Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Athens City Council met in committees on Monday, November 9, 2026, beginning with the Committee of the Whole, followed by Finance and Personnel, Transportation, and City and Safety Services. Discussion focused on the city's contract with Sunday Creek Horizons, compensation for future elected officials, a petition to intervene regarding a proposed gas-fired power plant, and an economic impact presentation from the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Multiple items were moved forward to full council, while the Sunday Creek Horizons contract and elected official salary adjustments were tabled.
Good evening and welcome to Athens City Council. Today is Monday, November 9th, and we are in committees this evening, beginning with the Committee of the Whole. Our first topic for the Committee of the Whole pertains to the Community Relations Commission and their membership language. And I will turn things over to our council representative to that commission, Councilmember Jessica Thomas. This is a pretty simple code update. It was noticed that we don't have it spelled out in code that a member of council would be a liaison for the uh commission. So we just have a sentence added in there that members of the commission shall be broadly representative of the members of the Athens community. One member of the commission shall be a city council member as a liaison appointed by the council president. And it's just that last part in red in the uh verbiage that I sent out that would be the addition. And that is it. Comments from the administration. And do we have any questions or comments from the audience? And members of council. All right. Uh do we have any uh opposition to moving this forward? No. All right. Thank you, Member Thomas. Our next item on the Committee of the Whole for this evening is the Sunday Creek Horizon Potential 2027 contract. And we have Mayor Patterson here this evening to talk to us about the work that the city has engaged in in the past and potentially the future with Sunday Creek Horizon. Mayor Patterson. Thank you. Thank you, President McCarry. Um boy, if you're making me go to the past, um, I'll try not to go too far back with the work that Sunday Creek Horizons has done for the city in terms of advocating for funding. You know, most notably is the at work in Appalachia grant to where Athens was one of five projects in four municipalities with the the um Appalachian Communities Grant Program ACGP. Uh and and not only helping secure funding for that grant, but also managing the Athens Armory portion of that grant with a really complex capital stack as we moved forward. Um of the other things more recently was advocating for funding in the state budget for the Commerce Pavilion, which will be the home for farmers market in the future and other functions in the City of Athens. The ALCO, which is the Athens Lumber Company office um building that the city owns right off the bike path on West Union Street to put a put in or take out for kayaks and boats kayaks and canoes. Uh and still work to be done on that to where we're hoping that we can secure um more funding for that particular project as well as the commerce pavilion. Um the Sunder Creek Horizons has also been working hard and still working on the ADA transition plan, looking forward in time. Uh and I would probably add to some of the future projects we would like them to help us with when it comes to seeking funding, uh, but also uh lending um capacity to looking at some some further improvements of the Hawking River as it flows through the City of Athens. Um interesting work that we're looking into doing with the Corps of Engineers assistance, uh making the Hawking River safer to navigate by personal watercraft. And also knowing full well that there's more funding that is needed for the commerce pavilion. Granted, we got 300,000, and the I know that the farmers market has been hard at work with their capital campaign. Um currently we have over 400,000 to where phase one will likely begin um if not this month, you know, into next month and into early next year with the site prep. Um but you when you look at things, it's gonna cost um one million plus for that commerce pavilion. So we're still wanting to work with Sunday Creek Horizons to look at at uh advocating for more funding from the state, you know, on that particular project. Thank you, Mayor Patterson. Um do we have additional insights or comments on this topic from other members of the administration or auditor, treasurer? Uh members of the public with questions or comments about the city's engagement with Sunday Creek Horizons. All