City of Athens, Ohio Mayors Press Conference 2022, 23 Feb 2022

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From YouTube: Mayor's Press Conference - February 23, 2022

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Mayor's Press Conference - February 23, 2022

A

Good afternoon and welcome once again to the weekly update with the mayor and with kyle johansen and with a special guest today, I've got with us up here at the dios dale ellis is here representing personnel plus atko's personnel, plus, because this month is a really special month, but we'll get to that in a minute uh before we really dive into things that are happening and shaking around the city, um our favorite weather man, kyle johansen, is here to give the seven-day forecast kyle.

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So today, before calling skies a high of 41 tonight, cloudy above 28.

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tomorrow before afternoon, rain high of 41 level 34. friday, cloudy skies, high of 38, low 22. saturday, probably quality high of 41 low 24. sunday, sunny skies, high 47, low 20.

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monday, probably cloudy high of 46 well 22, next tuesday, 56, mostly quality, well 32 degrees and next one stay before probably quality high of 53 and above 30.. In today, in ohio, there have been now roughly 1500 new coke cases in ohio, the last 24 hours. That is a big drop in cases in the last month, one which we've been averaging around 50 000 cases per day now less than 1500 per day.

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So we're entering that endemic mode of the coronavirus pandemic, which means we're entering that pre-pandemic mode since december of 2019 and then all you have flex, the men's team won their 24th game of the mac season. This is the best season we had yet and we got friday their senior night game at 6 pm the last game of the season and they're on the way to cleveland for the mad tournament and on the way to the march madness, which will be taking place in indianapolis.

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We got women's on saturday at 1., last woman, since next, seven next wednesday at seven, and we got the mac wrestling tournament at the combo next friday and saturday at noon. Time and april 9th all fans are invited to the spring football game, there'll be food trucks, and that is the day after my three year in a version of working. That's quite though, and.

A

Do you have any? Are there any recent um rufus, the bobcat sightings, with the two of you at.

B

The wrestling saturday, of course,.

A

Of course, all right kyle, thank you. I know ryan um has something that he can put up when it comes to kova just said keeping things local and something that's really really unfortunate is. If you look down in the bottom right hand, corner there, we had five new fatalities due to covet 19, um bringing our total number to 124, which is really devastating uh for a county. Our size, um positivity rate, as you can see, 11.4 and new cases is 11., they've, been kind of trickling in in single and double digits of late.

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um But you know I've got to say you know that the coronavirus is still out there. It's still in our communities. We still need to be mindful.

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The mask ordinance is still in play, which is probably a good segue that come monday night here in council chambers, city council will be taking up a resolution, not a resolution, an amendment to the face covering ordinance uh and to possibly extend it out to the end of march 31st. So if you want to weigh in on that particular amendment, you know please come to city council or reach out to your favorite city, council member, uh and there are seven of them eight.

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If you count the president of council, who is also a council member uh chris nicely, so please uh engage with them as we're sitting there still trying to beat the silent killer. That is, uh has really devastated uh our nation and individuals around the globe, and I think we're always mindful about you know: what's the possibility of another variant coming up, you know we just don't know, certainly don't know.

A

um I want to remind people about recycling here in the city of athens and some of the do's and don'ts for things that can be recycled just as a reminder, because it kind of either went off my radar- or I just wasn't thinking about it, but you know things like black plastic, the lids on out food containers or even the lid, on your your favorite uh or your coffee from your favorite barista here in the city of athens. Those are not recyclable items, unfortunately, but they're not.

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I think a lot of people tend to think they are, but obviously bottles, uh tubs, jugs and jars that are food free, in other words, rinse them out really well and get whatever's inside them out. You can recycle those, you know all cans can be recycled. Glass and jars can be recycled.

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All paper cartons and cardboards things that can't be- and this is probably more importantly because people do tend to throw these things in, and I would hold myself accountable to where I occasionally have thrown some of these items in aerosol cans, aluminum, foil, any kind of battery ceramic items, clothing and textiles. Diapers disposable cups is what I just mentioned: uh the plastic and or paper or coffee cups.

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Those are our non-recyclable electronics, food tainted items, frozen food boxes, household glass, medical waste, hazardous waste, pizza boxes, pizza boxes, how many of us have taken a pizza box and have thrown it into our recycling bin when in fact, you're not supposed to because of the oil and grease from that pizza, contaminating that plastic wraps and bags, scrap metal and wood shredded paper, styrofoam or peanuts, the packing peanuts?

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uh Let's see it's called tanglers, but they're talking about cords hoses or wires garden. Hoses that are old are not a recyclable item. I didn't realize that until 15 20 minutes ago uh tires. Certainly toys and, as I mentioned to go, containers are non-recyclable items and and along those same lines, I think a lot of some of us will do this is you know, don't put your recyclables inside a plastic bag and then tie it shut and then put it into. I see some head nods in our audience today, but don't do that.

A

uh It doesn't work at the the murph, which is our our recyclable materials processing through hrc, which is athens, hawking recycling center. So just a good reminder.

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There we go scott thompson, just informed me, go to the city's website and there's something on there with recyclable items. You'll find it. I can't remember exactly what you said scott, but it's because I have a short attention span.

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um Amac the athens municipal arts commission is requesting art submissions for the next round of our art outside the box. The uh you know, it's always fun for me to drive around during the usually late summer season and notice. The new raps that have gone up, showcasing our local artists and artists throughout the county that submit their art and are selected the precision, imprints uh or performance signs, we'll turn those into wraps that go on our traffic control boxes.

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So the next round is out there we're asking that you go to if you're interested in submitting some of your art that will be juried by amac people that volunteer to serve for amac to juror those the art that they receive. You know look you can you can go to the city's website, www.ci.athens.oh.us.

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And find it under amac the athens municipal arts, commission and figure out how to submit your art. So the current calls for entry, arts parks and recreation department has their spring break camp, and this is for kids, age uh well, kindergarten through fifth grade uh and will run march 7th through the 11th from 7 30 a.m to 4 30 p.m during that week. So this is spring break campus, it's pretty cool 150 and they all have all kinds of fun activities.

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The space is limited, so make sure you apply early and you can reach out to the the athens community center at 592-3325 and check that out enroll.

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This is another big hit that uh director catherine jordan has taken on there. We go it's a saturday open play program, saturdays from 10 a.m, to 12 p.m.

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This is running from february all the way through march 26th ages, two to seven five dollars per child at the community center and again they have all kinds of play going on appropriate toys, games, etc, and it's uh available for self-guided play. This is again I've gone down there on a saturday morning and it's it's controlled chaos. In a real fun way, a lot of fun things going on down there, uh hey we're looking for employees so grab your cell phone go up to the qr code. There take a picture of it and it'll.

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Take you to all the different jobs, everything from daycare our day camp instructors to pool manager head lifeguards, pool, cashiers seasonal maintenance and our city parks, as well as seasonal maintenance in our cemeteries, which is, uh and also seasonal, maintenance for our streets. So whatever your jam is, um you know check that out and apply for those jobs. You can probably also scott go to the city's website.

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I was just looking at it today and it's there as well to look to see what jobs are available. um Some upcoming meetings just to get this on your radars. I already talked about one and it is at the city council that will be taking up some really important legislation.

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I believe scott correct me if I'm wrong that it's a committee's, but it's also a special session coming up this monday night, we're doubling down so come to that. If you're interested, that's open to the public, you've got to wear a face covering still when you come into that meeting, but that is at 7 pm here in council chambers. The other thing that is going on next week. Another meeting is the ad hoc pedestrian accessibility committee, of which I serve on with a number of other people from throughout the city. This is a great meeting.

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It is going to be march, 2nd and it'll, be here in council chambers as well.

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No, it will not it'll be in the front conference room on the first floor of the city, building at 10, 30 a.m, so march, 2nd 10, 30 a.m, um doing some really interesting things and having some real interesting conversations about ada accessibility with curb cuts and sidewalks, because we are going to be applying for another safe routes to schools, uh funding, yeah dale. This will be amazing.

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We certainly recognize that we have still a number of areas in the city where it's interesting. We have the curb, curb cut, but right behind it, there's no sidewalk um and so we're looking at a number of different things that may fit well into the safe routes to school.

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But this group has been will be immensely helpful in looking forward for other sidewalk projects.

C

It's slow slowly and slowly. You know it's slowly, slowly going to be like columbus, you know because columbus is very handy cap accessible and that now athens will be too so.

A

Which to your point well taken that we certainly want to be the as accessible as columbus without being columbus, because I personally don't ever want to become a columbus.

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um But columbus is a heck of a lot crowder. It totally.

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Is that brings me to uh something that is super special um and I've got johnna um moberg who's here with us autumn brown is here from atco personnel plus we had a great conversation just a little bit before the show, and it was about a program that they have called fans which we have hired individuals to work for the city to help with projects in areas where we know that we have need- and we will continue to work closely with atco and personnel plus to continue to to afford opportunity needed opportunity, and I encourage all of you to look into what atco is doing and the programs they've got, and especially through personnel plus and through the fans program to hire people.

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You know so please check them out so that all said this is a special special month.

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uh This is disabilities awareness month um developmental disabilities awareness month, so I have a proclamation which I enjoy reading every year since I've become mayor uh and before that, having served on the commission on disabilities here in the city of athens, as a council member, certainly I didn't do the proclamation, but was 100 percent supportive office of the mayor proclamation, whereas march has been recognized as the national developmental disabilities awareness month since 1987..

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The campaign seeks to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with disabilities developmental disabilities in all areas of community life, as well as awareness to the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face in connecting to the community in which they live and whereas the most effective way to increase this awareness is through everyone's everyone's active participation in community activities and the openness to learn and acknowledge each individual's contributions, and whereas policies must be developed, attitudes shaped and opportunities offered that allow people with developmental disabilities to live as independently and productively as possible in our community and whereas the city of athens is proud of community partners such as the athens board of developmental disabilities, whose vision is an integrated and inclusive athens county and provides vital support, research resources to nearly 700 residents with developmental disabilities and their families, and whereas we encourage all citizens to foster and support opportunities that include access to education, housing, employment and recreational activities.

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And whereas this year's theme is my voice, my choice to highlight the importance of supporting individuals with developmental disabilities gaining independence and grow empowered to make their own choices. Now. Therefore, I steve patterson, the mayor of the city of athens, ohio, do hereby proclaim march 2022 as developmental disabilities awareness month and offer full support in the efforts to assist people with developmental disabilities to make choices that enable them to live successful lives and realize their potential.

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I urge all citizens to join the celebration by spreading the awareness of the many contributions offered by people with disabilities developmental disabilities in the great city of athens and beyond.

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So there you have it. um I am going to give this to you. Dale.

C

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Hang on to that proclamation and that pretty much is a wrap for today's show. Kyle johansen you're, awesome, you're amazing. I love having you here. It's going on three years, uh you're, probably not too far off right right uh that you've been sitting here with me, um which has been great and dale. Thank you for joining me up here at the dyess.

A

Please join us next week. I take that back, and this is a news flash for kyle. We will not be having our press conference next week. It will be put off to the week after I will be heading down to phoenix arizona for a supreme court. Justice sponsored event um to learn more about fees and fines and alternative ways in which to help people in great need uh when it comes to legal services and or fees or fines.

A

So we will not be having a press conference so hopefully you'll join us in two weeks from today. So thanks for tuning in um jonna and amber, thank you for being here as well and uh to all of you out there in tv land have a good day.