Mayor & Commission Meetings

If making a public comment, please fill out the form available on the table in the hallway to help ensure that your information is correctly entered into the minutes. Once you have spoken, please hand your form to the staff in front of the podium for the Clerk. TENTATIVE AGENDA REVISED 2-20-2024 UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY, GEORGIA AGENDA SETTING SESSION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2024, 6:00 P.M. CITY HALL If business has not concluded by 8:15 p.m., there will be a 15-minute break. A. Public input. If you wish to address the Mayor and Commission on any item listed below on the consent agenda, please go to the podium and state your name and address. RULES OF THE COMMISSION STATE THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY SPEAK ONCE DURING THE FOLLOWING PORTION OF THE AGENDA FOR UP TO THREE MINUTES WITH A 30 SECOND REMINDER AT TWO AND A HALF MINUTES. B. Consent agenda. Recommended by Mayor, Mayor Pro tem, Manager, Assistant Managers, Attorney, Auditor, and Clerk for placement on the consent agenda for Tuesday, March 5, 2024. 1. Amendment to the Joint Development Authority of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia and the City of Winterville (The “Authority) activating resolution to create staggered member terms The proposed action seeks to amend the activating resolution to create staggered terms for the Joint Development Authority Board members, which avoids a potential and sudden drain of institutional knowledge if there were 100% Board turnover at one time. 2. Merlin Drive sewer repair project - Award of contract The Merlin Drive Project will repair, rehabilitate, replace or re-align a segment of the existing sanitary sewer in poor condition. A new route will be re-aligned away from permanent structures and an aerial crossing will be replaced. This will improve flow to residents of the area. 3. Lease agreement with Smoker’s Den for retail use of 289 College Avenue The Mayor and Commission are being asked to consider a two-year lease extension with the Smoker’s Den for retail space located in the College Avenue Parking Deck. This business has occupied the space since 1997. The annual lease rate is proposed to increase to $21,450/year as established by a recent appraisal. C. Receive staff report and public input on a recommendation from the Athens-Clarke County Planning Commission. Following the staff report, public input will be received; however, this is not the required public hearing which is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, 2024. If you wish to address a zoning related item, at the appropriate time, please go to the podium and state your name and address. RULES OF THE COMMISSION STATE THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY SPEAK ONCE DURING THE FOLLOWING PORTION OF THE AGENDA FOR UP TO THREE MINUTES WITH A 30 SECOND REMINDER AT TWO AND A HALF MINUTES. 4. Request of David and ‘Ruth Darden for special use in C-O (Commercial-Office) on 0.21 acres known as 585 Prince Avenue. Proposed use is residential-single family. Type II District 4 Planning Commission recommendation: Approval (unanimous) D. Public input. If you wish to address the Mayor and Commission on any item listed below under old and new business, please go to the podium and state your name and address. RULES OF THE COMMISSION STATE THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY SPEAK ONCE DURING THE FOLLOWING PORTION OF THE AGENDA FOR UP TO THREE MINUTES WITH A 30 SECOND REMINDER AT TWO AND A HALF MINUTES. E. Old business F. New business 5. Athens Justice & Memory project’s down payment assistance program Staff is implementing affordable housing recommendations made by the Athens Justice & Memory Project to the Mayor and Commission. Down payment assistance is a key strategy identified in the Affordable Housing Investment Strategy and will support prospective homebuyers. Staff recommends an award of $718,400 to First American Bank & Trust to implement their HOME (Helping Overcome Mortgage Encumbrance) Down Payment Assistance Program. Funding recommendations follow a competitive RFP process, including review of four applications received. 6. ARPA Boys & Girls Club of Athens contract amendment Boys & Girls Clubs of Athens seeks M&C approval to amend their current ARPA Youth Development & Violence Prevention contract by: (a) increasing funding (b) extending contract, program and budget period through December 31, 2026; and (c) expanding scope to cover activities at Smilow and HT Edwards centers. The agency will continue supporting all initiatives listed in original scope, including acting as umbrella organization to other local agencies offering youth development & violence prevention programming (including in Summer 2024). 7. SPLOST 2020 Project 06, Fire Station #5 Replacement, Proposed revised site selection criteria Removed from agenda at request of staff. The proposed action would approve a revised set of site selection criteria, in keeping with the M&C direction to restart the Major Site Selection Process, to assist with the additional vetting of sites for the replacement of Fire Station #5. This action is coming forward, because all of the previously proposed Candidate Sites were rejected by M&C, during the November 2024 voting session, and the M&C directed a second round of the Major Site Selection Process be undertaken. 8. Local Road Safety Plan The proposed action would adopt ACCGov’s first Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP). A LRSP provides a framework for identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing roadway safety improvements on local roads. The development process and content are tailored to local issues and needs. The process results in a prioritized list of issues, risks, actions, and improvements that can be used to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on local roads. 9. Approval of Athens-Clarke County Transit Department Public Transit Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) 2024 update This item requests ACCGov Mayor and Commission approve and adopt the 2024 Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP) update. Updates to the 2024 PTASP include increased focus on Transit worker assaults, utilizing Safety Management Systems (SMS) to protect Transit workers from assaults, and mitigation of infectious diseases and respiratory hazards. The 2024 PTASP update utilizes safety targets established by GDOT in conjunction with input from ACCGov Transit for the overall goal of improving public transportation employee and community safety. 10. North Chase Street TAP grant concept approval and preliminary engineering and design services contract amendment  The proposed action would accept the North Chase Street Project Concept Report, authorize, the project to move into preliminary design phase, approve a contract amendment with the prime engineering consultant, Alfred Benesch & company, and authorize the Mayor and appropriate staff to execute all related project documents including CSXT agreements. 11. Revised EMS MOU with Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center – title only This agenda item and request of the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission is put forth to seek the approval of a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center. With the authority provided by Mayor and Commission, staff will operate under the MOU and report performance measures as described therein 12. Government Operations Committee report: Inclusive Facilities The GOC, with staff support, studied ACCGov facilities to look for opportunities to increase accessibility and inclusivity as it relates to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 13. Revision to ACCGov Facility Naming & Renaming Policy No. COM-002 to include ACCGov owned bridges and roadway intersections The proposed action would approve a revision to include the naming of Street Infrastructure located on Athens-Clarke County ROW, such as Bridges and Intersections, to the existing ACCGov’s Policy, COM-002, for Naming and Renaming of Public Facilities, Parks, Natural Areas, and Amenities. 14. ARPA Salvation Army Scope and Contract Approval– title only Based on a CDO from January 2, 2024, staff seeks approval on proposed contract language, scope of work and budget from the Salvation Army Center in Athens, GA, for purposes of facility improvements and operational costs that will increase the capacity of existing shelter beds. This contract would be funded through the ARPA Homelessness designation. 15. North Downtown Athens Development Phase I Loan Agreement with the Athens Downtown Development Authority – title only The North Downtown Athens Development is a partnership between the Athens Housing Authority (AHA), Columbia Residential, and the Jonathan Rose Companies with substantive investment from the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County (ACCGov) to create new affordable housing opportunities on the former Bethel housing site. Phase I of the development is currently under construction and is funded through multiple sources, including SPLOST, ARPA, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The proposed action finalizes past discussions and decisions that fashioned a loan from the Athens Downtown Development Association (ADDA) to the AHA in the amount of $600,000, an arrangement necessary to receive additional assistance from the State of Georgia for the project. The proposed loan agreement will provide funding from ACCGov to AHA through ADDA. A qualified interpreter for the hearing impaired is available upon request at least 10 days in advance of this meeting. Please call (706) 613-3031 (TDD {706} 613-3115) to request an interpreter or for more information. Wireless access will be available for general use shortly before, during, and shortly after each Mayor and Commission meeting. Connect to “A_Registered” User name: public Password: feb20 Free parking deck vouchers for citizens attending the monthly Regular Voting Meetings, Work Sessions, and Agenda Setting Meetings of the Mayor and Commission held at City Hall are available on the 2 nd floor of City Hall.