A street luge competition and the purchase of a 16-passenger bus were among the main topics discussed at the Athens City Council committee meetings last night.
David Dean, the luge event's coordinator, said the competition would attract spectators from all over Ohio. He said he projects 5,000 to 10,000 spectators.
A representative from the University Program Council said they plan to support the event and started discussing the event last fall.
With possible approval next Monday, council members said they are still concerned about whether Ohio University and Athens Middle School will be involved with the competition, said Councilwoman Carol Patterson, D-2nd Ward. Dean said he has not been able to contact a representative from the middle school, and the university's involvement will be determined at a meeting Thursday. Council members said they think involvement from those parties will make a large difference in the course layout, which would be too drastic to change at such late notice.
Because main throughways, including Congress Street and Richland Avenue, would be closed, council members also said they are uncomfortable with the possibility of an emergency vehicle needing access to the course during a race.
In other council news, members also discussed a bus purchase. The city would have to pay only $4,138 for the bus because the state and county would cover 90 percent of the costs.
One current bus is in bad shape, with more than 200,000 miles on it, said Athens Mayor Ric Abel.
The city might purchase a street sweeper for at least $158,000, depending on which model the city chooses. The new machine is easier to repair and is capable of picking up everything from leaves to beer cups, Abel said. It also would make it possible to clean every street at least four times a year, with higher-traffic streets being cleaned more frequently, he said.
January mudslides on South High Street are still a major problem, said OU graduate student Dominick Brook, who was temporarily evicted from his residence at 9 1/2 S. High St. He described his driveway as a mud-pit and said he sometimes is not able to park his car in his driveway.
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Janet Nester
