New Franklin honors retiring Mayor Paul Adamson as he outlines multi‑million dollar projects and grant wins
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Summary
Council honored Mayor Paul Adamson with a formal commendation as he marked eight years in office and reviewed major projects, including parks upgrades, sewer and road grant applications and a proposed $4–$6 million waterline extension.
Council members in New Franklin formally honored Mayor Paul Adamson on the final meeting of his term and heard a detailed review of city projects and grant activity that has accompanied his eight years in office.
"It's been a fast 8 years," Paul Adamson said as he reflected on the city’s accomplishments. The council read a formal commendation that summarized Adamson’s public‑service career, including two terms as mayor since his 2017 election, prior service as a township trustee and work to secure state and federal grants for local projects.
Adamson outlined recent and pending infrastructure work that he said shaped the city's year. Highlights included reuse and improvements to parks and the Tudor House (more than $2 million in improvements noted), reopening the Westside fire station, expanded policing and dispatch capacity, and dozens of community events. He said city carryover (what he referred to as the year‑end cash balance) rose from about $2.4 million in 2017 to about $8.9 million at the most recent November close, while staff levels and service capacity increased.
On infrastructure, Adamson described ongoing talks with Aqua and a potential partner (BP) to extend public water lines across a wide swath of the city. He said the city plans to apply for an Ohio EPA principal‑forgiveness loan for a waterline project he estimated "somewhere in the range of $4 to $6 million," with an application expected in February and a likely decision by June.
Adamson also reviewed transportation and sewer work. He reported the city applied for Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funds for improvements on State Route 619 — a preliminary cost estimate of about $6.9 million with an anticipated $4.9 million grant share — and said New Franklin ranked first among county applicants in preliminary scoring. He outlined other projects and funding mixes for sewer phase work and paving, and credited staff and council for securing more than $21 million in state and federal funds across multiple projects.
The mayor singled out volunteers and staff in his remarks, naming Rosie Milligan for volunteer service at holiday events and praising the service department, police and fire departments for operational achievements. He also noted a city‑owned parcel at 6090 Manchester Road as public record and suggested council members may want to consider it for future use.
Council members responded with thanks and personal remarks praising Adamson’s grant‑securing efforts and stewardship. The session included procedural business and votes on resolutions but concluded with repeated appreciation for Adamson’s long service and a wish for his continued community involvement.
The council also scheduled a Jan. 3 workshop to discuss short‑term rentals and cemetery policy, and authorized applications for several grants and projects that Adamson described in his remarks.
