Eight candidates for Athens City Council spoke out at the Ohio University Student Senate meeting last night in an attempt to garner student support.
Council hopefuls discussed the uptown Athens environment, housing codes and relations between city council and the OU student body.
Candidate Carol Patterson, a longtime teacher at Athens High School, said her main goal is to offer students a safe
clean and attractive place to live. She said this would lead to improvements in trash collection, housing and city water.
Philip Roush, an OU political science student and 3rd-Ward candidate, said Athens growth is inevitable. We can handle sustainable growth if it's carefully planned he said.
Housing quality is a priority for Nancy Bain, an OU geography professor and 18-year council member. Bain advocated improved housing inspections and prohibiting shared utilities.
Mike Bir, another student candidate, cited fire safety as a major issue and said he would work to distribute more information to tenants. He also said recycling instructions should come with rental permits.
Dale Tampke, an incumbent councilman and OU assistant vice president for administration, said the council-student relationship is very important. Financially, he said he wants council to be a prudent steward of the resources you all give us.
Candidate Sarah Sexton, an OU political science major from Athens, said a good way to connect students to the city is via the city's Web site and by inviting students to council meetings. The council makes decisions that affect our daily lives she said.
The candidates also voiced their views on protecting small-business owners in Athens. Business owners love the small community
said incumbent Jim Sands, a business owner. The council provides a forum and a leadership position to combine the two.
Candidates said they plan to lead Athens forward for future OU students.
Incumbent Edward Baum, an OU professor of public administration, said council wants to get a sense of where Athens is going as a community. He said the quality of life is what makes living in Athens worthwhile. It's the ability to integrate big-city entertainment
education and diversity with small-town charm
he said.
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Jenny Bonnar
