City Council discussed its new credit card policy during Tuesday night’s meeting.
The new policy makes it clear what council members can and cannot buy with their city-issued credit cards. Some prohibited purchases include alcoholic beverages and personal expenses, Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, said.
Council still needs to decide on a designee who will oversee credit accounts and policies. Originally, the office of president pro-tempe was to hold this position. However, it has been decided that the office could not act in that capacity, Mayor Steve Patterson said.
The deadline for an official credit card policy falls in early February and the ordinance still has one more reading. The policies will need to be in place by then, Councilman Jeffrey Risner, D-2nd Ward, said.
“We’re running out of time to get this passed,” Risner said.
Two bridge painting projects were proposed at last week’s city council meeting. Now, two more bridge painting projects might be taking place.
The two additional bridges the Ohio Department of Transportation wants to add are on U.S Route 33, Councilman Peter Kotses, D-At Large, said.
The Ohio Department of Transportation would cover all of the associated costs and would be doing all of the work within Athens city limits.
One of the bridges is the Hocking River bridge, Kotses said.
Mayor Patterson also discussed the city obtaining another grant from the Northeastern Ohio Public Energy Council.
The Energized Community Grant was also received by the city last year. It was used to obtain solar lighting for the bus shelters on East State Street. This year, the grant will be used in a different way, but still must involve energy.
“We’re in the process of thinking of other ways we could utilize this grant,” Patterson said.
Ideas include generators and LED lights. There is a need for a new generation in the city building, Patterson said.
