City Council members adopted a resolution to relieve the current fire ladder truck of it's current municipal purpose at last night’s meeting, along with discussing a resolution to alter the current noise ordinance.
“Quite simply this is an effort for the city, since we anticipate receiving a new truck as early as November of 2011 … this is an effort to dispose from the old one and move on,” Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, said in regards to the fire ladder truck resolution.
Council members first proposed for Ohio University to help financially with the replacement of the 22-year-old truck in January of 2010.
The cost of a new truck would cost the city $1.03 million, according to a previous Post article.
A resolution up for first reading proposed a change in the first offense ramifications for violators of the current noise ordinance.
The ordinance would amend Athens City Code Title 13, or unnecessary noise offenses against public peace. The first offense would no longer be a criminal offense, but rather an administrative offense fine of $100.
If the offender did not pay within 30 days, they would receive a minor misdemeanor citation.
While D-at Large Councilman Elahu Gosney said he would rather see the first offense be a written warning, he also said the proposed change is a step in the right direction.
“To keep (the first offense) from having someone go to jail or get a record… I think that’s definitely an improvement,” Gosney said.
Also up for first reading were two ordinances that would declare a police cruiser no longer needed for municipal purpose, and authorize the service-safety director to purchase a new police cruiser, respectively.
The Athens Police Department would be allowed to expend up to $37,000 for the cruiser, which is in the budget, said D-2nd Ward Council member Sherry Coon, adding that APD hasn't purchased a new cruiser since 2008.
