Franklin City Council members approved several streets for paving funded by liquid fuels money at the panel’s monthly meeting this week.
The streets to be paved using 2023 liquid fuels funds are the 200 and 900 blocks of Elk Street, Brown Avenue, and Evergreen Drive from Alder Lane to Gurney Road.
City manager Tracy Jamieson said the Elk Street sections had been torn up with the water line project, and Brown Avenue had “been on our budget list for a couple years now.”In addition, she said the city had “alternates that we’re hoping the funding will allow,” such as Madison Street from Washington Street to Adams Street, and Monroe Street from Washington Street to the end.
With the liquid fuels-funded street pavings, as well as Community Development Block Grant paving projects and the local federal aid routes for which the city is awaiting grant funding, “we anticipate doing quite a bit of paving this year,” she said.
In other business at this week’s meeting, TrAils to Ales owner Dave Ballard asked council to consider putting a designated outdoor refreshment area, or DORA, which he proposed calling “Sip & Shop,” in portions of Franklin’s downtown.
Ballard explained that it would not be an open-container policy, but rather single-use covered cups that couldn’t be refilled, which people could carry from participating liquor-licensed businesses in the downtown into the retail stores during designated retail business hours.
Ballard said he believed a DORA, which he said had worked in other small towns, would improve business in the downtown retail stores.
Council retroactively approved the submission by fire chief Jim Wetzel of a grant application for a new fire engine for the Franklin Fire Department.
The grant was in the amount of $721,539 in federal funding, which would require a 5 percent match of $36,077 from the city for a total estimated project cost of $757,616.
“The engine we need to replace certainly meets the criteria of one that needs to go out of service,” Wetzel said, adding that the department is looking at a 30- to 36-month window for delivery once the truck is ordered.
Jamieson observed that the city has been setting aside money out of the budget to help cover the cost of a future fire engine.
Regarding the light at Cofields Corners, Jamieson said the new signal will be installed March 7 and 8, and the intersection will probably have temporary stop signs during that time.
And the downtown light poles are now scheduled for delivery in March, she added.
Council also approved a park and parade assembly request for the VETS Honor Guard for the Memorial Day parade and park Ceremony on May 29th, from 13th to South Park streets and Bandstand Park.
