ATHENS, Ohio — Athens officials said a fond farewell to longtime City Auditor Kathy Hecht during the Finance and Personnel Committee portion of Monday’s Athens City Council meeting.
Hecht has served as city auditor for 22 years, having been elected to her first four-year term in 2004. Prior to that she served for two years on Athens City Council representing the 1st Ward, the West side.
Council member Jessica Thomas, At Large, announced Hecht’s retirement and recognized her for many years of perfect audits as recipient of the Ohio Auditor of State Award.
Hecht has also served as a board member and past president of the Ohio Municipal Finance Officers Association. She has chaired the Athens Area Stand Down committee, which aids veterans and community members who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Mayor Steve Patterson said he had learned a great deal about city finances from working alongside Hecht over the past dozen-plus years.
“You and I have been through more trips, virtual or in person, to go before Moody’s to get our bond rating, which took a lot of work,” Patterson said. “I’ve leaned on you more than you know to get through that process and understand it.”
Patterson also credited Hecht with providing key information to city voters that resulted in city income tax increases being approved by voters in 2016 and again this year.
“We’ve had a good working relationship, and that’s important,” Hecht said to Patterson.
City Treasurer Josh Thomas said he had experienced a good working relationship with Hecht “from day one” in his duties as city treasurer. “You just took me under your wings and showed me everything I needed to know,” he said.
Thomas will be sworn in Friday afternoon as interim auditor, Patterson said. Thomas has been city treasurer since being elected in 2021. He and his wife, council member Jessica Thomas, have co-owned Brenen’s Coffee Café since 2000.
On Wednesday, Patterson told the Independent that he was appointing Jason Schroer as interim treasurer. Schroer is production coordinator at Ohio University’s Central Food Facility. He lost to Michael Wood in the May 2023 primary for Athens City Council Third Ward.
Both Schroer’s and Josh Thomas’ appointments are temporary. Members of the Athens County Democratic Party central committee who live in the city have 45 days from the date of Hecht’s resignation to choose someone to fill the balance of her term, which ends Dec. 31, 2027. If that group makes Thomas’ appointment permanent, they also will choose someone to fill the balance of his term, which expires Dec. 31, 2029.
Members of the central committee who live in Athens include Wood and Hecht, as well as Beth Clodfelter, At Large, and former council members Solveig Spjeldnes, Chris Knisely and Bill Bias.
Other business
Finance and Personnel Committee Chair Jessica Thomas announced staffing changes following closure of the city’s early retirement offer:
- Reducing the number of city lab technicians from two to one.
- Reducing the number of parking enforcement positions from five to four.
- Reducing the number of water meter reader employees by one, as that employee is retiring.
In other Finance and Personnel Committee matters, the city is authorizing $120,000 from a 2024 Community Development Block Grant to be used this year for West Side sidewalk improvements. The council will also be asked to move $30,000 for leases of police cruisers from one transaction code, 500, into another, 300, which is for professional services.
An item involving a $7,500 expenditure for an 250th Independence Day celebration was tabled for discussion at a future meeting.
In other matters, Transportation Committee Chair Beth Clodfelter said one of the streets to be closed for the Fourth of July will be West Washington Street, from the Athens Parking Garage to North Congress Street. Council member Alan Swank, 4th Ward, said Boy Scouts of America will be conducting a soap box derby on Independence Day and are searching for the appropriate area.
State Route 682/U.S. 33 paving project
The Transportation Committee discussed a forthcoming project to replace 56-year-old concrete on a portion of State Route 682, from the Richland Avenue roundabout to U.S. 50 and U.S. 33.
The concrete was intended to last just 50 years, Clodfelter said, adding, “parts of the pavement are starting to fail.”
The project, made possible through a Federal Local-Let Project Agreement, will require the city to contribute $498,000, Patterson said.
Federal funding for the project may be as high as 93%, with the city funding at 7%. The project amount in total is to be $7 million or more and will begin in 2027, he said.
Such projects involve shutting down one lane at a time, Patterson said. What is not yet known is how the work will affect on- and off ramps.
Swank said the project will involve close planning in cooperation with Ohio University.
DORA survey showing support
As required by state law, the city is performing a five-year review of its Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area. Athens’ DORA allows people 21+ to purchase alcoholic beverages from permitted establishments and carry them outside within a clearly defined area.
The city is in the process of adding prominent West Side streets to its DORA boundaries. Athens’ DORA is in effect Monday through Friday from noon to 11 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. between Ohio University spring commencement and fall semester.
The city and Safety Services Committee heard from committee member Jessica Thomas, who is tabulating survey results concerning DORA. As of Monday, the survey had 173 respondents. The survey is accepting responses through June 1.
Thomas presented findings so far:
- 64% of respondents said DORA has increased the time they spend in Uptown, with 30% saying neither increased nor decreased and 6% saying it decreased.
- 85% of respondents said they have used the DORA, compared with 15% not doing so.
- 85% of respondents have no concerns or problems with DORA, compared with 15% having concerns.
- 89% of respondents feel DORA has benefited the business community, with 7% saying no and 5% unsure.
- 76% of respondents support the DORA’s current hours, with 13% not supporting them and 11% maybe.
Athens City Council’s next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, June 1, at Athens City Hall, Council Chambers, third floor, 8 E. Washington St. Meetings are also streamed online. Regular sessions are on the first and third Mondays of the month; committee meetings are on the second and fourth Mondays.
Corinne Colbert contributed reporting to this story.
