Executive Summary of the February 2026 Franklin Town Council Meeting

The Franklin Town Council met on Monday, February 09, 2026, for its regular meeting for February 2026. Here is an Executive Summary of the meeting. Bear in mind that I (Bobby) have no formal training as a journalist; I was trained as an engineer and wanted to be a scientist.

The video has been published early for subscribers on Facebook and Patreon. It will be added here on Wednesday Morning.

Media and Candidate Attendance

• Macon Media (Bobby)
• The Franklin Press (Mia)

• Don Willis, candidate for District One County Commissioner
• Nick Lofthouse, candidate for District Two County Commissioner

Key Highlights

Mayor Stacy Guffey took a few minutes at the start of the meeting to make some comments and recognitions

• He celebrated the town’s 171st incorporation anniversary (Feb 10).
• Recognized Tourism Development Authority (TDA) members.
• Congratulated Town Manager Amy Owens on receiving the Duke Citizenship Award.
• Special thanks and a gift presented to staff member Justin for heroic work during a recent cybersecurity crisis (served as IT Director, Planning Director, and Interim Fire Chief).
• Appreciation was also extended to the NC Joint Cybersecurity Task Force and Macon County IT for assistance.

Tourism Development Authority (TDA) Marketing Update (Stewart Communications)

• Extensive research confirmed visitors come primarily for mountains, waterfalls, hiking, and authentic experiences; 50% from Florida.
• Strong emphasis on partnerships (Visit Smokies / Smoky Mountain Host), new billboards, video series post-Helene, updated website, and high-quality visual content.
• Results: ~5.7 million social media reach, website traffic exceeding 15,000 clicks/month, two new billboards (~4.8 million annual views), second-highest occupancy tax year on record, regional increases of 25% in key months.
• 2026 goals: print visitor guide, double Facebook followers & email list, promote “affordable, authentic, approachable” brand, enhance website trip curation.
• Discussion on future beautification (murals, sculptures), events, cultural tourism (Women’s History statue, Nikwasi Mound return to Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), and TDA–TDC collaboration.

Announcements & Updates

• Town received a $4.32 million EPA resiliency grant for a Clearwell project at water treatment plant (major capacity & drought resilience improvement).
• Historic downtown designation hearing scheduled for Thursday.
• Nikwasi Mound deed signing expected soon.
• Positive comments on improving TDA / TDC / Chamber relationships and downtown merchants association activity.

Public Hearing & Votes

The council took the following formal actions (all passed unanimously 6-0 unless noted):

• Adoption of the meeting agenda → Approved.
• Approval of consent agenda → Approved.
• Waiver of all utility late fees for January and February 2026 bills due to prolonged cybersecurity/system outage → Approved. 

Source: http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2026/02/ftc20260210executivesummary.html