The Town of Franklin is following the county’s lead and will use part of its American Rescue Plan Act funds to give employee bonuses in appreciation for their dedication during the COVID pandemic.
“They’ve been at it since March. With masks on, with masks off, two or three different types of masks depending on what was going on,” said Town Manager Amie Owens at the Nov. 1 Town Council meeting.
The town has received $654,000 of its $1.3 million in ARP funds and voted Monday night to use $73,000 for employee bonuses. Full-time employees will receive a one-time bonus of $1,000 and part-time employees will receive $500. Additionally, employees will receive 40 hours of vacation time added to their regular bank of time. To qualify for the bonus, employees must have worked more than 400 hours since March 2020.
“I believe it would be a gesture to show employees they are valued, to thank them for their continued commitment to the town during the pandemic, would be of minimal impact to the ARPA funds and would let the citizens know that you and the staff are concerned not only about our employees, but for the citizens and the quality services that we provided,” she stated in her recommendation to the council.
Owens said using the remaining $1.2 million in ARPA funds for infrastructure will allow the town to maintain its existing reserve funds in case of emergency.
The four uses approved for ARPA funds include 1) aid to small businesses, 2) premium pay for employees, 3) replacement of income to local governments whose revenues were impacted negatively by the pandemic, and 4) infrastructure projects – water, sewer, stormwater and broadband.
In October, the Macon County Board of Commissioners voted to use its $6.94 million in ARP funds to award premium pay for full- and part-time employees. County workers will receive $2/hour premium pay for each hour worked between April 26, 2021, and Oct. 20, 2024. The payments will be paid out in lump sums every six months.
In making the motion to approve Owens’s recommendation, Vice Mayor Jack Horton said the bonuses are a way to recognize town employees “for the outstanding job they’ve done with a little bit of money and a little bit of time off” while using the bulk of the funds to benefit everyone else through infrastructure improvements.
The next Town Council meeting will be held Monday, Dec. 6, 6 p.m. at Town Hall. At that meeting the new council members and mayor will take office. The town election was held Tuesday, Nov. 2. The polls closed after deadline for today’s paper. Election results will be posted on The Franklin Press website (thefranklinpress.com) and Facebook page.
Town Hall offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 11 for Veterans Day and Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving.
Skate Park Update
The Town Council voted to award a $14,995 contract to Pillar Design Studios to design the skatepark. The company is based in Arizona but has designed several parks in North Carolina. The other design estimate received was from American Ramp Company (ARC) for $28,000. Funds for the design will be taken from the town’s fund balance unless another source of funding is identified. Construction on the park is expected to begin in February 2022.