City Council will pass a one reading resolution thanking City Law Director Pat Lang for his years of service.
Monday night, Athens City Council will bid adieu to a fellow city employee and former councilman.
At council’s weekly meeting at the city building, 8 E. Washington St, Athens City Law Director Pat Lang will occupy his seat in the council chambers for the last time.
He will vacate his office Feb. 9. Lang won his November bid for Athens County Common Pleas Court Judge.
Lang served on city council in 1998, and only served one term. He was the first Ohio University undergraduate student to hold a position on council, Council Clerk Debbie Walker said.
Lang has served as law director since 2008.
The central democratic committee will choose another candidate to fill the empty law director position until this November’s elections.
Athens City Prosecutor Lisa Eliason announced in mid-January that she would be vying for the position. Eliason is currently running unopposed.
Council will be reading a resolution thanking Lang for his service with both creating and amending ordinances and codes.
Also on the agenda is an ordinance moving sidewalk improvement forward with the West Union Street Infrastructure project.
The project will cost a total of about $1.3 million, and includes the roundabout that was installed in the Smith and West Union Street intersection.
The ordinance will allow city workers to continue with the final construction and improvements to sidewalks in the area.
Earlier, council members sent letters regarding fees and assessments associated with the project to the business owners who would be helping cover the cost of sidewalk improvement.
None of the owners contested the letters, Councilwoman Jennifer Cochran, D-At Large, said.
“We’re moving forward with the assessment of fees,” Cochran said.
Cochran also said she hopes “Athens blocks,” an element from the Essence of Athens project, will be incorporated into the improvements. The blocks are already featured in the center of the West Union Street roundabout.
“The engineer has installed some of those Athens blocks into the sidewalks (during the first improvements,” Cochran said.
Council will declare the ordinance an emergency and will attempt to pass it at their meeting.
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