Athens City Council members focused Monday night’s meeting on city projects, including planning for summer activities and litter-control solutions.
Muriel Grim, of the Clear Litter Everywhere in Athens Now Committee, spoke about a project tracking the amount of litter in Athens for more than two years and brought recommendations to Council.
Grim urged Council to “establish clear standards of what constitutes a trash violation.”
The project began in March 2010 and tracked seven distinct areas where litter and cigarette butts would be counted over time. The final liter counts were taken in April just before Athens Beautification Day.
The locations were mixed and included rental properties, homes, business areas and certain streets, Grim said.
Some of the areas include Mill Street at Kurtz Street, East State Street at Stimson Avenue, Columbia Avenue and North Lancaster Street, Richland Avenue at Mulligan Road, Brown Avenue at Walker Street, Walker at Miller Avenue, and West State Street at Athens Middle School.
Litter-related issues aren’t always a top priority for council members because they are not seen as critical, Grim said.
“The problem with litter is it’s always on the back burner,” she said. “I’m hoping that somehow you will be able to keep litter on your mind.”
Council will continue to pay close attention to litter conditions in Athens, Council President Jim Sands said.
“To me, it’s not really on the back burner,” he said. “It’s something that has to constantly be monitored. Council will be considering her recommendations.”
Council also was able to take time to discuss two possible closures of Court Street this summer for “Cruise-In” and “Boogie on the Bricks.”
For Cruise-In, Court Street should be closed between Union and State streets, a two-block stretch, Mayor Paul Wiehl said.
“They bring in the cars, park them and listen to music,” he said.
Though Cruise-In would only create a partial closure on Court Street, Boogie on the Bricks would force the entire street to be closed beginning as early as 7:30 a.m.
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