In a Tuesday evening Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission regular session, Jessica Reynolds presented the commission with news that the city of Athens is now the newest 2021 Georgia Exceptional Main Street community.
Reynolds is the director for the Office of Downtown Development at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, which manages the Georgia Main Street Program. Downtown Athens will receive a gateway sign that will read âWelcome to Downtown Athens, A Georgia Exceptional Main Street City.â
Reynolds gave credit to the Athens Downtown Development Authorityâs âcommitment to excellence and stable leadership.â She said over the past three years, downtown Athens has seen $118 million in both public and private investment.
The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission debated accepting a training grant for the ACC Police Department and discussed plans for outdoor dining plazas and sustainable development in the city in an agenda setting session Tuesday evening.
Commissioners discussed accepting a state grant of $221,500 for an officer training program for ACCPD, which will aim to reduce âthe amount of force and levels of force used by officers,â according to the legislation. District 6 Commissioner Jesse Houle and District 8 Commissioner Carol Myers said they were concerned about the grant going towards training and simulation hardware focusing on training officers to use weapons, rather than actual training to achieve the programâs goal of reducing use of force.Â
COVID response update
The data, presented by ACC Manager Blaine Williams, showed an overall decline in new COVID-19 infection rates since February in Clarke County and among ACC government employees, consistent with state and nationwide numbers.
Williams said over 250 ACC employees in the tier 1A+ category for vaccine priority, which includes first responders and people over 65, have now been vaccinated.
District 3 Commissioner Melissa Link asked Williams if any county employees were hesitant to receive the vaccine, and asked if the county could require its eligible employees to receive it. Williams said itâs likely that not all eligible county employees have taken it since the county cannot require them to be vaccinated.
After a lengthy session of public comment and debate among commissioners, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission approved a plan for an expansion of the Firefly Trail in the area just outside Winterville at its voting meeting Tuesday night.
The commission had to choose between three different design plans for a section of the trail. Option A, the plan commissioners approved in a 7-3 vote, is the shortest trail and closest to the Firefly Trailâs original design, which follows Athensâ historic rail line.
The prominent argument against the option was its proximity to several private properties. Constructing Option A will require about 15 property easements, as well as âextensiveâ storm drain improvements, according to the legislation. District 1 Commissioner Patrick Davenport said he met with some residents who own parts of the railbed the trail is set to be built on.
The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission discussed the possibility of shortening a proposed contract extension with Axon, the Arizona-based technology company that supplies the ACC Police Department with Tasers and