Service-Safety Director Paula Horan-Moseley expressed her dismay at the growing number of "Back to the Future contraptions" in Athens and the Athens Police Department is looking to widen the age range of its new recruits.
Hoverboarders may be forced to roll out of Athens in the near future.
Athens Service-Safety Director Paula Horan-Moseley proposed a more explicit ban on "electric personal assistive mobility devices" used for recreational purposes. Horan-Moseley said those devices congest pedestrian pathways.
“We have multiple business openings and entrances that are already challenging for somebody in a wheelchair, not to mention somebody who is just walking through there,” Horan-Moseley said.
Restrictions on mobility devices are in place for the majority of sidewalks uptown, she added.
“These hoverboard-type scooters and other things that are occurring are racing down in and amongst people, and that’s why we have those restrictions,” Horan-Moseley said.
Athens City Human Resources Director Jennifer Galbraith also brought forth concerns before city council, asking for a change in policy on behalf of the Athens Police Department.
Currently, an individual must be between the ages of 21 and 35 to be hired in as a patrol officer, she said.
“We are finding that is limiting,” Galbraith said. “We’d like to extend the upper range from 35 to 40.”
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Councilman Steve Patterson, D-At Large and mayor-elect, said he “highly supports something like this.”
“Having served 23 years (in the military), I know there are so many great people coming out around 38 or so,” Patterson said.
Raising the upper age range could allow not only ex-military officers into APD, but also police officers from other communities that may have just moved to Athens, Galbriath said.
City council also discussed potential changes to the American Electric Power contract the company holds with the city.
Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward, said the Planning and Development Committee is considering a one year renewal with the company.
Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said the one year renewal being considered has not always been the norm.
“This is usually a 25-year extension,” Wiehl said. “We haven’t had as many complaints as we’ve had in the past.”
Fahl said this may be because Athens residents expressed their unhappiness with the company after multiple outages in some parts of town.
“They saw that we were displeased and thinking of changing the contract radically,” Fahl said
Athens may also find some of its electrical boxes wrapped in some "Athens-themed" art soon.
With an $11,000 budget, the Athens Municipal Arts Commission has chosen the art from 10 local artists to display on electrical boxes throughout the city.
Each artist was awarded $500 and the rest of the money will be spent on the cost of the wraps themselves.
Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, said the wraps are part of the effort to reduce graffiti, called Targeting Area Graffiti.
"We hope (the wraps) will reduce – if not eliminate – graffiti," Papai said. "And they're cool to look at."
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