Athens City Council met in committees Monday and discussed the Mount Zion Baptist Church renovations and renewing a contract to upgrade body cameras for Athens Police Department officers.
The Planning and Development Committee touched base on improvements for Mount Zion Baptist Church which was built in 1909 by formerly enslaved and free-born Black Americans and is undergoing renovations by the Mount Zion Baptist Black Cultural Center. Those improvements aim to turn the church that was disbanded in the early 2000s, according to the cultural center’s website, into a center that holds a performance venue and a digital archive of Black history.
The committee received a request for a pull-off for cars to unload passengers who can’t access the parking lot, or access the church by walking farther distances, and be Americans with Disabilities, or ADA, compliant.
A tree would have to be removed, but there are plans in place to replant vegetation closer to the building that is site-appropriate. Councilmember Michael Wood, D-3rd Ward, expressed concern for sidewalk maintenance or accessible sidewalks. Mayor Steve Patterson compared the pull-off from the Methodist Church that is ADA compliant to what the pull-off would look like for Mount Zion Baptist Church.
Councilmember Micah McCarey, D-At Large, clarified the context of the recent rebranding of the Black cultural center that was formerly known as the Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society.
“The Mount Zion Baptist Church, which is commonly known as M on the agenda, you'll see Mount Zion Black Cultural Center,” McCarey said. “(It) represents a recent rebranding that's part of the renovation project folks have likely heard about their donation opportunities to support that and the support of this they'll find Black Cultural Center is one of the goals of our Athens 2040 Comprehensive Plan and the diversity and inclusion section.”
The Finance and Personnel Committee discussed an ordinance to authorize the service safety director to renew a five-year contract with Axon Enterprise Inc., to upgrade body-worn cameras and tasers for the Athens Police Department. Patterson shared his opinion on the necessity of body-worn cameras.
“Our police department … would all agree that having the body-worn cameras is an absolute necessity in this day and age when it comes to being able to have footage that can go back and be reviewed,” Patterson said. “I'll speak for our police department that is proven to be very useful when there are questions about incidents that have occurred.”
The Athens Planning and Development Committee also discussed a property asking for a special permit to replace an existing balcony above Courtside Pizza. The concern for the balcony was how wide the right of way is for the city.
Councilmember and chair of the Planning and Development Committee Alan Swank, D-4th Ward, said putting the permission into place would stop the processes before building.
“We have a situation down on E. State Street where some significant structures have been built that have greatly impacted the neighborhood, on the city right of way without permission and this council acting on it,” Swank said.
