Athens City Council met Monday evening to discuss the use of the Welcome Home Ohio Program funds and the diversion program coordinator position.
Before the official session began, the Council held a public meeting where it listened to the complaints of the residents at Pomeroy Road about the multifamily rental housing units being built by Spire Development.
The official session began with communications from city officials.
Mayor Steve Patterson shared Athens recently received the 2024 Gold Level Encouraging Environmental Excellence in Communities Award from the Ohio Economic Development Association.
The award is given to communities that go above and beyond regarding environmental protections and have significant achievements in improving Ohio's environment through economic, social and environmental sustainability projects.
Next, Patterson said he received a message from the Attorney General's Office about anticipations to preemptively pledge to President Donald Trump’s immigration laws for sanctuary cities.
“We are not a sanctuary city,” Patterson said. “We are a welcoming city, but I imagine any language to that effect will be scrutinized.”
Finally, Patterson promoted an initiative he is working on through his role at the National League of Cities to help small cities efficiently manage and implement any federal grants they have received.
The Council then discussed city ordinances on their third reading.
Council Member Solveig Spjeldnes, D-1st Ward, introduced Ordinance 0-01-25, which will amend Ordinance 14-24. The ordinance will improve street signals on East State Street.
Councilmember Beth Clodfelter, D-At Large, said the project will help improve air pollution by causing cars to be idle at lights for less time. The project will eventually utilize AI to recognize when driver patterns make the light most optimal.
The project will have a budget of $879,658 provided by the small city Ohio Department of Transportation and street funds. The ordinance was voted on and unanimously approved.
Councilmember Alan Swank, D-4th Ward, introduced the next ordinance, 0-02-25, which allowed the Service-Safety Director Andy Stone to make a development service agreement with Community Building Partners and a purchasing program grant agreement through the Welcome Home Ohio program.
In November, Athens was previously awarded around $2 million in funds from the Welcome Home Ohio program. The funds will be used to build eight owner houses which people can purchase. The vote to approve the project was unanimous and the first phase of the project will now begin.
Ordinance 0-03-25 was then introduced by the Finance and Personnel Committee to allow the mayor to enter into a contract extension until the end of 2027 with the Athens County Economic Development Council to provide financial support. The mayor will be allowed to use $65,000 annually. The ordinance was passed unanimously.
Next, the Council discussed ordinances on their second read.
Ordinance 0-06-25, which would allow for the rezoning of the 8.237-acre parcel on Pomeroy Road to create 50 rental housing units, was brought up again. Swank said the ordinance will not be voted on until the next meeting Feb. 18.
Other highlights include the discussion of accepting bids for the city’s annual purchasing of water softening salt and a request by Ohio University’s International Student Union to close a portion of East Union Street on April 5 for the International Street Fair.
