Friday Recap October 30th 2026

My Comment

Hospital Sale

I have been waiting with bated breath for a month to get a substantial update on the hospital sale. We were promised a report at this past week's Property Committee meeting, and I was hoping to get specific facts about the due-diligence process. What we got was that our legal counsel, Foley & Lardner, is expecting to get the first draft of the final contract in the next week and that there will most likely be about three iterations of that as the two sides negotiate. We were promised that the final contract would be done by December 31st and that is when we will see the actual agreement. Our counsel further explained that they expect the whole process to be complete by next summer. Scroll down to my report on the Property Committee for more detail, which isn't much.

Zoning change

When it comes to planning and development in the unincorporated areas of the county, we commissioners have no vote as to whether a new development is approved or not. We do, however, have control over any zoning changes which is no small thing. At our November 9th commission meeting, there will be a hearing and vote on a zoning change. For further details, go to Arrington Village Commission Briefing . Feel free to contact me or any other commissioner with your thoughts on this.

Early Voting

Early voting ended on Thursday, and the results were way ahead of the 2022 midterms. I don't know if we are a Bellwether or not, but it makes me wonder. This Tuesday we will find out who's polling got it right. If the Democrats take the house and senate, we will see a seismic change. Hopefully, our increased numbers are an indication that conservative Republicans around the country are aware of how important this election is. As flawed as our current Republican leaders in Washington are, they are better than the alternative. If you haven't voted yet, Election Day is Tuesday and for voting sites, go here and vote Republican. Go to Grassroots Citizens of Williamson County for their take on the election.

Dr. Robert Malone Friday Funnies

Highlights from this week

Monday, October 26th

Education Committee

Overview

• The education committee unanimously approved an intent to fund $87 million for a new middle school on the Jordan campus in the Nolansville area, with the split between impact fees and bonds still to be decided by the commissioners
• The committee also unanimously approved a $1,577,665.62 capital budget amendment for the E-rate reimbursement and moving $100,000 to contracted services for the superintendent search
• Commissioner Petty was elected chair and Commissioner Tunnicliffe vice chair
• The school board voted not to rezone for 2027-28 except for one Franklin subdivision, and is starting a district-wide rezoning review

Tuesday, October 27th

Franklin BOMA Work Session

Overview

• Franklin's Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) heard work session presentations on the annual zoning update, the energy code, new sewer CCTV fees, the Historic Franklin Preservation Plan, DUI enforcement, and Franklin Road widening options
• The zoning update, the CCTV fee ordinance and resolution, and the preservation plan are all headed to votes, aiming at a January 1st, 2027 effective date for the zoning and CCTV changes
• BOMA votes on the preservation plan on November 10th, with the Historic Zoning Commission voting November 9th
• The Franklin Road project got no direction, since the mayor wants it brought back for a fuller discussion

Franklin BOMA Meeting

Overview

• The Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously passed the first FY 2027 budget amendment (Ordinance 2026-26), which uses fund balance for carried-over purchases and new HOBAS pipe work
• Ordinances on the zoning update (2026-18, as amended) and e-bikes (2026-19, as amended) passed, and the zoning update has a public hearing set for November 24th
• Autonomous vehicle citation standards (Ordinance 2026-25) passed unanimously
• The Mooney Alley surplus resolution is referred to the January 12th meeting

Wednesday, October 28th

Williamson County Rules Committee

Overview

• The Rules Committee unanimously approved Resolution 11-26, adopting the county commission's rules, as amended in the meeting
• A new state law requires the rules to be adopted within 90 days of the new commission taking office, so the November meeting is the last chance
• Commissioner Sanford was elected chair and Commissioner Todd vice chair
• Most of Participant 1's redlines were accepted as written, with the mayor's office coordination wording changed to "in communication"
• The committee didn't settle how to curb repeat resolutions, and several points still need checking

Williamson County Property Committee

Overview

• Ascension's first draft of the definitive agreement is expected this week or next, with a December 31st target and the committee tentatively reviewing it in late January
• Attorneys will negotiate the drafts and the committee will see the agreement once it's close to final
• The committee approved all five resolutions, including the fire station purchase on New Highway 96 West and the JJC rooftop screening override that saves about $1.3 million
• Commissioner Torres was elected vice chair, and Commissioner Mason is chair
• Commissioner Tunnicliffe wants hospital-related documents shared with commissioners as soon as the mayor's office receives them

Chief of Staff, Leisa Niemotka's end of week report to commissioners

A few updates and resources for you this week as we head into November.

COUNTY BOND SALE

On Wednesday, the County received competitive bids for two 20-year bond issues: $141 million in General Obligation Public Improvement and School Bonds and $25 million in County District School Bonds. The two issues drew nine and twelve bids, respectively. Substantial premiums from the winning bidders allowed the County to receive the proceeds needed for the planned projects while reducing the amount actually borrowed to $132,625,000 and $23,900,000, respectively.

The General Obligation Bonds were awarded to the lowest bidder at a True Interest Cost of 4.26%, and the County District School Bonds were awarded to the lowest bidder at a True Interest Cost of 4.24%. The County’s Aaa rating was once again affirmed, and closing on both issues is scheduled for November 18.

Thank you to Finance Director Phoebe Reilly for her work throughout the bond sale and issuance process.

ARRINGTON VILLAGE PUBLIC HEARING | NOVEMBER 9

The County Commission will hold a public hearing on November 9 regarding the proposed Arrington Village zoning district, covering approximately 320 acres near Highway 96, Wilson Pike and Cox Road.

Because the proposal involves several zoning, land-use and development-standard considerations, we are providing an Arrington Village Commission Briefing now so you have time to review the information before the public hearing. Community Development Director Mike Matteson provided the underlying information and materials used to prepare it.

The briefing includes the existing and proposed zoning maps, a side-by-side comparison of development standards and permitted uses, the history of the proposal, issues raised during the public process, and the actions available to the Commission following the public hearing.

2027 COUNTY HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

The 2027 County Holiday Schedule is attached. These are the same holidays the County has traditionally observed, with no changes to the holidays provided.

ATMOS ENERGY | WINTER INFORMATION

Atmos Energy provided its Winter Warm-Up Checklist with information on winter safety, service activation, text alerts and energy-saving measures. I’m including it in case you would like to share it with your constituents as colder weather approaches.

SPRING HILL MEETING | CORRECTION

A correction to the attendance information previously provided for the Spring Hill meeting: Commissioners Andrew Mitchell, Allen Floyd, Judy Herbert, Jennifer Mason and Guy Carden attended. Commissioner. Ricky Jones was not in attendance.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Monday, November 2 | 4:30 p.m. – Budget Committee
Tuesday, November 3 | 5:30 p.m. – Parks and Recreation Committee
Wednesday, November 4 | 4:30 p.m. – Solid Waste Board
Thursday, November 5 | 5:30 p.m. – Public Health Committee

All the best,

Leisa

Meetings Next Week:

Monday, November 2nd

Williamson County School Board Policy Committee will meet at 6:00 PM in the Training Center on the 1st Floor at the Williamson County Administrative Building located on the first floor at 1320 West Main Street, Franklin, Agenda

Williamson County Budget Committee will meet at 4:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex at 1320 W. main, Franklin Agenda Committee members: Guy Carden, Judy Herbert, Mayor Marshall, Andrew Mitchell, Matt Williams (C). 

Tuesday, November 3rd

Williamson County Parks and Recreation Committee will meet at 5:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex at 1320 W. main, Franklin Agenda Video Committee members: Nancy Bailey, Brian Clifford. , Jeff Goodspeed, Andrew Mitchell, Bill Petty, Paul Webb.

Wednesday, November 4th

Williamson County Highway Commission will meet at 8:30am at 302 Beasley Dr. Franklin. I have no further information.

Thursday, November 5th

Williamson County Public Health Committee will meet at 5:30 pm in the Executive Conference Room of the Williamson County Administrative Complex at 1320 W. main, Franklin Agenda Video Committee members: Jennifer Mason, Jody Todd, Paul Webb, Ricky Jones, Marie Fellhauer, Nancy Bailey, Drell Floyd. I have no further information.

For all City of Franklin meetings, go here

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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

No meetings this week

Williamson County Commission Meetings

Monday, October 26th

Education Committee Agenda, Video Committee members:), Bill Petty(C), Tom Tunnicliffe (VC), Drell Floyd, Ricky Jones, Drason Beasley, Greg Sanford, McElroy

AI Summary

Overview

• The education committee unanimously approved an intent to fund $87 million for a new middle school on the Jordan campus in the Nolansville area, with the split between impact fees and bonds still to be decided by the commissioners
• The committee also unanimously approved a $1,577,665.62 capital budget amendment for the E-rate reimbursement and moving $100,000 to contracted services for the superintendent search
• Commissioner Petty was elected chair and Tom Tunnicliffe vice chair
• The school board voted not to rezone for 2027-28 except for one Franklin subdivision, and is starting a district-wide rezoning review

Chair and vice chair elected

• William Petty was elected chair by voice vote with no other nominations
• Tom Tennecliffe was elected vice chair unanimously
• The committee also approved the minutes unanimously

Rezoning outlook

• The school board voted last month not to rezone for 2027-28, except for one subdivision in Franklin, and rezoning conversations will come back for a vote a year from now
• Starting this month, the district is evaluating a district-wide rezoning, including whether it should happen all at once or in phases, while keeping feeder patterns together
• Elementary enrollment has dropped about 800 students over two years, middle is flat, and high school is still growing
• Dr. Webb says rezoning out of the Nolansville crowding is exceptionally difficult, if not impossible, because the enrollment drop is mainly in Franklin, so it would mean moving Brentwood or Nolansville students into Franklin and breaking up clusters

Special education growth and funding

• Since 2023, the district serves 450 more students with an IEP and about 600 more with a 504 plan, even as total enrollment has dropped
• Students' needs are also getting more significant, with more severe disabilities, autism, and behavior issues
• The district is evaluating whether to centralize services for students with severe behavior needs instead of staffing all 52 schools for a very small number of them
• TISA includes weights for these needs, but the district doesn't actually get that money back, since the local share was $35.8 million against weights of $35.4 million

Other district priorities this year

• The district plans to survey families who withdrew but still live in Williamson County about why they left and what would bring them back, and to add exit surveys for all withdrawing families
• An innovative schools committee is evaluating what innovation other districts and local families want, including what other districts are doing with empty buildings
• A social studies textbook adoption is underway this year, and the district ranked number one in the state on every tested social studies area last year
• The district is working to be more purposeful about technology integration and screen time, especially for younger students

$87M Nolansville middle school

• The committee unanimously approved the resolution for an intent to fund $87 million for a middle school on the Jordan campus, after the school board voted 12-0 to send it forward
• Woodland Middle is at 103% capacity, Sunset is projected at 93%, and Mill Creek at 76%, and all three are expected to be at or above capacity in 2-4 years
• The intent to fund can be slowed later if enrollment slows, but it can't be sped up if the process doesn't start now
• A new middle school would cost roughly $2 million a year to staff at its base (principal, AP, guidance and similar roles), with teachers on top, some of whom would move from other middle schools
• Participant 4 has little appetite for another bond or tax increase, while Participant 10 and Participant 6 support the school

Education impact fee money

• The fund holds about $100 million per Rachel, though the chair cited about $94 million, and the resolution leaves it to the commissioners to decide the split between impact fees and bonds
• Funds must be spent within 5 years of collection, first in, first out, or they go back to the developers who paid them
• Impact fees can't pay for facility upgrades, only growth-related needs
• The chair thinks the money should come from impact fees, but Participant 15 warns that future collections may be small since impact fees are reevaluated about every 3 years and growth has slowed

Alternatives and Cox Road timing

• Expanding existing middle schools isn't an option, since Woodland is landlocked and Mill Creek shares its site with an elementary school
• Moving sixth grade back to elementaries has been considered, but it wouldn't help Nolansville because of enrollment at the elementary schools there
• The Jordan-area school would likely push the Cox Road middle school out further, though it's currently on the capital plan for 2032 after being pushed a year already
• The school board votes on the draft five-year capital plan in November, and commissioners get it in December

E-rate budget amendment

• The committee unanimously amended the 2026-2027 capital fund budget by $1,577,665.62 for an E-rate reimbursement
• E-rate is a federal program that refunds internet costs the district has already spent, and the district has already received the money

Superintendent search funding

• The committee unanimously moved $100,000 from the general purpose school fund into contracted services for the superintendent search
• The money comes from surplus in two salary lines: the gap between Dr. Webb's interim pay and the previous superintendent's, and the unfilled assistant superintendent position
• More than $100,000 remains in those lines, and retirees are helping cover the open position's work
• The school board is working with the Zeal search firm

Wednesday, October 28th

Rules Committee Agenda, Policy Video Committee members: Greg Sanford (C), Jody Todd (VC), Marie Fellhauer, Judy Herbert, Jennifer Mason, Barb Sturgeon. Commissioner Fellhauer was absent

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] Sarah Bullock our legal counsel- Look up in Robert's Rules when a commissioner can change a vote
  Beyond right after the roll call, Robert's Rules may allow a change before the end of the meeting. It isn't in the local rules.
• [ ] Sarah Bullock- Check whether state law says only the mayor appoints the purchasing and insurance committee
  Jody asked for this to be double-checked. Also find out how the insurance committee would be appointed if it weren't combined with purchasing.
• [ ] Sarah Bullock - Update the rules resolution with today's changes
  Includes changing "in coordination with the mayor's office" to "in communication" (committee meeting scheduling, rule 8.2, budget committee) and fixing the misspelled "September." The committee approved the resolution as amended, and the rules must be adopted at the November meeting to meet the 90-day state requirement.

Overview

• The Rules Committee unanimously approved Resolution 11-26, adopting the county commission's rules, as amended in the meeting
• A new state law requires the rules to be adopted within 90 days of the new commission taking office, so the November meeting is the last chance
• Commissioner Sanford was elected chair and Commissioner Todd vice chair
• Most of Participant 1's redlines were accepted as written, with the mayor's office coordination wording changed to "in communication"
• The committee didn't settle how to curb repeat resolutions, and several points still need checking

Chair, vice chair, and minutes

• Commissioner Sanford was elected chair, and Participant 3 nominated him
• Commissioner Todd was elected vice chair unanimously
• The minutes of the July 9th, 2026 meeting were approved as written, unanimously
• There was no citizen communication and no reports

Special called meeting notice

• The new rule 1 language repeats the statute: the clerk must notify commissioners of a special called meeting at least 5 days ahead unless an emergency requires a shorter time
• Participant 2 worries "emergency" is too subjective, but the statute doesn't define it and the committee has to follow it either way
• The committee kept the language as written, and Participant 5 noted the rules can be changed later if it becomes a problem

Speaking and call-the-question rules

• The added line on page 7 requires committee chairs to be recognized by the board chair before presenting a resolution, matching current practice, and no one objected
• The rule says the chair reads the names of commissioners waiting to speak before a vote, but that hasn't happened in practice
• Commissioner Sturgeon found the call-the-question section confusing, and commissioner Mason clarified it bars someone who has already spoken from calling the question while others wait to speak
• Commissioner Sturgeon asked if that section is coming out and Sarah Bullock said yes, but the discussion didn't make clear whether the name-reading requirement stays

Mayor's office coordination wording

• New language in rules 8.1 and 8.2 tells committee chairs to coordinate with the mayor's office when scheduling meetings so public notice goes out
• Commission Sanford and Participant commissioner Mason worry that "coordination" could read as asking the mayor's office for permission
• The committee agreed to change the wording to "in communication," including in rule 8.4 on the budget committee notifying other committees

Late-filed resolutions and committee votes

• Resolutions filed after the deadline are now defined as late-filed, which matches current practice
• The committee disagreed on how a late resolution gets heard: the draft says a majority vote of the committee, while Participant 6 recalled the practice of hearing it unless two members object
• Participant 2 and Participant 6 think majority is right for the three-member committees, and the same rule already appears in section G for the budget committee
• Sarah Bullock found that an earlier resolution amending the rules never made it into the filed draft and will check it

Committee appointments and sizes

• Rules committee members are now chosen at the September meeting, where the old rule only said "annually"
• The steering committee appoints standing committee members unless the rules say otherwise, and special committee members unless the creating resolution says otherwise
• Parks and Rec and Human Resources have 6 members instead of 5 or 7 because districts are paired to choose them
• The audit committee is appointed by steering, and the ethics committee is a mayoral appointment confirmed at the September commission meeting
• Participant 2 questioned whether state law says only the mayor appoints the purchasing and insurance committee, and Participant 1 believes it does but will check

Roll call vote changes

• The clerk or the chairman takes the roll call vote, which fixes two conflicting sections
• At the end of each roll call, the chairman asks those who passed or were absent if they want to vote, and whether anyone wants to change a vote
• Roberts Rules allows one other way to change a vote, which Participant 1 will look up since it isn't in the local rules

State law on adopting rules

• The new state law requires each newly elected commission to adopt rules, so the rules must be readopted every 4 years even with no changes
• Initial adoption takes a majority vote and any later change takes two-thirds, which the local rules already required for changes
• Commissioner Sturgeon noted that any other rule changes the commission wants would only need a majority now
• A line-item veto on the school board budget isn't allowed under the purchasing act, according to Participant 1, who said it wouldn't be a rule change

Curbing repeat resolutions

• Commissioner Herbert is frustrated by commissioners filing, delaying, pulling, and refiling resolutions without working with the mayor's office or other commissioners first
• Sarah Bullock cautioned against limiting a commissioner's right to file, and commissioner Mason warned that guardrails could tie their own hands later
• Leisa Niemotka suggested requiring resolutions to go through committee first, possibly waiting a year to see if mayor's office outreach helps
• Commissioner Todd suggested late-filed items wait for the next meeting, and the committee made no changes on this

Property Committee Agenda, Video Committee members: Jennifer Mason, Brian Clifford, Gregg Lawrence, Rob Verell, Tom Tunnicliffe, Drew Torres, Paul Webb.

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] Carolyn Robertson - Send the committee alternate dates for the November property meeting
  The scheduled Nov 25 meeting is the day before Thanksgiving, so members can pick a better date.
• [ ] Leisa Niemotka - Get an answer from the mayor's office on sharing hospital sale documents with commissioners right away
  Commissioner wants anything the attorney sends to the mayor's office (like the fire report) shared with commissioners immediately, not a week or two later.

Overview

• Ascension's first draft of the definitive agreement is expected this week or next, with a December 31st target and the committee tentatively reviewing it in late January
• Attorneys will negotiate the drafts and the committee will see the agreement once it's close to final
• The committee approved all five resolutions, including the fire station purchase on New Highway 96 West and the JJC rooftop screening override that saves about $1.3 million
• Commissioner Torres was elected vice chair, and Commissioner Mason is chair
• Participant 3 wants hospital-related documents shared with commissioners as soon as the mayor's office receives them

Chair and vice chair elections

• Commissioner Mason was elected chair
• Commissioner Torres was elected vice chair
• The committee accepted the minutes, and there was no citizen comment

Ascension sale status and key dates

• The LOI's exclusivity runs through January 7th, with two automatic 30-day extensions if work is still underway
• The definitive agreement target date is December 31st, and closing is expected next summer once the final survey at Ascension St. Thomas confirms compliance
• The first reverse due diligence request went to Ascension St. Thomas, and on Monday, October 26th Ascension set up a meeting on its recent pharmacy issues with its CEO, general counsel, and chief clinical officer
• Attorney Jesse Neal expects the attorney general sign-off and FTC approval to happen between now and the closing
• Weekly meetings with Williamson Health's advisors continue, and Neal has reviewed items on organizational structure, real property, billing and coding data, financial data, and EMS services

Review of the definitive agreement

• The first draft should be circulated to the county and the hospital this week or next, and the attorneys will trade markups themselves
• The committee would see the agreement only once Neal thinks it's close to final, and no one objected, including when Commissioner Petty asked to see drafts in the meantime
• The committee would meet in late January to review it, then make a recommendation to the full commission on whether to proceed
• A second look after late January would push approval to the March full commission meeting, past the extensions, but Neal says extensions are standard and Participant 2 notes the committee can call special meetings
• Commissioner Lawrence wants Ascension executives to explain their plans for the hospital in a public meeting, and Neal said he can raise it with the hospital

JJC rooftop screening override

• The committee approved resolution 11-26-17, which overrules Franklin Planning and Sustainability's denial of the requirement to screen rooftop mechanical units at the juvenile justice center
• Skipping the screening saves about $1.3 million
• Most of the screening material is for the jail, where the city hasn't made the same comment yet, so the county would have to return only if the city denies it there

Fire station purchase on Highway 96

• The committee approved resolution 11-26-18 to authorize the mayor to sign the contract for 3727 New Highway 96 West, which is under a conditional contract during an inspection period covering environmental, septic, and survey records
• The area has no fire coverage and the station would cover 335 homes, moving them from ISO class 10 to class 5 for lower insurance costs
• The purchase uses money already set aside in a capital account, and the county negotiated a $30,000 discount off the asking price
• The five-acre site has a three-bedroom house to use as the station and a barn for storage, and EMS would likely put a supervisor there
• Building the garage will take at least a year, more likely a year and a half, and a backup engine would cover the area in the meantime

Beasley Drive lease for learning center

• The committee approved resolution 11-26-19, a long-term lease of 300 Beasley Drive to the school district for the JJC's new alternative learning center
• The schools would handle maintenance, as with the current ALC, and the build-out is part of the JJC project
• The site is currently an empty warehouse

Surplus motorcycles and equipment

• The committee approved resolution 11-26-20, which surpluses 4 sheriff's department motorcycles
• The vote covers only the surplus, since the purchase of 3 replacements was approved in last year's budget
• The committee approved resolution 11-26-21, which surpluses law enforcement equipment, including IT equipment, a tripod, and a scanner

Holiday meeting dates and MTE easement

• The November 25th property meeting falls the day before Thanksgiving, so Carolyn Robinson will send alternative dates
• The next December meeting is currently December 23rd
• A late-filed resolution is coming for an MTE easement providing redundant power for public safety at the juvenile justice center project, and it's waiting on MTE's legal document

Commissioner access to hospital updates

• Commissioner Tunnicliffe wants anything coming back to the mayor's office from Neal shared with commissioners right away, since the fire report reached them late and they feel a week or two behind
• Commissioner Tunnicliffe supports routing communication through the mayor's office to save on the $900 hourly attorney rate
• The chair said nothing is being held at the mayor's office and will get a response from it

Franklin Board of Mayor and Alderman

Tuesday,October 27th

BOMA Work Session Agenda, Video

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] Participant 16 - Bring the board a consolidated fee review after January 1
  Includes the new CCTV fees and the 2013 inspection fees, so all one-time service fees are reviewed together. Alderman Plan asked how the new fee would be tracked and said he'd like to see this.
• [ ] Participant 21 - Bring the Franklin Road widening options back to the board with a summary and grant options
  The mayor asked for a recap when it returns so there's time to discuss. Participant 21 also committed to bringing grant opportunities for the Franklin Road widening from Mack Hatcher Parkway to Mallory Station Road.

Overview

• Franklin's Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) heard work session presentations on the annual zoning update, the energy code, new sewer CCTV fees, the Historic Franklin Preservation Plan, DUI enforcement, and Franklin Road widening options
• The zoning update, the CCTV fee ordinance and resolution, and the preservation plan are all headed to votes, aiming at a January 1st, 2027 effective date for the zoning and CCTV changes
• BOMA votes on the preservation plan on November 10th, with the Historic Zoning Commission voting November 9th
• The Franklin Road project got no direction, since the mayor wants it brought back for a fuller discussion

Annual zoning update changes

• The update goes to a public hearing on November 24th and aims for a January 1st, 2027 effective date to match state law changes on development review, sureties, and inspections
• Planning Commission recommended approval with changes from the September feedback
  • Gas stations keep the pitched roof requirement, with flat roofs allowed in light industrial
  • Data centers need a 2,640 foot buffer from residential lots, double the original proposal
  • Shipping containers are allowed in commercial side yards if screening criteria are met, and they must sit on the ground and not be stacked
• The property at 4488 Peytonsville Road was removed from the Hillside Hillcrest Overlay because it has been in agricultural use since 1942, and state law bars zoning limits on land farmed since 1998
• Another owner on Pratt Lane asked to be removed from the overlay, but staff recommends keeping it since the land isn't in agricultural use

Fifth Avenue flood elevation parking

• Vice Mayor Baggett worries that counting parking above base flood elevation as a story would leave only one story over parking on Fifth Avenue North, though Envision Franklin calls for two
• Staff says the ordinance language reflects how they apply it today, and they average across a site and judge case by case
• Staff isn't prepared with amendment language and doesn't think one is needed, but will work with the board on whatever it chooses
• Any amendment made at this stage would need a special Planning Commission meeting before the December 8th BOMA meeting to hold the January 1st date, because of the 30 day notice requirement

Energy code rollback to 2006

• Staff wants to adopt the 2006 energy code to match the state, because design professionals said the newer code's requirements, such as solar and battery banks, added major cost to projects
• It's an energy code, not a life safety code, and it applies only to certain occupancies like storage facilities and garages, not all uses
• Other cities are having the same issues and may follow Franklin
• Staff hasn't studied whether it would raise utility costs
• Participant 10 said he isn't opposed after having it explained

Sewer CCTV inspection fees

• Staff recommends a $100 mobilization charge plus $3.61 per linear foot when the city inspects, and $1.00 per linear foot to review footage from a third party
• Re-inspections or additional reviews would cost 50% of the initial cost
• City CCTV work is currently funded by ratepayers at no charge to developers
• A 3,000 foot example comes to $10,930 with city inspection and about $10,950 with a third party
• The $3.61 includes $2.38 per foot toward a replacement CCTV truck, estimated at $515,000, which was bought for $283,592 in 2016
• The ordinance goes to first reading November 10th, second reading and public hearing November 24th, and final reading December 8th, for a January 1st start
• Staff expects to bring a consolidated fee review after January 1st, since the existing inspection fees date to 2013 and cost about $4 per foot against $1.50 to $2 charged
• Participant 11 noted this adds another fee right after an item meant to reduce the burden on development

Preservation plan overview and adoption

• The Lakota Group presented the plan, built over nearly two years with about six team visits, four community workshops, surveys, and a large steering committee
• It has 10 themes and an implementation matrix with priority levels (foundational, strategic, transformational) and timeframes
• The steering committee and the Civil War Historical Commission both recommend approving the plan and reformulating the Civil War Historical Commission into a broader preservation commission
• Aldermen Brown, Plank, and Caesar and the mayor support the plan and the reformulation, and Participant 10 worries adopting it could be treated like Envision Franklin 2.0
• The Historic Zoning Commission votes November 9th and BOMA votes November 10th

Survey areas and designation worries

• Alderman Peterson worries that listing neighborhoods as survey areas, and some as potential local historic districts, implies houses can't be torn down
• Lakota said surveying only gathers information on age, style, and integrity, and doesn't bring regulations or protections, and designation would be a separate process
• Areas were picked from neighborhoods over 50 years old that haven't been surveyed, especially those near the historic zoning overlay
• Peterson still questions why some areas were chosen and similar ones nearby were not

Preservation commission, priorities, and staffing

• Vice Mayor Baggett wants BOMA to set priorities among the roughly 100 recommendations and give the new commission direction on which short-term items to start with
• Baggett also wants additional staff for planning and preservation, and the mayor said staff expansion may be needed
• Staff said the commission would report directly to BOMA, and funding requests or grant matches would come to the board
• Staff suggested a joint BOMA and commission meeting to set priorities
• Participant 19 wants the commission to cover more than Civil War history and worries about leaving the Planning Commission out, and staff said it will take part in zoning and regulation items
• The plan is meant as a partnership with nonprofits and citizens already doing this work, and Alderman Brown sees the commission as oversight rather than executing everything

DUI numbers and enforcement

• Franklin police made 227 DUI arrests through October 2026, already above 222 for all of 2025
• Three wrong-way DUI drivers were arrested in four days in late July
• From January 1st, 2021 to September 30th, 2026, 383 crashes involved alcohol, including 275 property damage, 105 injury, and 3 fatal
• The chief said every Franklin establishment that serves alcohol will at some point be visited by an officer, and police target crime rather than businesses
• Participant 19 wants to look at DUI education in high schools, while Participant 10 noted many impaired drivers are adults

Franklin Road widening options

• Participant 21 said the $14 million project in the ten-year capital plan was first meant to add a northbound lane, and staff wants direction on which option to pursue
  • Three-lane interim: about $14 million, 10 owners' property needed, construction around 2031, no curb or sidewalk
  • Full build with turn lanes: about $22 million, 22 property acquisitions, construction around 2033, and requires sewer installation and a water main relocation
  • Five lane: about $30 million, 25 acquisitions, which depends on funding
• Staff also created an enhanced three-lane hybrid with no exhibit
• Traffic analysis shows the three-lane option is back to today's queues in about 20 years, while five lanes holds up best, and the figures exclude the Brownland Farm project
• TDOT has no funding for this in its ten-year plan, and staff doesn't think the city can rely on it
• The mayor asked staff to bring it back with a summary, and Participant 21 said staff would bring grant opportunities

BOMA Meeting Agenda, Video

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] Participant 16 - Bring the board a consolidated fee review after January 1
  Includes the new CCTV fees and the 2013 inspection fees, so all one-time service fees are reviewed together. Alderman Plan asked how the new fee would be tracked and said he'd like to see this.
• [ ] Participant 21 - Bring the Franklin Road widening options back to the board with a summary and grant options
  The mayor asked for a recap when it returns so there's time to discuss. Participant 21 also committed to bringing grant opportunities for the Franklin Road widening from Mack Hatcher Parkway to Mallory Station Road.

Overview

• Franklin's Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) heard work session presentations on the annual zoning update, the energy code, new sewer CCTV fees, the Historic Franklin Preservation Plan, DUI enforcement, and Franklin Road widening options
• The zoning update, the CCTV fee ordinance and resolution, and the preservation plan are all headed to votes, aiming at a January 1st, 2027 effective date for the zoning and CCTV changes
• BOMA votes on the preservation plan on November 10th, with the Historic Zoning Commission voting November 9th
• The Franklin Road project got no direction, since the mayor wants it brought back for a fuller discussion

Annual zoning update changes

• The update goes to a public hearing on November 24th and aims for a January 1st, 2027 effective date to match state law changes on development review, sureties, and inspections
• Planning Commission recommended approval with changes from the September feedback
  • Gas stations keep the pitched roof requirement, with flat roofs allowed in light industrial
  • Data centers need a 2,640 foot buffer from residential lots, double the original proposal
  • Shipping containers are allowed in commercial side yards if screening criteria are met, and they must sit on the ground and not be stacked
• The property at 4488 Peytonsville Road was removed from the Hillside Hillcrest Overlay because it has been in agricultural use since 1942, and state law bars zoning limits on land farmed since 1998
• Another owner on Pratt Lane asked to be removed from the overlay, but staff recommends keeping it since the land isn't in agricultural use

Fifth Avenue flood elevation parking

• Vice Mayor Baggett worries that counting parking above base flood elevation as a story would leave only one story over parking on Fifth Avenue North, though Envision Franklin calls for two
• Staff says the ordinance language reflects how they apply it today, and they average across a site and judge case by case
• Staff isn't prepared with amendment language and doesn't think one is needed, but will work with the board on whatever it chooses
• Any amendment made at this stage would need a special Planning Commission meeting before the December 8th BOMA meeting to hold the January 1st date, because of the 30 day notice requirement

Energy code rollback to 2006

• Staff wants to adopt the 2006 energy code to match the state, because design professionals said the newer code's requirements, such as solar and battery banks, added major cost to projects
• It's an energy code, not a life safety code, and it applies only to certain occupancies like storage facilities and garages, not all uses
• Other cities are having the same issues and may follow Franklin
• Staff hasn't studied whether it would raise utility costs
• Participant 10 said he isn't opposed after having it explained

Sewer CCTV inspection fees

• Staff recommends a $100 mobilization charge plus $3.61 per linear foot when the city inspects, and $1.00 per linear foot to review footage from a third party
• Re-inspections or additional reviews would cost 50% of the initial cost
• City CCTV work is currently funded by ratepayers at no charge to developers
• A 3,000 foot example comes to $10,930 with city inspection and about $10,950 with a third party
• The $3.61 includes $2.38 per foot toward a replacement CCTV truck, estimated at $515,000, which was bought for $283,592 in 2016
• The ordinance goes to first reading November 10th, second reading and public hearing November 24th, and final reading December 8th, for a January 1st start
• Staff expects to bring a consolidated fee review after January 1st, since the existing inspection fees date to 2013 and cost about $4 per foot against $1.50 to $2 charged
• Participant 11 noted this adds another fee right after an item meant to reduce the burden on development

Preservation plan overview and adoption

• The Lakota Group presented the plan, built over nearly two years with about six team visits, four community workshops, surveys, and a large steering committee
• It has 10 themes and an implementation matrix with priority levels (foundational, strategic, transformational) and timeframes
• The steering committee and the Civil War Historical Commission both recommend approving the plan and reformulating the Civil War Historical Commission into a broader preservation commission
• Aldermen Brown, Plank, and Caesar and the mayor support the plan and the reformulation, and Participant 10 worries adopting it could be treated like Envision Franklin 2.0
• The Historic Zoning Commission votes November 9th and BOMA votes November 10th

Survey areas and designation worries

• Alderman Peterson worries that listing neighborhoods as survey areas, and some as potential local historic districts, implies houses can't be torn down
• Lakota said surveying only gathers information on age, style, and integrity, and doesn't bring regulations or protections, and designation would be a separate process
• Areas were picked from neighborhoods over 50 years old that haven't been surveyed, especially those near the historic zoning overlay
• Peterson still questions why some areas were chosen and similar ones nearby were not

Preservation commission, priorities, and staffing

• Vice Mayor Baggett wants BOMA to set priorities among the roughly 100 recommendations and give the new commission direction on which short-term items to start with
• Baggett also wants additional staff for planning and preservation, and the mayor said staff expansion may be needed
• Staff said the commission would report directly to BOMA, and funding requests or grant matches would come to the board
• Staff suggested a joint BOMA and commission meeting to set priorities
• Participant 19 wants the commission to cover more than Civil War history and worries about leaving the Planning Commission out, and staff said it will take part in zoning and regulation items
• The plan is meant as a partnership with nonprofits and citizens already doing this work, and Alderman Brown sees the commission as oversight rather than executing everything

DUI numbers and enforcement

• Franklin police made 227 DUI arrests through October 2026, already above 222 for all of 2025
• Three wrong-way DUI drivers were arrested in four days in late July
• From January 1st, 2021 to September 30th, 2026, 383 crashes involved alcohol, including 275 property damage, 105 injury, and 3 fatal
• The chief said every Franklin establishment that serves alcohol will at some point be visited by an officer, and police target crime rather than businesses
• Participant 19 wants to look at DUI education in high schools, while Participant 10 noted many impaired drivers are adults

Franklin Road widening options

• Participant 21 said the $14 million project in the ten-year capital plan was first meant to add a northbound lane, and staff wants direction on which option to pursue
  • Three-lane interim: about $14 million, 10 owners' property needed, construction around 2031, no curb or sidewalk
  • Full build with turn lanes: about $22 million, 22 property acquisitions, construction around 2033, and requires sewer installation and a water main relocation
  • Five lane: about $30 million, 25 acquisitions, which depends on funding
• Staff also created an enhanced three-lane hybrid with no exhibit
• Traffic analysis shows the three-lane option is back to today's queues in about 20 years, while five lanes holds up best, and the figures exclude the Brownland Farm project
• TDOT has no funding for this in its ten-year plan, and staff doesn't think the city can rely on it
• The mayor asked staff to bring it back with a summary, and Participant 21 said staff would bring grant opportunities

For all other meetings go here.

Election Commission

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“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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