MINUTES
COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA
REGULAR MEETING
FEBRUARY 14,
2006
The regular weekly meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia was called
to order at 9:00 A.M., Tuesday, February 14, 2006, in the Council Chambers,
Government Center, Columbus, Georgia. Honorable Robert S. Poydasheff, Mayor,
and Honorable John J. Rodgers, Mayor Pro Tem presiding.
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PRESENT: Present other than Mayor Poydasheff and Mayor Pro Tem John J. Rodgers
were Councilors R. Gary Allen, Glenn Davis, Berry Henderson, Charles E.
McDaniel, Jr., Evelyn Turner Pugh, Nathan Suber and Evelyn Woodson. City
Manager Isaiah Hugley, City Attorney Clifton Fay and Deputy Clerk of Council
Sandra Davis were also present.
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ABSENT: Councilors Wayne Anthony and Julius H. Hunter, Jr., were absent but
was officially excused by Resolution Numbers 62-06 and 63-06, respectively.
Clerk of Council Tiny B. Washington was absent.
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INVOCATION: Offered by Rev. Bobby Harris- House of Mercy.
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PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Led by the children housed at the House of Mercy.
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CITY ATTORNEY?S AGENDA:
WITH COACH HERBERT GREENE STANDING AT THE COUNCIL TABLE, THE FOLLOWING
RESOLUTION WAS SUBMITTED BY CITY ATTORNEY FAY AND READ IN ITS ENTIRETY BY MAYOR
PRO TEM RODGERS AND WAS ADOPTED BY THE
COUNCIL:
A Resolution (57-06) - Commending and congratulating CSU Men?s Basketbal
Coach Herbert Greene upon recently winning his 500th game. Mayor Pro Tem
Rodgers moved its adoption. Seconded by Councilor Henderson and carried
unanimously by those eight members present for this meeting and standing to
cast their vote in the affirmative.
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WITH MR. SAM WELLBORN STANDING AT THE COUNCIL TABLE, THE FOLLOWING
RESOLUTION WAS SUBMITTED BY CITY ATTORNEY FAY AND READ IN ITS ENTIRETY BY
COUNCILOR MCDANIEL AND WAS ADOPTED BY THE
COUNCIL:
A Resolution (58-06) - Commending Mr. Sam M. Wellborn for his
representation of the 8th Congressional District, which includes Columbus,
Georgia, on the State Transportation Board and for his many contributions to
the Columbus community.
Councilor McDaniel moved its adoption. Seconded by Councilor Henderson and
carried unanimously by those eight members present for this meeting and
standing to cast their vote in the affirmative.
City Manager Hugley highlighted some of the funding that has been secured
from the State because of the efforts of Mr. Sam Wellborn to include the
Muscogee-Columbus Restoration and Preservation Depot where the Chamber of
Commerce is located- $200,000; the Riverwalk at 13th Street Bridge and 14th
Street Pedestrian Bridge- $500,000; the Veterans Parkway Streetscape Phase One-
$1,000,000. and Phase Two- $1,000,000. He said that he attributes all of that
hard work to Mr. Wellborn.
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WITH MS. TORI MCCLURE STANDING AT THE COUNCIL TABLE, THE FOLLOWING
RESOLUTION WAS SUBMITTED BY CITY ATTORNEY FAY AND READ IN ITS ENTIRETY BY
COUNCILOR DAVIS AND WAS ADOPTED BY THE
COUNCIL:
A Resolution (59-06) - Commending and congratulating the Open Door
Community House, Inc. upon celebrating its 70th Anniversary in the Columbus
community. Councilor Davis moved its adoption. Seconded by Councilor McDaniel
and carried unanimously by those eight members present for this meeting.
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MINUTES: Minutes of the February 7, 2006 meeting of the Council of the
Consolidated Government of Columbus, Georgia was submitted and approved upon
the adoption of a motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers and seconded by
Councilor Allen, which carried unanimously by those eight members of Council
present for this meeting.
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ATMOS ENERGY:
Mr. Joel Ames, Atmos Energy, came forward to advise that he is present at
the request of City Manager Hugley. He said he would provide some information
on help agencies for the City?s reference and for the citizens of Columbus. He
pointed out that the cost of natural gas for 2006 was the highest it has been
in twenty-four years. He stated that it was $1.58 a therm; whereas, on last
January it was .89 a therm. He explained that there has been a huge increase
in the cost per unit of natural gas, and that cost has shown up on our
customer?s gas bill. He said that we have had an influx of calls and concerns
regarding the gas bills, but we are verifying the gas bills. He briefly
pointed out some of the features that are shown on the gas bill. He mentioned
that the price of gas dropped as of the beginning of February and the gas
supply has caught up with the demands; so, we have seen the prices come down.
Mayor Poydasheff expressed concerns with the citizens that are within the
Federal guidelines of poverty and the elderly, who may need assistance in
paying their bills so that their heat is not turned off. Mr. Ames said that we
are offering payment arrangements, verification of gas bills and urging
customers to get on budget billing and conservation.
Councilor Henderson asked that Mr. Ames explain the recent requirement by
the Public Service Commission to separate out the franchise fee that, because
this is not something that the City has just begun charging, at which time, Mr.
Ames said that line item is appearing on all of our customers? bill as the City
of Columbus franchise fee. He said that Atmos Energy pays the franchise fee
for the right to construct, repair and maintain gas lines in the City to serve
our customers. He pointed out that the fee is passed on to our customers.
Councilor Henderson added that this is not just a fee added to Atmos Energy but
to any utility that needs to have access to the right-of-way for the purpose of
constructing and maintaining lines.
Councilor Woodson asked City Manager Hugley to have scrolled on the CCG-TV
the agencies that provide assistance and the required material that the
recipient would need to bring with them, because these agencies have limited
funding that they provide to the citizens.
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ZONING PUBLIC HEARINGS:
THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ATLAS OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA WAS
SUBMITTED BY CITY ATTORNEY FAY AND APUBLIC HEARING WAS HELD AS ADVERTISED AND
DELAYED FOR ONE WEEK:
An Ordinance - Rezoning property located at 2300 Martin Luther King, Jr.
Boulevard is proposed for rezoning from LMI (Light Manufacturing/Industrial)
District to GC (General Commercial) District. (66-A-05-Thomas)
PROPONENTS & OPPONENTS:
Rev. Madison Evans, with the Louis Memorial Baptist Church, came forward
to advise that we are requesting a rezoning for the purpose of building a
church on this piece of property.
Councilor Suber said that he believes that this is the property that
Masterbuilt was going to build on previously. He then asked why is this
property now good enough for the church to build on but not good enough for
Masterbuilt to build on.
Mr. Evan explained that he had a conversation with the President of
Masterbuilt and he was proposing to building a manufacturing plant on that
property. He said that the President of Masterbuilt pointed out that the back
end of the property was not suitable for what he wanted to do because of the
level that he would need to go underground in order to build the manufacturing
plant. He said that we would mainly be using the front piece of the property
and would be using the other part of the property for parking.
Mr. Rick Jones, Transportation Planning Division, came forward and advised
that he would need to pull the file on this particular case. Councilor Suber
recalled that this property was previously a dump but his concern is that we
are talking about putting a church at this location, and we need to know if the
property is contaminated, which could cause some additional problems. He
explained that if Rev. Evans has prior knowledge of the property and he is
willing to take that risk, he wants to make sure that the City is on sound
grounds to make sure that a church could be built at this particular location.
City Manager Hugley requested some additional time to research this
matter. At this time, Mr. Sidney Hubbard, member of Louis Memorial Baptist
Church, advised that we have had a soil analyst done on this property, and the
report has no mention of a garbage dump; the land is buildable.
Councilor Allen made a motion to delay this rezoning matter for one week.
Seconded by Councilor Woodson. Councilor Turner Pugh recalled that it was
brought out before when Masterbuilt was planning to expand that facility, and
they found out there was contaimants in the ground and that?s the reason they
located in the Technology Park; therefore, we need to find out this
information.
Councilor Woodson asked that the staff be provided with the report that
Mr. Hubbard was referring to regarding the soil analyst. Mayor Poydasheff then
called attention to the motion to delay, which carried unanimously by those
eight members present for this meeting.
Mr. Walter Gould, approached the rostrum to advise that he is glad to see
someone wanting to build a church on this property; however, he suggested to
Rev. Evans that they get with Masterbuilt to retrieve a copy of the study that
they had on file for the land, because he too has heard that the reasons
Masterbuilt changed their mind about expanding on that property was because the
land was contaminated and they would have to haul in a lot of dirt.
Mr. Gould also asked that the City look at zoning classification for
Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd because it is currently General Commercial. He
added that the property owners need to clean that area up.
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THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ATLAS OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA WAS
SUBMITTED BY CITY ATTORNEY FAY AND APUBLIC HEARING WAS HELD AS ADVERTISED AND
WAS AMENDED:
An Ordinance - Rezoning property located at 7500 Layfield Road is proposed
for rezoning from RE1 (Residential Estate 1) District to RE5 (Real Estate 5)
District. (4-A-06-Gilbert)
PROPONENTS & OPPONENTS:
City Attorney Fay recognized the presence of the petitioner, but Mr.
Anthony Gilbert, who wanted to propose an amendment that would not be a
material change. At this time, Mr. Anthony Gilbert, the petitioner, came
forward to request that two acres be excluded from this total rezoning, because
he would like to contract to sell these two acres to an adjoining neighbor.
City Attorney said that we would need the new legal description, at which time,
Mr. Gilbert determined that he should have the new plat by next week.
Councilor Henderson moved that the ordinance be amended to remove two
acres of the property from the rezoning request. Seconded by Councilor Turner
Pugh and carried unanimously by those seven members present with Councilor
Allen being absent for this vote and Councilors Anthony and Hunter being absent
from the meeting.
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THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING ATLAS OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA WAS
SUBMITTED BY CITY ATTORNEY FAY AND A PUBLIC HEARING WAS HELD AS
ADVERTISED:
An Ordinance - Rezoning property located at 3321 North Lumpkin Road is
proposed for rezoning from LMI (Light Manufacturing/Industrial) District to GC
(General Commercial) District. (5-A-06-Moore)
PROPONENTS & OPPONENTS:
City Attorney Fay recognized the presence of the petitioner, Mr. Moore,
but he made no presentation since there was no one to come forward in
opposition to the rezoning request.
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CITY ATTORNEY?S AGENDA:
THE FOLLOWING FOUR ORDINANCES TO AMEND THE ZONING ATLAS OF COLUMBUS,
GEORGIA WERE SUBMITTED BY CITY ATTORNEY FAY AND APPROVED ON SECOND READING BY A
SINGLE MOTION MADE BY COUNCILOR MCDANIEL AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR SUBER, WHICH
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY BY THOSE SEVEN MEMBERS PRESENT WITH COUNCILOR ALLEN BEING
ABSENT FOR THIS VOTE:
An Ordinance (06-8) - Rezoning property located at 8050 Whitesville Road
is proposed for rezoning from SFR2 (Single Family Residential 2) District to
SFR4 (Single Family Residential 4) District. (68-CA-05-Cummings Group, LLC)
An Ordinance (06-9) - Rezoning property located at the rear portion of
5010 Armour Road is proposed for rezoning from RO (Residential/Office) District
to GC (General Commercial) District. (1-A-06-Parks)
An Ordinance (06-10) - Rezoning property located at 1808 Blanchard
Boulevard is proposed for rezoning from LM1 (Light Manufacturing/Industrial)
District to GC (General Commercial) District. (2-A-06-Love)
An Ordinance (06-11) - Rezoning property located northwest of the Williams
Road-Veterans Parkway is proposed for rezoning from RE1 (Residential Estate 1)
District, LMI (Light Manufacturing/Industrial) District, and SFR1 (Single
Family Residential 1) District to PUD (Planned Unit Development) District and
SFR1 (Single Family Residential 1) District. (3-A-06-Woodruff Brokerage
Company)
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PUBLIC AGENDA:
MR. NEAL CALLAHAN, REPRESENTING C&A FAMILY PARTNERSHIP, RE: THE SALE OF
SURPLUS PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF 13TH STREET AND CEDAR
AVENUE:
Councilor Suber immediately pointed out that he is aware of the reason
that Mr. Callahan is appearing before the Council, but he would ask that Mr.
John Sheftall be given the same opportunity to speak or delay this issue until
Ms. Lynette Gross returns to work from her open heart surgery, because of the
amount of information that has not been publicly stated.
Mayor Poydasheff said that he wants the record to reflect that City
Attorney Fay has recrused himself from this portion of the hearing, because he
has a family connection; therefore, Assistant City Attorney Jamie Deloach has
now taken the seat of City Attorney Fay.
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NOTE: City Attorney Fay left the meeting at 9:47 a.m. and Assistant City
Attorney Jamie Deloach arrived at 9:47 a.m.
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Councilor Suber then made a motion to delay this matter until Ms. Gross is
able to return to work. Seconded by Councilor Turner Pugh.
Mayor Poydasheff provided an update on the condition of Ms. Lynette Gross
by stating that we visited Ms. Gross on Sunday, February 12, 2006, at St.
Francis Hospital, where she underwent double bypass surgery. Mayor Poydasheff
then called attention to the motion to delay which carried by a vote of seven
to one with Councilor McDaniel voting no and all others present for this
meeting voting yes.
Councilor Henderson called attention to the fact that Mr. Callahan did
request to be on the public agenda; therefore, he should have the opportunity
to speak today. Mayor Poydasheff recommended that he be allowed to speak but
that the Council not ask any questions or elicit responses at this time. Mayor
Poydasheff added that since there are concerns of possible litigation that this
matter should be done in executive session.
Assistant City Attorney Deloach suggested that any discussion from the
staff and members of Council should be done in executive session. She then
expressed concerns in that Mr. Callahan would be speaking to this matter
today. Mayor Poydasheff then requested to Mr. Callahan that he delay his
presentation until we are able to hear the entirety of the situation.
Councilor McDaniel pointed out that Ms. Gross may be out for five or six
weeks; therefore, he does not see any reason why we cannot hear from Mr.
Callahan and others that are present regarding this matter.
Mr. Callahan maintained that this has been going on since December 2005.
He contended that he has been asking for a response for three weeks and his
client has been waiting for two months. He said that his client deserves an
answer before they are forced to file a lawsuit and to not have this delayed
any longer.
Mayor Poydasheff said since there has been mention of potential
litigation, he would not want to discuss anything relating to litigation
publicly until we receive all of the facts and circumstances; then, we would go
into executive session.
City Manager Hugley said that if Mr. Callahan decides to speak to this
matter today, he would certainly want the opportunity to respond; especially,
if it relates to him. Mr. Callahan said that he would like to know why the
property or the signed contract is not being delivered to his client; then, he
would sit down but no one is telling him why it?s not happening.
Mr. Callahan said out of respect to Ms. Gross, he is not going to go into
details right now; however, he is not here to threaten litigation because all
we want are answers. He then asked how long of a wait are we talking about?
Mayor Poydasheff replied that he does not know at this time, but once Ms. Gross
is able to talk, Assistant City Attorney Deloach would be in contact with you.
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CITY MANAGER?S AGENDA:
THE FOLLOWING PURCHASING RESOLUTION WAS SUBMITTED AND EXPLAINED BY CITY
MANAGER HUGLEY AND DELAYED AT HIS REQUEST:
A Resolution - Authorizing a maintenance contract for the Heritage Park
Fountain from Ace Plumbing Company, Inc., for the annual contract value of
$23,400.00.
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THE FOLLOWING FOUR PURCHASING RESOLUTIONS HAVING BEEN INCLUDED WITH THE
CITY MANAGER?S AGENDA WERE SUBMITTED AND EXPLAINED BY CITY MANAGER HUGLEY AND
ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL PURSUANT TO THE ADOPTION OF A SINGLE MOTION MADE BY
COUNCILOR TURNER PUGH AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR WOODSON, WHICH CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY BY THOSE EIGHT MEMBERS OF COUNCIL PRESENT FOR THIS
MEETING:
A Resolution (60-06) - Authorizing the payment to IBM Corporation, in the
amount of $43,820.20, for the lotus notes annual license renewal.
A Resolution (61-06) - Authorizing the purchase of one (1) 7-passenger van
in the amount of $15,771.00, and one (1) 15-passenger van in the amount of
$19,633.00 from Alan Vigil Ford Fleet & Government Sales (Morrow, Ga). The
purchase will be made via Georgia State Contract, SWC S-000483, for a total
amount of $35,404.00.
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NOTE: See below for the final action to delay the following two
purchasing resolutions listed on the City Manager?s Agenda.
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A Resolution - Authorizing the purchase of computer software and
maintenance for a land records imaging and indexing system for the Clerk of
Superior Court from Aptitude Solutions, in accordance with the following
purchase/payment schedule:
A Resolution - Authorizing the purchase of computer hardware from CDW-G in
the amount of $100,251.00. The purchase will be made via Federal GSA Contract
Schedule 70.
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
City Manager Hugley requested a brief executive session on potential
litigation.
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
City Manager Hugley made the following announcements regarding some
upcoming events.
Annual Black History Observance Breakfast: February 20, 2006, at 7:30
a.m., at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center.
2006 Leadership Class: February 21, 2006, the 2006 Leadership Class
visiting with the City on Government Day. There will be a breakfast and
question and answer session with the Mayor, Council and City Manager. It will
be held in the Ground Floor Conference.
Public Meeting: February 23, 2006, at 6:00 p.m. There would be a public
meeting at the Government Center Annex on Tenth Street regarding the five-year
consolidation plan/CDBG Plan.
23rd Annual Black Applause Banquet: February 24, 2006, at Columbus State
University in the Cunningham Center.
Georgia Cities Week: April 23 - 30, 2006. The theme would be ?Georgia
Cities On The Right Track?.
Mayor Poydasheff invited everyone to attend the meeting for ?Operation
Preparation? to discuss with the region where we are with BRAC. He said that
we would get this information to the Council and staff as soon as the time has
been confirmed.
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THE FOLLOWING TWO PURCHASING RESOLUTIONS HAVING BEEN INCLUDED WITH THE
CITY MANAGER?S AGENDA WERE CALLED ON FOR RECONSIDERATION AND DELAYED BY THE
COUNCIL PURSUANT TO THE ADOPTION OF A SINGLE MOTION MADE BY COUNCILOR ALLEN AND
SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO TEM RODGERS, WHICH CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY BY THOSE EIGHT
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL PRESENT FOR THIS
MEETING:
A Resolution - Authorizing the purchase of computer software and
maintenance for a land records imaging and indexing system for the Clerk of
Superior Court from Aptitude Solutions, in accordance with the following
purchase/payment schedule:
Fiscal Year 2006 Contract Signing $80,400.00
Fiscal Year 2007 Software & Maintenance $160,300.00
Fiscal Year 2008 Software & Maintenance $161,101.00
Fiscal Year 2009 Software & Maintenance $161,101.00
Fiscal Year 2010 Maintenance $53,731.00
Fiscal Year 2011 Maintenance $53,731.00
Fiscal Year 2012 Maintenance $53,731.00
A Resolution - Authorizing the purchase of computer hardware from CDW-G in
the amount of $100,251.00. The purchase will be made via Federal GSA Contract
Schedule 70.
Councilor Allen expressed concerns in that the Clerk of Superior Court has
located this vendor and wants the Council to approve this purchase request. He
pointed out that the City is going to spend close to $700,000. by 2012. He
recalled that Clerk of Superior Court Linda Pierce had found the former
vendor. He then asked for a delay on this item, even though there is some
urgency to this. He then requested that have the IT Department check into
finding suitable vendors for the imaging and indexing system for the Clerk of
Superior Court; so that the City does not fall into a bad situation with the
new system. He said that the Clerk of Superior Court does lay out a good
presentation for this vendor, which includes a listed of cities and areas that
the company provides service to; however, he would ask that the staff check to
see what other companies are providing this service in the southeast or
surrounding area that could provide as good a system or a better system,
possibly at a lower cost. He said to have something thrown on the table at the
last minute under an urgency need causes him great concern. He then requested
that Item ?D? be removed and further researched.
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NOTE: City Attorney Fay left the meeting at 10:00 a.m. and Assistant City
Attorney Jamie Deloach arrived at 10:00 a.m.
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City Manager Hugley pointed out that Items ?D? and ?E? are tied together,
because one is software and the other is hardware. He went on to say that the
present system was purchased by Clerk of Superior Court Pierce with no input
from the City?s IT Department. He advised that the Director of IT expressed
concerns in that it was not housed in the IT Department and had not received
any training on the hardware. He said that the system was never fully
implemented because of some conflicts between the Clerk of Superior Court and
the company. He maintained that the company has since filed bankruptcy. He
explained that with this particular system, the IT Department has been
involved, the Finance Director and he has been involved. He pointed out that
we don?t know a whole lot about the company, but the IT Department has done
enough research to feel comfortable with this new company. He then expressed
the urgency to move forward on this purchase; since, the system has been down
ever since the beginning of the year, there is a backlog in that office.
Councilor Allen said that there is a lot of money involved and he would
move that Items ?D? and ?E? be removed and delayed. Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem
Rodgers, at which time, he suggested that a time period for the delay be
included in the motion.
Councilor Turner Pugh requested that the staff to contact Clerk of
Superior Court Linda Pierce along with the IT Department to appear before the
Council to make a presentation. Also, have the IT Department check with the
State of Georgia about the type of system they are using to make sure that this
new system is compatible with the State.
At the request of Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers, Councilor Allen amended his
motion to delay Items ?D? and ?E? for one week. Councilor Woodson asked that
the Council be made aware when there may be possible controversy in purchase
items. City Manager Hugley advised that he was not aware that there would be
any conflict. Councilor Woodson said if an item is presented at the last
minute and there is a meeting of the minds, the Council needs to be made aware
of it.
City Manager Hugley suggested a Pre-Council Meeting but it was determined
that with the Leadership Columbus being present at the Government Center next
week, we would be unable to have a Pre-Council Meeting. Councilor Turner Pugh
pointed out that it needs to be done during the Council Meeting; since, we have
spent several minutes discuss this matter.
Mayor Poydasheff called attention to the motion to delay Items ?D? and ?E?
for one week, which carried unanimously by those eight members present for
this meeting.
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OPEN MEETINGS:
Councilor Suber made reference to an article in Saturday?s Newspaper in
reference to open meetings. He said that the Council would not knowingly
violate the sunshine law. He then asked was the sunshine law violated and
asked that City Attorney Fay clarify this matter.
City Attorney Fay advised that he does not believe that there was any
technical violation of the Open Meetings Law. He explained that the law is
focused on the meeting of a governing body or a committee created by the
governing body. He said, of course, this group or committee was not formally
created by this governing body; therefore, there is no violation of the
statute. Manager Hugley requested a brief executive session on a personnel
matter. He said that Assistant City Attorney Deloach wisely advised the City
Manager to open the meetings up if there are going to be regular meetings held
dealing with finance or similar topic. He added that in his opinion, there was
no violation of the statute.
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RESOLUTIONS:
Councilor Woodson requested that City Attorney Fay check with Kendrick
High School and Spencer High School to bring forth a resolution for both
schools commending the performance of their basketball teams for making it to
the State Championship.
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OPEN MEETINGS:
Referring back to the open meetings, Councilor McDaniel said he does not
know why we have such a committee and suggested doing away with this
committee. Mayor Poydasheff pointed out that the Budget Review Committee
Meetings are open to the public, but this year, Councilor Suber had suggested
that we meet in the Council Chambers and have the meetings recorded; hopefully,
that would be our tradition.
Councilor Allen pointed out that he does not know where the term ?Finance
Committee? came from, because it is just a few members of Council that
discussed issues that were sensitive; there were no votes taken at these
meetings. Councilor Turner Pugh added that there is no Finance Committee. She
pointed out that the only thing we have been discussing is the budget
preparation and if the City Manager is going to attempt to implement the
proposed pay plan that we have.
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PARKED VEHICLES:
Councilor Turner Pugh requested that the staff check to see if there are
any code violations occurring on the corner Macon Road and Auburn Avenue where
the transmission shop is located, because there are a lot of cars parked out
there and it is a terrible eyesore.
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CLERK OF COUNCIL?S AGENDA:
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE SUBMITTED BY DEPUTY CLERK OF COUNCIL DAVIS AS
INFORMATION FOR THE MAYOR & COUNCIL:
(1) ACCG?s Legislative Update, Volume 16, Number 3.
(2) Memorandum from Clerk of Council Washington, Re: Building Contractors
Examining Board.
(3) Biographical Sketch of Dorothy McDaniel, Councilor McDaniel?s nominee to
replace Ms. Joanna Wilkins on the Tree Board.
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THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION WAS SUBMITTED BY DEPUTY CLERK OF COUNCIL DAVIS
AND APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL:
A Resolution (62-06) - Excusing Councilor Wayne Anthony from the February
14, 2006 Council Meeting. Councilor Suber moved its adoption. Seconded by
Councilor Allen and carried unanimously by those eight members present for this
meeting.
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THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION LISTED AS AN ADD-ON TO THE AGENDA WAS SUBMITTED
BY DEPUTY CLERK OF COUNCIL DAVIS AND APPROVED BY THE
COUNCIL:
A Resolution (63-06) - Excusing Councilor Julius Hunter, Jr. from the
February 14, 2006 Council Meeting. Councilor Suber moved its adoption.
Seconded by Councilor Allen and carried unanimously by those eight members
present for this meeting.
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THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS SUBMITTED BY DEPUTY CLERK OF COUNCIL DAVIS AND WAS
APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL:
Letter from Mr. Kenneth Henson advising of the following appointments to
the Hospital Authority: Mr. Thomas Gurr to serve another term of office; Mr.
James Webster to replace Mr. Seth Harp and Mr. Ralph Huling to replace Mr.
Robert Kelly. Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers moved confirmation of the three
appointments. Seconded by Councilor Suber and carried unanimously by those
eight members present for this meeting.
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THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS ALSO SUBMITTED BY DEPUTY CLERK OF COUNCIL DAVIS AND
WAS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL:
Official Appointment Form submitted by New Horizons Mental Health,
Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases Community Service Board
requesting confirmation of Ms. Anne Hoppe and Ms. Nancy Schroeder to serve
another term of office. Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers moved confirmation of the two
reappointments. Seconded by Councilor Suber and carried unanimously by those
eight members present for this meeting.
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MINUTES OF THE FOLLOWING BOARDS WERE SUBMITTED BY DEPUTY CLERK OF COUNCIL
DAVIS AND OFFICIALLY RECEIVED BY THE COUNCIL:
Board of Tax Assessors, No. 05-06.
Public Safety Advisory Commission, January 5, 2006.
Councilor Turner Pugh made a motion that these minutes be received.
Seconded by Councilor Allen and carried unanimously by those eight members of
Council present for this meeting.
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BOARD APPOINTMENTS:
ANIMAL CONTROL ADVISORY BOARD:
Deputy Clerk of Council Davis advised that Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers is
nominating Ms. Gail Simpson to succeed Mr. Charles Clark on this board.
Councilor Suber moved confirmation. Seconded by Councilor Allen and carried
unanimously by those eight members of Council present for this meeting.
Deputy Clerk of Council Davis Ms. Virginia Norman has been submitted as
the PAWS Representative to replace Mr. Phillip Brewer. Councilor Suber moved
confirmation. Seconded by Councilor Henderson and carried unanimously by those
eight members of Council present for this meeting.
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BOARD OF HISTORIC & ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW:
Deputy Clerk of Council Davis advised that Councilor Suber had nominated
Ms. Virginia Peebles to succeed Ms. Teresa Tomlinson on this board. Councilor
Suber then moved confirmation. Seconded by Councilor Woodson and carried
unanimously by those eight members of Council present for this meeting.
Deputy Clerk of Council Davis advised that Mr. Howard Bickerstaff and Mr.
Charles Beall are eligible to serve another term of office; however, Mr. Beall
serves as the Liberty Culture Center?s Representative; therefore, the
organization should submit the recommendation for that position. Councilor
Henderson then nominated Mr. Bickerstaff to serve another term of office. She
advised that we would bring this appointment back next week for confirmation.
Councilor Henderson asked that Deputy Clerk of Council Davis check with Mr.
Bickerstaff to see if he is interested in serving another term of office.
*** *** ***
HOSPITAL AUTHORITY OF COLUMBUS:
Deputy Clerk of Council Davis advised that we still need three nominees
for the position of Ms. Emma Hunter. There were no nominations.
*** *** ***
MEDICAL CENTER HOSPITAL AUTHORITY:
Deputy Clerk of Council Davis advised that we still need one additional
nominatee for the position of Mr. David McMicken, who is eligible to serve
another term of office. Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers nominated Mr. James Knox.
Deputy Clerk of Council Davis said that completes the nominations and the
information would be sent to the authority.
*** *** ***
TAXICAB COMMISSION:
Deputy Clerk of Council Davis advised that Lt. Julius Ross serves as the
Police Department Representative and is eligible to serve another term of
office. Councilor Allen renominated Lt. Ross. Councilor Suber moved
confirmation. Seconded by Councilor Woodson and carried unanimously by those
eight members present for this meeting.
*** *** ***
NOMINATIONS FOR HOSPITAL AUTHORITY:
Councilor Turner Pugh asked that Deputy Clerk of Council Davis check the
files to see who has been nominated before to serve on the Hospital Authority
and contact those individuals to see if someone wants to be nominated for this
board.
*** *** ***
TREE BOARD:
Deputy Clerk of Council Davis advised that Councilor McDaniel is
nominating Ms. Dorothy McDaniel to fill the unexpired term of Ms. Joanna
Wilkins. Councilor Suber moved confirmation. Seconded by Councilor McDaniel
and carried unanimously by those eight members present for this meeting.
*** *** ***
PUBLIC SAFETY ADVISORY COMMISSION:
Deputy Clerk of Council Davis advised that she had received a letter of
resignation from Mr. Allen McMullen on the Public Safety Advisory Commission;
Council would need to accept the resignation. Councilor Allen added that the
resignation was forwarded to him and this is Council District Six appointment.
He said that he is nominating Ms. Alison Dowe to fill the unexpired term of Mr.
McMullen. Deputy Clerk of Council Davis recommended accepting the resignation
first before confirming Ms. Dowe. Councilor Turner Pugh moved that the
resignation from Mr. Allen McMullen be received with regrets. Seconded by
Councilor Woodson and carried unanimously by those eight members present for
this meeting. Councilor Allen then moved confirmation of Ms. Dowe. Seconded
by Councilor Woodson and carried unanimously by those eight members present for
this meeting. Councilor Allen asked that a resolution be prepared for Mr.
McMullen.
*** *** ***
SURPLUS PROPERTY:
Councilor McDaniel said that he noticed in the newspaper that CB&T is
planning on building a new branch at the corner of Macon Road and Auburn
Avenue. He said the city owned that lot at one time and he does not recall it
being declared surplus or being sold. He requested that the staff check to
find out when the property at the corner of Macon Road and Auburn Avenue was
declared surplus. He also requested that we find out when that property was
sold. City Manager Hugley said that he would have to research this matter, but
there is no way possible that the City would have sold that property without
coming through this Council.
*** *** ***
GALLOPS CENTER:
Ms. Jeanne Shiver, approached the rostrum to express concerns with the
potential cutbacks for the Gallop Center, as well as, other senior centers.
She said that we are losing our assistant director to early cutbacks. She also
mentioned Ms. Margaret Whitehead, the supervisor of RSVP, is also having to
take early retirement. She called attention to some of the other individuals
that are present in the audience that have similar concerns regarding the
Gallop Center. She requested that the City provide a bus for the seniors to be
able to have transportation to and from the Gallop Center. Councilor McDaniel
said that he noticed in the newspaper that CB&T is planning on building a new
branch at the corner of Macon Road and Auburn Avenue.
She also expressed concerns with the potential closing of the swimming
pool at the Gallop Center. She then requested that they are willing to have
the center closed on Saturdays, because this would give the employees an
opportunity to spend time with their families. She said that she would get
some volunteers to help do some of the work that the City provides. She said
that one of the prisoners asked for some socks, which she did provide to him.
Mayor Poydasheff said that we would look into the prisoners talking to the
citizens at the center, and we hear the other concerns that have been presented
and the City Manager will take these things into consideration before the
budget is presented.
Ms. Shiver said that we would also like to have the swimming pool open
later, because it was cold weather when it was opened last year. As far as the
lifeguards are concerned, they are mostly college students and if the City is
having trouble hiring lifeguards; then, we would see about getting some
lifeguards. She maintained that they are willing to chip in to have lifeguards
present.
Ms. Shiver also expressed concerns in that the Parks & Recreation
Department is also proposing to cut out the Friday night square dancing and we
would like to see that continue.
Councilor Turner Pugh suggested that Ms. Shiver put her requests in
writing and submit it to the Department of Parks and Recreation, at which time,
Ms. Shiver advised that they have done that once before. Councilor Turner Pugh
said that Ms. Shiver would need to get with the Director of the Department of
Parks and Recreation, because ultimately, he is going to be responsible for the
dollars that come into that line of business.
Councilor Suber requested that the staff set up a meeting with the
Director of Parks & Recreation and the citizens that are concerned about the
hours of operation at the Gallop Center to discuss the potential cuts that have
been presented in the budget.
City Manager Hugley reminded everyone that the deadline for submitting
budgets was February 10, 2006 and he has not had an opportunity to review the
information that has been submitted at this point. He said that any cuts
submitted would be subject to the review of the City Manager, Mayor and the
Council. He said that what has been submitted is not final, until this Council
makes it final.
Mr. Oscar Gilstrap, came forward to reiterate some of the concerns
expressed by Ms. Shiver in the form of a poem.
The following individuals also came forward to express their support for
the Gallops Center: Mr. Raymond C. Quinn, Ms. Elliene Peabody and
Mr. James E. Hendrix, came forward and reminded everyone that he came
before this Council approximately fifteen months ago regarding the opening of
the swimming pool. He pointed out that several members of the Council agreed
with him that it should be left open for another month but that did not
happen. He said last year, it closed in the middle of the summer.
City Manager Hugley emphasized that we are not closing the Gallop Center;
however, we are reducing staff throughout the Government. He said the
Department of Parks and Recreation will also lose some staff, perhaps at the
Gallop Center but he does not know at this point.
*** *** ***
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
Mayor Poydasheff called attention to the previous request to go into
executive session to discuss potential litigation. Councilor Allen made the
motion to allow the Council to go into executive session. Seconded by
Councilor Woodson and carried unanimously by those eight members present for
this meeting.
At 10:53 a.m., the Council adjourned its regular session to allow the
Council to go into an executive session.
*** *** ***
At 11:02 a.m., the regular was reconvened, at which time, Mayor Poydasheff
pointed out that the Council did meet in executive session to discuss a
personnel matter, but there were no votes taken.
*** *** ***
With there being no other business to come before this Council, Mayor Pro
Tem Rodgers made a motion to adjourn. Seconded by Councilor McDaniel and
carried unanimously by those eight members of Council present for this meeting
with the time being 11:05 a.m.
*** *** ***
Sandra T. Davis
Deputy Clerk of Council
The Council of Columbus, Georgia
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