Columbus, Georgia

COLUMBUS CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT

COUNCIL MEMORANDUM





To: Mayor & Councilors Date: November 22, 2005



From: Isaiah Hugley Subject: 2006 Legislative City Manager

Agenda

____________________________________________________



We would like to change the date of the annual Legislative Luncheon with the

local State Legislative Delegation, MCSB, and Chamber of Commerce to Tuesday,

December 13 at 11:30 a.m. instead of November 22 because of conflicts with

schedules because of the Thanksgiving Holiday. The luncheon will be held at

the Trade Center in the Foundry Room.



Please contact Melinda Smith in my office at (706) 653-4029 to confirm your

attendance no later than Monday, December 5, 2005. We apologize for any

inconvenience this change may cause.







cc: Peter Bowden, Columbus Visitors Bureau

Margaret Gosden, Health, Department

Roger Segrest, Internal Auditor

Liz Turner, Assistant to City Manager

(Revised 12/06/05)





Columbus Consolidated Government

Proposed 2006 Legislative Agenda



November 8, 2005





1. Hazardous/Solid Waste Funding:



Introduce legislation to mandate that funds collected for waste tire removal be

placed in the Hazardous Waste Fund and the Solid Waste Fund instead of being

diverted elsewhere. (Carry over from 2004) (Carmen Cavezza 8/20/05)





2. Greenspace Funding:



Introduce/support legislation to fund the Greenspace Program. (Carry over from

2004) (Carmen Cavezza 8/20/05)





3. Clerk?s Offices Indexing:



Introduce/support legislation to eliminate the requirement that the Clerk?s

offices provide a paper index for documents that are filed and indexed on

computer if they provide computers for public access. (Linda Pierce)



Explanation: To continue preparing and making available a paper copy of what is

already available on the computerized index represents substantial costs in

paper, staff resources and office space. Since the computerized index is

always more current, it also creates confusion if someone examines only a paper

index.



If there are counties without public access terminals, then the legislation

could be applicable to only those counties that have provided such terminals

for public access to computerized index.





4. LARP Funding:



Introduce/support legislation to increase transportation funding for Local Area

Road Projects (LARP) and for County Contracts. (Rick Jones)





5. Eminent Domain:



Oppose Legislation that limits existing authority for Eminent Domain. (Rick

Jones)



6. Inverse Condemnation:



Oppose legislation that expands the definition of Inverse Condemnation to

include any impact a state or local regulation would have on the value of

property and to require local governments (the taxpayer) to pay for the impact

of these regulations. (Rick Jones)





7. Zoning Appeals



Oppose new legislation on Zoning Appeals - Currently, property owners may seek

appellate review of county decisions by application to the Georgia Supreme

Court. Legislation, however, has been proposed that would greatly complicate

administration of county zoning ordinances by giving landowners a right of

direct appeal in all zoning decisions adverse to the property owner. Given that

direct appeal would delay zoning decisions, lend uncertainty to the process,

cost substantial taxpayer dollars, and overburden the appellate courts. (Rick

Jones)





8. Comprehensive Regional or Statewide Water Management Plan:



Introduce/support legislation to authorize a Comprehensive Regional or

Statewide Water Management Plan - Columbus and the region need a plan of action

on how water will be protected and allocated to insure future water needs for

our area. (Rick Jones)







9. 911 Surcharge ? Increase:



Introduce/support legislation to increase 911 fees from $1.50 to $2.50 for

telephone landlines. (Angela Cole)





10. Wireless Phones:



Introduce/support legislation for change in technology for wireless phones.

(Angela Cole)



Explanation ? We can not capture cost of pre paid phones





11. Public Defender?s Program:



Introduce/support legislation to allocate full funding for the Public

Defender?s Program. (Angela Cole)





12. Trade Center Funding:



Urge the funding previously committed to renovate/expand the Trade Center in

the amount of $11,000,000. (Carry over from 2004) (Angela Cole/Larry Campbell)





13. Family Connection:



Support Legislation to continue funding for Family Connection. (Carry over

from 2004)





14. UGA Cooperative Extension Services:



Support continued funding for the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension

Service and its county delivery system. Future success in extension

programming is threatened by continuing budget reductions. (Carry over from

2004)







15. Health Department ? Grant-in-Aid Funding:



Oppose proposed changes in Grant-in-Aid (GIA) funding to local health

departments. These changes will affect the daily provision of services to

communities as well as the ability to respond when communities need assistance

in a disaster.





16. Federal/State Grants:



Introduce/support legislation that would change federal/state grants to cover

salary as well as operations for programs. (Councilor Woodson)





17. Juvenile Drug Court Program



Introduce/support legislation to fund the Juvenile Drug Court Program.

(Councilor Pugh)



Columbus Consolidated Government

Proposed

2006 Federal Legislative Agenda





1. Federal Telecommunications Bill:



Oppose Ensign Bill (S.1504) Federal Communications Bill as recommended by the

Georgia Municipal Association (GMA).

(GMA)