Columbus, Georgia

Minutes



BOARD OF HONOR



Meeting

August 5, 2005



Members Present: Mr. Bob Hydrick, Judge Clay Land, Mr. Jack Land and Mr. Billy

Watson.



Members Absent: Mr. Frank Chester, Mr. Milton Hirsch and Mr. John Wells.



Handouts: Initial request from Ms. Betsy Calhoun and submitted by Councilor

Charles E. McDaniel to place a memorial bench in honor of her deceased brother,

Mr. Thomas Magill Wellman at Lakebottom Park. Initial request from Mr. Cecil

O. Calhoun and submitted by Mayor Poydasheff requesting that the Oxbow Meadows

Golf Course be renamed the ?Howard Pitts Memorial Golf Facility?.



Acting Chairman Mr. Bob Hydrick called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m. in the

Mayor?s Conference Room, 6th Floor, Government Center.



Renaming of the Oxbow Meadows Golf Course to the ?Howard Pitts Memorial Golf

Facility?:

Mr. Jack Land recommended approving the request. Acting Chairman Hydrick

advised that he had a conversation with City Manager Isaiah Hugley just before

this meeting and the City Manager expressed the concerns of the Golf Authority

in that they had not been given the opportunity to review this request; since,

the Golf Authority does have responsibility for all of the golf courses. He

said that City Manager Hugley made the suggestion that the board consider

forwarding the request to the Golf Authority.



Judge Clay Land suggested that the board approve the request and contact the

Golf Authority Chairman to advise them of our action. Acting Chairman Hydrick

pointed out that this board only makes recommendations to the Council, and the

Golf Authority could go directly to the Council if they are not in agreement

with this board?s recommendation.



Judge Land then made the motion to recommend to the Council that the Oxbow

Meadows Golf Course be renamed the ?Howard Pitts Memorial Golf Facility?.

Seconded by Mr. Watson and carried unanimously by those four members present

for this meeting.



Memorial bench in honor of Mr. Thomas Magill Wellman at Lakebottom Park:

Acting Chairman Hydrick called attention to the request to place a memorial

bench at Lakebottom Park. Judge Land asked if there is any precedent regarding

placing private benches in the city parks, at which time, Acting Chairman

Hydrick said that he was not aware of any. Acting Chairman Hydrick expressed

his concerns that this would be a private bench and that Mr. Thomas Magill

Wellman was not a resident of Columbus. Judge Land said that his concern is

with approving this memorial bench, because there may be others that come along

with similar request. He maintained that the Council or City Manager should

have a policy that addresses how this works, because this would be allowing a

private memorial in a public park.



Judge Land suggested sending this request back to the Council to look into

establishing some type of policy on matters such as this. Mr. Watson

questioned the responsibility of the upkeep of the bench.



With there being some additional questions pending, Deputy Clerk of Council

Davis was asked to call on City Manager Hugley to address some of the questions.



Note: City Manager Isaiah Hugley arrived at the meeting at 3:15 p.m. upon the

request of the board members.



Acting Chairman Hydrick informed City Manager Hugley of the discussion that has

been held around the table regarding the memorial bench. He also explained the

concerns of a private memorial on public property and the board feels that the

Council should establish a policy to handle such matters. City Manager Hugley

agreed that there should be a policy.



Acting Chairman Hydrick then asked if the board could refer this matter to City

Manager Hugley for a policy. City Manager Hugley said that the staff could

work on a policy and submit it to the Council for their approval.



Renaming of the Oxbow Meadows Golf Course to the ?Howard Pitts Memorial Golf

Facility? (Continued):



Judge Land advised that the board has approved the recommendation to rename the

Oxbow Meadows Golf Course to the ?Howard Pitts Memorial Golf Facility?. He

then asked exactly how the name would be listed. Several members spoke of

various ways to list the official name of the golf course.



Judge Land asked if the Golf Course Authority had some objections to the

request or was just concerned that they had not been consulted? City Manager

Hugley replied that in his conversations with Mr. John Milam, it appears that

the main concern is that the request did not come through him and the Golf

Authority felt that they should have some input. Acting Chairman Hydrick

pointed out that they could have some input with the Council.



City Manager Hugley determined that the Golf Course Authority would accept

this, but we need to define the process and the guidelines. He pointed out

that the matter got ahead of the Golf Authority when Mayor Poydasheff presented

it publicly at the Council Meeting; then, the request was made to send it to

the Board of Honor. City Manager Hugley recommended that since he has received

a call from Mr. Milam and the Golf Course Authority has not had an opportunity

to review it, the Board of Honor should forward the request to the Golf Course

Authority and let it come back to the Board of Honor with a recommendation from

the Golf Course Authority. He maintained that the recommendation should come

from the Golf Course Authority before this board takes any action.

Acting Chairman Hydrick contended that he does not think that the Golf Course

Authority would change his recommendation to Council to rename the Oxbow

Meadows Golf Course the ?Howard Pitts Memorial Facility?. He proposed that the

board recommend the change to the Council and the request be submitted to the

Golf Authority before the Council makes the final decision.



After further discussion occurred regarding forwarding the request to the Golf

Course Authority, Mr. Jack Land withdrew his previous motion and made a

substitute motion to table this matter until this board hears from the Golf

Course Authority. Seconded by Mr. Hydrick and carried unanimously by those

four members present for this meeting.



Mr. Jack Land spoke of where to draw the line of naming something for one

person and not the other. He recalled that whenever a police officer was

killed in the line of duty, there would be the desire to name something after

that individual, but that was shortstopped by having one Public Safety

Memorial. He pointed out that this is the sort of thing that could get out of

hand. He suggested that this be addressed within the policy that is being

considered, as well.



In conclusion, the request regarding the memorial bench and the renaming of the

Oxbow Meadows Golf Course were both tabled.



There being no other business to discuss, Mr. Land moved this meeting be

adjourned. Seconded by Mr. Watson and carried unanimously by those four

members present for this meeting with the time being 3:30 p.m.





________________________

Sandra T. Davis

Deputy Clerk of Council

Council of Columbus, Georgia