City Council February 2nd, 2026

Mill City Park was present at the City Council. We were invited to speak. Here is what we discussed.

Acknowledgements

Thank you, City Council and Mitch for the invite to speak regarding Mill City Park on goings. Huge thank you to the volunteers and folks who joined us on First Day, to the Mr. Pollock’s HS students have been helping us fall into winter with trail building at the park, and a very big thank you to a couple board members who have left us this past year, Steve and Brian.

Overview

We are not a line item in the City’s Budget. Nor are we funded by the City. We have managed projects that we have been paid a service fee for. We are an organization that believes in the power of free outdoor recreation. And we are an organization that does our best to take care of the 31 acres adjacent to the Winni River that is Mill City Park. If you’d like a tour of what we have going on out there, we’d be happy to take you.

Whitewater Park Overview

The project is just above 50% completed. As you know from the City Manager’s updates there has been no reimbursements yet. The latest issue has been associated with the Continuum of Care lawsuit. The last two weeks, Mitch, Scott, and I have been in contact with Senator Shaheen’s Office. Last Friday, the grant program pushed us onto the next step. We are taking the next steps required to get reimbursement ASAP.

Case Study Business & Economic Affairs Office and the State’s Outdoor Recreation & Industry Development Office created an online toolkit for community-based projects. Mill City Park was one of 5 projects. I implore you to review the project at RecReadyNH.com. The website discussed: “Franklin’s Mill City Park demonstrates how water sports and effective partnerships can spark community transformation. By reclaiming a river as the centerpiece of recreation and revitalization, Franklin created a destination that blends outdoor adventure with economic development. The project shows how collaboration between nonprofits, municipalities, businesses, and residents can turn natural assets into engines of recreation, pride, and prosperity.” 

Work Day Schedule

1. Sunday, April 26th - 10 am to 12 pm

2. Sunday, May 17th - 10 am to 12 pm

3. Sunday, June 14th - 10 am to 12 pm

4. Sunday, July 26th - 10 am to 12 pm

5. Sunday, August 30th - 10 am to 12 pm

6. Sunday, September 27th - 10 am to 12 pm

7. Sunday, October 11th - 10 am to 12 pm

Event Schedule

• March 7th - Boat Bash in partnership with the Outing Club

• April 22nd - Earth Day City Cleanup in partnership with Franklin Savings Bank

• May 8th - Annual Meeting

• June TBD - River Clean Up in partnership with Watts Water Technologies

• June 19th - Whitewater Park Ribbon Cutting

• June 19-21st - Winni River Days

• September TBD - Taco Fest

• October TBD - Haunted River Walk in partnership with the Opera House

• December TBD - Holiday Stroll in partnership with the Downtown Business Group

• First Day - January 1st