Athens City Council Regular Session & Public Hearings – October 19, 2026

The Athens City Council met in regular session on Monday, October 19, 2026, convening three public hearings before proceeding with legislative business. The hearings covered a neighborhood corridor overlay zone, a proposed annexation of Athens County Children's Services property, and a Welcome Home Ohio-funded affordable housing development. The regular session included multiple ordinances and resolutions, with notable discussion on new special event street closure fees and approval of sewer rate adjustments.

Public Hearings

• 7:00 p.m. – Neighborhood Corridor Overlay Zone: Planning & Development Chair Alan Swink outlined the two-stage process; Planner Megan Jennings explained that the proposed language was moved to a new Title 53 for code consistency. No public speakers appeared; the hearing closed at 7:07 p.m.
• 7:15 p.m. – Annexation of Athens County Children’s Services Property: The 29-acre site on Stony Brook Drive (near East State Street) would bring 85–100 employees into the city’s income tax base. The Planning Commission recommended B3 business zoning for the southern half and R1 residential for the northern portion. No public comment was offered; the hearing ended at 7:18 p.m.
• 7:30 p.m. – Welcome Home Ohio Planned Unit Development (Hudson Avenue & South May Avenue): Council heard a proposal for eight affordable single-family homes (3-bed, 2-bath) to be sold at approximately $180,000 (market value ~$230,000–$250,000). One unit will be fully ADA-accessible. The city secured a $2 million Welcome Home Ohio grant for the project. Mayor Patterson noted plans to include rooftop solar panels and that the program acts as a revolving loan fund, enabling 18–20 homes over time.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ken Ahlers, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio (resident of Athens), expressed strong support for the Hudson Avenue project. He highlighted that the average first-time home buyer in Athens is 40 years old, and the average list price is over $310,000, making $180,000 homes a critical opportunity. He submitted a letter of support from the Ohio Board of Realtors CEO and praised the city for not returning the grant.

Discussion Items

• Special Event Street Closure Fees (Ordinances 95-26 & 96-26): First reading. The administration proposed recovering about one-third of city costs for street closures during festivals. A fee matrix set charges based on applicant type (city-sponsored, other government, local nonprofits, OU-sponsored, non-local nonprofits, for-profits with city benefit, and others). A $300 fee for residential one-block closures drew concern from councilmembers Jessica Thomas and Alan Swink, who noted it could burden neighborhood events and discourage community gatherings. Member Swink cited projected revenue of only $3,890 from 13 events and questioned whether the administrative overhead was worthwhile. Member Wood raised concerns about late application timing and escalation of residential fees for non-profits. Mayor Patterson noted the police chief opposes residential closures. Council will continue discussion at the next meeting (November 2).
• Appropriation Amendments (Ordinance 97-26): First reading. Member Thomas proposed adding $45,000 for a water tap at Mill Street Village and concrete replacement, $36,000 for parking garage elevator repairs (amended from $25,000 after testing revealed additional needed repairs), $30,000 for portable flood barriers (240 linear feet), $65,000 for parking system maintenance contract fees, $15,000 for landfill gas monitoring, and $4,730 for city council website services. The amendment was approved unanimously.
• Health Insurance MOU (Ordinance 99-26): First reading. A memorandum of understanding with AFSCME creates a spousal carve-out for employees hired after January 1, 2027, requiring them to take employer-provided coverage if available. Existing employees may opt in. The measure aims to reduce strain on the city’s medical fund. Councilmember Isherwood noted that health care costs are rising 15–18% statewide and called the step sensible but insufficient.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinance 89-26 – Amending sanitary condition regulations to allow citations for failure to dispose of solid waste: Passed unanimously.
• Ordinance 92-26 – Amending 2026 appropriations and authorizing interfund transfers ($19,000 for fire safety intervention grant, $40,000 for HVAC cleaning at community center, $100,000 transfer to APR fund, $65,024.78 for PACE loan, and others): Rules suspended; passed unanimously.
• Ordinance 93-26 – Approving a then-and-now certificate of $22,000 for Stimson Avenue sewer repair: Rules suspended; passed unanimously.
• Ordinance 94-26 – Establishing the Athens City Comprehensive Plan Review Advisory Commission (expanded from 7 to 9 members): Rules suspended; passed unanimously.
• Ordinance 81-26 – Amending sewer rates and increasing yard waste bag fees from $2.00 to $2.50; also sets 2027 sewer rates. Removed from table and passed unanimously after council noted the need for multi-year projections.
• Resolution 07-26 – Accepting the budget commission’s tax levies and certifying them to the county auditor (approximately $1.2 million in property tax revenue): Rules suspended; passed unanimously.
• Financial Reports: August and September 2026 financial reports, and July and August 2026 credit card transactions, accepted.
• Appointment: President McCarry appointed Patrick Cahill (sophomore, honors tutorial college) to the Pedestrian Accessibility and Bicycle Safety Task Force.

The meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.