HVAC and electrical contractors joined staff from the City and the Athens Economic Development Corporation Wednesday morning for an open discussion about City services.

“We invited the contractors to hear their ideas and get feedback on their experience working with the City and to discuss how we can help them better,” Community Development Manager Donna Meredith said.

The discussion focused on ways to make inspections smoother and communication clearer. City staff also introduced My Government Online (MGO), the City’s new online permitting and tracking system, to ensure contractors can follow projects and document timelines.

The meeting was moderated by Meredith and featured a panel of employees from the City's Development Services office. Also on hand were the mayor, city manager, and EDC board members.

"I think it went very well," said Director of Development Alan Anderson. "I think they gave us some good things to look at and try and improve, and in the same respect we were able to explain to them some of our processes and procedures."

Wednesday’s session was the first in what leaders hope will become a continuing outreach effort with area contractors.