Franklin County Board of Supervisors Work Session 8/20/2026

The Franklin County, VA Board of Supervisors held a work session on August 20, 2026, focusing primarily on the planning and management of a major construction project for a Career and Technical Education (CTE) facility. The board discussed the traditional design-bid-build project delivery strategy, including the selection of an architect-engineer and pre-qualification of general contractors. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the potential hiring of an owner's representative to manage pre-construction and construction phases, with suggestions to include performance incentives tied to cost containment. Additionally, the board considered the need for a project executive to oversee the broader CTE initiative, including curriculum development and business community engagement, emphasizing clear roles and responsibilities. The meeting also covered zoning ordinance updates, with the planning commission proposing a schedule for review and adoption by late 2027, and discussed the regulation of data centers and solar farms, particularly the challenges of enforcing land use regulations in unzoned areas. The board agreed on quarterly updates from the planning commission and deliberated on whether to prioritize data center ordinance amendments. Finally, the board scheduled interviews and a vote for a candidate to fill a vacant position, with plans to swear in the new member at the next board meeting.