Athens City Council unanimously adopts pavilion fund and several emergency payments

Athens City Council suspended its rules and unanimously approved several measures at its April 20 regular meeting, including creation of a multipurpose pavilion fund and emergency then-and-now payments.

Council President Macquarie said the council would consider suspending the rules so the city could send required paperwork to the state; the council then unanimously adopted Ordinance 36-26 to create the Athens multipurpose pavilion fund and declared it an emergency. The council later suspended rules and adopted Ordinance 37-26, a then-and-now certificate related to a payment that the administration said had to be processed within a 30-day state timeframe.

Councilmember Claude Felder presented Ordinance 41-26 to authorize participation in the Ohio Department of Transportation cooperative purchasing program for road salt. Members noted a state application deadline of May 1 and voted to suspend the rules and pass the ordinance so Athens could access the state's collective purchasing price. The council also approved Ordinance 43-26, a then-and-now certificate for $3,074.22 to cover a deductible from a mowing incident.

In addition to those ordinances, the council approved the April 6, 2026 minutes, accepted December 2025 through March 2026 financial reports and accepted credit-card transaction reports for December 2025 through February 2026. Council President Macquarie noted six of seven members were present for votes; the items recorded as adopted passed without recorded opposition.

What’s next: Several items (including Ordinances 29–35 and 38–39) were read for second reading or introduced and will return to council as scheduled.