At Monday's city council meeting, members gave a first reading to an ordinance that would amend the current policy on the discharge of weapons.
Currently, neither the discharge of ceremonial weapons nor the firing of rifles at military funerals is permitted in Athens. However, a Civil War re-enactment, slated to take place in the fall, would incorporate the use of ceremonial weapons. The proposed amendment would allow law enforcement officials to enact a permitting process for those involved in any weapon-discharge ceremonies or events, said council member Dale Tampke, D-at-large.
Nancy Bain, D-3rd ward, said that if the amendment passed, discharging should be limited to non-residential areas. She added that officials would have to watch the discretion given to participants.
Council members also discussed possible insurance coverage for events involving weapon discharge.
Also at the meeting, Mayor Ric Abel announced that street repairs is scheduled to begin this week Uptown.
The first thing will be grinding down asphalt
he said, adding that the repairs -focused mainly on Union Street -will take place weather-permitting.
Bain, in a first reading, discussed an ordinance authorizing upgraded handheld sanitation scanners for area garbage collection. These scanners would track the trash as it is placed on the street and would hopefully improve the accuracy and the efficiency of garbage collection she said.
In a first reading, council member Paul Wiehl, D-1st ward, addressed the purchase of a new leaf-collection machine for the street department -the original one blew up, he said.
Wiehl also discussed a future purchase of a one-ton dump truck for the department.
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Megan Bruce
