Pre-Council Briefing
Minutes
July 25, 2006
Present: Mayor Bob Poydasheff and Mayor Pro Tem Jack Rodgers. Councilors Nathan
Suber, Charles E. McDaniel, Jr., Berry H. Henderson, Glenn Davis, Julius
Hunter, Jr. Evelyn Woodson, and Gary Allen were present. Also present were City
Manager Isaiah Hugley, Deputy City Manager David Arrington, City Attorney
Clifton Fay, Chief Administrator Liz Turner, and Recording Secretary Tameka J.
Colbert.
Others Present: Mr. Don Cook, Chairman of the Airport Commission
Absent: Councilors Wayne Anthony and Evelyn Turner-Pugh
Location: Council Chambers Conference Room, on the Plaza level of the
Government Center.
Meeting began at 8:35 a.m.
Frequency Reconfiguration Agreement:
City Manager Hugley said listed on the consent agenda, is the 800 MHz
Communication System. He said we must proceed with an application to the FCC on
this 800 MHz reconfiguration. He said we have 3 licenses for 800MHz
Communication and we are dealing with 1 license today that has to do with
Sprint/Nextel. City Manager Hugley pointed out over the last 10-15 years the
FCC issued radio license to private companies like Sprint/Nextel to operate
cellular telephone systems, and that has caused interference with our Public
Safety radio system. He said in order for us to remedy the problem the FCC is
requiring Sprint/Nextel to swap frequencies with our licensing; this will be an
expense to Sprint/Nextel and no expense to us. He also said we will have to
submit a frequency reconfiguration agreement for final approval.
Cherokee Avenue Safety Improvements:
City Manager Hugley said David Arrington would be coming forward with a handout
that has to do with Cherokee Avenue?s improvements. He said David has a design
that shows exactly where the improvements will occur along Cherokee Avenue and
has some bullet points that talks about those improvements. He said we are
going to send this information to Doctor Phillips with the School District and
Susan Brian with Columbus High School. City Manager Hugley said the one bullet
point that is missing that we will add will be that there will be zero
tolerance for speeders.
Mayor Poydasheff said at the reception Friday night there were a lot of people
from that area, and they all approved of what we are doing.
Airport Commission:
City Manager Hugley said back in April 2005 the Airport Commission had Mercer
consultants to evaluate the cost of transferring Airport Public Safety
employees from the General Government Pension Plan to the Public Safety Pension
Plan. He said in June 2005 the Board of Trustees met and approved the Public
Safety employees going into the Public Safety Pension Plan excluding the
Airport Director. He said the Airport Commission would bear the cost of past
and future expenses of getting into the pension plan.
Mr. Don Cook said he met with the Public Safety employees at the airport to
find out what they believe. He said they really want to be a part of the
Public Safety Pension Plan. Mr. Cook said we have about four people that are a
little older and what we can do is give them the option of coming into the
process because they will not get their twenty years in to get their retirement
back.
Mayor Pro-Tem Rodgers said he would like to express his concerns and said first
of all the difference in Public Safety and General Government programs were
developed because some law enforcement officers found it difficult to perform
after age 55 and he does not know that he is convinced that is the case at the
airport. He said secondly we are still giving $40,000 a year. He said much of
the analysis of the on-going health pension plan depends on future performance,
something that we can?t control so what?s true today may not be true
tomorrow.
Mr. Don Cook said we are going to contribute an additional $1400 a month toward
the cities budget. Mr. Cook said
Meeting adjourned at 8:59 A.M.
___________________________
Tameka J. Colbert
Recording Secretary
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