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Resident asks council to clarify public notice, technology and development plans for proposed regional wastewater plant
Summary
A public commenter asked Franklin Springs officials when the public will see a wastewater‑treatment application and whether a proposed regional plant will use enhanced nutrient removal or membrane bioreactor technology; she also asked council members to state whether they support a data center or crypto‑mining in town.
Miss Liam, a member of the public, used the council’s public‑comment time to press for a clear timeline and technical details on a proposed regional wastewater‑treatment plan and to ask whether council members support potential data‑center or crypto‑mining development.
"For the public record, would each member of the board please state yes or no regarding your support for bringing a data center to Franklin?" she asked. She also asked whether the proposed regional plant would use enhanced nutrient removal for spikes in nitrogen and phosphorus and whether membrane‑bioreactor technology would be employed.
Mayor (unnamed in the transcript) and staff said they were not aware of any current plans to site a data center or crypto‑mining operation in Franklin Springs and said the city is working with nearby jurisdictions and county staff on preliminary conversations about a regional municipal wastewater treatment effort. The mayor said he would check with engineers and provide more detailed answers and said the June 23 meeting referenced as a planning meeting was not a public hearing but rather a meeting of municipal officials and staff; he said that community updates would follow as cities and the county coordinate.
Why it matters: A regional wastewater plant can change permit limits, pre‑treatment requirements and local enforcement responsibilities. Commenters asked whether local governments will be able to trace and enforce violations if industrial or other non‑residential dischargers connect to a shared system, and whether the design will address contaminants of emerging concern such as PFAS (often called 'forever chemicals').
Council response and follow‑up: Officials repeatedly offered to check technical details with engineers and promised to provide written responses to the questions raised. Mayor said the city is "working with once again zero industries at this time" and stated he did not anticipate rendering or crypto operations in Franklin Springs while he is mayor.
What’s next: Staff committed to follow up with engineers on specific technical questions (nutrient removal and membrane technology) and to provide updates to the public when formal plans and public‑notice periods are set.
