The Franklin Town Council approved the purchase of 10 speed cushions last week in an attempt to further combat speeding issues in town.
During the public comment period Morgan Stewart of Stewart Communications presented a petition from members of the Franklin Downtown Merchants Association requesting the council take action on the ongoing speeding problem.
“The businesses along Main Street are increasingly alarmed about the safety issues on Main Street, specifically concerning an epidemic of speeding,” Stewart said. “We’ve witnessed too many pedestrians involved in near misses because drivers are not heeding the speed limit, they’re not heeding the signage. Shoppers, tourists, residents and business owners are basically threatened by the speeders on Main Street right now … business owners have expressed a strong desire to see more than just discussions on the matter.”
Already on the agenda prior to Stewart’s comments was a measure to purchase 10 speeding cushions for $10,450.83 from Traffic Logix Corporation. Town Manager Amie Owens said the cushions would take approximately four weeks to arrive once ordered and could be quickly deployed to problem streets in town. The cushions are sets of interlocking rubber humps that can be placed on the length of the road in three parts, allowing wide emergency vehicles to pass through without slowing.
Vice Mayor Stacy Guffey, who presented the item, said the town is limited in how it can alter roads owned by the state, like Main Street, but the Franklin Police Department has been able to respond quickly and effectively by placing temporary speed bumps along problem roads that the town owns.
“It works for a little while,” he said. “The problem is, a couple of them have been damaged just because of the speed of the cars going over them, because of the material they’re made out of … we should look for something a little more robust and something we can leave for a longer time.”
“The overall thing that should drive this … creating streets where people actually can live and kids can get out and play … in a safe manner,” he said. “This is a solution we can probably do something immediately about. The things on Main Street will take a longer time.”
The council approved the purchase with contingency funds.
Guffey also shared an item to add an Industrial Infrastructure Grant to cover water and sewer construction, upgrades, extension and repair. Guffey said this would help some employers in town cover the cost of infrastructure work and ensure their continued investment in the town.
Council Member Rita Salain requested that the item be altered to ensure the grant funds are used to match industrial investment in infrastructure, rather than cover it completely, and that definitions for “industrial” be added to clarify which businesses can apply for the grant. A vote on the item was postponed pending those alterations.
ABC Board agreement
The council approved an agreement with the Franklin Alcoholic Beverages Commission board that will allow the ABC board to approach the town in the event that it encounters sudden, unforeseen expenses. Otherwise, the ABC board will pay the town $25,000 quarterly, with additional payments made after the ABC board’s annual audit.
The agreement is made to improve coordination and cooperation between the board and the town. Owens said the ABC Board returned profits of over $158,000 to the town last year.
“We’ve made a lot of improvements in the coordination and cooperation between the ABC board and the town … over the past several years,” Mayor Jack Horton said. “I think that’s resulted in better bookkeeping and additional revenue for the town, so we appreciate the ABC … we want to make sure we continue to remain good partners on this project.”
Farmers Market update
During the public comment period, Devon Dupuis, manager of the Macon County Farmer’s Market, shared a brief mid-season update for the market. Dupuis said this year the market has increased from 40 cumulative vendors in 2024 to more than 80 total. Increasing the size of the market has allowed the market to increase the number of vendor spaces from 36 to 55. The market has also been able to host two musicians to play live music at either end of the market and add free face painting to accompany the free balloon animals for kids.
“SNAP [Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program] card usage at the market has doubled this season over last season, which is so phenomenal to see folks getting access to that local, fresh, healthy food,” Dupuis said. “We have also had multiple vendors report to us that their sales have increased by 100% over last year.”
Other business
Mayor Jack Horton issued a special proclamation designating Sept. 17-23, 2025, as Constitution Week in Franklin, given to Regent Lynn Deegen of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
“I ask our citizens to affirm or reaffirm the ideals the framers of the constitution had in 1787 by vigilantly protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us through this guardian of our liberties, remembering that lost rights may never be regained,” Horton said.
“I appreciate the city of Franklin recognizing constitution week for the Daughters of the American Revolution and the country. It’s an important document that we all need to be more familiar with,” Deegen said.
The council approved a proposal from Webster Bank, N.A., for the town to take on a $3,225,000 loan to help cover the cost of the Clear Well and High Service Pump Station project. The move enabled the town to enter into the agreement with Webster. The pump station project has been in the works for more than three years, according to town Finance Director Sarah Bishop.
The next Town Council meeting will be Monday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. in the board room on the lower level of Town Hall.