Franklin commissioners weigh trail maintenance, park vandalism and volunteer park-watch options

City of Franklin Parks and Environmental Commission members spent much of their July 14 meeting discussing who will maintain neighborhood trails, growing vandalism in city parks and whether to expand volunteer "ambassador" and park-watch activity.

The discussion began after resident Tim Birch told the commission he had spent about a decade maintaining trails on city property east of Pleasantview Park and asked whether the city would resume that work. "I was maintaining the trails on the city property east of Pleasantview Park," Birch said. "I'm coming here to ask ... either allow me to maintain trails or have this city do it."

Commissioners and staff said some trail work is being reassigned to city crews because of prescribed burns the city expects to conduct in the spring. "The trails in…