Athens to charge for police presence at events

By Casey Krautkramer

The Village of Athens Board on Monday approved a recommendation from the Fire and Police Commission to begin charging organizations $100 per hour for each village police officer they request for their event.

Police Chief Aaron Stencil told the village board that he used the village of Marathon City, a similar-sized community, as an example to determine the rate to charge organizations. Marathon charges $100 per hour for each police officer requested for an event.

The Athens Fair will be exempt from this new village ordinance.

Other business

■ The board approved a new one-year lease with The Hall bowling alley owners Aaron Doll and Michelle Henrichs. The bowling alley is in the basement of the Athens Community Hall, which the village owns. The village is raising the rent from $705 to $740 per month in the new lease. The Hall owners receive one month of free rent each year. The lease will auto-renew with a 3 percent increase unless either the owners of The Hall or the village of Athens notifies the other party in writing they want to renegotiate.

■ Board members approved fireworks permits for the Athens Advancement and Agriculture during the Athens Fair on Thursday, Aug. 14, with a rain date on Saturday, Aug. 17, and the Athens Lions Club’s 4th of July celebration on Thursday, July 3 with a rain date of Friday, July 4. Fireworks will be let off at dusk on July 3 in a field behind the co-op, and the fireworks will be visible at Athens Memorial Park where the celebration festivities are being held.

■ The board approved a $1,000 donation to the Athens Lions Club for its annual 4th of July celebration like it normally does each year.

■ Board members approved an alcohol operator’s license for Darla Ewer after a background check was completed.

■ The board approved renovations at the Athens South Park bathroom using $16,100 in donations from the Athens Lions Club.

■ Board members authorized the Athens Police Department to buy a computer not to exceed $1,000 in price.

■ The following committee appointments were approved: Cody Thorson as chairman of Finance and Personnel with members Chris Perkins and Taran Brodziski; Andy Thurs as chairman of Fire and Police with members Tyler Socha and Thorson; Brodziski as chairman of Streets with members Perkins and Socha; Chris Guden as chairman of Parks and Public Welfare with members Thurs and Thorson, Socha as chairman of Public Property with members Guden and Thurs; and Perkins as chairman of Water and Sewer with members Brodziski and Guden.

■ Board members reappointed Dean Dietrich of Weld Riley as village attorney and Tlusty, Kennedy and Glascock as the police department’s attorney for one-year terms. Hoffman Appraisal Service was appointed as assessor for a two-year term.

■ The board reappointed Lisa Czech as weed commissioner, Brock Guralski as forester, Ben Brooks as zoning administrator and Robert Christensen as building inspector for one-year terms.

■ The board approved president Randy Decker as emergency management director, trustee Perkins to the board of review with alternates Dwight Lenhard and Dave Weiler, and William Balz as citizen member and trustees Perkins and Brodziski to the planning commission.

■ The board approved Gale Weiler and Jackie Thurs as members of the board of appeals for three-year terms; trustees Thurs and Thorson as representatives to the Athens Area Fire Commission with trustees Brodziski, Decker, Guden, Perkins and Socha as alternates; Darin Weeks to the Community Development Authority committee for a four-year term and trustee Perkins as president pro-temp.