Athens City Council met Monday night to discuss the public hearing on the Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG, after passing an ordinance in the spring to enter into the program.
There are currently two public lift stations in the Columbus Road Corridor and one private lift station on Theatre Lane.
The city has allocated funds for the upgrades. Hocking-Athens Perry Community Action, or HAPCAP, is applying for a $500,000 grant to help cover the project's $2 million cost.
Nathan Simons, Community Development Coordinator at HAPCAP said lift stations help keep the sewer system working in areas with differing elevations.
“A lift station is an important part of the sewer system,” Simons said. “There are different grades for sewers due to elevation…Lift stations help bring those up and keep them moving through the system and raise them through various elevations.”
The infrastructure improvement would improve capacity and would thus provide additional housing and development.
The public hearing was closed, followed by Micah McCarey, Councilmember At-Large, who noted that the International Day of Peace is Sept. 21.
The Division of Diversity and Inclusion is leading a committee of Make Respect Visible Week activities that will culminate on Sept. 21 in Schoonover 145 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
“We encourage all members of the public to attend this free event and to commemorate the importance of peace and respect across differences in our community,” McCarey said.
Following this, Athens Mayor Steve Patterson noted the recent events that Springfield, Ohio, has been through.
According to Patterson, Springfield, Ohio, has endured intense threats following former President Donald Trump's statements in the debate on Sept. 10.
Patterson met with the Mayor and City Manager of Springfield, as well as mayors from cities such as Dayton, Dublin, Cincinnati, Akron and Toledo.
“The meeting was really coming together in solidarity with everything that Springfield is having to manage at this point in time,” Patterson said. “Words from anybody, especially someone who has some level of power, is powerful. It can also be divisive, and it can be dangerous.”
Springfield schools are closing because of the various threats being made, and firefighters and officers are continuously dispatched to respond to such threats.
“Recognizing the number of threats that the city of Springfield has been enduring lately…is truly disturbing,” Patterson said.
Patterson said mayors across the U.S. will continue to stand by Springfield and all cities working to responsibly address an increased number of migrants without losing sight of their shared humanity.
“Cities protect other cities,” Patterson said.
The Council moved on to discuss an ordinance to update Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, guidelines.
Patterson discussed his monthly meeting with Ohio University President Lori Stewart-Gonzalez to discuss various issues.
“At the end of the day, President Lori Stewart Gonzalez was fine with graduation weekend being included as a DORA weekend,” Patterson said.
The Council then discussed the accessibility of Athens, bringing passionate speakers from the community.
David McNelly, Chair of the Commission on Disabilities, discussed his difficulties finding affordable and accessible housing in Athens.
“When I was moving to Athens, I tried to find affordable and accessible housing in Athens, and couldn’t do it,” McNelly said.
McNelly further discussed crosswalks used by many Athens residents; however, these crosswalks are extremely difficult to use for those with disabilities or in wheelchairs.
McNelly said the crosswalk on Court Street and Union Street was redone six years ago without any curb cuts, which did not meet ADA guidelines.
“I get stuck on that crosswalk at least once a month,” McNelly said. “I’m hearing that people with disabilities, as I’ve heard consistently, do not come uptown because it’s not accessible.”
McNelly expressed that this is a current systemic failure and urged the Council to put this not just into a resolution but into legislation.
“We need to get this done,” McNelly said. “We need to have a plan.”
