Rock Festival Permit Returns to Franklin Council Agenda as Regional Concerns Grow
By Dr. Richard A. Busalacchi
Franklin Community News
A dispute over noise and oversight at the Rock Sports Complex has continued across two recent Franklin Common Council meetings, drawing residents from neighboring communities and increasing regional and political attention surrounding events at the venue.
At the February 18 Franklin Common Council meeting, Greendale resident Andy Kleist spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting urging the council to delay approval of festival permits until the requirements outlined in Resolution 2024-8109 are fully implemented and sound monitoring issues are addressed.
Kleist questioned the status of third-party oversight of the Rock’s sound monitoring system and referenced earlier public discussions indicating the city would assume control of monitoring equipment and implement independent oversight.
While Kleist was still standing at the podium during his allotted public comment time, Franklin Mayor John Nelson responded directly to the remarks, defending the city’s progress in addressing sound concerns tied to events at the venue.
“We’ve come miles ahead of where we were three years ago,” Nelson said. “We are investing in a third party to come with tangible data and proven facts.”
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The exchange occurred during the public comment portion of the meeting, a period typically reserved for residents to address elected officials without direct debate. Wisconsin’s Open Meetings Law requires deliberation by governmental bodies to occur only on properly noticed agenda items, and many municipalities avoid engaging in back-and-forth dialogue with speakers during public comment to prevent discussion of items not formally listed on the agenda.
During the exchange, Nelson also noted that Kleist resides in Greendale and commented that Greendale elected officials had not appeared before the Franklin council to raise similar concerns.
Greendale Officials Respond With Formal Letter
Shortly after the February meeting, Greendale Village Manager Mike Hawes sent a letter dated March 4 to Mayor Nelson and the Franklin Common Council outlining concerns raised by Greendale residents about the proposed Country Rising Concert Festival and Tacos & Tequila Festival at the Rock Sports Complex.
In the letter, Hawes wrote that Greendale officials had received inquiries from residents regarding potential noise impacts from the event, including amplified sound and explicit language from performers that could carry into nearby residential neighborhoods.
“Residents have raised concerns about the potential noise levels associated with the event and the possibility of vulgar or explicit language from performers known to incorporate profanity in their acts,” Hawes wrote.
The letter asked Franklin officials to consider steps to reduce the impact of amplified sound on nearby communities.
“Given the proximity of the venue to residential neighborhoods, we would greatly appreciate any steps that can be taken to limit the impact of amplified sound on residents,” Hawes wrote.
The correspondence was copied to the Greendale Village Board of Trustees and Milwaukee County Supervisor Kathleen Vincent, whose district includes Greendale.
Vincent Speaks at March 3 Meeting
Vincent represents the Milwaukee County district that includes Greendale and portions of surrounding communities. Her appearance marked one of the first instances of a county-level elected official addressing the Franklin council directly regarding the ongoing noise concerns raised by residents outside the city.
Also in attendance at the March 3 meeting was Ryan Antczak, who is currently running against Vincent for the Milwaukee County Board seat representing the district.
Taylor’s involvement in the issue has also drawn attention because he serves as Executive Director of the ROC Foundation while also holding elected office as a Milwaukee County Supervisor. The ROC Foundation is a nonprofit organization associated with the Rock Sports Complex. Some residents and local observers have questioned whether those dual roles create the appearance of a potential conflict of interest when matters involving the venue arise in public discussions. Open records obtained in recent years have also shown Taylor communicating with government officials regarding issues affecting the Rock Sports Complex and its operator, ROC Ventures. Critics argue those communications appear to place Taylor in a government relations role for ROC Ventures and CEO Mike Zimmerman, activities they contend extend beyond the typical scope of responsibilities associated with a nonprofit foundation.
Vincent’s involvement in the issue also follows earlier controversies related to her public roles. In October 2024, Vincent resigned as president of the Greendale School Board, though she remained a member of the board. The resignation came after questions were raised regarding her simultaneous roles as a Milwaukee County Supervisor, Greendale School Board president, and a teacher in the Kenosha Unified School District. Public records obtained at the time showed Vincent had been disciplined by the school district for performing duties related to her elected office during school hours, prompting criticism about potential conflicts between her teaching responsibilities and elected positions. Vincent subsequently stepped down from the leadership role on the school board but continued serving as a trustee.
Her appearance at the Franklin meeting therefore placed Vincent in the middle of another high-profile local dispute, this time involving regional concerns over noise from events at the Rock Sports Complex and the role of county and municipal officials in responding to those complaints.
Vincent has also been referenced in prior investigative reporting involving disputes between Franklin officials and critics of city leadership. Those reports described allegations contained in legal filings claiming that several local officials — including Franklin Mayor John Nelson, Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor, Alderwoman Michelle Eichmann, and Vincent — participated in actions critics argued were intended to retaliate against political speech. Those allegations remain contested.
Permit Application Highlights Sound and Attendance Concerns
Documents submitted to the City of Franklin show the proposed event could draw up to 10,000 attendees per day at Franklin Field for the two-day festival scheduled for May 29 and May 30.
The application, submitted by ROC Ventures and Social House Entertainment, requests approval for the Country Rising Concert Festival and Tacos & Tequila Concert Festival to be held at 7035 S. Ballpark Drive.
As part of the permit application, organizers proposed a maximum sound monitoring level of 79 decibels at three monitoring locations around the venue — identified as the north, west, and east monitors.
The application also proposes a 15-minute correction period if sound levels exceed the limit, allowing operators time to reduce volume before enforcement action would occur.
Residents living near the venue have argued that music from past events has carried well beyond the property line into surrounding neighborhoods and neighboring communities.
Some residents have also raised concerns about the type of entertainment planned for the festivals, noting that certain performers associated with the events have reputations for using explicit language during performances. Critics argue that such content could conflict with the city’s public decency ordinances if it is audible in surrounding residential areas.
Longstanding Noise Dispute
Several residents who spoke at recent meetings said their concerns are not limited to the proposed festival itself but stem from what they describe as a long-running dispute over noise and event operations at the Rock Sports Complex.
Residents living near the venue say they have raised concerns about amplified music and large entertainment events for nearly a decade, often pointing to promises of sound mitigation and improved monitoring that they believe have not fully materialized.
Some residents told the council that previous discussions with ROC Ventures CEO Mike
Those residents say their skepticism about new proposals stems from those past experiences and what they describe as a strained relationship between nearby neighborhoods and the operators of the entertainment complex.
Supporters of the venue have argued that the Rock Sports Complex brings regional entertainment activity and economic benefits to Franklin, while city officials have said they are working to balance those benefits with the concerns of nearby residents.
Nearby Communities Become Involved
Although the Rock Sports Complex is located within Franklin’s city limits, the venue sits near the city’s southern border and within close proximity to residential neighborhoods in neighboring communities.
Residents from Greendale and other nearby municipalities say amplified music and large festival events at the venue can often be heard well beyond Franklin’s boundaries.
That proximity has increasingly brought residents from neighboring communities to Franklin Common Council meetings in recent years, where they have urged city officials to consider how events at the venue affect surrounding neighborhoods outside the city limits.
Decision Ahead
The Franklin Common Council voted at the March 3 meeting to table the permit request again, allowing additional time for the city to receive the results of a pending sound study and to give ROC Ventures CEO Mike Zimmerman an opportunity to present a plan addressing residents’ concerns.
The proposal is expected to return to the council agenda at the next Franklin Common Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30 p.m.
For many residents, the upcoming vote represents more than a single event permit. Neighbors who have raised concerns about sound from the venue for years say they are watching closely to see whether the city will require additional safeguards before approving large entertainment events at the site.
As residents from Franklin and neighboring communities continue to attend meetings and voice concerns, the debate surrounding events at the Rock Sports Complex increasingly reflects a broader regional conversation about balancing large-scale entertainment venues with the expectations of nearby neighborhoods.
Editorial: Franklin Should Wait for the Sound Study Before Approving Rock Festivals
The reporting above makes one thing clear: the debate over festivals at the Rock Sports Complex is no longer limited to a single permit request. It has become a broader question about accountability, transparency, and the relationship between Franklin officials, the venue’s operators, and the residents who live nearby.
For nearly a decade, residents have raised concerns about amplified music and large events at the Rock carrying beyond the venue and into surrounding neighborhoods. Those concerns have been repeated at council meetings, through correspondence with city officials, and increasingly by residents from neighboring communities such as Greendale.
In response, city leaders and ROC Ventures CEO Mike Zimmerman have periodically promised improvements — better sound monitoring, clearer oversight, and mitigation measures intended to reduce impacts on nearby homes.
Yet many residents say those promises have not consistently materialized, leaving lingering skepticism whenever new festival permits are proposed.
The current application highlights why the issue remains unresolved. The proposed festivals could draw thousands of attendees each day and allow sound levels approaching 79 decibels at monitoring points around the venue, with a correction period if those limits are exceeded.
Numbers alone, however, do not resolve the underlying question residents continue to raise: what happens when that sound carries beyond the property line into nearby neighborhoods?
That question becomes even more significant given the venue’s proximity to surrounding communities. The fact that Greendale residents and officials are now participating in Franklin’s meetings demonstrates that the issue has grown beyond a single city boundary.
None of this means that the Rock Sports Complex should not host events. The venue has become a regional attraction and contributes to Franklin’s entertainment and tourism economy.
But economic activity should not come at the expense of basic accountability.
City officials have already commissioned a sound study intended to provide independent data on how noise from the venue travels and what mitigation measures might be needed. Residents have repeatedly asked for one simple step: wait for that information before approving additional large-scale events.
That request is reasonable.
Approving festivals before the study is complete risks reinforcing the perception that the venue operates under a different set of expectations than other businesses in the city.
If Franklin’s leaders want to rebuild trust with residents — both inside the city and in neighboring communities — the solution is straightforward.
Review the data.
Hear the mitigation plan.
Then make the decision.
Waiting a few weeks for sound analysis is not an obstacle to progress. It is simply good governance.
After nearly a decade of debate, the question before the council is simple: will the city finally resolve the noise issue with transparency and data, or allow the dispute to continue into another festival season.
This piece reflects the author’s personal opinion and experiences. All statements are presented as commentary protected under the First Amendment. Readers are encouraged to review public records, filings, and documented evidence referenced throughout this article.
Dr. Richard Busalacchi is the Publisher of Franklin Community News, where he focuses on government transparency, community accountability, and local public policy. He believes a community’s strength depends on open dialogue, honest leadership, and the courage to speak the truth—even when it makes powerful people uncomfortable.
đź•Ż️ The solution isn’t another insider in a new office. It’s sunlight, scrutiny, and the courage to vote differently.
Because until voters demand honest, transparent government, the corruption won’t stop — it will only change titles.
Elections have consequences — and Franklin’s next one may decide whether transparency makes a comeback.
đź’¬ If you value hard-hitting, fact-based investigative reporting about our hometown of Franklin — follow Franklin Community News on Facebook.
Together, we can keep local government honest, transparent, and accountable
— for the greater good.
đź’¬ If you value hard-hitting, fact-based investigative reporting about our hometown of Franklin — follow Franklin Community News on Facebook.
Together, we can keep local government honest, transparent, and accountable
— for the greater good.
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