Athens
Situated between Knoxville and Chattanooga
off of Interstate 75, The Friendly City has experienced more commercial
growth in the past 20 years than ever before. The population of Athens
has now surpassed 13,000 and suburban development continues to spring
up in outlying areas.
Nestled at the foothills of the Smokies and
convenient to the Ocoee and Hiwassee rivers, outdoor recreation has
always been a major form of entertainment for Athenians.
Closer to home, the Athens Regional Park
anchors the city's recreational activities, while the newly-renovated
Veterans Memorial Park (formerly Sunset Park) is now the city's premiere park.
A new Southeast Tennessee Trade and Conference
Center is also under construction at the Regional Park and its 8,536
square-foot, 480-person capacity Phase I section has been operational
since the end of 2001. Eventually a 110,00 square-foot, 8,900-person
capacity facility is envisioned and future development of the center
will be overseen by its Board of Directors, created in June 2002.
Government
The city of Athens is organized by the city
manager-council form of government and operates on an annual budget of
about $11 million.
The elected City Council consists of five
members, with one of those five selected by the Council to serve as mayor.
Each Council member serves a four-year term.
The City Council includes
Mayor John Proffitt, Vice Mayor Bo Perkinson, Dick Pelley, Charlie Myers
and Shannon Alvey.
The 10 main city departments each have a
director or supervisor who deals with the day-to-day operations. All of the
main departments may be reached at 744-2710, and hours for the general
office operations are from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The departments include:
City Manager's office: Mitch Moore, city
manager. The city manager oversees all departments and works with the City
Council and can be reached at 744-2701.
Finance Department: Mike Keith, finance
director. The finance director oversees all financial matters, collection
of taxes, issuing business licenses, refuse billing and budgeting. Keith
can be reached at 744-2712.
Purchasing: Mike Keith. The department
oversees purchasing and inventory control. Purchasing can be reached
at 744-2780.
Police Department: Chuck Ziegler,
police chief. The department enforces all laws and is charged with the
protection of lives and property in the city. Ziegler can be reached at 744-2730.
Communications: Chuck Ziegler. The
department oversees the city's 911 dispatch center. The center can be
reached at 744-2720.
Fire Department: Bob Miller, fire
chief. The agency fights fires and makes fire inspections and makes
suggestions on how to prevent fires. Miller can be reached at 744-2760.
Public Works: Shawn Lindsey, public
works director. The department constructs, maintains and cleans streets.
Other main duties include garbage pick-up and disposal, correcting
drainage problems and animal control. The city's largest department,
professional and administrative engineering work are also duties. The
department can be reached at 744-2745.
Community Development: Harold Hunter,
community development director. The office enforces zoning, structural
codes and community development activities, as well as applying for
and directing government grants. Hunter can be reached at 744-2750.
Parks and Recreation: Austin Fesmire,
director. The agency conducts a comprehensive leisure services program
for all groups and ages as well as developing and maintaining the city's
park system. Fesmire can be reached at 744-2706.
Personnel: Rita Brown, director. The
office implements the city's personnel policies and handles payroll,
insurance and other benefits for city employees. Brown can be reached
at 744-2703.
|