ATHENS, Ohio — The City of Athens may establish an ad hoc subcommittee to review code inspections and processes for rental units and make recommendations for enhanced services for renters.
During its committees meeting Monday night, Athens City Council discussed a resolution that would establish the Ad Hoc One-Year Affordable Housing Commission Subcommittee, with seven members to be appointed this fall.
The ad hoc subcommittee will be an assemblage of members who have housing experience and/or expertise collaborating to develop solutions-oriented goals, said Solveig Spjeldnes, 1st Ward council member and chair of the Affordable Housing Commission. Subcommittee members would include
- a student renter;
- a code-compliant landlord/property manager;
- an experienced renter advocate;
- a research consultant;
- a city council member;
- a member of the Affordable Housing Commission;
- an Ohio University administrator, appointed by the OU president; and
- the code enforcement director or a designated representative appointed by the mayor.
Spjeldnes said the subcommittee will act as liaison between community members, city government administration and key stakeholders, such as Ohio University leadership and rental housing providers.
Planning and Development Committee Chair Alan Swank, 4th Ward, said the ad hoc subcommittee would be charged with research- and data-driven recommendations to the city’s code enforcement office.
The subcommittee would be given until Dec. 1, 2026, to prepare a report detailing how code enforcement officers can “enhance efficient and effective code compliance and rental unit safety.” It would also be responsible for delivering quarterly progress updates to the council.
The city has four full-time code enforcement officers, who are managed by Code Enforcement Director David Riggs. The affordable housing commission, which has worked on the subcommittee’s formulation over the past few months, approved the resolution Aug. 19 to be brought before the council.
The resolution is not about claiming “gotcha or to point fingers,” Spjeldnes emphasized, but to address needs with a city and large university within it that have more than 5,800 rental units to inspect.
Code enforcement officers have more job duties than rental inspections, so it’s not possible for them to inspect all rentals in the city annually — as the law requires, Spjeldnes noted.
“The problem is that everyone knows that the code office is under-resourced,” Spjeldnes said. “In fact, based on their own data, in 2024, only 76% of the city’s 5,825 rentals were inspected. In other words, renters had a one-in-four chance of living in places that might not be code-compliant. This is particularly relevant, because about 75% of our residents are renters.”
Several community members at the meeting said they supported the resolution.
Athens resident Rob Delach said the city’s Pedestrian Accessibility and Bicycle Task Force, of which he is a member, created a similar committee that was invaluable in identifying needs and priorities for people who walk and bike. The proposed ad hoc subcommittee has that same potential, he offered.
John Molinaro said he owned rental properties in a similar town-gown university setting that had rental codes — and enforcement — that were more strict than Athens’.
Athens Real Estate Company co-owner Eric Lee, who manages 330 rental units with his wife, Ally Rapp Lee, commended city code enforcement.
“But I think everyone can agree: Having more eyes on the problem would make better solutions, so I’m in support of this as well,” Eric Lee said.
Former state representative Mary Abel said an ad hoc subcommittee by its nature invites collaboration and problem solving.
With health and safety issues often involved in rental unit inspections, such a subcommittee would be a key resource toward enhancing housing policy, Abel said.
Fourth-year OU student Emory Mathy said a friend who lived in a large housing complex dominated by fellow students on Athens’ South side did not want to raise the issue with her landlord of mold in the shower area. Doing so would have subjected the friend to a maintenance request fee, Mathy said.
“I told her, ‘Hey, that’s a code violation; you can’t have mold or contaminants,” Mathy said. Mathy said the city should not condone dangerous infestations of any kind in housing occupied by students.
Mayor Steve Patterson did not offer comments during the topic discussion.
Spjeldnes noted during her prepared remarks that in 2016 and 2017, Patterson and former OU President Roderick McDavis worked to create the Affordable Housing Commission. Spjeldnes said the commission was tasked, in part, to review and make recommendations on housing code and enforcement services.
Asked after the meeting if he supports creation of the ad hoc subcommittee, Patterson said, “It’s going to be a one-reading resolution. This basically is the sense of the council.”
“The ideas that the subcommittee will put forward will be free, but the cost of implementing them will not be,” Patterson said.
Adding a new code enforcement officer would impact the city’s budget — especially after its proposed .3% income tax increase failed in May.
“We will see how this all shakes out,” Patterson said.
In other matters Monday:
- Planning and Development Committee: The committee moved forward two additional regulations to Title 29, Housing Regulations. One requires an emergency contact for rental properties, and another adds a $25 fee on top of existing annual rental fees. The new fee applies to rental property owners who live 50 miles or more outside city limits.
- Transportation Committee: Spjeldnes said Service-Safety Director Andy Stone communicated to her that the language contained in funding for East State Traffic Signal Improvements Project 367 did not provide enough funds from Street Fund 220 to cover project costs. Related Ordinance 01-25 therefore must be amended to transfer $220,000 from Fund 593 Tax Increment Financing to Street Fund 220. The transfer is expected to happen at one of the next council meetings, under rules suspension.
- Finance & Personnel Committee: The committee reviewed several appropriations, including $48,700 from the Street Rehabilitation Fund to cover debt payment on a new State Investment Board loan for West Union Street repairs work; and $100,000 appropriated to the sewer fund, to cover increased wastewater treatment plant electricity costs. Patterson said because of heavy rains earlier in the year, the plant had to turn on high-energy usage blowers for extended periods.
- Former fire station: Patterson shared that the former city fire station headquarters on Columbus Road is best served by a lease authorization — with several businesses already expressing interest in leasing the building. It would be leased to the highest bidder, if the council approved the lease authorization. Patterson said leasing is better than selling the property, as a sale would deny the city any say over how the property would be used.
Due to Labor Day, Athens City Council’s next regular meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 2, at Athens City Hall, Council Chambers, third floor, 8 E. Washington St. Meetings are also streamed online. Regular sessions are on the first and third Mondays of the month; committee meetings are on the second and fourth Mondays.
