Columbus, Georgia

Agenda Item#__________





Columbus Consolidated Government

Council Meeting





Agenda Report#_______





TO: Mayor and Councilors



SUBJECT: 2002 Legislative Agenda



INITIATED BY: City Manager?s Office





Recommendation: Approve seventeen (17) resolutions on issues to be included on

the City of Columbus? Legislative Agenda for the 2002 session of the General

Assembly as discussed by the Mayor and Council.



Background: Each year the elected and appointed officials of the Columbus

Consolidated Government develop a list of issues important to the citizens of

Columbus that requires action by the local Legislative Delegation. Once the

list is developed, meetings are held with the Delegation to explain the

rationale behind these issues and to solicit their support. If the Delegation

is in agreement with City officials, a final list of issues is written and

presented to the Delegation. A meeting was held on December 4, 2001 with the

Delegation.



Analysis: Staff, elected and appointed officials were asked to present issues

they felt were important to the operation of City Government. Research and

justification for these issues were presented to the City Manager and a list

was prepared for presentation to the Mayor/Council. The Mayor/Council

discussed these issues among themselves and made a final decision on those that

would be presented to the Legislative Delegation.



Financial Considerations: The City is expected to receive additional revenues

if many of the issues are passed by the General Assembly.



Recommendations/Actions: Approve those resolutions, which the Mayor/Council

deems appropriate.





Columbus Consolidated Government



2002 Legislative Agenda

__________________________________



Passenger Rail Funding:



1. Support Legislation to keep passenger rail funding in the State Department

of Transportation?s budget and support the establishment of rail passenger

service between Columbus/Griffin/Atlanta simultaneously with the development of

the Atlanta/Griffin/Macon passenger rail corridor.



Increased Funding for Road Projects:



2. Support increased funding in the State Department of Transportation?s budget

for road projects.



Disconnect the Clerk of Superior Court and Tax Commissioner?s salary from

Sheriff:



3. Introduce legislation that would disconnect salaries of the Clerk of

Superior Court and Tax Commissioner from that of the Sheriff.



Skate Park Funding:



4. Support funding for a skate park.



Mentally Challenged/Substance Abuse Homes:



5. Introduce legislation to require state agencies and/or their subcontractors

to notify local elected officials regarding the placement of mentally

challenged or substance abuse homes in neighborhoods.



State Funding for Oxbow Marina:



6. Support funding for Oxbow Marina.



Fall Line Air Quality Study Funding for Second Tier Cities:



7. Support the necessary funding for the Fall Line Air Quality Study for Second

Tier cities in order to allay the adverse consequences of air pollution and

?non-attainment? designation.





Sales Tax for Operation:



8. Continue to pursue our efforts for a pure general purpose sales tax, but in

the absence at a minimum we would like consideration for 15% from the SPLOST

for operations (carryover from 2000/2001 Legislative Agendas).



Funding for Expansion of the Trade Center/Visitors? Center:



9. Support funding for the expansion of the Columbus Trade Center/Visitors?

Center (carryover from 2001 Legislative Agenda).



Designate a Division of Recorder?s Court to hear and exercise jurisdiction over

all environmental ordinances



10.Introduce legislation to amend the Columbus Charter, Sections

5- 600

through 5-605 (Ga. L. 1993, pp 5013-5015), so as to provide that Recorder?s

Court of Columbus, Georgia may create and designate a division of Recorder?s

Court to hear and to exercise jurisdiction over all environmental ordinances of

Columbus, Georgia.



Increased Funding for Criminal Indigent Defense:



11.Support increased funding for criminal indigent defense (the State now funds

only 10% of Muscogee County?s cost for attorneys for criminals who can not

afford attorneys).



Funding for Bibb City Infrastructure Problems:



12. Support funding for major infrastructure problems inherited as a result of

Bibb City being dissolved and being incorporated into Columbus, Georgia.



Tri-Rivers Funding:



13. Support funding for Tri-Rivers.



Naval Museum:



14. Support funding for the Naval Museum. $100,000 was approved in the state

grant but is now on hold due to declining state revenues and the economic

downturn.



Grant in Aid Funding to County Health Departments:



15. No cuts in Grant in Aid funding to county health departments.



Additional Grant in Aid Funding to Counties for Target Salaries:



16.Additional Grant in Aid funding to cover costs to counties to bring

employees to target salaries over the next two (2) years, as required by the

State. The first installment in the process was completed in FY2001 without

adequate funding from the State (an unfunded mandate).



Amend Chapter 2 Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated charging the

Department of Human Resources with the authority to inspect all food service

operations



17. The Columbus Board of Health respectfully request the Legislative

Delegation of the City of Columbus to advocate for an amendment of Chapter 2

Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated charging the Department of

Human Resources with the authority to inspect all food service operations.

This in effect reverses previous changes giving authority for inspection of

food service operations within food sales establishments such as grocery and

convenience stores to the Department of Agriculture and eliminating from

inspection food service operations as a part of temporary events. The

Department of Human Resources through its Division of Public Health should be

adequately funded to perform this function. The appropriate number of

professional positions paid at a competitive market rate should be provided for

in the enabling legislation.