Athens happens, even over the summer months.
Local officials have kept themselves busy during the past four months tending to their duties.
“We still operate with business as usual with all our projects going on in the city,” Athens City Council President Chris Knisely said. “In the past … if there’s something particularly related to students, we try to wait until students return.”
But that hasn’t stopped city officials from moving forward on other projects and addressing certain local issues.
Trash ordinance comes into effect
In July, enforcement began on the controversial “trash ordinance” that was passed in late December.
The ordinance requires that all trash and recyclable containers be hidden from view on the street address side of a residence. Residents face a potential $50 fine if they don’t.
“The first phase of enforcement is really educating people about it,” Knisely said.
{{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="11ee3f5e-a5bd-11e4-a540-a394081fe95c"}}
Commissioners, council members respond to Number Fest complaints
After transportation and safety issues arose during 13Fest in April, Athens residents appeared before city council and the Athens County Commissioners calling for higher regulation of the event.
At the April 27 city council meeting, some citizens recommended upping the police presence at the event, while some suggested annexing the property into the city in order to better regulate it.
The next day, about 20 Athens County residents showed up at the county commissioners’ meeting to express their frustrations.
Commissioner Lenny Eliason said he would be petitioning state legislators to make a change in Ohio Revised Code that would require organizers of events such as Number Fest to receive a permit from the Athens County Sheriff, thus subjecting them to certain regulations. That amendment did not get picked up by the state legislature.
Knisely said no ordinances have come forward planning to annex the property.
Dominic Petrozzi, the owner of the venue and event organizer, has approached the city and the county about ways to improve safety for Country Night Lights festival, a new event that will take place on Sept. 26.
{{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="bf9297a4-0b16-11e5-8a6b-fbe1ee447492"}}
Former sheriff Pat Kelly denied release during appeal
Former Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly, who was sentenced to seven years in prison on 18 counts including theft and corruption, sought to appeal his sentence in April and asked to be released from prison.
Visiting Judge Patricia Cosgrove denied his request, saying Kelly posed a flight risk.
Kelly then appealed to the 4th District Court of Appeals, who also denied the request with a 2-1 vote. The appellate court also claimed Kelly was a flight risk and cited his failure to comply with the court order forbidding him from speaking to the media during the trial, and his unwillingness to turn over his property until the court ordered him to do so.
{{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="5eff8b48-faa1-11e4-9f09-873bac4de9e2"}}
Primary election determines city council candidates
Joan Kraynanski, Jennifer Cochran and Peter Kotses secured the democratic nomination for city council in May after the primary elections.
Kotses secured a plurality of the votes, with 744 votes, or 30 percent of the vote.
Cochran followed with 577 votes, about 23 percent, and Kraynanski received 376 votes, about 15 percent.
The at-large city council race was the only race in the primary that was contested. The Republican contenders for council, Aaron Dauterman and C.J. Fogarty, ran uncontested on their ticket.
Two student candidates drop out of local political races
Although three OU students started out running in this year’s election season, two of those students withdrew from their campaigns this summer.
Andrew Looker dropped out of the race for Athens Mayor in late June, leaving Councilman Steve Patterson, D-At Large, unopposed.
In early July, Fogarty, a junior studying history, dropped out of the race for city council.
Dauterman, a senior studying communication studies, said he has no plans to drop out of the race for council.
“All I can say is that we’re going to see our election through all the way to November,” he said.
@wtperkins
wp198712@ohio.edu
