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Columbia City Council meets May 2, 2007
Roll call Columbia City Council convened at 9 am, Wednesday, May 2, with all council members present: Daniel Rickenmann, Sam Davis, E.W. Cromartie, Mayor Bob Coble, Anne Sinclair, Tameika Isaac Devine, and Kirkman Finlay III.
City's favorite Kenneth Wiggins , procurement director, introduced the city's Employee of the Month, Charlene V. Pelzer , buyer. Responsible for purchasing supplies and services for several large departments, she started with the city on September 9, 1985. She served as acting purchasing agent from December 2006 until March 2007, and everything ran smoothly. Engineers Lisa Muzekari, P. E. , senior project manager for B. P. Barber and Associates, presented her students from Sanders Middle School who just completed the Introduction to Engineering program.
Columbia Museum of Art Director Karen Brosius brought council up to date on the CMA. Concluding February 4, the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibition was the best attended in recent memory, 26,000 visitors from 45 states and nine countries. Thanks to advertising over NPR in Raleigh, 500 visitors came down. This past year the CMA added $10 million to the local economy. With a blockbuster planned to open in the spring of 2009, still unnamed, the CMA staff is studying the museum in Raleigh to see how that museum handled its Monet exhibition and how they managed to attract 215,000 visitors in 12 weeks. Elmwood Deborah Livingston , president of the Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association, invited council and everyone else to her neighborhood's 26th annual home tour this Saturday, May 5, beginning at 9 am.
Gangs Council approved a memorandum of understanding in its war on gangs, as proposed by Mayor Coble.
Public hearing Director Rick Semon held his final public hearing on the fiscal year 2007/2008 Community Development Block Grant program.
Office lease Council members Finlay, Rickenmann , and Sinclair voted against leasing 1225 Lady Street from First Citizens Bank & Trust on the grounds of the city's uncertain financial future for the next 10 years, the term of the lease with annual rent averaging well over $400,000 for each of the future 10 years, which also averages over $10 per square foot. Council voted 4-3 to accept the lease.
Drew Park A water playground is proposed for Drew Park in a section of the park to be named Kay Patterson Place . Landscape architect Morgan Grimball walked council through the proposed improvements to the park adjacent to the Drew Wellness Center.
South Edisto Sinclair brought forward members of the South Edisto Court area for introductions. Sinclair and the group discussed their plans for the conversion of the Unitech property into the proposed South Edisto Court Park, where the city owns all the land, and $500,000 has already been allocated for the park. Council voted to authorize forward motion on the park, to include correct zoning and design development.
Climate change Missy Gentry , public works director, reviewed Columbia's green practices and positioning. In 1979, Columbia became a Tree City USA with its 48,000 trees in the city's rights of way. It began curbside recycling in 1991. Its compost operations are good for 8,000 tons a year.
KOBAN Council approved a fast $30,000 to fund continuing operations of the city's KOBAN program. Planned money from the Eisenhower Foundation has not come through.
Black Pages Another $19,000 in emergency funding for Black Pages was approved after due discussions complaining of its last- minute inclusion on the council agenda and the absence of the beneficiary/manager.
Next meeting Council meets for a budget discussion on Wednesday, May 9, 9 am, at the Eau Claire Print Building just off North Main Street. The next regular council meeting is Wednesday, May 16, at 9 am, and a zoning public hearing follows at 10 am.
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