Athens City Council adopted a resolution Monday in support of the National League of Cities, or NLC, Leading Together Cities Agenda for the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
That agenda asks that the President adopts the priorities of building a sustainable infrastructure, creating a skilled workforce, ending housing instability and homelessness and reducing gun violence within the first 100 days of the new administration.
Councilman Peter Kotses, D-At Large, said Ohio is ranked 42nd out of the 50 states in how well it addresses homelessness.
Mayor Steve Patterson is a member of the Presidential Candidate Taskforce for NLC.
“We’ve been working really hard on trying to get this before the (presidential) candidates and get them to commit,” Patterson said.
Patterson also reminded Council and the audience of the upcoming 2020 Census.
“It’s Census 2020 time … we really need for everyone to be counted, that includes our entire Ohio University student body,” Patterson said.
Councilwoman Sarah Grace, D-At Large, said college students are to be counted where they are for the census, meaning that all university students should be counted at their university address.
Council also approved the appointment of the new Poet Laureate for Athens, Wendy McVicker, who was introduced to Council at a previous meeting.
“Welcome and thanks to Wendy McVicker for all the work I know she will be eager to do for the community,” Council President Chris Knisely said.
