Staff report

Franklin Mayor James P. Councill III will be the featured speaker at this afternoon’s meeting of the Suffolk Downtown Business Association.

Councill, 57, has been mayor of Franklin since 1996 and instrumental in the development of downtown before and after the flood of 1999.

According to DBA president Andy Damiani, Councill will address the importance of having a vibrant downtown and a good working relationship with local government.

The meeting will be held at 3 p.m. in the Bank of America boardroom and is open to all downtowners and interested business leaders. Call Damiani at 539-1216 for more information.