ATHENS — During new business at the March 20 meeting, the Athens Recreation Advisory Board reviewed two pieces of community feedback — repeated reports of broken gates at Richland Avenue and the covered bridge, and growing community interest in organized dog‑park meetups — and discussed scheduling a joint meeting with the Athens Municipal Arts Council (AMAC).

Board members said the gate that opens to Richland Avenue repeatedly fails because users push when they should pull (and vice versa), which damages the latch; the covered bridge gate has removable ground pins that people take out, leaving the gate standing open. Board members said their plan is to replace the covered‑bridge gate with a new gate set closer to the park and fitted with handles and latches on both sides to permit entry and exit while staying secure.

Members also reported social‑media posts showing interest in intentional dog‑park meetups, particularly at the West Side dog park; staff said they had not yet followed up on the posts and were unsure whether the events would be department‑organized or community‑led.

On interboard coordination, members said AMAC has recruited new members and that AMAC meets on the second Wednesday of the month; the recreation board agreed to explore availability for a joint meeting in April or May and to reach out to AMAC to coordinate timing. The board also said it will send its candidate recommendations for a single advisory‑board vacancy to Mayor Patterson; staff reported six interested applicants for the one open spot and said the mayor will review and forward his selection to city council.

The board confirmed its next meeting for Thursday, April 17 at 5:30 p.m.

No formal votes on park repairs, dog‑park events or the AMAC meeting were recorded; the board’s approval of the agenda and January minutes occurred earlier in the meeting and were recorded by voice vote.