ATHENS, Ohio — The City of Athens has taken a proactive response to flooding that followed a storm last week that dumped up to 5 inches of rain on the city Aug. 11, Mayor Steve Patterson said Monday during a report to Athens City Council.
The administration will continue to meet with Richland Avenue business owners affected by flooding, which left the street “literally [looking[ like the Hocking River,” Patterson said at the council meeting Monday, Aug. 17.
The city has offered owners a copy of an Army Corps of Engineers study released late last year that describes flood mitigation needs. The city plans to remove silt under Richland Avenue bridges, he said.
The Aug. 11 flood coincided with the start of what Patterson described as a large “deep dig” sewer project where Richland Avenue intersects with Dairy Lane. The project involves tying the line into a new lift station near the Richland Avenue roundabout and next to the Richland Avenue Bridge. The project is still expected to be completed in less than a month despite the flood, Patterson said.
Patterson said that although the temporary closure of Richland Avenue at Dairy Lane is “inconveniencing people,” foot traffic can still get past the work on sidewalks.
“It’s not impeding any of the students who live at some of the larger apartment complexes,” he said.
The work on Richland Avenue is part of an ongoing sewer project started a few years ago to provide service to customers outside the city in the Radford Road area and along SR 56. The new lift station at the Richland Avenue Bridge replaces one constructed in 1970.
The entire project involves adding a sewer line under the Hocking River and has involved digging along the Peden Stadium parking lot close and parallel to Richland.
The total project cost is about $15 million, according to Service-Safety Director Andy Stone. That is funded by a loan, with $8 million expected to be forgiven at a loan rate of 0% over 30 years, Stone said.
Storm systems to be tested
Patterson said the city’s Engineering and Public Works department, working with Stone, will conduct extensive smoke testing of storm drains and sewer lines on East State Street. Residents may see smoke coming out of their downspouts, and should not be alarmed, he said.
The area has experienced flooding during storms, which may be from groundwater infiltrating the drains, Patterson said.
Council member Michael Wood, 3rd Ward, said he has heard numerous complaints from residents about storm drains on East State Street, as well as Congress Street, where a drain was flooded.
In other flood-related news, Patterson showed photos of several Athens Fire Department crew members helping with evacuations in Crooksville in Perry County. Officials there asked the city for help, including use of the department’s inflatable watercraft, Patterson said.
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Parking penalty ordinance scrutinized
First reading of Ordinance 82-26 — which would double the fines for expired or unused parking meters from $15 to $30 — prompted lengthy discussion. The proposed penalty of $30 would increase to $40 if not paid on time.
Council members Jessica Thomas, and Paul Isherwood, both At Large, said doubling the penalty would deter drivers from parking beyond the two-hour limit. People who park well over their limit consider the current $15 penalty worth it, Thomas said, since they would pay about the same amount to park in the city garage for 10 to 24 hours.
Isherwood said $30 isn’t out of line with what other cities charge. People who overstay a parking meter understand they will incur a fine, he said. “I don’t think that $30 is an outrageous amount for that kind of violation,” he said.
Council member Alan Swank, 4th Ward, said the doubled parking penalty would affect out-of-town visitors the most, including families of Ohio University students. He suggested that the city consider a “graduated system” that would penalize repeat offenders more than others. He asked Law Director Lisa Eliason to study the issue and how a graduated system could be devised.
Beth Clodfelter, At Large, said she had heard from Uptown business owners who expressed concerns that doubling the penalty would cost them customers. Thomas countered that visitors overstaying their meters can result in less business. The issue is compounded by trucks loading and unloading items into stores, she added, taking up space where drivers can park.
Wood said he would like to see violators have two weeks, or what was specified as 14 days, to pay the penalty. Patterson said he does not have a problem with that change. The current requirement is paying the fine in five days.
Swank also asked if the proposed doubling of the penalty had to do with the city trying to increase its General Fund income. City Auditor Josh Thomas said it has more to do with providing a deterrent.
Other ordinances on first reading
In other ordinances for first readings, the council:
- Heard Ordinance 81-26, which would raise sewer rates by 4% in 2027 for residential, commercial and industrial customers, with base rates set based on consumption. Stone wrote in an email to Council President Micah McCarey that the 4% increase is necessary to generate $260,000 more into the Sewer Fund, which is currently set at $6.5 million this year. The additional funds would generate $90,000 to cover for a 4.25% pay increase in 2027 for AFSCME employees in the Sewer Department. The other $170,000 would be used for expenses such as electricity costs, with the Waste Water Treatment Plant’s electric bill exceeding more than $500,000 annually. Swank said that averages out to 11-and-a-half cents per kilowatt hour, with PUCO rates possible for less than 10 cents. He asked city administration to look into possible savings at a lower electric rate that might make it possible to charge less than a 4% sewer rate increase.
- Suspended the rules, and then unanimously adopted Ordinance 75-26, which authorizes Stone to enter into a contract for design-and-build services related to improved curbs and crosswalks at West State and Court streets. The project will involve a concrete apron with bricks above that will absorb traffic impacts. Clodfelter said many persons with disabilities will be able to cross North Court Street once the project is completed. Construction is set to begin around Thanksgiving and be completed next spring. The funding amount of $420,000 comes from CDBG Fund 248.
- Suspended the rules and then adopted Ordinance 78-26, which authorizes Stone to advertise, accept bids and enter into a contract for the replacement of a two-inch water line on Hudson Street. The amount of $400,000 has been set for the project to be paid from Water Fund Maintenance. The project is tied to eight new, affordable homes that should be completed this year, Swank said, as part of the Welcome Home Ohio Program.
- Heard Ordinance 80-26, updating the city’s Cybersecurity Policy as required by the state. The update defines rules and procedures for Cybersecurity areas including Network and Gateway Security, Endpoint Protection, End User Awareness Training, and Reporting Suspicious Activity.
Ordinances on second reading
On second reading, council heard:
- Ordinances 68-26 and 69-26, related to applying for a State Infrastructure Bank Loan for the State Route 682 Major Rehabilitation Project. The city’s share of the project, $499,000 out of a total cost of $7.1 million, will be taken from Small Cities ODOT Fund 589. The project, set for 2027, involves replacing aging concrete along a three-quarter mile section of SR 682 east of the Richland Avenue intersection, which continues onto US 50/33.
- Ordinance 74-26, which will provide an additional $31,000 to the Public Safety Training Facility on Kenny Drive. The extra amount is necessary to cover damage during construction done to an access road that requires repaving. The project’s total cost has been increased to $5.12 million.
