The City of Franklin City Commission voted unanimously Thursday to accept the fiscal court’s termination of the interlocal agreement governing planning and zoning and to send a proposed eight-point reform package to the fiscal court for consideration.

The action followed an executive session on personnel matters. Mayor Dixon read a motion that the commission “accept and agree with the fiscal court’s termination of the interlocal agreement and send a proposal for reforming the interlocal agreement,” then listed eight specific provisions for the reformed arrangement before asking for a second and a roll-call vote.

The nut of the proposal centers on shifting operational control to the city. The motion calls for headquarters of planning and zoning operations to be at Spikeland City Hall; for the reformed planning commission to fall under the City of Franklin’s personnel policies and for the city manager to manage personnel matters; for the current planning and zoning administrator and staff to remain in their positions at current salary levels; and for decisions relating to hiring and firing to be referred to both bodies for a joint decision, with tie-breaking to be decided by the planning and zoning attorney or, if that attorney declines, by a mutually agreed third party.

The proposal also directs the City of Franklin to perform accounting and auditing functions for the planning commission, routes disciplinary issues and complaints involving employees to the city manager with a final appeal heard by both bodies, and would split future costs and revenues on a 70/30 basis consistent with the division of use. The motion preserves existing planning and zoning regulation fee structures and the board as currently constituted. The commission approved the motion unanimously, with Commissioners Powell, McCreery and Stewart joining Mayor Dixon in a roll-call vote.

Commissioner Powell, during discussion, told colleagues that “we've worked diligently on this for almost a year now,” and described the vote as a response to an impasse in past discussions and to the fiscal court’s January notice terminating the agreement. A commissioner raised a clarification about relying on the planning and zoning attorney to break ties if the attorney declines; the mayor amended the motion to add a mutually agreeable third-party option in that event.

The commission cited KRS 61.810(1)(f) when moving into executive session to discuss personnel issues. The motion the commission approved was procedural: it accepts the fiscal court’s termination, forwards a reformed interlocal proposal containing the eight listed points, and asks that the proposal be considered by the fiscal court.

No implementation date or timeline was specified during the meeting. The commission adjourned after the vote.

Ending: The reformed interlocal agreement, as drafted by the City of Franklin commission, will be delivered to the fiscal court for consideration; the fiscal court’s response, any required agreements on dispute-resolution mechanisms, and any subsequent formal changes to staffing, operations or budget were not specified during the meeting.