Athens City Council members expect to take the first official step toward adding more sidewalks on the east side of Stewart Street with a resolution next Monday, said Councilwoman Amy Flowers, D-at-large.

The total cost has been determined to be $29,000, but council must decide how to divide that cost between the city and the affected property owners. Unofficial letters of notification have been sent to those property owners.

Council also will begin to consider an ordinance to increase the meter limits by an additional hour on handicapped spaces during next week’s meeting.

Handicapped parking users will be able to park their vehicles for a maximum of three hours instead of two hours in the 14 Uptown handicapped parking spots and the eight handicapped spots in the city parking garage if the ordinance passes.

People with handicapped permits might need more time to get into and out of their vehicles, as well as more time to get from their parking spots to their destinations, Flowers said.

Based on yesterday’s committee discussions, council members expect to introduce two other ordinances. The first would authorize the spending of an estimated $500,000 on a new telephone and computer network system for city government buildings, said Bojinka Bishop, D-2nd Ward.

The ordinance also would authorize Service-Safety Director Ray Hazlett to enter into a contract with a Columbus-based electronics company for the new system. Because of a $22,000 initial survey and the time required for council approval, it would not be installed until early 2008, Mayor Ric Abel said.

A second ordinance would reduce the height limit of buildings in most of the Court Street area and change the zoning designation of an area near Court Street and West State Street to make the designations more consistent with those of businesses further south, said Debbie Phillips, D-4th Ward.