Growth and a pandemic. Those were two of the main topics of discussion during the annual State of the City address hosted Thursday by the Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce at Athens City Hall.

Mayor Ronnie Marks gave a detailed update on the current shape of Athens. The speech was presented virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This event is always informative as we get to come together to hear an update from the city on our progress and achievements from the past year and what the future holds for our great city,” said Chamber President Jennifer Williamson. “Although it looks a little different this year, as many of you are joining us virtually, we are very excited you have joined us for today’s presentation.”

Marks said it is always fun to talk about Athens and what the city has going on.

Life in the time of COVID

“When we rang in the new year in 2020, we never dreamed we would be facing as many challenges as we did this past year,” Marks said. “We have survived because we are a strong community, and we will continue to survive.”

The look back at 2020 included life during the time of a pandemic, political and social unrest, and city and national elections.

“This town was booming and growing through Valentine’s Day, then we got slapped in the face like pouring cold water on us,” Marks said. “Please be safe, take care of yourself, social distance, sanitize and please wear your masks. This pandemic is far from over, and we have to flatten this curve.”

A strong foundation

Marks said the City of Athens currently has 390 employees across all sectors.

“We are running a big business, but each one is a part of providing essential service to our citizens,” he said.

A comprehensive plan is in the works to help plan for the predicted growth in the city. The City Council had discussed the item at Monday’s meeting.

Marks mentioned the pay raise for the city’s police officers and firefighters approved by the Council in 2020. He said the move was necessary to make the pay for Athens first responders more comparable to surrounding areas, which were attracting personnel away from the city.

“We don’t need to be a training ground (for other departments),” Marks said.

Marks congratulated Beth Patton on being named the new Athens City Schools superintendent last year. He said not only is she deserving of the role, but it is nice to have a city native in the position.

Marks mentioned the importance of the Athens-Limestone Hospital, which employs 961 workers and is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.

Building the foundation

Marks spoke at length on the amount of growth Athens has experienced over the past few years. While speaking on the topic, he mentioned several new businesses that opened last year or could be coming soon, like Buc-ee’s Athens, Twice Daily, Panda Express, Chipotle, Parks Supply, Circle K and a second Publix location.

He also spoke on the expansion of city facilities, including work on the Swan Creek Greenway trail, the new Jimmy Gill Park and the new $16.1-million Athens Recreation Center that opened to the public in July.

According to Marks, there were 640 building permits submitted in 2020, around 200 more than the previous year. He also mentioned the $1.8-million paving schedule recently approved by the City Council to improve infrastructure.

“There is never not a time we need to get better,” he said. “We are doing good, but we need to get better.”

Visit the Chamber page at tourathens.com for a link to the full video of the address.