The Athens City Council met Monday, Sept. 15, for a general session meeting. Council President Sam Crowl filled in as acting mayor in Mayor Steve Patterson’s absence, and Micah McCarey served as president pro tempore.
The meeting began by establishing a quorum, with six members present. For past business, the minutes from the Aug. 18 and Sept. 2 meetings were approved.
There were no communications from council members or members of the public, but Crowl read a message on behalf of Patterson.
The proclamation stated that the City of Athens recognized the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and the significance behind its founding.
“The City of Athens is enriched by the contributions of Hispanic and Latine residents, including students, faculty and staff at Ohio University, local Hispanic and Latine-owned businesses, along with community and cultural organizations that share heritage and traditions with the broader Athens community,” Crowl said.
The announcement also stated some of the celebrations for Hispanic Heritage Month, which will include library story times, community meals and university events.
Councilmember Michael Wood, D-3rd Ward, shared a communication regarding the tree commission being weakened, with many expressing concern.
People are encouraging the Council to keep a strong central tree commission, according to Wood.
There were six ordinances for third reading. Ordinances 0-82-25, 0-83-25 and 0-84-25 all passed unanimously with no communications to amend sections of the Athens City Code.
The council called for amendments to be made to Ordinance 0-85-25, amending certain sections of the Athens City Codes for street and sidewalk regulations. Those amendments passed unanimously as well, and the ordinance was sent back down to be read for the first time at the next meeting.
Ordinance 0-87-25, amending sections of the Athens City Code to remove gendered language and replace it with gender neutral language, and Ordinance 0-88-25, an emergency ordinance allowing the mayor to join the new Purdue opioid settlement, also passed unanimously with no comments.
There were also six ordinances for second reading. Ordinances 0-86-25, amending the Athens City Code, Ordinance 0-89-25, an emergency ordinance authorizing the mayor to join the new national opioid settlement with secondary manufacturers and 0-95-25, approval of a special right-of-way permit for a sign at 22 W. Stimson Ave., were all read without comment from the Council.
Councilmember Alan Swank, D-4th Ward, spoke about Ordinances 0-80-25, 0-90-25 and 0-94-25. Ordinance 0-80-25 involves the mayor's office selling properties on 25 Central Ave. and 458 Richland Ave. to another political subdivision.
For Ordinance 0-90-25, which pertains to the Service Safety Director Andy Stone advertising and accepting bids for the former fire department on Columbus Road, Swank asked if it would be advantageous for the rules to be suspended. Yet, Stone said it was not necessary due to the timing and work that had to go into it.
Swank explained Ordinance 0-94-25 to the many college students who were present at the meeting, telling them that it would designate a local emergency contact for people who live in off-campus housing, and whose landlord does not live within a 50-mile radius.
There were four ordinances for first reading. Ordinances 0-96-25, 0-97-25, 0-98-25 and 0-99-25 were all adopted after the rules had been suspended.
There was a particular hurry to suspend the rules and adopt 0-96-25 because it involves the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library, a program started by Dolly Parton, to give every child in the area a free book every month from birth to the age of five. Since the rules were suspended and the ordinance approved, the children of Athens will soon be able to enjoy this program.
The other business of the meeting included approving the August 2025 financial reports and the July 2025 credit card transactions. Both items were approved.
