The Franklin County fiscal court voted to authorize the county judge to represent Franklin County in further exploration of a regional industrial park with Anderson County and the city of Frankfort, continuing a phase‑2 application for a $4 million Kentucky Cabinet product-development grant.

Penny Beebler, interim director of the KCDC, told the court the grant-funded phase 1 had examined feasibility and that phase 2 would allow a two‑year regional exploration involving Compass Municipal Advisors and other consultants. Beebler said the program is intended to attract a catalytic project capable of generating roughly 1,500 jobs and that the resolution does not commit Franklin County to immediate development or to spending until properties are identified and rezoned. “This is simply just the next stage in the grant application,” Beebler said, describing guardrails such as a rezoning prerequisite and other contingencies.

Public comment and some court members challenged the timing. Resident advisory committee member Chris Schimler and John Carlton urged the court to wait until the county’s comprehensive plan and future land use map are finalized, warning an early commitment could undercut public process and protections for farmland and waterways. Several magistrates echoed those concerns during debate, saying they were worried about being perceived as bypassing the planning process.

Supporters of continuing the exploration said regionalism is the prevailing state strategy for economic development and that the permission sought was to keep an application active while community goals are refined. A court member emphasized that authorization simply allows the judge to negotiate terms with partner jurisdictions and does not obligate Franklin County to accept any project.

The court approved the resolution by voice vote; one member announced a present vote during the roll call for that item and the transcript records a voice approval. The resolution cites KRS 154.05 et seq. as the statutory authority under which a multicounty industrial development authority would be pursued.

Next steps described during the meeting include continuing joint work with Anderson County on the grant application, refining economic and land-use guardrails, and having any specific project proposals pass through the planning commission and the usual rezoning and public‑hearing processes prior to any development or expenditure.