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Council approves consent agenda but removes $4,000 church parking payment for review
Summary
The Village of Franklin approved its consent agenda on April 13 but excluded a $4,000 payment to Franklin Community Church after trustees questioned whether the expenditure had been properly authorized and whether it had been charged to Main Street Franklin funds; staff said the administrator had approved the amount and that check-writing authority exists up to $10,000.
At its April 13 meeting the Village of Franklin Council approved the consent agenda but agreed to remove a $4,000 check to Franklin Community Church for later review after trustees raised concerns about authorization and potential conflicts.
Discussion: Trustees said they had not seen formal council approval for the $4,000 contribution to reimburse or help resurface the church parking lot and questioned whether the payment was charged to the village's Main Street allocation. Several trustees noted the Main Street board president is affiliated with the church and flagged a possible conflict of interest if Main Street funds were used to pay a board member's organization without full transparency.
Staff response: Rachel (administration/finance) said the item was recorded as coming from the Main Street funds and noted that the village's check-writing authority allows certain staff to approve payments up to $10,000. She said the payment appeared to be tied to prior discussions and that the Main Street allocation historically included an expense budget. Council asked staff to locate the underlying contract/license and the minutes or documentation supporting the prior commitment.
Outcome: Council voted to approve the rest of the bills and to remove the $4,000 check to Franklin Community Church from the current check run pending staff review. Trustees directed staff to research whether the payment was properly authorized, whether it was charged to Main Street funds as recorded, and whether a formal license or agreement covering shared parking exists.
Why it matters: Trustees stressed the need to follow procurement and spending policies and to avoid even the appearance of conflicts when public funds are used to benefit private organizations. Staff said they will return with documentation and, if necessary, recommend corrective steps to align recordkeeping and authority with council policies.
