Mayor & Commission Meetings

Meeting Minutes Ad Hoc Committee: Public Right of Way October 3, 2025, 9:00 – 10:30 am City Hall 301B Members in Attendance: Commissioner Carol Myers, Commissioner Dexter Fisher Members Absent: Commissioner Patrick Davenport, Also in Attendance: Mayor Kelly Girtz Staff: Alex Bond, Harrison Daniel, Courtney Davis, Will Fleenor, Rani Katreeb, Sarah George, Vic Pope, Jack Reddick, Laura Cobb, Chinesia Thompson Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:07 am. Approval of Agenda: A motion was made by Commissioner Dexter Fisher to approve the agenda with an amendment to add the approval of the September 23, 2025 meeting minutes as an additional item. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Myers and approved unanimously. Approval of Minutes: A motion to approve the September 23, 2025 minutes was made by Commissioner Myers and seconded by Commissioner Fiser. The motion was approved unanimously. Public Input: No Public Input Clarification of the Charge of the Ad Hoc Committee: Mayor Girtz clarified the charge that he assigned to the ad hoc committee on September 2, 2025. He clarified that the charge specifically focuses on the dangers of laying down or sitting on spaces meant for movement (preventing pedestrian/vehicular conflicts) and material storage on public rights of way that creates hazards or obstructions. He noted the importance of balancing safety enforcement with respect for individual rights and public use. Discussion: Deputy Chief Harrison Daniel from ACCPD provided an overview of enforcement data related to sidewalk obstruction under County Ordinance 3-5-23. From January 2024 through September 2025, twelve citations were issued and eight arrests made, each involving additional charges. The department also received approximately sixty-nine related service calls. Daniel noted that the current reporting system lacks detailed categorization, making it difficult to separate sidewalk obstruction from other offenses. Deputy Chief will reach back out to Municipal Court to make sure this data included entire area and not downtown specific. Senior Attorney Courtney Davis reviewed existing ordinances referencing public rights-of-way, noting that over one hundred sections of county code include the term, making broad redefinition complicated. She recommended amending the current obstruction ordinance (3-5- 23) rather than rewriting all related code sections. The revision would expand coverage to OFFICE OF THE MANAGER T H E U N I F I E D G O V E R N M E N T O F A T H E N S -C L A R K E C O U N T Y , G E O R G I A P. O. Box 1868 • Athens, Georgia 30603 (706) 613-3020 • Fax (706) 613-3029 www. ac cgo v. co m include public areas beyond sidewalks and clarify prohibitions on the storage of personal property and debris. Davis also shared examples from other cities such as Rome, Gainesville, and Atlanta that define “public areas” more comprehensively. Leisure Services Interim Director Alex Bond discussed how the department handles abandoned property in parks. Items are tagged with a seventy-two-hour notice before removal, and outreach efforts are made to connect individuals to local services. If unclaimed, items are removed and disposed of by a contracted company for safety reasons. He explained that valuable items like bicycles may be handled differently and that policies allow flexibility based on specific conditions. The committee discussed handling of abandoned property by other departments. Solid Waste staff handle abandoned materials in downtown areas and may temporarily hold items when ownership is known. The Transit Department does not store unattended property due to federal safety regulations, while Public Works emphasized the need for clearer ordinance language to manage items found under bridges, in medians, and along trails. The committee then discussed expanding the ordinance to cover all “public areas,” including sidewalks, parks, medians, bridges, bus stops, and trails, rather than limiting it to streets and sidewalks. Gainesville’s ordinance was highlighted as a strong model for its clear and broad definitions. The group agreed that the term “public area” should replace narrower wording in the updated language. Committee members also reviewed how long property must remain before being considered abandoned. Current county policies use a seventy-two to ninety-six-hour timeframe, while some cities use as little as one hour or no specific limit. The committee agreed to replace fixed timeframes with more flexible language, defining abandonment as property left unattended for a “reasonable period of time under the circumstances.” Staff will draft internal procedures to ensure consistent enforcement. Before adjourning, Attorney Davis agreed to draft a revised version of the obstruction ordinance incorporating these changes. Staff will also verify enforcement data and coordinate feedback from multiple departments to assess operational impacts. The next meeting will focus on reviewing the proposed ordinance and exploring ways to coordinate with local outreach organizations such as the Homeless Coalition in regards to property storage options. The Committee confirmed a quorum for their next meeting date of Friday, October 10 from 9:00 -10:30 am at City Hall. Commissioner Fisher made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Myers seconded that motion. The Committee voted unanimously to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 10:33am.