Athens City Council met Monday evening to discuss rezonings and city budget matters.
The meeting began with a public hearing to discuss the rezoning of 111 Hooper St. The Athens City Planning Commission recommended changing the zoning of the area from single-family homes to multifamily units, allowing for the construction of a new apartment complex.
Some residents were against the rezoning, saying it would create congestion in an area that doesn’t have the infrastructure to support it.
Aaron Romero, a resident of Nottingham Drive, expressed concern about increased litter, traffic going around a blind spot turn and the lack of sidewalks on Hooper Street.
Robert Delach, a resident of Morris Avenue, was in favor of changing the zoning to allow for a higher-density development. He said he thinks it would create more affordable housing, which is in short supply in Athens and he was unsure where else they could build it if not in the Hooper Street area.
After hearing from five residents, the Council moved into regular session.
Councilmember Solveig Spjeldnes, D-1st Ward, said Hocking Athens Perry Community Action Program, or HAPCAP, received an additional $2 million in grant funding to help combat homelessness in the Southeast Ohio region.
Spjeldnes said the city will be able to move forward with projects that have been discussed, such as turning the Sunset Motel into a shelter.
Council heard comments from Mayor Steve Patterson, who shared that a council member from Athens’ sister city, Ostroh, Ukraine, will be visiting Athens for a few days in August. He will share more details about the visit as it gets closer.
Ordinance 0-56-25 was then introduced by Councilmember Alan Swank, D-4th Ward, which discussed the 5.13-acre rezoning at 111 Hooper St. from the public hearing earlier.
The rest of the ordinances for second reading discussed authorizing the Service-Safety Director to enter into contracts with the state of Ohio for various projects, including the Stimson Avenue bridge and the roundabout in the State Route 682/56 intersection.
Ordinance 0-63-25 was introduced by Councilmember Jessica Thomas, At-Large, on behalf of Councilmember Micah McCarey, At-Large, which discussed the funds appropriated to different city services for the fiscal year.
Swank posed a question about what a $500,000 sum allocated to the capital improvements section was appropriated for. *Patterson said he will find the answer to Swank’s inquiry, but he believed the funds may be for the armory or possibly a new pumper truck.
Ordinance 0-64-25 was introduced by Councilmember Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, to authorize the 2025 staffing levels and reclassify the title of a position at the mayor’s office from DEIA/Training Coordinator to Community Engagement and Accessibility Coordinator.
Swank said he was concerned that funding this position might mean losing three firefighters from the city staff when the fire department’s Federal Emergency Management Agency grant runs out, and the money might be better used to fund the firefighters' salaries.
Auditor Kathy Hecht clarified that the appropriated funds would not be sufficient to cover the salaries of three firefighters, and Patterson responded that the fire department understands the city will not be able to financially support three additional firefighters when the grant expires.
Patterson also said community engagement is a major asset to his office and the city, and he advocated for keeping the position.
