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Franklin work session: mural gift, Creekside grant, electronic-signature policy and code cleanup discussed
Summary
The Board considered a donated community mural recommended by the Public Arts Commission, authorized staff to apply for a $3.5M parks grant for Creekside (50/50 match), reviewed an electronic-signature policy for city documents, and approved a minor stormwater code correction; the Harlan PUD dominated discussion and was set for additional public hearing.
At its March 24, 2026 work session the Franklin City Board of Mayor and Aldermen covered several non-voting items before an extended discussion of the Harlan PUD.
Public arts: Monique and a project representative presented an America250 Unity Trees mosaic mural donated to the city by Franklin Tomorrow. The mural is about 8-by-12 feet, built in three panels, contains approximately 900 pieces (600 to be painted; 382 painted during a community event) and is valued at about $8,000. The Public Arts Commission recommended unanimous approval; staff identified Pinkerton Park as an initial placement with future relocation options when the new City Hall park is available.
Parks grant: Staff (Lisa) presented a resolution to authorize submission of a 2026 Local Parks & Recreation Fund outdoor recreation grant application for the newly acquired Creekside site. The project estimate in the presentation was roughly $3,500,000 with a 50/50 matching requirement; potential uses described included access, design, restrooms and trails. Staff said the city would return to accept any awarded grant amount.
Electronic signatures: Staff (Allison) proposed an electronic signature policy to formalize the city's use of digital signatures (DocuSign) and to permit certain permits to be signed electronically in the future. Council members supported efficiency but raised concerns about preserving wet signatures for permanent records (resolutions, ordinances), court or closing documents and how individual boards/commissions would adopt the practice; staff agreed to correct a typographical error in the draft.
Stormwater ordinance correction: Code staff described a formatting and punctuation error in the recently revised stormwater ordinance that caused one list to display incorrectly on the city website. The presented ordinance would correct a semicolon and adjust list order and grammar.
Other business included contract transfer paperwork and event permit notifications. The evening culminated in an extended hearing-like presentation and council exchange on the Harlan PUD; staff recommended an additional public hearing and further review for final action.
