Athens City Council adopted the Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan and talked about an ordinance that will charge Halloween vendors at its meeting last night.
The mitigation plan, which has been developed over the past few years by city employees, outlines which areas of Athens are most vulnerable to natural hazards, said Councilwoman Carol Patterson, D-2nd ward.
The plan includes what Athens can do to prepare for a disaster such as a tornado, flood or ice storm in order to minimize its effects, she said.
In other business, city council members heard from Paul Wildeck, owner of the Burrito Buggy, regarding an ordinance that was passed by Council in July, specifying that all Uptown street vendors must pay a special fee for Halloween vending.
The fee is 10 percent of the vendor's sales that occur on the night of Halloween.
Wildeck was concerned with the fact that the fee will be applied to all Uptown vendors, both permanent and temporary, but not traditional storefront businesses.
Burrito Buggy is a permanent Uptown fixture, in Athens for 20 years, he said, and should not have to pay the special, one-night fee.
Wildeck called the ordinance an abuse of the city's power, telling council members, You did this because you could.
Wildeck was notified of the ordinance in a letter he received on Friday.
A motion was made by council to further discuss the issue in a future meeting, but it was defeated.
We spent two months talking about Halloween
said Councilwoman Nancy Bain, D-3rd ward.
Bain said she disagreed with changing council legislation on a dime due to a complaint from one citizen.
If vendors disagree with the ordinance they can choose whether to vend or not on Halloween, Bain said.
The ordinance was passed to prevent abuse of the current vendor license system, she said. Year-round vendor's licenses cost approximately $750. Special-event vending licenses range from $300 for one space to $5,000 for six spaces, said Councilwoman Deborah Phillips, D-4th ward. Many temporary vendors attempt to save money by purchasing year-round licenses and using them one night a year.
Patterson favored the motion to further discussion. I just wanted the opportunity for the vendors to hear some of the reasons behind the ordinance she said.
Councilman Dale Tampke, D-at-large, also voted for further discussion. Tampke said that sometimes after he hears new information on an issue, he wants a chance to review his position on it.
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