Town of Franklin PRESS RELEASES

January 3, 2023
Holiday Decoration Removal

The Town of Franklin will be removing the holiday decorations from the Gazebo area beginning on Monday, January 9. Other decorations in town will be removed beginning this week, weather permitting. This will include the pole wraps in downtown and the various decorations at the town entry points.

The snowflakes will remain up and lighted until mid-February as they are a symbol of winter – not specifically the holidays. We have been in contact with Duke Energy related to those poles where snowflakes are not lighted and we are hopeful that this is remedied soon. When the snowflakes are removed, the spring banners will once again be on display.

Should you have any questions about specific decorations, please contact Chris Waldroop, Streets Supervisor in the Public Works Department at 828-524-2516 x 405.

December 30, 2022
BOIL WATER ADVISORY CANCELLED

UPDATE:

Lab testing has confirmed that water is safe to drink with no contaminants and that there is no longer a need for the boil water advisory. We wish to thank the Town of Franklin water/sewer crews who have worked tirelessly over the last week in dealing with issues related to the frigid weather, and thank those who have been impacted for their patience and understanding. We wish you a healthy and safe New Year.

December 29, 2022
WATER LINE BREAK WHITE OAK STREET and BOIL WATER ADVISORY

UPDATE:

The Boil Water Advisory remains in effect until we receive the results of testing. Test results are now expected to be received on Friday, December 30. Until that time, residents in the impacted area should continue to boil any water used for consumption. 

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

December 28, 2022
Water Line Break / Boil Water Advisory

UPDATE:

Water service has been restored to the impacted area as of 5:15 p.m. 

The Boil Water Advisory remains in effect until we receive the results of the testing, as noted previously, this could be up to 24 hours after the repairs were completed.

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

WATER LINE BREAK WHITE OAK STREET and BOIL WATER ADVISORY
There has been a water line break in the area of White Oak Street which is impacting water service from White Oak Street to the Depot Street extension.  Streets impacted include:  White Oak, Riverview, Iotla, Doraul, White Oak Circle, Ridgewood Drive, Highland Avenue and the Depot Street Extension.  Crews have been working overnight to repair this line; however, at this time, we are unsure of how long these repairs will take.  Water service will be interrupted during the continued repair.   Main Street should not be impacted.   The break in the line was due to the extremely low temperatures. 

When service is restored, there may be air in the lines causing sputtering of water when first turned on, cloudy or brown water, and potentially contain dirt or small particulates.  Residents are encouraged to run water from an outside spigot or in the bathtub to eliminate air from the lines quickly. 

Due to the nature of this repair, the Town is issuing a boil water advisory for when service is resumed in this area.  This boil water advisory does not affect other areas in town.   

Here is information related to the Boil Water Advisory:
There are two levels of notices: a Boil Water Advisory and a Boil Water Notice. Here is the difference:

A Boil Water Advisory is voluntarily issued when water contamination is possible. During an advisory we recommend that customers vigorously boil water for at least 1 minute before consumption or drink bottled water.

A Boil Water Notice is required by law to be issued when contamination is confirmed in the water system.  The Town of Franklin has issued a BOIL WATER ADVISORY for those impacted in East Franklin.

Event that initiated the boil water advisory
A water line break that required the water system to be turned off for greater than an hour and the pipe has to be opened to the environment which could allow dirt and groundwater into the system.

What should you do during a boil water advisory?
Boil tap water vigorously for a least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, or any consumption. This includes water used for dental care, making ice, food preparation, or any other consumption purposes.

It is not necessary to boil water for showering, laundry, or other non-consumptive uses.

How long will the advisory last?
Water should be boiled from the time the advisory is issued and continue until The Town of Franklin officially lifts the advisory. During the time the advisory is in effect, the Public Works Department will have an outside laboratory perform an analysis to determine if the water is safe and meets all standards. The advisory will remain in effect until we receive the lab results, this may be 24 hours or more.

Residents are reminded not to call 9-1-1 for this particular outage as it is being actively repaired.  If you have any questions, please contact the Town of Franklin at 828-524-2516.  

December 16, 2022
Franklin Celebrates Employees – Presents Award

At their annual Holiday/Employee Appreciation Luncheon on December 16, the Town of Franklin’s Council and Manager had the opportunity to say thank you to employees for their dedication and commitment to providing services for town citizens and visitors.

The luncheon was held at Fat Buddies. As part of the luncheon, employees collected non-perishable food items to donate to Macon County CareNet. In total, over 700 items were collected. In addition to lunch served, the Employee of the Year award was presented and door prizes given.

Employee of the Year
The Employee of the Year award is new for the Town and the picture of the EOY will be displayed and name added to a permanent plaque in the Town Hall. The recipient is gifted with their own plaque and a monetary award. The Employee of the Year was Gio Hernandez. Mr. Hernandez has worked for the Town for a year and a half, but in that time has made a tremendous impact.

Justin Setser, Town Planner/IT Director spoke to Gio’s character and dedication to the Town. He noted that “Gio is always helpful, committed, and willing to do whatever is needed to get things done. He is an asset to the Town and this award was well deserved.”

Council Members Stacy Guffey, Mike Lewis and Rita Salain attended the luncheon and each thanked all of the employees for providing excellent customer service, for their continued service to the town and the citizens, and wished everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

November 16, 2022
Voluntary Water Restrictions Lifted

The Town of Franklin thanks its citizens for their understanding related to voluntarily restricting the amount of water being used over the past three weeks. When there is little measurable rainfall, and the water levels in Cartoogechaye Creek drop at the intake to the water treatment plant which prompts various restrictions.

Very little rain fell during the late summer and early fall -- with long stretches of no precipitation -- but due to recent rainfall, the situation has improved. The Town is encouraging all residents to continue responsible water use and self-regulation, and to observe good conservation practices since the region as a whole is still in a rain fall deficit for the year.

October 12, 2022
Franklin Announces Next Police Chief

Town Manager Amie Owens announced that Devin Holland will be appointed as Franklin’s next Chief of Police effective December 1, 2022. Mr. Holland is currently serving as Captain of Patrol for the Town of Franklin.

Soon-to-be Chief Holland is a veteran officer with over twenty-five years of experience in law enforcement all of which has been with the Town of Franklin. He has served as Patrol Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Patrol Captain. He holds a BS degree in Criminal Justice from Western Carolina University and his Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Southwestern Community College.

In addition to his formal education Holland graduated from the following programs or obtained certifications in:

- FBI Leadership Training from the Law Enforcement Executive Development Association with concentrations in Supervisor, Command and Executive Leadership

- Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate, NC Criminal Justice Training and Standards

- Various Course offerings in Leadership and Law Enforcement Management from NC Criminal Justice Academy, NC League of Municipalities, and the Dolan Consulting Group

The Town received nine applications for the position and several qualified candidates were interviewed. “Captain Holland has the education, experience and established relationships in Macon County and the region which will allow for a seamless change in leadership.  His familiarity with department procedures and existing staff will ensure that the police department will continue to excel into the future,” said Owens.   
Chief Harrell and Captain Holland will work together to ensure that the staff, citizens and visitors continue to receive exemplary service during this transition period.

Police Chief Bill Harrell announced his retirement in August 2022.  A reception will be held on Monday, November 7 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. to honor his service. The public is invited to attend.  

September 9, 2022
Payment Hours Changing at Town Hall

The Town of Franklin Town Hall payment hours are changing effective Monday, October 3, 2022.   Due to accounting system changes, payments at the window will be accepted from 8:30 a.m. until 4:55 p.m.  Monday through Friday.   The drop box will remain available for payments before and after hours and on weekends.  

The window will be open and staff will still be available to assist customers beginning at 8:00 a.m. but payments cannot be taken prior to 8:30 a.m.   “Due to a system upgrade, we were experiencing some delays with payment batches posting on the same day and carrying over to a second business day.  This impacted other financial reporting activities,” said Finance Director Sarah Bishop.  This change will allow for reconciliations to occur in the early morning hours and daily transactions to post on one day.   

All offices in the Town Hall will continue to operate from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  Information will be included on the monthly water bills and posted at the Town Hall related to the new payment hours.   

For more information, contact Town Manager Amie Owens at 828-524-2516 x 305 or via email at aowens@franklinnc.com .

August 5, 2022
Electric Vehicle Charging Station Now Operational at Town Hall

The Town of Franklin partnered with Duke Energy to install a level 3 fast-charging station in the town hall parking lot. Town Planner/IT Director Justin Setser worked closely with Duke to have the installation done without cost to taxpayers.

This is a fast-charging station and the cost is set through Shell Recharge via the Green Lot App. The fees are paid via a credit card scanning system and the Town does not receive any funding from the stations. “The need for EV charging was brought to our attention and we felt that the location would be beneficial for downtown visitation,” Setzer said.

There are two charging stations available with one indicated for handicapped accessibility. The charge time is dependent upon a vehicle’s battery status at the time of charging.