Columbus, Georgia

MINUTES

COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA

REGULAR SESSION

APRIL 1, 2003





The regular monthly night meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia was

called to order at 5:30 P.M., Tuesday, April 1, 2003, on the Plaza Level of the

Government Center, Columbus, Georgia. Honorable Robert S. Poydasheff, Mayor,

presiding.



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PRESENT: Present other than Mayor Poydasheff and Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers were

Councilors R. Gary Allen, Wayne Anthony, Glenn Davis, Berry H. Henderson,

Julius H. Hunter, Jr., Charles E. McDaniel, Jr., Evelyn Turner Pugh, Nathan

Suber and Evelyn Woodson. City Manager Carmen Cavezza, City Attorney Clifton

Fay, Clerk of Council Tiny B. Washington and Deputy Clerk of Council Sandra

Davis were also present.



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ABSENT: No one was absent.



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INVOCATION: Offered by Father Doug Hanh ? St. Thomas Episcopal Church.

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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Led by Mayor Robert S. Poydasheff.

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MINUTES: Minutes of the March 25, 2003 meeting of the Council of the

Consolidated Government of Columbus, Georgia was submitted and approved upon

the adoption of a motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers and seconded by

Councilor Allen, which carried unanimously by those nine

members of Council present at the time, with Councilor Woodson being absent for

this vote.

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CITY OF CHARACTER



Mr. Ed Wilson, Executive Assistant to Mayor Poydasheff appeared to discuss

the City of Character Traits. He said as the Mayor and Council may recall in

October 1999, former Mayor Peters issued a proclamation making Columbus a City

of Character.



He then read a portion of that proclamation, saying the Administration of

the Columbus Consolidated Government is committed to promotion of character

throughout the City on a vigorous and continuing basis as part of the National

City of Character program.



Mr. Wilson also said in December 2000, the Council adopted a resolution in

keeping with the program of the Georgia Municipal Association making Columbus a

Certified City of Ethics. He said in keeping with that proclamation and

resolution, we are implementing a City of Character Program that calls for the

practice of announcing a word each month that we hope will be a focus in the

thoughts of our citizens and employees in the City of Columbus.



He said the word for this month is citizenship and hope that throughout

the month that we focus on this word. He said there were some related words

that were given to ponder, which are responsibility and patriotism.



Mr. Wilson said Winston Churchill said, ?Responsibility is the price of

greatness?. He said the word citizenship embraces all the responsibilities that

we have to our fellow citizens, and said this will be the focus for the month

of April.



Mayor Poydasheff asked that this month?s word for the City of Character

program be scrolled on CCG-TV.



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WEST NILE VIRUS:



Mayor Poydasheff then called forward Dr. Koypannyi of the Columbus Health

Department, and said with Spring and Summer coming in, and there being concerns

about sores, and in keeping with our desire to protect the citizens in the best

possible way, we need to talk about West Nile virus.



Dr. Koypannyi said with the warm weather approaching, it will definitely

promote the hatching of a new batch of mosquitoes. He said the mosquitoes are

here, and in spite of many, many treatments during the past two years and a lot

of publication of articles and appearances before the media, they have warned

the people of Columbus that only they can truly prevent themselves from being

bitten by the mosquitoes.



He said it is not the dead birds, as they are only the carrier of the

virus from the mosquitoes. He said you will have to have an infected bird that

is infected by a female mosquito, which sucks up some of the virus and when it

bites you it will then infect you.



Dr. Koypannyi spoke for several minutes in highlighting different measures

and precautions that he feels should be taken which would hopefully help in

preventing individuals from being bitten and infected from the West Nile virus.



He said since 1999 we have had the appearance of this new virus that has

really spread throughout the United States, and now we have it in the majority

of the states with the new cases of the West Nile virus. He said in Georgia on

last year, we had 44 total human cases, including one organ donor and two

transplants recipients and seven deaths.



Dr. Koypannyi said the West Central Health District through the 16

counties surrounding us there were seven confirmed cases and one death. He

said from the people in Georgia, there were 92% who were ill and had fevers,

65% had muscle weakness, 62% had headaches, and 62% had alter mental status,

whereby they were confused, angry and often couldn?t sleep. He said the older

the individual, the more susceptible they were to the virus.



He said he has talked with the Keep Columbus Beautiful Executive Director,

Ms. Gloria Weston-Smart and said that we need to do a joint campaign, with the

boy scouts, church youth groups, neighborhood improvement associations; because

we need to eliminate the breeding ground of mosquitoes. He said we do need to

clean out those gutters, change the water under the plates of flowers pot;

because as little as two teaspoon full of water can serve as a breeding ground.



He said we do need to make sure that the mosquitoes? lava is killed, and

said they have been doing this year round where in October they put out a new

kind of lava that will last for about 150 days.



Dr. Koypannyi said we do need to continue to tell people that if they are

going to be outside during the early morning hours or after dusk, they need to

make sure that they cover themselves up, wear a hat and use insect repellent

that contains ?DEET?. He said they will also launch a major media campaign to

alert the people.



Mayor Poydasheff said we would get this information out on CCG-TV and then

encouraged Dr. Koypannyi to talk with Ms. Gloria Weston-Smart, as well as send

letters out to the boy scouts, girl scouts and etc.



Dr. Koypannyi said that there are several places and one situation has

arisen where there are abandoned swimming pools in the backyards, both in

ground and above ground, where people have moved and are not using them, and

then asked how do they deal with that. He said they would need to think about

more authority to be able to identify lava site and not have to wait for a long

period of time. He said they should be able to declare it a public health

hazard. He said they also need to deal with the used tire dealership that have

large amount of mosquitoes breeding, which is another issue that they will have

to deal with.

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PROCLAMATIONS:



?SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH?:



With Ms. Kyle Bair Executive Director of the Rape Crisis Center standing

at the Council table, Councilor Turner Pugh read Mayor Poydasheff?s

proclamation, proclaiming the month of April 2003, as ?Sexual Assault Awareness

Month in Columbus, Georgia.



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?NATIONAL ATHLETIC TRAINING?:



With Mr. Bruce Getz and Ms. Lisa Kimbrough standing at the Council table,

Councilor Davis read Mayor Poydasheff?s proclamation, proclaiming the month of

April 2003, as ?National Athletic Training? Month, in Columbus, Georgia.



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?FAIR HOUSING MONTH?:



With Ms. Lynette Gross standing at the Council table, Councilor Suber read

Mayor Poydasheff?s proclamation, proclaiming the month of April 2003, as ?Fair

Housing Month?, in Columbus, Georgia.

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CITY ATTORNEY?S AGENDA:



WITH MR. LEONARDO ROSALES AND HIS FATHER, AND MR. LACY OF SHAW HIGH SCHOOL

STANDING AT THE COUNCIL TABLE, THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION WAS READ IN ITS

ENTIRETY BY COUNCILOR HUNTER AND ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL:



A Resolution (148-03) - Commending and congratulating Leonardo Rosales and

the Global Media Resources Academy at Shaw High School for their collaboration

and assistance to the Department of Information Technology with the development

of a Hispanic website.Councilor Hunter moved its adoption, Seconded by Mayor

Pro Tem Rodgers and carried unanimously by those ten members of Council present

standing to cast their affirmative vote.



THE FOLLOWING THREE RESOLUTIONS EXPRESSING APPRIECIATION TO THOSE

EMPLOYEES WHO RECENTLY RETIRED FROM THE SERVICES OF THE COLUMBUS CONSOLIDATED

GOVERNMENT WERE SUBMITTED BY CITY ATTORNEY FAY AND THEIR CAPTIONS READ BY MAYOR

PRO TEM RODGERS AND THEN ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL UPON THE ADOPTION OF A SINGLE

MOTION MADE BY MAYOR PRO TEM RODGERS AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR ALLEN, WHICH

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY BY THOSE TEN MEMBERS OF COUNCIL PRESENT FOR THIS

MEETING:



A Resolution (149-03) - Expressing appreciation to Ms. Jimmie L. Morgan

upon her retirement with Muscogee Manor after more than 32 years of service.



A Resolution (150-03) - Expressing appreciation to Wilbur E. Allmond upon

his retirement with the Columbus Police Department after more than 30 years of

service.



A Resolution (151-03) - Expressing appreciation to Bobby Phillips upon his

retirement with the Columbus Fire Department after 25 years of service.

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PUBLIC AGENDA:



MS. DEBRA BENNETT, REPRESENTING JEWEL?S, RE: NON-RENEWAL OF ALCOHOLIC

BEVERAGE

LICENSE:





Mr. Jewel Moore appeared and said he is Ms. Debra Bennett?s husband and he

will be speaking on her behalf tonight.



Mr. Moore said that the City?s Finance Department is recommending that the

alcoholic beverage license for Jewel?s restaurant not be renewed for failing to

meet the 50% food sales for the last year. He said the amount of food sales

reported was $208,525 and the amount of alcohol sales reported was $183,859.00,

which is 53% of total sales that is required by the City Code for a restaurant

that sells alcohol. He said these figures are generated from a computerized

cash register, which categorizes sales and sales taxes. He said these figures

have been accepted as correct by the State sales Tax Office, the IRS and the

Columbus Finance Department for the purpose of paying sales tax and excise

taxes on sales.



However, these figures are not sufficient to figure the percentage of

food sales in determining license renewal. He said the City Code requires a

restaurant that sells alcohol to maintain at least 50% food sales.



Mr. Moore said the Code gives no direction on the procedure to determine

these sales, and it is left to the discretion of the Finance Department to use

the method of their choosing to determine food sales versus alcohol sales. He

said he would like to submit that the most accurate way to determine sales is

to use the figures generated from the device designed, built and sold for the

purpose of tracking and categorizing sales, which is a computerized cash

register. He said daily totals were available to the Finance Department on tape

to verify these figures.



He said the City?s Finance Department has taken reported food sales as

provided from the cash register?s tape as being correct and without question.

However, the Finance Department has chosen another indirect accounting method

to determine adjusted alcohol sales.





Mr. Moore said the method used is to take the figures for total alcohol

purchased and determine the total number of units sold and apply the average of

the published selling price of each item and come up with the adjusted alcohol

sales for Jewel?s. He said using this method generated adjusted alcohol sales

of 58%.



He said he would like to point out some of the shortfalls of this indirect

method of accounting, saying that Ms. Bennett entered into this venture with no

prior experience in the restaurant business and not a single day of experience

as an employee of a restaurant or any other retail business and without any

bookkeeping experience. He said the national averages show that business loss

from employee theft is 9% and even higher with customer theft. He said a

restaurant with a bar and inexperienced management will naturally have

percentages much higher than this, and said in a meeting with the Finance

Department this was presented and explained to them. He said Jewels was told

that since this was not brought forth during the audit, it was then too late to

be considered. He said he doesn?t think it is ever too late to do the right

thing.



He said in an attempt to improve very low alcohol sales against

established competition, Jewel?s started daily specials on beer and mixed

drinks. He said these daily specials offered beer and mixed drinks at $1.00

with sales tax and excise tax included, which put the price of a beer at .93

cents and a mixed drink at .90 cents, which is well below the adjusted 314%

markup from bottle beer, as outlined in the City?s worksheet.



Mr. Moore continued to speak for some fifteen minutes in outlining several

reasons why he felt that this license should be renewed and the methods the

City?s Finance used in making their determination not to renew Jewel?s alcohol

beverage license. He then made references to two documents that he distributed

around the Council table, which was filed with the Clerk of Council, for the

Council?s records.



In his conclusion, Mr. Moore said that if an indirect method is used to

determine what an establishment?s alcohol sales really are, then the same

method of accounting should be used to determine an establishment?s food sales.

He said this method should be just as accurate for food as it is for alcohol.



Mr. Moore said that Jewel?s has met the 50% food stipulation of the City

Code and he would ask this Council to vote in favor of renewing Debra Bennett?s

alcoholic beverage license and allow her to continue to operate her business.



Ms. Kay Love, Director of Finance said she has not had the benefit of

seeing Jewel?s figures and said she would like to have a copy to review those.

(A copy was then provided to Ms. Love)



Ms. Love said they use the figures from licensees to conduct the audit, as

they are not there on a daily basis and don?t know what they sell or buy, so we

rely upon them to give us the information. She said we assume that they are

giving us accurate information to the best of their knowledge. She said many

times there might be management issues or issues that involved the owner not

being knowledgeable of what?s going on. She said with respect to the theft,

that is clearly a management issue, but said they are dealing with the

mathematical of the ratio of alcohol and food sales. She said that issue was

not brought up until after the audit was completed. She said none of the daily

sales summary sheets indicated any thing about theft or potential theft. She

said the only thing that was brought up, was about a keg that was not operating

properly.



She said they did contact the third party distributor to see the amount of

time the keg was down and said they did come out and fix it. She said the

amount of spillage was minimal and said Jewel?s was not reimbursed for any

spillage.



She said it is industry practice for a distributor, if a significant

amount of alcohol has been leaked, they will reimburse the person who purchased

it, and said that did not happen in this case. She said the original figures

that we came up with, using Jewel?s figures, and using summary sales receipts,

which they assume were from their cash register tapes. She said they did not

use the cash register tapes, as they are cumbersome and voluminous. She said

they also gave them expenditure sheets, and that is what they used.



Ms. Love said the first figures that they came up with was 42% food sales

and 58% alcohol, and then Ms. Bennett brought up some issues that she felt like

was going on, the theft, the keg and the types of beer that they were buying,

as well as the issue of using the indirect method. She said they then verified

with third party distributors and looked at what they bought and the prices

advertised on their menu and calculated a markup. She said one of the schedules

that Mr. Moore referred to, said they do use an average markup, which is merely

take all of their prices and come up with an average. She said they don?t

apply that overall and said when they look at the distributors reports of what

they bought, that is actual cost. She said when you apply that average markup

to it, based on the amount they are buying from each of those categories; they

come up with the numbers and all that is tallied in.



Ms. Love said one of the things that Mr. Moore did mention was the amount

of food sales that they did have, which was somewhere over $200,000, but said

what he turned in on his 2002 tax returns to them was $182,000 and signed off

that was factual and truthful, but now that figure has somehow changed.



She said some of the things that raised a red flag with them were that

they took the food purchases as they were presented and concentrated on the

alcohol, looking at the inventory and third party report, as well as the menu

that they had provided, sales summary sheets and expenditure summary sheets.

She said some of the expenditures for food was on there twice and no

explanation was given to them when asked about it. She said some of the issues,

if theft is occurring and you are losing money in a business and are continuing

having to put money in it, it doesn?t compute mathematically to continue

purchasing the same amounts of alcohol, and continue to spend out that money,

if in revenues, you are not bringing that in. She said that a cash register is

designed to calculate by category, but said if theft is occurring how can you

rely on the cash register tapes, and said those sales summary sheets should

have been a reflection of that. She said no police report was filed and nothing

was indicated anywhere until that came up in the audit and then was brought to

their attention.



She said there is nothing mathematical that they can do in calculating the

food ratio, but it is a management issue that has to be dealt with by the

manager.



Ms. Love said they went back again and based on the information that Ms.

Bennett gave them, they recalculated the numbers again and gave 10% spillage on

the keg, and also did another calculation allowing for 20% spillage.



She said they have no way of telling how much was stolen, if stealing was

occurring, so none of that was calculated, and said the figures were adjusted

to 62% alcohol and 38% food, with the 10% spillage. She said when they went to

the 20% spillage only on the keg, the numbers were 61% alcohol and 39% food.



Ms. Love said that she has provided the Clerk of Council with the packet

of the audit results of all of those calculations. She said since Mr. Moore has

provided his own sales numbers here, she is assuming that he is waiving

confidentiality and said they have the audit work papers that they can provide

to the Council for further discussion here.



Mayor Poydasheff then asked Mr. Moore if he waives any confidentiality of

discussing his sales figures. He said he doesn?t have any problem with it. He

then said that Mr. Moore is representing his wife, who is the owner, and then

said he would like that waiver from his wife, Ms. Debra Bennett.



Ms. Bennett said she doesn?t have a problem with that.



Councilor Suber then asked Ms. Love when the license was issued on January

27, 2002, was there any different auditing procedures utilized, to which Ms.

Love said, no there weren?t. He said they were acceptable on January 27, 2002,

but because now you are denying the license on December 12, 2002, then that?s

the problem.



Ms. Love said on March 7th, they received a sign and survey application

for this establishment indicating to them that they are interested in someone

else having that license, a Ms. Doris Meadows has made such application. She

said they are in the sign and survey period now.



Councilor Turner Pugh then asked Ms. Love, if our auditing procedures for

this particular audit are the same as they are for all audits that we have done

on all alcohol licenses, to which Ms. Love said they are. She said they follow

the same procedures with this audit, as they do with the 90-day audit.



Ms. Love said the information that the Council has before them is a

chronology of events, correspondences that were sent out, as well as Jewel?s

menu and subsequent work sheets for the information that they got from the menu

as well as from their third party distributors.



Councilor Suber said being that the audit was done on January 27, 2002

using the established audit that the City has used every since we have been

doing audits and since he has been here, based on that information, it appears

that the audit findings are correct and then made a motion to deny the renewal

of the alcohol beverage license for Jewel?s. Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers

and carried unanimously by those nine members of Council present at the time,

with Councilor Allen being absent for this vote.



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MS. JIMMI PATE, REPRESENTING THE HOTDOG STAND AT LOWE?S, RE: REQUIREMENT

OF MOVING THE HOT DOG

STAND:



Ms. Jimmi Pate, who requested to be listed on tonight?s public agenda, did

not respond when given the opportunity to address the Council.



City Manager Cavezza said that Ms. Pate would not be present on tonight.

He said Ms. Pate has a portable hotdog stand and said the administrative

requirements require her and others to move quite frequently and said we are

working through that, trying to fix those administrative rules; so, we don?t

inconvenience legitimate businesses. He said those rules were put together to

prevent people without licenses just to setup and sell any place. He said they

are in the process of making those alterations.



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MR. BERT COKER, RE: THE BUILDING AUTHORITY:



Prior to Mr. Coker making any comments, Mayor Poydasheff said he hopes

that Mr. Coker understands our rules and, that we don?t attack or criticize

other people.



Mr. Bert Coker, 5815 Ventura Drive said what he came here for tonight is

not to admonish or disparage anybody, but to ask some questions. He said he

sees on the Clerk of Council?s Agenda, a statement, which states that Mr.

Menefee was unable to accept the appointment and said that Mayor Poydasheff is

now nominating Mr. Donald Bowman.



Mayor Poydasheff said there was a question about Mr. Menefee?s residency

in Muscogee County. He said in order to determine residency as a matter of law,

you look at indicia, that is, what are some of the ties, voting, living,

business, etc. He said there are a host of things that you look at, and said

when we looked at it, technically you could say that Mr. Menefee was a resident

of Muscogee County; however, because of a house and some other situations in

Harris County, he deemed it appropriate to withdraw his name. He said the fact

is that he was never sworn in and therefore, it is a moot issue. He said he is

now nominating Mr. Bowman for this position.



After continued discussion on this matter, Mayor Poydasheff continued to

respond to several questions of Mr. Coker, after which he told Mr. Coker if he

has any questions about what Mr. Menefee did, he thinks the most appropriate

thing for him to do is to call him.



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MR. PAUL OLSON, RE: THE BUILDING AUTHORITY:



Mr. Paul Olson, 13830 Upatio Lane appeared and said he would like to first

of all thank City Attorney Fay on how he saved us, by not lifting the tax

freeze.



He said he would also like to thank Councilor Suber for informing us, as

he gave Bert Coker a call and inform him that Mr. Menefee was a resident of

Harris County. Councilor Suber said Mr. Coker called him, and said he told him

that he thought he lived in Harris County, but he wasn?t sure.



Councilor Suber said if Mr. Olson is going to be discussing the same

thing, he thinks it is inappropriate to keep on bringing this situation up.



Mayor Poydasheff then told Mr. Olson if that is what he is going to talk

about, he is going to rule him out of order. Mr. Olson said there are some

things that Mr. Coker didn?t discuss that he would like to discuss.



Mayor Poydasheff said if he (Olson) is going to talk about Mr. Menefee, as

he told him on the telephone, that issue is dead. He said he withdrew his name

and is no longer a contender for this position.



Mr. Olson continued to make comments about this matter, after which

Councilor Allen told Mr. Olson that Mr. Menefee has withdrawn his name and said

that you and Mr. Coker were correct, and allegedly as far as he knows, was not

a resident and is not on the board; so, why continue with this matter. He said

you are just trying to embarrass this man.



Mayor Poydasheff said he will not continue to allow this discussion and

then asked Mr. Olson to withdraw himself from the podium, as we have discussed

it and it is now a moot issue, and there is nothing else to discuss. He then

asked him to yield the podium. Mr. Olson then left the Council Chambers.

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CITY MANAGER?S AGENDA:



THE FOLLOWING TWO RESOLUTIONS WERE SUBMITTED AND EXPLAIEND BY CITY MANAGER

CAVEZZA AND ADOPTED BY THE

COUNCIL:



A Resolution (152-03) - Declaring property located at 860 Wright Drive,

854 Wright Drive, 848 Wright, 833 Englewood Drive, Williamsburg Drive and 6643

Buena Vista Road as surplus and authorizing the Community Reinvestment Division

to advertise, accept sealed bids and sell said property in accordance with

Section 7-501 of the City Code. Councilor Turner Pugh moved its adoption.

Seconded by Councilor Suber and carried unanimously by those ten members of

Council present for this meeting.



A Resolution (153-03) - Authorizing the abandonment of a portion of an

existing storm sewer easement with a known address as 7995 Creekland Drive,

shown on the replat for Lot 173, Block ?B?, Section III, Big Creek Subdivision

to Pinnacle Homes, Inc. Councilor Turner Pugh moved its adoption. Seconded by

Councilor Allen and carried unanimously by those ten members of Council present

for this meeting.



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THE FOLLOWING TEN PURCHASING RESOLUTIONS HAVING BEEN INCLUDED WITH THE

CITY MANAGER?S AGENDA WERE SUBMITTED AND EXPLAINED BY CITY MANAGER CAVEZZA AND

ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL PURSUANT TO THE ADOPTION OF A SINGLE MOTION MADE BY

COUNCILOR TURNER PUGH AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR ALLEN, WHICH CARRIED

UNANIMOUSLY BY THOSE TEN MEMBERS OF COUNCIL PRESENT FOR THIS

MEETING:





A Resolution (154-03) - Authorizing the execution of a construction

contract with McMath-Turner Construction Company in the amount of $1,227,483.69

for road improvements to Georgetown and Amber Drive.



A Resolution (155-03) - Authorizing the execution of a contract for

Electric Motor Repair Services with Southern Rewinding and Sales for the

estimated annual contract value of $17,500.00.



A Resolution (156-03) - Authorizing payment to Georgia Power Company, in

the amount of $11,612.47 for the replacement of three phase poles.



A Resolution (157-03) - Authorizing the purchase of fifty-one (51) MW800

mobile data computers with automatic vehicle location, in the amount of

$442,663.68, from Motorola Corporation.



A Resolution (158-03) - Authorizing the purchase of one (1) mid-size, 4x4

four-door, sport utility vehicle, from Freeway Ford, in the amount of

$19,147.00.



A Resolution (159-03) - Authorizing the execution of a contract with WRBL,

for the procurement of a television marketing campaign for the City?s recycling

program.



A Resolution (160-03) - Authorizing the execution of Change Order Number

One with Columbus Fire & Safety Equipment Company, Inc., in the amount of

$3,770.00 for additional material and labor for elevator smoke detectors.



A Resolution (161-03) - Authorizing the purchase of one hundred

forty-eight (148) additional semi-automatic glock pistols from Smyrna Police

Distributors, in the amount of $26,212.00.



A Resolution (162-03) - Authorizing the emergency procurement of a

contract with the Shreve Group, to provide evaluation services, in an amount

not to exceed $30,000.00.



A Resolution (163-03) - Authorizing the purchase of ten (10) IBM ThinkPad

Laptop computers, and two (2) IBM ThinkPad Docking Stations from Beck &

Associates, in the amount of $20,000.00, via Georgia Statewide Contract

(Western States Contracting Alliance) #94-00151.



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SOUTH GEORGIA WAVES BASEBALL TEAM:



City Manager Cavezza said the Council might have seen in the newspaper

this morning that the South Georgia Waves Baseball Team have indicated that the

stadium that was going to be built for them in Ohio is not going to be built.

He said he got a telephone from them on Friday, saying that they would like to

talk about a lease of a longer duration. He said he will be talking with them

on April 7 and he will keep the Council informed of that process.

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CLERK OF COUNCIL?S AGENDA:



THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE SUBMITTED BY CLERK OF COUNCIL WASHINGTON AS

INFORMATION FOR THE MAYOR AND

COUNCIL:



(1) Memorandum from ACCG, Re: Board of Community Health 2004

Budget.



(2) Notice from ACCG, Re: 2003 Policy Committee Information and

Sign-up.



(3) Copy of a Certificate of Need Application from Columbus

Regional

Senior Living, Inc., for a Continuing Care Retirement Community Project.



(4) Notice from the Department of Transportation, Re: The Initiation

of

Section 106 Process for GDOT Project BR-001-00 (362), Muscogee County.



(5) Biographical Sketch of Mr. Donald Bowman, Mayor Poydasheff?s

nominee for the position of Mr. Frank Chester on the Building Authority.

(6) Letter from Mr. David Cummings requesting that a public hearing be

called on his rezoning petition for property located at 3614 Norris Road.



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THE FOLLOWING TEMPORARY STREET CLOSING APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED AND

EXPLAINED BY CLERK OF COUNCIL WASHINGTON AND ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL:







Application of Rev. J. H. Flakes to temporarily close 5th Street between

2nd and 3rd Avenue, on April 12, 2003, from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., in

connection with a ?Church Carnival?.



Councilor McDaniel moved its adoption. Seconded by Councilor Suber

and carried unanimously by those ten members of Council present for this

meeting.



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NEW HORIZON COMMUNITY SERVICE, MH, MR, SA BOARD:



Clerk of Council Washington submitted an Official Appointment Form to

confirm Mr. Benjamin Richardson to replace Judge Roxann Daniel on the New

Horizon Community Service, Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance

Abuse Board. Councilor Turner Pugh moved confirmation. Seconded by Councilor

Allen and carried unanimously by those ten members of Council present for this

meeting.



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CIVIC CENTER AUTHORITY:



Clerk of Council Washington submitted a letter from Mr. Charles Schilling,

Civic Center Director, advising that Mr. Jim Walker has resigned from the Civic

Center Advisory Board. Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers moved the letter be received with

regrets and thanks for services. Seconded by Councilor McDaniel and carried

unanimously by those ten members of Council present for this meeting.



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DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY:



Clerk of Council Washington submitted a letter from Ms. Deborah Lane

submitting her resignation from the Development Authority of Columbus.

Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers moved the letter be received with regrets and thanks for

service. Seconded by Councilor McDaniel and carried unanimously by those ten

members of Council present for this meeting.



*** *** ***



MINUTES OF THE FOLLOWING BOARDS WERE SUBMITTED BY CLERK OF COUNCIL

WASHINGTON AND OFFICIALLY RECEIVED BY THE

COUNCIL:



Board of Tax Assessors, Number 10.

Civic Center Advisory Board, March 6, 2003.

Community Development Advisory Council, January 27, 2003.

Community Service Board MH/MR/SA, March 10, 2003.

Council Briefing, January 7, 2003.

Health, Board of, February 28, 2003.

Historic & Architectural Review Board, February 10, 2003.

Planning Advisory Commission, November 7, 2002.

Planning Advisory Commission, December 4, 2002.

Planning Advisory Commission, December 18, 2002.

Zoning Appeals, Board of, March 5, 2003.



Councilor Allen made a motion that these minutes be received. Seconded by

Councilor McDaniel and carried unanimously by those ten members of Council

present for this meeting.



*** *** ***



THE FOLLOWING NEW ZONING PETITION, RECOMMENDED FOR CONDITIONAL APPROVAL BY

THE PLANNING ADVISORY COMMISSION AND DENIAL BY THE PLANNING DIVISION WAS

SUBMITTED BY CLERK OF COUNCIL WASHINGTON AND AN ORDINANCE AND PUBLIC HEARING

WAS CALLED FOR BY COUNCILOR SUBER:



Petition submitted by David Cummings to rezone approximately 0.56 acres of

property located at 3614 Norris Road from an R-1A District to an

A-O District. (7-D-03-Cummings)



*** *** ***



BOARD APPOINTMENTS:



BUILDING AUTHORITY:



Clerk of Council Washington pointed out that we have received a letter

from Mr. Dan Menefee advising that he is unable to accept his appointment to

the Building Authority. She then further pointed out that Mayor Poydasheff is

nominating Mr. Donald Bowman for this seat, and that he can be confirmed.

Councilor Suber so moved. Seconded by Councilor Allen and carried unanimously

by those ten members of Council present for this meeting.



*** *** ***



COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL:



Clerk of Council Washington pointed out that the term of office of

Mr. Homer Kuhl expired some time ago and that he cannot succeed himself and

advises that this individual must be a representative of Council District Five

and then asked Mayor Pro Ten Rodgers if he has a nominee. Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers

indicated that he is still trying to come up with a nominee.



She further pointed out that Mr. Timothy Johnson has relinquished his seat

on this board and that the individual must be a representative of Council

District Six, and then asked Councilor Allen if he has a nominee, but he did

not.





COOPERATIVE EXTENSION ADVISORY BOARD:



Clerk of Council Washington pointed out that Ms. Ollie Johnson advises

that she does not wish to be reappointed and said that the Councli must make a

nomination for this seat. There was no nomination.



*** *** ***



REGION 9, MH, MR, SA BOARD:



Clerk of Council Washington pointed out that the Council need to nominate

someone for Ms. Bennie Newroth?s position, as she does not desire to be

reappointed. Councilor Davis then nominated Ms. Debra Garab for this position.



She said she would bring this back on next week for the Council?s

confirmation.



*** *** ***



ZONING APPEALS, BOARD OF:



Clerk of Council Washington pointed out Councilor Suber has nominated Mr.

Willie Lewis to succeed Mr. James Billingsley and that Councilor Davis is also

nominating Mr. David Johnson for this same seat. She said she has distributed a

vote tabulation sheet for the Council to go ahead and take a vote.



She then took a roll call vote, which resulted in Mr. Willie Lewis being

elected. Councilors Anthony, Davis and Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers voted for Mr.

Johnson and all other seven Councilors present voted for Mr. Willie Lewis.

Councilor Suber then moved Mr. Lewis be confirmed. Seconded by Councilor Hunter

and carried unanimously by those ten members of Council present for this

meeting.



*** *** ***



DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY:



Councilor Anthony said in reference to the resignation of Ms. Deborah Lane

from the Development Authority, he would like to nominate Ms. Stella Shulman to

fill the unexpired term of Mr. Deborah Lane.

Clerk of Council Washington said she would bring this back on next week

for the Council?s confirmation.



*** *** ***



Prior to the Council adjourning its regular session, Mayor Poydasheff

asked if there was anyone present in the audience who was not listed on the

Public Agenda, but had an issue to bring before the Council, they could be

heard at this time. There was no one who wanted to be heard.



*** *** ***



REQUEST OF COUNCILOR HENDERSON :



With Councilor Henderson not being at the Council table when the vote was

taken on the resolutions commending those individuals who have retired from the

service of the Columbus Consolidated Government, asked that his vote be added

to those resolutions.



*** *** ***



With there being no other business to come before this Council, Mayor Pro

Tem Rodgers then made a motion for adjournment. Seconded by Councilor Allen and

carried unanimously by those ten members of Council

present for this meeting, with the time being 6:30 P.M.









Tiny B. Washington, CMC

Clerk of Council

The Council of Columbus, Georgia