Questions about cost and funding sources for the plant resurfaced in August 2026, with a resident asking how much had been spent and how it was being funded. At the same meeting, a council member said the city needs ordinances barring rendering, biomass and data center facilities, or at least a moratorium, to outlast the current council.
IssueFranklin Springsunder consideration
Franklin Springs council member calls for ban on rendering plants as wastewater plant spending questioned
Residents have repeatedly pressed the city for details on funding for its new wastewater treatment plant and for assurance that no rendering, biomass or data center facility is coming.
Latest
August 20, 2026: Proposed ordinance or moratorium against rendering, biomass and data center facilities
What happens next
No next step has been documented.
At a glance
What this means now
The story
In March 2025, Mayor Moore told council the city had not entered any agreement with any industry and would not do so outside a public meeting. The same night, council voted to accept a deed from Franklin County for Oliver Road, abandoned by the county, so the city could maintain access for when a wastewater treatment facility is built.
By April 2025, officials described a facility built to handle 300,000 gallons for Franklin Springs and up to 900,000 gallons for Franklin County, with a capacity up to 1.5 million gallons per day. Amid rumors of a tie to poultry processing, the mayor stated the city had not signed any contracts or agreements with Pilgrim's Pride.
Residents continued to ask about the project's status through the summer. In September 2025, a city official said the new plant is residential, not industrial, and every council member plus the mayor denied that any rendering, protein-ingredient, or processing plant of any kind was coming to Franklin Springs.
In January 2026 a resident asked where in the budget the wastewater plant spending appeared. By June 2026 the city said it would not adopt a moratorium on data centers or crypto mining and did not anticipate a rendering plant.
Questions about cost and funding sources for the plant resurfaced in August 2026, with a resident asking how much had been spent and how it was being funded. At the same meeting, a council member said the city needs ordinances barring rendering, biomass and data center facilities, or at least a moratorium, to outlast the current council.
What happened
How this issue got here
Open any step for its supporting record. A proposal remains labeled as proposed until later evidence establishes an outcome.
DiscusseddiscussedWastewater treatment plant spending and funding transparency
Mr. Scranton asked, how much has been spent? It’s not in the budget. How is it being
funded, where can we see?
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Wastewater treatment plant spending and funding transparency
Mr. Scranton asked, how much has been spent? It’s not in the budget. How is it being funded, where can we see?
DiscusseddiscussedProposed ordinance or moratorium against rendering, biomass and data center facilities
there needs to be
ordinances in place to be effective long after this council is gone and to continue no
rendering. This needs to include biomass and data centers or at the least a moratorium.
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Proposed ordinance or moratorium against rendering, biomass and data center facilities
there needs to be ordinances in place to be effective long after this council is gone and to continue no rendering. This needs to include biomass and data centers or at the least a moratorium.
DiscusseddiscussedCity stance on data centers, crypto mining, and rendering plant moratorium
They will not do a moratorium, but there are no plans and do not anticipate one ever coming.
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City stance on data centers, crypto mining, and rendering plant moratorium
They will not do a moratorium, but there are no plans and do not anticipate one ever coming.
DiscusseddiscussedPublic comment on budgeted wastewater treatment plant spending and antidegradation report status
Where
in the budget do we find what we will spend on the wastewater treatment plant? Same
question is true about the park?
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Public comment on budgeted wastewater treatment plant spending and antidegradation report status
Where in the budget do we find what we will spend on the wastewater treatment plant? Same question is true about the park?
DiscusseddiscussedClarification that city's new wastewater treatment plant is residential, not industrial
you would explain to everyone exactly what type of wastewater the city is building and
Mr. Ankerich replied, “its, residential; only thing I know and all I’ve ever heard”
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Clarification that city's new wastewater treatment plant is residential, not industrial
you would explain to everyone exactly what type of wastewater the city is building and Mr. Ankerich replied, “its, residential; only thing I know and all I’ve ever heard”
DiscusseddiscussedDenial of rumored rendering/protein-ingredient processing plant coming to Franklin Springs
Is there a rendering plant, protein ingredient plant, processing plant of any kind coming to
Franklin Springs? Each council replied “no” and Mayor Moore answered “absolutely
not”
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Denial of rumored rendering/protein-ingredient processing plant coming to Franklin Springs
Is there a rendering plant, protein ingredient plant, processing plant of any kind coming to Franklin Springs? Each council replied “no” and Mayor Moore answered “absolutely not”
Discusseddiscussed1.5 million gallon per day wastewater treatment plant project status
Are we still working on building the 1.5 million gallon per day wastewater
treatment plant?
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1.5 million gallon per day wastewater treatment plant project status
Are we still working on building the 1.5 million gallon per day wastewater treatment plant?
DiscusseddiscussedProposed wastewater treatment facility (up to 1.5 MGD) on city-owned property and public concerns about a possible poultry rendering plant tied to it
We are building a facility to meet the current needs; 300,000
gallons for Franklin Springs and up to 9000,000 gallons for Franklin County.
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Proposed wastewater treatment facility (up to 1.5 MGD) on city-owned property and public concerns about a possible poultry rendering plant tied to it
We are building a facility to meet the current needs; 300,000 gallons for Franklin Springs and up to 9000,000 gallons for Franklin County.
DiscusseddiscussedMayor's official statement denying any Pilgrim's Pride contract and addressing rendering-plant rumors
the City of Franklin Springs has not signed any contracts or
agreements with Pilgrim’s Pride
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Mayor's official statement denying any Pilgrim's Pride contract and addressing rendering-plant rumors
the City of Franklin Springs has not signed any contracts or agreements with Pilgrim’s Pride
DiscusseddiscussedProposed regional wastewater treatment facility and rumored industry (rendering/biomass plant) near Franklin Springs
Mayor Moore then went to state, the
city has not entered into any agreement with any industry and will not do anything unless
it’s in a public meeting.
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Proposed regional wastewater treatment facility and rumored industry (rendering/biomass plant) near Franklin Springs
Mayor Moore then went to state, the city has not entered into any agreement with any industry and will not do anything unless it’s in a public meeting.
ApprovedconfirmedAcceptance of deed from Franklin County for Oliver Road
Bill Bell made a motion to accept the Deed from Franklin County for Oliver Road that
was abandoned by Franklin County so the city could have access and maintain it for
when the wastewater treatment facility is built.
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Acceptance of deed from Franklin County for Oliver Road
Bill Bell made a motion to accept the Deed from Franklin County for Oliver Road that was abandoned by Franklin County so the city could have access and maintain it for when the wastewater treatment facility is built.
Appeared on agendaproposedOliver Rd Deed Acceptance
Oliver Rd Deed Acceptance
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Oliver Rd Deed Acceptance
Oliver Rd Deed Acceptance
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