Despite students being gone for the summer, Athens City Council chooses to focus on new legislation.
After finishing exams and bidding farewell to graduating seniors, Ohio University students abandoned several pieces of furniture on the curbs of Athens while packing up to head home for the summer, but one organization managed to salvage some.
The Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers picked up about 300 mattresses from the mass move-out, Athens Mayor Steve Patterson said at the weekly city council meeting, adding that the unwanted mattresses would have ended up at a landfill instead.
Athens City Council also voted to appropriate $250,000 for city-wide, uniform recycling carts. The money will purchase about 3,500 carts for Athens residents, as well as 500 to 1,000 carts to be "in reserve."
Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, who proposed the ordinance, said in the past the City of Athens has been at the forefront of progress in terms of recycling, adding that the legislation would be a "step in the right direction" to get back there.
Councilman Pat McGee, I-At Large, said he felt "torn" on the issue.
"I consider myself an environmentalist," McGee said. "(But) in the long run, I don't see this as a good deal for the city."
McGee said the city could also spend the money on road maintenance. Earlier in the meeting, he said many residents were “vehement” about the city’s road conditions.
However, Patterson said the money stems from a fund that can be spent exclusively on garbage and recycling.
"It's in excess of $1.2 million," Patterson said. "We can’t transfer it out to repair roads or buy new playground equipment for the community center."
The money is accumulated through fees paid for trash collection and recycling by residents, he said.
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Amendments to the bed-and-breakfast ordinance, proposed by Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-3rd Ward, were revisited, but Fahl decided council should wait before moving forward with the measure.
Athens City Council hosted the initial public hearing on bed-and-breakfasts Nov. 23. The City Planning Commission had recommended redefining the term "bed-and-breakfast" in the Athens City Code, and city council wanted input from the public before drafting legislation, according to a previous Post report.
Fahl said she would consult with Athens City Planner Paul Logue again and seek another recommendation from the Planning Commission.
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