Legislative Committee

CITY OF FRANKLIN LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING Thursday, July 23, 2026 — 6:00 p.m. Franklin Public Library ATTENDANCE Present: Councilor Sam Jacobson (Chair), Councilor Al Warner, and Councilor Tim Johnston. Absent: None. Others Present: City Manager Mitch Kloewer, Mayor Glenn Morrill, and members of the public. CALL TO ORDER Councilor Jacobson, as Chair, called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Led by Councilor Warner. AGENDA I: APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE MAY 21 LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING The draft minutes of the May 21, 2026 Legislative Committee meeting were not circulated in advance of this meeting. The Committee agreed to take up approval of those minutes at its next meeting. AGENDA II: CHARTER COMMISSION REVIEW City Manager Kloewer presented research, at the Committee's request, on the process and timeline for establishing a charter commission under RSA 49-B, distributing an abridged, color-coded summary of the relevant statutory sections. City Manager Kloewer described the principal advantages of a charter commission relative to piecemeal Council amendments (a single dedicated body not subject to Council terms ending mid-process, and the ability to place a comprehensive slate of changes as fewer ballot questions) and the principal drawbacks (a nine-member commission would require a special election, at cost to the City; a commission empowered to do revisions and amendments must complete a final report within 240 days of being seated, with no ability to be renewed for a second year if that deadline is missed; and a legal opinion, followed by state review of up to 40 days, would be required before any measure could reach the ballot). Discussion covered the cost and timing of a special election (with a preference expressed for an odd year without overlapping federal or local elections), the requirement that commission members be registered voters residing in Franklin, the requirement for a licensed attorney's opinion on legality, and the City's history with prior charter commissions and amendments, including the change to a city-manager form of government and a subsequent amendment affecting the tax-cap formula. A member of the public asked clarifying questions regarding the special-election requirement, voting thresholds for adoption (a simple majority to place the question on the ballot; a three- fifths majority for the resulting charter change to take effect immediately, versus the following fiscal year at a smaller majority), and the history of prior charter changes in Franklin. City Manager Kloewer noted that funding for a charter commission is not currently budgeted and would likely need to come from the City Manager's contingency line, subject to Council budget discussion. No motion was made on this item; City Manager Kloewer agreed to distribute the RSA 49-B summary electronically to the Committee and full Council. AGENDA III: CHARTER AMENDMENT REVIEW Chair Jacobson reviewed the status of the three charter amendments previously brought to the full Council in June: (1) renaming the “School Board of Education” to “School Board,” (2) revising gendered language throughout the Charter, and (3) proposed changes to Charter Section C32. The Committee confirmed that the timeline no longer allows any of the three to appear on this October's ballot, and that the entire Council had previously voted to move all three to the 2027 ballot cycle. A public hearing on the school-board and gender-language amendments remains scheduled; the C32 amendment was not included on that hearing. Discussion of the C32 language grew extended: the Committee reviewed disagreement over how the proposed amendment package had been compiled, particularly a change to Section B that would broaden “capital expenditures” to “any expenditures,” which was raised as changing the intent of the underlying feedback previously incorporated from the City's counsel. The Committee also discussed a possible future amendment addressing Charter Section C34 (governing the default/automatic-approval budget provisions), including a proposal to limit any default budget to a bottom-line figure or to the prior year's bottom line, to create an incentive to complete the annual budget process. A Committee member agreed to prepare a written list of points to be addressed regarding C34, rather than draft amendment language. The Committee also discussed the citizen-initiated amendment process, under which the Council does not vote on whether a qualifying citizen petition is placed on the ballot, and discussed setting an internal deadline (by May) for finalizing the Committee's 2027 amendment recommendations to allow adequate time for legal review and the state approval process. No motion was made on this item. AGENDA IV: WINTER PARKING ORDINANCE Chair Jacobson noted that Planning Director Chunn's parking-study results were not available for this meeting and that the existing winter parking ordinance had been circulated for reference only. Discussion covered the City's liability exposure in designating City-owned property for public winter parking, the use of signage to limit liability, and the possibility of a permit or kiosk-based paid parking system similar to those used in other municipalities. Specific City-owned properties discussed for potential use included the former Community Action building lot and portions of the police department parking lot. No motion was made on this item; the Committee agreed to take it up again once Director Chunn's parking study is available. AGENDA V: CURBSIDE TRASH PICKUP ORDINANCE REVIEW City Manager Kloewer presented a proposed trash fee schedule and draft revisions to Chapter 257 of the City Code addressing curbside collection, developed in response to the FY2027 tax-cap budget not including funding to continue trash pickup as previously provided. City Manager Kloewer characterized the draft as a first attempt intended to be refined over the coming months, focused primarily on establishing a fee schedule and removing outdated definitions of curbside service, with all referenced fees to be consolidated into Appendix One of the current fiscal-year budget rather than the City Code. Discussion covered the ordinance's existing (unchanged) treatment of owner-occupied versus non-owner-occupied multi-family units, the ability of residents who opt out of curbside collection to use the transfer station directly on a pay-per-visit basis, and the current per-visit weight-based fee structure at the transfer station. City Manager Kloewer noted the incoming Municipal Services Director, once hired, would be asked to review the transfer-station fee structure, and discussion included a suggestion to establish a minimum per-visit fee to encourage residents with small loads to purchase prepaid trash bags instead. The Committee treated this as a first reading. No motion was made; City Manager Kloewer will return with a more complete presentation for further Committee discussion at a future meeting. NEW BUSINESS Public Hearing Procedure Ordinance Revisions City Manager Kloewer presented proposed revisions to the City's ordinance governing the setting of public hearings, recommending that the Committee consider striking the current requirement to publish notice in a newspaper of general circulation at least seven days prior, and standardizing the notice period to one week to match the notice period specified in the Charter for the budget public hearing (in place of the current 10- day standard). City Manager Kloewer also raised for discussion whether some matters currently noticed as “public hearings” could instead be designated as public forums, where public comment is welcomed but not legally required prior to Council action. No motion was made on this item; the Committee agreed to place it on a future agenda for further review and possible recommendation to the full Council. Chapter 68 (Ordinance-Amendment Procedure) Revisions City Manager Kloewer presented proposed revisions to Chapter 68 of the City Code, governing the process for amending ordinances, noting that the City's past practice has not consistently followed several of the chapter's current requirements. The proposed revisions would remove the requirement to send a proposed ordinance amendment to a public hearing except where otherwise required by law, and would revise the timeline for Legislative Committee review of an amendment that does not pass unanimously on first reading, requiring the Committee to return it to the Council “as soon as practicable” rather than by a fixed deadline. A member of the public raised a question regarding an apparent inconsistency between the ordinance's designation of the City Clerk's Office as responsible for printed code sales and the City's actual past practice. No motion was made on this item; the Committee agreed to place it on a future agenda for further review. OTHER BUSINESS The Committee confirmed its next meeting for Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., and agreed the agenda would include: approval of the May 21 and July 23 minutes; the process for handling piecemeal charter amendments; the public hearing procedure and Chapter 68 ordinance revisions; the winter parking ordinance and Director Chunn's parking study report; and further discussion (second reading) of the curbside trash pickup ordinance. ADJOURNMENT Motion: A motion to adjourn was made and seconded. Vote: Voice vote. Result: Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Brenda Demers Executive Secretary With AI Assistance