City Council members expressed support for the Bailey’s Mountain Bike Trail System, discussed the residential parking program and changes to parking regulations at Monday night’s meeting.
Council Members expressed support for the Bailey’s Mountain Bike Trail System. The trail will be an 88-mile human powered trail system, and will be the longest trail east of the Mississippi. The path will be available to all skill levels, including hikers and nature watchers. Introduction of the trail will improve the quality of life for all residents in the area, and has the potential to strengthen the economic development by increasing tourism.
An ordinance was also discussed at the meeting to suspend the continuous parking in the same location from December 16, 2018, through midnight on January 1, 2019.
The Emergency Medical Services donated approximately 13.6 acres of land near Kenny Drive. The city would be permitted to build an EMS Station on the property to administer medical services to Athens.
The Residential Pilot Parking Program will be extended for another year. This will allow residents to parking in the same space for 48-hours with a permit.
An easement on Hillcrest Drive was reviewed on first reading. This ordinance will grant a standard highway and utility easement to extend the roadway.
Members also discussed temporarily suspending the fee for parking at metered spaces in the municipal parking garage, excluding the 2-hour parking zones, after 5 p.m. Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13 and all day Dec. 1, 8 and 15 of 2018.
The process of reviewing the Wellhead Protection Plan was discussed on first reading. This change will make the language more precise by moving the report of a spill more immediately in the reading.
