Franklin Marks Time On Sewer Plant Expansion

FRANKLIN, TN — Franklin city leaders decided to take some time before finalizing a decision on a massive loan needed for a sewer plant expansion. The city council voted 7-1 Tuesday to defer a decision until May on taking out an $80 million loan from the state's revolving loan fund.

The planned expansion would give the Franklin plant the ability to create biosolids, eliminating the need for the city to truck sludge to Lewisburg.

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The city is considering two different systems to create the biosolids and is still awaiting approval from the state for one of them. Residents of the Chestnut Bend neighborhood, near the plant, want the city to do a full vetting of both systems before asking for the loan.

Without further investigation and transparency, the city is basically sending a blank check signed by the city for engineering technology that may not be as efficient or as effective as necessary to protect the waters as well as that may not negatively impact the neighbors,” Greg Young of the Chestnut Bend Home Owners Association said at Tuesday's meeting, according to The Tennessean. “We would urge you to not make any decision to obligate or to begin to authorize funding until a full and fair evaluation of the two systems is completed and the public has had the opportunity to comment."

Franklin is also asking the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to increase the amount of phosphorus it is permitted to pump back into the Harpeth River, as the plant will expand from a capacity of 12 million gallons to 16 million.

Consideration of the loan will resume at the council's May 9 meeting.

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