I have had trouble processing the video of the October 2026 meeting of the Franklin Town Council (Agenda Posted at [LINK]), so here is a summary of the meeting:
1. In Memoriam & Observances
- Fallen Officer Honored: The meeting opened with a moment of silence for Police Officer Marcus McCarson, who passed away after joining the force in December.
- Birthday Recognition: The council recognized Vice Mayor Mike Lewis on his birthday following the Pledge of Allegiance.
2. Personnel & Appointments
- New Town Planner: Callie Barnett was introduced as the new Town Planner; she holds a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State and is completing her Master of Public Administration at UNC Chapel Hill.
- New Police Officer: Dylan McCall was given a verbal introduction by Police Chief Devin Holland, having recently joined the department from the Haywood County Sheriff's Office.
- Board Appointments:
- Devin Dupuis (Main Street Director) was appointed to represent the town on the Macon County Economic Development Commission.
- Councilman Jeff Berry was appointed as the town's Entertainment and Events Liaison.
- Code Compliance Officer Recognition: October was recognized as Code Compliance Month. Assistant Town Manager Sarah Bishop noted that Code Enforcement Officer Angela Green could not attend the meeting because she was at home doing homework for her bachelor's degree.
3. Key Decisions & New Business
- Main Street Transformation Project (Task Order 2): Council approved Task Order 2 with consulting firms McAdams and Toole Design in the amount of $229,546, which included a $29,546 budget amendment. This expands the scope to include additional NCDOT coordination, traffic flow studies around Highlands Road and Depot Street, and long-range design work through June 30, 2027.
- Town Charter Revisions: The council initiated a complete overhaul of the town charter—parts dating back to 1905—to bring it into alignment with modern municipal law. Mayor Stacy Guffey, Councilwoman Rita Salain, and Councilman Robbie Tompa were appointed to a charter committee to draft updates with Town Attorney John Henning, Jr. ahead of the January General Assembly submission deadline.
- Closed Session: Council voted to add and enter a closed session under N.C.G.S. § 143-318.11(a)(6) a closed session under N.C.G.S. § 143-318.11(a)(6) for personnel evaluation.
4. Departmental Highlights
- Finance: The town audit is progressing toward completion, and core accounting software was successfully migrated to a cloud-based platform for improved performance and cybersecurity.
- Main Street Program: Main Street Franklin received official 501(c)(3) non-profit status from the IRS, opening expanded grant funding opportunities.
- Police Department:
- Installed a new traffic-calming speed cushion at the intersection of West Main Street and Porter Street.
- Acquired a Kawasaki Ridge UTV for patrols, events, and inclement weather operations.
- Collected 55 lbs of unused medications and issued public warnings regarding phone and email financial scams targeting local residents.
- Code Enforcement: Demolition work is scheduled to begin at 185 Rogers Road.
5. Upcoming Town Events
- Final Pickin' on the Square: Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM.
- 30th Annual PumpkinFest: Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
- Halloween Candy Giveaway: Mayor Guffey will give out candy on Bidwell Street on October 31.
- Next Regular Council Meeting: Monday, November 2, 2026.
- Addendum #1 : Police Chief Retirement Announcement
- Police Chief Retirement & Successor Announced: Just two days after the October 5 meeting, on October 7, 2026, an official announcement was published regarding the upcoming retirement of Franklin Police Chief Devin Holland and the transition plan for his replacement. You can read the full announcement on Macon Media [LINK]. It is unknown if they also discussed the retirement of the police chief in closed session or not.
- Addendum #2: Town Manager Contract Decision
- Town Manager Contract Non-Renewal: Following the October 5 meeting—where the agenda scheduled a closed session under N.C.G.S. § 143-318.11(a)(6) for personnel evaluation—the town issued an official press release four days later on October 9, 2026. The statement announced that the Town Council decided during the October 5 meeting not to renew the employment agreement of Town Manager Amanda "Amie" W. Owens upon its expiration on December 31, 2026. You can read the complete announcement on Macon Media [LINK].
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Published at 12.12pm on Saturday, October 10, 2026
Author: Bobby Coggins
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