Franklin County finance committee approves routine reports, grants and capital outlay for fiber install

Franklin County Finance Committee members approved a slate of routine finance items, two grant resolutions and a capital outlay note to install fiber to county buildings during a meeting where most motions were passed with voice votes.

The approvals include acceptance of minutes and monthly sales tax reports, the county financial director's reports, category and school budget amendments, two grant resolutions and a capital outlay note to install fiber that county staff said will improve IP phones and internet connectivity.

The capital outlay note — described by staff as intended to fund installation of fiber to connect county buildings and improve IP phones and internet service — was presented as agenda item 13 and approved by voice vote. Committee members said the project has been in planning for months; no dollar amount or financing terms were specified in the meeting record.

Committee members also approved: the finance minutes from Jan. 9 (agenda item 1); the sales tax report for November and December (agenda item 2); a report referenced as the Hister Stern report for Jan. 25 (agenda item 3); the financial director's report for Dec. 24 (agenda item 4); a quarterly financial report for county funds (agenda item 5); category amendments for Oct.'Dec. 2024 (agenda item 6); a resolution relating to the Franklin County Library and the solid waste/debt fund (agenda item 10); a resolution preapproving an ID board award tied to a TBA and Best Prep grant (agenda item 11); and an economic/community development site development grant (agenda item 12). Where the agenda referenced page ranges or report dates, those page numbers were recorded in the meeting packet but the committee did not discuss detailed line-item amounts in the public portion of the meeting.

Motions were typically made and approved by voice vote. Where a mover and seconder were recorded in the meeting transcript, they are listed below in the "Votes at a glance" section. In several items the transcript records only a voice vote with "aye" and "motion carried" and does not provide a roll-call tally.

Votes at a glance: - Agenda item 13 — "Resolution for capital outlay note to install fiber"; motion approved; mover recorded as Commissioner (not specified) and second recorded as Commissioner Wiseman; vote: voice vote, "motion carried"; pages referenced: not specified. - Agenda item 12 — "Resolution: economic community development site development grant" (pages 31-32); motion to approve by Commissioner Schultz; second by Mister McCurry; outcome: approved by voice vote. - Agenda item 11 — "Resolution: preapprove ID board/TBA and Best Prep grant" (pages 29-30); motion to approve by Mister Schultz; second by Mister McCurry; outcome: approved by voice vote. - Agenda item 10 — "Resolution: Franklin County Library / solid waste and debt fund" (pages 24-28); motion recorded with Mister Perry and Mister Wiseman participating; outcome: approved by voice vote. - Agenda item 6 — "Category amendments, Oct.-Dec. 2024" (page 19); motion received and seconded by Mister Curry and Doctor Coleman in the transcript; outcome: approved by voice vote. The transcript mentions a school budget amendment in the same discussion; dollar amounts were not clearly stated in the record. - Agenda items 4 and 5 — "Financial director report (Dec. 24, pages 4-8)" and "Quarterly financial report (pages 9-18)"; motion to see/file the reports by Mister Curry, second by Mister Schulz; outcome: approved by voice vote. - Agenda item 2 — "Sales tax report for November and December"; motion received and filed; mover: Mister Sewell; second: Commissioner Wiesman; outcome: approved by voice vote. - Agenda item 1 — "Finance minutes from Jan. 9"; motion to receive the minutes ("Motion to receive both"); mover recorded in the transcript as Mister Curry; second recorded as Doctor Fobody; outcome: approved by voice vote.

The committee briefly discussed scheduling the next meeting. Committee members and staff identified a possible change from its usual Thursday meeting to Tuesday, March 4; staff were directed to contact members to confirm availability. The meeting then opened for public comment; the transcript records the public-comment period opening but no speakers or substantive public comments are recorded in the provided excerpt.

The committee record referenced report dates and packet page numbers for each item (minutes Jan. 9; Hister Stern report Jan. 25; financial director report Dec. 24; category amendments Oct.-Dec. 2024; grant/resolution pages 24-32). The transcript did not include roll-call vote tallies, dollar amounts for the capital outlay note or grant awards, or detailed line-item discussion for the financial reports in the provided excerpt.

Members and staff who spoke or were named during the meeting are listed in the speaker whitelist included with this article. No direct quotations beyond recorded "aye" votes appear in the transcript excerpt provided.

The committee did not take any executive-session action in the recorded excerpt and no formal public comments were captured in the provided text.