The City of Franklin Common Council on Dec. 2 authorized a contract with QPS Employment Group Inc. to provide temporary human-resources staffing after HR manager Dana Zahn’s announced departure.

City administrator Miss Hirsch and the city attorney outlined terms the city received the afternoon of the meeting, including an example base hourly cost of $43.27 that, with a 60% markup, would bill the city $69.23 per hour, a 600-hour cap on an initial assignment, and a placement fee equal to 25% of the new hire’s annual salary if the city hires the temporary worker (the consultant gave $22,500 as an example on a $90,000 salary). Miss Hirsch recommended additional review with the finance director but acknowledged the immediacy of the staffing gap.

The council debated risks and procedures. Mayor John R. Nelson expressed concern about leaving daily HR functions uncovered, saying staff and employees “deserve and need someone that’s there” for ongoing questions and casework. Alderman Picarelli called the QPS arrangement a useful bridge while the city conducted a longer hiring process, recommending monthly status reports to council. Alderman Eichmann and others urged that the city still post the permanent HR position so the temporary assignment could be considered alongside a wider pool of applicants.

Miss Hirsch on the record said she had seen QPS’s returned form and the late-arriving numbers and suggested giving the administrator, the city attorney and the finance director discretion to finalize terms. "I would actually recommend tabling this," she said earlier in the discussion when describing incomplete financial review, but the council approved a motion that provided flexibility for staff to complete that work and to proceed with temporary coverage.

The contract was approved with council direction to monitor the arrangement and return with status updates. The council emphasized protecting continuity for about 250 city employees while pursuing a permanent hire.