City Council met in committee Monday to discuss whether to apply to become a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.
This designation would provide resources to help the city design a plan to make Athens more livable for people of all ages, especially older adults, according to the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities website.
There are eight community features that the city can focus on to improve livability: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information and community and health services, according to the website.
City Council President Chris Knisley said that City Council has not yet decided which of those features they plan to focus on.
Other cities in Ohio that currently have this designation include Akron, Cincinnati, Columbus and Oxford, among others. To become a member, cities must submit a letter of commitment that provides an assessment of the city’s current age-friendliness as well as a community-wide action plan.
Councilwoman Arian Smedley, D-1st Ward, supports this designation.
“Any opportunity that we can have to make our community more inclusive and more inviting and more welcoming to people of all walks of life only seems to fit within our mission as a city, so I think this is a positive step,” Smedley said.
Council also discussed its Community Development Block Grant proposal for 2020. The grant provides federal funding to communities to address community development needs, and new proposals for the grant are made every two years. There will be two public hearings for the grant on March 16 and April 20 during regular City Council meetings.
