Friday Recap June 12th 2026

My Comment

Audio Synopsis

This past week we had a County Commission meeting as well as the last budget meeting before the final votes on the consolidated budget for fiscal year 2026-27 and the setting of our tax rate. You can read the summaries and watch both meetings below. If you are new to the budgeting process, it may be hard to follow the discussion in the Budget Committee. There is a lot of detail that will be esoteric to the uninitiated observer. But, this is what we are faced with every year. The entire consolidated budget is attached for you to peruse if you choose. I highly recommend that you watch the June 11th Budget Committee meeting. It's 1/1/2 hours, but very informative. Of course, the AI Summary will cover all the issues and votes.

August elections

We have an election coming up on August 6th and, I think, there is some confusion about whether it is a general election or a primary election. It is both.

It is a general election for all county positions which includes: The County Commission, School Board, Sheriff, County Clerk, Circuit Court Clerk, juvenile Court Clerk, County Trustee, Register of Deeds and FSSD Board.

It is a primary for state offices and Federal Offices and you can go here to see who is running for state offices and for State and Federal we will have Governor here, U.S. Senate here, U.S Congress District 5 and 9 here.

Meetings this past week were:

Monday, June 8th

County Commission

Tuesday, June 9th

Franklin BOMA Work Session

Franklin BOMA Meeting

Thursday, June 11th

Williamson County Planning Commission

Budget Committee

Meetings Next Week

Monday, June 15th

The Human Resources Committee will meet at 5:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex at 1320 W. main, Franklin Agenda Committee members: Judy Herbert (C), Jennifer Mason (VC) Greg Sanford, Tom Tunnicliffe, Bill Petty, Brian Beathard

School Board Meeting will be held at 6:30 pm in the Auditorium at the Williamson County Administrative Building located on the first floor at 1320 West Main Street Franklin. Agenda Video

Wednesday, June 17th

The Law Enforcement/Public Safety Committee will meet at 5:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex at 1320 W. main, Franklin. I'm on the committee, but have not received an agenda Committee members: Tom Tunnicliffe (C), Greg Sanford (VC), Pete Stresser, Matt Williams, Bill Petty

Thursday, June 18th

County Commission Meeting to approve budget and tax rate. Starts at 9:00 am in the auditorium of the County Building at 1320 Main St. Franklin. Agenda/Packet

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The AI program I use is pretty accurate, but it does make mistakes from time to time and I don't always catch them. I provide agendas and videos/audios when I have them available and recommend that you watch the video and follow along with the summary to get the most accurate report.

One of the limitations of AI is that if a participant's name is not called out, then they are listed as participant 1, 2, etc. A limitation with audio, as opposed to video, is that one cannot always identify a person by voice alone. As imperfect as these AI summaries are, they still give a pretty good account of a meeting.

Williamson County School Board

Thursday, June 11th

School Board Work Session Agenda Video

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] - Schedule special called meeting for June 29 at 5 PM Schedule the special called meeting (budget vote) for June 29 at 5:00 PM in the board room. Confirm with Lydia to publish notice.
• [ ] - Motion for Jason's one-year contract extension at Monday's board meeting Based on Jason's request, plan to put a one-year contract extension motion on the floor at the Monday board meeting.
• [ ] - Publish RFQ for independent board legal counsel Publish the RFQ for independent board legal counsel on Monday, June 15. Submissions due July 21, 2026. Board will review at the August work session.
• [ ] Participant 3 - Notify TDOE of intent to administer second grade TCAP Confirm with TDOE the exact window (August 1–15) for opting in to second grade TCAP, and plan to notify TDOE of intent to participate while preserving the December 1 opt-out deadline.
• [ ] Participant 3 - Revise superintendent's goals draft and send to board by July 15 Revise the superintendent's goals draft based on tonight's discussion — including potential 6th goal on special education LRE/program center, discipline/bullying, and booster engagement under family engagement. Send to board by July 15, 2026.
• [ ] Participant 3 - Get data on number of students in dual enrollment Pull dual enrollment student counts to give the board a sense of how many students may need phone access during the day for authentication purposes.
• [ ] Participant 3 - Determine if benchmark/CFA data can be used in a measurable student achievement goal Discuss with leadership team how benchmark/CFA data could be incorporated into a measurable student achievement goal within the evaluation window.
• [ ] Participant 3 - Develop salary study implementation priorities and five-year plan Analyze options and bring recommendations to the board on salary study implementation priorities, including what can be done now vs. phased over time. Five-year prioritization plan due by November 1, 2026 per proposed goals.
• [ ] Participant 9 - Analyze and recommend approach for fixing AP-to-principal experience credit Vicky raised awareness of the complexity of retroactively correcting AP-to-principal experience credit for all 52 principals. Leadership team to analyze and bring recommendations to the board on how to implement the promotion progression fix.

Overview

• TDOE is moving grades 2–5 TCAP to online testing next year, with writing staying paper/pencil; WCS has until December 1st to opt out of 2nd grade TCAP (intent to participate due August 1–15)
• Lean Frog presented full compensation study findings: teacher pay starts 3rd of 9 peers but falls to 8th by Step 10; classified schedules are a significant outlier vs. peers; 5 recommendations center on structural redesign, not broad pay increases
• Cell phone storage policy remains unresolved — staff recommendation (classroom pouches) doesn't satisfy the board's "securely stored during the school day" policy language, but no consensus on an alternative and no policy change was made
• Special called meeting set for June 29th at 5:00 PM to vote on the budget after county commission votes June 19th
• Board chair will issue an RFQ for independent board legal counsel on Monday, June 15th, with submissions due July 21st and a decision targeted for the August work session
• Superintendent evaluation aggregate score was 3.29; Superintendent Golden requested a one-year contract extension (to 3 years), which will be the first voting item Monday, June 15th
• Draft 2026–27 superintendent goals cover 5 areas: data dashboard, salary study implementation, innovative delivery models, student achievement/growth measures, and family engagement groups — a revised draft is due July 15th

TCAP online testing transition

• TDOE is moving grades 2–5 to online testing, keeping writing as paper/pencil and providing paper copies of reading passages for annotation even on the online portion
• This year is also a field test year, which doubles the writing component for all grades through 10th grade (English II)
• TDOE's goal is to return scores before students leave for summer, so writing is being moved up about 1.5 weeks earlier to allow human scoring to begin sooner
• Online testing is required for grades 2–8 except for documented accommodations (IEP, 504, or legal order); a parent preference alone is not sufficient to switch to paper
• WCS started 2nd grade TCAP when the 3rd grade retention law passed, primarily to give students prior test-taking experience; over two-thirds of districts participate, covering about 55% of students statewide
• WCS plans to notify TDOE of intent to participate by August 1–15, with the final opt-out deadline on December 1st
• A new state law requires computers in grades K–5 be used only when they clearly enhance instruction, which creates a tension with the online testing rollout

New Tennessee state laws

• TSBA sent 37–38 recommended policy changes based on new Tennessee laws, flagged as likely to make the August policy committee meeting very busy
• WCS has made an offer to a new in-house attorney who starts July 1st and will begin preparing for the August policy committee meeting
• New social studies laws include: a TDOE civics video available for multiple grade levels in fall 2027; a required field trip or in-class visit covering all three branches of government for U.S. government classes; November 7th designated as Victims of Communism Day with specific content for world history; and a designated school-year day to celebrate July 4th with related content

Salary study findings and recommendations

• Lean Frog (principal consultant Chasitie White) presented the full compensation study covering all employee groups across 5,494 full-time employees
• Teacher pay starts 3rd of 9 peers at $51,102 (BA) but falls to 8th by Step 10 ($57,482 vs. Rutherford's $62,515); WCS only leads at Step 21 due to a 10%+ end-of-schedule jump, which White called a structural artifact rather than sustained competitiveness
• After housing-cost adjustment, most peer districts exceed WCS purchasing power significantly — Knox and Hamilton exceed WCS by 19–28% at starting pay on a housing-adjusted basis
• Leadership promotion premiums invert with tenure: AP-to-Principal results in a 5–9% daily-rate cut at the top of the AP scale; 10 of 52 principals and 11 of 52 district leaders are eligible to retire within the year, raising succession risk
• Classified schedules deliver only 5 pay changes across 16 years vs. a peer average of 26 tiers across 25 steps — WCS is an outlier in using a banded structure
• 663 teachers and 43 classified employees are paid above their formal schedule with no defined logic, creating a $35,000 informal pay spread above the teacher schedule
• School leaders, curriculum specialists, and central office leadership lead peer markets; maintenance trades, food service, and school secretary positions lag by 15–22% at the end of the schedule
• White's 5 recommendations: (1) extend teacher schedule from 21 to at least 25 steps with smoothed annual increases; (2) establish a minimum promotion differential so no internal promotion results in a pay cut; (3) replace banded classified schedules with annual step progression out to 25 years; (4) formalize top-of-scale longevity logic for all groups; (5) targeted starting-pay adjustments for lagging classified positions
• The board confirmed the Step 21 jump was a deliberate budget-friendly retention tool; Golden noted the 663 off-scale teachers make the schedule function more as a hiring chart than a pay chart
• Next step is for staff to analyze priorities and bring recommendations to the board, with a five-year implementation plan targeted by November 1, 2026 as a proposed goal

Cell phone storage policy

• Staff recommendation — classroom pouches (Shu-Caddys and wall pouches) during instructional periods — does not meet the policy's "securely stored during the school day" language, since phones are accessible during transitions and at lunch
• Locker analysis found most high school students don't use lockers: utilization ranges from under 3% (Summit) to 41% (Nolansville), and 4 schools have more students than lockers (Ravenwood short by ~30, Nolansville by 117, Independence by 63, Renaissance has none)
• Pilot data showed roughly 13% of students were caught with a phone violation once and 6–7% more than once during the observation window
• The core stalemate: fully secure storage (e.g., lockers) conflicts with the lunch-access provision the board voted on in November, since there's no practical way to do both
• Several board members (Participant 14, Participant 20, Participant 16) are not satisfied with the current recommendation and want true secure storage piloted, but no consensus exists on a specific alternative
• No policy change was made; Participant 12 suggested the board could issue a directive to staff to come back with a compliant solution without a formal policy amendment, but the board's attorney noted any board directive needs to be a written board action
• Participant 15 asked for data on students who need phones during the day for dual enrollment authentication

Special called meeting date

• Special called meeting set for June 29th at 5:00 PM in the same room (already reserved), with 11 of 12 members available — chosen over June 19th, 23rd, and 25th, which each had only 8 of 12 available
• Purpose is to vote on the budget after the county commission votes on June 19th; all budget data must be entered into the state system by June 30th

Board legal counsel RFQ

• Board chair plans to publish an RFQ for independent board legal counsel on Monday, June 15th, with submissions due July 21st
• The intent is counsel that represents the board as a governing body, distinct from district/administration legal services, providing conflict-free advice on governance, policy, and oversight
• Participant 12 noted Burr & Forman (current board counsel) is structurally conflicted in any dispute between the board and the county commission
• If the board wants to retain someone, a board vote would be required; the RFQ itself is an executive committee decision
• Participant 17 raised concerns about being surprised at the work session and questioned whether the problem being solved was clearly defined; board chair clarified this doesn't bind the board to make any change
• Majority of board members who weighed in supported moving forward with the RFQ; Participant 17 did not express support
• Submissions will be shared with all board members; if the board wants to interview finalists, they could be invited to the August work session (with the meeting advertised to avoid open meetings issues)

Superintendent goals for 2026–27

• Golden presented 5 draft goal areas as prompts for discussion, not final goals: (1) data dashboard for board access, (2) salary study implementation five-year plan, (3) innovative instructional delivery models, (4) student achievement and growth measures, (5) family engagement groups
• Participant 14 suggested milestone deliverables for Goal 3 (innovative delivery models): a written landscape report by ~October and a formal board presentation with 2–3 model recommendations ~6–9 months later; she also wants innovative special education delivery models included
• Participant 14 suggested the new student information system (replacing Skyward) should have robust board-facing dashboard capability as a required selection criterion, since many SIS platforms include dashboards
• Participant 15 suggested adding a discipline/bullying goal, noting a prior committee on it didn't produce clear outcomes; Participant 7 echoed this
• Participant 17 wants the board itself to re-engage deeply with student achievement data — understanding the difference between academic achievement and growth — as a joint board-superintendent effort
• Participant 6 wants the LRE/program center item (Goal 3, sub-item D) pulled out as its own standalone goal
• Golden wants to add booster engagement to the family engagement goal (Participant 12's suggestion)
• Golden will send a revised draft by July 15th; board members should send feedback to the chair and Golden only (not the full board) to avoid deliberation issues; a final version is targeted for the August work session vote

Superintendent evaluation and contract extension

• Aggregate evaluation score was 3.29; the evaluation document will be voted on Monday, June 15th
• Golden requested a one-year contract extension (bringing the contract to 3 years), which will be the first voting item on the June 15th agenda
• Participant 15 flagged the 24-month buyout clause as unusually high; Golden noted any modification would require mutual agreement and renegotiation
• Participant 7 raised the idea (suggested by TSBA's Ben Torres) of redirecting future percentage raises into an annuity to slow base salary growth, noting Golden's salary has grown from $270K in 2019 to $355K; Golden said he'd need time to evaluate whether that made sense given his current retirement plan structure

Budget amendments

• County commission budget committee recommended a 3-cent property tax increase (school rate from $0.75 to $0.78) to fund the school budget; full commission votes June 19th
• The board's approved budget still faces a $2.2M reduction tied to the textbook decision, plus a ~$6M gap if the tax increase doesn't pass
• Rachel presented 6 budget amendments for Monday's vote:
  • $5,198,896 in state summer learning camp grant funds (fully state-funded, dollar-for-dollar)
  • $42,975 donation from Gibson Gives for middle and high school band and orchestra instruments
  • $1,025,319.86 from the state's public school construction and maintenance program ($25/student based on 2023–24 letter grades); funds will go to fund balance since they arrive too late to spend this year
  • $252,895.94 cafeteria commodities adjustment (paper transaction to reconcile actual vs. budgeted commodity value)
  • End-of-year intra-category adjustments across all three funds (three separate votes)
  • Capital request resolution reformatting the March 23rd board-approved capital ask into a format the county commission can formally vote on in July

Operations update and policy votes

• Grassland Middle renovation started May 23rd — demo of front admin area complete, drywall, painting, and restroom flooring underway
• Summer maintenance work is underway district-wide: paving, HVAC, plumbing, track resurfacing
• Three policy items up for Monday's vote:
  • Policy 3.401 (student transportation) — first and final reading — adds a safety course requirement for students riding e-bikes and scooters to school; Golden recommended one reading so the requirement can be in place before summer safety training begins
  • Differentiated pay plan — annual state submission; no changes to the structure
  • PECA MOU — three-year agreement with annual tweaks; this year's change allows teachers to split certain supplements (primarily building leadership roles) based on time demands; pay charts reflect last year's rates pending commission budget approval

Williamson County Commission Meetings

Monday, June 8th

County Commission Meeting Agenda/packet Video

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] - Bring revised lobbyist oversight resolution to budget committee Resolution 6-26-42 was withdrawn by Bill Petty to be reworked; he indicated it should go to the budget committee for refinement before being reintroduced.
• [ ] Participant 1 - Add Commissioner Herbert's Ag Board nomination to the July 13 agenda Commissioner Herbert's Ag Board nomination was not on the advertised agenda and needs to be placed on the July 13 agenda.
• [ ] Participant 1 - Place Hospital Board of Trustees appointment on the July 13 agenda The Hospital Board of Trustees appointment (Juanita Patton vs. Rob Wampler) was deferred; both candidates should be on the July 13 agenda so commissioners can review both nominees.
• [ ] Participant 14 - Arrange for county lobbyist(s) to present a report to the commission Commissioner Morton agreed to rescind his motion to call the question based on an understanding that the mayor would arrange for the lobbyist(s) to come report to the commission.
• [ ] Participant 34 - Resolve Animal Center irrigation line water leak and negotiate bill relief with City of Franklin The Animal Center has an active irrigation line water leak (~600 gallons/hour); Kevin Benson's team is working through sequential leak detection. Ongoing negotiation with City of Franklin for bill relief is also in progress.
• [ ] Participant 37 - Find and share the lobbyist contract renewal date Commissioner Williams asked when the lobbyist contract (started 2023, annual renewal) is up for renewal; Diane Giddens said she'd look it up.

Overview

• 6 citizen speakers addressed the commission, all but one focused on the 4% teacher raise — the vote on that happens at the budget meeting on June 18th, not tonight
• Schools had a record year: 35 reward schools, 33 single-letter-grade A's, 34 state athletic championships, 130 Allstate arts students — the A grades triggered $4M in additional state revenue
• Williamson Medical Center received a 5-star CMS rating, one of only 6 five-star hospitals in Tennessee
• Hospital board appointment for the seat held by Juanita Patton was deferred to July 13th after Rob Wampler was nominated from the floor, giving commissioners time to evaluate both candidates
• Resolution 6-26-1 (up to $17.85M in general obligation bonds for a potential courthouse site) was deferred to July 13th pending recommendations from the courthouse task force
• Resolution 6-26-42 (lobbying services oversight) was withdrawn by Commissioner Petty after extended debate; the mayor committed to having the county's lobbyist present reports to the commission, and Petty plans to bring a revised resolution through the budget committee
• Private act amendment passed (20-0) clarifying that no sale or related transaction of Williamson Medical Center can occur without approval of the Board of Commissioners
• A $20,881.08 check fraud write-off was approved — an $881.08 county check was intercepted, whitewashed to $20,881, and cleared through a fraudulent account traced to an identity theft victim in Florida; funds are unrecoverable
• Next major meeting: June 18th at 9:00 AM for the budget adoption and associated tax rate; June 29th at 5:30 PM at the Enrichment Center for a joint informational meeting with the Franklin Board of Mayor and Alderman (no votes)

Citizen communications

• All 5 speakers on education asked the commission to fund the 4% raise for WCS teachers and staff, citing cost-of-living pressure, teachers commuting from Rutherford and Davidson counties, and WCS salaries already below surrounding districts
• One speaker, Angela Frederick, cited MIT's living wage calculator showing a working adult with one child needs $90,000–$101,376 to live in Williamson County — well above current WCS starting salaries
• Laura Turner raised two separate issues: wildlife crossing signs on county roads near natural habitats, and design concerns for the new Sneed Road Bridge over the Harpeth River, including flood risk from the existing dirt berm and a request for an aesthetically appropriate design

County financial update

• Privilege tax collections for April came in just under $1.2M, slightly above the prior month, with May preliminary numbers also trending higher
• Education impact fee collections for April were $1.7M, up from March
• The conference center returned a $32,657 profit for the month
• Revenue collections are on track to meet fiscal year projections through the final month ending June 2026

Williamson County Schools report

• WCS is running state-funded summer school for rising kindergartners through rising 9th graders, with several thousand students enrolled
• Record results across the board this year: 35 reward schools, 33 single-letter-grade A's, 34 state athletic championships, 130 Allstate students in band, orchestra, chorus, and theater
• The 33 A-letter-grade schools generated roughly $4M more in state revenue than originally projected when the budget process started
• The current estimated funding gap (after all commission-approved items) is $11.8M, with TISA coming in at approximately $183M vs. $182M last year — no further reduction in the gap is anticipated from TISA
• The school board hasn't voted yet on how to allocate the 4% raise; a special called meeting is planned after the commission votes on June 18th

Williamson Medical Center report

• Williamson Medical Center received a 5-star CMS overall quality rating — one of 6 five-star hospitals in Tennessee, one of 3 in Middle Tennessee, and one of 384 nationally
• A Region 5 Star of Life Award was presented to a Williamson County team (WH EMS, Franklin Police, Franklin Fire, and Emergency Communications) for saving off-duty detective Troy Stevenson, who suffered sudden cardiac arrest after being resuscitated en route to the ER
• A new cardiac MRI is currently in final application testing and is expected to begin scheduling cardiac procedures within 2 weeks
• April financials: most volume indicators above prior year; EBITDA up 29% vs. prior year for the month and 10% favorable year-to-date vs. budget; net income unfavorable to budget by $721K for the month but favorable year-to-date by $2.2M (58.6%); days cash on hand decreased 11.5 days to 104 days after the annual $8.5M bond payment

Elections & appointments

• Convention & Visitors Bureau (3-year terms, expiring 6/29): Tom Tunnicliffe, Matthew Lahiff, and Lacie Simonton approved 21-0
• Sports Authority — unexpired term (expiring 6/30): Harrison Crabtree approved 21-0
• Sports Authority — 6-year terms (expiring 6/32): Joe Fleenor, Paul Jeter, and Paul Webb approved by voice vote
• Stormwater Appeals Board — unexpired term (expiring 1/29): Drew Luna approved 21-0
• Library Board of Trustees (3-year terms, expiring 6/29): Terri Hood, Laurel Aiello (name corrected from "Lauren" on the agenda), and Sheila Arnold approved 21-0
• Independent Audit Committee (3-year term, expiring 6/29): Paul Bolin approved 21-0
• Commissioner Herbert's Ag Board nomination was not on the advertised agenda and will be placed on the July 13th agenda

Hospital board appointment

• Juanita Patton (incumbent, multi-generation Williamson County resident, involved in Franklin Tomorrow and other nonprofits) was the original nominee for the 3-year term expiring 5/29
• Commissioner Lawrence nominated Rob Wampler from the floor — 35+ years in healthcare, former CEO and CFO at Community Health Systems hospitals across 22 states, retired as of January, and has been involved in more than 12 hospital acquisitions
• Commissioners Hester and Hayes raised concerns about the last-minute nomination without time to vet Wampler; Commissioners Sanford and Lawrence strongly supported him given the potential hospital sale decision ahead
• Commission voted 15-6 to defer the appointment to July 13th, with both candidates expected to address the commission at that meeting

Courthouse bonds deferral

• Resolution 6-26-1 — up to $17.85M in general obligation bonds for a potential courthouse site — was deferred to July 13th on a voice vote
• Commissioner Lawrence moved to defer, noting the courthouse task force (led by Commissioner Aiello) hasn't yet brought a recommendation; Aiello confirmed recommendations are on track for the July meeting

School budget amendments

• $4M letter grade bonus (Res. 6-26-11): state revenue flowing into fund balance to help offset next year's budget gap — passed 21-0
• $2.4M for liability and property insurance claims (Res. 6-26-12): driven by a ~20% swing in premium allocation (from 34% to 54% of budget) plus roughly $1M in tort cap claims — passed 21-0; risk manager confirmed monthly roundtables with schools and counsel to address root causes
• $1,183,842.58 energy systems conservation debt (Res. 6-26-13): amended to forgive the amount rather than transfer it, shifting the cost from the school fund to the county — passed 20-1 as amended
• $300K trustee commission (Res. 6-26-14), $200K student support services (Res. 6-26-15): both passed 21-0

Parks & rec budget

• $600K for Castle Park capital improvements (Res. 6-26-22): prioritized as stages (structurally past life cycle), the Diaz entrance, hammer beam, entrance bridge, and water lines — passed 19-2
• Renaissance Festival revenue has grown from $1.8M in year one to $2.6M this year (43% increase), with total revenue of $10.5M over five years and a gross margin of roughly 50–55%; $235K came from vendor revenue alone this year
• $400K in Renaissance Festival ticket revenue appropriated (Res. 6-26-25, amended up from $375K) — passed 21-0 as amended
• Commissioner Sanford suggested exploring alcohol sales at the park to supplement revenue; Parks director said it hasn't been looked at

Animal center water leak

• $12K appropriated (Res. 6-26-53) to cover an April water bill from an irrigation line leak losing roughly 600 gallons/hour — on top of a previously approved $10K — passed 21-0
• The March bill alone was just over $9K vs. a typical ~$2K/month; the April bill (due June 30th) is still unknown
• The city of Franklin bills 3 months behind, so the leak went undetected after lines were turned back on post-winter; irrigation is now shut off and a leak detection company has been engaged
• Negotiations with the city of Franklin for bill relief are underway, as the city typically provides some relief in leak situations

Lobbying services resolution

• Commissioner Petty brought Res. 6-26-42 requiring annual commission approval of any county lobbying contract and an annual report on legislative advocacy, after learning the county's lobbyist (Will Denami, $88K/year contract) had listed as "watch" — not "support" — a bill the commission had passed 2/3 in favor of (SB 2311/HB 2419), and had opposed two other bills co-sponsored by local representatives
• Extended debate surfaced several concerns: the resolution may be too broad (covering the sheriff's lobbyist and other elected officials' contracts), section 2C's reporting requirements are unreasonable given lobbying volume, and section 3's legislative priority process could restrict the county's ability to respond to bills filed mid-session
• The commission amended the resolution twice — changing the legislative meeting deadline in section 3 from October 1st to December 1st (passed 20-1), and deleting section 2C (passed 18-2) — before Petty withdrew the resolution entirely
• The path forward: Petty will rework the resolution through the budget committee; the mayor committed to having Denami present reports to the commission in the interim

Hospital sale approval requirement

• Res. 6-26-46 amended Chapter 107 of the Private Acts of 1957 to explicitly require Board of Commissioners approval for any sale or related transaction of Williamson Medical Center — passed 20-0
• Commissioner Morton noted the prior language was ambiguous on whether the Board of Trustees could act alone; the amendment removes that ambiguity

Check fraud write-off

• A $20,881.08 write-off was approved (Res. 6-26-48) after a county check for $881.08 was intercepted in the mail, whitewashed to $20,881, and deposited into a fraudulent account — the account holder was herself a victim of identity theft, and law enforcement has been unable to identify the actual perpetrator
• The county has since implemented positive pay (uploading check files to the bank for matching), added a second reviewer on exceptions, and set automatic denial for unreviewed exceptions — passed 20-0

Thursday, June 11th

Budget Committee agenda Minutes Resolutions Video Committee members: Chas Morton (C), Guy Carden, Betsy Hester, Paul Web, Mayor Anderson. Commissioner Hester was absent.

AI Summary

Overview

• Budget committee approved a $1.33 total tax rate for FY2026–27 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027), with pennies reallocated: county general fund at $0.28, general purpose school fund at $0.78 — a shift of 2 pennies back to general fund vs. the earlier proposal, funded instead by a 3-cent increase to the school fund
• The vote on the overall appropriations resolution and tax rate passed 3–1
• CVB funding cut was rejected — Visit Franklin stays at full funding ($2,028,926); the companion reduced-funding resolution was tabled with no action
• Total county budget approved at $925,369,673, drawing down ~$19.9M from general fund balance (up from ~$14.5M last year) — Participant 8 flagged this as the tightest budget in his 24 years and raised concern about the county's AAA bond rating
• Spring Hill/Maury County ambulance situation is unresolved — Williamson Health agreed to absorb an extra $750K for 6 months to buy time, but a longer-term funding decision is needed before that window closes
• Full budget meeting is scheduled for June 19, 2026 at 9:00 AM

CVB funding — citizen speakers

• Maureen Thornton (Visit Franklin CEO) argued the CVB is a revenue generator, not a cost center — visitor spending puts $6.5M+ into the county general fund and $2.8M+ in local option sales tax directly to schools just from hotel stays, saving households $1,631 each in taxes
• Josh Gibson (Tennessee Dept. of Tourist Development, Chief Analytics & Strategy Officer) validated the numbers as state-produced data, not marketing figures, and noted Williamson is the 6th largest visitor economy in Tennessee — larger than Rutherford and Wilson counties combined despite all three bordering Nashville
• Gibson added that 4 out of 10 credit cards swiped in Williamson hotels are not swiped in Nashville, and visitor spending represents 14% of all taxable sales (~$1.3B out of $9.5B)
• Hitesh Patel (Halifax Hospitality, CVB Finance Committee chair) and Nathan Zipper (Williamson Inc. Chief Economic Development Officer) both asked the committee not to cut CVB funding, with Zipper noting Visit Franklin and Williamson Inc. work collaboratively and that Visit Franklin's community branding work directly feeds Williamson Inc.'s materials

Budget transfers

• Committee approved all transfers unanimously:
  • County Mayor's Office: $750 from Salary Supplements to Other Per Diem and Fees
  • Gordon Hampton Parks & Rec: $8,790 from Refunds and Assistance to Surcharges and Custodial
  • Circuit Court Clerk's Office: $4,000 from Assistant to Part-time
  • Public Safety Director: $18,336.66 from Evaluation and Testing to Maintenance and Repair of Equipment
  • Juvenile Court: $4,700 total across four line moves (Part-time to Overtime, Contracted Services to Dues and Memberships, Licenses to Leases, Supplies to Periodicals)
  • Juvenile Court Clerk's Office: $9,000 from Contracted Services to Office Supplies (for iPads)
  • County Clerk's Office: $800 from Printing and Stationery to Other Charges and Communications
  • Property Department: $42,000 from various budget items to Electricity (attributed to high electric bills)
  • Libraries: $950 from Other Contracted Services to In-service Staff Development
  • Election Commission: $5,756.46 from Freight to Maintenance and Repair and Office Supplies, plus $2,100 from Dues and Memberships to Printing

School fund gap walkthrough

• Phoebe walked through the general purpose school fund gap, which started at $19.8M and was reduced to $6.3M through a series of actions:
  • $5.6M in revenue pickups over the last two months (higher property tax assessed values, letter grade bonus projection, state construction grant)
  • $659,848 absorbed via education impact bus funding from fund balance
  • $1,183,842 from bond repayment forgiveness for 2026 (absorbed in general and rural debt service)
  • $1,203,638 from bond repayment forgiveness for 2027
  • $1.6M additional letter grade bonus
  • $1,025,000 new state construction grant for FY2026
  • $2.2M reduction in school expenditures (referred to loosely as textbooks — school board's decision on which line item)
• Reducing insurance budget by $250 per person would save an additional $1.35M for schools and $271,500 on the general fund side, but the committee did not cut insurance — the budget was approved as presented without that reduction
• With 2 pennies shifted from general fund and no tax increase, the school fund gap would still be $951,121 — requiring at least one additional penny from the tax rate

Spring Hill ambulance situation

• Williamson County has provided EMS to the Maury County side of Spring Hill at no cost since 2020, spending $53M on EMS since 2009 through Williamson Health
• Williamson Health CEO Phil Mazzuca said he had agreed to absorb up to $1M in EMS losses this year, but the proposed $1.5M budget cut pushed his loss to $2.5M, which is unsustainable
• Mazzuca committed to absorbing the extra $750K for 6 months (through approximately December 2026) to give the county time to negotiate a solution with Spring Hill and Maury County — but expects a decision within that window on whether Maury County pays, takes over the unit, or another arrangement is made
• Connor Scott noted that pulling out of Maury County carries cascading risks — Spring Hill could switch to Maury County dispatch, radio systems, or a private EMS provider for the whole city, which could negatively affect Williamson County residents
• Participant 10 shared that his wife's life was saved by Williamson EMS in 2011 during a birth complication, underscoring the quality difference from the prior private service

Tax increase vs. no-increase debate

• Commissioner Morton (Chair) is comfortable with the $1.33 tax increase, citing lean departments, 4% raises barely keeping pace with inflation, and the risk of kicking the problem to next year's commission
• Commissioner Webb doubts the full commission will approve a tax increase but thinks the committee needs to protect the 4% raise and CVB funding — ultimately supported sending $1.33 out of committee
• Commissioner Clifford wants to avoid a tax increase and give the incoming mayor fresh eyes on the budget, suggesting the septic department could absorb further cuts to offset CVB and chamber funding
• Commissioner Mary Smith agrees on protecting the CVB and wants a deeper look at vendor contracts and non-personnel operating expenses — notes Williamson County spends ~50% more than Rutherford County on medical, health, and dental claims
• Mayor Anderson warned that drawing $19.9M from fund balance (vs. $14.5M last year), shifting 2 pennies, and leaving no cushion could jeopardize the county's AAA bond rating and leave nothing for capital improvements or emergencies next year

Appropriations resolutions

• Resolution 6-18-26-1 (CVB funding cut to 20%) was voted down — no votes in favor
• Resolution 6-18-26-2 (appropriations with reduced CVB calculation) — no action taken, not voted on
• Resolution 6-18-26-3 (nonprofit charitable organizations appropriations, FY2026–27) passed unanimously, including CVB at $2,028,926
• Resolution 6-18-26-4 (nonprofit emergency service organizations, volunteer fire and emergency services) passed unanimously
• Resolution 6-18-26-5 (general appropriations for all county funds, FY2026–27) passed as amended 3–1, (Mayor Anderson voted no)with a total county budget of $925,369,673; key fund totals:
  • General Fund: $185,444,995 (as amended, restoring CVB and Williamson Inc. to full funding)
  • General Purpose School Fund: $569,484,432
  • General Debt Service Fund: $70,400,417
  • Rural Debt Service Fund: $43,985,037
• General fund draw on fund balance: $19,895,216

Tax rate and penny allocation

• Tax rate resolution 6-18-26-6 passed 3–1 at $1.33 total, with the following allocation (as amended):
  • County General Fund: $0.28
  • Solid Waste: $0.03
  • General Purpose School Fund: $0.78
  • General Debt Service: $0.15
  • Rural Debt Service: $0.09
• The key change from the earlier proposal: 2 pennies shifted back to the general fund (from $0.26 to $0.28), offset by a 3-cent increase to the school fund (from $0.75 to $0.78), keeping the total at $1.33 and reducing the general fund balance draw by roughly $6M
• This leaves the school fund with approximately $1.725M in extra cushion and brings the general fund balance draw closer to last year's $14.5M level

Williamson County Planning Commission Agenda Video

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] Participant 11 - Update Terra Vista Phase 1 and Phase 2 open items checklist Update the existing April schedule to reflect current status — what's closed, what's still open — for both Phase 1 and Phase 2.
• [ ] Participant 9 - Provide updated Terra Vista bond work schedule and checklist Commission requested an updated schedule with current status of all open items for both Phase 1 and Phase 2, to be presented at the next meeting.

Overview

• Commission voted to keep the Terra Vista Roads, Drainage, and Erosion Control bond at $1.6 million — denying staff's recommendation to reduce it to $1 million — citing slow progress and the need to maintain pressure on the developer to finish
• Both Villages at Triune West (item 36) and Villages at Triune East (item 37) concept plan revisions were approved, adding non-residential lots to each development; all site plans will come back to Planning Commission for review
• All other items — Dodd Family variance, Creekbend Manor plat, and four final plats — were approved without significant opposition
• Stone Ridge Large Lot Easement Final Plat was added as a non-agenda item (item 42) and approved after its original approval expired before recording

Meeting admin and consent agenda

• Items 33 and 38 were deferred on the consent agenda; item 26 (The Grove, Section 16 bond) was revised to reflect a bond release
• Stone Ridge Large Lot Easement Final Plat was added to the agenda as item 42 by commission vote — the original January approval had expired because it wasn't recorded within 90 days
• Consent agenda was reconsidered mid-meeting to pull item 25 (Terra Vista bond) for a separate vote; the remainder of the consent agenda passed as revised

Terra Vista bond update and vote

• Staff recommended reducing the performance bond from $1.6 million to $1 million based on completed work; commission denied the reduction and extended the bond at $1.6 million for one year
• Brent Thaney (True Land Consulting, representing Jones Company) reported grading on the wastewater road is done and paving is expected the week of June 15 or June 22, 2026; Detention Pond 5 has a concrete flume contracted; Phase 1 pond work is underway
• Staff (Michael) noted roughly 15 open issues in Phase 1 and 15 in Phase 2, with realistic near-term closures bringing each closer to 10 open items
• Commissioner Clifford argued the bond reduction removes motivation to finish, noting the commission has spent an unusual amount of time on this and homeowners continue to send complaints
• Applicant's counsel (Emily Guthrie, Tune Rickman and White) argued the reduction is reasonable given completed work and that the applicant remains fully committed to finishing by end of July or early August 2026
• Commission asked Thaney to provide an updated schedule with a clear checklist of open items and completion status for the July meeting

Dodd Family subdivision driveway variance

• Approved — 1 lot on 32.12 acres off Taliaferro Road; variance granted to allow the shared 50-foot access easement driveway to remain narrower than the required 16 feet in some sections
• Applicant Mike Dodd explained the sub-16-foot sections are existing concrete and widening would require excavation; the fire department confirmed in writing that the access is adequate as-is

Creekbend Manor preliminary plat

• Approved — 5 lots on 28.01 acres off Horton Highway; floodplain development permit variance granted to allow a bridge crossing in the floodplain
• The prior variance needed for the 50-foot access easement on the property line is no longer required — applicant purchased a 5-foot strip from the adjoining parcel to the north and the deed has been recorded

Villages at Triune West concept plan revision

• Approved — revision adds 10 non-residential lots to the existing approval of 98 single-family and 214 townhome lots on 157.79 acres at Murfreesboro Road and Horton Highway
• Proposed non-residential uses include a grocery store, hotel, and retail/personal service shops across 14 conceptual buildings; these are illustrative only and not reviewed for code compliance
• TDOT has given preliminary approval for required road and intersection improvements; 50% of the site remains open space and greenway trails are unchanged
• A public commenter (Brandon Warren, Triune resident) raised concern that the development feels like a "strip mall" inconsistent with the rural character envisioned in the Triune Special Area Plan, which was adopted in November 2018 after two years of community input
• Staff confirmed tonight's approval covers lot layout only — architectural standards and use compliance will be reviewed when major site plans come back to Planning Commission

Villages at Triune East concept plan revision

• Approved — revision removes 2 single-family lots, adds 1 multifamily lot, and incorporates 3 non-residential lots on 63.78 acres off Horton Highway, Murfreesboro Road, and Malachi Lane
• Original approval (March 2025) was for 61 single-family and 62 townhome lots; revised totals are 59 single-family, 63 townhome, and 3 non-residential lots
• Williamson County Highway Department gave preliminary approval for road improvements on Malachi Lane; roads will be private; 50% open space and greenway trails unchanged

Final plat approvals

• Hyde Park Estates (item 39) — 16 lots on 109.69 acres off Hyde Road; private gated roads; 17.67 acres open space; wastewater via Star Creek WWTF — approved
• Star Creek Subdivision, Section 1 (item 40) — 7 lots on 62.36 acres off Arno-College Grove Road; private gated roads; 11.3 acres open space; non-traditional wastewater treatment system — approved
• Log Valley LLE Subdivision (item 41) — 1 lot on 16.21 acres off Log Valley Trail; final plat changes lot access from Log Valley Trail easement to Drury Creek Trail easement — approved
• Stone Ridge Large Lot Easement Subdivision (item 42, non-agenda) — 5 lots on 69.98 acres off Harpeth School Road; final plat consistent with preliminary plat; resource protection standards met — approved

Franklin Board of Mayor and Alderman

Tuesday, June 9th

BOMA Work Session Agenda Video

AI Summary

Overview

• Board rejected all bids for stop loss insurance procurement and approved Amendment 5 to the BCBS contract for $928,463 — cleaner to amend than rebid
• Tuck Away PUD (Fellowship Bible Church, 1190 Lewisburg Pike): staff recommended disapproval of both sidewalk MOSs; Planning Commission recommended approval with concrete sidewalk along the driveway and a development agreement to defer the Lewisburg Pike sidewalk up to 10 years — board sentiment generally aligned with Planning Commission's approach
• TDOT presented the SR 6 / East Main Street bridge replacement: construction starts Aug/Sept 2026, completion target moved up to July 31, 2028; one lane open each direction throughout; no sidewalk during construction; bid letting June 26th
• Armistead IDD: staff recommended against granting IDD status (only 1 of 4 policy pillars fully met, value-to-lien ratio at 2:1 vs. the policy's preferred 3:1); board sentiment was largely supportive of the project and open to moving forward if attainable housing commitment is strengthened — applicant offered to target 50% of 23 tiny home units (~12 units) toward households at up to 120% AMI; formal hearing set for June 23rd
• South Margin / 3rd Ave right-turn-only: working well for traffic flow (97–98% compliance, substantially reduced queuing) but two downtown business owners raised concerns about lost customers; staff will gather more feedback from Downtown Neighborhood Association and DFA before bringing back a direction
• Carothers Parkway sidewalk: Alderman Potts brought forward a safety concern for 4,000+ Ladd Park residents ahead of Pearl Park opening in 18–24 months; board leaned toward Option 2 (8-ft paved trail, ~$800K); Eric confirmed funding can be accommodated within existing CIP capacity

Stop loss insurance rebid and BCBS amendment

• Only one bid came in — from the existing vendor — so staff recommended rejecting all bids and amending the current BCBS contract instead
• Amendment 5 to contract 2023-0126 adds $928,463 for stop loss coverage, with a plan to rebid the full health insurance program next year and potentially bundle stop loss into that process

Wastewater flow monitoring contract

• The contract covers real-time flow monitoring across the collection system — 19 permanent monitors plus ~20 temporary wet weather monitors added seasonally
• The data feeds the city's capacity tool for developer agreements, helps identify infiltration/inflow problem areas, and informs capital project prioritization
• Total contract amount is $426K across one, two, and three year terms
• Mayor Moore asked about the later-than-usual rainfall this year; staff confirmed the reservoir is full and the city is still pulling from the river and treating at max capacity

Tuck Away PUD sidewalk modifications

• No change to entitlements — this is purely about two sidewalk modifications of standards (MOS) for Fellowship Bible Church at 1190 Lewisburg Pike
• MOS #2: applicant originally requested a mulch path to the front door; Planning Commission recommended concrete, running alongside the new driveway rather than across the open field; staff recommended disapproval (no mechanism to defer construction and mulch doesn't meet sidewalk standards)
• MOS #3: applicant requested to defer the required Lewisburg Pike sidewalk until the road is widened or 10 years, whichever comes first; Planning Commission recommended approval conditioned on a development agreement with the city; staff recommended disapproval (no mechanism to monitor an open-ended deferral)
• Pastor Bill Wellins noted the church is spending $7M on site work, providing its own sewer and water infrastructure, and has been in Franklin since 1998 — the deferral request is about timing, not avoidance
• Board consensus: mulch is not acceptable; concrete sidewalk along the driveway is fine; deferring the Lewisburg Pike sidewalk via a development agreement is broadly supported
• Alderman Caesar raised concern that without a solid agreement, the sidewalk could be lost if the church changes hands; staff confirmed the development agreement would bind the property
• Staff will work with the applicant to draft development agreement language if BOMA approves the amended MOS at the formal hearing on July 14th

TDOT East Main Street bridge replacement

• The SR 6 / East Main Street bridge was built in 1929 — nearly 100 years old, rated in poor condition, and currently load-limited to 28 tons; design life of a bridge is 50–70 years
• Replacement will go from a 6-span to a 4-span concrete box bridge, widening the river opening to improve water flow and remove upstream buildings from the floodplain
• Lane configuration changes: existing 12-ft travel lanes replaced with 11-ft lanes, plus 3.5-ft bike lanes and 6.5-ft sidewalks with concrete barrier rail on each side
• City of Franklin partnered with TDOT on aesthetics — decorative rail and pedestrian-scale lighting to fit the downtown context
• Bid letting is June 26th; construction expected to start Aug/Sept 2026; completion target updated to July 31, 2028 (earlier than the December 2028 on the slides)
• One lane open in each direction throughout all phases; no weekend river closures; 2 weeks notice required before any river closure; no construction during Pilgrimage Festival; transit shuttles permitted in all phases
• Sidewalks will be fully closed during construction — board raised pedestrian safety as a major concern given heavy foot traffic between the Factory and downtown
• A temporary pedestrian bridge was floated but TDOT estimated it would cost upward of $1M and is not feasible given site constraints
• Board and TDOT agreed the best mitigation is expanding the downtown transit shuttle to more frequent service and potentially adding a temporary stop near the bridge; Eric suggested a modified loop focused on connecting downtown and the Factory during non-lunch hours
• Alderman Brown asked TDOT to work with mapping apps (Google, Waze) and add physical signage to keep commercial vehicles out of downtown during construction; TDOT confirmed commercial vehicles will be prohibited on the bridge during Phase 2 and will coordinate with their traffic management center
• TDOT contacts: Scott Johnson (project management, 615.350.4263), Adam Vance (district manager, 615.815.9928), Osama Mohamed (construction team lead, 615.350.4458), Erin Zeigler (community relations, 629.277.2458)
• Public informational meeting targeting June 24th; press release planned for fall 2026

Procurement policy and P-card updates

• Wesley Wright joined as purchasing manager earlier this year and walked through updates to the city's procurement policy focused on the P-card program
• Three changes recommended: require tax-exempt accounts for online purchases (kept separate from personal accounts), ship orders to facility addresses not home addresses, and confirm purchases are budgeted before buying

Armistead Infrastructure Development District

• Staff reviewed the four IDD policy pillars: full credit for extraordinary benefit and quality development; no credit for attainable housing (no mechanism to secure or enforce it), limited credit for infrastructure enhancement (improvements don't robustly extend beyond the development boundary), and no credit for redevelopment (greenfield site)
• Financial analysis still shows the project generates over $1M/year in recurring local fees and taxes for the city, even after adding a new maintenance-of-effort cost for police and fire
• Staff recommended against granting IDD status as submitted — only 1 pillar fully met and value-to-lien ratio is 2:1 vs. the policy's preferred 3:1
• Applicant Craig Hoover (Armistead TN, LLC) argued the project satisfies the policy: 98+ acres of open space (~51% of the property), 25% more formal open space than required, 2+ miles of publicly accessible trails, and housing diversity including multifamily, townhomes, tiny homes, ADUs, and single-family
• On attainable housing, Hoover offered to target 50% of the 23 tiny home entitlements (~12 units) toward households at up to 120% AMI — Mayor Moore noted that works out to roughly 1.5% of total dwellings (830) and pushed for more flexibility
• Phil Hunt (Rathell Hunt and Associates, IDD administrator for 250 districts) suggested a compromise on the ratio: issue bonds at 2:1, hold a portion of proceeds in cash reserve until 3:1 is reached, then release — Betsy Knotts is familiar with this approach from Texas
• Alderman Brown thinks the project clears the bar on the first pillar alone and that requiring meaningful progress on multiple pillars is too high a bar for a development of this character; Alderman Potts shared that view
• Vice Mayor Baggy wants the policy applied consistently going forward and noted the farming component can't be enforced — the IDD can't rest on that alone; he also highlighted the unusually strong community support through the pre-application engagement process as a meaningful factor
• Applicant and staff planned to meet immediately after the work session to work on attainable housing parameters; formal public hearing set for June 23rd

South Margin and 3rd Ave right-turn-only evaluation

• The right-turn-only restriction has been in place since 2025 and is working well from a traffic standpoint: 97–98% compliance, substantially reduced queuing on Lewisburg Pike, and overall increased traffic volume (up ~19%) suggesting the intersection is moving more efficiently
• 112 violations were observed via camera (placed well after implementation, during winter months, likely over a 24-hour count period)
• Two downtown business owners — Kelly Harwood (Gallery 202) and Rudy Jordan (representing JJ Ashley's) — said the restriction is hurting their businesses by cutting off straight-through traffic from Lewisburg Pike toward 2nd Avenue
• Paul noted that if the board wants to allow the through movement, the signal is already split-phased, so allowing straight-through and left turns is effectively a wash — you'd allow both or neither
• Alderman Potts wants to continue monitoring and revisit in roughly a year; Alderman Brown suggested better physical and digital signage pointing to downtown businesses as a parallel fix
• Staff will do additional engagement with the Downtown Neighborhood Association and DFA and bring back a more complete picture before the board decides on any change

City Hall park naming and funding

• Lisa and Tori Barnhill (Friends of Franklin Parks) presented a commemorative giving program for the new City Hall one-acre park, modeled on the existing bench program and the LEG's Dream World approach
• The proposal centers on a "Friends of City Hall Park" fountain — community donations go toward the fountain, with the emphasis on broad participation rather than individual name recognition
• Alderman Potts suggested a hybrid: no permanent plaques on the park itself, but names recognized on the city website and at the unveiling event, with tiered levels for larger donors
• Alderman Berger suggested using the back wall of the City Hall building as a dedicated recognition surface — plaques and names there rather than scattered through the park
• Vice Mayor Baggy wants to wait until the park takes more shape before committing to a specific approach, noting the feel of the space will inform what's appropriate
• Alderman Caesar wants the park to feel intentional and special — not "NASCAR" — and thinks the right approach needs more time to develop; the city has budget for the park so this isn't about filling a funding gap
• Friends of Franklin Parks is enthusiastic about the fountain opportunity and open to whatever structure the city decides on

Carothers Parkway sidewalk

• Alderman Potts raised the issue: 1,247 homes and 4,000+ residents in Ladd Park currently have no sidewalk connection north along Carothers Parkway to the bridge, and Pearl Park opens in 18–24 months — Lisa estimated 3,000+ visitors per day at peak with athletics programming
• Paul presented 4 options, all running from Parkworth Drive north to the Carothers Bridge:
  1. Full permanent build-out (additional northbound lane at full depth, 12-ft shoulder) — $1.8–2.1M, ~90% reusable when the road is eventually widened
  2. 8-ft paved asphalt pedestrian trail to minimum standards — ~$800K, good for 10–15 years
  3. 5-ft concrete sidewalk — ~$1.3M, 100% removed at widening
  4. Partial build to Truman Road only — cheaper but likely to upset residents whose entrances aren't served
• Board leaned toward Option 2; Aldermen Brown, Barnhill, and Vice Mayor Baggy all expressed support for it while flagging that other planned sidewalk projects (Boyd Mill, Eddie Lane) shouldn't be leapfrogged
• Eric confirmed funding can be accommodated within existing CIP capacity — some unprogrammed dollars set aside for opportunities, plus capacity freed up by choosing less expensive options on other projects
• Alderman Caesar asked Paul and staff to provide a realistic construction timeline before setting expectations with the 50+ residents who emailed the board in the past 24 hours

BOMA Meeting Agenda Video

AI Summary

Overview

• BOMA approved all items on the agenda unanimously, with the notable exception of the Arno Village annexation study, which was denied 8-0 after strong staff opposition
• FY2027 budget adopted at $134.3M (general fund), property tax unchanged at 29.6¢ per $100 assessed value, with targeted fee increases across sanitation, stormwater, and plan review
• FY2026 budget amendment closed out the year with a $2.26M general fund increase, driven largely by higher-than-budgeted local option sales tax
• Coletta Park PUD revision (removing a 0.55-acre parcel, no unit changes) and all 15 Ovation PUD modification of standards requests were approved, with MOS 1 (angled parking) approved with a one-side-only condition
• City received a Tennessean Top Workplace award — one of only 2 local governments in Tennessee recognized, and the top-ranked of those two

Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month proclamation

• Mayor Moore proclaimed June 2026 as Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, noting the absence of longtime advocate Laura Musgrave due to illness and relocation
• Key figures cited: an estimated 74 million people 65+ living with Alzheimer's, $446.3B in care costs in 2025, and nearly 393,000 family caregivers in Tennessee providing 686 million hours of unpaid care valued at $13.1M

City announcements and staff updates

• City Manager Stuckey flagged three items: a downtown parking plan survey live at franklintn.gov, the Juneteenth celebration at Bicentennial Park on Friday, June 19 at 11 AM (led by the African American Heritage Society of Williamson County), and the Tennessean Top Workplace recognition
• The city was one of 101 recognized employers out of 2,900+ eligible, one of 45 in the large employer category, with over 90% employee participation in the engagement survey
• Alderman Caesar asked staff to improve communications around the city's 250th anniversary programming, noting residents are eager to participate — Stuckey pointed to Visit Franklin's dedicated events page and highlighted Franklin on the Fourth as the largest and longest fireworks display the city has ever held

Coletta Park PUD rezoning

• BOMA approved rezoning 204.34 acres from PD 1.26 to PD 1.27 and 0.55 acres from PD 1.26 to R-1, with no change to the number of units or uses — the density increase is a technical result of removing the 0.55-acre parcel from the development
• The 0.55-acre parcel being removed was designated open space; remaining open space still exceeds the required minimum, and the neighboring property intends to consolidate it with their parcel for R-1 development
• One board member flagged that the development report should note the 229 previously approved units were not newly approved tonight — the rezoning is a housekeeping action, not a new entitlement

Ovation PUD modifications of standards

• All 15 MOS requests were approved unanimously; staff had recommended disapproval on MOS 1, 7, 8, and 12 — FMPC had recommended approval on all 15
• MOS 1 (angled parking on internal private streets) was approved with a condition that angled parking may only be constructed on one side of any internal private street, with the MOS exhibit updated at first development plan submittal
• MOS 7 (LED electronic message centers) was approved as updated at FMPC: 12 pedestrian-scale interactive wayfinding/advertising displays, max 50 sq ft per sign (two sides), located on internal drives only and out of view of Carruthers Parkway, McEwen Drive, and Ovation Parkway
• MOS 8 (LED display screen) was approved for a single 400 sq ft screen mounted to a ground-floor commercial mixed use building, out of view of major roads, with content governed by a public content display policy limiting programming to G and PG films (select PG-13 later in evenings), licensed through Swank Motion Pictures
• Alderman Potts raised audio management concerns for MOS 8 and maintenance concerns for MOS 14 (painted wall signs), noting Middle Tennessee weather can cause peeling if the wrong outdoor paint is used
• Vice Mayor Baggett noted the volume of creative sign requests highlights the need to revisit the city's sign ordinance

Arno Village annexation initiation

• BOMA denied the resolution to initiate an annexation study for 79.05 acres at Arno Road and Murfreesboro Road (6–2, with Alderman Burger and Vice Mayor Baggett voting yes on deferral; the subsequent denial motion passed 8–0)
• Staff's recommendation was against proceeding, citing: reduced capacity at the current water treatment facility, the unfunded South Clean Water Facility being needed sooner, school capacity issues at Trinity Elementary and Page Middle (Page High has capacity), and significant peak-hour delays at the I-65/Highway 96 interchange
• The annexation cost analysis calculator showed recurring revenues across all funds of slightly over $100K/year, with the general fund not quite breaking even — the development is 220 single-family units at $950K average home value with an estimated population of 605
• Applicant Greg Gamble (representing Meritage Homes) requested a one-month deferral to July 14 to present traffic study results from Kimley Horn, which had been commissioned the day after the BOMA work session
• Alderman Brown, Alderman Barnhill, and Alderman Caesar all opposed the deferral, citing the strength of staff's recommendation and the cost of further study given the infrastructure gaps — Alderman Brown suggested staff time would be better spent defining a realistic east-growth timeline based on sewer capacity
• County Commissioners Lawrence and Clifford (via email) both opposed the annexation, citing road infrastructure choke points at Highway 96 and Arno Road, school overcrowding, and sewer infrastructure gaps
• Vice Mayor Baggett voted for deferral, noting property owners deserve a chance to respond to the staff report, but voted yes on the denial motion, stating the weight of evidence was against proceeding

FY2026 budget amendment

• General fund revenues increased $2.26M, driven primarily by $1.9M in higher-than-budgeted local option sales tax (collections averaged 5.5% year-over-year through eight months vs. the 2.5–3% budgeted) and $567K in called performance bonds, partially offset by lower building permits, property tax, hotel/liquor tax, and wholesale liquor tax
• General fund expenses increased a matching $2.26M: $980K in personnel (mainly vacancy adjustments and retirement payouts), $893K in operations (called performance bond work, facility maintenance, and January ice storm cleanup), and $269K for the final payment to acquire the Pearline M. Bransford Park land from the Water Management Fund (total acquisition cost: $2,769,443)
• Road Impact Fund increased $5.5M to cover anticipated close-outs of offset agreement contracts by June 30
• Transit Fund saw $450K in higher federal/state grant revenues and $400K in higher expenses
• Water Management Fund received $269K from the general fund for the park land sale and $62.8K from surplus asset sales, offset by $62K for new water plant equipment and $70K for LDA Consulting on South Plant development

FY2027 budget adoption and fee adjustments

• Total all-funds budget is $273.4M (+2.7%); general fund is $134.3M (+1.8%); property tax unchanged at 29.6¢ per $100 assessed value
• Net 7 new positions added to the general fund: 3 patrol officers, 1 police sergeant (training), 1 contract specialist (Finance), 2 grounds workers (Parks), 1 organizational development specialist (HR), and full implementation of the fire district captain program, offset by eliminating 1 full-time position in the recorder's office (now operating with 2 FTEs plus part-time support)
• Compensation: 2.5% base market adjustment plus up to 2.5% merit; health insurance premiums up 2.5% (first increase in 4 years); out-of-pocket maximum adjusted for the first time since 2014
• Fee adjustments, all effective January 1, 2027:
  • Sanitation: $1/month residential increase (from $33 to $34); commercial tip fees up $5/ton
  • Stormwater: ~$2/month increase for most residential customers — first increase since 2018; five-year rate plan adopted to keep the fund self-sufficient
  • Plan review: new residential and fire protection plan review fees established; nonresidential fees increased; third-and-subsequent review cycle fees may be waived by the Director of Building and Neighborhood Services (amendment added at the meeting, though new state legislation limiting reviews to two cycles takes effect January 1 and may render this moot)
  • Water and sewer rates previously approved; five-year SES rate plan adopted
• CIP ten-year plan totals $458M — 82% transportation, 66% cash-funded, 34% long-term debt; Mac Hatcher Southeast widening is now only $10M from full funding (currently slated for 2032 but shovel-ready to accelerate)
• Mac Hatcher Southeast funding is separate from the $458M CIP — it was funded through the Invest Franklin 2.0 property tax increase last year
• Vice Mayor Baggett asked about the 24/72 fire scheduling analysis — Stuckey committed to delivering an objective assessment covering service impact, personnel impact, and financial impact as part of the work plan
• Alderman Caesar asked about the FTE reduction in admin — it was the recorder's office, reduced from 3 to 2 full-time positions

Insurance and procurement awards

• BOMA rejected all bids for procurement solicitation 2026-028 (stop loss insurance for group health and prescription drug programs) and approved Amendment 5 to contract 2023-0126 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee for $928,463 for stop loss gap coverage for the city's self-insured medical and pharmacy benefit plan
• BOMA approved a procurement award to ADS LLC for $426,812 (years 1–3) for wastewater flow monitoring services for the Water Management Department (contract 2026-0195)

For all other meetings go here.

Election Commission

If not me, who?

If not now, when?

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1)

“We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer gently.” (1^st Corinthians 4:12-13)

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves" (Philippians 2:3)

Blessings,

Bill

pettyandassociates@gmail.com

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