Off-campus housing, city and campus transportation and minimum wage were prevalent issues during last night's Student Senate meeting, a forum for four of five potential at-large Athens City Council members seeking election Nov. 6.
A need for more student apartments was the central concern for Republican Matt Bernosky, a senior engineering and technology major.
Some things I would like to see city council do for the students in general would be more student apartments come up in the next couple of years
Bernosky said, citing OU's increasing enrollment as justification.
Jim Sands, a current at-large city council member seeking a fifth term, said possible changes in the Athens zoning laws in a comprehensive plan awaiting approval from the Planning Commission could affect such an initiative.
I do think the comprehensive plan will call for some changes in zoning Sands said. One of those ... might allow the development of some of these larger apartment communities that are being built on the fringes of Athens a little closer in.
Elahu Gosney, a graduate student running as an independent, said he would like to see the minimum wage in Athens raised.
Cities have the power to do this Gosney said.
Carol Patterson, current city council member and one of three Democrats on the ballot, said raising minimum wage could be a detriment to employment in Athens.
I do think there are residual effects of raising minimum wage and one of them could potentially be fewer jobs
Patterson said. Beyond that
I am not positive that in Ohio that we have the legal right to do that as a municipality
adding that she would be willing to review evidence to the contrary.
Patterson also praised city council's cooperation with OU and the overall positive effect the two transportation systems have had.
Hopefully
we can prioritize transportation ... and combine the two systems so that we have enough vehicles and enough manpower to cover more area more frequently
she said, adding that she is working to eliminate the 24-hour ordinance Athens has for off-street parking.
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