Meet Franklin's new city manager, Navy veteran Mitch Kloewer

FRANKLIN — Franklin City Manager Mitch Kloewer started his new role last week, and the retired U.S. Navy flight officer said his first week was a chance to meet with department heads and get acquainted with the city’s challenges and benefits.

“The truth is that I am looking to get involved up here and see what I can do to help make the city better,” Kloewer said. “It was an opportunity where I thought I could use my experience in management to improve life for everyone here.”

Kloewer and his wife purchased a home in nearby Salisbury about a year ago, and he said he has been welcomed by the community with open arms. He said some of the nicest people he's met are from Franklin, and he is looking forward to being a positive leader who will work on issues and build off accomplishments already in place.

For 28 years, Kloewer was an E-2C Naval flight officer, who rode in the back of command and control aircraft. During his time in the Navy, he was stationed in “all four corners of the country,” as well as Europe.

Kloewer retired in the summer of 2021, then worked as a contracted program manager at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Massachusetts. He worked in that role until taking the job as city manager.

The city has had its problems in recent years, notably budget woes which have carried over to the fire and police departments. At the Sept. 8 city council meeting, when Kloewer was introduced to the community, a firefighter spoke about how the lack of training capabilities and low compensation, caused a member of the fire department to quit. That firefighter wrote in a letter to the city council, read aloud by a fellow firefighter, that the issues put the city and members of the department at risk.

The recently approved budget of $21.66 million also included the removal of a police detective position.

While he did not comment on these specifics due to the brief time in his role, Kloewer said he will work with the chiefs to get proper compensation and training.

Kloewer hopes to lead the city into “solid budgetary footing,” so they can pay for what is needed, and move forward in making improvements to benefit the future. He thinks this can be done by bringing the city personnel together to work as a team, which includes himself, department heads, city councilors, and the mayor.

“We need to all make sure we are all working together,” Kloewer said. “The perspective is that there is turmoil here, but my initial goal is to figure out how much is real versus how much is perceived. The perception with social media can make little problems seem giant, or make giant problems seem little.”

Kloewer met with department heads for the first time at the fire station on Sept. 18, and while they didn’t get into specifics about needs, it was a first step in his journey to making Franklin a better place to both live and work. After starting Sept. 15, in his first week he assessed the “real issues and problems,” and assured the team he works for — and the team who works for him — he will be oriented to address them.

Kloewer attended city council meetings prior to being hired as an observer. He looks forward to upcoming meetings to be able to contribute as a city staff member.

Kloewer plans to work with the city leaders to clearly define the intended direction of the city through long-term goals and planning.

“I know we have budgetary constraints,” Kloewer said. “There is some authority that the city manager has, but the truth is that I develop the budget, but the council is responsible for making changes for necessary funding or trimming the budget.”

The City of Franklin has worked recently on economic development efforts, including Mill City Park, and new restaurants and businesses downtown. He said it is a “quintessential beautiful place with fantastic features,” but like any city, there are aspects that need to be updated or revitalized. Kloewer added it's easy to dwell on negatives, but Franklin has so many positives to offer.

“Franklin is a beautiful city and has an undeserved reputation in New Hampshire,” Kloewer said. “I highly encourage people come here to meet the incredibly friendly people who live here.”

The first week on the job can be difficult for anyone, and Kloewer said it sometimes feels like “trying to get a drink of water from a fire hose.” He commended the “fantastic staff” for helping him find his footing and assist him in identifying processes and procedures to be updated.

A major plus, he said, is coming from the outside with no baggage and the ability to provide new insight. As the city manager, he needs to evaluate all scenarios, and sometimes having a fresh look is most beneficial.

Kloewer said if he finds things which need to be fixed he will do so, but he also doesn’t intend to “come in like a bull in a china shop,” to change everything just for the sake of it.

“I have worked in a lot of government organizations and communications can always be improved,” Kloewer said. “We have a great team and we need to make sure we are stepping off in the same direction.”