Votes at a glance: Franklin commission approves contracts, ordinances, hires and funding agreements

The Franklin City Commission approved a series of routine and substantive measures at a regular meeting, including contract amendments, funding agreements and personnel actions.

Summary of actions and outcomes
- Approval of minutes: The commission approved minutes from the April 27, 2026 regular meeting and a special call/budget work session by motion and roll‑call vote.
- Barge contract amendment (water treatment plant): The commission authorized Amendment 1 to the substation rehabilitation contract with Barge, adding $18,700 for construction oversight after the originally assigned staff engineer became unavailable. Staff asked the mayor to sign the amendment; the motion passed by roll call.
- Cancellation of May regular meeting: The May 25 meeting (Memorial Day) was canceled by commission vote.
- WREC subdivision street lights: Staff recommended the city assume listed Warren RECC (WREC) inside‑city subdivision lighting charges (about $3,800/month total) and to accept future inside‑city WREC lighting under the same arrangement; the commission authorized the action.
- Municipal road-aid cooperative agreement: The commission approved the municipal road‑aid agreement for FY 2026–2027 and adopted the related resolution; staff reported a projected award of $195,085.14 (about $43,000 below the prior award) with a final truing up after the fiscal year; the commission authorized the mayor to sign.
- HIDTA/Subaward (drug task force) funding: Staff said the department’s participation yields a local allotment and overtime support (staff noted $19,000 for assigned agents and a total HIDTA contribution referenced at $57,000); the commission authorized the city to enter the 2026 HIDTA/Subaward agreement.
- Ordinances: Ordinance 2026‑009 (dog assessment) passed on first reading; ordinance 2026‑010 (rezoning of property on Brown Road from I‑2 Heavy Industry to B‑4 Highway Business, requested by James A. Manning and Gail H. Manning/Provable Living Trust) passed on second summary reading; both will be published and posted per procedure.
- City‑attorney contract (Amanda East): The commission ratified the prepared contract for Amanda East as city attorney (the contract terms prompted discussion about length and renewal language); the motion to approve and authorize signature carried by roll call.
- Personnel hires and ratifications: After executive session the commission voted to hire Zach Law as a water distribution operator and moved to hire (ratify) Carter Mundy as planning and zoning director effective 03/10/2025 and to ratify actions he took in that role prior to the vote; both motions passed. The commission also voted to waive attorney‑client privilege to permit dissemination of investigator Krista Burton's written report on the Mundy investigation.

What commissioners heard: City staff and outside presenters supplied the background for each item — for the Barge amendment Carol explained that the originally planned in‑house inspector (Kenton) was no longer available; for WREC street lights staff provided a list of subdivisions that would shift to city billing starting in January; for road aid Carol provided the proposed award figure and cautioned on gas‑tax declines and final truing up after the fiscal year.

Quotes and context: On the water contract amendment, Carol said the additional $18,700 is needed "to oversee the construction part of that project" now that the originally planned staff inspector is unavailable. On municipal road aid staff noted the award of "$195,085.14," a roughly $43,000 reduction from the prior year’s allocation.

Next steps: Several items require follow‑up: the planning and zoning public hearing on the affordable‑housing text amendments; finalization of the municipal road‑aid payment after fiscal‑year truing; and distribution of the investigator's written report now permitted for dissemination by the commission’s privilege waiver.