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Interim Franklin City Manager Darlene Burcham will be taking a long-planned vacation abroad for two weeks in June, creating an opportunity for two members of city staff to serve brief stints as acting city manager.

Burcham noted during the Franklin City Council meeting on Monday, June 3, that she will be gone June 8-23 for a family vacation to Australia.

“My family, last December, planned a trip out of the country,” she said. “There’s six of us traveling together.”

She noted that she has designated two individuals to serve one week each in the acting city manager capacity and stated that she thinks the council will be pleased with her selections.

“The (Franklin) chief of police, Steve Patterson, will serve that first week that I’m away,” she said. “And Sam (Green) will serve in that capacity as acting city manager of that second week.”

Sammara Green is director of the Franklin Department of Parks and Recreation.

“I have made arrangements so that I will have both cellphone coverage and email coverage should they need to get in touch with me while I’m away,” Burcham said. “But they are both very competent and capable individuals, and I assume you agree that they will do a nice job.”

Patterson and Green have been mentioned previously in connection with the city manager role when the Franklin City Council was interviewing candidates who could fill the position in the interim.

The council interviewed candidates on Monday, March 11, prior to the regular council meeting later that night.

During the regular council meeting, Ward 6 Councilwoman Jessica G. Banks said, “In addition to the interviews, we did also bring in two of our current city employees, and whereas I am definitely pro hiring an interim city manager, one of which we interviewed on tonight, I will say that’s also contingent upon bringing in two of our current staff that are already familiar with our city. Tonight we also interviewed Chief Patterson and Sammara Green, and we would love for them to assist with our new interim city manager.”