During their Tuesday meeting, Athens City Council members discussed vacation hours, Halloween and bike path plans.
According to a memo sent out by members of the Athens City Auditor’s office, city employees might find themselves without any vacation time after Oct. 3.
Ohio University professor and self-proclaimed “mostly-retired” lawyer Robert Shostak spoke at Tuesday night’s city council meeting on behalf of many concerned city employees, though he is not one.
“These employees bank this time for contingencies in the future, which are unforeseen. If they’re lucky enough … they can use the time in some other productive manner,” Shostak said. “They don’t take this time, they work.”
Shostak called on council not to allow a dismissal of acquired vacation time.
“You need to put a stay in effect to stop any potential action,” he said.
With only a three-minute limit for all citizens to address the council, Shostak joked earlier at the meeting that “I receive more time at the Supreme Court than I do at this city council meeting.”
Despite being cut short by the buzzer, Shostak continued, concluding his address.
“All I ask is that you treat the employees right,” he said.
Council members will revisit the issue Oct. 12, during a committee meeting, Councilman Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, said.
City council also fielded concerns from local business owner Barbara Stout, owner of Athens Underground, 90 N. Court St.
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Stout’s dissension stemmed from the annual Athens Uptown Business Association Trick or Treat being scheduled on the Monday preceding the Halloween Block Party.
Stout maintained that it's a peak business week for Athens Underground.
“I am a Halloween-based business. I will make more money in one day during the week leading to Halloween than in the entire month of June,” Stout said. “I have no other choice but to shut down due to traffic issues. I can’t have kids running down the stairs into my business.”
In previous years, trick or treat has been held the Monday following the Halloween Block Party, Stout said.
“I love little kids in costumes. I will give money for an event at the community center,” she said. “This is a small but significant detail, and it is killing my business.”
This year, though, city officials petitioned the Athens Uptown Business Association to host the festivities during the same week as the Halloween Block Party.
“We asked to have Halloween (events) all in one week,” Service-Safety Director Paula Horan-Moseley said.
Horan-Moseley said city officials reached out to the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, who approved the original Oct. 26th date.
Despite setting a date for the event, Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, said the date is not set in stone.
“This is only the first reading, there is still time to make changes,” Papai said.
Another project discussed at Tuesday night's meeting was the Columbus Road Bike Path Spur.
After commissioning two unsuccessful bids, the city has one bid under review, Papai said.
The project is slated to cost an estimated $2.3 million. The city received $600,000 in grant money from ODOT, along with $1.3 million in federal money, she said.
The ordinance passed, and construction will move forward as soon as a bid is approved.
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