The need to present and maintain the town of Athlone to a high standard for the remainder of the year and going forward was a topic of much discussion at the Municipal District meeting.
Raising the motion, Cllr. Aengus O'Rourke, believed that he was a 'broken record' when it came to speaking with regard to this matter.
"We are not presenting our town in the manner that we should. We must be proud of our town. From grass cutting to weeding, replacing bins, enhanced signage, we need to be diligent and ensure our town looks resplendent at all times.
"Do we need additional manpower to ensure our town is maintained adequately? Should we employ a team of three, six or even ten persons from April to September to carry out necessary works? Tell us what we need and we will work within the budget allowed," Cllr. O'Rourke referenced as he addressed the Council administration.
Concurring, Cllr. John Dolan noted that as a Municipal District "we have to 'get real' with regards to the town's appearance."
"If you were a tourist would you stay around a town that at times looks unclean. At times, I would say 'no'. If we could have some kind of idea of the costs involved with obtaining additional manpower to carry out such works," the Cllr. queried.
Addressing the situation, Cllr. Michael O'Brien urged the Council administration to come forward with the relevant cost amount so we the Municipal District could make future plans.
"We all want to see improvements. Set our targets and let's achieve same. Town enhancements not only benefits the community but also our tourism product," Cllr. O'Brien stated.
Cllr. Paul Hogan called for a new cleaning schedule to be implemented in the town.
"Up to two years ago the Tidy Towns were working in tandem with the Gateway workers but unfortunately, this stopped. Tusla workers are alsa no longer available. There's always more that we can do, that we want to do, as a Municipal District," Cllr. Hogan commented.
