Like a record on repeat, water fluoridation was again a major talking point of last night’s Athens City Council meeting.
Two hours into the meeting, water fluoridation was brought up during the Committee of the Whole, where Chillicothe dentist David Ball addressed the council regarding his concerns about water fluoridation.
“At first I questioned fluoride use for me and my family,” Ball said. “But now I don’t use topical fluoride treatments in my practice, and have reduced fluoride use in general.”
Ball, who has installed reverse osmosis in his home for drinking water and uses fluoride-free toothpaste, is highly cautious about further water fluoridation in Athens.
Ball answered questions posed by councilmembers for about 20 minutes before Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th ward, suggested legislation on water fluoridation be brought before council soon because it is a popular concern.
During the meeting of the Finance and Personnel Committee, the Cincinnati-based Perfection Group presented an update about the progress of both energy and infrastructure improvements in Athens, costing a total of $425,000.
Councilwoman Chris Knisley, D-At Large, said $300,000 was borrowed for the enhancements, but the energy-saving improvements will pay for themselves in about eight years.
Representatives from the firm reported that phase one is 98 percent complete and strongly suggested that the council will vote to begin further improvements some time this year.
“We’re not just replacing windows because they didn’t look nice,” said City Council President Bill Sands. “These windows are bleeding heat and air conditioning.”
Perfection Group awarded the “Perfection Energy Award” to City Council for the energy and infrastructure improvements that they were hired to implement in city buildings.
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