Athens City Council met Monday to discuss the possible purchase of a new salt truck and the water quality report in the Annual Consumer Confidence Report.
After Athens' recent snowfall, one of its "beloved" salt trucks has reached the end of its life.
“We had five salt trucks rolling this past weekend with this snow, and they did a tremendous job,” Athens Mayor Steve Patterson said at Monday night’s Athens City Council meeting.
Council discussed the possibility of purchasing a new salt truck for the city, a move suggested by council's Transportation Committee, headed by Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward.
Papai said the aged vehicle will cost around $80,000 to $100,000 to replace.
“(The truck) has served its life well to the city,” Patterson said. “We need to get a new one so we can get it rolling for next season.”
The Planning and Development Committee, headed by Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward, also hosted Mary Nally, executive director of Community Food Initiatives, who presented the organization’s annual report to council members.
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“(The organization is) a justice-based organization, not just in the form of food justice, but also in environmental justice,” Nally said. “All of the work that we do is collaborative in nature.”
The organization has six community gardens around Athens County. In 2014, the organization had about $47,900 in total assets, according to GuideStar.org.
2016 will be the organization’s 26th year helping those in Athens County and other bordering counties and states.
Councilwoman Fahl also presented the Annual Consumer Confidence Report, which included Athens’ water quality report.
Fahl said this information is especially prominent with the current water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
According to the report, Athens’ water quality is “excellent.”
“This city has developed quite a plan to keep our water safe,” Papai said.
The Finance and Personnel Committee, headed by Councilman Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, is planning on enforcing a law that requires residents to use paper bags instead of plastic ones for yard waste at the beginning of March.
Switching to paper will “keep around 7,000 plastic bags out of our environment,” Patterson said, adding that the bags will also be biodegradable.
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