Athens City Council - November 9, 2026

Athens City Council committee meeting, November 9, 2026: The Committee of the Whole tabled discussion of a potential 2027 contract with Sunday Creek Horizons, a consulting firm that helps secure and manage funding. The cited contract cost was $10,000 per month (over $120,000 annually). Council members requested the contract terms, performance and return-on-investment information, quarterly reporting, and an opportunity to hear from the firm; they also sought the law director’s clarification on whether competitive bidding or an RFP is required, with members supporting consideration of an open RFP. The proposed renewal of the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau agreement, involving the city’s share of the 3% lodging tax, drew no committee opposition and was set to proceed for further consideration. The 2027 stop-loss insurance contract was also advanced without a stated vendor or contract value. Finance and Personnel discussed a $200,000 appropriation to the medical fund and year-end personnel appropriation adjustments. City and Safety Services advanced authorization to spend up to $102,000, using the state bid cooperative purchasing program, for a replacement dump truck; funds are already budgeted.

Transportation Committee business was postponed because the committee lacked a quorum. The delayed items included street-closure and parking-garage fees and an LPA agreement for the State Route 682/33 project; a special committee meeting was planned for November 16 to address time-sensitive transportation business. Other topics included a proposed Community Relations Commission code update and a proposed city petition to intervene in a state siting-board case concerning gas-fired power plants near Piketon. No final council vote on the procurement items described above is recorded in the transcript.