At its weekly meeting, Athens City Council will vote to authorize construction on the East Washington Street parking garage, a project expected to be financed by a meter fees hike.
Nearly two months after watching a presentation on the East Washington parking garage’s state of disrepair, Athens City Council will likely authorize reparations at its Monday night meeting.
The repairs are estimated to cost $1.9 million, which includes structural repairs as well as installing a new elevator system, replacing an almost 45-year-old model. The current elevator was installed in 1970, when the garage was built.
The typical life of an elevator system is 30 years, said Robbie Comeruca, an engineer with Burgess & Niple — the company contracted to undertake garage repairs.
Council members are also slated to introduce an ordinance to issue up to $2 million in bonds to pay for construction. Council members will likely be voting on this ordinance as well. Council plans to vote to raise parking fees in the garage to 75 cents an hour from 50 cents.
The garage generates about $288,000 in revenue a year from meter fees and rent fess for cellular towers atop the structure, Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said, adding that about $200,000 of that goes toward annual maintenance.
The city projects $139,000 of meter fee revenue this year without the raised price, Wiehl said.
Council President Chris Knisely said that would not be enough to cover the loan.
“We’re hoping that these increases will pay for (the loan),” Knisely said.
With the increases, officials hope that the garage will generate about $220,000 in parking fees a year.
Council members will also consider making official the position of chief city prosecutor, which prosecutor Tracy Meek has filled unofficially for more than a month.
Law Director Lisa Eliason previously served in this same unofficial capacity before being appointed law director in February.
A 2003 Ohio University graduate, Meek was hired as a legal intern at the city prosecutor’s office in 2004. In 2007, she was hired full time as a prosecutor. Meek’s duties would include supervising other prosecutors as well as assisting the law director with every day duties.
The chief prosecutor would retain the same pay as a city prosecutor though, Eliason said.
@emilybohatch
eb346012@ohio.edu
