Athens council approves sewer change order, school security pact, sidewalk work and several safety purchases

The Athens City Council on April 28 approved a series of resolutions and one ordinance addressing infrastructure, public safety and routine procurement.

Key approvals included a final additive change order for the Lower Swan Creek Sewer Phase 1 project, authorization for the mayor to enter a school security agreement with Athens City Schools, a right‑of‑way maintenance and TAP sidewalk agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation for U.S. 31, and purchases of crowd and traffic‑control equipment and pedestrian safety beacons. Most measures passed unanimously by recorded roll call votes.

Votes at a glance

- Consent calendar (items A–L): approved, 5‑0. The consent calendar included routine items such as rescheduling the May 26 meeting to May 19, travel and training reimbursements for several departments, reappointments and appointments to boards and commissions, declaration of police vehicles as surplus, and purchases including a Kubota tractor ($34,589) and a 16‑foot trailer ($2,750). Funding sources were cited in each item as appropriate.

- Item N (ordinance exempting certain items from municipal sales and use tax during July 2025 tax holiday): ordinance approved after rule suspension, 5‑0. The ordinance cited state sales tax holiday legislation (Act 2006‑574 as amended by Act 2017‑120) as the authorization for the local exemption.

- Crowd and traffic control equipment purchase (Uline and Crowd Control Company): resolution approved, 5‑0. Total purchase $25,635.88; funding sources: $20,600 from a homeland security grant and $5,035.88 from the police department’s capital account.

- Lower Swan Creek Sewer Phase 1 final change order (Cleary Construction Inc.): resolution approved, 5‑0. Additive change order amount: $136,057.73, bringing the contract total from $11,414,717.40 to $11,550,775.13; the water services director was authorized to execute the change order.

- School security agreement with Athens City Schools: resolution approved, 5‑0. The agreement formalizes existing practices for school security coordination between the city and the school board and appears in the record as substantially the same form shown in the resolution’s attachment.

- ALDOT TAP sidewalk project along U.S. 31 (project TAP AATA‑24908): resolution approved, 5‑0. The project includes a sidewalk on the west side of U.S. 31 from Elm Street to Juniper Circle, a pedestrian bridge over Swan Creek, traffic signal improvements and an added turn lane at U.S. 31 and Elm Street; the resolution authorized the mayor to enter maintenance agreements with the Alabama Department of Transportation.

- Rectangular rapid flashing beacons for the Market Street crosswalk (in front of Athens‑Limestone Hospital): resolution approved, 5‑0; amount not to exceed $12,000 from the gas tax.

- Municipal pollution prevention report for calendar year 2024 (Water Services Department): resolution approved, 5‑0. The council authorized Water Services to submit the report to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management in accordance with Athens Utility WWTP NPDES discharge permit AL0020206.

Several items were tabled or moved: item T (traffic‑signal/stop‑sign changes) was moved to a future meeting after extended discussion and public comment. Council members and downtown residents offered contrasting views on whether removing signals and adding four‑way stops would slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety or would create congestion; the council agreed to revisit the matter after additional review by staff and stakeholders.

Funding and procurement notes: the crowd control equipment purchase is largely grant‑funded; several vehicle and equipment purchases in the consent calendar are funded from departmental FY2025 capital budgets or through cooperative purchasing contracts (Sourcewell; State of Alabama Division of Purchasing vehicle contract).

Outcome and next steps: Most measures took effect per the language in their resolutions or ordinances; implementation steps (for example, execution of the sewer change order and ALDOT right‑of‑way agreements) were assigned to the relevant department directors or the mayor as authorized in the resolutions.

No legal challenges, appeals or litigation were discussed on the record during the session.