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After nearly 10 hours of meetings over two days, the Athens City Council has determined its priorities for the upcoming year.

The council held its annual strategic summit Friday and Saturday, hearing updates, requests and concerns from all department heads at the McMinn Higher Education Center in Athens.

Late Saturday morning, Southeast Tennessee Development District (SETDD)’s Beth Jones led them in marking what from those discussions they most wanted to follow up on during the year. While they set their top five priorities and picked a few more to emphasize, one was a given throughout the two-day stretch — they hope to soon complete their search for a new city manager.

The council’s search committee has narrowed the list of candidates to four and, after it was originally pushed back from its original schedule of last Thursday, the council is awaiting holding a meeting to discuss those candidates and set interview dates and times.

As for their other priorities, Jones provided the council members with five stickers each and a dollar amount set on each one — from $1 to $5 — and instructed them to give the most money to their highest priority choice.

First on the list with $16 and four votes was to “review and enhance employee benefits and compensation plan.”

Several department heads requested more employees or more pay for their current workers, in particular the Athens Fire Department and Athens Police Department.

The second priority for the council was beginning the planned city hall renovations, which received $12 and three votes. This plan would include changes to the APD’s area as well.

Third on the list was improvements to Market Park, earning $8 and three votes. Discussed over the weekend was adding an amphitheater, a dog park and a smaller splash pad than the one currently at Athens Regional Park.

The fourth priority for the council was acquiring property for a third AFD fire station. The two fire stations currently are located at the municipal building and on Congress Parkway. Fire Chief Brandon Ainsworth, during the weekend, talked to the council members about the need for a third station in a different area than those two in order to improve response times in more areas of town.

The council members marked their fifth priority as improving the work culture at the police department. APD Chief Fred Schultz discussed the culture at the police department, along with needs he said included taking home patrol cars and receiving raises, with the council members during the retreat. At the council’s February meeting, APD Sgt. Shaun Thompson also read a request as a representative of several officers for those things as well. This received $5 and two votes.

Among other priorities that received some focus from the council but didn’t make the top five are:

• Get a second set of turnout gear for all AFD staff — $2 and two votes

• Look into a Boys and Girls Club, potentially at Ingleside Elementary School — $2 and one vote

• Work on a bicycle and pedestrian plan — $3 and one vote

• Look into ways to decrease poverty and homelessness — $2 and one vote

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