A meeting of Franklin’s Mayor and City Commission took place on January 9th at City Hall at noon. It was called to order by Mayor Larry Dixon and opened with a prayer brought by Commissioner Wendell Stewart.
The first item of business was a presentation of the Key to the City, given to Bonnie Swayze. Swayze and her family have owned and operated Alliance Rubber Company for many years. The mayor pointed out that the company was in operation when jobs were scarce, providing work for many people. He added that he and Swayze worked together to begin Franklin-Simpson’s Renaissance, Inc. in the early 1990s. “Bonnie has gotten behind a lot of things in our community,” said Dixon, “and the city is reaping the benefits today.” Swayze was the first chair of Renaissance, Inc., and also worked to create the Gallery on the Square.
Swayze said the award meant a lot to her. “Our family has been in Franklin since 1892—one hundred and thirty years,” she said. “We started with the Chamber, Renaissance, and then Gallery on the Square. Franklin is a great town, in large part due to the work of people who do not ask for anything in return. And the reason a lot of us do that is our great love for Franklin.”
The meeting continued with an Officer of the Year presentation by Franklin’s Chief of Police, Roger Solomon. “We began the Officer of the Year Award in 2009. In the selection process, a supervisor makes a nomination along with justifying criteria. This year, based on the information submitted, we selected Craig Hanson to be the 2022 Officer of the year.”
Solomon read the department’s statement about Hanson, which lauded him for being punctual, the first to pick up a shift, and trusted by officers when supervisors are absent. Solomon noted that Hanson had taken over the Field Training Program with positive results and that his attitude, good relations with the community, and reliability were factors in his selection.
Jacky Hunt, Director of the South-Central Kentucky Drug Task Force, led a discussion on possible action regarding the federal High-Intensity Drug Traffic Area (HIDTA) Subaward Agreement—additional money that HIDTA agreed to inject into the Franklin Community to support the Drug Task Force. Hunt had requested a second award from HIDTA, increasing federal funds, and needed approval from the Commission to accept the funds.
He updated the Commission regarding the national problem with fentanyl, which, he said, “has taken over everything.” He said, “They often hide this drug inside other drugs, which makes it even more lethal. I’ve never seen as many overdose deaths as I have with this drug.”
Hunt said the task force had been instrumental in a recent seizure of eighty pounds of methamphetamine in Moore County. “It was our K-9 dog that hit on that,” said Hunt. “It was destined for Bowling Green, but because of the surveillance, they were able to stop it before it landed.”
The motion to receive the Subaward was passed unanimously.
The Commission then agreed to hold department tours on Monday, January 23, before the City Commissioners meeting.
Mayor Dixon then announced Board Appointments and Reappointments, including Mayor Pro Tem, Jamie Powell; Boys and Girls Clubs, Dale McCreary; Electric Plant Board, Jamie Powell; F-S Ambulance Board, Jennifer Delk; F-S Industrial Board, Wendell Stewart; the F-S Industrial Board (non-voting), Larry Dixon; F-S Parks Board, Herbert Williams along with Defra Holt, Quentin Lineberry and Sam Crocker; the F-S Renaissance, Dale McCreary; Housing Authority of Franklin, Larry Dixon and Gerald Ogles; and the F-S Code Enforcement Board, Roy Tyler.
The board assignments were approved unanimously.
The Commission agreed with a recommendation by Trent Coffee, the Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent, to continue the Wastewater Flow Modeling, which prioritizes the greatest flow in and out of the sewer lines, identifying the areas in most need. According to Coffee, the money for the modeling is already in the budget and the Commission unanimously agreed to the ordinance.
In a roll-call vote, the commission agreed unanimously to approve the funding for School Resource Officers (SRO) for each school in the Franklin-Simpson School System.
A second summary reading was approved by a roll call vote for an ordinance to annex twenty-six acres located on the west side of Blackjack Road per the Comprehensive Plan of Annexation.
The Commission then received and approved a motion to move into an executive session, in which discussions were to be held on three matters: proposed or pending litigation; hearings that might lead to the appointment, discipline, or dismissal of an individual employee or member; and business discussions between a public agency and the representative of a business entity concerning a specific proposal, where public discussions would jeopardize the siting, retention, expansion or upgrading of the business.
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