Athens City Council met on Monday to discuss an ordinance that would authorize the Service-Safety Director Andrew Stone to enter into a contract for the construction of the new fire headquarters and to suspend the rules on an ordinance amending the 2022 appropriations.
Councilmember Micah McCarey, D-At Large, said section one of the ordinance authorizes Stone to contract with the lowest and best bidder to construct the new fire headquarters. Section two of the ordinance would appropriate $8.4 million to the safety services fire fund and $600,000 to the capital improvements fire fund. Section three of the ordinance authorizes Stone to spend up to $10.2 million.
McCarey said Council does not yet have a fully executed purchase agreement for the land but will have it before the third reading.
Councilmember Sam Crowl, D-3rd Ward, said the amendments to the original appropriation ordinance would appropriate over $143,000 to the street rehabilitation fund from the unappropriated balance fund. It also allows the appropriation of $550,000 to the medical insurance fund to cover 2022 medical costs.
Crowl said the rules needed to be suspended in order for the bills to be paid immediately.
The rules were suspended, and the ordinance was approved.
