Athens City Council members will continue to debate implementing parking passes on city streets and begin to look at regulations for a new state law Monday night at their meeting.
Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, said the parking passes, which would allow residents in certain areas to keep their cars on residential streets for more than 24 hours, are being presented as a pilot program.
“This was not to go city-wide, but to just be a targeted area to see how it would work,” Papai said.
Papai said the need for parking passes arose from the older sections of town.
“In the older areas of town, many of those properties were not built for the number of cars we have today,” Papai said. “Some people have no parking whatsoever at their properties, or others may have one"
In a previous Post report, Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward, said she was concerned the passes wouldn't be legal because they would not be available to all residents.
“There’s a question of fairness,” Fahl said. “There’s certain constitutional requirements to make sure everyone is treated fairly under the law.”
Council President Chris Knisely said council members will also be discussing a new state law that allows telecommunications companies to attach equipment to municipal poles like traffic lights, telephone poles or light poles. Knisely said the city would consider restricting companies' ability to do this.
“It begins March 21 and will operate by Ohio Revised Code unless municipalities pass an ordinance that might make it more stringent,” Knisely said.
