The Town of Franklin is taking steps to help clean up some areas of town. The Town Council approved adding a new position for a code enforcement officer in the 2021-2022 budget. At its monthly meeting on Monday night, the council approved the job description for the position and agreed the candidate should be a sworn officer.
It was the consensus of the Planning Department, the Police Department, and the town manager that compliance is more likely to occur if the person enforcing the code and serving violation notices is an officer.
“Sometimes there is a total shift in the behavior of an individual,” said Town Manager Amie Owens.
The code enforcement officer will report to the Planning Department and the Police Department, with primary supervision coming from the Planning Department. The officer will have an office in Town Hall with regular office hours of Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Candidates for the job should have three to five years of experience in law enforcement and hold an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related field. The person will need to complete Basic Law Enforcement Certification and obtain North Carolina Certified Zoning Official status. The salary range for the position is $37,710 - $55,645 and includes state law enforcement benefits and a take-home vehicle. The complete job description and requirements are available on the town’s website or at Town Hall.
In a memo to the council members, Owens stated: “The code enforcement officer will be responsible for regular monitoring of issues town-wide. The goal is to be proactive more so than reactive. Also, the focus on enforcement stems from a health and safety perspective, not a regulation of property.”
Leading up to the hiring of the code enforcement officer, the town will start an awareness campaign to help inform citizens about the town’s codes and provide examples of violations. Information will be posted on the town website (www.franklinnc.com), distributed in water bill mailings, and announced in local media.
As part of Monday’s Town Council meeting, a public hearing was held regarding the rezoning of 4.5 acres on Siler Road, adjoining the Chick-fil-A site. The property, owned by Duke Energy, currently zoned residential. Hendon Properties, the company developing the Chick-fil-A, submitted the request (of behalf of Duke) to have the property rezoned to C2 (commercial). No one spoke at the public hearing and the council approved the request.
In other action, the Town Council:
• Approved the street closure request for the Christmas parade on November 28.
• Approved the closing of Bidwell Street for trick-or-treating on Sunday, Oct. 31.
• Awarded a $26,800 contract to WithersRavenel to complete the town’s ADA self-assessment and transition plan.
• Approved a contract for a preliminary engineering report for phase II of the water treatment plant. The $46,000 contract was awarded to WithersRavenel.
• Set a public hearing for the rezoning request of property on Georgia Road. Shope Property requested the change from C2 to C3 to allow the sale of tiny homes. The town Planning Board reviewed and recommended the change at its September meeting. The public hearing will be held at the regular Town Council meeting on Nov. 1.
• Approved the installation of a memorial bench that would honor people who have dedicated time to improving the town. The initial request is to honor Gwen Taylor and Larry Hollifield.
The next Town Council meeting will be Monday, Nov. 8 in the board room at Town Hall.