July 6, 2026 City Council

City Council Meeting
Preview of topics for 7/6/2026 City Council meeting
Author

Sam Jacobson

Published

July 2, 2026

Modified

July 5, 2026

Location: Franklin Elks

Time: 6:00 PM

Agenda

Packet

This is a standard City Council meeting, starting with public hearings, public comment, and then moving onto council business.

Below are my preliminary thoughts and initial positions going into the meeting. Please email me at if you would like to discuss further.

Agenda Items

1. Amending Non-public meeting minutes

  • Summary:
    • The council entered non-public on May 19 but did not follow proper procedure to seal the minutes of the non-public meeting.
    • The purpose of the non-public session was not stated.
    • Motions to seal and return were not made as roll-call vote.
    • These issues can be rectified after the fact.

How Sam Sees It:

  • These are relatively minor procedural issues, though they should be corrected.

2. Approval of Minutes

  • Summary:
    • Minutes from the various budget workshops in June, City council meetings in June, and non-public meetings in May.
    • 10 separate minutes to approve.

How Sam Sees It:

  • These are a lot of minutes.
  • It will be hard to review all of these in time for the meeting monday.
  • I’d like to approve the minutes.
  • To date, minutes have typically had minor clerical issues.

3. 2023 Tax Lien properties

  • Summary:
    • Owners of 35 properties have not paid their property taxes since 4/11/2024
      • 1 land
      • 10 land and building
      • 23 Mobile homes in park
      • 1 mobile home park land
    • link to list of lien properties
    • The tax collector typically works with th owners in hardship
    • Total outstanding balance is ~$63,000 ranging from $400-$9,000 on individual properties

How Sam Sees It:

  • Tax deeding property is not the first action of the city.
  • Tax deeding a property typically means removing it from the rolls, which represents lost revenue for the city.
  • Property owners have to pay their taxes to support city functions that they get the benefits of.
  • The city should deed these properties and work to get them to paying owners.

Questions

  • Is this a typical number of tax deed properties?

4. Authorize Fire engine purchase (split between two years)

  • Summary
    • The fire department (FD) is budgeting for a new engine to replace one of two active engines in the city.
    • The full price is ~$1.1M and the FD proposes to buy it in sections; ~$550,000 in Fiscal year (FY) 2028 and ~$550,000 in Fiscal year (FY) 2029.
    • The engine set to be replaced is difficult to service and was out of operation for maintenance reasons for more than 50 days this year.

How Sam Sees It:

  • I appreciate the FD budgeting this across two years and I’d like to hear if they have any revenue streams to cover it.
  • This is the prime application of a capital improvement exemption from the tax cap. I’d consider voting to exempt the cost from the tax cap calculation in 2028.
  • Since we can plan for this cost, we should budget for it.

5. Update Wetlands Ordinance

  • Summary
    • City of Franklin (75 ft setback) is more protective than the state (50 ft setback) regarding septic systems near wetlands.
    • The proposed revision allows septic systems 25 feet closer to wetlands than now.

How Sam Sees It:

  • I think we can change our statute to match the state, providing we highlight that in other cases (e.g. surface water bodies) the largest setback (75 ft) still applies.
    • For instance, installing a septic system near webster lake still needs a 75 ft setback, even if this change is accepted.
  • I think section 300-8 suggests that the more stringent rule applies (i.e. Franklin’s rule would apply)

6. Stiffen penalties for junkyards

  • Summary
    • Currently the city can charge up to $100/day for code violations.
    • The state allows up to $550/day for code violations.
    • The suggested change would link city penalties to the relevant state code and make fines for code violations larger.

How Sam Sees It:

  • I think this makes sense, especially in the extreme cases of years of non-compliance (evidenced by 528 Prospect street).
  • There is still discretion in the ordinance based on the severity of the fine.

7. Land sale on East Bow Street

  • Summary
    • The owner of 102 East Bow Street has made an offer of $3,000 for 0.13 acres of vacant city land abutting their property.
    • This property generated ~$600 in taxes last year that could be returned to the rolls; however merging properties is not necessarily additive. More or less than that might be captured from the new value of the property.
    • Abutters have been notified as of the previous (June 1) city council meeting; no additional bids have been received.

How Sam Sees It:

  • $3,000 still seems low
  • I’d like to hear if the City Manager has engaged in any negotiations with the bidder.

8. Amateur radio club lease

  • Summary
    • The city leases a radio repeater antenna to the amateur radio club
    • The city has leased this property since 1987
    • Proposed (continuation) lease is
      • $1/year
      • 5 years term
      • Limited use without additional city input
      • Club responsible for upkeep and utilities
      • City indemnified and club must retain insurance

How Sam Sees It:

  • This appears to be a well written lease, with reasonable terms
  • The $1 annual payment seems low, and I’d like to know why it is so low.

8. Other business

  • Council appointments
  • Ward 1 election moderator
    • Only one applicant.

Late items

Council to put a charter commission on October 2026 Ballot

  • Summary:
    • A charter commission is a group that rewrites the Franklin city charter
    • This is in contrast to making amendments/additions piecemeal
    • The charter commission process is essentially as follows (outlined in RSA 49):
      1. Charter commission is voted on a ballot
      2. Members of the charter commission develop a draft charter to place on the ballot the following year.
      3. The new charter, if approved, takes place the following year.

How Sam Sees It:

  • I think it is too late to put the charter commission question on the October 2026 ballot.
  • I’m in favor of a belt and suspenders approach; let’s develop a charter commission and submit edits to the charter as possible/practicable.
  • If the commission vote fails, e’ll still have needed edits to the charter.