Athens City Council adopted multiple ordinances on Nov. 3, 2025, covering annexation, infrastructure, housing code enforcement, consumer‑protection registration, cybersecurity and equipment replacement.

Ordinance 100‑25: Pre‑annexation agreement
Council approved ordinance 100‑25 authorizing the Service Safety Director to enter into a pre‑annexation agreement with the Athens County Commissioners for property described as roughly 9 to 20+ acres at 18 Stony Brook Drive (the Children’s Services property). The ordinance was read for a third time, moved and adopted by voice vote.

Ordinance 101‑25: Jacob Street water line (amended)
Council advanced ordinance 101‑25, which authorizes advertising and accepting bids for a new water line along Jacob Street (Graham to Stony Brook) to serve the Children’s Services site. The Service Safety Director reported the design estimate exceeded initial projections and asked to amend the appropriation from $380,000 to $420,000; council voted to amend the ordinance accordingly.

Ordinances 103‑25, 104‑25, 105‑25: Vacant/unoccupied property registration and fees
Council adopted a three‑part package to establish a vacant and unoccupied property registration program. Ordinance 103‑25 creates the registration program and specifies its purpose; 104‑25 provides definitions used for enforcement; 105‑25 sets registration fees for residential, commercial and industrial properties.

Ordinance 106‑25 and 107‑25: NOPEC do‑not‑knock and trespass enforcement
Council adopted ordinance 106‑25 to join a NOPEC (Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council) no‑knock registration program that lets residents register to opt out of commercial solicitation; the city will host the list and provide stickers. Council also passed 107‑25, which makes it a trespass offense for peddlers or solicitors to attempt to solicit at properties registered in the do‑not‑knock program.

Ordinance 110‑25: Cybersecurity policy
Council adopted ordinance 110‑25 establishing a municipal cybersecurity policy consistent with state law. Sponsors said the policy may be updated over time as state requirements evolve.

Ordinance 118‑25: Equipment purchase (bucket loader)
Council suspended the rules and authorized the Service Safety Director to purchase a used bucket loader truck (up to $150,000 from the street fund) as a replacement for a 1997 front‑end loader at the end of its useful life. Council approved the emergency purchase to secure the vehicle on the request timeline.

Votes and procedure
Most ordinances were adopted by voice vote with “ayes” recorded; the transcript records motions, seconds and voice votes but does not provide roll‑call tallies. Where amendments were requested (notably ordinance 101‑25), council voted to amend prior to final passage. Several items were read for third reading and adopted; others were amended and returned to first reading as indicated in the record.

Why it matters: The measures will enable the city to proceed with infrastructure serving a future children’s services site, improve code enforcement capacity for vacant buildings, give residents a mechanism to opt out of commercial soliciting, and formalize cybersecurity practices for city government. The equipment purchase replaces aging snow‑control equipment used by the street department.

What to watch next: Implementation details (bid packages for the Jacob Street water line; fee schedules and registration processes for vacant properties and the NOPEC do‑not‑knock program) and budget transfers to cover amended appropriations will appear on future agendas.