contract 2023-0236 with Hazen and Sawyer (cost-of-service study and dynamic rate analysis) was approved unanimously.
- Contract 2025-0540 with FDGNHC Optima JV LLC to establish a sanitary sewer monthly surcharge (to capture unmetered HVAC condensation flows) was approved unanimously after staff explained the charge ensures accurate billing and treatment-cost allocation.

Deferral:
- Resolution 20-26-01 (policies for petitions to create Infrastructure Development Districts) was deferred to April 28, 2026 at staff recommendation while state legislative clarifications complete.

Appointments:
- The board unanimously reappointed Kim Hoover, Michael Johnson, and Beth Adams to the Franklin Tree Commission.

Provenance: The votes and motions are recorded in the Feb. 10 transcript in the board's consent, ordinance and resolution items; staff presentations and roll-call votes are included in the meeting record.

Ending: Most noncontroversial items passed unanimously; the most contested item on the agenda was the cooperative-growth planning resolution (covered in a separate report), which passed 7–1.