After an expeditious two-term stint as an Athens City Council member, Sherry Coon will call it quits after she wraps up her current term. Looking back on her work, one can’t help but noticed it was built around preserving Athens and keeping residents safe.
For someone who called Athens County “home” her entire life, Coon said participating in council was the perfect way to give back.
“I felt it was my duty to serve on Council,” said Coon, D-2nd Ward. “I love Athens and wanted to understand how to maintain that.”
With two brothers working as firefighters, Coon was drawn to safety-related ordinances almost instantly, serving as chair of the Safety Committee for most of her two terms on Council.
Most notably, the adoption of the roof ordinance in 2010 outlawed rooftop partying and “has the potential to save lives,” Coon said.
Another live-saving ordinance Coon was a part of was the carbon-monoxide ordinance, requiring student rental housing, sororities, fraternities and any other boarding houses to have a carbon-monoxide detector near sleeping areas.
The ordinance will be implemented in January 2012.
“I am very proud to say I have worked on both of these ordinances,” Coon said. “I think they will especially help keep students of (Ohio University) safe.”
Along with her work on the Safety Committee, Coon has contributed to the Finance and Personnel committees and has enjoyed learning how the city manages its money.
Though she will be done with Council in November, Coon will continue her job as administrative assistant for attorney Susan Gwen and hopes to become more active in her church, Bates United Methodist.
“I am proud to have been a part of making our community a safer place for both Athens residents and OU students,” Coon said.
kg287609@ohiou.edu
