Franklin city council votes to conserve areas along Merrimack River

FRANKLIN — This city council voted to restrict certain activities along the Merrimack River at their meeting Aug. 4, with a goal of protecting recreation space.

The council met at the Franklin Elks Lodge last week. Eight councilors were present, and Councilor Susan Hallett-Cook (Ward 2) was absent from the meeting.

Councilor Bruce Marshall (Ward 1) sat at the table for the first time. He was voted in by the council at the July 16 meeting, to replace Councilor Ted Starkweather, who resigned citing health concerns. 

Marshall's first motion was to amend a resolution to place conservation restrictions on five parcels on River Street which abut the Merrimack River. Conservation Commission Chair Glenn Morrill, who is currently running for mayor, said the goal of the item is to preserve the land as some of the last remaining undeveloped tracts along the river, protecting green spaces including local wetlands.

“We're just trying to protect this for recreation, folks who walk River Street and enjoy the wildlife, and that sort of thing,” he said.

The city owns the parcels, and any decisions made by the conservation commission must come before the council.

The original resolution established conservation easements, which enforce permanent conservation efforts and prevent future development. Marshall's motion changed the language to restrictions, which define specific limits regarding allowable uses and development.

Morrill said historical uses of the parcels will be protected, including the farm of Brent Fife on parcels 4 and 5. Marshall named the historical use exception in the amendment to have it in writing. Parcels 1 through 3 are mostly forested hills with limited use. Parcel 1 contains a shooting range operated by the Franklin Targeteers.

The council voted unanimously to approve the amended motion to establish the conservation restrictions.

Marshall’s recent appointment to the council brought people to the microphone during public comment to express their disapproval. Sam Jacobson, who lives in Ward 2, said the appointment was rushed, and believes the mayor and council are relying on late agenda items to move significant pieces of the city’s business, creating a lack of transparency.

“It's not against the rules, but speaks to a council that is afraid or unwilling to work in the public spotlight,” he said. “You all represent us, and most of you have earned the votes of your neighbors, yet we're cutting the people, all of us, out of the decision-making process.”

Information on the city website indicates those interested in open positions complete a prospective appointee profile application with a resume, and documents must be submitted to the city manager’s office or by email. There is no listed procedure for filling vacant council seats in the charter, allowing the council to vote on candidates at any time.

Councilors also passed a motion to start the budget process on the first Monday of February, rather than in April. The change, which alters the timeline in the code and charter, will go before the legislative committee, then return to the council for vote by Monday, Dec. 1. There was a general consensus that the council does not have enough time to review the budget when they receive it in May.

“Having the budget come to us in May, and then having to hustle, hustle like we did this year, I want something in writing that says, ‘OK, this has got a priority,’” Councilor Ed Prive (Ward 3) said.

The process currently starts in April because the assessor collects revenues on April 1. Prior to that time, revenues listed in the budget are estimates. The Merrimack County tax rates are also not set until late April or early May. And health insurance for personnel, a large expense, is not determined until April.

Councilor Delaney Carrier (Ward 1) doesn’t think the budget is getting to the council late. He thinks the process is backward, and suggests councilors give input on the front end, creating visioning sessions and establishing priorities in November or December.

“All we have to do is ensure that we've met the priorities that we set on the front end, instead of waiting for a whole budget to be built and trying to work with hundreds of pages of detailed numbers and figure out what are our priorities now, and trying to make changes on the back end,” he said. “That's too late.”

The city council meeting next month was rescheduled to Monday, Sept. 8, adjusting for the Labor Day holiday.