The Athens City Council met Monday night, and Mayor Ronnie Marks invited the council and public to attend a special upcoming Planning Commission meeting, Monday, Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chamber. “The Planning Commission is considering the adoption of the new master plan for the city of Athens. Then, if that plan is adopted by the Planning Commission will come to the council,” Marks said.

Councilman Wayne Harper questioned the timing of last week’s railroad crossing closures. “The railroad had all those crossings blocked with the Fiddlers Convention going on. Needless to say, It was a mess down here,” Harper said. He asked Mayor Marks if the city had ever been notified by CSX prior to the work.

“No, sir. We have no control over CSX, and we had been hammering them for months about coming in and correcting some of the crosses and other things. They decided that was the weekend they wanted to work,” Marks said. “We’ve got some serious issues, and the only thing I know to say is that I am sorry it happened that way.”

The council met in an executive session following the regular agenda business to discuss the purchase/sale of real property.

Public hearings• A proposed ordinance to rezone +/- 1.095 acres from R-1-1 (Low Density Residential Zoning District) to B-2 (General Business Zoning District) located on the northeast corner of US Hwy 72 East and Sweetland Road.

• Ordinance to rezone +/- 1.095 acres from R-1-1 (Low Density Residential Zoning District) to B-2 (General Business Zoning District) located on the northeast corner of US Hwy 72 East and Sweetland Road.

• Hearing to hear comments concerning the zoning approval for the sale of alcohol in the city of Athens by Limestone Legends Billiards.

Consent calendar• Resolution to approve a Retail Beer & Wine Off Premises alcohol license for Bucee’s Alabama II, LLC, dba Buc-ee’s, 2328 Lindsay Lane S, Athens.

• Resolution to set a public hearing for the regular meeting at 4:30 p.m. on October 24, 2022 to review the request to de-annex +/- 3.26 acres of property located at 2010 Moyers Road, on the south side of Moyers Road, approximately 1,550’ west of US Hwy 31.

• Resolution to approve travel expenses for Electric Department personnel.

• Resolution to approve travel/education expenses for the Information Technology Department.

• Resolution to approve travel/education expenses for Water Services personnel.

• Resolution to approve the purchase of windscreens for the Swan Creek tennis courts from BSN Sports not to exceed $4,268.

• Resolution to approve the purchase of one (1) Vermeer Mixing System for the Gas Department in the amount of $350,000.

• Resolution to designate additional three dates for FY2023:

• Day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 25, 2022

• President’s Day, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023

• Floating personal day, to be determined per department head/employee

• Resolution to adopt a revised organizational chart for the Fire Department.

• Resolution to adopt a revised organizational chart for the Police Department.

Regular meeting

• Resolution to authorize the Mayor and/or Fire Chief to enter into a purchase agreement for an E-ONE custom pumper fire truck from SunBelt Fire at a cost of $700,000. The financing terms will be determined at a later date. The truck will replace a 1999 E-ONE engine.

• Resolution concerning additional premium pay for certain city of Athens employees, previously tabled at the Sept. 26, 2022, meeting. This is for current employees who were employed by the city of Athens in December 2021 and did not receive any premium pay pursuant to the 2021 premium pay resolutions but would have received the premium pay if they had not been absent from work during that particular pay period.

• Resolution regarding a groundwater exploration option agreement concerning property on Waterview Lane.