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City Manager reports no confirmed EMS COVID cases, PPE sanitization and successful food drive; Planning Commission to consider temporary car-storage use
Summary
City Manager Sonny Lewis told the Franklin City Council that Fire & EMS had no known confirmed COVID-19 cases, police calls were down about 30%, Battelle is sanitizing PPE with a 24-hour turnaround, and an April 18 citywide food drive was highly successful; staff announced a special Planning Commission meeting April 27 to consider a six-month temporary conditional use to store cars for a local business.
City Manager Sonny Lewis briefed the Franklin City Council on April 20, 2020, on municipal operations during the COVID-19 emergency, reporting no known confirmed COVID-19 cases among Fire & EMS calls but saying crews are treating flu-like symptoms as COVID-19 and that substance-abuse runs have tended to be more severe. Lewis said police calls and overtime are down about 30% compared with the previous year and that the city currently has sufficient personal protective equipment; he noted Battelle is sanitizing PPE as a free service for first responders with a 24-hour turnaround.
Lewis described a paving project that will be handled by a local company manufacturing asphalt for the work and said Public Works has responded to two watermain breaks and routine winter repairs. He praised the April 18 citywide food drive as a "huge success," saying many volunteers and donations allowed the city to consider repeating the drive monthly and that donations by check are effective because the food bank can buy food at scale.
Lewis announced a Special Planning Commission meeting for April 27 at 5:30 p.m. to consider a temporary, six-month conditional use request from a local business to store cars offsite because its property is overstocked during the emergency; staff plans to recommend approval for a temporary use while noting Council may not support a permanent approval.
Council members voiced support for community efforts. Councilmember Matt Wilcher said he was proud of the community response. Councilmember Debby Fouts praised local businesses for supporting one another and expressed gratitude for leadership and adherence to social-distancing guidance. Vice Mayor Todd Hall asked whether any business had indicated it would not survive the emergency; Lewis said he had not been made aware of any business certain not to recover and noted at least one local company received Paycheck Protection Program funds.
