City of Athens, Ohio Mayors Press Conference 2021, 18 Aug 2021

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From YouTube: Mayor's Press Conference - August 18, 2021

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Mayor's Press Conference - August 18, 2021

A

Good afternoon welcome once again to the mayor's press conference here in the wonderful city of athens, ohio, obviously um it. uh I know that we had a uh pretty significant weather event that began yesterday evening, around 8 30 9 o'clock ish and was persistent all the way through the night and indicators that I have received is that we had you know, uh ranging from 3.5 to 5 inches of rain that occurred over an extended period of time.

A

Things kind of let up around 11 o'clock today, maybe a little bit before that, but we certainly certainly had some significant water standing water as well as some some surges in some of our waterways, such as coats run, margaret's, creek and then the hawking river saw a rise, but it wasn't a catastrophic rise by any stretch when it came to the hawking river. But that said, we certainly saw a fair amount coming down.

A

Kyle, you want to give us an update as to whether we're going to experience any more of that over the coming days. What is the seven days ahead? Look like for us here in athens.

B

So today, for probably cloudy I have 81. tonight we look for scattered storms, late low 67., tomorrow, scattered storms, high of 79, low 65, friday, probably quality. I have 84 below 63.

B

saturday, probably cloudy 585 low 66., sunday ice weather, storms, type 86, low 66 monday, partly cloudy high of 87 low 64., tuesday, probably quality high 87, low 65 and next wednesday, before isolated storms, high of 87 and low 65., and today in ohio, there's been now 3 000 children of five new positive cases in the last 24 hours brings a total of point two million cases in twenty thousand nine hundred deaths.

B

Athens county has now over a hundred active cases per 100 per fifty thousand in the globally cases are now four point million cases and 3.1 million deaths, and now all your athletics, the volleyball, will have a great wright, scrimmage friday, 7 p.m. In the convo mass required saturday, pieden palooza at 9am performances by the marching 110 the spear squads, including the mascot, will be there at the same time and then sunday we'll have the involvement, fair and then we'll have soccer season beginning at home.

B

The first match, against marshall, the thundering herd at 4pm as welcome week, continues on through the remainder of this week and all next week, great.

A

So you kind of touched on a number of things there kyle. We certainly have uh move in that's occurring here in athens. It's moving, as has already begun. The campus move in the the big uh largest portion of the campus move in is going to be occurring on the 19th. uh There was some move in that took place over the 15th. uh It was a special move in, but into the res halls. uh The vast majority of the on-campus students in the residence halls will be taking place, the 19th uh up until the classes begin.

A

So that's going to be going on just wanting people to be aware of that.

A

The other thing that, as you had mentioned, kyle when you're touching on you know the the covet 19 cases as you can see, kyle and I are masked up um as we're sitting here at city council dice, the uh we did reactivate the face covering ordinance for the city of athens. The ordinance was always in place.

A

um It just had been amended some time ago to where, given the cdc's guidelines, that people who were vaccinated fully vaccinated were not required to wear a face covering, um but with the increase in cases that we are seeing here in athens county.

A

It fits with the cdc guidelines to where, if you reach the orange level or substantial, spread or high spread we're not at the high level, yet that the cdc's guidelines is that people who are vaccinated and unvaccinated wear a face covering when going into inside a facility or business that is open to the public.

A

That does not mean that people need to wear face coverings outside if you are out in the public spaces outdoors, you're not required to wear a face covering in that situation, still highly recommended that people who are unvaccinated wear a face covering the delta variant is an extremely contagious variation of copa 19 as it has morphed.

A

So we uh that face covering for vaccinated unvaccinated inside spaces that are open to the public is in effect, and the language of the ordinance reads that it will remain in effect, in effect until february 28th of 2022.

A

If we see that cases are dropping off to where they are low or even better than low within that six month period of time, there is the option of having city council amend that ordinance once again, but we have got to beat this virus one way or another, and this also this change in language. This change to the city ordinance.

A

Will also put us in alignment with what the university's plan is to our face: coverings are mandatory inside the classroom, spaces and indoors on campus, as well as the athens city county city, school district. Rather, the athens city school district will also be requiring faculty staff and students to be wearing face coverings when in the classroom, in the k, through 12 system here in the athens city school district.

A

So please keep that in mind, I'm pretty sure, and if not, I will make sure that that information, the press release that we put out that speaks to this face. This change in the face covering ordinance is on the city's website.

A

I'm getting a big thumbs up from scott thompson that that is the case, so encourage people to look at it so that you understand what this change truly represents. But the cleft note version is again: if you're inside a place that is open to the public that you need to have a face covering if you are vaccinated or not stimson avenue, intersection closures. For this week, it's looking like the 18th and 19th stimpson avenue, and north cornwell street and stimson avenue at south grant street will have closures between 7 a.m and 6 p.m.

A

I believe trucco will continue to be operating around the clock uh from 10 p.m, into 6 a.m, at least for the time being moving forward, so that this project can can, by and large, come in on time smith street traffic pattern change, beginning the 16th and lasting until october 16th. So this is an extended project.

A

I think by believe that this is a demolition project adjacent to bayern. This is the hdl center down an ou property, but what's going to happen, this mystery will become one way southbound from bayern to west union street northbound traffic on smith street will be closed from west union street to bayern street during the demolition of the adjacent property. Again this is the hdl center at ohio, university foster place will remain open to traffic, but may only turn south on to smith.

A

Street again foster place will remain open, but can only turn south onto smith street. So keep that in mind, if you frequent that area in particular bayern and smith street, there will be a public hearing. That's coming up that public hearing is going to be september, 2nd at 5 30 p.m. Here in council chambers, that's going to be a public hearing to have citizens speak to in opposition or in favor of the off street parking under title 23 off street parking and table b of the off street parking requirements.

A

I know there's a whole lot to that uh suggested change that came to the planning commission. We deemed it best to have a public hearing on this, which is the option of the planning commission. So just wanting people to know september, 2nd, 5 30 here in council chambers, please come and again voice your opinion about the off street parking plan.

A

If you have any questions, you can certainly reach out to my office at.

A

And 740-592-3338 get more information on that off street parking amendment, arts parks and rec uh preschool regis registration is open at the community center and this is for three to five-year-olds.

A

The program is a licensed daycare program through the ohio department of jobs and family services, and we can enroll up to 15 children in that program. Again these are three to five year olds.

A

The program will follow the covid19 best practices and will follow the athens city school guidelines for masking mask wearing, etc. The program will run for four weeks starting august 30th and it'll be mondays through thursdays mondays through thursdays, 9 a.m to 12 p.m. The enrollment fee is 25 dollars per child.

A

The monthly tuition is two hundred and forty dollars excluding december um looks like uh december uh is a hundred and twenty dollars and march is a hundred and eighty dollars per student, so a little bit of a break there likely because of spring break, and certainly the holidays that occurred during december, to which you can take advantage of that. If you're interested, please reach out to aaron helms at the city here and she, she can be reached out at e helms at ci, dot, athens.oh.u.s or you can call down to the community center at 592.

A

And get more info on that before and after school care. This is for grades k, kindergarten through five. The registration is now open. It is a full year full-time enrollment program.

A

Each student pays a registration fee, hopefully it's mom and dad that pays the registration fee and not the child. I don't know many kids that can do that, but regardless the enrollment fee is twenty five dollars per child monthly tuitions two hundred dollars per child again december is a hundred dollars and march is 150.

A

Sibling discounts is 190 dollars per sibling uh december is ninety dollars, and march is a hundred and forty dollars.

A

uh If the athens city schools are closed due to weather, the after school program will also be closed. That's important! So if there's a a snow event and a snow or weather closing for the schools, the after school program will also be closed.

A

There are 35 openings for this particular program and we ask people to check that out and you can again reach out to uh likely it's aaron helms again at e helms at ci.athens.oh.us, or you can call again at 592-330 and figure out how that can happen to get your child enrolled and probably get more details on the before and after school program. Youth soccer registration is open. August 21st, it's 35 a child for that as well.

A

The registration is running through the 21st of august. So that's going to be closing out this week. This is k through 6 grade 35 dollars per child practices. Per coach discretion will run august 26th through september 10th.

A

The games will run september 13th through october 14th, and the coaches meeting, which is coming up is going to be august 25th at 6 p.m. So if your kids are into soccer or you want to get your kids into soccer, you know take advantage of that again. Erin helms caller 592-3325 or email her at e-helms, ci, dot, athens.oh.u.s.

A

Portraits on porches, this is a photo exhibit by matthew, shaw, that's on display at the athens community center. This was pretty cool. This was during the pandemic, and matthew was going throughout the city and possibly even beyond, and taking photos of families on porches during the pandemic.

A

This uh the shoot the photos were taken between april and may of 2020 and began to do with the desire to document the effects of covet 19 pandemic on our community.

A

The global outbreak brought with it the feelings of insecurity, uncertainty and anxiety, the quarantine mandates, the disruptions in our everyday routines left each of us with a sense of isolation and a fragmented community, so check this out. I haven't seen it yet.

A

I look forward to checking it out, but the gallery is in the community center and you can view it monday, through friday, from 6 a.m, to 8 p.m, saturdays from 8 a.m, to 2 p.m, through august, 28th, so uh kind of taking a look at a snapshot in time of the way things were in april and may during the pandemic.

A

The art of hannah sickles, maria freed and terry fort camp are on display at arts west through august 27th.

A

So you can come and join the artists uh on august 6th. uh Well, that has uh already come and gone, but uh go down and check it out, go down and look at this art display the event is free and open to the public. um This will probably be showing through, like I said, the 27th. If you have any questions, please reach out to emily beveridge, you can reach her at e beverage and that's b e v e r. I d g e. At c I dot athens.oh.

A

Dot- u s and uh go and check out that art display.

A

The uh I already mentioned uh the august 19th ou move in something else I wanted to mention is that we did get the numbers from the u.s census for the city of athens and it appears that, uh under the 2020 di annual census, in comparison to the 2010 dienial census, that the numbers reflect that the city of athens has grown by a whopping 17 individuals.

A

Here in the city of athens, we've gone from 23 832.

A

A

Not what we are expecting, although we were expecting some level of under under counting here in the city of athens, because of the the 2020 diana census taking place during the worst of all possible times during a pandemic.

A

We will continue to look into those numbers to see if we need to appeal on this process for having an undercount here in the city of athens, so more to follow on that, as we take a deeper dive into the eight census tracts that do exist within the city. So.

A

We just don't know what direction we're going to take at this point in time, but stay tuned commission on disabilities will be meeting this evening. Five o'clock to 6 30 pm it'll, be in the athens community center room b. Those are open to the public. You will be required to wear a face covering if coming. If you do attend the meeting coming into the community center, as well as going into room b, uh recreation advisory board will be meeting they're going to be meeting tomorrow evening, 5 30 to 6 30.

A

That will be in the athens community center in room c again.

A

Oh, I just got an update from from scott thompson, so thank you, scott. um We just got word that the commission on disabilities meeting has been cancelled for this evening, so that will not be taking place.

A

Assuming that the rec advisory board will be meeting it'll be thursday tomorrow evening, 5 30 to 6 30 in room c stay tuned, I'm sure that we will post if, for whatever reason that is cancelled as well, but there you have it shade tree is going to meet tomorrow. That will be from 7 to 8 p.m.

A

That'll be here in council chambers, and I believe that will be televised.

A

So you can watch the shade tree commission from the comfort of your own home. If you choose to or again you can come here, but you will be required to wear a face covering.

A

That is all that I have for today.

A

Again, you know as we're watching these weather events layered on the fact that we are experiencing an increase in covet 19 cases here in athens, county kyle. I believe it's uh higher than 100 active cases at this point in time.

A

We, you know, encourage everyone if you're out and about and driving- and we have another water event like we this morning, please drive careful. Standing water can be deeper than you think it is moving. Water is a lot more powerful than you think it is so please be careful and follow all guidance, as the city may be putting out high water signs or detour signs. The other thing is wear a face covering and protect yourself.

A

Protect your family, protect your loved ones, protect those who are around you as we deal with the delta variant here in athens and athens county. Please join me next week for the next.