The city might have a new poet laureate by the end of this year — a position that would likely cost the city between $1,500 and $2,000 a year.
Members of the Athens Municipal Arts Commission are looking to establish a city position that will foster poetic expression in Athens.
Athens Municipal Art Commission members Carol Patterson and Bonnie Proudfoot spoke to Athens City Council on Monday night about the possibility of naming an Athens City Poet Laureate, who would be responsible for engaging in work that would both enrich the city and “advance the artform” of poetry.
The plan coincides with the recent decision by the state to name a state poet laureate, Patterson said.
She said there are currently about 45 states and more than a hundred cities that have poet laureates.
Athens would be one of the first cities in Ohio to have one, she added.
The laureate would likely receive between $1,500 and $2,000 a year and would be expected to create some type of project by the end of his or her two-year term. Any expenses for his or her project would have to be paid out of pocket.
She said candidates would be selected based on his or her ideas for what that project would entail.
Councilman Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, raised concerns about who would own the rights to that project once completed, the city or the individual poet.
Patterson said that concern has come up at Athens Municipal Arts Commission meetings, and that she would be reaching out to state officials to determine the legality of those issues.
“We will add that (to the ordinance) and clarify,” she said. “It’s an interesting question because if you write a poem for the city does it mean you can never use the poem again?”
Patterson also said she was hoping the funds could be appropriated without any action by council, since the funds were relatively small.
Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, said the funding likely would not require any legislative action, but that he supported the idea.
Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, also expressed support for the idea.
“I think it brings (poetry) even closer to the community,” she said.
Council members also briefly discussed settling a date for the annual Halloween Block Party, which will likely fall on Oct. 31 this year.
Butler said he wanted to “confirm” whether the official date has been approved.
Service-Safety Director Paula Horan-Moseley said the city has already given the 31st to Ohio University as the date of the Block Party. She said she would be meeting with the Athens Clean and Safe Halloween Committee this week to further confirm preparations for the event.
Council also discussed appropriating funds for several other city matters, including a feasibility study for a new city building that would station offices for the Athens Police Department, Athens Fire Department, Ohio University Police Department and Athens County Emergency Medical Services.
Horan-Moseley said EMS officials have requested $10,000 be appropriated to finance a study that would look into the practicality of such a building.
The feasibility study would have to take place in time for the parties to apply for the Local Government Innovation Fund in September.
“Timing could be right at least for the feasibility study to find out what could be accepted,” Horan-Moseley said.
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