The Transportation Advisory Committee gave Athens City Council an update Monday night about the city’s Bounty on the Bricks celebration to raise money for local food pantries.
The event is scheduled for Aug. 10 and will feature live entertainment, locally grown food, and beer and wine.
Event organizer Susan Mitchell said the Southeastern Ohio Food Bank is teaming up with the Heritage Foundation to make sure the profits go toward Athens-area food banks.
“We would be helping people who are not fortunate enough to get food on their tables every day like we are,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell and Cheryl Sylvester, another event organizer, said there will be one long table on Court Street, extending from the College Book Store to the courthouse.
Sylvester said that Master Chef Alfonso Contrisciani, owner of Plate Restaurant Bar and Eatery, will cater the event.
Each ticket costs $75, and the organizers’ goal is to raise $15,000. The Heritage Foundation will match the final profit.
The ticket price is “steep” said Chris Knisely, D-at large, but Mitchell said people can participate by volunteering.
In addition to Bounty on the Bricks, the council discussed the wastewater treatment plant and University Estates projects with the Finance and Personnel Committee.
A portion of the University Estates area is accepted as city ground, but there is still a portion that is privately held, said Knisely.
An assessment equalization board will be put in place to oversee the University Estates project and concerns of the residents in that area.
One of the main concerns for the University Estates project is fixing the sidewalks. They have been marked by color from green to red — red being bad condition — and will be fixed accordingly.
The Planning and Development Committee reviewed code enforcement, as well.
“Every time we have a campaign the code comes up,” said Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward.
Council wants to create an ad hoc committee to discuss code enforcement, Knisely said, because every year it is violated and time and effort are put into correcting the problems. Knisely said creating this committee would save the city resources.
The committee would consist of two council members and community members. Papai and Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, agreed to sit with the committee.
“It needs someone from law enforcement because they know the code inside and out,” said Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward.
If the committee is put into place it will handle all community concerns about code enforcement.
Fahl proposed the installation of a disposal monitoring and mitigation program to monitor the city’s water system, ground water, hazardous waste disposal and natural resource sites for fracking and drilling. The program would cover extraordinary expenses for police and fire protection of these sites, which will require upgraded equipment to deal with hazardous waste.
“Better safe than sorry,” said Risner. “So I’m all for this. Let’s do it.”
