Friday Recap September 25th, 2026

My Comment

You can see from the highlights that it was a pretty active week. I have been concentrating on the hospital sale and have submitted a rather lengthy list of questions to the mayor's office. We are in the midst of due-diligence and this is the time to get down into the weeds. The Letter of Intent (LOI) is simply an initial offer that is deliberately vague in some areas. An example is the continuation of EMS service. The LOI promises continued service at a cost approximately 13-14 million per year to the county, but that is a very broad offer. Some deeper questions we should ask: Provide operating and capital forecasts, overhead allocation, subsidy formula, annual caps, growth limits, fleet and facility needs, billing assumptions, grants, and transition costs. Define service levels, budget approval, audit rights, disputes, defaults, termination, and transition back to the County or another operator. State who controls the EMS budget, how service standards are measured, and what happens if funding or performance disputes arise.

As you can see, there is a lot of detail that needs to be addressed. If you want to read the LOI, go here.

I want to take a moment to commend the mayor's office. They have promised an open-door policy and, so far, they have delivered. Every week, Chief of Staff Leisa Niemotka sends out a Friday email with important information to all commissioners. The last few weeks, she has published a Question Tracker that you can see here. These are the questions, verbatim, that commissioners have asked along with the responses. You will notice that I haven't asked any yet, but it has changed, and I will have more on that next week.

Another change that I am excited about is that senior advisor to the mayor, Mike Peters, reached out to each of us commissioners to schedule a one on one meeting to discuss how we should use the approximately $467 million from the hospital sale. In my 1 1/2 years on the board, my opinion has never been solicited by the mayor's office. Actually, I have already met with Mike three times and I have another appointment scheduled for this coming Wednesday on another subject. When someone promises to operate in a certain way and then follows through, that means a lot to me.

Highlights from this week

Human Resource Committee

Overview

• HR Committee elected Commissioner Torres as chair and Commissioner Carden as vice chair, then voted to accept the August 17th minutes
• Lisa Carson (employment lawyer) walked through the overhauled HR manual — mostly a formatting/consolidation effort, but with several substantive changes: lactation policy (state-required), revised bereavement leave, consolidated military leave, for-cause drug/alcohol testing, and an already-adopted inclement weather policy now incorporated
• Committee voted to approve the resolution adopting the updated HR policies
• Meeting time moved to 5:30 PM on the third Monday going forward

Williamson County School Board

Overview

• 6 newly elected board members were sworn in by Williamson County Mayor Andy Marshall: Randy Allen (D2), Tracy Anderson (D4), Kimberly Calcote (D6), Donna Clements (D8), Jennifer Konyn (D10), and Jessica Lucyshyn (D12)
• Dr. Claire Reeves was elected board chair unanimously (12–0); Tonja Hibma was elected vice chair (9–3 over Dr. Margie Padgett)
• The board voted 8–4 to hire Zeal Education Group as the superintendent search firm — the most contested item of the night, with Driggers, Padgett, Wyatt, and Konyn voting no
• Dr. Webb's interim superintendent contract was renewed 12–0, with two changes: tenure protection if she returns to her assistant superintendent role, and full cell phone reimbursement for work use
• All remaining items passed 12–0, including $52,080 United Way tutoring grant, $45,223.50 in athletic donations, $3,367,130 for 19 replacement buses, and the 2027–28 budget prep calendar

Growth Management Roundtable | Transportation & Growth

This week, Mayor Marshall chaired the Williamson County Growth Management Roundtable, bringing together Williamson County and the six municipalities of Brentwood, Fairview, Franklin, Spring Hill, Nolensville, and Thompson’s Station with TDOT Commissioner Will Reid and senior TDOT leadership for a countywide discussion on transportation and growth.

• TDOT reported more than $800 million in current transportation investment in Williamson County.
• The I-65 Corridor PEL Study is underway, examining congestion, travel times, system modernization, and opportunities to accelerate future project delivery. The study is expected to continue through July 2027.
• TDOT and the Roundtable discussed development of a Williamson County Strategic Transportation Plan that would bring existing plans together and help develop a coordinated, prioritized list of transportation projects and funding opportunities across the county. 

There are no quick solutions to the transportation challenges that come with our growth, and many projects will take years to plan, fund, and deliver. What is important is that Williamson County is at the table—with our municipal partners and TDOT—working toward a coordinated regional approach and making sure the needs of our communities are part of the conversation as future investments are planned.

BOMA Work Session

Overview

• BOMA work session covered the annual zoning ordinance update (Ordinance 2026-18), a $17.6M clean water plant design contract, and several smaller items
• Key zoning debates: gas station roofs (board leans toward pitched roofs citywide, not just near residential), data centers (Alderman Caesar wants the 1,320-ft residential buffer doubled), and the Beacham farm HHO overlay (staff recommending removal pending further research into state ag exemption law)
• Zoning ordinance goes to planning commission Thursday, September 24, returns to BOMA for first reading October 27, second reading in November, approval in December for a January 1, 2027 effective date
• Southeast Clean Water Plant design contract with Hazen and Sawyer approved at $17,609,000, fully covered by SRF loan with ~$5M in principal forgiveness built in; overall project estimated at ~$325M

BOMA Meeting

Overview

• Mayor Ken Moore issued 4 proclamations: Fire Prevention Week (Oct 4–10), Community Planning Month (October), recognition of Dr. Chris and Dorena Williamson's 31st anniversary of Strong Tower Bible Church, and Dolly Parton Day (Sep 25)
• Two citizen speakers raised a permit bottleneck at Nashville Pottery that's blocking a juvenile art program the Arts Council of Williamson County wants to launch in October — they asked the board for help expediting and requested ~$1,200 in funding
• All 6 business items passed unanimously: paid parking at 202 Bridge St, vested rights attendance policy, two RMS Forest Growth 3 LP pension contracts, and Meredith Xander's reappointment to the Sustainability Commission

City of Franklin Planning Commission

Overview

• FMPC voted to recommend approval of the annual zoning ordinance update (Ordinance 2026-18) to BOMA, with 4 amendments added based on BOMA workshop feedback from September 23rd
• Key amendments: gas station flat roofs allowed only in light industrial district; data center residential buffer doubled to 2,640 feet (half mile), against staff recommendation; shipping containers allowed in side yards if screened; 4488 Paytonsville Road removed from HHO rezoning
• Branch Creek Crossing rezoning and revised dev plan both approved — 40 condo units across 4 buildings replacing previously approved office space, with updated architectural elevations as a condition
• Next steps for the zoning ordinance: BOMA work session and 1st reading October 27th, 2nd reading and public hearing November 24th, 3rd and final reading December 8th, effective January 1, 2027

City of Franklin Joint Conceptual Workshop

Overview

• Joint Conceptual Workshop covered 4 items: Huffines Ridge PUD revision, Iron Horse PUD revision, Murfreesboro Road corridor study, and Preservation Plan update — no votes taken, all discussion only
• Huffines Ridge: staff supports parking MOS but not the vehicular cross-access waiver; commission split, with Participant 2 firmly for requiring vehicular connection and Participant 1 noting each development already has 2 access points
• Iron Horse: staff not supportive of 2 of the 3 MOS requests; Participant 14 expressed low enthusiasm for adding more units; traffic on Franklin Road flagged as an unresolved concern
• Murfreesboro Road: 100% of survey respondents want staff to study the corridor; commission wants to slow down, get public and property owner input before a joint visioning workshop with BOMA
• Preservation Plan: nearing adoption — BOMA working session October 27, adoption votes November 9–10; Participant 2 flagged that Natchez High School (Williamson County's only Black high school) was omitted from the Natchez Street Historic District section and the Lakota Group committed to adding it

Meetings Next Week:

Tuesday, September 29th

Opioid Abatement Task Force will meet at 1:30 pm in the executive conference room in the county building at 1030 W. Main, Franklin Agenda

Wednesday, September 30th

The Steering 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:  Drell Floyd, Gregg Lawrence, Eric McElroy, Chas Morton, David O’Neal, Tom Tunnicliffe. Commissioners will be assigned to the following committees

Law Enforcement / Public Safety Committee
3rd Wednesday - 5:30 pm
Property Committee
4th Wednesday - 5:30 pm
Education Committee
4th Monday - 5:30 pm
Tax Study Committee
3rd Tuesday - 5:30 pm
Public Health Committee
1st Thursday - 5:30 pm

For all City for 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

Monday, September 21st

School Board Meeting Agenda, Video

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] Lee Webb - Send weekly strategic plan progress updates to board
  Weekly updates to board members (especially new ones) on progress through Year 4 of the 5-year strategic plan.
• [ ] Lee Webb - Follow up with public comment speakers and report to board
  Follow up individually with public comment speakers and report back to the board on issues raised, including bus/transportation concerns.
• [ ] Rachel Farmer - Prepare budget resolution to move funds for superintendent search firm
  Once the board votes on a search firm next month, bring a resolution to move funds from the payroll line to a contracted services line to cover the search cost (estimated ~$100K available).
• [ ] Sam Jackson - Draft superintendent search methodology policy for October policy meeting
  Draft a policy for the closed/executive session superintendent search methodology for review at the October policy meeting.

Overview

• 6 newly elected board members were sworn in by Williamson County Mayor Andy Marshall: Randy Allen (D2), Tracy Anderson (D4), Kimberly Calcote (D6), Donna Clements (D8), Jennifer Konyn (D10), and Jessica Lucyshyn (D12)
• Dr. Claire Reeves was elected board chair unanimously (12–0); Tonja Hibma was elected vice chair (9–3 over Dr. Margie Padgett)
• The board voted 8–4 to hire Zeal Education Group as the superintendent search firm — the most contested item of the night, with Driggers, Padgett, Wyatt, and Konyn voting no
• Dr. Webb's interim superintendent contract was renewed 12–0, with two changes: tenure protection if she returns to her assistant superintendent role, and full cell phone reimbursement for work use
• All remaining items passed 12–0, including $52,080 United Way tutoring grant, $45,223.50 in athletic donations, $3,367,130 for 19 replacement buses, and the 2027–28 budget prep calendar

Swearing in new board members

• Mayor Andy Marshall swore in all 6 newly elected members simultaneously at 6:30 PM before the formal meeting
• Members sworn in: Randy Allen (D2), Tracy Anderson (D4), Kimberly Calcote (D6), Donna Clements (D8), Jennifer Konyn (D10), and Jessica Lucyshyn (D12)

Board chair and vice chair elections

• Dr. Claire Reeves was elected board chair 12–0 on a nomination by Dr. Driggers
• Tonja Hibma was elected vice chair 9–3, defeating Dr. Margie Padgett — Bostic, Padgett, and Clements voted for Padgett
• Dr. Reeves opened her remarks by acknowledging outgoing chair Josh Brown and welcoming the fresh perspectives the five new members bring

Public comment

• Multiple speakers urged the board not to hire an outside search firm, arguing Dr. Webb's 22 years in WCS and proven track record make an external search unnecessary and wasteful
• One speaker (Robin Baldry) supported a search, noting that Jason Golden faced years of criticism for being appointed without one, and that a transparent process would benefit Dr. Webb herself
• One speaker (Becca Ripley) suggested the board could run a competitive, transparent search without a paid firm, pointing to Wilson County as an example that attracted national applicants at no recruiter cost
• Amber (WCEA president) asked the board to ensure educators have a voice in the process regardless of the outcome
• Lisa Shrofnagel raised ongoing transportation reliability issues in Thompson Station, describing unpredictable drop-off times and a bus that ran empty after a driver illness while students were left waiting nearly an hour after school
• Ed Wagner proposed a regional vocational high school covering Williamson, Davidson, and Maury counties to serve students better suited to skilled trades

Superintendent report and spotlights

• Dr. Webb is visiting schools by cluster this year — the first six weeks covered the Spring Hill/Thompson Station/Summit High cluster, with four elementary principals recognized: Tiffany Dukes (Thompson Station), Anthony Johnson (Alendale), Karen Caldwell (Bethesda), and Michelle Hummel (Chapman's Retreat)
• The social studies textbook adoption process is starting, with roughly 99 hours of community review time scheduled December through February
• The 2027–28 adoption cycle will cover fine arts and additional CTE courses
• Corey Mason presented spotlight awards including 3 Special Olympics gold medalists, Page High School's Quality Program Assessment designation (one of only 2 schools in Tennessee), Page Middle FFA's second consecutive state championship in junior high dairy judging, and Page High FFA's third consecutive National Three Star Chapter designation
• Harriet Medlin, who retired after 57 years in education, received the Tennessee High School Speech and Drama League Lifetime Achievement Award — which was then renamed in her honor
• Sam Jackson was introduced as the district's new board attorney

Annual committee approvals

• Textbook Adoption Committee for social studies (and CTE human services, management, and entrepreneurship) approved 12–0 — Tonja Hibma will serve as the board representative, with all other board members as non-voting ad hoc members
• Collaborative Conference Team approved 12–0 — Ashley Slaughter will chair; this is year two of a three-year MOU with WCEA covering pay, grievance procedures, benefits, and working conditions
• Calendar Committee membership approved 12–0 with Jenny Lopez chairing; no parameters were set for the 2027–28 calendar (12–0), with three items flagged for the committee's consideration: 9/11 remembrance, moving elementary early release days to Fridays, and how to handle school operations on election days

Interim superintendent contract renewal

• Contract renewed 12–0 with two modifications from the work session: Dr. Webb's tenure is protected if she returns to her assistant superintendent of secondary schools role, and she'll be reimbursed for her full cell phone bill for work use

Superintendent search firm debate and vote

• Board voted 8–4 to hire Zeal Education Group — Driggers, Padgett, Wyatt, and Konyn voted no; Allen made the motion, Calcote seconded
• Before voting, Konyn asked all board members to disclose any personal, professional, or financial relationships with Zeal or HYA; all members stated they had none prior to receiving the proposals
• Reeves explained how the three firms were assembled: Zeal reached out proactively (via outgoing member Galbreth), TSBA was a known lower-cost option, and HYA was identified as a top competitor by Zeal's Jeff Melendez
• Key arguments for Zeal: a full week of community engagement (town halls, surveys, Zoom calls) vs. TSBA's one day; search team composed of former superintendents; experience with both public and confidential searches across multiple states; background checks (criminal, financial, DMV, media) on candidates; cost is roughly $48,000 plus travel, drawn from existing budget surplus (~$100,000) between the superintendent and assistant superintendent salary lines
• Key arguments for TSBA: 30 superintendent searches in Tennessee in the last five years with no reported problems; two-year guarantee (free redo if superintendent leaves within two years); significantly lower cost ($15,000 platinum tier); only firm familiar with Tennessee's new superintendent search law; Driggers noted WCS would be the first district in the state to use the new law
• Konyn raised concerns about Zeal's assigned search team members — one was sued by their state for curriculum implementation failures, another faced a vote of no confidence before resigning
• Allen stated he won't support TSBA due to prior negative history between TSBA and Williamson County
• Board attorney Sam Jackson confirmed he's assisted with superintendent searches in Tennessee using TSBA, and acknowledged the new law is untested — he'll help navigate it
• The board reached consensus at the work session to use the closed/executive session search methodology; a policy to formalize that approach will be drafted by Seth Wilson for the October policy meeting
• Wyatt noted a nationwide search can confirm a strong internal candidate, and said she can support the process with that framing

Board goals and code of conduct

• Board goals for the year are to support Dr. Webb in every goal set for her in June — no new goals added; strategic plan affirmed as written (year four of five), passed 12–0
• Code of conduct (policy 1.2021) reviewed and approved 12–0 — all members signed at the work session; reviewed every two years when new members are sworn in

Budget amendments and resolutions

• United Way grant of $52,080 approved 12–0 — 15th consecutive year funding tutoring for grades 1–5
• Athletic donations of $45,223.50 approved 12–0 — from Play On and TEAL Property Group to fund the annual Wilco athletic event
• $3,367,130 approved 12–0 to replace 15 general education buses and 4 special education buses, funded from fund balance
• 2027–28 budget preparation calendar approved 12–0 — includes 4 strategic checkpoints where the board can request additional sessions; one-on-one sessions with CFO Rachel Farmer available to any board member at any time leading up to March

Williamson County Commission Meetings

Monday, September 21st

Human Resource Committee Agenda, Policy manual Video

AI Summary

Overview

• HR Committee elected Commissioner Torres as chair and Commissioner Carden as vice chair, then voted to accept the August 17th minutes
• Lisa Carson (employment lawyer) walked through the overhauled HR manual — mostly a formatting/consolidation effort, but with several substantive changes: lactation policy (state-required), revised bereavement leave, consolidated military leave, for-cause drug/alcohol testing, and an already-adopted inclement weather policy now incorporated
• Committee voted to approve the resolution adopting the updated HR policies
• Meeting time moved to 5:30 PM on the third Monday going forward

Officer elections

• Commissioner Torres elected chair, Commissioner Carden elected vice chair

August 17th minutes

• Committee accepted (not approved) the August 17th HR Committee minutes — noted they weren't on the prior HR committee, so acceptance was the appropriate action

HR manual overhaul background

• Last full overhaul was in 2004 — this effort consolidates changes made piecemeal since then, some dating back to 1994/1997, some of which were in side documents rather than the manual itself
• Social media and AI policies were previously voted on by the Commission and are now formally incorporated
• Lisa Nemaca added hyperlinks and cross-references throughout to make the manual more navigable
• Under state statute, the Commission votes the manual up or down as a whole — it can't be amended from the floor; if rejected, it goes back to the mayor's team
• Tom Tunnecliffe and Commissioner David O'Neill agreed to sponsor the resolution

Key policy changes

• Lactation policy added — required by state law
• Bereavement leave revised from 3 days per incident (capped at 3 per year) to 6 eight-hour days per year that can be used flexibly across multiple losses — change came from Commissioner O'Neill's input
• Military leave consolidated — FMLA exigency leave and USERRA/other military leave now in separate, clearly organized sections
• For-cause drug/alcohol testing added — applies county-wide including elected officials who unanimously agreed; not random or pre-hire (those already exist for CDL/safety-sensitive roles like solid waste, highway, sheriff, and juvenile detention)
  • THC positive results can be cleared if the employee provides reliable medical evidence to the medical review officer
• Inclement weather policy incorporated — already voted on by the Commission last year, now formally in the manual
• Policy acknowledgment forms updated with more robust language around county equipment and technology use

Vacation & leave carryover mechanics

• Vacation hours carry over up to a cap (Stephanie's cap is 400 hours); anything above the cap at year-end rolls into sick leave
• Sick leave carries over up to 56 hours into the new year; anything above that rolls into a TCRS retirement contribution
• TCRS counts 20 days of sick time as one month of service, which can extend calculated years of service at retirement and increase retirement pay
• Rolled-over sick time (once in the TCRS bucket) is not paid out at termination — only vacation in the current year-to-date bank is paid out
• Rolled-over sick time can be used for the temporary disability program when an employee goes out for their own medical leave (not for family), starting on the eighth day out

Resolution vote

• Committee voted unanimously to approve the resolution adopting the updated HR policies

Meeting time change

• Committee moved the regular meeting time to 5:30 PM on the third Monday — 4:30 PM was the alternative but was too tight given commute and school pickup constraint

Franklin Board of Mayor and Alderman

Tuesday, September 22nd

BOMA Work Session Agenda, Video

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] - Add Beacham farm HHO item to October 27 work session agenda
  Put the Beacham farm HHO property back on the work session agenda for the October 27 first reading, alongside any planning commission amendments.
• [ ] - Research TCA 6-54-126 and update HHO staff recommendation for Beacham farm
  Research Tennessee Code Annotated 6-54-126 regarding municipal zoning powers over land in continuous agricultural use, and determine whether to amend the staff recommendation for the HHO rezoning of the Beacham farm property (4488 Peytonsville Road) before the planning commission meeting.
• [ ] - Prepare gas station roof amendment options for planning commission
  Prepare potential amendments on gas station roof requirements (e.g., limiting flat roofs to industrial areas rather than all commercial zones) for Alderman Peterson to bring to the planning commission.

Overview

• BOMA work session covered the annual zoning ordinance update (Ordinance 2026-18), a $17.6M clean water plant design contract, and several smaller items
• Key zoning debates: gas station roofs (board leans toward pitched roofs citywide, not just near residential), data centers (Alderman Caesar wants the 1,320-ft residential buffer doubled), and the Beacham farm HHO overlay (staff recommending removal pending further research into state ag exemption law)
• Zoning ordinance goes to planning commission Thursday, September 24, returns to BOMA for first reading October 27, second reading in November, approval in December for a January 1, 2027 effective date
• Southeast Clean Water Plant design contract with Hazen and Sawyer approved at $17,609,000, fully covered by SRF loan with ~$5M in principal forgiveness built in; overall project estimated at ~$325M

Citizen comments

Alan Thompson (Peyton Dawson, on behalf of Cumberland Region Tomorrow) addressed the board and public to invite everyone to the annual Power of 10 Summit on November 17. The summit brings together the 10 counties in the region to discuss shared growth challenges and encourage collaboration and open dialogue among community voices.

Pilgrimage Music Festival permit

• Pilgrimage submitted its permit for April 10–11, 2027 at Harlinsdale Farm — first time in spring after moving from fall
• Staff and the organizer are both working to compress load-in and load-out to reduce the park closure window

RMS Forest Grove timber liquidation

• Two documents authorize the mayor to sign off on liquidating the RMS Forest Grove 3 timber partnership, contingent on property sales meeting set parameters
• Proceeds will be reinvested with TCRS; this investment is 0.6% of the total portfolio (~$1.2M of a $203M portfolio)

Zoning ordinance update overview

• The annual update covers parking in the 1st Avenue floodway, commercial recreation building standards, gas station roofs, data center and self-storage locations, shipping containers, signage, building heights, massing in the Central Franklin Overlay, residential parking pads, several rezonings, and state law changes to development applications
• Planning commission hears it Thursday, September 24 for a recommendation back to BOMA; the January 1, 2027 deadline is driven by required state law compliance
• Residential parking pads were pulled from this cycle — staff plans to return in spring after further study and likely community engagement, and enforcement is expected to be held off in the meantime

Gas station roof rules

• Current rule requires pitched roofs on all gas stations; the proposed amendment would allow flat roofs in commercial areas except within 500 feet of a residential lot
• Alderman Brown wants to limit flat roofs to industrial areas only, not commercial; Alderman Caesar agrees the pitched roof aesthetic is superior outside industrial zones
• Alderman Potts asked about specific corridors (e.g. South Caruthers near Robinson Lake) where the 500-ft rule would apply; Kelly confirmed it would apply broadly near any residential, including townhouses, but not multifamily
• Staff offered to prepare potential amendments for Alderman Peterson to raise at the planning commission Thursday

Data center locations

• Proposed amendment removes data centers as a permitted use from GO, RC4, RC6, and RC12, keeping them in Light Industrial (by right) and PD (with BOMA approval, neighborhood meeting, and public hearing)
• A 1,320-foot buffer from residential lot lines is also proposed — applies to single-family, duplex, multiplex, and townhouse, but not multifamily
• Existing data centers (one on Eddie Lane, one on Carruthers) become legally nonconforming — they can expand their footprint but can't add adjacent property unless they rezone to PD; the Eddie Lane site has expansion plans already in front of the building
• Alderman Caesar wants the buffer doubled to roughly a 10–15 minute walk (~2,640 feet), noting some existing data centers are close to heavy residential areas
• Alderman Burger raised that no formal study of data center impacts (noise, lighting, water, energy) has been done; Kelly noted the PD process allows case-by-case evaluation of those impacts

Shipping container storage

• Proposed amendment allows indefinite storage of shipping containers on nonresidential sites if they're in the rear yard, not stacked, and fully screened from off-site at 100% opacity
• Alderman Burger suggested allowing containers in a side yard as well when it meets all screening criteria, not just the rear yard

Beacham farm and HHO overlay

• Luke Beacham spoke on behalf of his family's 99-acre Jordan Dale Farm at 4488 Peytonsville Road, which has been continuously farmed since 1942 — 84 years of active agricultural use
• The family's concern is that the HHO overlay could interfere with ongoing farm operations; they cited Tennessee Code Annotated 6-54-126, which prohibits municipalities from using zoning to interfere with land in continuous agricultural use since before May 10, 1998
• The family has been cooperating with the city on the planned South Carothers Boulevard extension, which crosses through the proposed HHO zone on their property
• Staff hadn't known the agricultural use was still active until recently and wants time to research the state law before making a firm recommendation; they're leaning toward removing the HHO from this property for now given minimal risk, but haven't finalized that position
• The property sits at 910 feet elevation — about 60 feet shy of Roper's Knob — and the exact road alignment through the area is still not final
• Staff will try to have something ready for the planning commission Thursday, September 24; the property will be revisited at the October 27 work session alongside first reading

Southeast Clean Water Plant design contract

• BOMA reviewed a $17,609,000 contract with Hazen and Sawyer for full design of the Southeast Clean Water Plant — the amount matches the SRF loan approved a couple meetings ago
• Scope includes design documents, contractor procurement, guaranteed maximum price development, and ongoing regulatory communications with TDEC
• ~$5M in principal forgiveness is built into the loan through an emerging contaminants provision
• Overall project is currently estimated at ~$325M; the design process will help refine that number

Paid parking at 202 Bridge St

• Property owners at 202 Bridge Street (corner of 2nd Avenue North and Bridge Street) want to charge for 33 excess parking spaces; they need 8 spaces for employees and required parking
• Any new paid parking in Franklin requires BOMA approval; this is also on the voting session agenda

Tree planting project

• Tree Commission recommended a tree planting project covering ~20 sites at a cost of $14,199.40
• Alderman Burger asked about trees near the college on Liberty Pike — that's a separate upcoming request; the commission is looking at planting along Liberty Pike toward McKay's Mill given heavy pedestrian traffic and no shade
• Alderman Potts suggested using the Southeast Clean Water Plant area (where significant tree removal has occurred) as a future tree-growing or revegetation site; staff noted close to $200,000 in revegetation is already planned for that property in multiple phases
• Trees at the police station were removed after dying in the winter ice storm and will be replanted this fall

BOMA Meeting Agenda, Video

AI Summary

Overview

• Mayor Ken Moore issued 4 proclamations: Fire Prevention Week (Oct 4–10), Community Planning Month (October), recognition of Dr. Chris and Dorena Williamson's 31st anniversary of Strong Tower Bible Church, and Dolly Parton Day (Sep 25)
• Two citizen speakers raised a permit bottleneck at Nashville Pottery that's blocking a juvenile art program the Arts Council of Williamson County wants to launch in October — they asked the board for help expediting and requested ~$1,200 in funding
• All 6 business items passed unanimously: paid parking at 202 Bridge St, vested rights attendance policy, two RMS Forest Growth 3 LP pension contracts, and Meredith Xander's reappointment to the Sustainability Commission

Fire Prevention Week proclamation

• Mayor Moore proclaimed October 4–10, 2026 as Fire Prevention Week, with the theme "Charge Into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower"
• The proclamation focused on lithium-ion battery fire risks and safe charging practices — using manufacturer-approved chargers, charging on hard surfaces, monitoring for heat or damage, and keeping large battery-powered devices away from exits

Community Planning Month proclamation

• Mayor Moore proclaimed October 2026 as Community Planning Month, recognizing the Department of Planning and Sustainability's work on land use, historic preservation, sustainability, and growth management
• The proclamation highlighted foundational documents including the Sustainable Community Action Plan and Envision Franklin

Williamsons & Strong Tower Bible Church recognition

• Mayor Moore and the Board recognized Dr. Chris and Dorena Williamson for 30+ years of ministry, civic leadership, and community engagement in Franklin
• The proclamation cited their founding of Strong Tower Bible Church and leadership on initiatives including the Fuller Story, Franklin Juneteenth Downtown Festival, and efforts around the removal of the Bedford Forrest bust from the Tennessee State Capitol
• September 22, 2026 marks the 31st anniversary of Strong Tower Bible Church

Dolly Parton Day proclamation & event

• Mayor Moore proclaimed September 25, 2026 as Dolly Parton Day, recognizing her contributions to literacy, philanthropy, and disaster relief — including the Imagination Library (nearly 70% of Tennessee children enrolled as of 2025) and $4M in healthcare funding across the state
• The city is hosting a Dolly Parton-themed event at Bicentennial Park on Sep 25 starting at 7:00 PM — music, activities, and a screening of Steel Magnolias

Nashville Pottery permits & juvenile art program

• Josh Bailey, owner of Nashville Pottery (East Nashville), has been stuck in the Franklin permit process for months — each submission comes back requiring additional items (contractor, electrical engineer, plumbing engineer, etc.)
• Mike Ingram, president of the Arts Council of Williamson County, wants to launch pottery and art classes for ~15 kids in the Williamson County Juvenile Court program starting in October, but needs Nashville Pottery open to run the pottery component
• The Factory offered a small upstairs space for painting classes in the meantime
• Ingram asked the board for ~$1,200 to cover supplies and materials to get the program off the ground
• Alderman Berger asked how to contact the Arts Council — website is artscouncilwilliamsoncounty.org; Ingram also offered volunteer opportunities

Paid parking at 202 Bridge St

• Board approved Resolution 2026-69 allowing 33 paid parking spaces on private property at 202 Bridge St, selecting Option 3 as recommended by staff — passed unanimously

Vested rights extension attendance policy

• Board approved Resolution 2026-81 establishing an applicant meeting attendance policy for vested rights extension requests — passed unanimously

RMS Forest Growth 3 LP pension plan liquidation

• Board approved two contracts related to the liquidation of RMS Forest Growth 3 LP, an investment of the City of Franklin Closed Pension Plan
  • Contract 2026-0380: letter agreement for the liquidation
  • Contract 2026-0381: action by written consent for the liquidation
• Both passed unanimously

Meredith Xander reappointment

• Board approved the reappointment of Meredith Xander to the Sustainability Commission — passed unanimously

Thursday, September 24th

Planning Commission Agenda, Video

AI Summary

Major decisions

Branch Creek Crossing — approved unanimously

The Commission approved two related items for 19.11 acres east of Franklin Road and south of Moores Lane.

The proposal replaces previously approved office space with:

• Four condominium buildings.
• Ten units per building.
• Forty for-sale residential units total.
• Individual garages and guest parking.
• Approximately 40,536 square feet of remaining commercial space.

The applicant said the proposed condominium buildings would be approximately 38 feet high—lower than the previously approved four-story office building.

The Commission unanimously recommended approval of:

• The rezoning, Ordinance 2026-24.
• The revised development plan, Resolution 2026-79.
• A reduced parking standard of 2.25 spaces per unit with two or more bedrooms.
• An architectural modification allowing compliance with one listed architectural feature instead of two.
• An amendment requiring the applicant’s newer, improved architectural elevations to replace those in the submitted packet.

All related votes were 8–0.

Annual zoning update — approved with four amendments

Ordinance 2026-18 makes numerous changes involving data centers, gas stations, shipping containers, building heights, overlays, signs, development reviews and performance agreements.

1. Gas-station roofs

The Commission voted to continue requiring pitched roofs at gas stations throughout Franklin, while allowing flat roofs in the Light Industrial district.

Vote: 8–0.

2. Data-center buffer doubled

The proposed ordinance would have prohibited data centers within 1,320 feet—one-quarter mile—of a residential property line.

The Commission amended that distance to 2,640 feet, or one-half mile.

Staff opposed the larger buffer because it would reduce the available Light Industrial land from approximately:

• 25 parcels totaling 190 acres under the quarter-mile standard, to
• Four parcels totaling approximately 25 acres under the half-mile standard.

Commissioners supporting the larger buffer said Franklin’s industrial land would be better preserved for warehouses and other employment uses and that residents needed greater protection.

Vote: 7–1. Commissioner McLemore voted no.

3. Shipping containers in side yards

The Commission approved allowing permanent shipping containers in either rear or side yards if they meet placement and screening requirements.

Concerns included:

• Whether an eight-foot container could be adequately screened.
• Conflicts with maximum fence heights.
• Interference with drive aisles.
• The potential for commercial properties to appear cluttered.

Vote: 5–3. Commissioners Allen, Mann and McLemore voted no.

4. Paytonsville Road farm removed from overlay

The Commission unanimously removed 4488 Paytonsville Road, part of the 120-acre Jordandale Farm, from the proposed Hillside/Hillcrest Overlay rezoning.

The family stated that the property has been continuously farmed since 1942 and cited Tennessee law protecting agricultural land used continuously since before 1998 from certain municipal zoning interference. Staff recommended excluding the parcel until its agricultural use and the future South Carothers Boulevard alignment can be evaluated further.

Vote: 8–0.

A second resident requested that 4460 Pratt Lane also be removed because:

• Part of the proposed overlay may include land with slopes below 20%.
• A future roadway shown in Envision Franklin crosses the property.
• The Commission had not received his complete written comments.

That parcel was not removed at this meeting. Staff said it lacked enough information to recommend exclusion, but the matter can be reconsidered later.

The complete annual zoning update, incorporating all four amendments, was then recommended to BOMA 8–0.

New state-law deadlines

Staff described significant changes required by recent Tennessee legislation:

• Development plans and site plans must be approved or placed on an agenda within 60 business days.
• Cities are limited to two review rounds.
• Failure to act can result in a plan being automatically approved.
• If a plan is disapproved after two reviews, the applicant may receive a refund of 50% of the review fee.
• Preliminary meetings will become voluntary so they do not start the statutory clock.
• Incomplete applications may be rejected earlier.
• The Commission may see more recommendations for disapproval when unresolved applications reach their deadlines.

Staff also explained new deadlines for releasing performance agreements and sureties:

• Certain responses must occur within 20 or 30 business days.
• Independent engineers may inspect improvements and support requests for release.
• Failure to act within the statutory period can result in automatic release.
• Developers will receive punch lists more promptly.
• Routine surety actions will move to an administrative agenda; the Planning Commission will generally see them only when staff recommends calling a surety.

The annual update is scheduled for BOMA consideration beginning October 27, with a proposed effective date of January 1, 2027.

Building-material ordinance

The Commission unanimously recommended Ordinance 2026-22, which gives large commercial-recreation buildings greater flexibility concerning:

• Placement of glazing.
• Use of architectural metal as an accent material.
• Building-facade design.

Vote: 8–0.

Consent agenda

Items 3–24 and 27–28 were approved together 8–0 without discussion. Most involved extensions or releases of performance agreements for streets, sidewalks, drainage, landscaping and green infrastructure.

Two notable consent items were:

• West Franklin Park: Final plat establishing easements, one open-space lot and a new project name on approximately 17.9 acres near Carothers Parkway and East McEwen Drive.
• County Adult Detention Center, gun range and impound lot: A revised site plan covering approximately 32.23 acres at 408 Century Court and 306 Beasley Drive. The revision adjusted boundaries and incorporated the impound lot into the site plan.

Bottom line

The most consequential action was the annual zoning update. The Commission recommended stricter residential buffering for data centers, allowed screened shipping containers in side yards, protected an established Paytonsville Road farm from the proposed hillside overlay, and adjusted Franklin’s procedures to meet new state-imposed development deadlines.

City of Franklin Joint Conceptual Workshop Agenda, Video

AI Summary

Overview

• Joint Conceptual Workshop covered 4 items: Huffines Ridge PUD revision, Iron Horse PUD revision, Murfreesboro Road corridor study, and Preservation Plan update — no votes taken, all discussion only
• Huffines Ridge: staff supports parking MOS but not the vehicular cross-access waiver; commission split, with Participant 2 firmly for requiring vehicular connection and Participant 1 noting each development already has 2 access points
• Iron Horse: staff not supportive of 2 of the 3 MOS requests; Participant 14 expressed low enthusiasm for adding more units; traffic on Franklin Road flagged as an unresolved concern
• Murfreesboro Road: 100% of survey respondents want staff to study the corridor; commission wants to slow down, get public and property owner input before a joint visioning workshop with BOMA
• Preservation Plan: nearing adoption — BOMA working session October 27, adoption votes November 9–10; Participant 2 flagged that Natchez High School (Williamson County's only Black high school) was omitted from the Natchez Street Historic District section and the Lakota Group committed to adding it

Huffines Ridge PUD revision

• Goldberg Companies is proposing to add 4.15 acres and 54 for-sale condominium units to the existing Huffines Ridge PUD, bringing totals to 478 units and 26.85 acres
• Staff supports MOS 1 (applying current city parking minimums) but does not support MOS 2 (replacing the required vehicular cross-access connection on the eastern property line with a pedestrian-only connection)
• Applicant Greg Gamble argued vehicular cross-access is physically impractical — the grade change from Huffines Ridge to the water line easement is 38.8 feet at a 10.8% slope, exceeding the fire marshal's 10% maximum, and grading to meet the requirement would require importing roughly 31,000 cubic yards (~2,400 dump trucks) of fill
• Gamble also noted the connection would route vehicles through a multifamily parking lot and that alternative vehicular connectivity already exists via the Goldberg-built road connecting Huffines Ridge to Oriam Drive
• Participant 2 wants the vehicular connection required regardless of cost, citing safety and long-term planning precedent
• Participant 1 noted both developments already have 2 primary access points each, which distinguishes this from cases where cross-access is more critical

Iron Horse PUD revision

• Snell Properties is proposing a 3-story, 30-unit infill building (27 one-bedroom, 3 two-bedroom) at the existing 270-unit Iron Horse community, bringing the total to 300 units on 20 acres
• The new units will be ~100–150 sq ft smaller than existing one-bedrooms, translating to roughly $200–$400 less per month in rent
• 16 existing one-story garages will be demolished to make way for the building footprint; displaced garage renters will be given priority for other available garages on campus
• Staff is not supportive of MOS 3 (removing parallel parking on the internal drive frontage of the new building) or MOS 4 (relocating the required planting strip from between curb and sidewalk to between sidewalk and building); staff wants more specificity on all three MOS requests and a cross-section for MOS 4
• Traffic engineering flagged Franklin Road northbound congestion at Mack Hatcher as an existing problem and raised the question of whether any additional units should be permitted on this corridor before improvements are addressed — the 30 units would add fewer than 10 peak-hour trips
• Participant 14 expressed low enthusiasm for approving more units, citing ongoing resident complaints dating back to the original development
• Parking counts from August showed 38–60% occupancy across the site's 529 spaces; construction is planned Monday–Friday only, with no noisy work before 8 AM, and is estimated at 18 months

Murfreesboro Road corridor study

• All 10 survey respondents (5 aldermen, 5 commissioners) want staff to study the corridor; 5 agreed to individual interviews — Ald. Brown, Ald. Burger, Ald. Petersen, Ald. Potts, and Comm. Mann
• Key concerns from interviews: safety, aging area needing redevelopment, traffic inefficiency, emergency response delays (fire station west of I-65 to hospital), and confusing westbound striping across I-65
• Vision themes: gateway entrance to downtown, roundabouts and/or continuous median to limit left turns, workforce housing emphasis, hospital district east of I-65, multi-use paths connecting to Carothers and past Arno Road
• Height: general consensus around 3–4 stories along Murfreesboro Road stepping up to 6 stories near the interstate, tapering down toward Mack Hatcher
• Multifamily views varied — two respondents want mixed-use with residential above, two want for-sale units emphasized, one wants no additional multifamily at all (especially not standalone), and one wants no residential east of Royal Oaks
• Likely required steps include Envision Franklin changes (height map, special consideration update), Connect Franklin amendment, medical district overlay, and corridor overlay zoning
• Participant 2 wants the planning commission to have more time to digest the material before a joint visioning workshop with BOMA, and pushed back on rushing ahead of the holidays
• Participant 14 and Participant 15 both want property owners and business owners included in outreach before any visioning workshop
• Staff suggested flipping the order — holding at least one public outreach event before the joint visioning workshop — and Participant 2 supported that approach
• Participant 13 (a property owner in the corridor) noted specific vacancies and code compliance challenges at properties including the former Charlie's and Shoney's sites, and flagged that navigating city codes is a barrier to backfilling vacant space

Preservation Plan update

• The Lakota Group presented a near-final draft of Franklin's Preservation Plan, built around 10 themes covering historic resources, community character, cultural landscapes, Civil War resources, heritage tourism, economic vitality, partnerships, program administration, and disaster mitigation
• The plan's implementation matrix assigns each recommendation one of three priority levels (Foundational, Strategic, Transformational) and a timeframe (Near-, Mid-, or Long-Term)
• Adoption schedule: BOMA working session October 27, Historic Zoning Commission adoption November 9, BOMA adoption November 10
• The plan does not formally come to the Planning Commission for adoption, but several recommendations — including HPO expansions and zoning changes — will require Planning Commission approval
• Participant 2 flagged that Natchez High School, Williamson County's only Black high school, was omitted from the Natchez Street Historic District section; the Lakota Group committed to adding it, and staff confirmed it's not too late to make corrections

For all other meetings go here.

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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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