City Council - Regular Meeting

Welcome to Athens City Council. This evening we will be meeting in council committees. The meeting will be called to order by the city council president who will then pass discussion over to a respective committee. The chair of the committee will introduce the discussion topics and provide an overview of the issues at hand. If needed, members of the administration will offer brief statements to provide further context. We will then welcome input from the community. Any citizens who wish to speak will be asked to state their name and address both verbally and on the signin sheet located at the podium. Individuals will be given one opportunity to share their thoughts and the committee chair will have the authority to limit each speaker to three minutes. Once all citizens have had the opportunity to speak within the 15minute time period allotted for total public participation on each topic, the public comment portion will be closed. Council committee members will then continue their deliberations. There may be additional questions directed to the administration during this time. When the discussion on the topic concludes, the chair will indicate whether legislation will be introduced at the next regular session of council and move on to the next item on the agenda or adjourn the committee if their work is complete. The next committee chair will then call their committee to order, proceeding in the same manner as before. Once all committees have adjourned, city council will conclude for the evening.

Good evening and welcome to Athens City Council. Today is Monday, March 23rd, and we are in session tonight for a committee meeting. We are going to begin the meeting tonight with a committee of the whole and we will have a presentation from Hapcap and Ben Zip. Floor is yours.

All right. Well, come on up then. My my long journey from right there to over here. Well, hello. Thank you all for having me here. Really appreciate it. It's been a minute since I've been here and uh since the last time I was here to speak to folks, there are definitely some new faces. So, we felt it would be fairly prudent to just come give a fairly brief presentation. I'll keep it short as best I can. I tend to pratt on, but that's why I have slides. Uh, so then if anybody has any questions about anything like that, we'll have some time to discuss some of that if you have anything that you need answered or whatever. So, we've got a presentation. Hooray. And, uh, I'm assuming people can see it. Oh, yep. There it is. All righty. Half cap transportation. Yeehaw. That's us. Wab. Bam. Starting off with just a that's a little overview of of 2025. We traveled two a little over two million miles. Uh and just to paint a picture for that, that's not just Athens public transportation. That includes Athens public transit, Athens on Demand, GO Bus, and Logan Public Transit. So that is the total mileage from that. Go bus obviously is our biggest heavy hitter on mileage. They had I think 1.1 million. Uh so good job to them. Our total trips provided 56,956. That's pretty dang cool. That's a lot of trips. That's a lot of public transit use. People not having to use a car or maybe they're not able to and they have this service there for them. Got I'm not going to go through and read every single number. You can see it. There it is in front of you. Uh we'll keep tracking along here. Athens Public Transit. It's a fixed bus route. If you've seen them, they're the buses. They're driving around. They say Athens Public Transit on them. They they stand out from regularized cars because they are buses. Um we've got six routes currently in the county. Uh throughout those those areas we serve Athens, the Plains, Chanse, Nelsonville, and Albany. Yes, it is still Monday through Friday. No, that's

not changing anytime soon. Yes, I wish I could say that it was, but I can't. I'm sorry. um wrership for that. Uh another uh really really bangup job for a year, 343,000 uh for 2025. Uh the best that AP ever had writership wise was almost half a million. That was in 2019. That's when we still had Saturday service as well as an additional line. The and obviously 2020 co everything we dropped down to about 190. So we've been pulling our way back up. And to me, the fact that we're already at 343,000 without Saturday service, I think is pretty awesome. Uh, so they're doing a really great job out there. Athens on Demand, it is on demand. Um, it is a curb to curb transportation service. You register for a ride with them. You call them, they will come pick you up and take you where you need to go in Athens County. Uh, we've made a couple of changes to how we do that. I know a lot of times I hear a lot of feedback from people saying that I'm never able to get in. I can't book a ride. And I hear you. Like they had a really really intense waiting list almost. They were regularly booked almost a week and a half, sometimes two weeks out. Uh so we've changed our style a little bit. And what we're going to be doing now is instead of that sort of like white glove one:1 service, we're going to be treating it more like an actual ride share. So if we have four people in roughly the same geographic region who need to go to roughly the same geographic region within an hour of each other, we'll pick up 1 2 3 4 and then drop off 1 2 3 4. So that one vehicle can service four different passengers instead of just one single uh which is significantly more uh efficient. Uh it's Monday through Friday as well, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and they did a little over 17,000 trips which was pretty cool. Good job to them. Keep on plugging. What's new in Athens? Well, some of it's new, some of it's not. Funding and staffing are a problem.

Shock. Nobody saw this coming except for everyone. Um, doing our best, but it's hard to find CDL drivers for one. Um, we can't pay the rates that maybe like a long haul trucking company can. And with our insurance setup, uh, we all of our CDL drivers have to have two years of passenger experience as well, which can be a bit of a barrier. Um, we're usually able to work with folks and we can slowly but surely get them there, but it takes time. Uh, we've got the real-time GPS tracking. Pasio Go. If you're not familiar with it, just passo.com. It's just a live bus tracker. Shows you exactly where the bus is, which is pretty dang convenient. Uh, and we're making improvements to our bus shelters and stops. We've already done our bus shelters. We uh last year in the fall, we added full system maps uh and signage to all of the shelters, all seven of those. And in the coming months, probably sometime the beginning of summer, uh it'll be me good driving around uh and we're going to be having uh actual signage at every single one of our stops. So, whenever you see an Athens public transit, the little, you know, like 12 by 15, whatever it is sign up there, we're going to have another sign about, I think it's gonna be about 17 by 22 and it's going to be specific for the route that that person is on. So, if I go to a stop on East State Street, it will have the map of lines two and lines three, which are the lines that service that area. will tell me and we're going to hand sticker I'm going to hand sticker all of these different signs at each individual stop so that you know what time the bus will be at your stop. So if you don't have a smartphone, if you don't have a schedule in front of you, you if you go to a bus stop, you'll be able to see, hey, I'm here. I know that line two will be here at 34 past the hour and line three will be here at 4 the hour. Just trying to give riders a little bit more like confidence and sort of building that trust. You know, it's one thing to just sort of have a stop on a piece of paper, but you're sort of standing there like, I think this is a stop, but there's a stop with real signage and all that. It just it helps people with that, which is nice.

Big thing. Uh, I've had a lot of questions about it. And yes, fairs are going to stay free until April of 2027 thanks to Amera Health Keratas. Hooray. They have decided to reup with us. Um they have given us another $150,000 again and uh it's completely fair free for uh Athens public transit and Athens on demand for a whole year for anybody which is awesome. I won't go on a long tangent here but I mean you often hear about like oh it's only a dollar. It's a dollar to get there. It's a dollar to get back. And if you don't have very much money in your pocket and you need to ride the bus that can be a real hindrance. I work with people all the time who are dealing with really really brutal abject poverty and they don't have that dollar. They don't have it. They just don't have it. And this service, I mean, having it fair free has been a gamecher for a huge number of our of our of our neighbors and community members. It's it's been awesome. Go Bus, hooray. It's the the rural inner city bus system for the state of Ohio. It's the only one Ohio's got. Uh it's not the only one in the country, but it's the only Go Bus in the country. There is also go buses. Uh unfortunately, uh Rachel who works the phone for us gets a call a lot. I hear her very often in the office. No, we're go bus. You're looking for go buses. Sorry about that. So, we do they do our best. Uh we go all over the place and the big thing for them is they're expanding right at the bottom. They've expanded. Haha. We've added four new lines where we now have lines going from Toledo uh to Cincinnati, Toledo to Columbus, Toledo all the way over to Ashtabula, and then Columbus out to Pittsburgh. And all of the little small stops along the way. I think I had it on the other one there. That number there on the third line, go bus stops at 63 cities and towns across Ohio. Uh used to read go bus stops at 39 cities and towns across Ohio. So, it is it's almost doubling our service, which is pretty dang cool. Uh we've had one service

provider uh for a number of years, Baron's Bus. Now we have Baron's Bus as well as Cardinal. Uh and they both seem to be doing just a real bangup job. So go them. Yeah, Go Bus. They had about 123,000 trips last year. Uh the highest the highest uh sort of percentage of who uses Go Bus. Number one, it's OU students far and away. They're definitely the number one. Number two is actually the Amish. Uh we have a huge ID uh Idish Amish writership uh which is pretty cool. Uh and as a reminder go bus is for everybody. A I think sometimes people think it is a university thing but it's not. Uh anybody can use go bus and they are I will throw this out there with this expansion they are looking to expand their ghost rider program. So if you're willing to take a survey on there and report back to them you can either do a paper one or one on your phone. Uh they will get you a comp ticket. Uh so you can give them a call if you'd like to go somewhere on go bus and fill out a survey. Yeehaw. Yep. There's the expansion. Look at that big old map. I did not think to bring one with me, but we have these new pamphlets. Uh, and they're the size of a road atlas. They're huge. It unfolds and then it keeps unfolding and then it unfolds again. It's a full twoft by three foot, but it's the whole map. It looks pretty cool. Uh, so yeah. Going all over the place. Heck yeah. Go bus. And there we have it. See, I got through that pretty fast. What is it? Okay, it's 7:12. Not that fast. I tried. You did well.

Yeah. Questions. I hear people talking about public transit and finance and stuff all the time. So, if you have questions, throw them at me and if I can answer them, then by golly, I will. Any questions from members? Member Spike. Yeah, I would be curious. Uh, this fair free thing is good. I was one of those people had a blue card which allows me to get on for 50 cents, but 50 cents is 50 cents. Um because um anybody can ride Athens public transit, is the university still um helping fund your operation? And if they are, to what degree?

So they are. Uh so the way that we've tried to set it up is that if you are an Athens community member, we will give you an Athens community pass. Uh it's a little red, white, and blue thing. Athens community pass public transit. And U students, faculty, and staff still show their Bobcat ID. Uh our drivers mark that down. And then the university reimbures us 90 cents on the dollar for each one of those up to $90,000 which we have not hit. Not yet. Last year we got close. But yeah, um last year when you talked to us you mentioned that you thought we might need an increase in wrership to get the money renewed from that foundation that gives you the money. Did we get that?

We did. We went up from about 303,000 to 343,000. Uh so a pretty substantial increase in writership. Um, and we we've been tracking it. We track it every month, obviously. Um, and there was as soon as it within two months of becoming fair free, there was I think it was a 17% jump in writership, which was kind of shocking, honestly. I didn't think it'd be that big. Uh, but it was, which was pretty darn cool. Um, I think writership would have been even higher if it wasn't for all this pesky snow uh, and level 3es that we had this year. uh we had to cancel service a few times, but looking back at the the hours, sort of comparing the number of hours we spent on the road for this January to the last one, it was noticeably less. I think it was like 32% less because of the having to cancel lines and the snow and everything, but wrership was only decreased 16%. So, it was still, I think, on the whole up from where it would have been. So, we definitely got that, which is cool. Did you notice an increase on any of the particular lines or any or on any particular areas of the city where you notice that increase?

Yeah, so our our biggest one is definitely line three. Line two and three, especially three for some reason. They they do the same thing essentially. Uh but they're they're staggered by a half hour. Line three connects with all the other lines at the top of the hour. Line two gets to Baker Center at the half hour. Those two lines have been very very busy. very busy to the point where we have standing room only to the point where the bus is completely full and people can't get on. Um so how we are addressing that uh what a wonderful segue. Thank you for the the excellent question council member Isherwood. Um we applied for the state of Ohio's workforce mobility uh grant and we were awarded the funds to purchase a uh 28 passenger 30 it's either a 30 or a 35 foot I think it's a 30 foot bus. Um, so we got that funding and we have paid the local match on that which is 40,000 for that but we we we have that in the transit reserve. So that bus will be going onto line three and then another fund boon for us um is that when we every year we have to reapply to ODOT. Every year we go back and we tell ODOT you know please can we have some more dollars from you? Can we have more dollars from the FDA? And so far they keep saying yes. Thank you ODOT. Uh but we also apply for new vehicles and generally when we apply for new vehicles we have to pay a 20% local match on those. This year for whatever reason uh they had uh they used to be called toll credits. Um it was an FTA thing, a federal government thing. Um and they had some extra of that sitting around apparently. Um so we did not have to pay any of the local match on our five new vehicles that we're getting. We're getting uh a second 28 passenger bus. um a standard size one and then three minivans uh for the on demand services. And so that's going to save us close to 100 when I have it written down here. It's gonna save us $126,734, which is pretty darn cool. Yeah, I've got all these budget numbers if people want budget numbers, but uh that's that's your personal preference.

That's transit, y'all. Wheels on the bus, they go round and round. Heck yeah. Okay. Um, do you let the social service agencies know that the fairs are free and ask them to tell their people?

Yes. Yes. So, um, one through, uh, just emailing people and saying, "Hey, yes, don't worry, please. It's free. Tell people about it." But I also run a quarterly meeting, the transit advisory committee meeting. Um, and a lot of those folks come to that. And so that always gets disseminated to them as well. Um, yeah, we we we've been pushing pretty hard on the publicity. If you go on to Hapcap's website, you can find it there. You can subscribe to to Val's resource Wednesday email. It's pretty darn excellent. It's got all the stuff that's going on at Hapcap every single week. Highly recommend. Uh but yeah, we do we I think we do a good job of of letting folks know. We've seen a over 40,000 increase in writership. So I think

any other questions from members of council uh mayor's administration acting mayor

just that we greatly appreciate our ongoing partnership with Hapcap just two two points for mainly education for primarily the new council members but just a reminder for for the um previous folks. So, the way that the city of Athens subsidizes and basically helps fund the the transit operation is through 1% of the income tax mix of items that that um are not part of a designated levy. So, you know, the street rehab levy, the community center levy, the public safety capital levy. Um those come off the top and then what's remaining is of the income tax. 1% of what's remaining um is what goes into our transportation fund which is fund 214. Um, last year that was roughly $155,000. When we look at this year's 2026 uh forecast that the auditor put in place, they put $145,000 conservatively. But just like when we talk about the money that the city puts towards this endeavor, it's basically that and we have a contract with HAPCAP to operate the the public transit system um with the city's local match being that that amount. And then as as Ben said, you know, they go to the ODOT and they ask for both state and federal funds for, you know, a significant amount of money to be able to operate the system. Uh that's the one point. The other point that I wanted to make is um they're still moving slowly but still moving towards construction of a new cityowned um but halfcap operated bus maintenance facility which will be on Herald Drive. So, um, Herald Drive, the or Herald Avenue, rather, the, um, the extension of Herald Avenue that went through from West 8 Street to to West Union Street. Um, that area that we refer to as the bottom. Um, that site right there is the site where the bus maintenance facility will get replaced with a with a a federal grant that, you know, gradually is going through the wickets of of moving. Um, the items that we currently use that for for storage will go to our new facility on Kenny Drive. And so there's a series of and

we're going to talk later tonight about other things that are moving to Kenny Drive. And so when we talk about pieces and this is stuff that we've been doing over, you know, half a decade at this point. And so sometimes we lose sight of some of those moves, but I wanted to bring both of those two things up. So thank you.

Yeah. And just to tag on to what Director Stone said, uh, incredibly appreciative of the and what u mayor pro 10, is that the term? Yeah. McCary said, the partnership between us and the city of Athens is amazing. uh that that funding is crucial to us being able to provide the services that that we are able to provide. So big thank you. Also, just on a selfish note, super stoked about this new facility because once it's there, my bike my bike commute every day will be 2 minutes. I mean, oh, it's the dream. Oh, yeah. Anyway,

you still keep fighting for those free fairs and if you no longer need the bus system. Well, unfortunately, I'm not able to use the bus to get to work because I work in Glouster. And it's not about what's good for me, it's about what's good for the community. So, I will always be fighting for that here and at a state level. Side note, I'm also the the vice president of mobility management for the Ohio Public Transit Association. So, I do a lot of stuff up at the state house, uh, talking with legislators, trying to convince them that public transit matters and they should give money to it. And sometimes it works, sometimes it don't. But that's okay. Stone stole my thunder. Do we have any questions or comments from the uh audience?

All right. Anything else? Thanks for having me. Thanks for coming. A pleasure. Thank you. Congrats on having free fairs again another year. Big win, baby. Great. All right. Uh moving on to planning and development committee which is chaired by member Swank and joined by members Amida, Isherwood and Thomas. The floor is yours.

Oh yeah. If members that are not on that committee would like to sit in the audience that would be great. All righty. We have uh five items on the planning development committee agenda this evening. Uh the first involves the conveyance of city property on Hudson Avenue uh as part of the welcome home Ohio program. Uh for those of you not familiar with Hut Hudson Avenue, if you're on East State Street in front of Bob Evans headed towards town, the first street you come to is home. The next street is Lraine and the third is Hudson. Um it is a deadend street so there's no through traffic through there. So that's but that's where Hudson Avenue is. Um I'm just going to very briefly read uh a paragraph and then turn this over to Director Stone uh for a brief explanation of uh what we're doing here in terms of the transfer of property and why we are doing it the way that we are doing it. Uh, this is going to involve an ordinance authorizing the conveyance of a surplus city-owned parcel on Hudson Avenue to Community Building Partners LLC and furtherance of the Welcome Home Ohio grant program and authorizing the mayor to execute all related documents and declaring an emergency. Um, Director Stone, it's yours.

Thank you, sir.

So, for those of you who are familiar at the end of Hudson Street, there's a city-owned building uh and then a city-owned parking lot. And that parking lot currently has a wooden fence around it. That building has uh acted as storage for a number of years. The city secured that when they purchased the armory from the Ohio National Guard back in the 1990s. um that that building came with it basically and we've used it as storage for um various things primarily um um outofse equipment for uh the engineering public works department but also uh traffic signal maintenance equipment um um holiday season decorations um a number of other odds and ends have been stored in that building. Additionally, uh that building functions as a evidence storage facility for the uh city police department, primarily the the um parking lot uh that is beside the building that is surrounded by the wooden fence. Uh we installed that a number of years ago to be able to do impound um of of seized vehicles by the police department. Um place those there. Uh as well as a little bit of evidence inside uh the building at Hudson Street. this lot um or these three lots ultimately these three parcels that the city owns is going to be part of the welcome home Ohio uh program which is uh the program that you're all familiar with for us to uh use the state grant to um partner with a private developer to build homes and then sell them um to certain income qualified per people um at below uh construction price or below their price in order for for us to provide more owneroccupied affordable homes in the city of Athens. Um the reason that I made mention to the K Kenny Drive facility earlier um on the last item is because um this is another um current city location that we're moving the things from that we store there out to the new facility on Kenny Drive. So, in addition to the public safety training facility on Kenny Drive,

um there's also a significant amount of storage for both um out ofseason equipment for the engineering public works department as well as um construction materials and such as and and then also evidence for the police department um both the impound lot that will go into the into the lot out there as well as evidence storage that will go inside the metal buildings out there. So, um the plan with this particular ordinance is to go through a um the conveyance of the land to community building partners who's our our um our private developer as part of the welcome home Ohio program, allow them to get their construction financing to build homes and then subsequently turn around and convey those homes to the to the buyers. And so the city uh has to has to uh the city has to give legislative permission to to sell or to give away property. as well as um to to take property. And so in this case um we're giving this property to uh the developer. The developer will will own it and then they will convey it to individuals. During that conveyance, there'll be a brief period of time like one day where the city takes title again and then subsequently conveys that property to the buyer. So um what you're doing this evening or what you're going to do with this ordinance is take the property, convey it to the developer. Developer is going to build a house on it. We're going to buy the house from the developer for a day and then sell it to the subsequent um buyer at the other end. Um as a side note, uh there's an adjacent parcel that the developer is working independently uh to to purchase from the American Red Cross um that will allow for construction of additional homes. And so the same exercise will happen on that property except we don't have an ordinance tonight for that because the city doesn't currently own that property. That'll just be a separate ordinance that happens for that that one-day transaction that has to occur for the city to take title. But by and large, it all all kind of works together with this welcome home Ohio program that we're attempting to get across the finish line. Did that

That's perfect. And and you use the word to get across the finish line. I would assume um that uh um action on this um needs to be taken in a relatively timely manner so that we can move on to step two with the Red Cross property. Is that a pretty um fair assessment? You know, I I always want things to go as fast as you can, but I I I'm always hesitant to ask for things to to be suspended if that it's unnecessary. I'd probably defer to to uh Joe Reie, who's representing Community Building Partners, who's here tonight. If he wants to speak to that at all, I mean, certainly he can. Okay. Whether or not we need to expedite it or not.

All right. Before we go to that, I guess I would ask Mr. Reie, if if you to the podium, please to speak to that last point that uh that Mr. Stone and perhaps you could quickly or not quickly, you don't have to be in a hurry, but we have some very new members of council here that may be seeing you for the first time. So, if you like maybe tell us.

Thank you for having me. I'm Joe Richie. I'm the CEO of Community Building Partners and I've been in front of city council several times before because I'm also the developer at the Ridges and formed the help form the new community authority and involved in that uh project. Uh this this uh grant program is the welcome home grant program and it's called the welcome home purchase. And that's why it sounds a little convoluted because you're uh we're building a we're we have to acquire the land from you. We have to build the homes and then deliver them to qualified home buyers. Qualified home buyers are people that have gone through financial counseling, have sufficient credit to support uh a purchase of a home with a grant. And the um and the grant is coming from the state of Ohio. The purchase program requires the city of Athens to uh be the purchaser of the home so that it can receive the grant funds into its coffers, provide the grant to the home buyer. And when Andy described it as a day, that's literally what happens. You're going to we're going to one closing where the city becomes the owner in order to trigger the grant, provide that grant to the home buyer. The home buyer walks away with the keys. the title agent files the deeds in that order. That's the way the program works. The Red Cross site helps this because each is about 1/ half of an acre and our current site plan that we'll be bringing to planning is for about eight homes including at least one ADA except uh accessible home. So you have two designs basically. Uh the homes are um so we're purchasing from the Red Cross the other parcel. So that combined. So that does not involve the city transferring property, but we will be transferring the finished homes on that Red Cross parcel to the city and to the home buyers. We will be marketing to the home buyers with the assistance of the city. We're already getting calls from folks just because of the newspaper article that was written and and the

fact that this is on the agenda of qualified home buyers that are interested in the home. So we know that the market is there. There's a great need for it. In response to the timing, I guess unlike Andy, everything counts. We are reporting to the state progress on it and and we know there's demand and we want to use the weather uh to obtain the financing and start the construction. The homes themselves are pre-fabricated modules. They're brought to the site. We finish the homes. So, about half the work is done offsite and about half the work is done on-site. Our delivery time is approximately 90 days from the day we start until the homeowner gets their keys. So, it is a pretty quick process. We need to build a total of eight homes to qualify for the grant for the full size of the grant, which is $2 million.

Is it your ultimate goal to get all eight built in calendar year 2026? Yes. Okay. Yeah. and there and there will be enough surplus funds to revolve that to build more homes, but but all of the state requirements will be satisfied with those first eight homes. So, we'd like to do all all eight homes and complete those at the Hudson Avenue site in 2026. So, I guess my last question in terms of timing is the closing on the Red Cross property contingent of all upon us transferring this property? It isn't, but the viability of the project really depends on the two. So they don't they don't have to line up like that. We'll proceed with the closing if we're proceeding with this transfer.

Okay. But you'd like to get them to cross that initial finish line roughly the same time. Yes. Not months apart. And and take that through the planning process so you can look at the whole site the way we're connecting to sewer, how we're dealing with traffic and pedestrian access, and be able to do that in a in a comprehensive plan so it could be understood by the neighbors. Okay. While he's still at the podium, any other questions from the members of the committee? No, he answered all the questions I've written then. Good deal. All right. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks, Joe. Appreciate it. Thank you all. Thank you. Any uh questions, comments, concerns from members of the community? Any additional comments from members of the committee.

I think this is a fantastic program and I and I think that this is a scenario where we certainly don't want to be the body that holds up this project in any way. So if there was a scenario which warranted suspension of the rules to get this done to make sure it moves ahead without any delay in any kind of case, I think this represents it. You know, we've talked a lot about commitment of the city to affordable housing. Well, this is this is it large. This is a fantastic project and so I'd say the best way we can show our commitment to that is to move this ahead as quickly as we possibly can.

To that end, I'd like to take attendance. Our next meeting is what? April 5th. April 6th. Show of hands. Are there any members of council that will not be here that day? Two. That would preclude us from suspending the rules that evening. Yeah.

So, that's something uh I was as chair of the planning development committee will get with uh uh with President McCary uh to see if we might examine a plan B for that. Otherwise, we're kicking this to the third Monday in uh April at the earliest. So, I'll get with uh President McCary on that. Okay. Um motion to uh move this uh to first reading. So, moved. Second, please. Second. All those in favor signify saying I I

opposed. That'll be up for first reading on our first meeting in our next time that we meet in regular session. Let me leave it open-ended at that. Okay. Second item on the agenda, the Sunday Creek Horizon contract. Uh we've been in uh contract with Sunday Creek Horizon for at least three years and they ser serve multiple functions uh for the city of Athens u chasing money, lobbying uh legislators both on the state and national level and shephering projects through uh uh to completion for 2026. some of the things that they will be looking at or that they will be involved with will be um wrapping up the armory project finally to make sure everyone gets paid if any uh uh people out there are still uh uh um owed funds. Uh making sure that the final accounting for the American Rescue Plan or the ARPA funds are taken care of. And then some things that have been on the agenda for a while. One would be the um the ADA transition plan. they will be the ones who will be overseeing that. Um secondly, uh the construction of the boat ramp uh out on Union Street with the old little red schoolhouse, uh sometimes called the Alco boat ramp, Athens Lumber Company. Uh deployment of fiscal year 2627 state budget earmarks. And finally, uh the farmers market pavilion. Uh hopefully uh getting that to the point where we have a permanent home uh out on the uh uh campus uh the the city um recreation campus and then other projects as determined appropriate by the administration uh and uh should there be any that come from city council. So, what we're talking about tonight is uh approving approving discussing the uh

continuation of their contract for the 2026 uh year. Uh Director Stone, is there anything that we need to add to that, please?

The only note that I would say is that over the last couple years, uh Sun Creek Horizons has really been an invaluable extension of the city staff. um you know they they do things that that um if we were to assign those tasks to staff members, we would really need to have another, you know, several folks um with a significant amount of expertise on staff to be able to do it. And so um what they are doing is both advocacy to the state and federal level to help us get funding and and I think if we look at the amount of money that's come into the city that they've um gone after, it's more than paid, you know, multiple times over for what uh we've spent on them. number one. Uh and then number number two is is you know what they do is basically provide cities extra staff members um to to be able to uh um you know do the the the myriad of tasks particularly with administration of of external funds that often times is extremely ownorous um that that you know is is is tough to do and and they they provide that for us. So we've been very happy with their their work so far. Uh yeah, to that end I had a meeting with Will Drabel, the vice president of Sunny Creek Horizons about oh 10 days ago. We met for an hour and a half and he laid out very clearly for me everything they do and I just did the numbers in my head. Pick a number and the number I picked was $30 an hour. We'd be able to afford one and a half people for what they do for us when you factor in benefits and salary and you're not going to get their type of expertise for $30 an hour. Um, so I won't say it's a bargain because that sometimes uh signifies that it's cheap. This isn't something you could buy at your local bargain store. This is a very specialized set of services that this organization provides for us. Comments from members of the community, members of the committee.

Yes, Jessica. Oh, um, I see they're still working on the ADA transition plan. Do we have any kind of end date? I'd like to get it done in 2026, honestly. Yeah.

In my conversation with Will, um it had been started under a previous uh set of personnel. Um there was a change there. Some assumptions were made both parties. Uh not not erroneous, but assumptions. And it was felt that we really needed to dig in with all four feet, not just two, and get this thing done this year, but get it done right. Because this is, we've heard from uh various groups that have come before council uh pointing this out, and as director Stone said, the ideal thing would be have it done this year, but have it done correctly. Sounds good. And completely. Uh can I Oh, Paul, just a couple. the $10,000 a month. Is that is that an increase or is that what we same?

It's the same. So that I mean that's same yeah same amount. And then just on the on the list of projects there's a list of projects but there's do we have specific deliverables attached to those so that you know the construction of the Alcoa boat ramp. Do we have is there I mean I know that so horizon are going out and building the boat ramp. Correct. Yeah. They're going after the funding for us to build the boat. Yeah. So making the the state capital bill ask that's that's actually they just got submitted um or they're building right now the state capital bill request for that um and helping us get it across the finish line on the front end as far as both project planning and and then really advocating for funding external funding to be able to do it.

But do we is there do we have spec in and this this is the contract I'm looking at but we don't have you know and and obviously they can't gu we will definitely get this budget earmarked. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, you know, when you're paying somebody to advocate for you, to say you didn't get it delivered, so therefore I'm not paying you is not viable. Right. And the point I'm asking is I want to make that clear so people who are watching this is that that's not how that works. And so that it's these are the list of things that we're going to work with you on. And because of the expertise that Sunday Creek Horizon, it's not only expertise, it's relationships. Yeah. I mean, there's a person that works in Columbus.

Yeah. um very approximate to the state house to to make requests on our behalf and to go talk to people and and and know folks. And I mean lobbyist is a dirty word, but at the end of the day, you know, the United States um was designed with um the people are permitted to petition their government, right? We have people come and petition you all the time um via that lectern right there. Um and so what we're doing is we are getting people to petition the state and federal government on our behalf of Athens for this fee. And I I think it's it's it's turned into a decent return for us and and um you know I think they do a good job at it. Yeah. And in a way that you were the mayor if you were to have to go to Columbus to do this work all the time would be

well yeah and it's not that we don't right. I mean especially the mayor and the may the mayor will constantly advocate for things but being able to line that up you know that's something that Sunday does because of their previous relationships they have number one. Number two, um, and and you know, I think all of you who've talked to Sun Creek kind of know they they do have, um, you know, they're not a lobbyist in the business of being a lobbyist to make a bunch of money and and and not actually care about what what they're doing. I mean, their commitment is to southeastern Ohio.

And, you know, they've seen the the the fact that the rest of the state of Ohio has um, you know, has has in many cases left southeast Ohio um, in the dust or behind. and um they say, you know, the people in Southeast Ohio need a voice and we're willing to do that for them and and and that's what they do. Okay. Paul, to your point about deliverables and timelines, a lot of what they do for us also involves federal agencies. And if there was never a moving target,

uh it's like whack-a-ole right now. Uh what what we've been promised today may totally disappear tomorrow. So, they're doing their best to wade through that. So, so here's an example to to that end. I don't mean to interrupt you. No. Um, when we built the new fire station, um, we built a geothermal um, HVAC system and we put solar array on the roof. Uh, and we also put additional power into the facility in order to support level three charging, right? But mainly the geothermal HVAC system and the and the and the and the roof solar, right? Um, the bipartisan infrastructure act put in place several years ago allowed for the one-third tax credit that you get for renewable energy sources like if you put solar at your house um or or geothermal in your house or whatever else and you can get a one-/ird tax credit. It allowed a direct payment mechanism for public entities that don't have a tax burden. Right? If the public entity doesn't pay taxes, um they can't um receive can't get tax credit, right? So there there was another mechanism placed in that bipartisan infrastructure act in order to allow for a direct payment from the federal government for the one-third. So it basically extended that subsidy to public entities uh for those renewables. We pursued that. We designed the fire station. We built the fire station expecting that 100% and then 2025 came and it's like talking to a brick wall when you talk to the IRS about receiving that direct payment, right? And it's a function of federal agencies not being responsive with that moving target. And so one of the things we've done is we've asked Sunday Creek Horizons to help us rattle the different places that we need to rattle in order to get that because the clock's ticking and and the it my observation as a as a person on the on the receiving end um is that it the intention is to just sit on it until until the timeline dies.

Yeah. And then you can't you can't receive the the credit basically. Um and so uh that's about $240,000 that's due to the citizens of Athens, city of Athens taxpayers, um from that that we made a conscious decision when we designed that facility in order to try to, you know, design for renewables, but also to receive that money and that's money that hasn't been paid back to the city of Athens yet. And so this is something that we're asking Sunday Creek Horizons to assist us in finding the right belly button um at federal agencies to help uh to help make this thing go.

Yeah. And then I I asked the questions because I wanted to make it clear to people who were, you know, this is a very common thing the cities need to do and it expands the capacity of city administration and and as I'm learning in my first few months on city council, government work is complicated. Yeah, I got that right. And uh so yeah, I just wanted to put make sure that we had that out there. Okay, good points. That was perfect. That explain that in great detail, right? Yeah. Yeah. And we did it very tactfully. Uh motion to uh advance this to first reading at our next uh regular scheduled meeting. Second move. Second, please. Second. All those in favor? I.

All righty. That'll be on the agenda, too. All right. The next three should be, knock on wood, rather routine. The next one is the board of trustees for the New Ridges Community Authority reappointment of two citizen members for a two-year term commencing in June. Uh, the two recommended to be reappointed are Randy Gonzalez and Jim Kaufman. Jim Kaufman is the new vice president of um real estate for Ohio University uh administration to add anything to that. Members of the community. Oh, I mean Joe's the president of the board of the m authority that you may you may have. Yeah. Well, members of the community, you're you're a member of Hat's community today.

Thank you for being an honorary member of the community. But um so we do think that uh both Randy and Jim are really valuable uh uh contributors to the new community authority. Um uh Jim has taken the place of Dominic Brookke who was uh instrumental in uh helping initiate the whole process and was the previous vice president of real estate. And Randy Gonzalez has brought a lot to the table in his previous experience. He's connected to the university but also connected in many ways to the Athens community now with representation on the Athens Foundation. So he's been both of them have been invaluable and I think Andy who's also on the board could attest to that. So yes, we want to keep that team together. We've got a lot of work to do in the next two years.

Sounds like we have two votes from the audience. Thank you Jim or Joe, I'm sorry. Uh members of the uh committee. Okay, that'll be up a motion to advance those to our next meeting. So moved. Second, please. Second. All those in favor?

I. All right, the next uh appointment uh issue is the appointment to the rental inspection process subcommittee of the affordable housing commission. If you remember, this is a um subcommittee that this body um uh um approved last year. Uh it's a one-year task force and um one of the members was was no longer able to uh continue and uh the community uh the ridges um excuse me the rental inspection process subcommittee would like to recommend that we approve at our next meeting Rick Wasserman is the replacement to that. Anything from the administration, members of the community, members of the committee? Motion to place this on the agenda for next meeting.

So moved. Second, please. Second. All those in favor? I. We will have Rick Wasman's name placed uh on the agenda for the rental inspection process committee at our next meeting. And finally, Board of Zoning Appeals. Uh the mayor has uh recommended and I think sworn in appending our confirmation uh Molly Fitzgerald uh for a vacant seat on the board of zoning appeals. Any comments from the uh administration work all time. She's a great asset to our community. Members of the community,

I'm Rob Delich. I live at 124 Morris Avenue. I also chair the board of zoning appeals. I've worked with Molly and seen her in action quite a bit over the years and she'll be a fantastic member of the board of zoning appeals. Welcoming I'm definitely welcome her to join us and she will fill the last empty seat. We've had difficulty. Uh Paul was serving on the um member issue would be serving until recently until he came on council. So probably she's filling his seat actually. Uh but we were having trouble getting enough people to have a full suite of voting members and so having the two extra alternates will help us solve that problem. So confirmer when the time comes.

Okay. Thank you members of the committee. Yes sir. Well, I say as uh Rob Dash said, uh I'm a former member of the BCA and I can the importance of that body to local government. Um and and it's a it's a volunteer group, you know, so it speaks to our community, the the work that it does. And I can tell you, um and I know Molly well as well, she's a you know, I'm not sure where she's finding the time. uh but uh her commitment to our community, you know, if it was you couldn't doubt it before, you certainly couldn't doubt it now, but she would be a fantastic addition to the board of zoning appeals, and I wholeheartedly recommend we move this forward.

I asked her that very question last week when we spoke on the phone about the time. She says, "Well, we all have 168 hours in a week. She'll make the time." All right. Motion to uh place us on the agenda for our next regular scheduled meeting of council. So moved. Second, please. Second. All those in favor? I I Okay, that completes the fi the fifth item. All of those will be on our next uh agenda for a regular session of council. That concludes uh planning development at 7:49 and guess we go to city and safety services. All right. Uh yes, thanks.

City we need to swap some people around. Yeah. So, city and safety services chaired by member Isherwood and joined by members Amida, Swank, and Wood. Um, we're going to do a quick switch on the agenda just because we have uh the we have Kelly Reeseback from the Athens Municipal Arts Commission uh to come speak to us and just out of respect of her time said we would just move that agenda up. Um, and so this is about uh a request that from the members of the Athens Municipal Arts Commission to amend a part of the city code uh to change the membership makeup of the Athens Municipal Arts Commission. Uh so um I'd ask um Kelly, would you come up and

thanks for having me again. This is my third time. Hopefully it'll be a charm. Um, as a member of the Athens Musal Arts Commission, I do roll off, I think, April of 2027, so almost a year from now. We have somebody else whose first three-year term is up in 2026. In August, we have um success finally of seating everybody. You were talking about having trouble seating volunteers in different commissions. Um, Rob, right? Right. And um we've had the same issue and the goal here continues to be making it easier for future iterations of AAC to be seated and having more people be able to volunteer their time if they're interested in the arts or making the arts visible in Athens, which is um something I think we have um all been interested in, especially when it comes to the city planning um document that I know is a little bit older, but we we really value the visual arts um and the um music arts and theater arts here in Athens among among in dancing and all that stuff. So so this is just a way for people to for more people to be eligible to sit on on this commission. Um so we have currently have four members that shall be electors of the city, three members that may reside outside the corporate limits which is Athens Township. My proposal um is um to move that from to at least five members of the commission shall be electors of the city and four members may reside in Athens County. So when we were at the um AAC meeting in this is March. Yeah, in February, March, earlier this month maybe, we all voted on having it be instead of just um township, it expanded out to the county to kind of align with a lot of the other commissions um in

terms of eligibility of the volunteers who want to serve. Um not every commission is like that. Each commission, some commissions have the same eligibility requirements, some have different, but there's not but there is definitely not 100% consistency among all of them. That's not what I'm here to talk about today. But um that this effort kind of aligns more with some of those that are um have people that in from the county that can serve. Um and the other issue is we all decided um that it would be and I the mayor actually talked to me about this as well. If there are nine, right, if we go from seven to nine and one of the people that are seated has shown an interest and are seated and accepted onto the commission, which they come to us with their application, we approve them or not. Whoever's approved goes to the mayor. The mayor then approves it and then it goes to city council for your vote. So, there's a there's several layers of um people checking in and making sure this person would be a good match. um is they would not have a vote if they reside outside of Athens Township. And the reason for that is the mayor was felt strongly about if there's going to be a potential for a county person doesn't mean there always will be. Could be that there won't be any spaces left and everybody in the city fills it. Could be that we have a five and four. could be we have um you know some some we definitely have to have five from the city electors but four can be township two township two county whatever that the county folks don't vote on city of Athens proposed um art projects so if they live outside of Athens township cool what have you um they would not be allowed to vote on our recommending to the mayor hey this sounds like a really cool project we recommend you do it or

you you recommend you consider it doesn't mean that the person would have never a vote on anything. So they could um serve on uh ad hoc committees that we form in order to do work uh that then we then present to everybody at AAC um and then we vote on that but they would not be able to vote on they could work on those committees but they couldn't they couldn't have a final vote those ad hoc committees and they could talk about governance and what's best for as a governing um model for AAT going forward. Um, again, I I I don't I haven't checked in with the other commissions to see how are you doing on filling those seats, and I I don't know if it's a problem with anybody else, but luckily, after a lot of um outreach and um um social media posts and um help from um Alan Swank here, we did finally find some somebody, not one of the ones you recommended that I reached out to, Alan, but um somebody who wanted to serve and who's perfect for it. So now we have a full and full voting group of um I guess we have yeah we have seven and so we just want to move that to two more. And again this isn't really going to be something that is going to affect anybody for a short time because until I roll off well we have a somebody who probably will renew for another 3 years but I roll off I have to leave by se by Jul um forgive me April of 2027. There will just be all of Athens County that can apply because I think we have all five seated from the city and when I leave and I'm an Athens township person, anybody from the county or anybody from the township. If you live in the township and you get in, you can vote. If you live in the county and you get in, you don't you can't have a vote um on Athens city projects. So, this is only thing we want to do a mural over on on the parking garage, let's say.

Okay. Well, they wouldn't be be allowed to say yes, I vote for that. Please ask the mayor if he's into that. So, that's that's all it means. So, that's it. This is my third time, but um what questions does anybody have? Well, first of all, community. Yeah. Well, first Oh, yeah. Right. Right. Uh anything from the administration question. Uh anyone from the community? Okay. Um, any members of the committee have questions for me? The uh the current code

Mhm. um in 3.07.50 50 section A um currently reads the final sentence. Four members of the commission shall be electors of the city and three members may reside outside the corporate limits. So that's incorrect. The most current one I have here is what we voted on at AAC, which is at least five members. No, no, no, no, no. I'm reading current. Yes. So, you're correct. City code. Yeah. Yeah. I'm reading current city. No, no, no, no. You got the wrong copy. Yeah. No, no, no. I'm reading right off our website. Okay. Copy that.

And it says four members, this is current as of 7:57 today. Got it. Four members of the commission shall be electors of the city and three members may reside outside the corporate limits. Mhm. The way that reads, they could live in on Mars. I mean, that's an exaggeration, but that's outside the corporate limits. So, I I guess question number one is what are we trying to change from a geographic standpoint?

My understanding is that you have to reside in Athens Township or the city of Athens in order to serve on AAC. That's been the whole my whole understanding, my whole That's incorrect. That's incorrect. per our our printed. This is what will read. Yeah. Yeah. But I'm saying I'm talking about what we have now. What we have now. I understand what you're saying. Four people electors of the city and three can live outside the corporate limits. Corporate limits being the township. The city corporate limits. No. Outside the corporate limits could be anywhere in Athens County. That's news to me.

But I believe you. I have no reason to doubt you. I I've been told you can't have anybody oop sorry anybody outside the of Athens city township be on AAC this whole entire project. I don't know where that came from. H second thing is when you came to us the first time you were talking about having trouble getting people to fill the slots. Yeah. But now you want to go from seven members to nine.

Right. But now we have the whole apparently we've always had it all along. Feel like I'm Dorothy is a Wizard of Oz or something. Um but if we've had it all along then the news is good. We can now open it up to the county because when we put out the call to to to serve we say you have to live in the city. You have to live in the township. If that's incorrect and I probably should check with the law director to make sure you are correct in saying then why have we been fighting this battle the whole time? Right. That's what I've been trying to figure out because I I I'm just reading what I'm reading. Okay. Right. Here off of our website from our code of

ordinance director would probably be a good idea just to make sure that language is correct that you're interpreting it the right the way. Um but once again, you know, been on this this this uh potentially fool's run the whole time then. But that's what I've been told and that's what I've been trying to open it up because we want to make sure we have enough people, right, to seat seat more people, you know. So you like to go to nine? Would like to go to nine. Okay. And um the majority will always have to be people from the city. So the uh uh environmental sustainability commission Mhm. has uh nine appointed members.

Okay. And what they have is six members shall be residents of the city and three members may reside outside the corporate limits which uh I tend to uh think is a pretty good model. And as the law director pointed out to me today, we have some real inconsistencies in our boards and commissions in terms of some they uh the city council member can vote, some they can't. Okay.

Uh I mean, it's all over the board. Um but this this uh this voting and not voting thing, can you explain the rationale behind that considering that the three people who could currently be on the commission outside the city limits of Athens can currently vote and now we're going to take that away from them? It's incorrect. That's what this would do. Clear clearly we'll have to re we'll have to revisit that with with the mayor who said this is this would be what I would um want and I would approve of in terms of not having somebody from the county vote on a city project Athens city project

and the rationale behind that is you'd have to ask him. So my thought is the mayor is at an international conference and will not be back in the office till Friday. Okay. uh that we uh that we take this up at our next uh committee meeting in um April when we can have those answers. Do any other members of the committee have any questions? I have one question. It says that the you have to you can live in Athens Township, but the city's not entirely in Athens Township. you part of the city is in Kanan Township. Correct.

You live in Kanan Township, right? Are you excluded from having a a view? No, Alan made that point either the first or the second time I was here. I think it's that little leg if you're still that's still if as long as you're in Athens Township. You're saying Athens Township leaks into King. No, the city of Athens is entirely within Athens Township. So if you are um in the city and the city goes into like you said the boundary line goes here and you live in that little boundary line that goes into Kanan Township you're still considered that's they that your top priority would be considered a city elector

but that's not what the ordinance says. The ordinance would exclude you from voting because you don't live in Athens Township. Well, but then you could be seated as a city elector if that seat comes up. Somebody in the city quits. Yeah. That person who lives in that little leg says, "I want in." They would still be a city Athens city person, right? Portion of Kanan Township is in the city limits. That's not what that's not the way it reads. It says any a any Athens County resident who lives outside of Athens Township may not vote. If I live in that part of in Kan. Oh, you're saying in that if you live in that little leg that Yeah.

I mean because you would you would be an Athens countian. Mhm. And and you are one of the we four we have of Athens County. Would you be an elector of the city? I mean I think it could be cleared up with language but the language is problematic. Okay. So the code language as it is now in terms of like or you're saying the code language that I'm suggesting. Yeah. I think you need to clear up that like that limitation to Athens Township is problematic because if you do happen to live in that part of and it's a I it's there's not a huge number of residences in that part of the city at true but you never know but you never know. Yeah. We would want to make sure.

And then the other issue um I mean it also as member Swang pointed out you know there is a problem with the current proposal current bylaw or the ordinance cuz it you could live outside anywhere outside the city um and be on the committee by you could interpret it that way anywhere outside the corporate limits doesn't but limited to the to the county.

Yeah I I you're right. I um I don't have a problem personally going I'm I'm one vote of four and I'm one vote of seven when this makes it to council. I personally don't have a problem going to nine members. Uh if you think that would give you more voices and more input and all that that that's a noble goal. U I have a little problem with the five and four. I'm more of a fan of the six and three. I would never personally want to serve on a committee and spend the time and volunteer if I don't have a vote. Mhm. But imagine if you could then be part of the governance process and I don't have a vote. I'm not part of the thing. Okay. Well, that's that's interesting.

Yeah. I'm not and I've talked to many people the same way, but I'm still trying to get at why would people who don't live in the city not be able to vote. Now, I've expressed an opinion earlier why I felt that way, but we currently you can do that. So, let me throw this scenario out to you. Let's say you don't live in the city limits. You live in Athens County. You're on this committee, but you work in the city, which means you pay which means you pay city income tax,

which means you're recommend making recommendations on money you've contributed. That was um uh uh Jessica Thomas's point from the first time I I appeared here last year on this issue was people that live outside of the county who don't live in the city but work for the city anywhere in the city. They don't really have they aren't even allowed they they would not be allowed to serve at least on this commission and have representation for the tax money that they do pay into the city. So, you know, to your point, and I'll check on this language, this might already be a solved case in terms of that number of that that population of people being already able to serve under what we think is true. But you're saying you like six and three. Can you tell me more about why you like six and three better than five and four?

Absences. Can you say more? So if you have nine people and you have five and four and two people who live in the city are absent, you still have a quorum. If three people who live in the city are absent, you still have a quorum, but most of the voters are then from the county to not city electors. Four to two. Mhm. And that just doesn't kind of violates the whole purpose.

Yeah. Kind of because it kind of sits Yeah. I want to say violates, but it it it makes me a little uneasy. were six and three. Uh even if three were absent, it'd still be a balance of three and three. But again, I think there's a lot of unanswered questions here. I think there's a lot of verbiage that perhaps needs to be cleaned up. I think uh when you talk with the law director about 3.07.43A in the last sentence. Um no, that's the wrong one. That's uh uh 3.07.50 3. Yeah, I'm in the rec advisory board now. That's okay.

Uh which is a whole different ball game. But anyway, um where where it lays that out that what I read um and I think uh coming back in at that first meeting in um whatever month it is, April with the with the clarity and with the mayor here, uh we might be able to move things forward.

I'd have to probably do it at the end of April because I have to now go meet back with AAC, right? Because this has to be a public discussion at a public meeting. me wanting to vote um propose. I have to meet with the the law director to make sure I'm clean on all this language and understanding and then I have to go back and change the proposed. Here's what we're all deciding to propose. I present it. AAC discusses it. They vote yeah or nay and they say, "Okay, Kelly, go back to the city council and see if we can get this through committee." So, that's we're going to have to do this again. Which, you know, here I am. Well, well, the thing is you you've got all seven spots filled now. So, you have a full commission. So, you're in good shape. Well, we have a full commission. Yeah. So, but I'll be back.

So, um does anybody have any other questions for me or ways I can be more um um efficient with this process? Well, I I hearing you say that you've been here since last year coming forward with this. I want to first say appreciate your persistence and patience and um but I do think that uh unless I hearing a proposal to move this forward to um uh the council meeting next week, I think we I will ask to table this till till our next committee meeting.

So that it's the fourth week of April. Is that right? because I have to meet with AAC which is not until like I don't know the 11th or something or 9th I think of April. So that would be um not in time 27th. Would that be right? It would be nothing. Committee committee would be the 6th. Yeah. And we don't meet until it be the 20th. No. If you meet the 9th it'd be the 13th. Yeah. Oh 13th. There's no meeting on the 30th. So it's the What? I'm sorry. If you meet April the 9th, which is the second Wednesday, which is a well the 8th is is the second Wednesday. Okay. We meet in committee on the 13th. So it could be the first committee meeting in

in in April. That is during the film festival and I side hustle as the hospitality coordinator. But as long as nothing's happening at 7 o'clock, which of course there will be, I will be here. Let me get back to you. I mean, if you have the language, I don't know that you necessarily have to be here to if we have the language ahead of time, you know, or another member of the commission, another member maybe could do it. Yeah. Okay. So, that's a possibility. You would need to get the language to Paul by 4:00 on Friday the 9th for on 4:00. Friday the 10th. Oh, it's my birthday. And then we can share I could chair with the committee and if they have questions we could we could even do that by email if necessary through but I think

April 10th 4 p.m. get this language figured out that'll give me plenty of time to to meet with um Lisa Elias and my only question though is I believe I have oh because I meet before that so I would present it I put it on the agenda. Okay. Sorry. Okay. All right. Again, I appreciate your patience and persist. No, it's it's it's it's fine. It's good. Okay. Thank you. Appreciate it. Um, can we have a vote? Our process is do we vote on issues in committee? So, you could call for a motion. If there's no motion, it just stays in committee.

Yeah. Um, okay. I'll I'll call for a motion to move this to the council. Seeing no motion, we we will keep that in committee till our next meeting. Yeah. Okay. Uh on with the agenda. Um next item agenda is um uh sewer dump truck purchase of new and disposal of existing truck. Um it's pretty much exactly as it says. Uh but I turn over to city administration. Can you provide any

Yeah. Um, this is sewer maintenance and the sewer maintenance crew has a dump truck that has at the end of its useful life. Um, and we've got one on state bid uh that they identified and and basically we're requesting approval of the expenditure as well as approval of disposal of the last of the existing truck as as part of a tradein. Um, any members from the public wishing to ask questions or comment? Okay. Any members of the committee? Any questions? Where? Members, where are we currently dumping? Like anything?

Well, no. No. We were dumping stuff out toward Canyonville at one time, weren't we? Out there. Or is that something different? We were dumping out there. Sewage.

Oh. Oh. Oh. So, uh, during at the Canyonville, um, farm, um, a number of years ago, we, um, uh, did land application of sludge, sewage sledge, um, there. Now, it was liquid land applied. It wasn't, it wasn't dried land applied, and it was at the location at at Canavville. We've not used that site for a number of years. And the reason for that is um the the restrictions on liquid land applied sludge have just gotten very very very stringent. Number one. Number two um the land itself got too rich and so um it needs to be farmed basically to pull the nutrients out of the soil. So now all of our sludge goes to the landfill.

Okay. Um that's the approved spot. This has nothing to do with that. This has to do with this is the sewer maintenance crew, not the wastewater treatment plant. And so the sewer maintenance crew, like when we're talking about material that they'd be dumping, it would be um excavation of a street um you know, waste material from excavation of a street when they're or or bringing in back fill material to back fill a a break to a sewer mane or construction of a manhole or something along those lines. Yeah. I I had met with Jared Balderson, the city engineer, last Friday, and I had the same question. What's a sewer dump truck? It's just a dump truck. It's a dump dump truck. It has to do with the crew that so the sewer fund is what's where this expenditure is coming from. Okay. It's not sewage,

right? It's not sewage sewer maintenance. Yeah. And and my understanding is the current one is not in a good and this is something that needs to happen and and we don't want this crew not to have a dump truck. Any other members of committee? Uh can I have a motion to uh advance this? So move. Can I get a second? Second. Second. Okay. Uh all those in favor say I. I.

Okay. So it's uh assume it is advancing. Okay. Then the next item on the agenda is the nature works program to authorize a project agreement. Um I received information about this from uh parks and recck director Katherine an Jordan. Um, this is a a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and will uh be used to fund the development of a 1 and a half mile uh or so trail in the Dower Preserve. Um, and I turn it over to the city and services director. Can you add some more information?

So, Nature Works is a program through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They require legislation to apply for a grant even even if even if you don't know if you're going to get it or not. um they they want legislation in place beforehand and so um we're requesting authority to apply uh for this funding. Usually it's not a huge amount of funding. Um I think in this case she said $30,000 plus or minus 15 to30,000

15 to $30,000. Um and ultimately the the plan if we get funded for this will be to do trail construction in the um um the three parcels of land that the city owns on the south side. uh the the what we call the Gadney preserve, the Dor preserve and Camp Roan and basically uh improve trails in those those three parcels of land. Um any members of the community for any questions? Okay. Any members of the committee? Member Wood.

Yeah, as the person that got to sponsor this one, uh it's a great program. It's a reauthorization. Uh, and I think that, you know, it's important for folks to understand it doesn't cost us anything extra. It's not our 30,000. Um, it's sort of a uh getting getting kind of like the money that Benzip was talking about earlier. It's us saying that we support them getting this match and doing this project. Um, so the last one I think was uh two years ago I believe um maybe a little bit before that. Uh but yeah, happy to get to sponsor this one. Any other members of the committee? Member

I'm curious where would um access be to the preserve. Do you know where Avaline is? Maybe most people in the city don't know where Avaline is. So uh Avaline is a street uh on the south side of Athens that runs perpendicular to Far Hills Drive about halfway up. It's a very short

Oh, right. It's the little short section there. So, at the end of one of the of the south side of south south end of that street is an access point um to to one of the preserves. I think it's the Dallas preserve. Um then certainly Camper Tan is another access uh location. Um I think up in the air I think we're still not sure on the Gandhi parcel in particular, but we could probably go and show you on a map. But those would be the two locations right now. Isn't the church property you mean the the church there on um the Methodist church down there? Yes. I don't think it borders the land. It won't. Okay. I don't think so. We'd have to double check. Okay. Thank you.

And just for more like more information that the director shared, I mean, this funding would be used to work with a trail designer to design a a public accessible design constructor. Yeah. So, it it it would be a fantastic addition u to the many trails that we already have. members. Do you know if there's a deadline for the application for this grant? July. Do you have a July? July. Okay. All right. Do I don't there's any need to suspend. Yeah, exactly. Um Okay. Can I get a motion to move this forward? Motion. Second. Second. Second. All those in favor say I. I.

Okay. So, move. Um uh the last issue on the committee agenda is uh the Washington County Jail uh contract renewal. This is an agreement re we regularly reach with the Washington County Jail to accept overflow from the city if needed. Um and again I'll turn over to the city and safety services director to add some more information on this. We tend not to use this very often, but when the regional jail is full, which is the the 5count jail in Nelsonville and we're not able to to take up a transport prisoner there, um this is our overflow location. And uh oftent times it ends up being female beds more frequently, I think, than male beds simply because of the shortage of those across the the enterprise of of corrections. But um but you know, that's this is just so we have something in place. Yeah.

Um any members of the community I see none. Uh members of the committee. Okay. Yeah. And my understand this is a this is the same contract as ever and it is just prudent management to move forward with this unless you want to make your house. No. Palmer fest is coming up. Do we need to suspend the rules? Um okay. Uh uh can I get a motion to move this board to council? So move. Can I get a second? Second. Um, all those in favor say I. I. And that concludes city and safety services.

All right. We'll move on next to transportation committee chaired by member Cladfelder and joined by members Wood, Staser, and Swank. I'll go. Okay. Um, so the transportation committee has two items tonight. One is uh will be if approved an ordinance amending the ordinance that was previously approved 16-26 which authorized street closures for a variety of proposed festivals and events coming up um from April through August. Uh since we were able to every year there's an attempt to do them all at once but it never works right. We always get some proposals later.

Are we going to do UVs stuff first? Are we doing this? the street thing. We flipping the order. No. Are we doing EVs first or streets? I'm sorry. What are you saying? Are we Are we doing EVs first or streets? Um, well, let's do streets now cuz I started on that. Okay, then I have to Okay. Oh, so hang on. Hang on. Hang on. He's got to leave. Michael has to leave. Oh, okay. Cuz it affects his business.

He's been a bad boy. Okay. So, we always try to do them all at once, but as happens just about every year, we've gotten um a request for one change to one that was already approved and then another event. So, um, the Dora opening event on May 16th, um, being sponsored by the Tavern Owners Association is changing their location so that they don't conflict with Porchfest events that will be happening uptown on Saturday, May 16th. So, the new location for the Dora opening event will be on West State Street from Congress to court. Basically, that's in front of Casa and Tony's. Um, so that will be the location. That is the amendment here of one that was previously approved and then um people realized there would be a conflict. And then we got one after the fact, but kind of cool for Athens history. Um, people probably know that King cards cars were produced in Athens for years, manufactured here. Um, and the International King Jamberee Cruisin will be held on August 7th on Court Street from Union to Washington Street. Um, the King Association has decided to have their big event in Athens this year because this is where those cars were manufactured. So, it's kind of nice. So, um, those are the only two changes at this point to this, uh, ordinance that has already been approved. I do have it on good authority that another person has proposed another one, but we don't have the paperwork yet. But that will be the addition of the International King Jamberee cruise in on August 7th and then the

change to the location of the DORA opening event. And I move for these to go forward in the next meeting. We have some discussion out here first. Okay. Administration, would you like to weigh in on this? Um, the only point that I have isn't it is to your comment that there's another one potentially coming forward on top of these two and and we were contacted by an organizer of the BMW ride event that happened last year. If that's the one that you're That is the one I was talking about. I expect that at some point they'll they'll submit uh paperwork um as well. So, this might not be the end. Yeah. Okay, thank you. Uh, community.

So, Rob Delich, I live here in Athens on Morris Avenue. Uh, president of Athens Porchfest board and um we've actually joined forces with the Tavern Association for the Dora Kickoff. And so, we're combining our events. So there's going to be uh the working name right now is Dora Kickoff Porchfest on the Bricks. So um we're at this point providing all the music. Uh we have over 100 performers uh for that weekend and so we have lots of talent to uh offer to the event and so we're bringing that. There's going to be busking going on as well as some street shows that are going to be in this block that's being asked to close in front of Tony Tony's and uh Kasa and uh I think the scale of the event is better with that street closure than the court street closure plus less impact I think on some of the businesses. So I think it's a better it's a better solution. So I think this makes sense and it was the tavern association that suggested this change too. So we didn't like force their hand or anything. Uh so we we're going to have a great new uptown event for the DORA kickoff this year and if you will uh help by moving this forward. Thank you.

Members of the committee, member swing. Couple questions. Uh one for director Stone. Uh this event on May the 16th on Court or on West State Street with our current utility projects going on on Carpenter and uh State Street. Do you see any potential issues? I'm going to ask uh President McCary to read the note that I just wrote to myself before you ask that question. Need this need to list this on Miller Cable. Oh, the sync with Miller Cable, right? Yes. So, yes. So, my note to myself is I need to sync this particular closure with Miller Cable and try to avoid a conflict.

Okay. Um, second question, uh, not for Drestone, but, uh, member Cloudfelder, um, this, uh, the, uh, what do you call it? The, uh, King event. Do you have a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a, a time schedule for that event, and that's precise, but is it in the morning? Is it the afternoon? Is it all day? Uh, it is um late afternoon into the evening. I'm not It's 5 to 6:30. Okay. Okay. That's fine. That makes my point moot then because the very next day we have Bonnie on the bricks which basically shuts down that whole block the whole day, right?

And I didn't really think uh might be a little hardship on some of the businesses if we were doing it uh two complete days, two days in a row. But uh yeah, that's great. Okay, thank you. That was the Oh, you know what? I do have one other question. Um there there is one that seems to be conspicuously missing uh uh from this list and it's the um the West Virginia University football event. Uh the one last year that was in September. Uh and I don't see that on here. Are they not planning on doing that this year? Does anybody know that wrap up? That was a that was the third part of um brew week, right? They had first call, last call, and then that one in September. And I don't see that on here. I have received nothing about Okay. You haven't seen Okay.

No. No. So, we may have two coming forward. All right. Thank you. Okay. Um so, um can I have a motion to move this forward to the next uh city council meeting? So, move. Second. Second. Okay. All in favor? I. Can we get more all in favors? I said I said I hear it. All right. Thank you. Um, okay, great. So, there's that one. Michael, you can come back.

We're closing down in front of you shop the rest of the year. Yeah. Yeah, basically.

Um, all right. So, the next and final item of the evening for the transportation committee involves uh an agreement with the Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council. Um it is an it could become an ordinance authorizing the service safety director to enter into an agreement with the sustainable Ohio public energy council to receive electric electric vehicle charging stations and authorize their installation on public property. There are a number of whereases that talk about how SOPC has been awarded funding for this. Um, and the heart of the proposal is Athen City Council hereby authorizes the real property located at the Athens City parking garage at 13 East Washington Street, parking spaces along Armory Street at 1 Armor Armory Street and the parking lot at the Athens Fire Department headquarters at 120 East Simson Avenue as appropriate and acceptable locations for the installation and deployment of EV. V electric vehicle chargers pursuant to the rides grant program and any other agreement as between SOPC and the city of Athens for the the operation and maintenance of said chargers. Um, in the event any of the real properties are rejected or otherwise deemed unsuitable for the installation of the EV charger or chargers planned or designated for the site, the Athen city council hereby grants authorization to the service safety director for the identification and assessment of up to three mutually agreed upon alternate locations to serve as the site for the deployment and orientation of the EV charges provided the site satisfy the project requirements. terms of the rides grant and any other agreements as between the city and SOP for the operation and maintenance of the EV chargers.

So, um would the administration like to comment on that?

Um yes, thank you, please. I'm sorry. Um the to that last point about alternate locations, I think that's just a safety valve. Ultimately, all three of the sites u mentioned were ones that the recent construction projects we actually built into the construction project. the expectation that we receive these chargers. Um, at the fire station headquarters, uh, we explicitly put in additional power capability at that location to be able to to have level three chargers, which are the extremely fast charge uh, locations because of the uh, requirements in this particular uh, program that level three chargers need to be located near a highway interchange, need to have a 24-hour restroom, which we do with that external restroom at the at the fire station. um you need to be near like fast food locations, which this site is. And so it really is a one of the rare sites in the city that could be that. And so the fact that we spent that extra money to put in the power need there, we really wanted to get this thing funded. Um likewise, when we built the armory and when we did the construction project at the at the that's wrapping up right now at the um um parking garage, making sure the power can accept for level two chargers at those two locations. Um, now the one caveat I would tell you with all this and all this is is basically just validating to SOP that we're ready u for these sites and they got to actually have the the site uh located and identified and approved. Um, this was a 2023 um piece of legislation, right? the the um and you know not unlike what I talked to you about a little while ago with difficulty in getting the funding actually coming to us from legislation that that happened in in that era um that that's something that I worry about with this as well but you know we're cautiously optimistic that SOPC has been successful to be able to continue the ball moving on this particular funding stream and so um we're hopeful that this

will get installed. Thank you. Any comments from the community? All right. Any comments from committee members? Member Swank. Yeah, Director Stone. Um, couple questions on these locations. Uh, city garage, I assume. In the city garage, parking garage. Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, the parking garage like we have the ones up on level two or three or whatever. Expands the number of level two charger. Those are I think those are level those might be level two. Okay. On Armory Street. That's the street next to the armory between the Masons. Parking space is at the at the armory. Oh, so next to the Masons or right next to the armory? Next to the armory.

Okay. And then at the fire station right there in that uh that lot uh right there in the front or in that longer lot. Uh we ran conduit. I'm trying to remember where we ran it to. I think it's the ones right in front. Okay.

Okay. So all those are really accessible places. Okay. Then just a couple typos in the things or edits in here. And the the six whereas locations is sort of location. And then number seven in the event the proposed sites identified are rejected instead of is rejected. So, Director Stone, um I I you talked about the federal government and all that this year, next year, or is it just kind of a flip a coin and when we get it, we get it.

I'll get an answer for you, members. Okay. Based on our best guess from uh the director of SOPEC is a is a council of governments that Athens is part of. Um and I'll I'll be I'll reach out to them and ask. Okay. Great. Thank you. Member Wood. Member Wood. Yeah. Do we uh will these be free or reduced cost or normal charging rates? Do we know?

I I don't know that we've set rates um for any uh them. I mean, I I think that currently the rates that we have at the um I have to go back and look at the uh the rates that we have currently set at the um pool um for those uh that those charging stations. Um, you know, presumably we keep this through this a similar type uh third party vendor. Um, but I I don't I don't have an answer on rates. I'll I'll get you an answer. So So on that point, do we generate revenue from this or we just providing a service and it's a pass through from the user to the third party vendor?

Yeah. So right now we generate revenue um from the sites at the pool. Um there is a fee that the third party vendor charges for basically operation of the station, but all of the um because ultimately the city of Athens is paying for that electricity. Um and so this money basically reimbures the city of Athens for that um that electricity cost. Can I get a motion to move this forward to the next city council meeting? So moved. Can I get a second? Second. All those in favor, please say I. I.

Okay. Thank you. That concludes the transportation committee for this evening.

All right. We're going to move on to finance and personnel. Uh that is chaired by myself and joined by members Claude Felder, Staser, and Wood. And we have a few items tonight. We're going to start with appropriations. Oh, I'm sorry. That's right. Thank goodness you're here. Uh, first, we need to amend our agenda to add an item uh I sent out this afternoon to everyone. Um, and it's going to be uh from email adding the um there we go. A change to the uh staffing ordinance on the in the uh environmental coordinator. position. So, that will be our last item on the agenda today. Now, we'll move on to appropriations. All right. Starting off, we have an appropriations ordinance that has two in it. Well, two items in it. Uh the first you'll see an appropriation for a grant received by the fire department for thermal imaging device in the amount of 8,500. Um the second part of this and the main part of this are appropriations to the 2025 several projects where just due to lags in processing billing state agencies um we have several projects like five listed in there where pass through money was used from ODOT and the state and did not get appropriate. It was appropriated last year, but none of this got finished by the end of the year, which means all the appropriations died. So, we are reappropriating these funds.

Um, this is just to note, $7 million and in fund 589 and five fun 90, which will be zero. I'm explaining this, I think, really backwards today. Um, basically, these are not monies that come into our uh our accounts. This is money that is paid from the state directly to the contractors so we don't encumber it which would keep it throughout the year. Um with the timing of all this we have to reappropriate so that appropriate it so that it's in all of our um ordinances and billing and for the audit's office. Um see moving down you'll see in one of the one two the third whereas it'll have all the funds of appropriations to seven will be $7 million uh and that was lower than needed and it should be $11.4 million. So we're appropriating an additional $4,300,000 to small cities ODOT and it lists all the projects there. And then we're appropriating $400,000 to the TIFF fund for 590 for project 37 367 uh signal improvements. And I'm sure there's going to be some questions. So, uh, Director Stone, would you like to clarify or add anything?

Yeah, I probably should double check um because I think that that $400,000 is specific to um not signal improvements, but specific to um the um 56682 roundabout 5 yeah 56682 roundabout. So I think that project number I might have given you the incorrect project number on that

because that's what that that um 58 correction 590 money is going towards. Um bottom line is state and federal funds that are are are um paid directly from the state entities and in this case ODOT or the Ohio Public Works Commission respectively for fund 589 and 590 um have to be accounted for in our accounting system even though we never actually receive them and pay them out. Um it's always a guess when we build the budget um year in and year out like how much we think is going to get expended in that particular uh year. Um in 2025 um we had a certain amount uh appropriated in the 2025 operating budget in in both 589 and 590. But if we can't show the pass through, I'm sorry, not even a pass through payment. If we can't show the transaction of that payment happening because it it can't be encumbered because it never is in the the um in the account. So, we can't actually encumber the money because it never never actually is in our account. Um you the appropriation dies at the end of the year. It's not something you carry on. And so, um, we basically were going into 2020, uh,6 and, uh, making a our best guess, uh, at what we thought would be the correct amount for, um, those five projects in the 589 fund to be, um, accounted for with the transaction in 2026. And I put $7 million in the budget, and it really was 11.3 u million. And so, um, this is not additional money that the city is spending. It's just a matter of accounting and showing in what year uh that it gets accounted for. I didn't put anything in for for um for 590 uh in the budget. So, um I'm asking you to go ahead and show that um in um in the 2026 budget. So, hopefully that explains a little bit better.

Probably better than what I did. Uh any comments from the treasurer? I mean, other than just to say that like director said, this sounds like a lot of money. Oh, wow. We're appropriating $4 million. Again, it will come in on the the the revenue side, too. The the auditor will say, "We got $4 million of revenue. We're appropriating $4 million." It's a wash, you know, from our perspective, you know, on the books. All right. Uh questions from the audience. All right. Members of the committee, I'm just curious, um perhaps, Mr. Treasurer, um why do we have to do this if the money never comes to us? Why? What mechanism of accounting necessitates it?

Sure. I mean, we still have to show. So, the project when the project gets done, the project's going to say, well, it was this we spent this much money on the projects. Well, our books need to show that we still that we spent that much money. If we didn't enter this in, the project may be 11 million $4 million project, right? I'm just throwing a number out there. Might be a four $4 million project, but if we don't factor that money into our city's books, we may only show that we spent a million dollars on that project. So again, it's just a way to make sure that what we have lines up with what the state says. This is what you spent. Okay?

You know, at the end of the year, those numbers will match. And that's something that the auditors will look for when they come in. The state auditors will come in, look and say, "We want to see project number whatever." And they're going to say, "This is what looks like you spent on project whatever." And then it needs to match in our system as well. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? All right. The next item on the agenda is the um create the community. Do we have to vote on this? Oh, I'm sorry. I'm going to eventually remember that. Thank you, Member Staser, for uh being my backup there. Can I uh have a motion to move this forward to uh full counsel? Second. I'll second. Thank you. All in favor? All in favor?

I I

hitting the end of the day. Um, now the create the community pavilion fund 908. This is a request from the OD's office to an establish a uh approving establishing a new fund to accept grants and donations from the Athens Farmers Market Pavilion Project. Um, basically we just need a place to put the money that's going to pass through to the farmers market pavilion project. This will need to be or is requested to be suspended at first reading so that we can get it to the state for approval to create the fund and the timeline of anticipated funds coming uh into this and when we have an ordinance um ready for that I will send that out. Any comments from the administration? And the only comment that I would have is I would ask that we name it the Athens com Athens Commerce Pavilion Fund as opposed to the Athens Farmers Market Fund because um it'll be used as a permanent home for um you know presuming we get enough funds to actually get this thing built. It'll be used as a permanent home for the for the farmers market but that won't be the only use. noted uh questions or comments from the public.

Rob Delich, Morris Avenue here in the city. I'm just curious what kind of funds we're expecting to receive into this um and from what kind of sources. Just we may not know specifics, but just curious what kind of things this would be holding. Thanks. Uh, I believe some of that will be Sunday Creek Horizon potentially finding some sources. I believe there's a grant involved and then any donations from the public. Anything additional?

Yeah. So, one of the wins that the Sunday Creek uh got for us last year was uh $300,000 over the ban bianium in the state uh um in the state oper operations budget. um not in the capital budget, state operations budget for an uh agro agricultural initiative for the city of Athens. And so, you know, you can read um promoting business with agriculture is aka farmers market in the city of Athens. It could be used for something else. Um so, it's pretty broad as far as what the uh authority uh that's granted was, but um presumably that's be what it would be for that $300,000. problem is this pavilion we think is going to be closer to a million dollars. Um so um we've also asked them to seek uh um federal appropriations uh for uh this facility and I I know that that the Athens Farmers Market and ASET uh both have been pursuing uh additional funding sources externally. Yeah, I would add the Athens County Foundation also has a fund that is collecting donations uh from donors. Any other questions on this? And can I have a motion to move this forward?

So moved. And can I have a second? Second. All right. All in favor? I I I

All right. Uh next is we have another then announce certificate. Uh this is for $25,000 and to citizen serve software and it'll be the standard thing with that announce that we will be asked to u suspend on the first reading and that is uh code software. I have to ask any comments from the administration treasurer public and members of committee public. Rob Delich uh code software meaning the code office.

Yeah. So do we know what software this is this renewing what they're currently using? I believe this is yeah part of their what it's called. Uh citizen services. Yeah that's citizen serve. So it's renewing that. Mhm. Okay. Thank you. All right. Any questions from committee? No. All right. Uh, can I have a motion to move this forward? So moved. And can I have a second? Second. All in favor? I I

All right. And our last item tonight will be I sent it out this afternoon. Um, this is an addition is the reduction of the environmental coordinator position in the city. and that this is going to move uh to be a contract out to with the uh the soil and water district going forward. Um potentially adding duties such as an arborist. And we will need to move uh adjust the staffing ordinance to move this position to zero and to move the funds from this from transaction code 100 to transaction code 300. Um the anticipated cost of the contract is $75,000. Uh this will save us money in medical fund. And that's all I've got for that. Any additional comments from members for director Stone?

Yeah. Um the um you know, you recently passed legislation to uh approve a retirement incentive program to decrease the FTEEs for the city, specifically burdens on the medical fund. Um a position that currently is vacant is the environmental coordinator position. prior to the establishment of that position several years ago. Uh we we fulfilled those duties um through a contract with the Athens Soil and Water Conservation District. Uh we did that for several years um once the city came underneath a um an NPDS National Bluten discharge elimination system permit requirement from the EPA for storm water. Um and so recently we uh um you know in recent years we've had an employee uh that did that rather than have a contract with the soil and water district. That employee recently was uh promoted basically took another position uh in the city. So, the position is vacant and I would propose to rather than refilling that that we go back to a contract with the soil and water conservation district and we're in the process now with negotiating uh what that contract looks like. But, um in order to, you know, recognizing that it takes a while to get legislation passed, uh I wanted to go ahead and start the legislation now. This reduces appropriations in the TC-100s, the personnel lines, and increases appropriations in the uh professional services lines of the various funds that that paid for that position.

Anything from the treasurer and anything from the public? Any questions from the members of committee? Member Wood, if they don't fill it, will we be able to claw it back? I I'm sorry. I don't understand. So my sorry my understanding is we're we're

having this contract 75k with the soil and water district. Um is it for somebody that they have already hired or are we and if not and they don't hire someone because if it's been open for a while right we weren't spending the money will we be able to claw back the 75. Is there a is there a mechanism by which we will sort of not spend it until the person is in place? Does that make sense? Um, I think I understand. So, the open position right now is a city of Athens employee position, and I'm I'm asking that that go away. I'm asking to do a contract for service with the Soil and Water Conservation District. Now, presumably, they will need to hire a person uh to do that. They won't be able to do that with with normal staff. And so, as I've been in negotiations with the director at the Soil and Water Conservation District, she said, "Hey, look, we're probably going to need to hire somebody to to be able to provide some of these services to you." And I said, "Okay, I understand that." Um, but you know, at the end of the day, I don't care if they have 30 people or no people as long as they can deliver the the service that we're asking as opposed to a person particularly. You know, I guess I guess that I'm asking for the services. I'm not asking for the person. So, if they use a little bit of Micah and a little bit of Andy and a little bit of Beth to provide the various services as far as existing employees go, I'm okay with that as long as they provide the services. Does that answer your question?

Yeah, kind of. Um, It's like a kind of yes and I mean fair enough, right? Uh on not having to add a new person. Um if so then how do we what kind of reporting is there to make sure that we are getting back the services we would be getting from a full-time person? Um it's probably best that I um share the uh the contract um proposal that I'm that I'm working on uh with you to kind of delineate uh specifically the deliverables. But there are a series of deliverables that surround the six minimum control measures for the um municipal separate storm sewer system permit under the national pollutant discharge elimination system. There's six minimum control measures and each one of those um has a certain amount of activities that have to happen in a particular year. And so we would keep our thumb on the soil and water conservation district to deliver those services and say hey you know you need to do these number of education activities for the um the wider Athens public in order to meet um public education outreach which is um minimum control measure number five. Um that's an example with that particular scope of duties. There's a couple other duties that we're talking about having them do. Uh if you'd like to get into the weeds of these particular things, I can go through the the the contract once I get it into its final form with you. It probably will be in its final form before this passes. So, I'll have it ready to go.

Any additional question? Did that help answer the question? I'm sorry if it did. Yeah, sure. I mean, I just want to make sure we're actually getting what we're paying for. I mean, I've done a lot of the stuff with Teresa and soil and water and doing those MS3 projects. Um I think that's great. Great to save the money, right? Um, so yeah, I just want to make sure that we're actually uh doing the accountability around that is all I'm asking for. Y anything else? All right. Uh, can I have a motion to move this forward? So moved. Second. All right. All in favor? I I end the committee meeting tonight.