By Mark Archibald
The Athens City Council approved a resolution declaring the City of Athens a local disaster area on Monday, during a regular council meeting.
Some parts of Athens received more than four inches of rain in just one hour on June 14 of this year. The rush of water washed out several city streets and strained the city’s water, sewer, and additional infrastructure, causing an estimated $1.37 million in damages.
The council’s action was followed by a similar declaration from Henderson County Judge Wade McKinney and allows the city to apply for state disaster relief funding.
The council also approved a resolution to appoint one member to the Cain Center Inc. Board of Directors. Athens City Council woman Debra Wilson was selected to serve on the Board. She currently represents Place 3 on the council.
Athens City Manager Elizabeth Borstad was authorized to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Henderson County HELP Center to utilize remaining Opioid Settlement Funds to reimburse personnel costs for one full-time Help Line Coordinator position.
Borstad was also authorized to enter into a Land Lease Renewal Agreement with Charles Young, involving Lot 6, Area 3, at Athens Municipal Airport.
The council also accepted a sealed invitation for Bid, from Reynolds and Kay LTD. The bid for seal coat totals $315,745.
The material is applied to city streets to extend the life of roadways.
The council held a public hearing an annexation request from Joe Gould concerning eleven acres located at Bayshore Drive, near Lake Athens.
No action was taken following the first reading of requested ordinance change.
The item is likely to be addressed again at a future meeting of the city council.
A requested zoning change from Single-Family Residential – 5 to Commercial for a lot located at 107 Aaron Street, received a first reading.
The request is likely to be heard again at a future council meeting.
Following a public hearing Cory Barron requested a zoning change from Commercial to Single Family Residential – 7 for a property located at 600 Old Tyler Hwy.
The council could act on the request after a second reading of the ordinance.
The council held a public hearing concerning a request for approval of a Specific Use Permit for a “Manufactured Home” which would be located at 608 W. Larkin Street.
A final decision on the item was not made the council is likely to consider granting the permit at a future meeting of the council.
The council also heard the first reading of a request for a Specific Use Permit for a proposed “Private Club” located at 716 E Tyler Street.
No decision was made Monday.
The council held a public hearing concerning a requested Agricultural and Specific Use Permit for a proposed “Gas Line & Regulating Station” located on Tract 32, of C M Walters Survey.
The applicant, Bradley Jordan, agreed to consider a 10-foot wall to reduce the noise caused from the construction and associated noise from the equipment.
The council approved the consent agenda prior to adjourning the meeting.
The Athens City Council meets regularly on the second and fourth Monday of the month in the Civic Hall, Room 216 of the Cain Center, 915 S. Palestine St. in Athens.