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Franklin to form downtown advisory boards after DART review; city to solicit applications
Summary
Following a DART visit that council members described as broad, Franklin officials said they will recruit stakeholders by application to serve on four downtown advisory boards and an oversight committee to guide short‑ and long‑term projects.
FRANKLIN, Ohio — After a recent DART review of downtown Franklin, city officials told council on May 1 they will convene stakeholders and solicit applications for four advisory boards and an oversight committee to guide downtown projects.
City Manager Sonny Lewis and Council member Brent Centers summarized the DART findings, saying the report offered general guidance and highlighted local issues such as signage and conflicting lunch‑hour practices. Lewis said the next step is to meet with stakeholders from earlier meetings and collect applications for the boards rather than choosing members by personal invitation. "Have them submit an application which will have the reason why they want to be on that board," Lewis said.
Council discussed board composition and outreach. Brent Centers said DART recommended boards composed of roughly one‑third city personnel, one‑third downtown business owners and one‑third citizens; Lewis noted the city should avoid a personnel majority and that applicants need not be city residents. Officials said each board would have short‑ and long‑term goals and members could serve one‑, three‑ or five‑year terms, with a commitment of roughly 10–12 hours per month.
The city will advertise the openings to meeting attendees and the broader public via the municipal website, the Fire and Police special‑events Facebook pages and local newspapers. Council members emphasized the importance of recruiting qualified applicants and avoiding ad hoc appointments: "They also said council shouldn’t be a board member but could participate in the meetings," Debbie Fouts said.
Why it matters: A structured advisory process can focus downtown revitalization and create clearer lines between city staff, business owners and residents on projects and priorities. The approach also sets a transparent application process rather than direct recruitment by officials.
What’s next: City staff will circulate applications to stakeholders and publish notices; a follow‑up meeting to establish board chairs and membership is expected within a few weeks, according to council comments.
Sources: Franklin City Council meeting, May 1, 2017 (statements by Sonny Lewis, Brent Centers and Debbie Fouts).
