Franklin board approves forms to launch owner-occupied rehabilitation program

The Franklin Board of Public Works and Safety on June 16 approved administrative forms that will let the city begin inspections and contract work under an owner-occupied rehabilitation program for low-income homeowners.

Whitney Cohen, grant administrator for the Franklin owner-occupied rehabilitation program, told the board the forms allow the mayor to sign construction contracts, begin home inspections and create a record-keeping workflow: "I am the grant administrator for the Franklin owner occupied rehabilitation program." The board voted to approve forms A through E for the initial group of clients.

The approval moves the program into an active phase of inspections and bidding. Cohen said the program targets a limited set of repairs — roofs, HVAC, heaters, and ADA-accessibility threshold modifications — and that radon testing will be required, with mitigation if levels exceed the threshold mentioned during the meeting. She said the city has received "somewhere in the low thirties" of applications and that the program's goal is to assist about 20 to 25 households depending on the scale of needed repairs.

Cohen described the contracting structure: the city will execute contracts with homeowners and contractors, and the grant administrator will have a contract with the city to manage the program. She said additional, more detailed program documents and contracts will be presented to the board at a future meeting before work proceeds on individual homes.

Board members and staff discussed outreach and eligibility. Cohen said the city notified residents who had previously inquired about a smaller Franklin Development Corporation residential repair program and that referrals also came from the trustee, United Way and other local agencies. Code enforcement staff reviewed the preliminary list to confirm city-limit eligibility.

The motion to approve the forms was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. No dollar amounts for individual awards were presented at the meeting; Cohen noted the program has limited funds and that not every applicant will qualify for every repair listed.

Next steps identified in the meeting: staff will present the more detailed homeowner and contractor contracts for board approval, complete initial home inspections, and solicit contractor bids for scope-of-work estimates before committing grant dollars.

Ending: The board's approval authorizes staff to continue administrative steps to move the program into construction readiness; formal contracts and award decisions were not yet finalized and will return to the board for separate approval.