Athens City Council adopted an ordinance Monday to create the Athens Environment and Sustainability Commission, which is slated to be an advisory committee that would offer suggestions to council on environmental issues.
The creation of the committee was asked for by the Comprehensive Plan Review Advisory Committee as well as the public, said Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward, who introduced the ordinance in late April.
“We’re recommending this because we’ve reviewed and recommended these things to council, and council has too many other things to do,” said Ed Baum, chair of the Comprehensive Plan Review Advisory Committee, before council members in April.
Council members would be appointing the commission’s members as well as placing a council member on the commission beginning around September. But Baum said council has previously taken up to a year to fill committee positions, and urged council members to swiftly fill positions.
As well as taking on education; research; and advisory roles for the city, the proposed commission would be to keep track of progress set forth by the Comprehensive Plan Review Advisory Committee, Fahl said.
Council members also introduced an ordinance that could result in a total reconstruction of South Richland Avenue. Richland Avenue between Dairy Lane and Canterbury Drive could see improvements such as new curbs, sidewalks and storm drains if the city receives funds from the state.
The project, slated to cost about $3.5 million, is expected to be paid for mostly by grants from the state of Ohio. The state funds would only comprise 80 percent of the total costs, though, leaving the city to foot the remaining 20 percent of the bill.
If the city receives state funding, the project is scheduled to begin in 2014.
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