MINUTES
COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA
CONSENT AGEND/WORK SESSION
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014
The regular monthly of the Council of Columbus, Georgia was called to
order at 9:10 A.M., Tuesday, September 30, 2014, on the 2nd Floor of the
Citizens Service Center, located at 3111 Citizens Way, Columbus, Georgia
Honorable Teresa Tomlinson, Mayor, presiding.
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PRESENT: Present other than Mayor Teresa Tomlinson were Mayor Pro Tem Evelyn
Turner Pugh, Councilors Mike Baker, Jerry Barnes, Berry H. Henderson, Bruce
Huff ,Charles E. McDaniel Jr., and Judy W. Thomas. City Manager Isaiah Hugley,
City Attorney Clifton Fay, Assistant City Attorney Lucy Sheftall, Clerk of
Council Tiny Washington and Deputy Clerk of Council Sandra Davis were also
present. Councilor Evelyn Woodson took her seat at the Council table at 11:12
a.m.
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ABSENT: Councilors R. Gary Allen and Glenn Davis were absent.
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INVOCATION: Led by Reverend Dr. Shirley Redmond ? St. Matthew Evangelical
Lutheran Church.
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PLEDGE: Led by students from Joyful Journeys Day care.
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CVCC GOVERNMENT CLASS:
Mayor Tomlinson recognized the presence of members of the Chattahoochee
Valley Community College Government Class who was seated in the audience.
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MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETING: Minutes of the September 23, 2014 Special Called
Council Meeting of the Council of the Consolidated Government was submitted and
approved by the Council pursuant to the adoption of a motion made by Mayor Pro
Tem Turner Pugh and seconded by Councilor Huff, which carried unanimously by
those eight members of Council present for the meeting, with Councilors Allen
and Davis being absent.
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CONSENT AGENDA;
THE FOLLOWING FIVE ORDINANCES WERE SUBMITTED AND
EXPLAINED BY CITY ATTORNEY FAY AND ADOPTED BY THE
COUNCIL:______________________________________________________
An Ordinance (14-52) ? Rezoning property located at 1042 Manchester
Expressway is proposed for rezoning from an RMF1 (Residential Multi-Family 1)
Zoning District to GC (General Commercial) Zoning District. The proposed use is
for a grocery store with gas sales and a shopping center.
Councilor McDaniel moved the adoption of the ordinance. Seconded by
Councilor Huff and carried unanimously by those eight members of Council
present, with Councilors Allen and Davis being absent.
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Note: (See request below from Councilor Woodson, who arrived at the
meeting after the meeting was officially called to order; who requested that
her affirmative votes be added to these six items that was listed on today?s
agenda.)
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An Ordinance (14-53) ? Rezoning property located at 511 Illges Road from
an LMI (Light Manufacturing/Industrial) Zoning District to GC (General
Commercial) Zoning District. The current and proposed use is for personal
services.
Councilor Huff moved the adoption of the ordinance. Seconded by Mayor Pro
Tem Turner Pugh and carried unanimously by those eight members of Council
present, with Councilors Allen and Davis being absent.
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An Ordinance (14-54) ? Rezoning property located at 906 Amber Drive from
an NC (Neighborhood Commercial) Zoning District to GC (General Commercial)
Zoning District. The proposed use is for general retail.
Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh moved the adoption of the ordinance. Seconded
by Councilor Huff and carried unanimously by those eight members of Council
present, with Councilors Allen and Davis being absent.
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An Ordinance (14-55) ?Providing for the demolition of various structures
located
at:
(1) 2317 5th Ave (Wyndol Montgomery, Owner)
(2) 1517 25th Street (Homer & Lucile Mitchell, Owners)
(3) 2720 Baldwin Street (Ameris Bank, Owner)
(4) 1331 Winshire Street (Carolyn Yvette Jordan & Timika Lashawn Williams, et
al, Owners)
(5) 3039 Morehouse Street(Gurthrine Walton(deceased),Betty Jean
Jefferson, POA, Fairbanks Capital Corp., PNC Bank, National Association Ocwen
Loan Servicing, LLC, Owners)
(6) 2431 14th Avenue (Matthew Scott Watson, Owner)
(7) 2901 3rd Avenue (William E. Lentz, Owner)
(8) 6426 Buena Visa Road (Robert Harris, Owner)
(9) 2414 14th Avenue (Antioch Baptist Church of Columbus, Owner)
(10) 4961 Gardiner Drive (Captive Investments LLC, Owner)
(11) 3 Lafayette Drive (Bruce Gobbell, Owner)
(12) 333 27th Street (Mary Elizabeth Davis, Owner)
(13) 3331 8th Street (Alvin & Sandra Peabody, Owners)
(14) 2924 Colorado Street (Henry & Leila Pitts, Owners)
(15) 947 34th Avenue (Olman James Jordan, Owner)
(16) 2327 B 5th Avenue (Wyndol B. Montgomery, Owner)
(17) 1417 25th Street (Eddyee Moore & Thomas Pope III, Owner)
(18) 2325 Alford Street (Gail Keil (deceased), c/o Amy Ybarrando &
Amanda Susan McKenzie, Owners)
(19) 2414 Courtland Avenue (Clara Belle Roberts (deceased), Owner)
in the total amount of $114,155.50 for demolition services.
Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh moved the adoption of the ordinance. Seconded by
Councilor Huff and carried unanimously by those eight members of Council
present, with Councilors Allen and Davis being absent.
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An Ordinance (14-56) ?Amending Ordinance No. 14-25 by repealing Section
33 of that ordinance in its entirety and substituting a new Section 33
pertaining to retiree health insurance; and for other purposes. Councilor
Councilor Thomas moved the adoption of the ordinance. Seconded by Mayor
Pro Tem Turner Pugh and carried unanimously by those eight members of Council
present, with Councilors Allen and Davis being absent.
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THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION WAS SUBMITTED AND EXPLAINED BY MAYOR TOMLINSON
AND CITY ATTORNEY FAY AND ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL:______________________________
A Resolution (309-14) ? Authorizing the acceptance of donations in support
of The Dream Lives, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Event.
Mayor Tomlinson said as you all know, we had the MLK Dream Lives event on
last year and we had several thousand people who turned out and the Mayor?s
Commission on Unity, Diversity & Prosperity are gearing up to do it again in
January; much like the Latino festival that Councilor Woodson was telling us
about the last time we were together.
She said we are receiving donations from generous corporate sponsors, as
we do when we have these types of festivals; but of course, we need to have the
Council?s permission to accept donations and to make expenditures
commensurate with those donations for the festival. She said it looks as if
it will be about $75,000 donations coming in this year; which is about what
they had last year as well.
Mayor Tomlinson then asked City Attorney Fay, how do we handle this
matter procedurally, to allow us to move forward.
City Attorney Fay then read an oral resolution into the record and said he
would provide a written resolution to Clerk of Council Washington to be
processed. He said it will be the Whereas, as Resolution No. 30-14;the same
preamble as last year. He said it would authorize the Mayor, City Manager, and
Finance Director to accept approximately $75,000 in support of the MLK
commemorative event and to expend monies to cover said expenses of the event
approved by the Commission and the Mayor, but in no event in excess of amounts
received in donation. Any donated amounts in excess of the costs of the MLK
commemorative event will be retained in a designated account of the Commission
to be used for similar events sponsored by the Commission in future years. He
said with that, the resolution is ready for a motion of the Council and its
adoption.
Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh so moved. Seconded by Councilor Barnes and
carried unanimously by those eight members of Council present, with Councilors
Allen and Davis being absent.
Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh moved the adoption of the resolution. Seconded
by Councilor Barnes and carried unanimously by hose eight members of Council
present, with Councilors Allen and Davis being absent.
Councilor Thomas said when all of the activities from the MLK
Commemorative event are over, she would like for the Administration to bring
back a report to be presented to Council on the donations and expenditures that
were received.
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WORK SESSION AGENDA:
COLUMBUS CONVENTION & VISITORS? BUREAU UPDATE:
Mr. Peter Bowen, President/CEO of the Columbus Convention/Visitors'
Bureau came forward and said they just returned back from out intercity visit
on last week and said they learned a lot of different things. He said there are
a lot of similarities between the two destinations; obviously, the scale is
much different, but said there are a lot of things that they took away, that
they feel very good about.
He said one of the things that he would like to talk to the Council about
today, is some of the fundamentals that we often forget about when they talk to
the Council and citizens about the Convention & Visitors Bureau, which is their
mission statement.
Mr. Bowen then provided the information during his power-point
presentation , as outlined below.
Mission Statement:
Economic development through Tourism
Vision:
To become a complete and affordable destination
Mr. Bowen said all these things that he is talking about leading up to the
numbers are stepping stones and things that they use to build of the core of
their organization.
Core Values:
Transparent
Aggressive in the marketplace
Service Oriented
Strategic
Forward Thinking
Committed to Excellence & Innovation
Strategic Plan:
3-year plan
Recycle the visitor by increasing repeat visitation
Position Columbus as a complete and affordable destination
Organize Regional Partners
Inform and educate the community about area attractions, events, recreation
opportunities, etc.
Advertise and promote to target market segments
Track tourism and meeting trends
Increase visitor satisfaction of the destination
Mr. Bowen said Columbus State University, the Butler Center for Business
Economic and Research provided them with their annual analysis and provided for
the following information from that analysis.
Increased Visitation:
1.73 million visitors
He said Columbus saw an increase in the number of visitors in FY-14 of
1.73 millions visitors and said that lead to increased spending in the amount
of $348 million economic impact to the community; which generated $37 million
state and local sales tax and $22 million in sales and lodging tax revenue.
Mr. Bowden said tourism on last year supported over 4,300 jobs in
Columbus, which was an increase over Fy-13. He said that increased its local
employment income of $119 million for each one of those workers.
He said the largest employment impact sector was 506 jobs in
Entertainment, Arts, and Recreation; 646 jobs in Retail Firms; 703 jobs in
Lodging and Accommodations; 1,200 jobs in Restaurants and Food Service.
Visitor Spending:
Mr. Bowden said when we look at visitors spending on average 4,700 plus
people will visit Columbus each day and when that happens, we look at the daily
spending, and said they generate almost a million dollars; $952,560, for our
community.
He said individually the average visitor spending is $200.12 each day they
are in the community; and said we break that down further to see where that
spending is happening; and said it?s in our restaurants; $194,607; retail -$99,
899; Lodging -$208,281, Arts, Entertainment and Recreation- $65,322 .
Mr. Bowden said they also administer a Tourism related Arts Grant through
the Cultural Arts Alliance. He said on last year, they received over ten (10)
applications for that grant and awarded over $150,000 in grants for programs
that they use to market Columbus as a destination.
Sports:
Mr. Bowden said that sports are also big business for us here in Columbus
and said working with the Sports Council; they tracked 45 plus events, with an
economic impact of $9.5 million to the community. He said when we look where
the money goes, we see that lodging and people eating out are the biggest
expenses only a daily when it happens in Columbus, Georgia; which is followed
closely by retail and entertainment. He said the average daily spending results
in $44,379 state sales tax, $46,910 in local sales tax and lodging revenue,
which generates $326,233 in pay for local workers. He said if it wasn?t for
the sales and lodging tax revenue generated from visitors to Columbus, local
households would have to pay an additional $521 to make up for the lost
revenue. He said there is a savings because of what they do as the Convention &
Visitors Bureau in promoting Columbus as a destination. He said the return on
investment is significant; for every $1.00 that the Convention & Visitors
Bureau spends promoting Columbus for travel, there is a $22.24 return on that
investment.
He said he would like to thank the Council for the confidence that you
have in them as they do their jobs in marketing Columbus; and a special thanks
to the staff who gets up every morning to make Columbus a great place to visit.
Mr. Bowden said he would also like to present a check to the Mayor and
Council with in the amount of $348,000.
In respond to a request of Mayor Tomlinson, Mr. Bowden then made some
comments as to where we are with our local Film Commission and the potential
impact of that endeavor.
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CRITIAL FUNDING NEEDS UPDATE- POLICE DEPARTMETN:
Prior to Chief Boren coming forward, Mayor Tomlinson said she referred to
this subject matter at our last meeting and said we just wanted to let you know
that as our budget process seems to gets more and more elongated as we have
more and more difficult issues to address with the shortage of funds and the
increase of needs, she wanted to let the Council know, as we go; of some of
these significant issues; particularly capital needs that have pretty hefty
price tags. She said we don?t necessary have it spring up on us, so we would
like to educate ourselves, as to the needs; and then hopefully, start planning
for a way to meet those needs, either in the next fiscal year or the next;
however, we best can.
Chief Rick Boren, of the Columbus Police Department came forward and
He said he is not here today seeking money that doesn?t already belong to
the Police Department. He said, as you know the Chief of Police, is not
elected, nor is he a constitutional officer; therefore, he is not allowed to
spend money out of a budget that is not already lined item approved for a
certain thing. He said for the 10-years that he has been Chief of Police, every
year he has turned money in; however, this year they are taking a different
approach. He said they have not had capital expenditures in the police
department, nor have they brought cars since 2013. He said the cars are getting
some miles on them, and he has some unmarked cars that goes back to 2001 and
they are getting some high miles on them. He said there are some of them that
they need to swap and get ride of. He said some of the maintenance is taking
care of that for them.
Chief Boren said in dealing with the Mayor, City Manager and Director of
Finance in his last budget, he found out that there was $1.8 million left on a
turn-in. He said $1.1 million of that is for the Records Management System and
would not be touched, but would remain there; however, there is $700,000 that
is in his budget that would be turned in. He said has other needs at this
point in time, and he is requesting the Council?s approval today to spend that
$700,000 that already belongs to the Police Department.
He then provided the following information to the Mayor and Council, as
outlined in his presentation, which is highlighted below.
Budget: General Fund
FY15 Approved: $26,690,462
FY14 Approved: $27,745,081
FY15 Reduction: $ 1,054,619
FY14 Roll Over Request $699,915
Overtime Funding
Funding: $200,000
In-Service Training: 24-hour of annual training for each officer. 10,800
training hours
Major investigations (Patrol/Investigations)
Off-Duty Court Attendance
Shift Overtime
Storms/Critical Incidents
SOA
Chief Boren responded to questions of the Mayor and Council, as it relates
to overtime.
Councilor Barnes said he knows how frugal the Chief of Police has been and
said he has had discussions with him; therefore, he would like to make the
motion to approve the Chief?s request.
Mayor Tomlinson said he is asking for a lot of things; therefore, we need
to move a little slowly. City Manager Hugley said typically we do a budget
amendment at the close out of our audit and said we are waiting on the auditors
to complete that process, after which, we come to you with budget amendments.
He said at that time, if there are any carryovers; and etc., you would vote on
it at that time.
Mayor Tomlinson said this is for educational purposes; so, that you can
understand this is his money that he is turning back in. Councilor Barnes said
he has sat down with the Chief, and he does know; and that?s why he is privy to
this, as he has had conversations with him. He said that?s the procedure, but
said he wants to go on record that he understands exactly what his needs are,
and he is all for it.
City Manager Hugley said that the procedure, but he just want to be
careful that other department heads listening don?t make the assumption that it
is my money. He said if a department comes in under-budget that money rolls
back into the general fund; and, of course, any department head can make a
request to roll that money over for a specific need. He said in his mind, it is
never their money, and if they come in under, they don?t own the money. He said
he just want to be careful about how we use that term.
Discussion developed on this matter, with several members of the Council
expressing their views regarding this subject, with City Manager Hugley
responding to questions of the Council.
Chief Boren then continued with his presentation regarding his request.
Purchase Requests
VEHICLE REQUEST
Police Pursuit Vehicles (8) $197,600
Police Pursuit Emergency Equipment (8) $190,400
Unmarked Vehicles (5) $ 91,885
Total Vehicle Request: $479,885
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT
Eagle Eye Video System (5) $18,500
Domestic Violence Digital Cameras (17) $ 1,530
Chief Boren said this is the request that he is requesting from the funds
that are
already in the budget, the $699.915 from FY-15.
TASER REPLACEMENT
Tasers fleet 423 units
End of service life
Current unit X26 discontinued/not supported 12/94
Tasers have significantly reduced injuries to officers & suspects
Chief Boren said after the end of December 2014, Taser International,
which is the brand of tasers that they carry, will no longer do maintenance on
these tasers that we have today because it is an analog system. He said we are
going to talk today about a digital system when it comes to the tasers. He
said the tasers have gone up somewhat in price. He said they have 423 units
within the department; all of the patrol units and most of the investigators
carry tasers. He said he has only 15 of the 423 tasers that are still under
warranty; and those warranties will be covered into the next cycle until they
run out after December 2014. He said the end of service life is what they are
concerned with, and said in order to replace these tasers, it will cost
$433,000 to replace them all. He said we could replace them in100 units at a
time. He said the officers will have tasers on their sides at all time.
He said they started the taser program in the police department after he
became chief in 2004. He said he saw a need for tasers because of injuries to
the officers, as well as injuries to the suspects. He said they started the
program and in that particular year, they had 35 officers assaulted on the
streets of Columbus; and said we have seen as few as one for the year, and in
2013 there were five officers that were assaulted. He said he really believe
that is a direct relationship to the fact that these officers are carrying
tasers. He said tasers can incapacitate an individual without during serious
injury to the suspect. He said in 100 unit lots, the tasers would cost
$102,000.
In response to an earlier question of Councilor Huff, Chief Boren outlined
the following information, as it relates to body cameras for police officers.
He said they have been researching information regarding the body cameras and
the requirements to carry these cameras. He said he currently have a pilot
program with the motor squad, and have purchased about 20 of these officer worn
cameras. He said they have written all the policies and procedures with the
department; and said the officers will be trained as to what the policy is, and
said we will monitor the progress of the pilot program with these 20 officers.
Chief Boren went into some details in how the cameras will work, and
pointed out that he is still doing some research on this matter, and then
outlined the cost of the cameras, as listed below.
Future Funding Request
Body Cameras 300 units - $258,900
D.V. Cameras 250 units - $ 22,500
Building Maintenance
Salary Adjustments
Chief Boren said the salaries adjustments in the Columbus Police
Department are in great need of being adjusted. He said the Mayor has a
commission to look at the salaries of the police officers. He said in looking
at some numbers from 2010 ? 2015, they have hired 215 officers, 54 have
retired, 152 have resigned, 13 were terminated, and 3 have died. He said as of
this past week, they have 29 vacancies.
Mayor Tomlinson said the Chief pulled together from all ranks and
assignments and said that Councilor Barnes and Baker have attended some of the
meetings. She said we have been meeting once a week to see if we can come up
with something that is doable and addresses the issues, but also takes into
consideration our financial circumstances.
After the conclusion of his presentation, Chief Boren then responded to
several questions of members of the Council.
Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh asked Chief Boren to check and see if there are
any Federal grants available to assist us in purchasing some of the cameras.
Councilor Thomas said she would like to have the City Manager?s office,
the Mayor and the Finance Department to get with both Chief Boren and Chief
Meyer about the maintenance of the public safety building and to take a look at
the OLOST infrastructure fund; to see what kind of money is available there, to
do the maintenance that needs to be done in that building. She said she thinks
it is an approp0riate use of the infrastructure money to do maintenance.
Mayor Tomlinson said she and the Chief have been out in the community,
with neighborhood associations. She said if anyone would have to have the Crime
Prevention Director, Public Safety Director and a representative of the police
department, they can call the Mayor?s Office and said they can come out and
talk about public safety. She said there is a question that they get often.
She said we do have a very broad public safety department. She said we have the
Fire Department, Marshal?s Department, as well as the Sheriff?s Department; all
with their own role, but said when it comes to the lead law enforcement agency
of this jurisdiction, and the ones that are responding to your 911 calls,
that?s the Columbus Police Department. She said when it comes to who is going
to handle the burglaries, and what?s going on with the smash and grab in
neighborhoods, that?s the Columbus Police Department and the resources that we
are giving it. Chief Boren said that is correct.
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AWARDS:
Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh said she would like to congratulate the Mayor
and the City Manager on receiving the Jack T. Brinkley Service Award on last
night.
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COLUMBUS FIRE/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES:
Chief Jeff Meyer, Chief of the Columbus Fire Department said he
appreciates the Mayor and Council for allowing them to come before you this
morning to talk about the current critical needs of his department. He said his
team has been discussing the needs for some time now and said they have
narrowed it down to a couple of areas for interest. He said if these areas are
not addressed there is no substitute to come n and fill the emergency services
that they provide to the citizens and businesses through 911.
Chief Meyer then went into some details and highlighted the following
information, as outlined below.
Critical Needs
Fire & EMS Department Overview
Internationally Accredited Agency
Emergency Response Vehicles
16 Engines
10 Ambulances
7 Quints
3 Service
4 Battalion Chief
17 Facilities
14 Stations
Drill Tower
Training/Logistics
Training Classroom
Services Provided
Emergency Medical Services
Fire Extinguishment
Rescue (Swift Water, High Angle, Confined Space, Trench)
Hazardous Materials
Fire Prevention (Enforce Georgia Minimum Fire Safety Standards)
Emergency Management
Homeland Security
Responses
2009 - 48,872
2013 - 57,842
Last 5 years Percent Increase18%
Chief Meyer then outlined the five items as their most critical needs:
Secure Funding
Firefighter/EMT Training Drill Tower
Three Engines
Four Ambulances
One Ladder/Quint
One Squad/Service Unit
Firefighter/EMT Drill Tower
Chief Meyer showed photos of the condition of the EMT Drill Tower. He said
they have repaired this building on several occasions over the years and said
in his opinion, it is unsafe to continue to train in this building. He said
they want to move to a structure that is safer for our employees and said they
will use Class B and natural gas to heat up the structure.
Drill Tower
Issues
Current facility has exceeded its useful life (24+ years)
Personnel safety
Required live burns for new cadets
Required live burns for current employees
Insurance Services Office Public Protection Classification
Repair/Upgrade cost estimated at 50% of replacement cost
Investment
Land Prep: $100,000
Material and Labor $480,091
Class B Propane Fuel
Simulators and Props $276,500
Thermal Imaging Monitor $ 20,000
Estimated Cost $876,591
Chief Meyer said they already have the property, which is located on the
Station 9 site, off Macon Road. He said they have a master plan that goes
along with this as well for a training classroom building and a driving pad, to
get all of our training out to one location. He said this is critical.
Emergency Vehicle Information
Threshold 10 years or 100,000 miles
Engines
44% or 7 of 16 Meet or exceed CCG Fleet Replacement Criteria
Ambulances
70% or 7 of 10 Meet or exceed CCG Fleet Replacement Criteria
Ladders/Quints
71% 5 of 7 Meet or exceed CCG Fleet Replacement Criteria
Squad/Service Trucks
100% or 3 of 3 Meet or exceed CCG Fleet Replacement Criteria
Chief Meyer said they looked at several options to deal with this matter,
and then outlined two of those options.
Option 1: Purchase for Critical Need
Three Engines $1,260,000
Four Ambulances $1,000,000
One Ladder/Quint $ 880,000
One Squad $ 450,000
Total $3,590,000
Costs are projected to increase approximately 10% in the next few months
Option 2: Lease Purchase
Total Vehicle Replacement Program
13 Engines $ 666,497
7 Ambulances $ 238,569
6 Ladder/Quints $ 634,866
2 Squad Trucks $ 136,096
Estimated Annual Cost $ 1,676,028
Ambulances replaced every 5 years
Fire Trucks replaced every 10 years
Chief Meyer said they think that Option 1 would be the best option.
Mayor Tomlinson asked Chief Meyer to look into the possibility of whether
or not we can do a lease purchase a portion of the equipment.
Chief Meyer responded to a question of Councilor McDaniel, as to whether
or not they are able to use an SUV to run with the ambulances, instead of
having the fire truck to go on all the EMS calls.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Approve Funding for Critical Needs
Training Drill Tower
$876,591
Purchase 9 Emergency Response Vehicles
$ 3,590,000
Total $ 4,466,591
Utilize the CCG Fire and EMS Strategic Action Plan to Budget for Future Needs
After the conclusion of his presentation, Chief Meyer said he want you to
know that this training facility is extremely critical. He also responded to
additional questions of members of the Council.
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Note: Councilor McDaniel left at this point in the proceedings, with the
time being 10:36 a.m.
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Mayor Tomlinson said they will get together with the City Manager and
Finance Director and come up with some proposal that they can make for the
Council to take a look at.
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TSPLOST UPDATE:
Mr. Rick Jones came forward and gave a brief update on the TSPLOST
projects. He provided a complete listing of those projects, which were outlined
in his presentation and are detailed below.
Band 1:CY 2013 - 2015
COLUMBUS RIVERWALK
Project Description:
The extension of the Riverwalk behind Bibb and City Mills to complete the
project
Projected Costs: $10,000,000
PE - $1,000,000
CST - $9,000,000
Status:
Notice To Proceed ? April 24, 2013
Hecht Burdeshaw has prepared construction plans
All ROW has been identified. No additional property will be required
Construction is anticipated to begin by the first of 2015
Mr. Jones showed several aerial views of the proposed bridges at the Bibb
Mill section of the Riverwalk, to include a view looking north at proposed new
bridges at Bibb Mill, and a view from inside the proposed bridges at Bibb Mill
and the
proposed Riverwalk through the Bibb Mill site.
INTERCITY EXPRESS BUS PARK-N-RIDE SERVICE
Project Description:
Construction of three express buses, Park-N-Ride locations in Columbus using
the existing sites.
Projected Costs: $22,400,00
Costs to include design, maintenance and operation
Budget for these items still to be determined
Status:
Notice To Proceed ? April 24, 2013
Connectics Transportation Group was hired in October 2013 to perform a Public
Transit Needs Assessment
Assessment needed to determine how best to serve our citizens
Study includes route analysis, rider surveys
New routes have been determined and will go to Council for approval in the next
60 days
No other activities will begin until study is completed
SOUTH LUMPKIN MULTI-USE FACILITY
Project Description:
A pedestrian/bicycle facility will be built, along an abandoned rail road
line. This linear greenway corridor is divided by Old Cusseta Road, Victory
Drive, and Fort Benning Road.
Projected Costs: $3,500,000
PE - $5,000
CST - $3,000,000
Status:
Notice To Proceed ? September 10, 2013
Heath & Lineback Engineers are the lead consultants on this project
Public meeting was held on January 16, 2014
Preliminary design ? May 2014
Final design ? September 2014
Project Bid ? October/November 2014
Construction ? January/February 2015
Construction estimates will have to be reviewed
Mr. Jones showed what the proposed new pedestrian bridge across Victory
Drive will look like.
US 27/CUSTER ROAD INTERCHANGE, RECONSTRUCTION/ MODIFICATION_
Project Description:
This project will provide permanent public access to the proposed property
bounded by US 27 to the south, I-185 to the west, and Cusseta Road to the
north and east, which is the western boundary of Fort Benning
Projected Costs: $20,000,000
PE ? $ 1,000,000
CST - $19,000,000
Status:
Notice To Proceed ? April 19, 2013
MOU with Ft. Benning has been signed by all parties
Wolverton & Associates have begun preliminary design on project ? expect
completion by December
Construction projected to begin Spring 2015
Band 2: CY 2016 - 2019
BUENA VISTA ROAD INTERCHANGE
Project Description:
The purpose of the project is to reconstruct the interchange of I-185 and Buena
Vista Road
Projected Costs: $47,670,000
ROW - $28,700,000
PE ? GDOT Authorized in 2001
CST - $18,970,000
Status:
GDOT has authorized engineering to begin on this project for 2015
Construction will not be authorized by GDOT until 2016
GDOT will be responsible for this project in its entirety
INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS ALONG BUENA VISTA ROAD (Spider
Web)______________________________________________________
Project Description:
The project will include road realignments and/or a possible overpass on Buena
Vista Road
Projected Costs: $40,000,000
PE ? $ 2,522,522
ROW - $ 8,649,648
CST - $ 25,225,225
UTL - $ 3,603,605
Status:
City has taken the initiative to fund the preliminary concept and design of
this project now
Public hearing was held on May 12
GDOT has authorized engineering to begin in late 2014
Construction will not be authorized by GDOT until 2016
SR 219 PASSING LANES FROM LUTHER LANDING BRIDGE TO HAPPY HOLLOW ROAD (River
Road)____________________________
Project Description:
A passing lane will constructed along SR 219 from Luther Road Bridge to Happy
Hollow Road
Projected Costs: $17,690,438
PE ? $ 1,597,736
ROW - $ 403,427
CST - $ 14,187,438
UTL - $ 1,501,837
Status:
Notice To Proceed ? Will not be authorized by GDOT until 2016
This project will eventually be the sole responsibility of GDOT
Band 3: CY 2020 - 2022
CUSSETA/OLD CUSSETA ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
Project Description:
Project consists of improvements on Cusseta and Old Cusseta Road, from Fort
Benning Road to Staunton Drive
Projected Costs: $58,289,412
ROW - $ 41,402,448
CST - $ 16,866,964
Status:
Notice To Proceed ? Will not be authorized by GDOT until 2020
----------------------------------------*** ***
***-------------------------------------
DISCRETIONARY FUNDS
Mr. Jones said on last year, we collected $230,956 in discretionary funds.
He said we are still being told by GDOT that we are about thirteen percent
behind the expected projection on this collection. He said he don?t know if
that has changed and he has not heard anything within the last month. He said
the year to date total, we have collected $1,420,830. He said they are running
behind about a month or so in terms of what they are reporting to us.
He then turned this portion of the presentation over to Deputy City
Manager David Arrington to conclude.
Deputy City Manager David Arrington said as we go through the
discretionary funding, the Council may recall that as part of the proceeds from
the TSPLOST income, the local jurisdiction is provided some of that revenue to
use for other Transportation projects. He said the Council has given the staff
guidance on the use of those funds and in prior sessions we have discussed the
allocation process and then the categories of what we would be allocating those
funds for.
He said during FY-15 budget process, we came to you with a funding
recommendation, and said that is what you see before you today. He said the
bottom figure is slightly different than what Director of Planning Rick Jones
just showed you, as his numbers was from a calendar year, and said this is from
a fiscal year. He said it was the Council?s directions that we only spend money
that we have collected, and what we have in the bank. He said this is the
projection that you see here and what is included in the FY-15 budget.
Deputy City Manager Arrington said as we move forward, the funding that
will we would be proposing would be for road improvements based on the pavement
condition index. He said we do have a new pavement list that will be going to
the City Manager for his signature in the very near future. He said the funding
that you saw will be used to supplement our paving fund and our other paving
funding sources.
He said to begin the process of eliminating the unpaved streets in our
community, we have a small allocation that would go towards that process and
said Public Works is already working that and said we will provide the Council
with an update on the progress we make as the year goes on; and also to make
minor intersection improvements as needed, based on the analysis done through
our congested management study and annual accident review process.
Bridge/Culvert Repairs and Maintenance
Deputy City Manager Arrington said the Council has previously authorized
us to use $750,000 from the first six months of funding through the
discretionary fund to begin the engineering process for improving six different
bridges within the community. He said that process has been ongoing and they
currently have out for bid, one of those projects; Valencia; and we will have
several others of those bridges to be coming forward as soon as some of the
utility issues are resolved; pointing out that Boxwood would probably be the
next one coming forth, with the others following soon behind. He said the
funding that you see allocated in this report for that will be more for
construction rather than just for the engineering.
Maintenance /Safety Improvements
Deputy City Manager Arrington said they felt like there was a need for
them to look at allocating a specific amount to doing those, such as guardrails
on the right-of-way and other safety improvements, as well as our traffic
calming. He said you may recall that Engineering, as a result of the budget
cuts that they had in this fiscal year, and the reductions that they had to
implement, that they were unable to continue the traffic calming policy, just
because of the allocation of the personnel resources; however, we do have some
of the traffic calming program results that we need to fund that was done prior
to the reductions by Engineering in this current fiscal year. He said this
will help us meet those commitments.
Future Operations and Grant Matching Funds
Deputy City Manager Arrington said with our allocation through our MPO
(Metropolitan Planning Organization) we have different funding sources that
require matches, L230 probably being the most significant. He said by allowing
$500,000 to be allocated in this area, it will allow us to match to the maximum
degree, our annual allocation that we typically receive from GDOT. He said it?s
not saying that it will be able to fully match a large project, but on a year
to year basis, we would be able to set aside those funds for larger projects.
Alternative Transportation Projects Funding
Funding to expand or repair the current network for walking/biking/jogging
trails as identified n the Alternative Transportation Plan.
Installation of sidewalks in areas of high pedestrian traffic; and
incomplete
sidewalk networks.
Installation of ADA ramps; and other improvements to meet ADA
requirements.
Deputy City Manager Arrington said there has been much discussion about
both of those issues with the Council; especially, on the sidewalks in the area
of high pedestrian activity. He said that is part of our criteria, in addition
to around elementary schools and around bus stops to provide our citizens with
access to
our bus stops. He said when you see a path that is worn along the side of the
road that means people are walking to get from Point ?a? to Point ?b? and said
we need to accommodate that in a safe manner. He said we have many, many areas
in our community that have incomplete sidewalk networks or the sidewalks in
that area have fallen into disrepair that is beyond the normal scope of just
coming in and replacing a section or two that we need to address; and said
Engineering has a contract out with a contractor to focus on these areas and so
we are using that priority list to utilize these funds, and also to meet our
responsibilities to our disabled citizens and to provide them access from an
ADA compliance standpoint. He said you will notice all around town now that you
are seeing ADA ramps put in everywhere that we can get them in. He said we are
focusing on those areas where we have had feedback from the citizens, first and
foremost; and then through a program approach through the rest of the
community; and said that will be an ongoing effort on behalf of the City staff.
He said that is not something that a single allocation will be able to address
in a year or two, as we have many, many sidewalks in this community that needs
improvement for ADA compliance; therefore, it is an ongoing effort on our part,
and we will be responsive the best we can with the funding that we have
available.
Deputy City Manager Arrington said through the FY-15 budget process, was
that every time that we proposed expending some of these funds, we would bring
that expenditure back to the Council and specifically identify it so that you
would know what these funds were being use for; and said they are certainly
going to follow through on that commitment, because they do have some projects
that they are proposing these funds to be used for in the coming months.
After the conclusion of his presentation, Deputy City Manager Arrington
then responded to questions of Mayor Tomlinson and members of the Council, with
there being some referrals made from the Mayor and Council.
Mayor Tomlinson said anytime she is in Atlanta or the folks from the DOT
are here, they always ask her; how are we using our discretionary funds and
said they want to use that information to promote the TSPOLOST and said
hopefully, other districts and regions will adopt it in the future. She then
asked Deputy City Manager David Arrington to provide a report to whoever is
over TSPLOST for the State of Georgia on how the Columbus Consolidated
Government allocated these funds in the city.
Deputy City Manager Arrington and Engineering Director Donna Newman then
responded to questions of Council regarding sidewalks.
Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh asked Deputy City Manager Arrington to give an
update on the Forrest Road Widening Project.
Deputy City Manager Arrington said they are ready to go out for bid on
that project as soon as the consultants give us the bid documents, we will be
submitting them to purchasing to begin the bid process. He said they have
completed the right-of-way acquisition and as a result of that, they have to
make some minor plan changes and from there, they have to put the bid packet
together, which is a very large document stock of documents. He said we are
waiting on the large stack of documents, and said it could be about a month or
so; and said we look to be out to bid on that project before the end of the
year.
FORREST ROAD WIDENING PROJECT:
Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh said when the bid goes out for the widening
project on Forrest Road, asked Deputy City Manager Arrington to come back to
the Council to make that public announce. She said people think that we are not
going to do it, but said she has told them that we are not taking that money to
do anything else with it.
Deputy City Manager Arrington and Director of Engineering Donna Newman
also responded to questions of the Council regarding sidewalks on rural roads.
SIDEWALKS ON FARR ROAD:
Councilor Huff said it was brought to his attention by a crossing guard
there on
Saint Mary?s Road between I-185 and Farr Road on the side of churches where the
kids are coming from the neighborhoods near State Farm; and wanted to know if
there is a possibility of putting in some sidewalks near where those children
are walking to school. He said one side of the street has access all the way
up, but said the kids on the opposite side, once they cross over I-185, there
is a dirt track and said some of the kids are just arbituarily running across
the street to get to the other side.
Director of Engineering Donna Newman said when they looked at Saint Mary?s
Road before, as they have had several requests; they have a lot of conflicts
with utilities, right-of-way shortages, driveways; so, there is not enough
money in the budget to even do that right now. She said they were going to do a
simple connection, to connect two sidewalks together and we had a conflict and
really needed the agreement of property owner and we couldn?t get them to agree
to that.
She said they wanted a large compensation for that.
Ms. Newman said oftentimes, that is the problems they run into with a lot
of these older roads that you have a lot utilities on, as you are trying to
avoid the utility conflicts, as you may have to get off onto of private
property, or a portion of private property; therefore, we need the cooperation
of those owners, but said many of them want to be compensated. She said they
have looked at Saint Mary?s Road and will continue to look; but said there are
a lot of challenges.
After Mr. Arrington and Ms. Newman responded to further questions of the
Council, this presentation was then concluded.
----------------------------------------*** ***
***-------------------------------------
Note: Councilor Woodson, who arrived at the meeting at 11:12 a.m.,
requested Clerk of Council Washington to show her affirmative votes be added to
these six items that was listed on the Consent Agenda.)
------------------------------------------*** ***
***-----------------------------------
THE STATE OF CCG-TV
Deputy City Manager Lisa Goodwin came forward and said she wants to give
you an update on the state of CCG-TV, and to let you know where we are and how
we got started, and where we are today; particularly, as it relates to
technology and the operations of CCG-TV. She said CCG-TV can stand up against
any broadcast media, as we deliver and operate a first rate municipal cable
station that has drawn many communities to Columbus to not only visit, but to
tour and visit our operation to see what all we have to offer. She said they
had an opportunity earlier this year to host the Government Stations
Programmers Network Conference that brought various communities municipal
programmers to our community throughout the State and said they were very
impressed with what they saw. She said they are very proud of the strides that
they have made with CCG-TV, but recognizes that they still have some
advancement that is needed.
She said a few weeks ago Councilor Barnes had stopped by CCG-TV one day
and saw that Mike King was ill and felt that he should have been at home, but
he was there in the office working. She said he expressed his concerns to her
regarding this matter and she told him that she would be bringing an update to
the Council on the state of CCG-TV. She then outlined the following
information in her presentation, as outlined below.
A GLANCE BACK:
Budget: Fiscal Year 2003
$79,000.00
Budgeted Positions:
Station Manager (1)
Part Time Staff (1)*
*(added in 2006)
Locations: Government Center:
Plaza Level
3rd Floor Studio/Office & Control Room
OLD TECHNOLOGY:
Training Requirements:
30 Minutes??..Council Chamber Equipment
2 Hours????.Studio Camera & Robotic Camera Controller
6 Hours????..Nu Tek Switcher
1 Week????..Editing Computers
A LOOK AT TODAY:
Budget: Current FY15
$89,552.00
$6,796.00 ? Operating
Budgeted Positions:
Station Manager (1)
Location: City Services Center
CURRENT TECHNOLOGY:
Training Requirements:
2 Hours??...?Studio Camera
2 Days?????Program Server
1 Week?..Editing Computers
2 Weeks???..Broadcast Pix Switcher & Council Chamber Equipment w/Supervision
and 3 Live Shows
HDTV VERSUS ANALOG
CURRENT PROGRAMMING DEMANDS:
In-House Produced Programs:
Columbus Connection
Eye on Columbus
Let?s Talk with the Mayor
Focus on Health
Keep Columbus Beautiful
CCG Adoptable Pets
CCG-TV News Watch
Learning with the Dogs
Various departmental training
Videos & Dept. Spotlights
Live Cablecast & Programs:
City Council Meetings
Planning Advisory Meetings
Citizens Advisory Committee Meetings
Special Called Town Hall Meetings
Additional Productions:
Create & Display Community Ads
Provide technical support for departments to produce training and marketing
video
Youth Advisory Council meetings and events
Deputy City Manager Goodwin said they are not here today asking for
anything, but said they just wanted to share with you some of the concerns that
they have when there is only one person running the entire system.
WORKLOAD DEMANDS:
CCG-TV has become a full fledged video production department
In-house produced programs require filming and editing
Many live broadcasts require night and weekend work
3 people to produce Council Programs
2 people to produce In-Studio Programs
2 people to produce on location programs (i.e. Let?s Talk)
1 Person to oversee other AV demands
2 people to edit program and other video requirements.
Deputy City Manager Godwin said right now today we are borrowing personnel
from other departments that are assisting Mike King and said none of them are
with the CCG-TV. She said if something was to happen there is no one trained
here today in this government to operate CCG-TV. She said no one can go back to
the studio and do what Mike King does; however, we are training them here and
said hopefully, in the future, we will be able to train them, but said it takes
a lot
more knowledge and skill set to operate the studio.
?THE HEART OF THE SYSTEM?:
Deputy City Manager Goodwin then showed the many pieces of equipment that
are used to have CCG-TV live.
STAFFING CONCERNS:
Becomes difficult to meet deadlines on projects
Mistakes during Council Meeting and other Live Meetings
Misspelled and outdated ads running
Unprofessional looking programs
Overworked staff
If Station Manager is not available - required meetings and programs will not
be televised.
Citizen Service Tech assists as needed ? main function with 311
DCM Admin. Asst. & IT Tech assists as needed: Takes away from their daily
assigned duties.
STAFFING NEEDS:
Fiscal Year 2013:
Asst. TV Manager or Operations Mgr. Pay grade 17
Fiscal Year 2014:
TV Station Tech Paygrade 12
CCG-TV AWARDS:
Founding member of Government Stations Programmers Network (GSPN)
KCB Outstanding Media Support Award
GA 4H Outstanding Public Media Award
John Harrell Mass Media Award
GACAA State Television Station of the Year
After the conclusion of Deputy City Manager Goodwin?s presentation,
several members of the Council made comments regarding CCG-TV.
Councilor Barnes said we do need to do something with assisting Mike King
with CCG-TV.
City Manager Hugley said he wanted to bring this update to the Council
because there could be a day and said if Mike King is not able to be here and
something technical happens, then we might be able to go dark. He said we just
wanted to let you know that if something happens and we go dark, you will know
why.
Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh expressed her concerns and said that our
employees need to take care of themselves, and if they are sick, then they need
to stay at home, as well as take vacation.
Councilor Thomas said she noticed regularly on CCG-TV, the ads for various
events in the community, as well as, things that the City Government does and
then asked if we have any written policies about what kind of ads we accept and
run on CCG-TV. She said one of the things that brought this to her mind when
she said this on the agenda is that she remembers a few years ago that someone
wanted us to run a video. She said we didn?t run it because of the content of
the video.
She said her concern is that we treat everyone equally and said she would
not want to put Mr. King, Deputy City Manager Goodwin or the City Manager in
the position of having to decide to run certain ads without any kind of written
policy to do that. She said then asked if we have a written policy.
City Manager Hugley said we do have a written policy and said there are
certain things that we exclude in that policy that we will not run. He said
maybe we need to update the policy and have the City Attorney to look at it. He
said he is the final approval authority, if there is a question. Councilor
Thomas said she would urge the City Manager to update that policy and make sure
that we are on the right page.
City Attorney Fay said it should be a public service announcement standard
and said that is what it was a few years ago, and said if that needs to be
updated, we will certainly do it.
*** *** ***
CRITICAL NEEDS:
Councilor Woodson asked City Manager Hugley, if the staff is putting
together a list of all of the critical needs from the Department presentations
that have been made or will be made, so that when we go at look at the budgets,
we can see how our funds look, as well as how to prioritize these items.
City Manager Hugley said we are trying to provide the Council with
information and updates on critical needs in various areas and said this is the
first area, and said they will be coming back with Parks & Recreation, as well
as Public Works.
Councilor Woodson asked the City Manager to get some information and bring
back some information as it relates to the uniforms for the Muscogee County
Prison. She said she has been approached on several occasions regarding this
matter. She said she wanted to see if we can have a presentation from the
Warden to see what action he is taking. She said she thinks that there was an
issue with the different badges as well.
Mayor Tomlinson said the Council may recall there was a discussion during
the budget with respect to uniforms of the various public safety departments.
She said she believes that the prison spends $168 per person on uniforms, the
Police and Sheriff?s Department spends about $450- $480 per person per uniform
and the Marshal?s Department spends about $1,000 per person on uniforms. She
said there is a broad range and said clearly the prison is well down at the
other end. She said they have different uniforms for different reasons and said
that we can bring the Warden back to address this matter. She said he has been
using the money that has been allotted by the Council and have had to go into
emergency fund once. She said she thinks uniforms are part of that.
*** *** ***
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
At the request of City Attorney Fay, Councilor Henderson made a motion to
allow the Council to go into executive session to discuss a personnel matter.
Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh. (See below for action on this motion)
*** *** ***
SCAM:
Councilor Huff said while Mr. Mike Owen with the Columbus Ledger is
present, he would like to bring to the attention of the Council, as well as the
City Manager that there is a big scam that has been going on for a while. He
said he got involved in it on yesterday, with Georgia Power Company. He said
there are persons calling individuals up and saying there is a technician that
is coming out to their home to disconnect their services, if they don?t go to
CVS and buy two of the Vanilla Network cards and scratch it off and call them
back with the numbers. He said they have a young lady who is posing as the
technician to call and let you know she is on her way unless you get this done
in a certain amount of time.
He said he want the public to be aware that they tried to scam him on yesterday
in the amount of $998.00. He said once he didn?t respond in a certain amount
of time, they called him back and tried to make a deal with him for half that
amount.
*** *** ***
CITIZEN CONCERN:
Councilor Huff said we are promoting Columbus as being a place to move to
and enjoy and said that he was contacted by a concerned citizen regarding a
complaint regarding the sewage backup on Dixon Drive. He said there is a young
lady who came in from New York, and has property down off on Dixon Drive, and
she has some concerns about sewage backup. He said she wants to renovate a
house and move back to Columbus; however, she is a little disgruntled right
now. He said he wants to get the necessary parties involved to assist her with
the concern. He said he has advised her to come before the Council on the
second Tuesday to address this issue, but said she will be leaving town on that
day.
Mayor Tomlinson said we can get the Water Works involved in this matter.
She then asked Councilor Huff to provide the information to her and she will
address the matter with the Water Works.
With regards to the scam, Mayor Tomlinson said we need to get that
information to an Assistant District Attorney. City Manager Hugley said he had
a citizen to call him about a scam where someone had called them and told them
they needed to get a Green Dot card because they had to pay a fine for missing
jury duty. He said he called the Sheriff?s Department and advised the citizen
not to call them back and give them the numbers off the card because they had
already gone to purchase the card.
*** *** ***
VETERANS DAY PARDADE:
Councilor Barnes said those citizens who are interested in the Veterans
Day Parade, which will be held on November 8th pointed, can get applications,
which are now available at the Citizens Service Center, as well as the
Government Center and the Phenix City Parks & Recreation Department, and on the
government?s website.
He said on October 2nd, the CSU Jazz Ensemble will have a free Jazz
concert at Lacey Hall. He said there will also be a concert on October 4th in
observance of
Spanish Heritage Month.
*** *** ***
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
The question was then called on the motion to allow the Council to go into
an Executive Session, which carried unanimously by those six members of Council
present at the time, with Councilors Huff and McDaniel being absent for this
vote and Councilors Allen and Davis being absent from the meeting, with the
time of adjournment being 12:19 a.m. .
*** *** ***
At 12:46 p.m. the regular meeting was called back to order, at which
time Mayor Tomlinson pointed out that the Council met in an executive session
to discuss a personnel matter, but there was no votes taken.
*** *** ***
With there being no other business to come before the Council, Mayor
Tomlinson then entertained a motion for adjournment. Mayor Pro Tem Turner Pugh
so moved. Seconded by Councilor Huff and carried unanimously by those six
members of Council present at the time, with Councilors Barnes and McDaniel
being absent for the vote, and Councilors Allen and Davis being absent for the
meeting, with the time of adjournment being 12:50 p.m.
Tiny B. Washington, MMC
Clerk of Council
The Council of Columbus, Georgia
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