Columbus, Georgia

Minutes



COUNCIL BRIEFING



Meeting

June 8, 2004



Members Present: Councilors R. Gary Allen (arrived at 8:40 a.m.), Wayne

Anthony, Glenn Davis, Berry Henderson, Julius Hunter, Jr., Charles E. McDaniel,

Jr., Evelyn Turner Pugh, Nathan Suber and Evelyn Woodson. Also present were

Mayor Robert S. Poydasheff (Arrived at 8:45 a.m.),City Manager Carmen Cavezza,

Assistant Deputy City Managers Isaiah Hugley and Richard Bishop, City Attorney

Clifton Fay, Finance Director Angela Cole, Assistant Director of Engineering

Donna Newman, Clerk of Council Tiny B. Washington and Deputy Clerk of Council

Sandra Davis.



Members Absent: Mayor Pro Tem John J. Rodgers was absent.



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City Manager Cavezza called the meeting to order at 8:35 a.m. held in the

Council Chambers Conference Room, Plaza Level of the Government Center.



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Rezoning Petition:

City Manager Cavezza recalled a rezoning petition concerning property owned by

Mr. Erickson located in the front with Mr. Ragland owning some property in the

back, and Mr. Ragland has an easement through the property that Mr. Erickson

owned. He pointed out that when the property was rezoned, the Council asked

Mr. Erickson and Mr. Ragland to try to work it out where the easement could be

more practical. He informed everyone that Mr. Erickson has come in to request

a permit to start developing this area. He stated that the easement would

remain until Mr. Erickson and Mr. Ragland come to some kind of an agreement.

He said that the reason he is bringing this up is because the Council wanted

the two gentlemen to work something out, which has not been done. He

determined that we have no grounds to withhold the permit from Mr. Erickson.



Councilor Hunter suggested that on the permit, the staff openly points to the

easement to let him know that there is an easement on the property for the

knowledge of potential buyers. Assistant Engineering Director Donna Newman

maintained that the easement would be shown on the plat. City Manager Cavezza

added that the easement would also be on the deed. He went on to say this is

really a private issue and we don?t legally have the grounds to deny the permit.



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Columbus Golf Authority:

City Manager Cavezza advised that the Columbus Golf Authority has voted to

increase golf fees, because of the increase in cost of operations at Bull Creek

Golf Course. He said the increase reflects a one dollar increase for both

carts and green fees; along, with a 5% increase in membership fees. He pointed

out that the Golf Authority has the authority to do that.



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Proposed Property Tax Increase:

City Manager Cavezza announced that there would be a public meeting on the

proposed property tax increase, which is the taxpayers bill of right where we

are required by law to hold this meting; since, there was a 3% growth. He said

that we would be having three public hearings with the first being at 9:00 a.m.

this morning. He added that this tax increase would not raise the millage rate.



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Budget Session Questions:

City Manager Cavezza briefly recapped and responded to questions that were

raised during the budget session and are listed as follows:



Personnel actions: The personnel actions were merely title changes and not pay

reclassifications or pay increases.



Councilor Turner Pugh called attention to an item that was on the

Add/Delete list for the budget session that was not resolved, at which time,

City Manager Cavezza said that it was the hiring of the five LPN. He recalled

that the decision that was made was to hire two and defer two until January and

not hire the other one.



City Manager Cavezza said there was also the issue of the vehicle

insurance where we wouldn?t set it aside and just use the money out of the fund

balance if we had to



Items deleted or deferred:

o Deferring the 3% pay increase until January

o Reduce demolition from $150,000. to $50,000.

o Stop the dependent pension benefit study

o Deferred to mid-year the three AED



Items added to the budget:

o Two Special Enforcement Pickups

o Roof projects

o Turn out gear for Fire and EMS

o TYCorp TD 460 and AER & Vat for Parks & Recreation





Items deferred until next year:

o CPR devises

o The advantage 3.0

o Pay raises

o Reducing demolition

o Stump grinding

o Remaining capital projects



SBA Loan Questions: In FY-04, two SBA loans were made totaling $2.2 million.

The total cost of the project that they supported was $6.1 million, which

includes the money leveraged by the bank. Thirty-seven jobs were created and

currently, they are working a number of portfolios in the amount of $5.9

million against $19 million worth of projects.



Funding provided to DFACS (Question by Councilor Suber): Department of Family

and Children Services use the money for the two programs that they have with

one being to assist the families and the second is to assist the children in

foster care. This is where the money goes for these particular programs.



Carry-Over Projects on CDBG (Question by Councilor Turner Pugh): The biggest

project is the engineering services in Bibb City, which is $1.2 million.

Councilor McDaniel then asked questions about the infrastructure of Bibb City,

at which time, Deputy City Manager Richard Bishop advised that we are in the

process of designing a new system for the sewers.



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City Manager?s Agenda:

City Manager Cavezza pointed out that listed on the City Manager?s Agenda is a

transfer of approximately $600,000. of SPLOST project money into the CDBG

Fund. He stated that we felt that the River Center Parking Garage was built on

CDBG property; therefore, HUD has determined that since that is CDBG property,

the money has to be reimbursed to CDBG. He explained that the way we are

reimbursing the CDBG Fund is by identifying an equivalent amount of SPLOST

money out of the Sewers Project that we are doing in the Liberty Redevelopment

Area and transferring it. He said that money would go into that redevelopment

area to work on sewer and drainage problems in the Liberty District.



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GMA Annual Convention:

As a reminder, City Manager Cavezza pointed out that we would not be having a

meeting at the end of the month due to the GMA Annual Convention.



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Rubbish Pick-up:

Councilor Suber called attention to a news report concerning some rubbish that

was left on some property, at which time, Deputy City Manager Isaiah Hugley

briefly explained that we don?t know who put the rubbish out there, but we are

scheduled to go pick it up during the normal rotation, which is next Tuesday.

He said that he believes that the gentleman in the news report wanted us to

have it picked up immediately.



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Televised Coverage:

Councilor Hunter stated that he has received a call from a candidate that

wanted to know if the City would provide television coverage of the event that

would be held at Columbus Technical College.



Council?s Agenda:

Mayor Poydasheff briefed the Council on the chronology of items he has listed

for the meeting and speakers that he would be calling forward to speak.



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There being no further business to discuss and with the dialogue being

concluded, this meeting adjourned at 8:55 a.m.







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Sandra T. Davis, Deputy Clerk of Council