The Franklin City Park Board on March 20 approved permits for two community runs and heard staff reports about incoming pool repair bills, a recent resignation in aquatics, and shrinking landscaping capacity, officials said.

Parks Department staff told the board that the department will present two routine event requests for approval — the Memorial Day Mile, which uses the amphitheater and a one-mile stretch of South Main Street, and a 5K routed along the Greenway Trail and through Blue Heron Park. Board members voted to approve both event uses by voice vote; no opposition was recorded.

The meeting then moved to operations updates. Parks Department staff said the department expects to present several large repair invoices next month: “we had to have a pool filter, renovated, and it's about $37,000,” and several rebuilt pool pumps that will be “closer to 11,000,” the staff member said. Staff added that those charges are not yet included in the March claims list and will appear on next month’s claims report.

On staffing, Parks Department staff reported ongoing seasonal hiring for lifeguards, summer camp counselors and concession workers and said a full-time aquatics director resigned last week. The staff member described interim coverage plans, saying the department currently has two certified pool operators on staff (the speaker and Nate, described in the meeting as the park operations director) who will manage pool operations until a hiring decision is made. The transcript notes the departing aquatics director’s last day using the phrase “next Bridal”; the date was not specified in the meeting record.

Board discussion then turned to landscaping and downtown maintenance. Parks Department staff said two long-time part-time landscaping employees retired at the end of last year and the department has received no applications in nine months to fill those seasonal roles. The staff member said the city spent about $200,000 last year on landscaping — a figure that includes contracted mowing and mulching as well as plant material — and that much of King Street’s maintenance is contract work. The parks representative warned that state-level property-tax changes under discussion could reduce city revenue by “$1,000,000” to “$3,000,000” annually, and that quality-of-life items such as decorative flowers and fireworks could be among the reductions if revenue falls.

The staff member described potential mitigation options: asking downtown businesses to sponsor plantings (citing Discover Downtown Franklin’s existing sponsorship plaques), an adopt-a-median or similar civic volunteer approach, and seeking help from master gardener networks. The board discussed the difficulty of recruiting applicants for landscaping and the potential need to absorb more maintenance work into existing park staff, which would reduce capacity elsewhere.

In other business, staff said the Active Adult Center renovation is nearing completion. The staff member said interior work is at the stage of installing flooring and drop ceilings, that furnaces were started, and estimated the center could be finished in May or early June. The board rescheduled a planned tour of the Active Adult Center to the next meeting, April 17.

Financial highlights discussed in the meeting included the Athletics and Recreation Fund and appropriation reports. Parks Department staff said the department spent about $30,000 in March and expected roughly $90,000 in revenue for the month, reflecting the seasonal pattern the department typically sees (surplus in January–June, higher expenses July–December). Staff also noted that gambling-related revenue has historically funded much of King Street landscaping, and those funds have declined.

The meeting adjourned following a short period for additional comments.

Votes at a glance
- Approval of February meeting minutes: motion made and seconded; approved by voice vote; no opposition recorded.
- Approval of March claims: motion made and seconded; approved by voice vote; no opposition recorded. Staff noted two large upcoming repair invoices ($37,000 pool filter; about $11,000 in rebuilt pumps) that will appear on next month’s claims.
- Approval of Human Resources report (seasonal hiring and resignation noted): motion made and approved by voice vote; no opposition recorded.
- Approval of event use (Memorial Day Mile and farmers-market 5K): motion made and seconded; approved by voice vote; no opposition recorded.

The board set the next meeting for April 17 and plans to tour the Active Adult Center at that meeting.