Franklin County commissioners approve time capsule list, consent items and set public program

The Franklin County Commission on Nov. 26 approved a consent agenda that included payroll for the period Oct. 21–Nov. 20 and authorization to solicit bids for tires, and approved a curated list of items to place in a new county time capsule, commissioners said.

The consent agenda was moved and seconded and carried after a roll-call poll. During the roll call one commissioner said they would abstain on approval of the minutes (having not been present) but voted yes on the remaining consent items. The payroll figures read into the record were $629,151.95 and $39,008.48; the clerk also read a line in the record that is unclear in formatting (transcript shows an additional numeric string that is not fully legible). Solicitation of bids for tires was approved as part of the consent agenda.

Why it matters: The time capsule is a visible civic event that engages residents and county departments and serves as a short-term public-history project; the consent agenda includes routine financial and procurement steps that affect county operations.

The commission also approved a committee's curated list of items to include in the replacement capsule. The committee chair said the list is not exhaustive and invited commissioners to suggest additions. Suggested items discussed by commissioners included a brochure or copy of the 2025 county budget and material related to modern phones; commissioners and staff raised preservation concerns about placing electronic devices with batteries in the capsule and proposed safer alternatives such as a phone brochure or pictures, or using flash drives and printed materials instead of whole devices.

Other items discussed were department contributions (photos of department staff were suggested), a sheriff’s challenge coin, and a potential 3‑D model of a local terminal tractor produced by Calmar, which would require the maker’s permission. The committee emphasized safety and durability when deciding what will go into a capsule meant to be viewed decades from now.

Event plan and participants: The commission accepted the committee's proposed program order for the public event opening the old capsule and dedicating the new one. The program announced in the meeting included an opening welcome (suggested to be delivered by Sabrina), brief remarks by the committee presenter, historical reflections by Diana Starsnick Dean (identified in the meeting as historical society director), the opening of the old capsule by Diana Starsnick Dean, Brandon Sands and Lauren Evans (described in the meeting as one of the longest‑tenured county employees), dedication of the new time capsule by a speaker identified as Jeff, and closing remarks by Anne. The group scheduled a walk‑through and group photo for Dec. 2 at 10 a.m., and staff said there will be photo opportunities in the restored historic courtroom.

Community‑service updates: A meeting participant provided a multi‑county update on community programs supported or coordinated with county partners: food distribution deliveries from neighboring counties, a recycling‑to‑reuse bike program that the speaker said has diverted more than 8,000 bikes from landfills across the region, and other inter‑county grant work to convene economic development leaders. The speaker said more detailed numbers would be compiled and shared later.

Other business: Commissioners were told the hospital foundation had recently given a $100,000 check to the local hospital for its birthing center. The meeting also recognized Audra Seiler of the County Attorney’s Office, who has served about 28 years as the office manager, according to remarks made during the meeting.

The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn was made and seconded.

What’s next: The time capsule will be sealed and a public program held as planned; commissioners requested any final suggested items be submitted to the committee ahead of the sealing and the scheduled Dec. 2 walk‑through.

Quote: “As the five of you know, as part of the time capsule removal, we're also gonna place a new time capsule,” the committee presenter said while describing the curated list and soliciting feedback from commissioners.

Votes at a glance: Consent agenda — motion carried (one commissioner abstained on the minutes portion); Time capsule list — motion carried (vote recorded in meeting poll).