Residents of Cloverleaf Subdivision were present at Monday’s Athens City Council meeting to again voice their concerns regarding neighboring development. Recent storms have left several homes in Cloverleaf with flooding and other problems as a result of the clearing and building up of land for the new neighborhood being build directly to their east.

“I hope in the future that our developers come in here and we can mediate the damage or impact on us and the neighboring ‘to whom it might concern’ people. I really hope we really look hard at that in the future because it has really disrupted my life,” Cloverleaf resident Bill Davis said.

Davis explained to the council that in his 42 years living in the Cloverleaf Subdivision, he never experienced flooding at his home until the recent rains. He reported water standing in his out building and within an inch of his home.

“I never had a problem with flooding as long as that floodplain was there. The floodplain has been built up now for residential work,” Davis said. “I can’t do something to my neighbors that damages them like that.”

Doris Welch, another resident of Cloverleaf, told the council that she had never seen the water standing for four days.

“I guess the water is several feet deep and it has come because this construction company made a ditch and didn’t put another way for it to go out and the water is coming back onto us,” she said.

Council president Harold Wales told Davis that the mayor, city planner, and city engineer had the power to issue a stop work order on jobs when city standards are not being met.

“They are right. That developer has gone overboard and it is out of line and needs to be dealt with,” Mayor Ronnie Marks said.

The council introduced two ordinances Monday, July 17, concerning appropriations to the Boys and Girls Clubs of North Alabama and the Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama. The appropriations were approved at the council meeting Monday, July 24.

The Boys and Girls Club in Athens will receive $120,000 to be used in the building of a new educational facility at its location on Washington Street. This measure passed unanimously.

The Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama will receive $480,000 to be used for the construction of additional space at the center that would benefit teens. Council member Wayne Harper voted no for the appropriation for the Mental Health Center.

“As a rule, I don’t usually like to spend taxpayer money on organizations other than the City,” Harper said. “I wrestled with this and I know I am going to be out voted tonight but I think, maybe, we are setting a bad precedent here.”

A public hearing was held relating to a proposed resolution vacating a portion of unimproved public right of way lying between Cain Drive and Levert Avenue. The request was made by the landowners who owns land on either side of the public right of way.

The landowners hoped to build a new home on the property but neighbors and residents of the neighborhood hoped to see the right of way finally become a road connecting Cain Drive to Levert Avenue.

“I can’t see creating a dead-end,” David Malone told the Council. “The way the City of Athens is growing, we should be creating dead ends.”

No member of the City Council was willing to introduce the resolution for a vote therefore proposed vacation failed due to lack of support.

The Athens City Council also took the following actions on these agenda items.

Consent calendar

• Approve travel/education expenses for personnel of the ESCD Department.

• Approve travel expenses for personnel of the Electric Department.

• Approve a Retail Beer and Wine on Premises alcohol license for Aimbridge Hospitality dba: Hampton Inn, 1222 Kelli Drive, Athens.

• Reappoint Randi Harbin to the Houston Memorial Library Board of Directors for a four year term, expiring Aug. 15, 2027.

• Approve the purchase of a Milwaukee MX FUEL cordless handheld core drill kit for the ESCD Department.

Regular meeting

• Introduced a proposed tax abatement for Hi-Plane Coffee, LLC to be voted on at an upcoming council meeting. The abatement would be for a tax abatement for all state and local non-educational property taxes and construction related transaction taxes except those levied for educational purposes. The period of abatement would extend for 10 years.