Council Member (4th Ward)· 2026-01 - 2027-12 (month-level start: January 2026 per Athens Independent Jan 5, 2026 council organization report, two-year terms elected in odd-numbered years per city site; month-level end: December 2027 per same two-year cycle)
Alan Swank
Athens
No biography on file yet.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 14
- Total speaking time
- 3:25:09
- Avg per meeting
- 14:39
- Segments
- 2670
Want every word Swank has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Swank said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (20)
Portable Flood Barriers and Stormwater Work
Repeated flood damage to a community landmark; cost of catch basins and pipe repair unknown.
Neighborhood Corridor Overlay Zone
New construction in overlay corridors could face higher costs (wider sidewalks, rear parking); the city could face sidewalk costs of uncertain size.
Welcome Home Ohio Affordable Homes PUD
About $350,000 in redirected property tax over ten years pays for the water line upgrade.
AFSCME Spousal Health Insurance Carve-Out (Ordinance 99-26)
Reduces city medical fund costs by shifting spousal coverage to other employers.
2027 Sewer Rates Adopted (Ordinance 81-26)
4% sewer increases for two years, then 2%; the average household would pay $53.93 under the proposal.
July 4th 250th anniversary celebration funding
A $7,500 city appropriation was proposed but pulled pending more details.
Children Services Property Annexation and Zoning
Roughly 100 employees' income tax revenue starts flowing to the city January 1.
Solid waste contract extension
Cleanup costs get passed to the property owner, not the city.
Hudson Street Waterline Upgrade (Project #382)
Spending authority rose from $250,000 to $650,000.
Warren Road street conditions
Special Event Street Closure Fees (Ordinances 95-26 and 96-26)
Would recover roughly one-third of street closure costs — about $3,890 a year across 13 fee-eligible events.
State Route 682 Major Rehabilitation Funding
City share of $498,764, proposed to be paid $100,000 a year over five years via a 0% loan.
Parking garage gate repair pay
Cheaper than vendor service calls, which carry call-out fees and higher rates.
council member arrest
No dollar figure is given, but taxpayers could end up covering legal, administrative, or seat-replacement costs depending on how the case and council response unfold.
Sweet gum removal request at 32 Lorene Drive
Pruning and possible cabling costs fall to the city instead of a full removal.
ISA certification requirement for tree contractors
Certified-contractor compliance affects eligibility for urban forestry grant funding.
Proposed Amendment to Yard Regulations (Section 23.03.08)
Parking Garage Elevator Repairs
$11,000 increase, to $36,000, for elevator repairs at the parking garage.
Discontinuation of Flock license-plate cameras
The Flock agreement cost will not appear in the coming budget.
Vore Ridge landfill gas monitoring
$15,000 from the garbage fund.
Decisions during term (70)
Recorded while Swank was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Approval of September 16, 2026 minutes
Right-of-way pruning permit, 156 East State Street willow oak
Adjournment
Ordinance 89-26 — Solid Waste Citation Amendments (Third Reading)
Ordinance 92-26 — Appropriation Amendment and Interfund Transfers (Emergency, Rules Suspended)
Ordinance 93-26 — Then-and-Now Certificate for Payment (Emergency, Rules Suspended)
Ordinance 94-26 — Comprehensive Plan Review Advisory Commission (Rules Suspended)
Amendment to Ordinance 97-26 — Parking Garage Elevator Repair Increase
Resolution R-07-26 — Tax Levies Certified to County Auditor (Rules Suspended)
Motion to Remove Ordinance 81-26 from the Table
Ordinance 81-26 — Sewer Rates and Yard Waste Bag Fees (Third Reading)
Acceptance of August and September 2026 Financial Reports
Acceptance of July and August 2026 Credit Card Transactions
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 29, HOUSING REGULATIONS, CHAPTER 29.34, SANITARY CONDITION, SECTION 29.34.04, CITATIONS FOR FAILURE TO PROPERLY DISPOSE OF SOLID WASTE.
Approval of agenda
Approval of minutes (Aug 17 & Sep 21, 2026)
Ordinance 84-26 — $30,000 sewer plant oxygen sensor
Ordinance 87-26 — sale of former fire headquarters postponed
Ordinance 88-26 — conveyance to ACIC postponed
Ordinance 90-26 — North Hill water project funding boost
Voting record (2)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.
Ordinance 93-26 — $22,000 then-and-now payment fails to advance
He called paying a $22,000 bill for a contractor's missed sewer connection 'bad optics' while the Mount Zion flood damage remains unresolved.
Community Center playground renovation — advance to first reading
He inspected the playground and found the 26-year-old equipment and surface in excellent condition, saying the money would be better spent on the rec center/pool playground.