Columbus, Georgia

Columbus Consolidated Government

Referrals From Mayor and Council-04/12/2005





Subject Demolition Hearing Recording



Description Have the staff to provide a copy of the recording of the meeting

from the demolition hearing on the property located at 1336 23rd Street, 2213 &

2217 14th Avenue as it relates to what commitment, if any, was made to the

property owners. (Request of Councilor Turner Pugh)



Let?s make sure that we clearly annunciate our policy with regards to the

demolition hearings, in that all 45-day hearings shall be recorded and those

records shall be kept and maintained for a period of at least beyond the appeal

timeframe. Also, have the staff to get together with the City Attorney with

regards to the protocol for disposing of those tapes. (Request of Councilor

Hunter)



Received From



Assigned To Richard Bishop, Bill Duck



Please enter a date mm/dd/yy before any comments are added.

Response April 14, 2005



-- Matt England- Apts. 1336 23rd St., 2213 14th Ave., 2217 14th Ave.



-- We have a tape of the demolition hearing for this property, held on

8-25-04. However, only one case got recorded (equipment malfunction)



-- Handwritten minutes have been typed for the permanent record, and reflect a

standard procedure having the property owner sign for the 45 day notice.



-- Minutes show that Matt England stated that he intended to renovate apts.

and signed for his 45 day notice. There was no discussion of an extended time

period.



-- In further discussion between staff and Matt England, no time extension of a

year has been given.



-- In all demolition hearings, the tape recording has been used as a back-up

for type written minutes which are a public and permanent record..



-- ?Although we have not had any policy concerning the maintenance of tape

recordings, we have not destroyed any.



-- Future policy will be to maintain tape recordings as a permanent record.



-- In the meeting requested by Maj. England with City Manager Isaiah Hugley,

attended by Bill Duck, Rebecca Wiggins, Danny Cargill, Bill Fielder, and Mark

Fielder, on Mar. 18, 2005, it was suggested to Maj. England that in order to

have reason to be given more time by Council, that he make a concerted effort

to make some progress on the buildings that had not yet been started. That

would have given him 3 weeks to show a true good faith effort, and for Insp. &

Codes to have been able to tell Council that this effort was being made.

Maj. England did not start further work



-- See attached type written minutes which were produced on 8-25-04, the day of

the hearing.