City of Columbus, GA City Council, 29 Aug 2023

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From YouTube: Columbus GA City Council Meeting 08-29-2023

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Columbus GA City Council Meeting 08-29-2023

A

Columbus Georgia: this is your city council,.

A

Mayor skip Henderson city manager, Isaiah Hughley pops, Barnes district, one Glenn Davis district 2, Bruce Huff District 3, Toya, Tucker, District, 4, Charmaine, crab District, 5, Gary, Allen, mayor Pro, tem and District 6. Joanne kogel district 7, Walker Garrett, District, 8, Judy, Thomas posts; nine at large counselor Tyson, Begley, Post 10 at large counselor, Sandra, Davis, Clerk of counsel and City Attorney Clifton Faye, Columbus Georgia. This is your city council.

B

Appreciate you tuning in on the August 29th city council meeting. This is a work session, there'll be some business conducted, but for the most part the counselors will be taking a look at some items that that are timely and of importance uh right now, we'll start off, as we always do, though, and that is by asking God's blessing on these proceedings and we're delighted to have Jimmy Blanton from Columbus Baptist Association of Columbus here with us. Jimmy welcome.

C

Appreciate that I have reverse of scripture. I want to read. First of all, then I urge you that supplications prayers, intercessions and Thanksgiving be made for all people for kings and all who are in Authority in high positions that we, the citizens, may lead a peaceful and quiet life, Godly and dignified in every way I'm to pray for y'all. So you can lead me.

C

Our city needs to be led in deep, deep Waters and do the right things and I appreciate each one of you today and it's my joy to pray with you, father I, pray in Jesus name today, I pray, Lord, asking that you would bless our counselors and our mayor war that they may all have wisdom and strength to do the right thing, regardless of popularity, God I, pray that you would give them Grace as they walk through delicate Waters and and Lord as they try to maneuver through all of the obstacles that they face.

C

As a council God, let the people pray for them daily and Lord may they serve us Faithfully and we'll give you the praise and honor and Glory what you do before. We ask it him in the name of Jesus, amen, amen,.

B

Thank you, sir. We appreciate what you do if you would please rise and join me in the pledge of to the flag.

B

Of the United States of America.

B

Under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all yeah, all right, one older business, uh one of the first ones will uh ask Council if they've had an opportunity to review the the minutes and if they have and if there are no edits we'll entertain. A motion to approve all right motion is their second motion. Second approved minutes all in favor, say: aye any post all right and from there we'll move to the City attorney.

B

Didn't hit you like there, you go work.

D

Session agenda uh this listed mayor, we don't have anything official till the end of this agenda, but city manager.

B

D

Kick off his presentation.

B

We'll move straight into the work session agenda, then Mr city manager.

E

Thank you, Mr Mayor and a good morning. uh I've got um items on the the work session agenda that have been requested by members of council, and so first I've got the inspection and code update by director Ryan Pruitt.

E

We've got railroad crossings that will come by director, Donna, Newman, Parks and Recreations update by director, Holly, Browder and then uh listed is something for them may approachium one small step and then the chief appraisal of the tax office tax assessor's office has asked to bring forward an update on Department of audit and accounts sales ratio study. It's a time-sensitive matter that she needs to respond to prior to our next city council meeting. So we will start off with direct Iran crew. It with an inspections and code update, Mr, Pruitt.

F

Thank you, Mr city manager, good morning, mayor members of council, Mr, City attorney, as requested I am here to provide an update on Code Enforcement, but after discussions with the city manager and wanted to highlight all the work that inspections and codes does so, the bulk of the presentation and discussion may be on the code enforcement side of the house, but didn't want to highlight all the work that our department and my employees complete for the city.

F

um So I have some pictures and we'll talk about some processes and things in this presentation. So if there's any questions at any time, please let me know so inspections and codes. So what do we do? In a nutshell? We are a law enforcement department so a lot of times people don't think of building building codes in minor city ordinances as laws, but that's what they are and that's what we are responsible for, the enforcement of, so the state adopts a minimum building code.

F

We are given that Authority through state law as a local jurisdiction to enforce that building code. We also enforce the city's development ordinance on the zoning requirements. Anything historic properties, all that kind of stuff. That's in the development ordinance we're charged with that nuisance ordinances.

F

um You know trash on people's property, uh overgrown grass, anything related to private property that our ordinance defines as a nuisance Falls to us and then some other miscellaneous ordinances um we'll get into a couple of those later. We.

G

Also responsible.

F

For project management of city building projects, this was something that was adjusted in 2021 when within my department of Chief Inspector position was created in that position has the responsibility of supervising the inspectors. We have as well as assisting in the management of City projects and we'll get into that a little bit later as well. We have a total of 30 employees, including myself. Most of my folks are split into two divisions: the building permitting and inspection side and the code enforcement side and there's four positions.

F

Myself I have an assistant director, an office manager and a GIS position that kind of service, both divisions, so I'll jump into code enforcement code enforcement has 11 positions currently there's a Code Enforcement manager responsible for the overall operation of the division uh code enforcement; technician who's in the office all the time. That position is responsible for helping to answer the phones, helping to mail out letters and ensure the paperwork that the officers are doing is in line.

F

Then we have nine code enforcement officers that are charged with going out in the field every day and working the cases and resolving any violations that that they may find.

F

I would mention that during the last fiscal year we did have three vacancies happen at the same time among our officer positions, so we did get down to six out of the nine field at one time, however, we are fully staffed in this division since July 24th, so the code enforcement officers are split again, there's nine of them, so we have districts a through I um here's the map of those districts, the map, the districts are not created based on land area.

F

They are created based on the number of complaints in work, orders that we get in those districts. So you can see some of the smaller districts. That typically means we have more complaints and issues in those those districts. So this is how the nine districts throughout the city are created. So each officer is assigned the district for a year and then they rotate to a different District the following year. Usually April is when we do that transition.

F

So that's how those districts are arranged so responsibility. So what are the Code Enforcement Officers going out and looking at so it's private property code violations so again.

D

F

Mostly everything, inspections and code touches has to do with private property. There's issues on the right-of-way that is typically going to fall to public works so that we do try to work together to resolve the problems.

F

As you know, as quick as we can so private property violations, those would include weeds and again, I have some pictures and some examples of most of these cases later on in the presentation that just provides more detail but weeds, Solid Waste, which is trash, there's also stockpiling, violations, which is things that you shouldn't have stored outside, such as you know, washing machines or things like that appliances.

F

You see stored outside junk Vehicles, the property maintenance code, so Property Maintenance cases are for structures that are have some issues, but they are not so bad as to be qualified for demolition and then, of course, we handle the demolition process, which I think everybody here is pretty familiar with. We come several times a year for approval to tear down some structures. Code enforcement also does business license enforcements that we work with the finance department. We are the enforcement arm for the business license side, so non-renewals excise taxes.

F

We handle enforcement of those when there's any issues short-term rentals, those those fall code enforcement as well. When there's any issues with those ones that are non-licensed, those will fall to code enforcement.

F

We do do a few things on the right-of-way. Probably the most common are the illegal signs on the right of way. This is a challenge for us. We pick up a couple hundred a week and it seems like every time we pick one up a couple more pop back up in their place, but we do handle the illegal signs. The other one, that's common. Is the commercial vehicles either parked on the right-of-way or parked in a com in a residential district where they're not supposed to be so.

F

Those types of calls do get handed off to code enforcement, landlord tenant issues, so these are complaints for a tenant is living in some some housing that does not meet the property maintenance code that the city has adopted.

F

Lieutenant can call us we'll, go inspect the property and document any issues, and then zoning ordinance violations. So um you know one common example is a you know: auto repair shop supposed to have a fenced enclosure to keep the vehicles out of view if their fence gets damaged or anything like that, and they don't repair it we'll go out and give them a notice or a warning to fix the fence and work with them on those issues.

F

Again, this is an exhaustive list. This is just the the highlights and some of the most popular cases that we give so some numbers, so what we were able to accomplish in fiscal year 2023, so this would be for the period from July 1st 2022 until June 30th of 2023. So we investigated and closed 4 525 cases, uh 4 280 of those or 94.6 percent were closed within 90 days in 90 days is really my. You know.

F

My goal is to get 100 cases closed within 90 days and we'll go through some of the processes later. But you know there are some some issues that can arise when we're working a case, but the goal is to get 100 closed within 90 days. Get the nuisance abated if we have to get everything closed out, so the average case, duration duration was 24.7 days.

F

We conducted over 9 600 inspections. uh 67 properties were removed from the demolition list, both through what the city demolished ourselves and through what the owner took care of on their own property. 226 properties were cleaned up by the city and and bills and liens sent to the owner, and then we towed 67 Vehicles off of private property that this was an ordinance change, Council enacted last year. So that was a new process for us.

F

We're getting better at this process, there's a little bit of a learning curve for us, but this number will go way up this fiscal year. For example, last week we towed 10 just in the last week the loan- so that's just, was a new process for us. We were easing into last year.

F

So I think this. This slide shows a lot about what we were able to achieve. um This is how much money we spent on cleaning up private property uh in the last five fiscal years, so you can see back in FY, 19 and 20. You know we weren't spending a whole lot of money below 50 000, so we're really just getting the really easy cases.

F

um You know the hundred dollar cleaned up is 200 cleanups. You know. Last year we spent over 250 000 cleaning up other people's property. So you know there is a process. It can take a little bit of time, but if you have violations on your property you're either going to clean them up or we're going to come clean it up. For you.

F

So, let's talk about the process of how a case starts, how we work it. um You know a little bit dive into a little bit of those details, so we received complaints in many ways. One of the most common is the three one one or three three one one which they use: Q alert, which is a work order system, so citizens can call 3-1-1, you know give them.

F

You have the address of the house in their neighborhood. That has some issues, 311 routes it to us, and we take that and create the case and work it from there. We get phone calls straight to the department, we'll get letters. Neighborhood groups often we'll send a letter, and you know a handful of neighbors will sign the letter. You know indicating that there's a problem at a certain location I will get emails directly to our department email, the quality control team, which is something that was created.

F

The city manager created a year or two ago, where some employees go out on the weekend and just document issues and create work orders for various City departments. So we get about 75 to 100 work orders per week from that effort. So we get a lot of a lot of input from that and then our officers do Patrol. So when they finish their inspections for the day, I have an hour or two where they don't have any inspections on the books. You know they'll go around and look for issues.

F

The other thing we emphasize with them, and the expectation is, is that if I'm working I got a complain about this house, it has overgrown grass I'll work that case before I hop back in my truck and leave. You know, take 30 seconds and look around see what other issues you know are on that street. What's next door, you know we create. The expectation is even if it's not for inspections and codes, we're going to create a work order. You know if there's some trash on the right-of-way or a pothole in the street.

F

If you see something wrong, go ahead and create a an issue in 311 and get it routed to the appropriate Department. So initial inspections are typically scheduled in three business days of the complaint. So if we got a complaint today, we would be out there no later than Friday um and that's really during the peak time, which is right now for us, with the grass growing during the colder months, when everything's, dormant It's, usually the next day when we get out to investigate, do an initial investigation of a complaint.

F

So I did want to mention the specific ordinances that we're talking about when we get into the processes and and the laws that we follow. You're.

H

Right, that's one question: um what would you say? Are we allowed to ask questions? Oh sorry, um what would you say is your your backlog of parcels that you are trying to get to and has that backlog change with the increased budget that you've seen over the past couple years.

F

So, do you mean you mean the backlog of complaints that we have or well.

H

You could have multiple complaints on one property, so I guess: what's the backlog of properties that you're like hey, we need to go address this property.

F

So at any given time you know we have five to six hundred open cases that we're working through the process on um you know, there's about.

F

50 properties, where the paperwork has been completed and we're in that process of Contracting out hiring the contractors getting them to it. You know like weeds cases. For example, we have an annual contract with the company and they do all the work on the weekends. So.

G

F

Week we give them a list of 10 to 15 properties; they come down Saturday and Sunday and cut everything and then, when they get that list done, we send them the next list. So there's about 50 or so properties the paperwork's completed. You know we're just waiting on the contractors to get to it. You know some of these larger cleanup efforts. You know, there's a coordination effort to win our folks can be there. Law enforcement perhaps needs to be there with us.

F

um So there's a whole scheduling effort that goes in for some of those.

H

That that 500, have you seen that number change over the past year, as you had a larger budget.

F

So now it stays pretty much because again, most of them, the private the owner is going to resolve.

F

um You know it's still fairly a pretty low percentage of properties that we have to step in on um and do so that 500 is just kind of the normal turnover you know as new complaints come in we're closing out. You know cases as they get resolved.

H

Last question of the ones that you actually have to take action on what percentage of those you think will repeat where you had to do the weed lean last year and they're doing it again like is it?

H

Is there just a small number, that's really causing a lot of your headache.

F

So we do have, and that's one of the issues I was going to highlight, so we do see any an increase in repeat customers, so to speak, so you know there's certain vacant properties. We know that we're going to have to cut the grass two or three times every year we've been doing it forever and that's so we have a list of those um and now we're even seeing larger cleanups where we're spending.

F

You know three, four, five thousand dollars to clean up somebody's property and we come back two months later and it's back in the same case. So we do have a lot of repeat properties: okay,.

B

Counselor Tucker.

I

Yes, um in reference to the property abatements, how many contractors do we have to actually go out when you say you're, sending a list? Is it to multiple contractors, or we only have one individual that go out and cut all these properties.

F

So we have, we have two annual contracts. One of them is strictly for just grass cutting only so there's no trash pickup, it's just a property that has overgrown grass and that's it. So there is just one company that we have on call for that contract. We have another contract to where they'll cut the grass and pick up all the trash, and so we have three companies that we use on with that. Those types of cases and.

I

In regarding the one um individual that just goes out and cut the grasses that enough, based on the issues that we have you know in the city, as far as you know, the grass being overgrown for probably months.

J

I

Is that one person you know suitable for the city of our size.

F

Yeah I believe that it is like I said we give them 10 to 15 a week and they come in and that's about the number of new properties that we take care of in order that we're able to get the proper or the paperwork done every week. So as soon as we get the paperwork done, you know the supervisor checks all the work, make sure everything's in order, and then she turns around and flips it to the contractor.

F

You know occasionally having one you know: they'll have something come up, whether it's you know it's a small business, so whether it's a family issue or equipment problems, or something like that that may you know, delay them a week from getting to something, but overall they perform well and we went through an RFP process and, frankly, didn't get a whole lot of interest in it.

F

You know it was a competitive process, so you know they were one of the only firms or maybe the only firm that was qualified and could actually perform the work that that applied to to do the work for us, but I do feel like one is sufficient. Okay,.

I

Do you think we need a backup person just in case as a.

F

I

Again, ideally,.

K

F

Would have um we would have that, but again through the RFP process, the submissions that we got. This was the only one that the committee felt could adequately do the work, because there's insurance requirements and all that stuff that you know we're going on to other people's property. So they got to have some of those legal things to help protect themselves and us should something happen, and so they they were the only through that process that how.

I

Often, do we do that RFP process like how often does that open for us to go back and look over the process so.

F

Typically, it's a two-year. The initial term of the contract is for two years and then we have mutual options for the next three years, so it could be a five-year contract altogether, but.

J

G

Any time we're you know, dissatisfied.

F

With the performance of the contractor, we have the ability, you know to put it back out on the street.

I

B

L

Thank you Ryan. When I use the 3-1-1 app a lot, so I've pulled it up here. Can you come and grab my phone and tell me where we would put in a 3-1-1 app? You know um go for like say we we saw overgrown grass because I don't see it there. So.

F

We in the 3-1-1 app, if you're, if you're looking at this, it's under housing, slash neighborhood issues um and that brings up a whole a whole list of dilapidated structure, junk Vehicles landlord tenant, Solid Waste standing water in pools weeds. So it's underneath the housing neighborhood. So.

L

You click the housing neighborhood. Okay, thank you.

B

M

um Looking at the the list of receiving well um just actually real quick on the 311 app, is there a way that we can update that 311 app to have a search um toggle in there, so that uh you know like if I'm, if I'm driving down the street and I need to report, some bulk pickup uh I have to scroll through there and try to find bulk pickup, and um sometimes it's I mean it's not where I would intuitively think.

M

So if there was a way that I could search in their bulk pickup or something along the lines of um of what I'm. Actually looking for with some keywords is: how is that a possibility that I think that would make user interface much simpler and I? Think a lot of people get frustrated with the 311 app just because it it's not super um user friendly right right now,.

E

um Mr Mayor I know that Danielle Frazier is listening and um I'd. Ask that she lists that as a referral and take look at what the counselor has voiced.

M

That would be great thanks um and then my original question comment um also on user friendliness of looking at the uh receiving the complaints. There's you know six or seven ways that um you receive these. Are they all listed somewhere like? How do you keep track of all of the complaints and issues that are coming in so.

F

We have a software system that we actually use for code enforcement, as well as the permitting side called intergov, and it is tied into all the gis data. All the tax assessors data, the partial IDs who the owner is all that information is automatically queued up in the system. When you enter the address and then it has, it schedules the inspections and it tracks all the activities that you do. You can upload the pictures and the letters we send all of that is in that system.

F

So, no matter where the complaint originates from a case is created in the intergov system for us to be able to track- and you know, we've been using it uh for code enforcement since 2017 when they first came over to inspections and codes, so we can pull up if we search an address, we get six years. You know of complaint history or case history on that on each property.

M

Is it a far reach to do something along the lines of what zoning does for Council of listing something in Trello where we can track the I know a lot of us reach out to inspections and codes, wondering what the statuses of certain Properties or certain things that we've put in for um for us for Citizens and I know the citizens that use the 311 app can track the progress of what their what their issue is, but often it just says, processing or still in process after several days weeks, hopefully not months, um but is there a way that we might be able to tweak the system so that, as counselors, we are able to pull up those complaints and see where they're at much like with the zoning?

M

You know when somebody submits a zoning request, we can see that it's gone to pack. We can see that it's gone, it's been approved by Pac, it's been approved by uh whoever in ccg it's been uh and we can follow along those steps. Is there a way that we could do that either broken down by District or across the city in general? So.

F

We have a couple um tools already available that I think can be adjusted to get. You know a little more detail, the issue that that we've always had is you know our internal notes share or have some information that are not necessarily public with some contact information and things like that.

F

But we do have a customer service portal that is on the website, where, if you type in an address, you can see the code case history on it as well as any current cases, and you can see you know when we were out there doing inspections and that type of thing, and then we also have a dashboard. That's a GIS map that is available. That will show the code case.

F

History now I have struggled keeping my GIS technician position filled for that map to be accurate, but I said I have that position filled now, so it'll be up to date as well, and so I can provide the council links to those resources, and we may already have the capability to do what you're asking.

M

I think that would be very helpful for us to one stay out of your hair and probably send you less emails and give us some information that we need right away so that we can keep our citizens happy and moving forward. Thank you.

B

Joshua Davis.

N

Thank you mayor good morning, director Pruitt. uh It seems to me that there are people whether they're, quite capable of taking care of their properties or they just choose not to and then those that can't under the circumstances, and we continue for lack of a better way to phrase it somewhat. It could be perceived as a game out there that people are playing and the city's getting caught up into it and the taxpayers are footing the bill over the course of time.

N

It seems like if you're dealing with some of these properties over and over and over you know there comes a point of zero-sum return that that, basically, we've surpassed the value of the property or the house or whatever we continue to. You know to spend dollars to keep these properties clean. That's just you know, it's just crazy. It's it's somewhat the definition of insanity and just insane.

N

What are the excuse me? What are the? What recourse does the city have? What can your department do? What can the city do besides just fine into the different levels, to deal with situations like that.

F

So, as far as what inspections and codes can do you know our ultimate goal is to? If there are repeat violators is to get the responsible party, you know into court and allow you know the judge and the legal system to.

J

F

Out that way, once I can get you into court, typically I can keep you there. So if you keep repeating it, you know every time. Every time we have a court date, you know we're going to issue a new citation just because the violations keep going on.

F

um You know as far as the the Foreclosure or the liens and all you know what happens after I'm through I would have to defer. You know, because once I do the cleanup, we send all the paperwork to the finance department and they handle the building in the liens. So I would have to defer that you know to the city manager well,.

N

Let's, let's back up okay, we continue to call the maintenance people on that we contract out with, and you continue to still maintain the properties twice a year several times a year, whatever the complaints may be by the citizens out there and then you're citing them at that point, right.

F

We attempt so, and we've talked about the issues with the siding before. If I can't physically touch the property owner, then there's no citation that I can issue. And so then we go the route you know of cleaning up and putting the lien.

N

So we're paying that call so we're paying that cost on top, and then they go to court. If they go to court they get them into court, they're going to fight them, and then they just go back out and they do basically do nothing and then we're going to build them later or we're going to tag a lien on to the property and it just sits there. You know- and they know it it's a game and they know it. Some of these people are well to do people that have no problem at all.

N

It's just I guess they just it's fun and games when, when you know work in the system, but.

N

So after that sent out by our department is that, as far as it goes, I mean what is there when does it come a point that the city can recover its losses or, to, let's just say, take over the property and knowing that that's what's happening? What is that process? Does the city have the ability to do that? You, you follow what I'm saying oh.

E

Absolutely um and it's it's really frustrating because I mean we've got a lot of properties with liens on them and the value the interest uh and lean exceeds the value of the property and we're doing it over and over, and we keep adding to it and I. Hear your frustration that frustrates me as well and- and you know, I'd- have to yield to the City attorney. But you know I wish it would. It would be that once the uh liens exceed the value of the property that we.

N

Could take over the property and he said, let me add, to this Mr manager. You know this: they pay their taxes, oh yeah. They pay their taxes yeah. So once all that is done again, I go back to what is the recourse. Is that our only recourse.

B

I think I think another Avenue is to have a discussion with the newly designed recorders court process and let them know that they they, the justice, signed. The justice system pays a plays a big role in helping us to to discourage these individuals from keeping it going.

B

They can escalate those fines up a little higher and then, when they reach the maximum on them, they they keep hitting them every time and if they're, if they're, going to go to court on a regular basis, they're going to end up spending a lot more than the taxes that they're paying on that house.

N

Yeah, well, the you know, and that's it was mentioned about the recorders quarter having that option to do that. But then they just pay it. They continue to pay your taxes and we'll continue to the the cost of maintaining continues to escalate. Again I'll ask what is the what's the highest level. We could go recourse and.

E

Council I I really think you know we. The staff need to have a conversation with the city attorney's office um about you know it's: where do we go from here kind of conversation and I? Don't know if we could have the the powers locally to do something or if it takes State legislation to do you know to do something, but that's a conversation we need to have.

D

Now, we've had that conversation a lot with director Pruitt lately and there are about five types of actions that can take place under Georgia law. The first type action that can happen is the tax commissioner can actually foreclose on a property, that's tax, delinquent and when she does that she can also foreclose on the city's tax. Lien I mean.

J

D

Lanes and other City Lanes and get those paid off, sometimes she will actually sell the property on the sell, the property on the courthouse steps and get the all these liens paid off. Sometimes, there's no sale and she just hangs on to the execution and the lean continues.

D

The second thing that can.

N

Happen can I stop you right there well.

D

I'd like to go through all.

N

Five on that option: that's why I want specifically on that option. If they're paying their taxes, does that option still apply.

D

No, if they're, not tax, delinquently tax, commissioner can't go foreclose on it. Go ahead.

N

D

All right number two is: if the city has a demolition Lane, the city has a power under the Columbus Charter to foreclose on the lane uh and when the city does that they may be able to get the tax commissioner involved and get all all liens paid off and the problem with that is if the city actually goes to the trouble and expense to foreclose on a lien. The city may end up with a piece of property that it doesn't want because then there's another expense of Maintenance.

D

Of course, if the city ends up with a property like the city can try to sell it as well. A third thing that can happen is the tax commissioner can take her execution, that's what they call a formal lien placed in Superior Court. She can transfer that to the land bank Authority, the land bank Authority, has limited resources and is funded by this Council. They have power under state law to extinguish all taxes and all liens, and then they can sell proper to low-income housing Developers, and that has been used on occasion.

D

They have limited resources, as does the tax commissioner. Fourth, action that can happen is a nuisance civil action. This is sort of a last resort. We've done that occasionally uh recently a couple of times for I, think property on Slade drive and 11th Avenue. That was actually a public safety danger. We got court orders to clean up the property and get people out of the properties board them up and in the case of a residence, get all people out except the owner.

D

uh The fifth type action that can happen is what director Pruitt's been talking about. He cites people to court and sometimes that'll get their attention if they get a thousand dollar fine or.

C

D

Citations and fines they'll get their attention and they'll clean something up. Sometimes they just keep paying the fine and and the lien sits on the books until another owner comes along, but you know all of these things can happen. All these types foreclosures, you know, are not free, there's a cost associated with them.

D

Uses his resources best way he can, and the tax commissioner does also- and of course, the land buying has been used on occasion. But that's a good tool to have in your toolbox, but you've got to have some some funding to keep it operating, but those.

J

D

The five kind of things that can happen under Georgia law so.

N

You said two three: let's go three and four I'm gonna. Ask you the same questions if they pay their taxes, would that be it really wouldn't apply? You could still. You could still ask the courts for Relief there and and to to make a judgment on it regardless if they pay their taxes or.

D

Not yeah right if it's a real Public Safety danger an emergency situation like a couple of these were right. You can ask the Superior Court to help clean it up empty the property board it up, which is what we had to do and those two instances, but there's got to be a real danger, whether taxes are paid or not. If there's a public safety danger, you can go that route, but.

N

That's the last resort. Yeah. Thank you, Ms City attorney mayor. You may be right. Maybe we just look at increasing the fees uh and you know an enforcing it a little bit firmly or more firmly stronger, uh but.

B

Just as long as long as they're as long as they're, paying them and there's an escalation of those fees, and then you know we'll have to defer to the City attorney with regards to state law and how high we can go on some of those.

D

Well, you can only go to a thousand dollars per offense. That's a state law per day right.

N

D

N

What we need to ask.

D

Yeah, it's an ordinance violation. Any each day is a continuing offense. It could be a thousand dollar fine per day per offense.

N

Well, I know it's very frustrating the city, manager and I know you're frustrated I can tell, and thank you for your comments and director Pruitt appreciate all you're doing in these matters because I know it's it's a very frustrating cycle so to speak, but uh we do need to find out a way to to resolve and come up with some solution, or else it's just it. Just like I said it doesn't make sense. It's insanity of doing that and it's not it's not a wise.

J

N

To to conduct business in your community and build your communities when you know that's you're continuing to spend taxpayer dollars at such a rapid Pace to go and that continuing cycle. Thank you, sir counselor.

B

O

Good morning, uh I don't know if I missed it before I came in when we have a fire in a neighborhood.

O

How long is it as far as the fire investigations and things of that nature before it gets to you, and we can do something about getting that structure so.

F

We typically for fires our standard procedures. We typically wait 90 days after the the fire happens to like said, let the investigation, if there is one play out to allow the owner, hopefully their insurance steps up by that point and starts to take action and then, depending.

J

F

Severity of the fire, you know if it's a total loss and all we have is debris on the ground- that's a solid waste case, so we can take care of that, usually within two three months and get it cleaned up if they're not taking any action. So that would be after the 90 days. If it's only a partial fire and it's more of a demolition case, then we go through that process, which is a little bit longer.

O

Okay, okay and when we get to the point of uh I, see uh Public Works in the back. um If someone could address what it means that it's in it's on the route, it's coming soon, if you could explain what that means to the public.

F

You mean if it's on the right-of-way.

O

Or it's a right-of-way situation, I have a uh a gentleman he's listening this morning, um he called in on June and he's called I think five or six times he's very laid back. He follows all the rules and he called me back yesterday and said he just wanted to know. He said he's received recently. That is on the route to be done. He said, but he had heard that once so he wanted to make sure.

O

Does that mean that in the in the neighborhood to come in that direction, does it mean it's the next one on the list so.

F

If again, if it's something that, if it's an inspections and codes, issues and I said I, don't know that we would use that exact terminology. But you know that would normally mean that the you know if we've given it to the contractor and they're going to take care of it, you know as soon as possible. So I don't know what exactly the issue or his complaint is. But uh you.

O

Know, if you give me the address, I can go back and look and see. Yeah I see Public Works in the background, I think it's probably a public works issue. So it's it's. It's basically uh property on on Bennett, Fort, Benning,.

E

Road, so so is it a burned out, structure.

O

No, no, this is just debris on the right away.

E

Or the grass okay right away, grass overgrown yeah, okay yeah, that would be a public works. Yeah.

O

Matter, but he put the uh he had that called in and everything so he said, heard back from uh somewhere, I guess from Public Works uh recently that it was on the in the on the route. So that's why I'm just trying to get a clarification this morning? What does it mean? Is it is it? What I'm saying is? Is it a list that states well, the route means that's the next one in line on the route means it's gonna happen in two more weeks.

E

Well, I'm not really clear on, but it sounds like. The grass is overgrown on the right-of-way and public works all the right of way throughout the city, right, right and uh and typically they're going to get to areas um two three maximum of four times a year. But I think the goal is three times a year and so I don't know where that is. You said: Fort Benning Road did you say: Fort Bennett, Road, okay, we can have.

J

It yeah it is. We.

E

Can have them too? It's.

O

Along Shelby Street between Fort Benning, Road and Munson yeah.

E

We can have them take a look at where are you talking about, because.

O

This guy's really laid back, he waits his turn and he started in June yeah and we're approaching September yeah yeah.

E

O

Just want to know yeah, but again it's Shelby Street between Fort, Benning, Road and Munson drive that can she she's.

E

Got it in the referral and the referral we'll take a look at it: okay,.

B

Okay, all right, thank you. Thank you. Councilor Thomas.

K

I'm picking up on one of the things that um Council Huff said um there is a a house on the corner of 10th Avenue and 29th Street that burn around the first of the year and the shell of that house is still there. Nothing has been done. I know that at one time when there were other complaints about that property, I was told that the owner is out of state and I'm, not sure how that plays into what we need to do so director.

K

Could you could you enlighten me us about how we deal with owners that are out of state and don't respond? And uh you know this- this uh burned out. Shell of a house is an eyesore in that neighborhood and uh it needs to be taken down, but, as I said it as far as I know, the owner is not local. So can you talk about that? Just a minute.

F

uh Yes, ma'am and I do I do recall you uh referencing that property before so I'll go back and double check, but I'm would.

G

Hope that we have an immolation.

F

Case and it's working its way through that process, to bring back to you, hopefully soon so I can get you an update on that specific property. But um you have a slide of challenges later in out of town owners are definitely on that list, specifically llc's that are, you know. We probably have some from all 50 states that own property here in Columbus and so yeah- we don't have again. We can't physically touch them, so there's no possible way for us to cite them to get them into court to hold them.

F

You know allow the legal system to hold them accountable for failure to maintain their property, so our only option is to do the process, send the send the notices and then clean it up for them if they don't take any action.

K

And typically, when a property Burns um are you, is your department notified that at this address this house burned and needs to be taken care of? Yes,.

F

Yeah we work real closely with the the fire department, both on the building side, inspecting all the construction, as well as on the code enforcement side. So when they have, um you know an issue or a fire structure fire at a location. We do get a list of those from the fire department so that we're aware that there is a problem. Well,.

K

I'm sure the the Neighbors in that Weber Terrace neighborhood would love for you to get that eyesore off that corner of 10th Avenue and 29th Street. Thank you.

E

And Mr Mayor, if I may on that, just a are you dealing with insurance, uh potentially fraud investigations. Sometimes that will delay you so.

F

That's why we typically, if there's a structure, we don't start enforcement actions for that 90 days to allow that process. You know to to play out. You know, because some like I said some cases are just vacant property where the owner is never going to take any actions, and then you have, of course homes where families or fires where families lost their homes, and so we don't want to show up the next day. You know giving them a demand for compliance when they just lost their family home.

F

So that's why we take that little pause to hopefully allow the property owner to make plans and arrangements, and hopefully, if they have insurance for it to kick in well.

E

I've just heard that in some cases, you've had police or fire fraud investigations that you are not allowed to touch.

F

The problem correct yeah, so we wait until all that's completed before we do anything.

B

O

Huff yeah I did have one last question: um there's a situation in one of my neighborhoods, where the original owner's husband, wife raised the family, the husband and wife are deceased. The daughter is also deceased, I think there's one existent relative that may be in California and the house is falling in as you go through your procedures.

O

How long is that? Is it typical to go like you say to 90 days and then 120 days, yeah.

F

So um for the like weeds and solid waste um processes again for the vacant property and we're going to send the letter to whatever the address is in the tax records. That's what we're.

O

I mean the house is falling in, so if it's a demolition.

F

Case you know those typically take um about a year or so for us to start the case and bring it to council and part of that time is spent trying to track down who actually owns the property. You know if there was no will nothing was ever probated. You know there's a little bit of legwork or a lot of legwork to do to find that last little.

O

Neighbors that are trying to help because I think they have like three houses in the neighborhood. Now yeah I'll get you a list. Okay, thank you.

B

All right, Mr, Pruitt, I, think that's all the questions you want to move ahead. Sir. Yes,.

F

So I didn't want to specifically reference the ordinances that we operate out of both for the council and those watching by TV. If you want to go look up the city's ordinances, these are the sections that we use. So we violations those are covered in sections 13-113 through 13-115, solid waste, junk vehicles and stockpiling issues are all covered under 13-167.7.

F

Property maintenance issues, including landlord tenant complaints and how those cases are handled are governed by section 8-41 through 8-50.1, and then the demolition process and what qualifies a structure for demolition is in section 8-81.1 through 8-90.. So those are the sections specifically for the nuisance type cases that we operate out of so I did just want to briefly touch on our typical procedures for some of these nuisance cases.

F

So if an occupied property does require a little bit more legwork than a vacant property, so an occupied property during an initial inspection, you know the code enforcement officer is going to document the all the issues on the property. So you know if there's weeds and solid waste, we're going to write both of those things down and then our goal is to actually hand that to an individual on the property. So that way we can have a conversation with them.

F

Explain the issue explain what they need to do to correct it and explain how much time they have to do that. Of course, A lot of times nobody's home or they just simply refuse to answer the door when we're knocking on it. If that's the case, we'll post it in a conspicuous place on the property and then typically we're going to give them 14 days or so, depending on the severity of the violation to correct that issue.

F

So if we give them 14 days to correct it day, 15 I assume it's not the weekend, but day 15. We would come out there and do a re-inspection and if absolutely nothing has been done, the officer will attempt to issue a citation, and this is where again it can be a challenge. People aren't home. People refuse to answer the door. You know we've had cases before where you know they'll be sitting on the front porch. They see us pull up and they go in the house and we can't physically hand them that citation anymore.

F

So if we are unable you know, if we issue the citation, then it goes to court and then the judge can take the appropriate action if nobody's available for the citation. Then at that time we're going to mail certified letters to both the property and the property owner. If it's different addresses to make them aware of the issue and then again we give them. Typically, that's a 10-day letter.

F

um So once they get the letter and we can prove that it's been delivered another one of our challenges- the Postal Service.

F

There is a significant percentage of our mail that just never gets delivered and I think everybody's kind of had some of those issues, probably in your personal life.

F

um So we do experience experience those issues as well, but once the letter has been delivered, the expiration period in the letter expires uh code enforcement gathers all the evidence, all the letters, all the warnings, all the case notes all the pictures, and then we take that to the recorders court judge. We prepare an abatement order and ask for their approval to go on to the property and Abate Abate the nuisance. So you know in our in our country it's a big deal for the government to go on to private property and take people's belongings.

F

You know to us, it looks like trash, but the people that live there. Those are their belongings that were taken and cleaning up. So there is a very thorough process for us to follow through you know. We also want the liens and all that to be able to stick. So we are very thorough with the paperwork to make sure it's right, but the judge will review all of the evidence, all the paperwork, if the orders granted the contractor will be hired to Abate the nuisance. So again we have a group of three contractors.

F

We will solicit pricing from them, so we can be good stewards of taxpayer money so that takes a few days to go out for quotes. Let them look at the property, see what it'll take a lot of times. They've got to bring in equipment. You know they got to bring in big 40-yard dumpsters to get everything taken care of, um and then so we'll we'll get those pricing and then we hire the contractor to help clean the clean it up for us.

F

Oftentimes law enforcement, whether it's the Columbus Police Department or the Muskogee County Sheriff's office, is on site with us. While we're doing these abatements again, the people who are cleaning up their property they're not happy about it and sometimes they can get agitated. So we have law enforcement there for security for us, as well as our contractors, and we we certainly appreciate their support through this process.

F

So vacant property is a little bit easier again because there's we kind of lose that initial step and then, since it's vacant we also don't the ordinances do not require us to get an abatement order from the judge. So the certified piece of mail is enough. So once we have proof that that's been delivered, the warning period in the letter has expired.

F

Then we can. We can go on the property and and clean it up again. These are these: are vacant properties so nobody's living there? If the owner is local, we do visit their listed address, um you know and we will give them a citation if we're able to track them down at their address for the vacant property.

F

The one thing the ordinance does allow us to do for vacant property is the letter only has to be sent every once every three years. So, if I send the letter in 2023 and we cut, we hire a contractor to cut it. I don't have to send a new letter until 2026, assuming that the ownership does not change.

F

If the ownership changes, then you know we got to start over, but for those three years, if we get another complaint- or we just know that this is a recurring issue at this vacant property, the officer goes out sees the violation immediately puts the paperwork in the box, and then we get the contractor out there. So that does make turnaround for vacant property a little bit a little bit quicker than occupied property.

F

So property maintenance issues again there's kind of two classes of case that we call Property Maintenance the first one is landlord tenant issues. So again, a tenant has some issues in their apartment. They can call us all of our code. Enforcement officers are required to be certified property maintenance inspectors, um so they have. They have two years from their start date to achieve that certification, so they will. The tenant calls will schedule the inspection for the next day. Tenant inspections are always done.

F

The next business day cost till five o'clock today we'll come out there tomorrow to take a look at it. The officer is going to document all the issues and then he's going to notify the landlord of the issues and give them a reasonable time to fix it. You know for life, safety issues, no heat, no air conditioning things like that, typically 24 48 hours, and we don't necessarily expect you to have a brand new air conditioning unit at that house in 24 to 48 hours.

F

But if you can't solve the main problem, we need to come up with some other accommodations. You know. Maybe we buy some window air conditioning units that we can put in there something to provide a safe environment for the tenant and.

B

Excuse me just a moment: counselor huh quick.

O

Question I'm trying to catch it before you got too far ahead. um If you go to inspect the property and it's been vacant for a while, you've been through your procedures and you run up come upon squatters. How does that handle so.

F

We do not deal with the people side of things in Code, Enforcement we're strictly the condition of the property and the structure. So now, if I have declared the structure uninhabitable as in it's unsafe, then legally nobody's allowed to be inside, and so we would get with law enforcement and they have the the ability under that city ordinance, I've declared it unsafe. Nobody can be inside. But if we haven't gone through that process, you know I have no way of determining who's legally there and who's.

F

Not so, ultimately, it's up to the owner, through whatever type of eviction process, they would have to do to get the squatters off. Okay,.

B

Thank you. Thank you. Ryan go ahead.

F

Yeah, so that that's landlord tenant cases, um and so we like I, said we work with landlords and, like I said, all we're trying to achieve is.

J

F

Know safe accommodations for for the tenants when these issues kind of pop up the second type of property maintenance issues are for vacant, uh Properties or owner occupied properties. We get complaints about. um You know, there's a there's a home in my neighborhood. That's got some problems, but it's actually occupied by by the owner.

F

um So for these types of cases we do document the issues. um You know the property maintenance code is a pretty wide case. It covers everything from missing. Shingles to rotten, fascia board to chipping paint is even in there. You know some minor issues like that, so we do document these issues. We do notify the owner of hey. You know you have these problems and then we work with them to try to resolve resolve the issues.

F

So we do not issue citations for these types of violations simply be because we do know that there are a lot of homeowners in Columbus with these minor type issues that simply can't afford to repaint their house or fix. You know a five foot stretch or rotten fascia board. So again, these these aren't rising to the level of safety issues for the occupant. It's just more of an appearance thing that the code covers so again. We track the issues we have them on our list, especially if they're vacant.

F

You know, we know if the structure is not being maintained, there's a good chance, the property's not being maintained, so we keep an eye on it. If the grass starts growing, then we we handle that with the other process uh and then the demolition again I think probably most familiar with this, because I am here several times a year asking for uh approval, two um demolish unsafe structures. So again it's a similar type process. We do an initial inspection. The officer determines that, yes, the structure qualifies for demolition under our ordinance, the owner.

F

We establish a hearing date which is done in front of the city manager or his designee, which I am his designee, so I hold the hearing at our office. The owner is notified of that hearing via certified mail. Again there's some legwork to determine who the actual owner is. um You know, especially if they're deceased or it's an air property, so there's a little bit of work there. We have the hearing if I conclude that it is still demolition worthy they're, given a 45-day notice. If there's no work done, then again we go through.

F

We get pricing. We do some hazardous material testing to see exactly how much it's going to cost to tear it down again. Still no work has been completed. Then we schedule the first reading of the demolition ordinance again notify the owner that they have the opportunity to come before you and state their side of the case.

F

If demolition is approved, then we release the contractor and they get to work and then again once the demolition is complete and we clear the case, all the documentation is given to finance to bill the owner and then place the lien on the property.

B

Excuse me Ryan, just saying I accidentally turned yours off I was getting the councilor Tucker, while I'm doing that. If you'd hit your button. Thank you.

I

In reference to the contractor, is this a RFP process for the demolition contractor? Is it one contract like what's how does that work.

F

Yes, so it is an RFP process, again same same very similar to the lot clearing contracts, where again, it's the initial periods for two years with three year: three options for the next three years, so a total of five years competitive process.

F

It's currently under review has been issued and proposals have been received, so I do know, finances running that process to re-award it or award it for the next period of time is.

I

It just one contractor for so.

F

For the last time, which again was originally awarded five years ago, so back in 2018, which is before my time, but at that time it was awarded to a primary and a secondary, but through the years the secondary hasn't renewed. So we are just down to one contractor.

B

F

I didn't want to want to throw some pictures up here, so we could talk about each of the kind of typical complaints that we see so I wanted to start with overgrown Wheats. um So, as you can see this photo, this is a house, a property that has Tall Weeds. So our current ordinance is 18 inches, which is on me. It's about knee-high a little bit below knee high. So if the grass isn't up that high there's no violation, so you know if it's 12 inches it's up to your boot tops: that's not a violation.

F

Our current ordinance is 18 inches for it to be a violation before we can take any action. So in this case the grass is over 18 inches sent the letter, nothing happens. Contractor comes out and mows the grass. We also spray a a type of herbicide that stunts the growth of the grass. It doesn't kill it, but it does keep it from growing up so fast because you know we know in Georgia with the weather we have that you can cut it and it would be 18 inches again next week. If we didn't do that.

F

So that does slow it down and instead of growing up over a week or two, it takes a few months for the grass to grow up. So one thing you will notice: we do not. The ordinance does not cover wooded growth, so we will not trim any trees. We will not trim any bushes, that's not covered under our ordinance. There are no violations for overgrown trees or bushes.

F

So if you drive by a vacant piece of property and the only thing on there is trees and shrubs, there's no action for the city to take with our current ordinances. We do advise people because we get a lot of calls. You know. Neighbors can cut the trees and bushes back to the property line if it starts encroaching on the neighbor's property. But again our current ordinance does not cover any type of wooded gross.

E

Excuse me, I was just going to say: that's, you know what the director said about you in Georgia you, you mow your grass this week and next week it's 18 inches again, and so um that's a challenge for those properties and back to the council. Huffs question earlier about I guess: Fort Bennington, whatever street.

E

That was that's a challenge for us with our resources or limited resources, and that's why you heard me say they try and do it three four times a year with the resources we have and so they're moving about the city, and you know you can mow the grass and I'll use steam Mill Road um this week and next week the grass is going to be up again because that's how it grows, and so, if, if our team from Public Works come through and mow that grass on Steam meal that I use it as an example, in two weeks or three weeks, you got a problem but they're going to the next spot and they're Mowing, and so it's just a limited resources.

E

I just want to point that out that you know and I don't like the goal of three times four times a year: it's just not enough um in in the non-growing season. You know they get do get some relief and and can keep it better because they don't have to, but I I just wanted to make that point.

F

So the next example is uh Solid Waste, which is a fancy phrase for trash. um So again, this is a property. This is actually one of the ones the City attorney was referencing earlier that we went to Superior Court and got a court order for because this property was filled with squatters. So again, I, don't know the legal. You know status or if those people have permission to be there, but they were creating such a nuisance for the neighboring properties that the city took action and actually was able to clear the property of the residents.

F

In addition to cleaning up the solid waste, so went through that process and then again, in this case we did board up the properties which typically, we do not do, but due to the number of squatters that were living there, and you know we knew they were going to come back. If we didn't do something, so we did secure the property to get it cleaned up and now this property is actually on the demolition list and we'll probably be brought forward soon.

F

If no action is taken so stockpiling again, which is kind of a spin-off of solid waste, it's you know the accumulation of stuff, that's not necessarily trash, but shouldn't be kept outside on a residential property. So you know pallets washing machines, uh hundreds of lawn mowers, you know things that just get uh to be an eyesore qualify as stockpiling. So again this is an owner occupied property. So we now issued the warnings tried to issue citations, um enable it are never able to find the responsible party.

F

So again, then we went to the judge, got an abatement order and was able to clean it up. We completed this pictures from June late June when we did the cleanup, which was several thousand dollars worth of cleanup, and this is a picture from earlier this month to where it's uh back, probably worse than it was before.

F

So you know it's back on the list and again this is a challenge for us of what what do we do, because it is an owner occupied property, an individual lives here you know, we've cleaned it up once or twice already and I said: do we just keep doing the same thing over and over again junk Vehicles, again, Council amended the ordinance last year to give us the authority to tow vehicles from private property. So we are now doing that so that ordinance requires a minimum of a 30-day notice.

F

So the owner of this property would have got a letter spelling out all these cars as being junk vehicles and giving them 30 days to either repair the vehicles or remove them. When they fail to take action, we go get an abatement order from recorders Corp and then we can tow the vehicles. So again we did over 60 last fiscal year and again we just did 10 last week, so we are ramping up. Removing these.

B

Vehicles, councilor Tucker.

I

In reference to the junk vehicles um I know in District 4 we have a lot of I guess, individuals doing work on vehicles at their property.

I

um Sometimes the vehicles are actually in the backyard and it looks like a outside garage. Are we addressing those properties or just the ones where the the cars are on the front yard?.

F

No it's if the vehicle is anywhere on the property, we will address it now. We need to be able to see the violations. That's the other thing. You know we are required to follow. You know legal proceedings and we just can't go into somebody's backyard. If we don't have probable cause to believe there's violations back there, but if you can see it from a neighbor's property or if a neighbor has a two-story house and their window sees down into that property.

F

If the neighbor gives us permission to go onto their property, so we can see the issue, then we can certainly take action on that. You know a lot of times. We get complaints of oh there's this going on at this house and you know we're seeing it out on the street and it might look Immaculate from the street. Well and then you know we need permission to go on to somebody else's property, so we can see the violation yeah.

I

And I think um just recently, I had sent a complaint.

I

um I can't remember if it was a duel, but it was all Forest Road and the vehicles well, one of them was told, but they came right back so I will say that some of the the residents um I think they're a little apprehensive about. You know calling um and I don't mind, calling because that's what you know I've been elected to do, but we do have several um violators in reference to these junk Vehicles, yeah and.

E

And uh just to that point about vehicles in the backyard um you enforced, um one particular property, a residential property. It had 52 vehicles on residential property 52.

E

and you did a request to comply and they didn't comply and you sent multiple tow trucks out and they started hauling off the vehicles we did, and so we have those situations in Columbia you wouldn't. No one can imagine that you would have 52 vehicles on a residential property, but that was a true that's a true case here in Columbus yeah.

I

Well, it was um when you're going when you're on Hunter Road going into Carver Park um on the right hand, side, it was probably around 30 cars piled up in the empty lot and it's just cars, but what they have done is put.

I

It looked like um piles of sand trying to cover it up, so people won't see it now. So we um it's it's a lot of a lot of issues with these junk Vehicles yeah.

B

Thank you, Council kogel,.

M

B

The uh for all.

M

Of these violations for overgrown weeds and solid waste, everything that we're doing to clean up are we sending the property owners the bill and then do they pay it.

F

So I would have to defer to finance for what the ratio of the bills getting paid is. But yes, they do listen. Once uh inspections and codes completes our work. The the whole packet of information is handed off to the finance department and that my understanding is, they send the bill, and if the bill goes unpaid, then the lien gets placed on the property.

M

And then, if they're like for the stockpiling, people that you just went through, do those fines increase over and over again or I mean what's to what's to prevent them from doing this? Over and over again, I mean if I wanted somebody to come and mow. My lawn I would just stop mowing my lawn, because the city would come and then I would just pay the city yeah.

E

And I think that's the point. Council Davis was making earlier yeah.

E

um You know you're right and that's why we need to really get to a decision on if the lien exceeds the value of that property.

E

Here's what's going to happen within X number of days once that we hit that seal and so yeah I mean I've, heard cases where they've issued a citation to someone as councilor Davis that could afford it and the fan was 125 dollars. They'd rather come pay, go to court and pay the fact.

M

Like what, for example, what's the, how much does how much is a fine for like the overgrown weeds, so.

F

There's two and I will make sure we're clear, so there's two things that we there's a lean. You know that we place on the property um when we clean it up, so the owner's going to get a bill for the actual cost of cleaning it up, plus a small fee which I think is 75 dollars. So you know for uh cutting the grass. The owner is going to get a bill for 200 bucks because we paid the contractor 125 plus the 75 administrator fee.

F

So that's what they the owner's going to get that bill and if they don't pay it that 200 liens going to be placed on the property and then it accrues interest over time. So that's that's. When we physically hire a contractor to go, take care of the issue and.

M

As a second offense, more no.

F

It's still just the actual cost of the work for anytime. We cut it, it's just the cost of the work. Now the. If we are able to issue a citation and get them into court, then those fines, Council adjusted that those fines, it's a minimum 500 for the first offense and then the second offense and subsequent offenses is the maximum of thousand dollars. So.

M

But wouldn't it make sense that if you were a repeat offender, if I mean if I'm letting my grass grow over 18 inches for uh I, don't know the average lawn care cost for someone is say a hundred dollars a month if I'm gonna, let my grass grow to 18 inches over two months or two and a half months by the time. Somebody reports it it's cheaper for me to let the city come and do the work than to pay a lawn care person.

M

So would it not make sense for second and third and fourth offenders to be increasing those values.

F

So I'm and have to refer to the City attorney out of the ordinance. The lien is for the cost of the work plus that small fee. So I don't know if we have the.

M

Affiliation I understand that but like if we're talking about preventing people from doing this, yeah I mean I, would rather I mean let the city come and clean up. All the pallets in my yard, for a thousand dollars then pay somebody, twenty five hundred dollars to come and do it.

E

So I think what I hear you saying is: if it's 125 to mole plus the 75 dollars, is two hundred dollars. If we come out another in in four more weeks, it's going to be.

M

It should be 400 well.

E

J

C

M

To deter people from continuing on it's it's, these habits.

E

So it could double each time we come out, for example,.

M

For example, yeah.

E

M

Mean it's got a it's. There has to be a way to deter people from continuing the process. Yeah.

E

M

I mean it's like parenting, I mean if my child I don't know my poor. Kid is hopefully not listening. So if she does something bad like I'm, not gonna have the same Consequence the second time I mean or else she's just gonna keep doing it and doing it and doing it.

M

She might even actually like emptying the dishwasher eventually.

D

The City attorney well again, let's keep in mind that a lien under Georgia law can only equate to the amount that it costs to clean up that property that cost five hundred dollars. Your lien is going to be 500 against this property. You can't just go and put a thousand dollar lien on there if the cost is only 500.

M

Sure, but we can, we can get there faster. They.

D

Keep adding up sure you can go as many times as you need to to do the work.

B

D

The key is getting him cited.

B

And get him into court because.

J

You can get them.

B

Into court, then you can, you can escalate that fine, then for each for each offense you can get them with a thousand dollars, but.

M

Where they're only going to court, if they don't pay the fee, correct.

B

Well, that's right so I mean, but chances are they're not paying most I bet you most of these are not paying these fees anyway.

E

Yeah and that's why the liens, escalating and I think what I hear the director saying is: you know they go in the house close the door. You really can't issue the citation to get them to court. You know because you're hiding.

M

Sure but then we can get to court faster if we're, and then we can fix the problem faster, I.

B

Think it's all part of the bigger issue, and that is just how do we? How do we utilize the courts that will utilize the fine system? How do we utilize the liens to get this rectified quicker? All right? um That's all I'm going to continue.

F

So a property maintenance case again. This is an example of of one of those uh properties that has some minor issues. You know we typically do not cite. For you know: it's got some rotten fascia boards, some peeling paint so again we're going to document that we're going to send notification to the owner requesting that they they correct those issues and then we're going to monitor the status of the property, an example of a demolition. This was one that was approved last year.

F

So again, a house that does qualify for demolition has major structural and other. You know safety concerns with it, so we bring It Forward, get approval, demolish it grade the lot and then grass and um stabilize it so code. Some challenges which we've kind of already touched on a lot of these throughout the the course of our conversation. So repeat: offenders um again, you know we have multiple properties and many of them are homeowner occupied.

F

You know that have well over ten thousand dollars in liens and that number's Just Gonna Keep Rising, as the interest keeps piling up the out of town owners. You know we do get a low, very low response break from out of town owners, especially llc's.

F

You know we get there's literally properties that these llc's buy, they own it for less than 24 hours and they're selling it again. So it creates challenges of tracking down who the owner is. They are just shuffling through multiple llc's, and so that is an issue again. We cannot cite somebody that we physically can't touch so an agent for an LLC that lives in Texas. You know we don't we can't cite to them, so our only option is to go out there and do the work ourselves and then the postal service.

F

We do lose a lot of mail or it takes longer than it seems like it should to get all that delivered.

F

B

I've been at one week and I can't remember, which button to hit that's counselor, Begley.

H

uh This may be a dumb question, but is there a third party service we can hire to serve someone to provide these citations um that are out of state.

F

um So I you know, I had to defer to the City attorney. I do know that there is a provision in state law that allows you to mail a citation, but the only recourse if they fail to show up for court is to clean up the property and place a lien on it. So there's no, you know we can't if I physically hand you a citation and you fail to appear at court. Typically, the judge is going to issue a warrant for your arrest for failure to appeal, but in.

B

That provision of state law that.

F

Does allow us to mail things and request, you know essentially a summons to court. The only recourse if they don't appear is just clean up the property.

H

Personally, deliver it so so not in the mail, not you delivering it a third party to deliver it in person. The is. Are we allowed to do that.

D

That's something we would could look into. There are process servers that are not law enforcement Personnel, but I mean there's going to be an expense, obviously, but.

H

In theory, we could add that expense to the amount that they owe that's part of processing it, and so, if they're, because I think the big question is how do we issue a citation? So we can get a third party to issue those citations and then they incurred the expense. Eventually, that would be a hopefully, not a big expense to us and we would be able to citate issue a citation to these out-of-state owners.

H

How do we explore that explore.

D

That further yeah, we can look into that, but yeah it'd have to be a probably an RFP for a third party vendor to do that. Type. Work, okay,.

H

Can we do that.

E

Yes, sir, we could uh research and I'm sure there are other communities with third parties like that and I think we could first look to see if some other community is doing it and then don't reinvent the wheel figure out how they're doing it, what they're doing and see if we can do it here in Columbus,.

B

Council Davis so.

N

That's a referral director Peru along the same lines as accountants of Begley's question right now. Currently, how do we collect who said who, in your department, who sends these notices to people out of town or to the people that you're trying to Target in this case? Who does that right now? Who does the collections.

F

So our all of our notices are mailed by our code enforcement technician so again she's sending the certified mail. You know requesting compliance, you know, so the officer goes out. He documents the violation and then he notifies that employee. You know sent a certified letter on this case and then she handles that part of it is.

N

That just a sole individual that does that and.

F

Then how about.

N

The collections and of it to make sure that they're paying, where does that go.

F

So again, I don't handle the finance department handles all the billing and collections well.

N

You feel, like you, adequately, have enough people in your department to handle this minor, or would you prefer it to us to look at uh city manager and others to to look at options to maybe in general, to try to try to you know to try to well. It's accounts. Receivable is what it is to try to make sure that people are number one they're aware number two that they're you know they know they need to pay right.

F

N

Like I said, the bill is not an obligation yeah, the billing and all.

F

Gets handed off to the finance department, so as far as my Staffing, with the notification and responding to the complaints, I do feel like we're adequately staff. You know the only number that you could possibly approve on again in our peak time. The maximum time from a complaint to our first inspection is those three days and then the process is the process from that time. So we, you know our office staff, that's mailing the letters and doing the notifications that.

J

F

Have to do you know they get those out the same day so as soon as the request is put in, they get printed and mailed that same day. So we're really not going to pick up any time by adding additional staff just because the process is the process that we have to go through.

B

Council Tucker um city manager.

I

Can you add this as a referral for us to um get a list just so we can see a big picture, how many of those bills were sent down and how many were paid for these um offenses. That way, we can also, when we're working on possibly doing a a courier service that Mr beglin councilor beglin um discuss. We can see what we need to do sure. Thank you.

B

You continue Ryan, okay,.

F

um So that is the end of the code enforcement aside again I got. We can certainly answer more questions at the end of the presentation, but I did want to jump into the building permitting and Inspection Division um you, you all, don't hear a lot from me on this subject, which I think is a testament to the knowledge and the professionalism of my staff that processes these permits and does the inspections, but the permitting Inspection Division uh has all these employees there's the Chief Inspector two plans: examiners, three permit technicians and nine trade inspectors.

F

So we have uh three building inspectors: three electrical inspectors and three Mechanical plumbing inspectors that are tasked with going out and ensuring all construction work in the county is done up to code. We only have one vacant position currently in this division, which is a plumbing electric or a plumbing mechanical inspector. So if you know any plumbers looking for work, you can send them our way. So this division has the responsibility of enforcing the Georgia state building codes, including all those trade codes, Plumbing electrical gas mechanical.

F

So how the process works is the state, through the Department of Community Affairs, adopts minimum building codes which they use the International Code Council, which is a nationwide standard, and then Georgia admin amends that code as they see fit through an appointed board, that's appointed by by the governor, but the state adopts the codes and then they grant us as a local jurisdiction.

F

The ability to enforce the codes, so we in Columbus have typically never modified the state code, just whatever the state adopts is what we have so that process includes review of plans so all commercial plans. All residential plans are submitted to my office. They are reviewed by one of our plans. Examiners comments are sent back and forth so that the plans to the best of our ability meet the code and then, as the work is completed, contractors call in for inspections.

F

Inspectors go out at different various stages of the project to ensure that the work meets the code. We also administer the board of zoning appeals, which has really two functions. One is to Grant variances from portions of the the development ordinance. The most common one is setbacks.

F

So all you know, accessory structures, for example in in single-family districts, have to be five feet from the property line. If a homeowner wants to put it closer than that five feet, they can go to the board and try to demonstrate a hardship to get a variance. The board of zoning appeals also can review any decision and interpretation of the code that I make. So if I, you know if, in my opinion, the code says the Builder is required to do this. He disagrees with that interpretation.

F

He can go to the board and request them review my my decision and then the this division also enforces the city's development ordinance as a whole, including uh work on historic properties signage throughout the community, and we also review to ensure that any business before they get a business license. They got to come, see me and we ensure that the zoning is appropriate for that business.

F

So just some numbers from this group we issued over 6 000 permits last year uh over 1300 certificate of occupancies, almost 11 000 inspections. The total valuation of the work that was permitted in the county was over 378 million dollars for fiscal year 2023, which means that's the value of the work that was put in place in this community. So that's the the tax digest increasing all that work happening.

F

All the development in the community and the total revenue generated was a little over 1.9 million dollars which pretty much matches up with the expenses for this division, which is how it's supposed to work under state law.

F

One of our future goals- and one thing we're really pushing hard- is to get online functionality for permit applications, as well as inspection requests. Right now we still operate a little old school where contractors have to call in and I have an employee that answers the phone and schedules the inspections really trying to get that online this year. It's something that our customers in the building Community are really pushing for.

F

So we plan to ease into that transition again, starting with trade permits and inspection requests, which are really two of the easiest um things that we issue. You know there's not as much review involved with those requests and then rolling out some of the more in-depth review that we do.

F

So one thing to note is that, in order to be able to review a big set of commercial plans, we do need some big monitors and touch screens and things like that- some hardware and software, so that I do plan on having that as a budget request upcoming the benefit to that is right. Now we require two hard copy sets for all these big commercial jobs. You know that's costing the applicant thousands of dollars in permit or in printing costs.

F

So if we go digitally we're making the cost of development go down just a little bit in our community and the final area I wanted to touch on was project management. So again myself and the Chief Inspector. That position was created to assist with the management of City projects. My Chief Inspector Philip Smith. He is also a certified building official. He actually has more certifications than I do so highly qualified individual.

F

So we are working on all these projects right now, all of which you are familiar with City Hall judicial Center, Sheriff's, Office Building, the pool Replacements fire station number five and kicking off the jail. Those contracts were approved a few weeks ago. One thing to note, specifically with the pools in the fire station, is we really work hand in hand with those departments whose facility that is so uh you know we provide the technical knowledge, the project management experience. We push. You know the contract through.

F

We make sure the Project's staying on scope in schedule and budget, um however, that the department for the Pools, Parks and Rec is going to make all the decisions. I don't really care what color the bathrooms are. You know those types of decisions, that's a Parks and Rec decision.

F

um So we, like I, said we work hand in hand same thing with the fire station with the fire department. So we do recognize due to the size and scope of the judicial Center project. You know our current recommendation is that we would create multiple, temporary full-time positions to bring on some temporary internal Staffing to do the daily management and oversight of that project. So that way they could be boots on the ground.

F

You know seven days a week making sure that that project's done, the way that we want it to.

B

Judy councilor Thomas Judy.

K

Oh director Pruitt um I'm I'm, looking at the city hall and the judicial Center, actually the judicial Center project management. We have not had an official presentation to this Council about. What's going on in the judicial with the judicial Center, um there have been news articles about it. There have been conversations in the community about it, but we have not had an official presentation and so Mr city manager, I'm, requesting that we have one at our next council meeting on. Where are we what's happening? What are you recommending?

K

What are you thinking about um in order for us to deal with those questions that are coming to they're? Coming to me, I'm sure, they're, coming to other counselors too, about what's going on down at the judicial Center I know that there have been numerous conversations with the judges and that there have been numerous suggestions with the judges I'm somewhat concerned that we don't have a full-time project manager for that for that project.

K

From what you have said to us in these 36 slides that you have shown us um you're, pretty busy, guy and I'm, not sure that you can do I know you're good, but I, don't know that you can do two full-time jobs uh at the same time and I I really would like for us to revisit the issue of a project manager for this multi-million dollar project that we are doing.

K

This is not to say in any way director Pruitt that I, don't think you're doing a good job on this I just think you uh uh May soon be if you're not already overloaded, and so I would request number one that we have a report we have and and a regular scheduled report on what's happening with the judicial Center and that we revisit the issue of a full-time uh project manager for the judicial Center I.

K

Think what I have seen in the city hall uh you've done a good job down there and I I think it's gonna. It's.

J

K

But I'm I'm really concerned about the judicial Center and what's happening down there, so Mr Mayor and Mr city manager, if we can have an update as thoroughly and as quickly and as often as possible. Thank you.

B

Counselor Tucker.

I

Yes, um you know it's been several citizens, uh Mr Pruitt, that that are saying wow, that young man has a lot on his plate, um and we've said it before at one of the previous Council meetings, that it is a lot and one of the things and I have to um Echo what counselor Thomas just mentioned in reference to the judicial Center, because we are getting a lot of calls um regarding. Have we received any updating and we haven't I can't answer those questions, but the same thing with the Muscogee County Jail as well.

I

um That's the second, um probably most expensive project that we have and we have not received the update. So I will ask um city manager if we could add the jail as well um to um the list in reference to getting an update on the jails and I know that um we have Parks and Rec on the agenda for the day, but also the pool Replacements like where, where are we um in the RFP process? Or are we breaking ground um with actually putting the pools in or digging them up or whatever?

I

These are questions that citizens are asking regarding um these projects, but I do I do seem that it is a lot. um Your office has a heavy heavy load um and councilor cargo made a comment. I actually attended the gis training um this month. One of the gis trainers and we were learning about dashboards.

I

um I will say that I think myself and Council Chicago probably could maneuver GIS but I. Don't think um I'm looking at counselors, I'm, sorry for laughing, but I think that we probably wouldn't need a report.

I

I know that was it's actually a class on reporting features um in GIS, where we could ex export um reports and you can export it by District, so I would say we probably would need probably a monthly report based on um things that are like cold cold enforcement issues within our district and the only reason why I say I can do it I think Joanne can do it, but I know my friend here: councilor Barnes could not do it and he'll be calling councilor Tucker.

I

So um we just need a little help because one of the things that occurs we have the citizens that contact us and it will be helpful for me to have something where I can say. Okay, this is where they are in the project or this right here is completed.

I

We don't have that right now, you know, and it's it's almost and my my background, this information technology so I'm real big on you, know customer service and being able to go in in the database and pulling where the info, where the um the status is of whatever we just don't have that right now, so um I think that'll be very helpful um for the counselors to actually to actually see and I know some districts might have more than others. So, but thank you, Council.

B

N

Thank you, mayor, councilor Thomas. Thank you, I think you're spotting on them getting some of those concerns too. So I appreciate those comments. I would say: I still, you know I wish we had entertained several times. It was mentioned about putting a local uh body and advisory body of our developers together, which we got some really good ones. I wish.

N

That was the case, but I understand that we're about to probably soon mobilize uh in in the start of this project, still I mean you could yeah I guess you could say that that that that entity could still help out at at this point, um however, uh you know I I, you know, I I haven't asked anybody about specifically about when uh the team that's working on the judicial Center will be mobilizing, but imagine it soon. uh Let me just ask you this uh director Pruitt with the uh or Miss city manager, the the idea.

G

N

Like the idea of having you're going to need, I mean you're going to need people on site you're, going to need people managing you're going to need project managers. Okay, I mean it's just there's a lot of things that can happen in this size building, especially things that get missed, and you don't want to go back.

N

I mean you want to catch all these things on the front end regardless and and it it doesn't matter what stage you're in the uh structural, architectural civil drawings all the way across the board, things get missed and you always wish you could go back and and and do it all over again, so I I think that there are people in our community that can help. But what is the intention with the positions? Is that coming out of our annual budget, or is it coming out of the cost that we've uh we've taken out bonds?

N

That's another thing too: the the bonds have already been initiated. So there's certain obligations there is it coming out of the cost of the project out of the bonds, I mean they're. You understand what I'm asking the city major.

E

That the at least two people that I've talked to the director about will be a part of the project cost, um and so they won't be on out of our general fund. If you will right, be part of the project cost, and we do realize that with the size of the project and the number of projects that um the director is dealing with, that we we need those boots on the ground.

E

Every day, it's I mean we've not had a project, this large, a single project in the history of our city, and we got to get it right and- um and so you know we'll we'll bring an update, as requested at the next meeting um and um I will uh we'll we'll bring that update.

E

Our challenge has been I mean, we've talked to you and we've shared with you, where we are in Project cost and um and and and something other options that are being considered with the wings and so forth, um to keep the project within cost, um but and we've had conversation with judges, as the counselor has said. uh But we haven't come to a consensus with the judges on what we last shared with you, and so that's what we've been working on, but we'll bring an update at the next meeting and.

N

That's good. Thank you. I. Do think that you know it's some things sitting here. Thinking about the history and the lessons we've learned from the past. Sometimes it's once once said the histories. You grow one of your greatest teachers. You learn a lot of lessons from it, but you know all of us I think all of us here today could probably think of things that could have been done better in the current judicial Center. You know you don't want to be in that position.

N

Come 10 15 20 years, so you always miss something but, like I said, I wish. You could still entertain that thought about having people that do this. We got some good developers in our community that do this on a daily basis and maybe they can still assist.

B

All right thanks, sir.

F

um Yeah, just in closing uh mayor, you know we went through some numbers about uh permits issued number of inspections. Code cases worked, you know, if you add all those numbers up, you know we're over 30 000 interactions with the public a year that my department averages and that's not including phone calls and things of that nature and a.

G

Lot of those are.

F

Not friend necessarily the public doesn't necessarily want us to.

J

Be there they don't want.

F

To be told what they have to do with their property, they don't.

G

F

To be told that they're building inspections failed because they missed something. So you know I get very few complaints through our interactions with the public and our customers, and it's really a testament to my employees, work ethic, their professionalism and their knowledge of the code in the ordinances, so I certainly couldn't do it without them and I just want to thank them publicly for all their work.

B

All right doesn't appear to be any more questions, Ryan, good, good job on the presentation, but but a better job with what you and your staff do going well day to day. Yeah.

E

And and obviously you can see the challenges he had but I I've asked Ryan multiple times. I know that somebody asking the question: maybe councilor Davis I, think I, ask you a week or two ago: do you need more people and his response was no I, don't need more people. We are meeting you you share with me your standard of um doing it within so many days and so forth, and it's not it's not typical. That I would ask a director, do you need more people and they say no, but he said no.

E

So thank you for the hard work and all that you and your team are doing. Thank.

B

You, sir I thank councilor. Kogel, wants to.

M

uh Mr city manager, I think the um one small snap step people who are the fourth on our agenda- need to go and I'd like to make the uh request that we bump them up to the next presentation before the railroad crossing. That's okay, yes,.

E

And so um May approachium Allen is listed for one small step, but I think he sent the people he want to address this topic and I do see Katie Bishop. If you would come forward just come forward to the my you know,.

E

Books uh Katie, would you just introduce him? Please uh it's Miss Katie Bishop.

P

So Katie Bishop, um we are the agency that'll, be working on behalf of storycorps and one small step, a new initiative. We're excited to talk to you guys about and Neil Griffith is going to be field director here in Columbus, so he'll be here. A lot really he's here once a week for like half the week, so we're excited to have him in the community and I will pass it over to him. To give you guys a little info about the initiative.

Q

Well, good morning, good.

B

Morning welcome my.

Q

Name is Neil and I want to thank.

B

Q

Griffith Griffith, yes, yes and I want to thank Columbus for welcoming me here into your open arms. So thank you. So much and I want to um Express Thanks to our mayor and I'm, saying our because I feel a part of.

G

The community now and.

Q

uh City council, so I'm here to we have this live presentation. There's a oh I didn't see it. Okay, we have a quick slide presentation to introduce um our one small step initiative. um Just a brief summation. One small step is an opportunity for um conversations Instagram. Okay, it's the opportunity for conversations of people of different backgrounds, specifically political backgrounds, one might lean more conservatively. One might lean more liberal liberally, but in these times today, there's a lot of contention and a lot of exhaustion among people that have differences of opinions.

Q

So one small step is an opportunity to find.

Q

Surely one small step is an opportunity to find their similarities instead of their differences? So we're excited to present this one small step presentation.

Q

So we have one small step which is Columbus Georgia, we're excited to let you know that we're going to be launching one small step on September 13th at the National Infantry Museum.

Q

So one small step mission is to preserve and share Humanity stories in order to build connections between people and create a just and compassionate world story course. So story corpse is a company that comes out of New, York and um story. Corpses uh in storycorp, says interviews which are 40 minutes, recorded conversations between people who know each other and may not know each other people record stories and conversations to honor the life stories of their loved ones. More than 650 000 people have shared their stories.

Q

The story, Corps archives in the Library of Congress, um and it's the largest single collection of human voices, gathered.

Q

So in 2021, a story called corpse launched something called one small step and that's what I refer to early as the conversations between two people of um political opposites, and it is a approach to questioning meaningful conversations across the political divide.

Q

Okay so and one small step, we match two strangers with different political views for a respectful, 50-minute conversation.

Q

These are not debates over issues but a chance to just talk about your life and talk about similarities and things that are valuable to each of these individuals. Storycorps trained, faciliters facilitators guide participants through the conversation. The goal is for people who might not normally interact with each other to get to know each other.

Q

J

Chose Columbus because.

Q

Columbus is a small town in a fairly large city and I know you might be having trouble hearing me. um Columbus is a small town in a fairly large community and it was right for the picking. um There are different. There are people of different backgrounds and different um spiritual beliefs and also different political beliefs, and we felt that it was an opportunity for them to meet to get to know to learn more about each other and their similarities.

Q

So the demographic makeup, the political affiliation um and also other markets are beginning to get the traction. We also implemented a poll surveying people in Colombia in the Columbus area and found that Columbus sites are exhausted by the current culture of toxic polarization and are open to being part of the solution. So it is excellent, excellent Community to begin this project in um I'm, just gonna.

J

We're just going to share.

Q

A video in terms of what's what small steps the conversation looks like all right do: I.

R

R

Surrounded by some people and I noticed that they were being kind of threatening, I.

S

Heard a click of a lighter right behind my ear, and there were about three people trying to light my shirt on fire with lighters and.

R

Then somebody snatched your head off your head and that's the point where I something kind of snapped inside me, because I were almost some hijab and I've been in situations where people have tried to snatch it off. My head, wow and I rushed towards you and I just started screaming. Leave him alone. Give me that back.

S

I, don't think we could be any further apart as people, and yet it was just kind of like this common. That's not okay moment. You are genuinely the only Muslim person. I know I, just it's not that I've actively avoided it's just.

J

S

Just never been in the position where I can interact for an extended period of time, so it gets. My views on the Muslim Community have been influenced by a lot of the news articles and and things of that nature. I.

R

Feel like a lot of times in the media, you don't see the normal Muslim, the one that listens to Classic Rock like I. Do you don't you don't meet that Muslim can.

S

You tell me about where you grew up. What was that part of your life like so.

R

I was born in Baghdad in Iraq I moved to the US when I was 10 years old, okay being a Muslim girl, I stood out in almost every single way that you can in Middle School the worst time to stand out. What about you? How was it like when you grow up I.

S

Was homeschooled so it was, it was a vastly different experience. Socially, it was I, didn't have I guess as many friends as most people would I only went to a public school one year of my life and I got in three fights and I lost. All of them.

S

I've actually lost a lot of friends because of this election, because my political stance so I hope that I can be the reason that someone decides to talk to someone as opposed to just cutting them out of their life or blocking them on Twitter. You know I'd.

R

Like for this, to encourage other people to engage in more conversations with people that you don't agree with, that's all.

S

About I'm so glad I wasn't the one who felt like that.

S

Q

Is Michael? Okay, so this particular um video that.

J

Q

Serves as a perfect.

Q

Okay, this pillow- this are particularly.

Q

Q

Let's stand right here, so the particular video that you just watched. It serves as an example of an opportunity for people of different ways: people of different value systems and people of different um political um viewpoints to have a conversation that they would not normally have we see. Can you jump on it? Okay, so we.

G

See an opportunity.

Q

Here to do that in Columbus, um the demographics as we refer to before in Columbus is strategically fit very well uh for us to go ahead and proceed with this. So we're excited that um you have allowed us to introduce story course, one small step and to come into the community. Next, um taking one small step.

Q

Q

T

One small step.

Q

um Towards increased connection with people of opposing views, reduce anxiety about cross part partisans uh interactions and increased ability to recognize the humanity of others. More than 2 000 people across the 40 states have recorded one small step interviews.

Q

We have a powerful method of bridging our differences. We see strangers across the political divides, come together, look one another in the eye and remind and re and be reminded that it's hard to hate up close.

Q

You are officially invited to our thank you to our one small step. um Political launch and Conference, as I said earlier, is going to be held at the National Infantry Museum at 9 30 a.m, on September 13th on Wednesday.

Q

So again we want to thank the chamber we'd like to thank the council members we'd like to thank um the Mayor of Columbus for allowing us to have this opportunity to be a part um and weave ourselves into the fabric of the Columbus Community.

P

I just want to add just a couple of other things. One small step is only in three other communities in the entire nation, we're the fourth Community chosen. So it's a big deal storycorps. If you've listened to NPR radio they're, a really large organization- that's known Nationwide, they did a lot of research, a lot of polling, it's a big opportunity for Columbus to be an example for other cities, Across the Nation, the poll that he mentioned. Some of those results are going to come out soon.

P

I've already seen some of them and the responses- and this is hundreds of phone call conversations they had with people that live in our community. There is a serious need for people to come together from different political divides, because all these people said by heaps and Bounds percentage-wise that they feel completely polarized and completely separated. So we have a huge opportunity to use this, and- and why we're here today is asking you all to get your districts involved to get them to the table.

P

One thing that they've seen in other communities like Wichita or the other Wichita.

Q

Richmond Virginia Fresno California those.

P

Are the other three cities that they've had this in the biggest issue that they see is conservatives will not come to the table they're, just not as open to having these conversations and that's where we need everyone's help. We need to see both political sides at the table having these conversations and their goal is to have a thousand, but by the end of the year. Excuse me. So public launch is at The Gnome Wednesday, September, 13th we'd love to see every counselor.

P

There you'll be getting an invite and your email as well, and then we will really be utilizing you and your network to get as many people as possible to have these conversations over the next year. So we appreciate your time and expect some more via email. Soon, one.

Q

More thing- and we want to encourage you to massage your conservative persons that you represent, because we want conservatives to also know that they have a voice in this community and they might be designated as being other. But we want to make sure that they feel a part of the community and a part of this initiative.

B

I may have a few questions: counselor Huff.

O

Good morning, thank you for being so patient and I appreciate uh Council kogel moving you up because you would have been here till about one.

O

P

We did not pack lunch yeah.

O

I just wanted to say publicly that the mayor, Pro, tem and myself I, don't think any other council person was there, but the mayor pro team and myself attended a session with them, uh and it was just an amazing presentation.

O

um I've grown accustomed to your manner in which you present. So that was me sending the microphone to you, because I saw you trying to jam.

G

O

To look up at the presentation- and you were very active when we had the last meeting moving around so I know.

Q

O

It was kind of restricting yeah, so I. Hopefully it helped a little. Thank you yeah, but uh this is something that's really needed. uh uh Miss bishop and I have talked over time about generational gaps.

O

She sees things some days the same way as I do, but not a lot of people do and we have private conversations about how we bring the city together.

O

So hopefully this will work to get all of the different backgrounds and political viewpoints and all other viewpoints together, because what I, what I found interesting just listening, is watching people pour their hearts out and be themselves Unapologetic and then become friends.

O

Yeah because you don't have you don't have to think the way I do we just need to respect each other and move ahead if we can accomplish that and Columbus we'll become a better City, uh we're we're a good city but really a good City, but we could we could we could get better and uh hopefully this will come about and it's September 13th at what time 9.

Q

O

It's 9 30., okay, National, Infantry, Museum,.

Q

National Infantry.

O

Q

See I like the mic I like to move.

O

Around I know, I know I'm in my comfort zone now I kept looking and looking and looking and I sent it to you, because I thought you were going to really have a hard time. Thank you. Okay,.

Q

Thank you so much and again.

O

I look forward to seeing you uh and you'll be boots on the ground. Yes, for.

Q

Some time yes I'll be around, and also we want to have you recognize that this is really an opportunity to put Columbus on the map as a city, that is a national plan, template for people working together in solidarity. So this is something that is going to be recorded um in the Library of Congress forever and ever so we want to make sure that Columbus has a um a placemaker or a place. Mark in history will.

O

You have uh some of the other presentations we saw at the national Effigy Museum yeah.

Q

O

Know I know based.

Q

O

Morning you were trying to get the best you could get and move on, but.

Q

Yes, we we will have those presentations um at the National, Infantry Museum and then also that day we have something called um it's a one, small step, informational which is going to be at St, Thomas's uh church and that's going to be in the afternoon, and we've also invited the community to come out and attend. Okay,.

O

Thank you so much appreciate.

B

Both of you for being here- and you know, storycorp is a is an interesting organization uh because they they talk about how, when you put two individuals, whether they know each other or not into a into a small Booth with a microphone it, it kind of frees up the conversation. Some re for some reason, the microphone being there when you're in public obviously sometimes makes people a little more hesitant. But when it's just the two of them it they tend to to open up.

B

I know the city manager and I had were invited to participate in a story. Corps uh discussion about former mayor Pro, tem, Evelyn, Pew, and, uh and it was um it was very well done- and it's it's kind of cool to know that someone in the Library of Congress there's people talking about Evelyn, so uh excited about seeing where this leads I I, think it's a great opportunity to remind people nobody's trying to change anybody, just trying to get to know one another and discover that there really are more similarities and there are differences.

B

So thank you. We look forward to it.

E

Thank you, Miss Mr, Neil, Griffith and Katie Bishop. Thank you for coming uh next uh mayor and Council. We've got a railroad crossings. Another subject requested uh got director of engineering Donna Newman.

E

U

Good morning, well, almost actually.

U

Make sure I stand where you can hear me: I tend to move.

U

We have approximately 121 Crossings in Columbus, Muskogee County and sometimes it's hard to know who really owns a line, because some of them are owned by Norfolk, Southern and there's actually two divisions in Muskogee County, we I'm. Sorry, we have the Alabama division in the Georgia division. We have Georgia Department of Transportation actually owns some of the lines. Georgia, Southwestern and Genesee and Wyoming I think they leased from Georgia Southwestern. uh The city actually owned some of the Rail lines and then there are private spur lines.

U

Some of them are still in use and others have basically been abandoned. I guess when there used to be Industries in in locations and then they no longer operate.

U

um Sometimes it's hard to tell because they do frequently lease from another railroad. So it may not be operated by.

K

U

Of the railroad uh just some general information as far as.

U

Far as maintenance responsibilities, the railroads maintain the tracks and the crossings we're technically not supposed to do anything on a crossing without the track supervisor present the ones along veterans. I know we get a lot of complaints on that, one in particular that track supervisor is located in Sylacauga Alabama. So we have to schedule well in advance to get him down here.

U

The city has participated in the past with Partnerships the concrete panels that you see throughout the city. The city had to pay for those, and then we also partner with them many times on.

U

If we need to change the approaches to the railroad crossing so that the asphalt matches the crossing itself, um railroads routinely ride the rails and to identify deficiencies sometime their settlement of the track sometime, the rails are worn and um sometime cross ties need to be replaced.

U

It just needs some maintenance and once that's identified- and we saw that in more recent years, where they came in and renovated many of the crossings throughout town again just a little bit of History element concrete panels, because I know we get a lot of calls and questions about those they were installed on at limited locations between 2008 and 2012..

U

The city provided the concrete, I'm, sorry provided the concrete panels and the paving and the railroad installed the panels.

U

um Norfolk Southern had a program to make repairs on Crossings and Rail lines in 2021 due to deficiencies of the rails and the cross ties and again that's what I mentioned before we recently on August 8th had a meeting with Georgia, Southwestern and GDOT.

U

They do also fall under GDOT throughout town, but in specifically at this Crossing at six strengths of veterans, um and we had hoped to meet about Ninth, Street and Veterans.

U

But we uh GDOT realized that Georgia Southwestern didn't own that track they actually it's actually on and operated by Norfolk Southern, and we are actively trying to get another meeting schedule with DDOT and Norfolk Southern to come down to meet about the Ninth Street crossing and hopefully we're going to be able to talk about the Second Avenue Crossing things you need to consider about a railroad crossing.

U

Railroad crossings are flexible if you ever sit at an intersection and watch a train go by you'll, see the rails and the crossing itself deflect. So you can imagine with the traffic that goes across there um with trucks and heavy Vehicles. It's also flexing it's not rigid. Roads are designed to be rigid, so, ideally they're not flexing when they're carrying traffic. The other thing that concerns me um is last year we got notified that the state was considering and they did in fact pass a new regulation that allows trucks to carry your heavier weights.

U

That's going to impact our roads, that's going to impact our rail crossings, um hopefully not our bridges. We we did have to repost our bridges because of this. The other thing is the volume of truck traffic. If you get a lot of heavy trucks coming across the crossing, it's going to wear out sooner than a Crossing in another part of town, where it's predominantly cars and vehicular passenger vehicles.

U

The geometrics of the road crossing has an impact as well.

U

There are locations in town where the rail Crossing is elevated, and in that case it makes it difficult to place asphalt because typically you'll see when we resurface a road, you see a spreader out there that lays down the asphalt evenly and then we come behind with a heavy roller and roll it out to compact it. Well, you can't do that on a raised rail Crossing, because you can't get a spreader across it for one and it's not even and then two you, you don't have a real good way to compact it.

U

So that's why you see those tend to settle over time with traffic going across.

U

uh This is Second Avenue and unfortunately, it's hard to show elevations, but there's significant elevation changes across this particular rail Crossing um and the other thing is this: Crossing is on a skew and that makes it difficult.

U

This is Sixth Street. This is the one that we met with Georgia Southwestern on and they have agreed right now. This, as you can tell by the the grass growing in there, is not an active track.

U

We asked them if they could remove it and they said they did not want to do that, because it cost a lot more to have to go back and build basically build a new rail line, so they have agreed or agreed to look into and possibly come back and maybe be able to pave over this particular track just to make it smoother and then it would be something they could remove. In the event they got another contract and was able to um put this particular line back in service.

B

Excuse me: Donna uh-huh, councilor kogel has a question, sir.

M

On the uh on the Sixth Avenue or the Sixth Street: well, are they talking about just that intersection or are they talking about all the way east to west.

U

uh Mainly the intersection at this point.

M

Is that something we can have a conversation with I mean traveling east to west is um fairly treacherous. uh You can almost not drive on in that lane without driving in the parking Lane as well, without or straddling you either have to choose to straddle the center lane or you either have to choose to straddle the um the parking Lane traveling east to west, uh because the railroad tracks and the grass I don't I'm, not sure that this picture really does the landscape Justice it's going east to west.

M

So uh if that's something that we can have that conversation with I know that that neighborhood would appreciate that we.

U

Can ask the question, but I'm not sure you know, if they're willing to do that because of it at a cost. In doing so, but we'll ask the question: this is Ninth Street. This is the one that we want to have a conversation with Norfolk Southern about.

U

We did try the concrete panels here, but part of the problem uh at this location and fortunately, or unfortunately, I get to hear it all day. Long trucks come down this road they're going at a pretty high speed, depending on the signal of course, and they there's a slight depression across the track.

U

And so you hear the trucks hit all day long and so they're pounding the the concrete panels. They start rocking with the with the compression of the trucks and then it eventually breaks the straps that keep them in place and and then that's where or the concrete breaks up. And so that's the problem that we're having here um I believe there's concrete under the asphalt on Veterans Parkway. So it may not be as simple as going out there and just milling and removing the the asphalt in order to bring it closer to Greg.

U

I asked the question when, when we were talking about it briefly with GDOT about raising the elevation of.

T

U

Well, that's not easy, either. Generally the rails are at a one percent grade or lower, which is like one in a hundred foot. That's the change in the rail elevation, which is not a lot so um and they said anything raising anything over I'm. Sorry, three percent requires going all the way up to the federal level, so I, don't think raising the grade of the crossing itself is an option, so we're going to have to look at what can we do to the road to try to smooth that out?

U

More and and again this will be working with GDOT, because Veterans Parkway is a state route.

B

M

um So for this particular intersection, I think councilor Davis is going to agree with me because we both drove over it this past weekend, but that particular exact spot right there that rail is actually lifted up off of the ground and I'm fairly certain that it's broken, and so every time you hit it or a vehicle hits it.

M

It actually kicks the rail up and uh if you were to um I I know, I am concerned that it's going to um Lodge itself in one of my rims one day, um but uh it is I mean it does calm traffic down significantly there, because, because.

K

People have to roll.

M

Super slow, but but that piece of that particular piece of track right there uh is there something that we can do. I know GDOT our conversation with g dot is uh not exactly a speedy situation, but that intersection on both sides is um is a huge safety risk right right now, I think the uh the people at ptap um watched uh a part of a truck I guess dislodged the other day and uh launch itself forward because they hit that piece of rail and it kicked up so.

U

I think they're actually hitting the concrete panel.

M

U

Well, I mean regardless.

M

Regardless of whether it's the concrete panel or or the rail um there's, that's a it's a large safety risk, that's escalating uh faster than I think our conversation with GDOT is going to partake. So I, don't know if that's something that we can address as a city uh just from a safety standpoint, but I I am concerned every time I go over that which is daily um and um I know, other others are having that experience as well.

E

U

Crossing is Norfolk Southern.

E

U

Will have to contact them, we.

M

Can't touch right, so we as a city can't even put up any uh warnings or we.

J

Can't take any preemptive.

M

Out I mean or put a sign up that says, slow or take uh there if you are not from Columbus Georgia and you hit that Rail, and this is a main artery in our city.

M

You are hitting that rail bed not at a happy speed, so I I think we I think that would leave a sour taste in my mouth if I was visiting or going over to Fort Moore and I hit that rail bed and uh ruined my car, my rental car. So is there not some preventative measure as a city that we can take to either slow traffic down there or um close that that half of the lane or or are we just going to? Let this sit and hope for the best we'll.

U

Have to work so G do.

E

I don't know because.

U

E

Route, so we can't, just as a city, go and put signs on a state road, so we'd have to request that they put signs out and we'd be certainly make that request. Yes, yes, uh that they put slow, be.

B

An easier ask if it precludes us from having a bigger issue out there I would think they right.

M

B

Think that's a little conversation we'll get that conversation moving with them and see if we can't get that done quicker than some of the other.

U

And we are going to have a conversation. We had hoped that we would have the meeting scheduled by now and while they were in town for the meeting, we could discuss all the other issues, but I've been watching it closely myself and we are going to have to go ahead and get the track supervisor down here. To look at some temporary measures until we can resolve what the permanent solution hopefully for this intersection is going to be.

U

This is 10th Avenue um and you can see from this one. The concrete panels have held up well, so it really does make a difference on the road approaches as high well, because 10th Avenue gets a lot of truck traffic too, maybe not the same and maybe not the same speeds. So there's.

G

U

Lot of factors that go in how well that that track, Crossing holds up.

U

This is 54th Street. This is just an asphalt intersection and you can see they do. They do have the rubberized rails along the side of the main rail. This is at River Road again, this is a concrete panel. These have held up well, um and this is where they've recently resurfaced part of the resurface Center River Road.

U

This is at Fortson Road. This.

M

U

You can see where there's a lot of truck traffic coming through here from some of the quarries and other industrial uses in the area, so it gets a meeting and it's also raised so that makes it difficult Williams Road. This is the Williams Road.

U

This is Technology Parkway. You can see there's some concerns on this particular one with the asphalt.

U

This is wooder Farm Road, it's held up pretty well, so that was just a few of the crossings.

B

All right, councilor, uh Davis.

N

Thank you, mayor, I'm, glad we're having this conversation today, Mid City Manager, one of the reasons I asked for this is because you know, knowing that part of the duties and responsibilities of of the office is to direct and supervise and the administration of our roads. Our streets of Maintenance, therefore of the bridges all those things fall under the privy of the administration's duties and responsibilities.

N

um I want to have a constructive conversation. I mean that's really. What I want to have today and I want to anybody to get tents or anything like that, let's just figure out how we can resolve this matter come up with a solution. I I want to say in in again. This is, for you know we just had people talking about having conversations. Okay, this is about having a conversation here. I think everybody at this table is aware that I've been talking about this issue for quite a while matter of fact.

N

I went back and saw some of my emails. It's been close to two years two years, especially with Ninth Avenue on that road and going over to my mother-in-law's house on a frequent basis. In South, Columbus I crossed that track all the time now heading south. We got a problem over there that I could not swerve out of the way and I hit, and it's just not a good thing.

N

What we're always being told is that you know we're going to have that conversation. We're going to send a letter, we're going to talk to Norfolk Southern we're going to talk to GDOT we're going to do this. We've been saying that for two years come on. Y'all know this, but something is not connecting somewhere I, don't know what it is, but I do know. We've got a problem with these tracks and they're not getting addressed now. Specifically speaking, Smith Road I mean that's bad, that's really bad I'm. Getting citizens call me about that.

N

Every day, most likely I think there's probably going to be people on the public agenda soon coming and talking about that. That's a problem. It's also a problem with the core he's not doing their end of what they're supposed to be doing and keeping the roads clean and the gravel and all the rest of that stuff out there. It just seems like there's neglect: Williams Road I just sent an email a month ago. I looked it up.

N

It was a month ago the city manager I, sent it to your office to everybody, I copied it to everybody. I have not gotten a response since then. That's one of the reasons I asked for this to talk about railroad crosses today, Williams Road, it's my understanding on Fortson Road, when I I want to I, want to say Morton but I I know I'd, probably have it wrong, but we closed the road off of Fortson, Road and part of that agreement.

N

It's my understanding under the documentation ordinances that have been passed by this Council in the past that Norfolk Southern was under agreement in the past that they were supposed to make Road improvements. If we agreed to close that road, we closed that road and part of that agreement. I'm pretty sure my constituents have told me before that live over in the nankypoo area. That Williams Road was supposed to be upgraded to concrete paths.

N

Well, they did that not long ago when we went through the city and we did some upgrades but I for whatever reason they took them back out, but it was supposed to be an upgrade, but then they went back out and put asphalt now we're dealing with the same issue, because you know all those dump trucks go through there all over again we're dealing with the same issues. We were having I, don't know why they took them up because it seemed to be working at that time, but they did take them up.

N

I think it's under agreement under a binding agreement that they're supposed to maintain that with concrete panels the documents I have and I think I forward them to the Departments. That's my understanding and that's what I was told that took place in the past and the way I read it. They are supposed to be upgraded with concrete panels. Now you know whether there's uh documents out there when all that took place, that state that specifically on Williams, Road, I'm, going to say I, don't know that completely, but the ones I have it's.

N

My understanding that that was supposed to take place as part of that agreement anyway, uh it needs to be addressed, and then you got some other areas in town, the city, Mills District. You got a situation there where you got, they went in there and they put a ramp and you've got other areas that you've brought up. That need to be addressed as well. I guess, where I'm going with this is it's my understanding that GDOT standards, their standards, there's Norfolk Southern standards?

N

And now we, you know I thought what was it Sixth Street we just talked about and you started I thought that was GDOT matter, that it was in their hands. But you said Georgia's Southwestern.

U

Georgia Southwestern is the railroad that owns the line.

N

That's not a dot.

U

Dot doesn't have any control over that they have control over Veterans Parkway correct and they have some input into Rail lines.

N

Well, they do have standards, I know, GDOT has standards. Norfolk Southern has standards. These railroad crossings that we're talking about do not meet their standards, they're, not even up to their standards. There's negligence, there's neglect and somehow we're not connecting I know as a city we're supposed every time. I think every time that I've asked about some of these matters is oh well, we'll send a letter to them. We'll talk to them, but nothing is being done and it seems to be a standard habit. It seems to be the mo of the railroads.

N

So how are we going to address this I guess I'm, trying to find a way. The only thing I can think of would be. Do we need to as a city do we need to up our game and enforce, make these entities comply and force them to meet their standards, and then you may have to take legal means to do that, and if that's what it takes the question here at the table today.

N

Do we need to do that as a community to give somebody's attention because, obviously they're not listening and I'm, not blaming anybody around here I'm just saying, we've got a problem that we need to resolve and it doesn't seem like the people we keep pointing the finger back at are doing anything about it doesn't seem like they care.

N

You know you got to go, find these supervisors. They should already bend down here because I brought it up several times. Y'all.

U

Know I have oh and.

N

It's been going on for a while. So that's one of the reasons I've asked to address this matter today and to have this work session and talk about it because I mean we we we're falling behind, but yet things are getting worse out there and you know we're getting the brunt end of it, of people calling and and having the issues, and you know, I I I'm trying I'm reaching for Solutions is what I'm doing today that we we've got some issues so um I'm ready.

N

If that's what we need to do to send strong language to get people to comply with their own standards, I I, you know I'm positive. The courts would probably enforce that.

N

If that's what we need to do to get their attention and the question is: do we need to do that and I don't know what else to do, but certainly having this conversation today is important and I hope you all you you you take that from a positive standpoint, a constructive standpoint standpoint on behalf of the citizens, because we we do need to figure out and we do need to to keep people. Look.

N

If, if they're going to claim and own these Crossings, then they need to meet their standards and they need to listen to us and when we are communicating that we have problems in these areas, but Ninth Street, I, don't I mean I, don't know how anybody in this room cannot say that we've got a problem there or.

U

Smith Road, we do and they have patched it several times.

U

And I believe we have started those conversations well.

N

They've never I'm telling you the places that I see and the places that I have to Veer off and Miss. They have not touched them at all. Well,.

U

There are other things in my opinion and again I've been watching it. There are other things going on and some of them may not be associated with the Crossing in itself. There could be utilities under there that are creating part of that problem or there have been bores or some other activity that are contributing to that, and the other thing is and um we'll go back and we'll refer to the standards.

U

A railroad standard and a citizen standard are not going to be the same because they are looking at the Crossing, not necessarily at the road and the ride ability. So sometimes I think expectations are different. So that's what we've got to get clarified to see if they in fact meet GDOT standard in the railroad.

N

And and I appreciate that and I understand that I think that the point is that they're, not our standards and what they look they're their standards, the matter about citizen standards. You know they got to meet their standards and their requirements, whether it's GDOT or Norfolk Southern. They have them and they're there for a reason- and you know it- we can't keep having. We can't keep coming back with the look we're going to have to find a way to be more proactive.

N

That's what I'm saying we can't keep coming back with the same having these meetings, we're going to have another meeting and the same thing's going to be said over I mean it's just regurgitating.

N

Basically, the same information and nothing gets done, I view that as unacceptable well,.

E

N

I hope you take it as positively manager.

E

N

E

The sake of the community yeah I share your concerns and I've been dealing with railroads all of my years in the city, manager's office, at city manager and Deputy city manager and I go to the Georgia city. County managers meetings and the problem is the same all across the state and you know, and we we don't have the control of the railroad. They do basically what they want to do and for whatever reason or, however, that came about- and of course you know in the road, especially on Veterans- belongs to it's a state road.

E

We can't even put a sign up, so we don't control anything.

E

We don't control the railroad, we don't in the state road and we just got to figure out a way to get a breakthrough, and we have not figured that out yet and I saw the Norfolk Southern representative at um a meeting two weeks ago and I said we need to meet and we need to talk and I came back and I told you I'll make sure you coordinate this meeting, and so we are going to meet and they are going to this person is, has been good about trying to to help.

E

But it's not you know we have a higher standard and then, when we have the higher standard, there's a cost to it. The cost, as a matter of you, know whether we want to pay for the higher standard. But this is their minimum stand. This is their standard and we expect something at a higher level and but we'll we'll have to pay for that concrete.

E

If we want concrete versus the asphalt, so we don't have a breakthrough yet, but we're dealing with uh entities that we have no control over whatsoever and so we're still trying to figure it out. But I hear you in cheer your concern: I traveled, I, I, traveled, ninth every single day, multiple times so I see exactly what you you see and what your concern is well.

N

And I appreciate you sharing those thoughts because I you know it's the citizens that are listening because they're they're concerned and we.

B

N

Have this conversation they just they're going to throw rocks at us so well, you know at the end of the day, they're going to throw rocks at us, but um and I don't know, maybe in agreement here that do we need to send stronger language to get someone's attention. Well,.

E

We, and maybe we do but I, can tell you when I said we need to meet to that person they're first out of their mouth, we're under litigation, I can't talk and oh I'm kidding. That's right. That was, it was yeah.

N

Well, they've kind of been saying that for years, that's.

E

My understanding, that was the response to me and then so well yeah. Well, let's meet, but we don't control them and we are going to try and pin them down, get a breakthrough um and but we have no control well.

N

The other thing I know the last time we did upgrades. You know we had the same conversation with dude um mayor. You remember where we had to do the upgrades in the community and I think mayor Tomlinson at the time really pushed hard to to get these upgrades.

N

I mean she had the same shared the same views and and uh that that and and concerns that we're dealing with here today, I think we put up if I'm not mistaken, we did upgrades all over town and we put up what 200 000 or something like that to get it to get it done in in replacing uh whether it's the concrete panels or replacing these Crossings in many places. I, don't know the specifics of that agreement, but it got worked out and.

Q

We had to put up money.

N

And you know if we're gonna have to do that today, to put it under the Road improvements and uh the maintenance thereof and keeping the roads in a a good condition. Then then you know we need to consider that if that's where the relationship goes again and we do something sane, but but replacing these panels, I mean I, don't think it's going to be hard and these panels can be replaced. It's just a matter of getting the people. Look they put them down, they put the panels down, they ought to be able to replace them.

N

I mean there shouldn't be any kind of issues from that standpoint and I. Just think that we need to consider him a City attorney. If we need to uh create some strong language, I believe you can do that in your office am I right.

D

I mean if we're going to talk about potential litigation. We can do that in another Forum. But you know there is potential litigation at each Crossing and there is potential litigation concerning the rail yard in general. Well,.

N

There is yes and- and you know, recourse there, but one other thing and I'm I'm finished with city manager. Thank you for allowing us to have this conversation and putting it on the work agenda today. I appreciate it.

N

Thank you, director, Newman, for presenting appreciate that as well and taking the time to put it together, um I I will ask again if, if you'll look into Smith Road and Williams Road and Ninth those you know, if other council members have some concerns, I was told that the one at City Mills that you can hardly get some trucks over it that you it's so angled that you hit bottom. uh You bought them out. So um you know those are some that I know of I know.

N

45Th Street has a panel that's loose that moves every time you go there by the uh by uh Columbus Tech, but um last thing sure when you have that conversation get them to clean their property up over there, where their offices are yeah, because it is in code violation, they need to clean it up clean the sidewalk up and everything else.

N

That goes along with that that, just when I see that out in the community, I see that and then I you know, I hear what they're saying it just leads me to believe: do they really care about Columbus.

B

Thank you thanks, sir counselor Thomas.

K

uh Just a quick note, um thank you for presenting this today and thank you, councilor Davis, for bringing it I think if nothing else this is to the community we are. We are aware of your concerns and we are aware of what's going on to most of the people who call about the railroad tracks being uh hurting my car and impassable and all that kind of stuff. They don't care that we don't.

K

We can't do anything because it's the Jew dot or it's Norfolk, Southern or whatever they want us to do something about that road and I want us to be able to respond to that and say we are looking and we are trying- and we are doing this and not to say sorry, it's not our. You know we can't do anything about it. All of those roads that you showed us were as I as I went back through them are roads our tracks that the the Norfolk Southern musics their active tracks, and so that's um you.

U

K

Down 2nd Avenue, uh you know you've got to stop before you get to that railroad track or slow down, because it's gonna, it's gonna, be a mess. So I really appreciate you bringing this to us today. I appreciate councilor Davis, asking for this and I think it gives us as counselors a little more um information so that we can respond to our constituents as they call us about these issues and if it takes litigation, if it takes another, you know money from our budget to get these things fixed.

K

Let's, let's give that a serious look and see if that's not something we want to do so that our citizens are not. um You know: I I asked councilor Huff sort of tongue-in-cheek that um uh 9th Street railroad track right there by p-tap.

K

This ptap get extra business for that they probably do you know, and uh that's not acceptable for uh for there to be streets in Columbus that our citizens do not feel safe and do not feel like they can cross the railroad tracks without damaging their property. So, whatever whatever you need to bring to us, please don't hesitate to do that. Bring.

G

K

And let us take a look at it and see if there's not something we can do to make this better. Thank you.

B

A great councilor kogel.

M

I, just I I just had a thought of uh you know what we're talking about. You know we can't do anything about about veterans right there, because it's a g dot Road. um You know we we do have our own representative living in Columbus who I'm uh you know, I. Think Kathy Williams would be more than willing to have a conversation about what we can do to mitigate that safety and I think she would probably have had that either.

J

M

That conversation yesterday or um or or tomorrow, or this afternoon, she's always very, very readily accessible and um and I know that she values our our community as much as we do as counselors and um and so I think. That's probably worth the conversation with with her I mean she's present she lives in the community um and uh is happy to help so I I'm, not sure, I, think working together with her. We can come up with a viable solution for that intersection.

M

um Sooner than later,.

J

B

You I believe, that's all the questions. Thank you. Thank you. All.

E

Right so mayor council, next I've got Parks and Recreations update, Holly Browder, director, Parks and Rec foreign.

V

Good morning, mayor members of council, Mr city manager I'm here this morning to provide an update um over Parks and Recreation, as well as any challenges that the department has had um so. First we're going to talk about facility concerns um facility concerns currently or that we have our roots and our rec centers and many of our buildings are leaking and I'm also going to tell the good with the bad.

V

So currently we have an RFP out to um have North Side, Shirley, Winston, frankchester or Salman and fox repaired, and that was out of the general fund. We've also had waterproofing treatment by 29th Street Recreation Center. That was also already done, and it was part of the funding from fiscal year. 24.

V

We also have other facilities currently, though, that are still leaking that have either already been replaced or are still lacking. Funding, Haygood, Jim, brick, David, Studios and boxwood as well as Tillis, have already been repaired or replaced. Then we have pop Austin Carver, Park, gallops, Edgewood and comer that still need funding uh to be replaced. um Carver Park, however, does fall within this floss for one of the upcoming projects that we have so we do feel like we can do it as part of the project.

V

Next would be our HVAC concerns, um and you can see here without me going through all of them where we are um on whether they are on order on back order or whether they've been completed.

V

Other concerns for our recreation, centers and facilities are that many of our facilities are aging. Our newest facility is about 20 years old, and that would be north side that was opened in 2002 with that comes the need for carpet and flooring, and as well as being painted water filings fountains that need repair replacing as well as we also have a school board. That's in need of repair.

V

All of these are items that are not budgeted each year in our budgets and are currently in need of funding and repair um many times you some of you have asked about Playgrounds here in the city, um and so I wanted to give an update on where we stand here is a chart of our playgrounds also provides you a rating chart of where we are, and also, um if they've been replaced.

V

Most of those have been done with Community Development block grant funding beginning in 2015 till present, so you'll see those that are highlighted in yellow with Asterix and then also you will note at the bottom that boxwood Charlie, Hill and Lake Bottom Park are slated to be replaced within the next 24 months or yeah 24 months, with the new grant that we received from Governor Kemp. So we look forward to being able to do that. Obviously, when it comes to Parks and Recreation, we have a lot of facilities.

V

We do not manage or I'm sorry we manage, but we do not maintain those facilities, so we rely heavily on public works and their facilities. Maintenance division, as well as all Public Works, to assist us with a lot of our needs. So with that I'm going to ask that George short come up and and give a short presentation in regards to our facilities.

W

Good morning, good afternoon, I should say to everyone and I want to thank the mayor, the city manager, Deputy city manager and Holly for allowing me to come forward just to give you a glimpse of what facility maintenance has to deal with on a daily basis as it comes down to um handling all of these. These structures. So, first and foremost, I'd like to remind you all that facility maintenance, manages and I'm talking about the maintenance over 652 structures. That's inhabited and uninhabited, that's Parks bathrooms! That's statues, that's uh fountains! Anything that the city owns.

W

We maintain it with. That being said, I think it's very important for you to know how many buildings each section has and I'm only talking about inhabited buildings, meaning people are actually in these facilities. At all times, Parks and Recreations has 77 inhabited. That does include irrigation as well for your ball fields, General government has 19 inhabited and Public Safety has 23 inhabited.

W

So just to give you an idea of what our budget looks like on an annual basis that we have to use to work with. To do these repairs. We have two different budgets. We have the capital funding budget that we get every year and then we have the operating budget that is done with the facility maintenance budget that we have to utilize in order to maintain all of these buildings. So in FY 21 we had six hundred thousand dollars allocated to facility maintenance and with that money we did everything from corporate courtroom carpet replacement.

W

That's for all the courtrooms and the government center, a new vent hood for fire station 11. I'm, just giving you examples. We demolished a beer garden at Golden Park. Before the new tenants moved in. We had a new fire station put at General a new generator place that fire station number seven. We had the roof replaced on hit at Haygood gym and we replaced the boiler at mCP and I can go on and on and on to show you the various things that we're doing with these funds.

W

We also started our HVAC replacement program for all of our R22 units, and that was something that came down that we had to shift because of the cost for the freon for these units in FY 22, we were granted. 1.5 million and with those funds we did everything from a partial pipe replacement at the jail to improving, uh making improvements at the natatorium for all the different events they have there. That includes having all the lights changed out, having many splits put in the concession areas so forth, and so on.

W

We had an accident to occur in the front Avenue Garage in which a person drove through we had to have that done. We made repairs to our fuel pumps and, of course, we continued with our R22 replacement. We did 110 units.

W

An FY 23 we were granted a million dollars, which is a lot of money, but in this day and age and the cost of repairs, it's like um very expensive. What used to be ten thousand dollars is almost quadruple now, so we really have to watch how we're how we're spending that money, how what projects we are prioritizing based on the importance of them, but in FY 23 we had a million dollars funded to us or allotted to us, and we did uh repairs at the health department that were not predicted.

W

We did not know that they were going to have the issues that they were having with the sanitary lines and we've spent over three hundred thousand dollars. Just in that one building, and when we have those unpredicted events to occur and they're expensive events, then we have to re-prioritize the list of repairs for that year, but in that year we also put in a generator at the annex. We did HVAC repairs at the recycling center. We did Senator repairs at fire station number one, that's the one down across from the government center.

W

We did additional Natatorium repairs to the restrooms and the pool packs water Water Heater replacement at fire station number I think that was 11. I'm.

J

W

Rock Island water line, replacement, Fleet, Maintenance, roll-up doors replacement, and the list goes on and on of the things that we try and do to maintain all of our facilities.

W

But this is telling this shows you exactly based on our operating budget. We have left Capital funds, we're talking operating budget. Now we have three separate line items for facilities um and one of them the first one is Parks and Recreations at 6527. That's the line item number remembering we have 77 buildings that have to be maintained with the funding that is allocated in this line item and, as you can see in 23, we only received two hundred and twenty thousand dollars.

W

Now, if you take that 220 you divided by the 77 buildings that equates to just over two thousand dollars that we have available to spend per building. If we had to do something to each and every one of those buildings, that's not enough. It absolutely is not enough. If you look at 6528, that's public safety building uh buildings, they have 23 buildings, that's your fire stations and everything we were awarded in 23, 365 000. That equates to about fifteen thousand dollars per building.

W

6529 is our general government building? That's approximately 19 buildings that includes the government center and other locations, Public Works facility maintenance, Fleet Maintenance, all these other different buildings. We were granted four hundred and forty thousand dollars, and that equates to about twenty three thousand dollars per building. So it's really important to understand that we have things on a list we have them prioritized, but if they're not being funded, then of course we can't make those repairs like we really want. So we want to be aggressive.

W

We want to be Progressive and making sure that we're doing these things so that the public never even sees a ceiling tile that has a yellow spot because it needed a roof. We should have been put a roof on it, but, of course, roots are very expensive and I understand that.

W

So when we're talking about facility maintenance funding is one aspect.

E

W

I was going into Staffing, but.

E

Yeah, just ideally, you know considering the buildings and grounds and all that you do, um you showed the 1.5 million one year million dollars another year.

E

What kind of budget.

W

Do you need I have recommended recommendations at the back at the last slide and a realistic uh recommendation, but I do want to talk about Staffing, because Staffing is something that we are completely challenged with um every day in FY 21 we had 32 slots, that was 32 administrative individuals, six plumbers, eight electricians, 583 AC, four carpentry five custodial, and that should be two correctional officers. That's not enough for the number of buildings that we are having to maintain.

J

W

You go I wanted to show you what we had starting in Fr 21. We had 32 slots and 22. We only had 32 slots and in 23 we were granted new positions based on the opening of City Hall. We received four custodians. We received correction, five, custodians, one plumber, one electrician, one HVAC and one Carpenter, and unfortunately, we've got three custodians and that's it. We are having a hard time getting trade individuals to come to the city of Columbus to work in these capacities to make sure we can maintain these buildings.

W

So, as you can see as of right now, we have 16 vacant positions in facility maintenance and therefore that requires us to have to absolutely contract out a lot of the work like we had to do at the jail, because we didn't have any plumbers and that's expensive.

W

I wanted to show the Staffing locations for each of these facilities main facilities that we have the government center right now and has been full since 21. That's not been an issue, the jail. Of course. We have four maintenance people there. We have two plumbers I'm excited about, but we still need an electrician and an HVAC tag. I'm the annex is full as far as vacancies is concerned. The citizen service center has one maintenance person it's vacant right now.

W

This morning we got a word that the there was a problem with one of the ladies rooms and I think it was too cold in here, I put my division manager and his assistant to work a matter of fact. The assistant is still back there working on fixing the ladies room and that's because of the shortages that we have. We should have a staff here to maintain this building um mCP. We have one maintenance person that is full right now, but they absolutely need more than one city hall.

W

We have new positions for custodial and for maintenance. We have three custodial on on the payroll one pending. We have no trade out, no trade Personnel right now. That's your plumbers, your electricians, your HVAC or your Carpenters. We are still putting out advertisements in, unfortunately, the ones that are average that are applying are not skilled. Once you sit down and you talk to them, you realize that they're, a Jacqueline, a jack leg electrician that will can do more damage than any good.

W

So we we don't want to hire those type of people and then, of course, we have what I call field maintenance. These are individuals who go from location, to location, to location when needed to make sure that we can assist those that are stationary in these locations, as well as going to different Park facilities that need the assistance.

W

So what are my recommendations so, first and foremost, we have to increase funding for what we need to do in order to do the Capital Improvements, as well as just the standard operating maintenance that we need to do for all of our facilities, so for Capital, Improvement I am recommending that that be improved, improved and increased to three million dollars for the entire city increase the facility maintenance operating line item.

W

That's for 65-27, just Parks and Recreations to at least a minimum of 1.5 I understand that if an air conditioning unit goes down, it's not going to cost ten thousand dollars like it might be at your home. It's gonna cost 70 80 100, 140 50, depending on the size of the facility, and then of course, the other thing that I think would do us all. Well is to have a maintenance team assigned solely for all of our Parks facilities.

W

That would be a team that would still fall under facility maintenance, but all they would do would be to focus on all of our various those 77 facilities that need constant upkeep because of the age of the facilities. Quite frankly, so those are my recommendations as far as how we can go about doing a better job of maintaining our buildings.

W

We don't want people to see substandard buildings because of the fact that we didn't have the funding to make the repairs that we needed repair, whether we have staff or not, we, but we have to contract it out, it's being done, but.

J

W

Have to have the funding in order to do that and with that Mr city manager, I'm gonna turn it back over to Holly.

B

Counselor Doug.

I

I

Station it was very informative if we provide the increased funding and sin that we have had um I'm gonna, say some challenges with Staffing, meaning um you know plumbers and some of those trades.

I

If we increase that, how is that going to help when we can't get those employees.

W

It would allow us to contract it out. Okay, you.

J

W

We don't have the staff companies out there. That would be more than willing to come and do it like we had to do for the jail. We had no plumbers.

E

Yeah Benjamin.

W

Franklin come in and that's yeah.

E

At least you could contract it out, but you know you know and of course you know it's better if you've got your own plumbers, um because.

I

Seriously expensive I was at the quiet over the summer. The Aquatic Center kept killed the plumbers um at the Aquatic Center and I'm sure that was expensive, and that was the thing. Do we need to do 3 million or 1.5 in reference to um maintenance for parks and rec, not actually adding positions, but just forecasting for possible. You know doing contracts well.

E

Again, you know, but obviously the preference would be our own employees versus the contract, but we get to a point. We don't have a choice and we have the contract, like we did at the Geo I. Think we diverted plumbers from another major project that we had, because we didn't have any plumbers. We sent them to the jail I think they were there for six months. It was five hundred thousand dollars.

I

Were were you all bringing like this recommendation? Is it for next fiscal year or are we trying to add something um during mid year? Mid-Year budget.

E

I would say that we should look at it at mid-year, but my thought would be for next year's budget.

E

um We are going to bring a finance, update, I believe at the meeting on the 12th.

E

um We need to kind of share with you, where we think we, where we are not where we think we are but where we are, but ideally the the solution would be to add something at me a year.

I

Because one of my um concerns, 600 000, seems to go fast. Oh, it goes very fast and I'm thinking it doesn't last half of the year with some of the concerns that we have um in parks and rec, and that say at least some things get put on the back burner and it's like year after year, and it creates more problems. You know problems and sadly um it's probably one of the reasons why we need new pools, because that is an expense to maintain those pools so and I know we're going to get into that.

I

But with the new pools, um eventually we'll get moving on the installation of the new pools. Do we have a maintenance plan specifically for the pools.

W

E

W

General contract will allow, for. We have not forecasted anything past that you.

E

Know and standard.

W

Warranty is what I'm saying.

E

And I would say you know, of course, we would obviously be bringing something forward to you in budget requests, as the new pools start to come online, and that would be the next budget process no different than than the director here did.

E

With City Hall we knew City Hall was going to become the land and we started adding in the budget the maintenance people trying to time it that they would be hired, and you did approve maintenance people for City Hall, and so it would be the same way for pools and other projects that are on the horizon. As they come to fruition.

E

You know we we're going to have to add staff. I was talking to the IIT director, for example, yesterday and he's coming to my office about hiring a cyber security manager. He talked about how Augusta got hit, how Savannah got hit so we're going to be coming back to you, with with some Personnel requests for those kinds of things.

I

And then also um one of the things that we talked about are the um inhabited. But what about the uninhabited like Belvedere, Park um Prime is King and some of the other parts like what? What is it that we do for those regarding our budget or.

W

Regarding it depends on what's needed at those at those locations, but let me be clear: the inhabited locations are a priority for sure, and then we work our way down to the uninhabited based on the funding that we have available. If Holly were to call me or anyone would call me and say we're having a special event like she's done on many occasions, and we will do a shift, shift funding and try and get the facility where it needs to be for that event.

W

But we do look at inhabited locations first and then we go down to the internet access.

I

Because I'm thinking and um director can help me, then um Belvedere has a upgrade on the restrooms at that part. For the.

V

Splash no ma'am Belvedere is not on the list for upgrades. It was not identified as one of the the key locations that was broken out when it was voted on. So no ma'am, okay,.

I

I thought I had saw that part.

I

Is he? Is he one? That's uninhabited.

E

V

Park is open to the public and we use it, but to counselor krav's point: it was not one of those that was broken out and identified directly.

B

All right, counselor, Thomas.

K

um I would suggest to you, uh both of the directors and to the city manager, that this um request for an increase in funding be brought back to us at our budget hearing for uh fy25 um I'm a little concerned that, um it's being from from what I hear and understand it's sort of being piecemeal and I, don't like it being piecemeal, I want to know the full picture, and so I would recommend to you that it that you do whatever is necessary to bring it to the city manager and the mayor as they prepare the proposed budget for fy25, and, let's see if we can't get this done.

K

The other thing that that every time I hear a presentation like this, this comes to my mind. Columbus Tech is graduating.

K

Plumbers, HVAC uh all electricians, all of these um kind of job folks to fill these jobs, I I would love for us to have a program with Columbus Tech, with Jordan, with Spencer, with Shaw, with whoever is doing this in our educational program to pull those people in whatever we need to do to pull them in. Do we give them an internship? Do we do you know what do we do to pull these folks that are graduating from our educational facilities so that they want to come to work for the city of Columbus?

K

Yes, and let us know what what we need to do to make that more attractive to this, this kid that's 18 years old and is graduating with a HVAC uh certificate, and you know: let's, let's get him here- let's get her here: let's do whatever we need to do to make that attractive and I. Don't hear that I don't hear that we're having any kind of connection with our educational facilities and I I would like for us to do that.

K

I'd like for us to make that a a priority that we hire those those folks and put them to work and and make it so that they'll stay with us for 36 years and.

W

We do we, we've talked and we've had meetings with both Jordan high and Columbus Tech, as well as the trade school in Americas. So they know we're here. They know we're. Looking.

W

Unfortunately, we get into a bidding war, because the trade skills right now are are very scarce and they are throwing money at these young people and sometimes we can meet their requirements. Sometimes we can't we.

J

I

Today, an electrician.

W

Who's been working in the field for over 10 years, young guy would love for him to come in. You got a better offer, so do we want to get into a trade War? You know a bidding war for employees, I, don't know if that's the answer, but we are definitely working with all of our trade schools here in America, is to make sure that they know that we are here and that we need people and to make a difference. We also took our our uh our one positions.

W

We have them from one twos and threes depending on the skill level and have turned those into an internship. If you will meaning we're taking people with not the skill knowledge that we normally would have, but we're pairing them with someone who has more knowledge to bring them up so as they obtain their knowledge, they can be moving up. They can move up in the ranks from a one two or three, whereas we used to take a one had to have a certain amount of skill in order for us to take them.

W

But now we will take them with less skill, with the understanding that they have to go with and be paired with someone with more knowledge in order to work with that.

E

But we got to continue to work those relationships that you're talking about internships. They've got a CDO training course, that's being constructed and they're going to be. You know um people can go and get their CDL license, but but we are challenged with I mean the trade Wars I I was talking to the engineering director.

E

um Last week, um young men, we hired uh as a construction manager had him working with Ryan, Pruitt and and uh straight out of uh West, one of the Georgia over in Statesboro that school and we hired him and I. Think he's been here less than two years and I thought it was still here and last week I asked about him.

E

He took a job down in Tampa with a construction firm I mean he we've hired him straight out of school to get him ready to grow in the work right there with Ryan.

E

He got just less than two years in a big construction company hires him and we can't compete so we're dealing with that reality. But we got to keep doing. We got to keep doing it, and so hopefully we'll get some we'll stay and.

K

What I'm asking you to do too I think is bump it up a notch, see.

E

If we can get it.

K

Come to us and and see if we can't do something to make the Columbus job. This is the job with the city of Columbus more attractive than.

E

Yeah I can't get it I. Think that's what you know. I I think that's what we thought we were doing because this kid out of high school with no experience I, think he started with us at like sixty thousand dollars.

E

But anyway we I get it I, get it all right.

B

Thank you, ma'am councilor crab.

L

Thank you. It seems like it's structured, you know, you're, looking for no four new positions to create a parks and recs maintenance team, and then you had mentioned the city manager about how you were creating a maintenance team for the new city hall, so it it appears that we have all these maintenance teams throughout the city in these different buildings.

L

It seems to me that it would be more efficient that if we had one team that went out to the different buildings we could have and through a work order system or something like that, we could pay our team members more and we're not duplicating different positions in different buildings. We could become more competitive because I have a hard time, believing that we need that many teams working separately.

W

Don't don't misunderstand me: when I say teams I mean that's their home base, that doesn't mean that's where they stay. If we've got a project going on, let's say here and we have to take someone from the government center move them here than we do. But it's not something that's done every day, because Government Center still has to be taken care of. Does that make sense, yeah.

L

I understand it completely and we.

J

Are doing that.

W

Even with city hall, right now, I have no maintenance people when I'm talking to maintenance, I'm talking trade not custodial in City Hall. But if something goes on right now we are sending other electricians or um HVAC tax from either the field or from another location, to City Hall, to try and rectify, or at least diagnose, so that we can get a plan together and how we're going to do the resolve the issue. So we are doing that.

W

J

W

I guarantee you the minute: something happens in the building and I. Don't we don't have anyone in that building that can react right away. It's going to be a problem and we don't want that to happen.

W

I don't want that to happen. All.

B

Right, councilor, kogel.

M

um I would like to see uh mid like uh our mid budget, um what it would cost to like what what we need to get to where we are, but then the opportunity to over fund it to get ahead and then to come back at the um next budget. Room um review with the like a detailed preventative maintenance plan.

M

That's going to be proactive so that we're not always chasing I feel like if we can get ahead a little bit and and possibly over fund and fix some things ahead of time and then um I think that will afford US the opportunity to to catch her breath but create that preventative maintenance plan so that we don't fall behind again and I. Think um a lot of us like we hear what we're all the things that we need to fix over and over and over again. But what?

M

What are we doing to to prevent those things from breaking and I? Think there's a little bit of a um maybe not a miscommunication, but a gap in community.

M

You know what what we're doing to prevent these things and I'm sure I mean it's obvious, that you're doing a great job, but it's not fair to you to always be playing catch-up and, um and so I think I think we can we're in a position right now, where we can, we can we can get ahead and so that you can have a little bit of breathing room so that we can create a better plan to stay ahead, instead of always reacting to fixing hvacs and um and just doing what the contractor says that we need to do for the pools.

M

There's there's going to be stuff. If we want to keep these pools open and functioning, um then those are things that we need to have on hand like the natatorium is a great example. I mean it would be really great to have Parts on hand so that they can be fixed before uh we have to delay a swim meet or um just just. We just need to stay ahead of the game, I think in the city right now,.

B

All right, Holly, thank you.

B

And Holly you may you may want to touch him because I know people watching when they hear that there's no maintenance done. They think that there's never any regular maintenance applied to the pools and some of these other areas- and that's that's just not accurate. It's just some of the deeper dive that we don't have the Personnel to do. When some of these pools get to the age of 25 years. It starts going wrong that we can't see or anticipate but the maintenance, the regular maintenance you're supposed to do that all the time. Yes,.

V

So between our staff and drill staff, with the plumbers, the regular maintenance gets done, but to councilor kogel's point, we can't predict if a motor is going to go out. I mean we have no way to know that a motor in a pool is just absolutely going to stop working, but we aren't funded. I mean a motor for for one of the pools is 35 000, that's not something we're budgeted for that.

V

We keep on hand um and then the small pool if it goes out, it's 25 000 for a motor there's, just not enough funding. That's set aside for those kind of issues, but yes to answer your question. Yes, maintenance is, is done daily, it's done by our staff and done by drill staff. So it's certainly not something that gets put on the back burner, but it is done daily, but.

E

Know that when you say it's not set aside, if you've got a 35 000 motor that goes out even if it's not budgeted we're going to get a motor right, yeah. So.

V

And we do, we absolutely do but to council coble's point: it's just not sitting there.

J

V

Yes, um but moving ahead as we talk about Capital, Improvements and things that need replacement um I'm going to try to go through this quickly. But when we talk about our Parks, so in park services, we have four restrooms at Cooper Creek, there's uh slated for replacement, we're looking to do that as part of our sploss project. We have restrooms at Pop, Austin, Alexander fields that need replacement restrooms at Lake Oliver. For those of you who remember, we previously had one Outdoors at Lake Oliver and unfortunately it was burned down.

V

So now we're forced when we close the public doesn't have access to restrooms any longer, because the only restrooms on site are actually contained in the building. We also need to replace the restroom The Pavilion at Charlie Hill, and we also need to rebuild or replace The Pavilions in picnic and bathrooms at Flat, Rock Park, but we're hoping to address some of that with our sploss budget um get to that project.

V

In addition, we also in athletics. We are in need of school boards and likes.

B

Across this is one second counselor Davis.

N

You know I pardon me I just have to step out a minute, but um on the lake Oliver deal I know we're self-insured so and the bathroom's burned down that's been a while ago, but currently do we keep the bathrooms open once the marina shuts down, or is there virtually no access to bathrooms once everybody leaves.

V

That's correct: there is no way to give them access because it's part of the building itself, and so we cannot leave that portion open when we close the building. When the staff leave.

N

And so we're totally responsible as far there's no insurance that covered that facility at all that that burnt down right.

E

D

N

We have fire insurance so.

V

We were told by the risk management at the time that our amount of the value of the building did not meet the deductible or.

E

Did not meet our.

V

E

Typically, our deductible as I believe was 25. 000. um uh is what I believe I don't know how much what's the value of that bathroom.

V

E

Either I don't recall, write off, but it's it could be 50, it may be, 25 are deductible, and so that may be the reason well and.

N

That uh you know I asked myself with all the people that use that Marina. What do they do if they have needs, especially after people go home, um yeah, I,.

E

Have no clue what's going on, we need to. We.

N

Need to handle.

E

It, okay yeah, we do yeah, you get the picture right, yeah.

N

V

Okay, um Athletics, um of course, we need scoreboards at various facilities across town as well as lighting replaced. um We did receive funding for baseball scoreboards at Rigdon, Shirley and Edgewood, and we're currently working in the RFP process and getting those quotes so that we can move forward in getting those replaced. We also need a new football scoreboard at Lake Bottom and then, as we move to Aquatics I know. It was asked earlier today about the pools and so of course we're in the middle of that project.

V

Working on pools right now and we're on schedule to reopen in summer of 2024.. The demo schedule will start in September, so in September we will start with salmon Road Shirley Winston then moved to Rigdon and so for Citizens. That are wondering why that hasn't started before now. We did not, and the contractors did not want to tear out the pool shells that exist now and then have water to fill them back up or to rain in them and create more issues.

V

One then we have to worry about from the health and sanitary standpoint with mosquitoes because obvious, actually it's nice and warm outside, and if water was to stand in those big holes where pools once were so, that's part of why it was not done until they are actually ready to start working on the projects and putting something back in place so, but that demo will start in September and we will start with Solomon Shirley and then Rigdon moving forward and also just a quick note.

V

I will come back with an update just on renderings and update for the pools, but this was just to be included as part of today, but this is a conceptual design that I showed everyone back in March I, believe that shows you what the pools might look like as we get ready to move forward, but again I'll bring more substantial renderings when I come to do an update again. But I did want to share this. So the public as well would have an idea of what it might look like. Excuse.

B

Me holly, yes,.

J

I

Yes, um you said September.

V

I

um If they start in September, are we really scheduled to open Memorial.

V

Day Weekend 2024.

I

Okay for all three.

W

E

And while we're pausing there, the deductible is fifty thousand uh I got a text from staff. Okay,.

V

So I want to share what a few of the amenities might look like that we have looked into and are forecasting for these facilities so they're on the top left. You can kind of see the The Climb where they go across the little lily, pads the little circles there in the top right. You see a little boy and there's a little what we call a tot slide, so it provides something for the younger children to play on, and then you can see at the bottom there's a little climb on feature with a little whale there.

V

So these are some of the things that we're looking at as we go into building the new pools, but again I'll come back with renderings in more detail and um closer once we get started on demo um next, I want to talk about Carver, Park things that we've talked about previously we're updating the park, dredging the lake renovate and replacing Pavilions in the picnic space, as well as replacing the playground. Of course.

V

This is a splash project um that we will start next year, but we've already begun um working on renderings um trying to be ahead, even though we know funding will not start until next year. So with that I wanted to share a conceptual design that we're currently looking at I'm super excited about this I hope. The community will be really excited about this, but this is kind of the first glance at what the new park could look like.

V

So with that, you can see that we've we've restricted vehicular access on the Northern portion of this diagram. It becomes pedestrian, more pedestrian, friendly, I should say from a biking, walking standpoint, and then you will also see that we're going to try to enhance the athletic field. Basketball courts, possibly some tennis, pickleball courts, also opening up more green space. So the community has additional Green Space to utilize, as well as the walking trail, making sure that it's renovated as well but holistically.

V

It really gives the park a fresh new look as we go forward, so it makes it way more modern than it currently is. At this point. Yes,.

B

I

um In reference to dredging the lake, um what's the the benefits, you know what sure.

V

Absolutely so, judging the lake, um typically, what happens? Dredging the lake is is needed because of residual sand and runoff from um from the park that ends up there. A lot of our Parks, you all know, are watersheds, which means they're, able and they're built to design to hold water. Well with that also comes a lot of sediment that comes in from creeks and rivers and just general runoff um of you know sand and things like that from the park itself, so dredging the lake and basically improves the health of the lake.

V

It allows us to restock It with Fish. It goes from being a shallow um kind of Mucky dirty area in some spaces to be deeper refresher, cleaner, not that it's not clean now, and it's not fresh now, but it's really difficult to to adequately explain other than it just fills with sand. If you take a cup and it has water in it over time as it water runs off into it.

V

Obviously, it fills up more and more and more sand, so you can see the line and the layer of water gets shallower and shallower, which makes it less healthy, not only for the the fish that live in the lake, but the other animals, and you know I'm not into all that, but all those little environmental things that go in there also it affects the environmental health of the the trees and the plants and the animals and everything that lives in the park.

V

So we really look at it as an environmentally um friendly option for us to enhance the park and give back to that Park and make it longevity wise to give it kind of a fresh new life on to be honest. But that really will benefit our citizens as well, because once we're able to restock the lakes and the fish are able to um basically have a better environment to exist in then they're going to also multiply, and it's going to just we're going to all reap the benefits of it.

I

All right, so, when we, when we dredge um the lake, we don't remove all the water just they.

V

Will I can't say to how much, but if you've ever looked at um at Carver Park, if you drive out on the end um where you can drive now with a vehicle, you will see that there is a pipe there and.

G

V

Pipe is there for the purpose to drain down um the water in the lake so that it can be worked on, and so, if you were to sit on the dam and you look to your right, which is the far east side of the lake, you will notice over the years that the water has receded and we have more vegetation that has grown around the lake.

V

So those are the kind of things that we will address once it's pulled down in the water kind of like it at the Lakes like at Lake, Oliver and Lake Harding, and things like that. How people are able to work on the the grassy area, kind of that grows up and the rocks and stuff like that. That's one of the things that will get to be addressed and so we'll be able to clean that up, really fill the lake back in with more water and expand the life. The lake. Yes,.

I

V

You no problem okay, um so this is our conceptual design currently for what that might look like, of course, Pavilions restrooms, a new playground. All of that would be updated as part of the squash project, um moving to Lake Bottom things that we're looking for there up to update Park and amenities tree canopy work, renovating the football field, repair place, tennis, courts, basketball, courts, pickleball courts, renovating the walking trail and, of course, replace the playground.

V

um This is a spa project as well, but we will be going ahead and renovating or replacing the playground with the funding that we received with Governor KIPP, so that portion will move forward the next project. The next Park is Theo McGee, Park, also a park. That's designed to have sports funding, renovating the park, removing fencing lights, replacing the bathroom, renovating or replacing the basketball court, creating a walking trail and also the replacement of the playground. The playground has already been replaced. We've done.

V

We did that several years ago, what Community, Development block, grant funding and a lot of these other areas. You can see some photos on the left. I wanted to make sure that our community got credit, because this is the part that our community has really taken. Taking a a you know, a really good interest in it really wants to help us, so we've had a lot of different groups and a lot of different agencies and people who have come to the park to help us, and so this is just a few of those those photos.

V

The biggest partner we have, of course, is trees Columbus and due to the hard work and partnership with trees, Columbus to date, they've raised 85 000 privately. That has funded a lot of the things that have been done. Some of those things include the tree inventory for planning and a maintenance plan, a survey of the park users and the potential users going forward a concept plan for the park.

V

We also had a press conference with Pratt and Whitney at one point for planning, planning, partnership and funds were donated to pay for plants and trees that will go into the park. Of course, the drains in the park were cleared that was worked by trees, Columbus and Columbus, Water Works, as well as engineering as you can see, from the photos. Trees were planted in January of 2020 2023 this year. Also, we worked with Georgia power and are grateful for their assistance. They help remove the light poles.

V

Many of the light poles needed to come down, so they were removed and also the fencing we've removed the fencing on the old field that was there so that we can create a walking trail, an open field space, so it can be used for other sports, as well as the things that we're currently already being held there. So you can see a lot of different things are going on, but again this is a swast project, but we have had some local dinnerstoners to privately fund this with the help of trees, Columbus moving forward.

V

We have Memorial Stadium, but I really wanted to really quickly say a huge shout out to Spencer high school. They were able to send out 126 scholar, students, so thank you to their principal Miss Patterson, but they sent 126 students to Memorial Stadium to help us clean up all the trash and things that were in the park. So a huge thank you to her and those students for coming out and helping us with that.

V

But you can see here some of the things that we still lack and are still needing to do like field lighting, Turf, irrigation drainage, the field needs to be widened to accommodate other sports. There's a lot of things that we are really looking at doing down the road. As far as replacing the Press spots, concessions, bathrooms, locker rooms, officials, room ticket, booth scoreboard, Stadium sound and how Hospitality Suites these are all things that long-term really need to be done at the stadium and then Cooper Creek.

V

Of course, we have a lot of things at Cooper Creek that um long-term need replacement. The courts need to be resurfaced. We need to paint repair, replace the poles. We need new LED lighting, railings, there's just a lot of things out there that do to age just need to be replaced because of the top timing of how old they are also. In addition, we need to resurface the courts at frankchester and Lake Bottom. Those desperately need to be done. Late bottom could be done with splost and perhaps Frank Chester.

V

Hopefully, that could be done when we do renovations to bidding Park bidding Park is another Park that was identified with squash funding. So the hope is that once we get to that that project that we'll be able to do their tennis courts as well, um of course, Cooper Creek. The park itself, as well as the tennis facility, is spost listed as I said before so we'll be able to hopefully address updating the park bathrooms the lake pickleball courts, Pavilions picnic tables and renovating Trails, just to name a few of the things counselor.

B

I

um In reference to the Capital Improvements, have we put a dollar sign to some of the projects or some of the things that you have listed.

V

We have not at this point because we did from. We did at one point: yes, ma'am counselor. We did but kind of to direct her um shorts. Point everything keeps the price just keeps expounding every time we hit a number, and we think this is what it's going to cost. If we wait any time period of all, the cost has gone up brightly, so we're kind of holding back until we get closer to this project.

V

um At this point,.

I

um And now, because this last budget session, where we kind of rushed to put some things on the on the budget, um if we could possibly see maybe some of the top things that we need to address and be able to forecast, you know what we possibly I mean, even if it's just an estimate, what we possibly could be looking at and and what we can be, um what we'll be working on as a council to approve for the next budget cycle, just something we can see.

I

You know in dollars and then also um I see we have dredge Lake um again at Cooper, Creek I, think there and I don't know if we have um missed the deadline, but some of the land water conservation fund grants I'm, not sure if we have applied for some of those um to help us with our parks that have lakes. We.

V

Have not at this time no ma'am we have not, um but the plan from the Department standpoint and would have to obviously speak with the finance director and city manager would be to possibly try to apply for those as we get closer to some of these Park projects so that it can, it can be leveraged.

V

But those are not grants that you can apply for every year once you apply, there's a waiting period that you, um if you receive the dollars, that you can't go back, I apologize, I, don't know what off the top of my head, though. Okay.

I

That's I was about to ask: when was the last time.

V

We I do apologize. I do not okay,.

V

um So, let's see um Lake Oliver, um of course, I mentioned before we need to rebuild the outdoor restrooms bumpers. We really need to replace our bumpers on the docks that have worn away.

V

That's so that the boats don't get scratched when they come up to get gas or to get other services at Lake Oliver, and also we have some rotten wood around the building, just because it's on the water that needs to be replaced, as well as some gravel and rock on the banks when we get to South Commons a huge thank you, Mary Sherman's here today with the Sports Council and huge thank you to them and their support and the funding that they've helped us to provide at South Common to do a lot of upgrades, but there's still things that we need additionally such as some Georgia power poles that need to be updated.

V

We need to update our roundhouse for those of you who don't know. That's the large building that does the score. Keeping has the restrooms and the concession in the middle of the complex it needs to be updated. We also need to provide some more safety nets around the complex to catch fall balls and to update our school board in the stadium. Then at bib City soccer.

V

We need some new LED lighting, also we're looking to renovate the field bathroom and concessions, but I'm grateful to say that we received a grant from the state with Governor, Kemp and so those bottom items the field, bathroom concessions, as well as fencing, will be paid for out of that Grant, and that was a non-matching grant. So we will have that very shortly beginning to take place.

V

Next we have Woodruff Farm Soccer Complex. This is also a splash project. We need upgraded bathrooms, more bathrooms, LED lighting, more Fields, um and the reason for that is that when this complex was built, it was the first complex of its kind here in Columbus, and we went from the bib field that I just mentioned to Woodruff. So at the time it was built out in such a way that they thought that that would cover the need of the city Unfortunately.

V

Today, there are so many children that wish to play that we've outgrown our complex and simply put. We could use two of the complexes to be able to accommodate the request for usage, which is fabulous, that's fabulous that we have that many children and families here in our community that want to participate. Unfortunately, we've outgrown our complex and need more field space. In addition to that, we need to address. We have a lot of storage. There. That's kind of been piece milled together over the years, it'd be great to have one large storage area.

V

We need playground, replacement, meeting space and to add some streaming services so that maybe, if a parent or grandparent they host a lot of tournaments with kids who come from all over, they would be able to watch those games, and so those are things that we would look to to try to add.

V

um But again dollars won't go as far as we'd like for them too. So we'll have to see as we closer, but this is also a splash park project the park. We need a new, we need a restroom facility um near the Pavilion. It's been asked several times for that. We also need a replacement playground and the Pavilion uh really needs to be replaced due to age. Charlie, Hill Park um needs restroom and Pavilion repair. You can see the note there.

V

This is also a part that we received a grant, and so we will be replacing the playground at no cost to the city Flat Rock Park. We need to update the park, replace bathrooms again, dress their Lake, replace Pavilions, picnic, tails and renovate the trails, and this is also being funded by splost.

B

I'll leave if we could, let's go back to Heath park, I think Council.

V

B

Has a question absolutely.

L

Thank you for Kent grants um in the different Parks. How did you choose which Parks were going to get use these grounds so.

V

I'd actually didn't get to choose very much, so it was based on a census tract provided by this by the governor's office, and so we were only able to use our park space that fell within the census tract for governor Kemp and that actual census tract was different than the census, tribe or census information that we use for Community Development block grant with with a community reinvestment department. So it actually didn't mirror very well, but we we used what was provided from the state and that's how we had to make our selections.

V

The selections were very narrow, I'll, be honest with you, because, as you can see, there were a lot of projects that we would have liked to apply to it, but were very restricted in what we could actually apply like what facilities and um areas would apply. So yes, ma'am.

L

Again, thank you. Okay,.

V

V

Been in park I mentioned earlier, there were things if any part that like such as the courts that we would like to resurface. We also need to renovate and basically update the whole park renovate the softball complex so that we can host more tournaments and accommodate more teams, replace the bathrooms concession and, of course, playground Replacements as well, but the playground replacement was already done with Community Development block grant funding um now I'm moving into Capital Equipment.

V

These are items that we've typically asked for in our budget each year, so you can see the items they are listed in park, services from lawnmowers to vehicles to trash trucks, and you can also see the items that we were funded this year. We received one zero turn mower out of fiscal year 24 and the field conditioner, which is called also known.

V

A ball field groomer a lot of a lot of the way, and that was funded in this fiscal year in the area for Refuge or trash, we're looking to purchase additional trash trucks and at Cooper Creek rollers to be able to remove the water from the courts and Recreation services. You can see here we're asked we had asked for and need still need, Vehicles such as buses, we're looking for score tables tables in general um chairs and some AV Equipment, so that we can start new technology programs for our teens here in the community.

V

Also we're in need of replacing bleachers at prank, Chester and Shirley Winston. Those facilities were opened in the late 90s and 1999 to be exact, and so after about 24 years of basketball, games and cheerleading, and you name it they're, just in need of replacement. We have looked into renovating them as far as just resurfacing or replacing some of the benches and we're advised that was not the direction that we needed to go again: Lake Oliver with the replacement of bumpers and then in Aquatics.

V

You can see we are going to need additional Vehicles as we get back to opening these pools, to be able to service and maintain them with staff.

V

um Moving to Columbus Aquatic Center, you can see the things here listed for the Columbus Aquatic Center from Lane Road Replacements, because now the building has been open 10 years. We need additional Lane ropes and we also need to replace our starting blocks. Those are the things that the kids stand on when they take off to actually compete in the pools.

V

We have long since replaced a lot of the parts on them, but now the parts are no longer available for the models that we have and so we're being forced and being told that hey you're just going to have to buy all new starting blocks. We also need new touch pads when you go to a swim meet, they touch a device on the wall, that's what is their timing mechanism and those are 10 years old and are also up and need replacement and our Therapeutics. Just you can see.

V

We need an ice machine, a vent, Hood, a stove and a fridge they're just outdated or in in not the best working condition and really need replacement at Brit, David's Studio, the same thing. You can see the items that we need for repair and our Cultural Arts facility and again this is just due to age and usage.

V

B

J

B

I

Yes, yes, so I was on the screen where you had I, think treadmills and the bikes is that enough for replacement.

V

That only covers the rec centers um and that doesn't cover all, but it does cover most yes, ma'am.

I

Okay, because I was in Shirley B for the senior citizen event, and one of the seniors was asking about the bikes. They are in horrible conditions due.

V

To age and use.

I

Oh, this is, is the whole. The whole bike is yeah.

V

And we have had them repaired, we had a contractor, a vendor that would come in and do repairs for us because that's more of a specialized but again they're commercial. They are commercial, but we use them in a commercial way and they get a lot of usage, but that's again something that we've just not been able to replace so.

I

So and I'm not sure what the condition is of Fort Moore, but they have like resale and their equipment. This I guess outdated is way better than our equipment and I'm not sure how we could possibly work with them, but they're always getting rid of their equipment.

E

I

It's our our equipment, isn't real real bad shape.

E

Well, and and I can certainly have a conversation with my uh counterpart about um maybe donating, but typically when they do they've got to go all the way up to the Department of Defense, but but we can have that conversation if they've got something that we can use. Yeah.

I

And I'm just thinking because sometimes you know it I think we had we I'm saying personally got a treadmill and some stuff from Fort Moore and at the time it ended up being free sure. So if we could possibly I mean there, there was I guess considered outdated is way Advanced compared to what we have right now.

I

So just looking at at ways, but looking at eight treadmills and two bites on I think we had like two over there at Shirley, B, um two bikes and I, think it was an elliptical I, don't I think in the treadmill, but all of them was, and that's just one. So if you have eight and eight that's not going to be enough for no.

V

It's not a complete replacement, but it does give us something for Citizens and each portion of the community. Yes, ma'am.

B

Counselor Huff.

O

Director Browder, thank you. uh I just want to slow you down, because I know you're going to get into uh Personnel in a few minutes. um I want to go back a little bit. You said on the active parks that we have.

O

I wanted to touch base about fluent Rec Center. They have uh two basketball courts, one here, one across the creek will those be restriped and new Nets or whatever to keep them, because that's the rec center I think is doing well may need a few things, but basketball is key.

V

Yes, sir, we replace the Nets regularly. So that's something that we do all the time we can certainly get with staff and see what we can do about replacing the lines um we will have to contract it out. It's not something we can do in-house. We don't have the equipment to do so, but we can certainly see what can be done in regards.

O

To the lines some of the outdoor competitions to have the three-point line: okay, um his promise King on you on your radar. As far as the basketball court, it.

V

Is not right now because kind of to uh Miss Short's Point, um because it's not open and operational. It has not seen as much attention um and we have so many others right now that are well.

O

I know about the rec centers I'm in the courts.

V

Yes, the courts are the courts are on our radar to do the same thing and do the.

E

Reviews of the.

V

Stripes? Yes, yes, sir, okay,.

E

And we may be able to talk to engineering about striking the basketball courts. They can do that in-house. Okay,.

O

O

On the it was mentioned earlier about the land water conservation fund, what can it be used for as far as land use courts and things of that nature.

V

So it's pretty open-ended from what I know um about the land and water conservation. As far as projects go, it's pretty open-ended, but there is a match. There's a matching portion to it. I can tell you that much um I do not recall the the amount, but there is a matching portion to it um in regards to the grant, but I think it's pretty open-ended a lot more people use it for conservation and and things of that nature for buying property um and starting in that way versus brick and mortar.

V

As far as buildings and things of that that way, um it's been more for trails and clearing and things getting projects started. I think.

O

V

O

Now I was asking, because you mentioned earlier that.

J

O

May get to The Courts at frankchester right so.

V

Those will be part of the squash project. It.

O

Will be yes, those could.

V

Be those could be redone as part of the splash project, and so what we're trying to do is.

O

Pickleball courts.

V

Yes, to identify.

O

V

And we used it all summer for the group that came before Council for.

O

V

Hockey, yes capacity as well, but yes, it does need to be resurfaced. It's got dips and holes in it and that's not something that can you can just fix. The whole Court needs to be resurfaced. Yes, sir. Okay.

O

uh Anything on the radar for bending heels in the future.

V

We don't ever offer me.

V

For me not resurfacing, but restriping and things of that nature, so yes, it will also have to be looked at.

O

Okay, I think I'm good for now. Thank you. Thank you.

V

V

So moving forward the senior division, these are some of the areas of items that are in concern same thing, pretty much as what you saw in Recreation services when it comes to vehicles that we need replacing stoves, exercise equipment. And it's really. You can see it's more from the exercise standpoint and then, of course, tables and chairs are things but because we have to buy in bulk of so many.

V

The cost is great, but those are the things for the senior division that we're looking at and then I'm going to move into personnel which we've spoken previously about, but to go back for a moment. I wanted to kind of see where, where we started and where we are now, um you can see here on the screen, the years in which either deleted positions um were done in the department or unfunded positions within the department. That leaves us at the shortages we see today.

V

um So you can see in 06 we deleted 44 positions, uh 0733 and 11 2, 12 and fiscal year 12. They were unfunded, seven positions in fiscal year, 14 we unfunded four and in fiscal year 15 we unfunded 13 positions. So that's kind of where our shortages began, so Personnel needs in our department.

V

Are great I'll, be honest and questions have been asked at Council before in regards to this the first we and we did it by division, if you will so the first is Administration and that's no job that it's any more important than any of the others kind of an alphabet medical person, so I'll kind of like to go in order.

V

So Administration just came first but I know a lot of you will reach out to me a lot of times and sometimes I'm, not as quick as I would like to be to respond, but I don't have enough I, don't have an administrative assistant. I have a deputy director in my department, but I don't have an assistant. I, don't have a secretary that answers my emails or schedules. My calendar I. Do that myself? Nobody else. Does we also in our department, don't have a grant coordinator? We don't have someone who writes grants you're.

V

Looking at that person between myself and our deputy director Ms Summerlin, we write the grants in our department. We over help oversee the grants in our department and then marketing you're, also looking at the person, I shouldn't tell the public this but you're, looking at the person that a lot of times, if they write to our social media I'm, the person who responds to them or our deputy director is the ones responding because we don't have a marketing coordinator coordinator. We don't have who does that job in our department?

V

That does all our social media does our flyers or does our advertising? We don't have that person so a lot of times. It's tasked between the two of us to make sure it happens and Recreation services.

V

um This was also asked in regards to how we're staffed and the fact that we only have one full-time person in our rec centers, and that is because we lack our Recreation program specialist, two positions, which is also full-time, so we would really need 11 of those positions to get us back to having two people there and that's simply because when we lose a full-time person, we don't have someone who can go and run their building. We we just don't have that um that stability to be able to do it.

V

We have to move someone from somewhere else or we have to try to maintain it with part-time staff and unfortunately, there have been times over the last few years where we've had to come and say, unfortunately, we're going to have to close this facility for a short period of time until we can get the Staffing, and that is never what we want to do. We never want to not have the resources for our community, but we're kind of tasked to choose which site do we close?

V

What do we do, and so for us, that's really what we've had to do due to the lack of those positions and I will say when I began with the city 20 years ago.

V

That was a position we had in all of our rec centers and all of our super centers and all of our facilities had that staff, because it allows them to one not have to work every weekend or every hour or special event, and that's what we're seeing is now with the shortage of Staff people are burnt out, because we do a lot of events for the community, see a lot of you in your in your neighborhoods and your portions of the community, because we're doing events or activities or we're having something that's going on.

V

That's providing staff to have to stay longer. Also with this, we would also ask for something that we've seen for a long time. We really needed. We have a great boxing facility here in town, but it's open part-time and we have a lot of the community that would love to use it more often, but again it's open part-time because it's run by part-time staff, because we've never had a full-time position to run the facility and then, when it comes to recreation, centers leaders, which those are the part-time staff that work at the rec centers.

V

The senior centers and across the recreation division, we're extremely short. Not only are we short right now, because we don't have people in the positions we have. We just don't have enough positions when I started with the city in 2002, we had about 10 part-timers at the site that I worked at today at the very same site, we're lucky. If we have four, we have four positions but we're lucky if we ever have four, but we do have four positions down from about 10 that we had for 20 years ago.

V

So that's why we asked- and we request for additional part-time positions to be able to build our facilities back, to be able to offer more programming, to do more for the community um to offset crime and violence in the community to provide people places to go and things to do, but we just don't have the Manpower with the positions we currently have to do. The things that are often asked of us next I want to talk about park services. We get a lot and you get a lot.

V

You get a lot of complaints and questions from citizens on why things aren't done. Why they're not done more quickly? Why not? Are they done more efficiently sometimes, and we absolutely we do the best we can with the Manpower we have. But to give you an example, um talking about the park, Cooper Creek Park here in the city of Columbus is 187 Acres. We do not have a full-time, dedicated crew that works, that Park.

V

That crew is on a rotation that gets cut just like about six or seven other parks that belong to one or two correction officers. So there's not staff that are able to go to that facility and I'm. Sorry to that Park every single day in weed, eat or cut grass or pick up all the trash in the park or when it floods when the trees that fall down we're not able to do that because we don't have a dedicated, dedicated crew.

V

So that's why we would ask for a supervisor and six full-time part maintenance worker ones, because they don't have a degree dedicated crew. The next part that doesn't have a dedicated crew is Flat Rock, Park, Flat, Rock Park here in the city of Columbus, is 201.63 Acres. It doesn't have a dedicated crew. Do you know how long it takes to cook grass when 201 Acres? Now don't get me wrong?

V

There's a lot of space that we don't cut this Lake and this other things and of course we cut it with a bush hog but still deal. We don't have the staff to maintain that Park like a lot of the community and a lot of people would like for us too. So there we request again one full-time partner supervisor and six full-time Park maintenance, worker ones. The next Park is Carver Park.

V

It also does not have a dedicated crew and it's 65 acres and there we would ask for the one full-time and six full-time, Park maintenance worker ones. Again, another part would be Heath Park.

V

We get a lot of concern about Heath, Park and getting it cut and maintained, and the things done that we would like to see it doesn't have a dedicated crew either it's one of the parks, that's in rotation that gets cut as quickly as we can get to it, and, let me say if we get pulled because there's an event or something happens in another Park and that crew ends up being pulled to work there.

V

Well, then, that means that some of these other Parks don't get the attention that they should as quickly because we just don't have the manpower to put people out there so again for Heath Park. We would ask the same. We would ask for a full-time crew supervisor and six full-time part maintenance. The next Park is Brit David Park. We really need to add staff to that Park due to all the amenities and the ball fields and everything that's in that Park. So we would request three full-time Park maintenance worker positions that Park.

U

V

Have a dedicated crew but they're just lacking in the staff they need and that Park is 40.30 acres and then of course, Lake Bottom Park has a crew, they do have a dedicated crew, but we could also use three more full-time people there and Lake Bottom is only 46.3 Acres councilor.

B

I

Yes, she knows that this is my passion.

V

Hearts and rigs.

I

um So you're asking for one full-time, six, um one full-time supervisor and six full-time for most of these parts to be there on the day yesterday basis. So can you give an example of what um a day in the life of a crew supervisor and park maintenance looks like today like how often do they or are they at one particular part that.

V

I cannot tell you, I can tell you what a typical day for them looks like, but I can't tell you how often they get to because it varies based on the sizes of the parks, um because obviously some parts take more time to cut than others.

V

um So I can't tell you that part, but I can basically tell you they end up going and let me let me back up for a second, so please understand our Parks crew supervisors, just because it says the word supervisor don't think that they're sitting over there watching their staff work, or these are working supervisors.

V

These are people who are in lawnmowers or weed eaters or tractors or whatever it takes they're right out there with their staff they're just the lead, if you will in their particular Parks, but typically they will they come in at 7am and they leave from Casita Road and they will head to whatever park. It is that they have to start at for the day. They'll cut there until basically they get as much done or they're finished, then they'll leave and they'll go to their next Park and that's all day every day.

V

That's just what they do, and so you know if it rains and they can't get it cut and they have to come back or you know whatever the case is um somebody's out sick or we lose somebody because they move on to another position somewhere else. There were short, so it really kind of handicaps us into what they can get done. Just because there's not enough of them. How.

I

Many do we have now.

V

um I, don't know the exact number per supervisor. I can tell you. We only have roughly about 70 Park Service employees.

V

If that helps and I apologize, exact.

I

Numbers but I don't know.

V

Off top of my head, yeah.

I

Just trying to trying to look at if you have I mean it's a lot of acreage, um how long it takes to go through 187, Acres or 201 Acres. You know in the day or a week right. You know how long it's taking them well,.

V

I

Actually, yes,.

V

I

V

Totally understand and like I said, it varies because it varies by Park and the size, and also it varies by what's in the park. Is there a lake in the park? Is it just flat property? Are there trees? Is it heavily wooded, so there's a lot of things that that go into that that changes from part to part, but there again that's the other part.

V

So why we ask for the equipment we ask for because, like I just told you they go and they cut cut cut with the grass and then they move to the next Park and they cut with the grass. So our equipment wears out quickly. We are constantly at the fleet shot with Trail and her staff, because our equipment that wears out quickly I mean we wear out belts. We wear out. You know things that just wear out from usage, because it's a lot of grass to cut in the city. So yes, ma'am.

B

L

Thank you, um Heath Park and Britt David are pretty close together. They're, not they're, probably within two miles of each other, so I'm wondering if those two crews could be combined in. You know the supervisor that you need at Heath Park. If the supervisor that you have at Brit David could it could supervise both of those and then get some more staff where they're working both locations, I'm.

V

Not going to say the supervisor couldn't manage those staff. We have right now because David you're, talking about on the Little League side, all the baseball fields and two baseball larger fields that are for uh Babe, Ruth or Dixie.

L

V

A football field, the trail, the playgrounds, no.

J

Unfortunately,.

V

There's not enough staff to that. You could say: okay and we'll just have one supervisor and the staff and we'll make sure they cut both there's just not enough manpower right.

T

K

V

Heath park is in the greater rotation with correction officers and we cut with inmates and that's why the majority of these larger parks are cut with inmates um and Crews that go from park to park, um because we just don't have the ma'am, we don't have the Manpower. Nor do we have the equipment to put to to maintain them in that.

L

Way, yeah I would think that Brit David is probably one of your highest maintenance areas. um It doesn't have a lot of natural areas where Heath park has a lot more natural areas. It doesn't have a lot as much maintenance, definitely not as much maintenance as well.

V

L

David and Lake Bonham were probably your two highest maintenance heat.

V

Has areas that currently need to be cut back to be managed better um to be honest with you, but over the years, if anyone in the community has lived there, then they recognize that things have grown further and we've let it grow out further, which makes it natural.

V

That's that's not it, um but it's not manicured in the way that we would prefer um and there's things that we as a department be in Parks and Recreation, see and would prefer, but we do the best we can with the resources we have and then, if a citizen needs Assistance or something, then we try to do that in the park as well.

L

Maybe you and I could coordinate a work day or you know a work weekend in Heath park, because I think I do have a lot of citizens that that would come out. We did that one time already and we had a pretty good turnout. I think we I think. Maybe we can plan to do something like that sure.

V

We have, and we are grateful- we get lots of volunteers across the city throughout the year that do that and we're extremely appreciative and they are able to assist us. So, yes, ma'am.

B

That's it keeps Columbus, beautiful and now they'll jump in and help with. You too, please.

L

That's will sounds good.

V

Okay, um so next I want to talk about. Of course we can continue to discuss, but these are the facilities. This is how much we oversee um here in the Parks 1912 Acres of Parkland 52 Parks, um three 32.5 miles of walking trails. It's actually a little greater than that now swimming pools, rec centers, community, centers, playgrounds, athletic fields, Natatorium skateboard park and dog park, and so we have one trash truck, so drill handles most of the city with refuse.

V

But when it comes to the parks and park facilities, we maintain and do our own trash, pickup and trash service most of the year. That's seven days a week with one driver and one truck and that's all we have. There are portions of the year when the late late fall basically winter, when it rains a whole lot and we don't have a lot of games and activities going on in the parks that we will only do five days a week, but the majority of the time it's seven days a week and it is impossible.

V

We can't always get to all of these facilities and all of these parks in one day with one truck and one driver. So when we get complaints because the trash hasn't been picked up, we do our best, especially if we know there's going to be rentals or events or larger activities, then obviously we will go to there and try to make sure that we've taken care of that, but some things pop up. Sometimes things are had that we're not aware of that.

V

The public just decides to use something and that's okay, but if they leave a lot of trust behind, we might not necessarily know until we get a citizen complaint because there's a lot of trash pile um but understand that we have one trash truck and one driver um to do all the parks facilities. Centers um everything that's here in the city of Columbus um when it comes to cleaning crews bathrooms here in the city, we have 56 outdoor bathrooms, those are cleaned by six people. That's all we have.

V

We have two Crews of three people each and they clean the bathrooms daily again same thing. We have large events when we have things on the weekend. We work they work, there's a crew that works seven days a week to clean bathrooms we have to um when they get vandalized when they get destroyed when the homeless live in them. We have six people um in most weekends. When we have softball tournaments. One of those Crews has to work softball tournament at South Commons to make sure so they will go there.

V

They will leave they'll, make sure it's clean, they will go in the city and they will clean bathrooms. Then they'll reach a point. They'll come back they'll make sure the bathrooms are clean for those guests that we have for out of town. We just don't have the Manpower, that's that's all we have, um and so that's 56 bathrooms, and you can see here other positions that we're asking for in park services.

V

um We do a lot of setup and events. You guys have been to plenty of the events that we set up for special events, um announcements, ground breakings, um you name it. So we have a crew that that's their job. They also have to take down and move fencing when we host tournaments that all has to be done. This is one crew and they do all of it whether it's moving stuff, because someone's requested something that has to be moved, fencing that has to be moved or an event that they have to go.

V

Do tables chairs, tents, podiums, that's the crew, so we're asking for another person to go on that crew I mentioned before we talked about Crews that travel. We were talking about Parks, but we also have what's called a ball field crew. Those are the people that will go from park to park and help maintain the ball fields, dragging the fields lining the fields things of that nature.

V

We really could use some more help to help those people, because right now they are basically killing themselves because we don't have enough of them and we have so many fields. So we're really asking for five full-time people to be able to assist soccer same thing. At soccer soccer does have a dedicated crew, because with soccer you have to paint the fields a lot, especially when the field layout changes.

V

So we're constantly out there cutting the grass weed eating the grass and painting the grass, so we can make sure that those teams have what they need for the kids to be able to participate.

V

So we really could use two more full-time part: maintenance worker, one positions in that way when it comes to South, Commons and AJ McClung, so South Commons, don't think about it, just being the softball complex, think about South Commons as being the area around and also in the Parks, so not only in the softball field, but around the softball field inside the football field, outside the football field and also around Golden Park.

V

There are staff that have to maintain that and we desperately could use more because those are the people who are working seven days a week when we have tournaments. Those are the people every weekend. When we have a tournament, they don't get a break. They have to work because they're also the ones helping line the fields and set things up if it rain pull tarps things of that nature.

V

So we have a lot of a lot of overtime in that way and a lot of burnout in that way, because the staff never get the time off, because we don't have enough of them to allow them to be off.

V

So we would really like to have four full-time that would allow us to so basically create two Crews and they could rotate weekends, so they could at least have a weekend off every other weekend to spend with their families, which they're not really able to do very much right now and then, when it comes like I mentioned before about trash trucks, um we would really like to have some additional trash trucks.

V

um We'd like to have another um what we call Meo, which is a motor operator. We need three Meo ones and two meo2s and two meo3s. Those are different level operators, which means what kind of equipment they can operate. Can they operate a dump truck? Can they operate a trash truck? Can they operate a tractor?

V

um That's basically what the different designations are, and that would assist us in being able to cut the parks more efficiently. If we had that, uh like Oliver, like Oliver, was renovated in 2009, and we still have basically the same staff that we started with in 2009, obviously um it the amount of traffic and flow um that is there at that side is a lot greater than it was in 2009. So we'd really like to hire another full-time person. We currently are in the same situation there that we are in our rec centers.

V

We have one full-time position and then we have part-time positions there as well. Well, those people are the ones that are having to pull your bait um for the fishermen that comes up and wants to um to buy worms or to buy crickets or whatever it is, and they might be the same person, who's have to fix hamburgers or fix chicken fingers or whatever I mean and they're fabulous and do a great job and make sure they maintain.

V

But it's not fair that they should have to to be able to do both of those for our citizens who come to the counter and then that that full-time person is working there 40 hours a week and often over just to cover the hours that we operate currently to the community. Athletic division in you can see here that we're really asking for one position. Currently we have two full-time people that manage all Athletics for the city of Columbus, and you guys just saw how many athletic.

U

V

And how many things we have here in the city um I know when I started with the city. 20 years ago we had eight full-time staff and those eight-time full-time staff. It took all they could do to keep up um with the programs and things that we offer, and this would really help us to be able to serve the community better. If we had another person and that's still a far cry from where we were eight years ago, that would still only give us three people.

V

um The next position would be our athletic Chiefs, which are part-time staff, and currently we have three and we just offer so many more events and activities than we did years ago, and so those three people are forced to work all the time.

V

Those are the people that open the complexes if we have to open South, Commons or open a memorial things in that way, we always want to have somebody on site to make sure if there's any problems or any issues, that we have a person there to be able to assist in our facilities, but we could really use six more of those people based on how much we are currently doing as a department for the community when it comes to Aquatics.

V

This is just kind of a precursor for where we're going to be come next year, Memorial Day, with the addition of three pools, we're gonna need 95 guards, three pool managers, three assistant pool managers and nine concessionaires, um so those are kind of our staffing and what we're projecting as we move forward for next summer. This past summer we had roughly uh about 25 guards outside and then the manager and two assistant managers, so we're looking at the same type scenario as we move to open the other three pools.

V

Also, we could really use some more maintenance staff when it comes to our pools to be able to maintain them, um because we haven't had those those outdoor pools. In a number of years we haven't had the staff either, so we're going to need some staff to make sure that we can continue to do the year-round maintenance, that's needed. What that means is that we don't want the pools to be green.

V

We want to be able to see the bottom things of that nature and to do so, they have to keep up the chemicals they have to work on the equipment and make sure everything is in operating um position.

V

Excuse me and then, when it comes to our indoor Aquatics, the Columbus Aquatic Center, we would really like to have two more administrative clerks. What is that position? That position is the position that runs the front desk. Currently, if someone quits, then we have to send our deputy director. So our my assistant, director of the department, has to go the Aquatic Center to help out, um because it's very hard for us to operate when someone quits or they they move on to a full-time or another position.

V

These are part-time positions and we just don't have enough um to cover what we need to for the facility. The other thing that we need is a Aquatics program, maintenance supervisor. We really need that because we are operating more hours um that we really can handle a lot of times, especially if someone leaves us, and that seems to be an area, that's very difficult to maintain or keep staff. And the reason for that is.

V

These people are working the weekends just like the others to host swim, meets and so they're not getting time off and they're getting burnt out and right now, they're on a rotation that, regardless one of them, has to work the weekends to cover the hours even when we don't have swim meets, but on the weekends we do have swim meets it's kind of an all hands on deck and everybody's there, but there's never time for them to take off.

V

So it would assist us if we could have one more maintenance, supervisor or program supervisor to be able to put them in a rotation so that they can be off and not get burnt out. um We also add the Indoor Aquatic Center could really use five more lifeguard positions and you're probably like. Why would we need more guard positions?

V

um You know we haven't really changed the hours. What we're finding is that in order to keep our lifeguards, a lot of them obviously are high school or college age majority or high school that are at the Aquatic Center with their schedules. It's very hard to get them to work the full 29 hours a week, so we're forced to work with them on.

V

Maybe they work 10 hours a week or 15 hours a week, but we're taking what we can get because we need lifeguards, and this would afford US the opportunity to add a few more guards on that. Maybe can't work 29 hours a week, but they could work 10 hours a week with their school schedules and would allow us to make sure we have extra or not even extra but enough staff to open and be open all day, the hours that we currently operate um and then David um Cultural Arts Studio.

V

Many years ago we had a Rec specialist three position. It was cut as one of the budget cuts that we took back in 06 and 07, and this would allow us to put two full-time people back at that facility, which we currently do not have. Also, we would ask for three part-time Pottery Specialists.

V

We would really like to see our satellite Pottery Studios for those of you who don't know, but the Supercenters when they were open at Shirley, Winston, Salman and Northside had their own pottery Studios, so the community could come in their neighborhood and take a class. We currently need extra staff to be able to operate those facilities, so adding those three part-time positions would allow us to do so.

V

Oops I apologies, um August, 8th, director, Hollowell came from HR and she presented the vacancies and so here's the vacancies that she presented. At that time there were 137 part-time position, openings and six full-time. Those are represented here between all the divisions in the Departments. To give you an idea where that um lies within the department, I'm happy to say, though I mean we normally do our own job, hiring and interviews and we've done countless job fairs and we just haven't been very successful.

V

So we've been working with Ruther and her staff and on October the 19th we're going to kind of have a on-site um one day. We will do everything so they'll be able to come, fill out an application interview and we'll be doing hiring and on the spot, pre-employment screening. So basically anyone who's. Looking for one of the jobs that we have open, they're able to come on site that day and it's a One-Stop shop, so they will be able to fill out their paperwork.

V

Do an interview be hired on the spot, go downstairs, do their drug screening and then we're even going to provide transportation to the government center. If they at that point to be fingerprinted and do their background check, so everything could be done in one day for someone who's looking for a job with the parks and rec department and that's going to be on October, the 19th at our office at City, Hall and then next.

V

um We have a new, um a new program that we've started a few weeks ago and I want to say a huge thank you he's here. The warden is here from mCP he and his staff. He particularly came to me because we had expressed the need in our parks that we needed safer parks and we wanted more visibility in our parks and he stepped up with him and his staff to come to us and and volunteer sort of uh to help us with that part Patrol.

V

And what that represents is that we started on August the 12th with part patrols, there's three routes of Park patrols with here in the city and at any given time, there's going to be three officers, whether it's officers or supervisors that are patrolling um and they're patrolling 31 different Parks, our Trails Park facilities- and this is seven days a week so far, I know that they have had positive response by the citizens that they've encountered and that's also given them the opportunity to talk with the community and deter crime before it's happened.

V

He sends me a report every week with the information and what they've encountered and I will tell you, there's been quite a few things that they have been able to kind of deter just by them simply being in the Parks I, don't know if he wants to speak to it or not, but we think it's great and it's been very successful and very helpful for us in Parks and Recreation. So it's kind of an unseen like Park Rangers program. If you will, but we have been um very excited by it,.

X

uh Good afternoon Mr Mayor senior manager and city council City attorney. She said it all. We we just we presented it and it was accepted.

X

My staff at mCP stepped up and volunteered whatever we've been asked to do, we're doing it um right now we're trying to stay in the parameters of some hours, since this wasn't budgeted, but um myself and Holly's become pretty good friends since August the 12th, but if she calls or emails and asks us to do something or go to a park where, a couple of days ago they was out four-wheeling in the park tearing up the pot land and we had an officer.

X

One of my lieutenants was on site and she told them to load those four wheels back up and get out of that Park and we, the next phase of it, is we're going to see about being able to ticket those folks that we've seen in the park areas where they don't supposed to be and I'll go ahead and start enforcing uh the rules of those Parks.

X

um Seven days a week, we kind of Divi in the hours up when the most people are in the Parks. Hopefully we can expand those hours. Some. We have three vehicles. Currently um that's going to also probably be a part of the next year's budget request to get some new vehicles. Those vehicles have been uh pretty much kind of taken out of service and and we're using utilizing the best way we can so we have I, don't think we're going to be able to go away because the citizens have now adopted.

X

Mcp and mCP has adopted the citizens we have Sergeant, went out there and took ice pops out to some of the kids that were playing I took some water out the late bottom. The guys was out there playing ball in 100 degree weather, but nothing to drink. So um before I left, my new name was on instead of warden Walker, but you know we, we were spending 95. We were spending 95 percent of the time talking about five percent of the people who were causing trouble instead of focus 95 of our time on those ones.

X

That was out there enjoying the parks, and so that's kind of the message that we have going around mCP and relaying the Harley. So whatever we can do whatever she needs, she know we're here for Lord.

B

We appreciate that I mean y'all have done an outstanding job, just the presence out. There is given a greater sense of safety and, of course, one of the most important things that we do in public safety. It's all important, but making sure that these youngsters that are out there enjoying the Parks when they're out out of school I mean that's, that's something that is it's. It's immeasurable the kind of peace of mind it gives to the parents. So great partnership, councilor huh well.

O

Welcome, thank you, sir director Browder I was thinking back to that's. All I knew as a kid going to Copper Park, the guy's name. I can't remember his name right now, but he was the officer always at Cobb Park. When we walked in, they had a little store there. They had the lake, they had the boats, they had fishing and he was our protector. You know we were.

O

We were boys and we got into little scuffles and things, but he separated us and gave us a little talking to and we went on to enjoy the park. So I think that this this has been needed for a long time, so I'm glad you're, taking it on I, can see where the public would be embracing you, because this is uh this- is what it's going to take for those that five percent to understand that they need to take that elsewhere.

O

So we can get back to enjoying our parks and get the kids back out, walking running and having a good time. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks.

B

V

U

J

V

If there's any additional questions.

B

I

Thank you um director, broader. This was a very informative um presentation today. One of the questions that I had and I know that um I think myself, councilor, cargo and I can't think of the other individual might have been counselor. Crap um wanted to probably go into a deeper dive with parks and rig.

I

um One of the questions when I had the town hall um at Shirley Bean uh was was our like five year plan, um so developing we I mean for the most part, you have a pretty good um inventory of what's needed, but to truly take a deep, deep dive and have that in a a plan. You know to see what we have I mean.

I

It was good to know the acreage of Carver Park, and you know Flat Rock and all these places, but also the inventory of what we have within Shirley B and Frank Chester, meaning those um things that we discuss regarding treadmills basketball courts, but looking at everything we have in developing a plan um and forecasting our needs um in the future.

I

You know so from if we want to start working on it now and it'd, be a 2024, Five-Year Plan, um looking out to see where we're gonna head in reference to Parks and Rec and then also get in public input. I mean doing a true um Five-Year, Plan um I know for some of those grants that they do request. You know some of that. Their information, um but I do think it's it's needed that way, we'll know um how to assist you as counselors.

I

If we see exactly it's almost like doing, A needs assessment, but just going a little further like what? What do we want, Parks and Rec to look like um in 2030, because you know what's crazy, it's really right around the corner. Time is going to go by fast, um so this this was I feel like this was good. This was a good start now, it's time for us to forecast.

V

So if I may, um the department, because we're an accredited agency with the National Association of Parks and Recreation um Association um here in the United States, there's less than 200 of us, we'll say that because I've served on their committee, so I know how many of us there are. As part of that, we have to have a master plan. That's turned in as part of our accreditation, so we currently have a master plan, but Master plans can change and the biggest part of our master plan.

V

That changed was that we received Splash funding here in Columbus. So before that we had a master plan that now, because of this lost and the opportunity to do some of the things that we looked at really needs to be reevaluated and updated, and so I know that Becky, uh Summerlin and I have discussed it at length. um The changes that we're going to make for that and yes, it does. It has the five-year increments.

V

If you will to that on what that will look like long term, because many of the things that I discussed with you today that are Spa projects or that things that to your point, that need to be identified or need to be worked on. Most.

U

V

Already outlined in our master plan that just simply need to be updated to make sure that we're receiving accurate information from the community and, as you know, when I because I was you were with me at one of the ones that we did. We do ask for public input like when we did the pools. I went to every facility, all of our part areas. If you will the districts that we're going to have the pools replaced in them, and we asked for Community input.

V

We often do SurveyMonkey and do surveys online to ask for or Garner input from the community. So yes, ma'am I agree with you wholeheartedly, but I don't want anyone to think that we don't already have a plan. We do it just as time for it to be updated. Yeah.

I

And I'm not sure if that Master Plan was shared with the council, I think I recall seeing something, but it seemed like it was real General I, don't know how detail that master plan is and if that's something that can be shared with Council.

V

Okay, um we can certainly share um I'll have to see because we worked when we did it so our plan, we worked on started in 2014 and it's typically a 20-year plan, as is how we do it and planning at the time helped us work on it. So they were the keepers, if you will of the document, but we can certainly, if any way possible, we'll be happy to share okay. Thank you.

B

Counselor Huff.

O

Thank you Sarah uh first point: I wanted to uh have you to give kudos to your uh director James King. Yes, recenter arson. uh He had a great opening at Tillis Rex in a couple of weekends ago. I didn't get a chance to see the interview he did with Channel 9, but there were a lot of kids and parents who had popcorn and everything and I just went by to see him. He seemed he was happy, but I mean the people in the neighborhood. Some people parked some walked around it was.

O

It was a great day. um My other piece is because you have uh director Sherman here from the uh Sports Council uh clay. Dickey uh has one of the largest African-American traveling softball tournaments. uh He was here, August, 5th and I had no idea. It was too quiet, okay, so if I could get uh director Sherman and city manager, if we could advertise this Labor Day tournament coming up he's bringing 90 teams to Columbus Georgia this weekend.

O

If we could put it on ccg and uh our website- and you can put it on your website and everything- and we could get word out. But I spoke with some people from Atlanta and one young lady. As far as La. They brought a whole team here from Los Angeles California and she said she would be back um so they had a good time and I can't.

O

Imagine I want to take a look at economic impact because I think they had probably 60 65 60 16 about uh August 5th first weekend in August, but I don't know who knew they were here. They had, they had like a large filing, but I didn't see. I saw it on your calendar, but I didn't see anything social media pushing it. You know so I spoke with him a couple of days ago and I told him I would let you know.

O

You know that we could probably push it and try to get people out to let you know. Let them know they're there and the last question they had was. They said a lot of the teams loved the atmosphere, but when you cut the trees down it's very hot now so they wanted to know. Will there be any future of a canopy type piece put up where the fans can sit and enjoy the game.

V

So yes, sir, the answer to that is yes, and it's already been designed and we are currently waiting for them to install it. um That seems to be the the problem nowadays, anytime. You want something done. We want it done yesterday, um they're, not quite as in a hurry as we are, but actually they're getting ready to get started on pouring the concrete slabs. The slabs will go back in those areas.

V

If you've been to South Commons, you knew that in between the complexes or in between the fields per se there it was a very rounded Mound and then the pine trees were up on top of that with a lot of pine um pine straw debris and we lost some trees over the year, so the trees were removed and they have been graded, and so now it's flat, and so those areas will see brand new, concrete, being poured very shortly.

V

U.S Council have approved it and have approved the new shade structures that will go up and so in between all of the fields will be very large. I can't quote the exact footage, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 35, to 40 feet in length um lengthwise to cover, and it will basically cover where the tree shade was before, and so we'll have very, very nice canopies to provide shade for those in between games and also those watching the current games on the field. So we're going to make sure we take care of things. Other.

O

Than that, other than that you know, I was introduced to him uh when he first came and uh he's really fallen in love with Columbus, and he said that he went out as a city manager. He went out and put a poll out among all of the teams and the teams voted to come back to Columbus.

O

They love it here. So the canopy piece I'll, let him know I'm gonna, go out this weekend. What's the most fascinating thing, I've ever seen, because you see a lot of college tournaments and things, but just everyday people having fun playing softball and they take time to spend their own monies and travel all around the country. So I'll be out there this weekend, but thank you I'll. Let him know Shea is coming soon, so please keep coming back. Thank you.

B

E

Right Holly, thank you.

B

E

You thank you director, Browder mayor. The last topic is from uh Chief appraiser of the tax assessor's office, Suzanne Whitehouse before.

B

We get to that counselor Thomas had a comment.

K

Mr city manager, before we leave your um uh agenda here, if you will I know that you will remember- and the council will remember that at our council meeting last week we passed a motion to increase the radius of the Dial-A-Ride car um uh in Columbus and that we were told that, as part of that, there had to be at least two I believe two or maybe three public meetings. In order to put this out, if we were going to increase the um the governmental uh radius, have those meetings been scheduled.

E

um We've not scheduled a date yet, but we are going to do an update for you with Consultants at the meeting on the 12th I think we I think was yesterday. We met with the lawyers um and uh we are going to come to you with an update on the 12th. Well.

K

One of the things that Council said uh last week is we were having this discussion is that we want this done quickly as soon as possible, because we have citizens out there who are um not being able to get where they need to go, and we think that this action will will help with that. So please don't wait for two more weeks before you uh or three more weeks before you schedule those meetings they need to be.

K

You know we need to get those things in place so that we can move as quickly as possible to get our Dollar Ride into the communities where it needs to be.

E

We are working to schedule. Those thank.

I

E

B

I

Thank you, councilor Thomas, for bringing that up. I actually received the um text message from the individual that was here, Mr Rica.

J

I

um And he wanted to know what was the process um regarding scheduling the dollar ride, where we going to um go ahead and let him call and schedule that's.

E

Why we're going to give you an update, if you want me to do that, we'll do it but I'm trying to make sure we are legal and we don't have any violations and that's why we continually keep the attorney involved. Yeah.

J

E

And we we just met, but if you're asking me to do it we'll do it.

I

Yeah because I.

E

I

That he was within the well.

E

And they are telling us not to even refer to it. As Dallas mayor you on that, you were with.

I

Us it's a Paratransit.

E

No, that would refer to it as premium service, and so not dollar premium service and not dollar, ad and and all we want to do- is operate within the FTA and keep all of us out of trouble. So uh and and I forgot mayor. You did join us in the in the call with the lawyers and with the Consultants who've been doing this for 40 years and um and we are going to do an update um on the 12th and so I want to do it right and that's what we're trying to do.

E

And but if you want something done before that, you tell me.

I

Yeah, because it looks like her the regulation that we as a city can can go above and beyond.

I

It was I meant per the regulation that um I think I sent it to the City attorney the assistant City attorney with that information. I, don't know if you wanted to say some Mr Faye.

B

Pitch your button, if you would.

D

Yeah, that's what we learned yesterday from the Consultants. You can always go above and beyond, but there's going to be a certain cost and you've got to follow the process to get it in place, and you don't want to call it. Paratransit you're gonna need to call it a premium service that would be accessible to everybody within the particular radius, not just one or two folks.

D

So yeah, it's doable, there's going to be a cost and they're they're coming up with the cost and the process that the city manager wants to bring you on the 12th, but it can be done Okay. So.

I

Yeah well, um councilor crab was asking in reference to the person. That's grandfather in. Are they paying for the service? Do we know if they're paying for.

E

The service, what do you mean paying for.

I

E

Pay for it if they use it, yeah.

I

That's why I was.

E

I

Person, that's grandfathered in that's being picked.

E

Up absolutely, are they paying oh yeah when they use it.

I

When they use it, yeah okay,.

E

And um but um it's more complicated than you might think, as a lawyers could see yesterday and and and we can certainly do it, um but um it's going to require more buses, it's going to require more drivers, it's it's a because of what the federal government requires and the equity thing and- and so what we were planned to do is bring you an update and kind of outline. These things for you um and, um and so you got to have your full-scale playing uh together or how you're going to do it. City-Wide.

E

When you do your public hearing you just can't I mean you you'll just go. Do the public hearing and say we're gonna expand service, you got to tell them something, and um but if you're saying you want to do it in advance of that, tell me, but we want to make sure that we don't have any compliance issues.

E

That's my thing, because if you got compliance issues we know how it is with the feds. You can have one form not saying you can do one thing and they want the money back. We just don't want to put ourselves in a it's, an awkward position.

I

Okay, so it so right now, um because the person might be listening or others might be. Listening at the second Tuesday council meeting, we're gonna get an update in reference to um it's going to be called premium.

E

You got to get an update on what we need to do to expand the service city-wide. It would not be tied to, or as a lawyers hurt yesterday, you don't want to.

E

You don't want to attach to your downright program in any kind of way. You want it to be something above and beyond but separate, and they can tell you better than I can because they've been doing it for 40 years um I recommend we follow um what the Consultants provide.

I

E

Make sure that we don't have any issues? Okay,.

I

E

That's what I recommend and.

I

They're going to look at um probably like best practices of other communities that may well be doing this similar well.

E

um I think the lawyers heard them and what.

D

E

That no one else is doing it.

D

Maybe Rhode Island but I mean you're talking only one or two places, but you got to call it. A premium service got a bill available to everybody and twice the mileage rate away. Yeah.

E

And and my preference would be to slow down, comply or get it right by making sure we're.

D

They're going to put together a plan should be by the 12th, so I would just listen to what they say.

I

So you were saying Mr Faye. It was in Rhode Island that they actually go above and beyond.

D

I thought they said: Rhode Island.

E

D

E

Me look at that yeah. Let me just say: the full plan won't be ready by the 12th, but they'll be.

D

Able to run but at least you could get an idea of the mechanics and you could probably start it, but there's got to be across the board. You got to have hearings, you still got to have two or three hearings: yeah.

E

You got to promote it and you got to advertise it Citywide right, you know, and so, if you advertise at Citywide the reason you don't tie the dowel ride is you cannot neglect your dial rad for the premium service, because that's when you don't get in trouble with the fan.

D

They made that clear you've got.

E

D

Is your minimum minimum uh requirement? It's got to be met, but.

J

D

Can go above and beyond, but there's a process. Yes.

E

As a process and I just want to get it right, that's all.

B

Okay, thank you. Counselor Begley,.

H

Would there be less legal red tape if we kept it the same program but changed our route map.

E

When you say change your route, mail, if.

J

H

J

E

Public transit portion, I'm.

H

Saying keep Dollar Ride the same proximity to Metra, but change the Metro route as there is, is there less red tape to do.

E

That you mean expand the route so that you're, not the dollar ride. That person is within three fourths of a mile.

H

You can say: expand I'm, saying change the route. Well, is there let I mean? Are we not.

E

H

Have to have better approval.

E

H

Metro route map well.

E

Yeah you got to go through that process. Even of public hearings. You cannot expand or decrease you can't even D. You can't cut a route without having these public hearings and going through that process. Even for Metro, we have.

H

To go through the public, absolutely.

E

Okay, absolutely all right so, but now that's a good thought that you you have um if that route, that is, that makes that person live I hate to say it out loud three-fourths of them out well outside of the three-fourth mile. If you move the route out that puts that person closer to within the three-fourths mile.

H

Is that is that easier, I guess that's what kind.

E

Of well that's a good question which one yeah but but I'm, saying if you do it for that person, that's why I don't want to say it out loud and someone else said says: well bring it right out some where I live over here, so that I'll be within three floors.

H

E

H

Think it's slightly different because we, because it's already one person and so I- think the I think it's hey. We we missed something. We created this initial route, I think going forward, there'll be better communication around what's covered within the routes, because I think that was part of the issue was that miscommunication, and so, if we, if we do change the routes, if that's the easier step um and then it also gives us more time to pursue any kind of more and.

E

I guess I say you know we had a what two Consultants with us. One has been doing this component I think he said for 40 years, 40. yeah 40 years.

H

Which yeah I guess that's my only request when you are talking to the consultant consider the idea of like would a would it be less.

E

Well, certainly, we can. We can ask that but I'm saying when we, if we do it and we're saying it out loud here and someone else asks for that same thing,.

H

We'd have to make that decision.

E

That's right so.

B

Well, we got a few others here that want to come and uh councilor crab.

L

Thank you is the consultant aware of the grandfathered in writer, absolutely.

E

L

They do not think that that's a compromise already.

E

It's not a compromise because that was approved some time ago um and and they will Metro would have gone through FTA to make sure there were no issues with that.

E

Okay and um but the consultant went and pulled the video from the last meeting and they watch all of your discussion. Mm-Hmm and.

E

L

Want to take a deep breath and.

E

I know right and they had concerns about the discussion and what was being proposed.

C

B

Councilor Thomas.

K

um Mr city manager, um I, did not in any way mean to imply that I wanted you to do something that was not appropriate or not. uh Legal I just wanted to again bring to your attention and to the attention of whoever is working on this issue. That Council very definitely said do it as quickly as possible, so that we can get it done not only for Mr Morrison, but for anybody else in the city that needs this service and I'm probably going to ask you about every council meeting. Where are we on this?

K

Until you tell me, here's the plan yeah, okay, but because this is such an issue for those of our citizens who are handicapped or who have some disability of some sort to get to where they need to be and Council said, do it quickly and I believe one of the last things I said to you was I'm going to hold your feet to the fire until we get it done and so consider your feet held to the fire today and.

G

K

Going to do that until we get it done correctly.

E

Yes, and and that's why I, you know I I say we're doing it as quickly as we can. We just got to do it right absolutely and that's why we convened Consultants quickly and that's why we included the attorneys in that meeting, because we want to do it right.

K

Are these Consultants Consultants, who typically work with the FTA to do this with.

E

Us sort of thing yes and they've worked with us, okay and and uh and and we want and the mayor wanted to be involved and that's why he was in that meeting so quickly. I just want to be clear.

E

You know, um because they're going to outline it for us and I hope that we can tell you give you some dates for a uh for public meetings at the next meeting.

E

I hope that we're able to do that. But if not, it would be for a reason not that we don't want to. It would be because of process. Do.

K

It as quickly as possible, yes, I.

E

B

K

Thank you Mr City minute. Yes,.

B

Council Google.

M

I I think the point was made: I think it councilor Thomas was just asking for a date so that uh it sounds like you're going to bring us some options on the 12th of September and that way, if we are able to publicize those dates now and ahead of time um with Labor Day weekend coming, people can plan ahead. We can get our proper communication out there in that way. We're not pushing this until um October. So um even if we have some temporary dates out, there.

E

M

Can be presented so that we can that's.

E

Why I want to be clear, I, don't know if I'm going to have dates for you on the 12th, okay.

J

E

Have to consultant can work with us and we can do it right and have dates we'll have dates. If it doesn't work, we will not have dates. We just we have look. I've been. As you know, we have been through situations still on federal dollars and we just don't want to go there. Okay,.

M

I just would hate to see it lengthened up.

E

I mean I wanted I'd like to get it done just like you, but we got to do it right.

E

So I'm with that I have Suzanne White, House and she's going to talk with us about Department of audits and accounts sales, a ratio study, uh Miss blattenhouse.

T

And accounts uh Statewide equalized celebration study has been released and.

J

T

Kind of give you an idea of where we are in the state out of 140 59 counties. Only 40 of them are in compliance. We're.

K

T

One of them, uh 117 of them, are within threshold, but they're not compliant to be able to equalize the public utilities, digest of 40 percent and 81 of the 159 or 51 percent are below the 36 ratio.

T

um So this is kind of what the state looks like at the moment, everybody who's read is below 36 if they're green, they're below 38th, if they're white, they're between 38 and 42 and if they're in Black they're above 42..

T

So the question is, is how do we get here?

T

A couple of things are going on: one is in 2011.

T

the state legislature passed Senate, Bill 346, which placed a sales cap on properties that said that if a property sold the next year, the value could not exceed its sales price and good in a quiet Market, that's only going up a couple of percentage points year over year, but when you have a market, that's going up, 15, 20, 25 percent. That means that the next year, you're already undervalued.

T

So that's half of how we got there. The other half was in 2015. They passed House, Bill, 202 and House Bill 202 changed the way. The department of audits and accounts does their review of our sales ratio study and it says that they will adjust upward or downward um the.

J

Data that they're using.

T

To reflect January 1., so they say so. One of the things that's important to note is that, as of January 1st, that's our date, that's controlling!

T

So when we are talking about data that department of audience is using, we have to use to create value for January 1 of 2022, which is the year in question. We're all the way back to 2022.. We have to use sales data from 2021..

T

Department of audits uses sales data from 2022., so we are using two different sets of data and we're using two different sets of rules. We have one set of rules that we use and they have another set of rules that you they use. We do not Trend our data.

T

Our data is the raw data we look at it. um We use the median sales price in order to determine what our value is going to be for that one January of 2022. So it is not trended data because we have adequate sales in the prior year. So 21 we had plenty of sales in order to establish a market for 2022., but then they turn around and they use the 22 data. They're supposed to Trend it back to January 1.

T

in order to determine whether our values were good, so they're auditing us on data that we don't even get to use.

T

So a couple of things happen as a result of that they're they're, using we're operating on two different sets of rules. We are not adjusting to January 1st because we're using data, that's already occurred to determine a value they're using different set of data and that trending and time adjustments that they're doing is creating this greater disparity in an escalating Market.

T

The difference between what we're capping stuff because of sales in that subsequent year, and then the trending that they're doing it's just it's it's exasperate, it's exacerate, I can't even say my word today, exacerbating um the the situation and I'm going to give you some examples. We had a sale December of 2021. bear lot. It's all. It was fair piece of land 2022. They pulled the permit December 21st of 2021 to build a house on it. Construction didn't start till after one January the law states controlling is what the situation the property was on.

T

One January, okay, pretty clear it was a bear lot, had a permit to build a house, but no house. It was a bear lot. They built the house, they sold the house sold for four hundred thousand dollars, guess which sales department of audits used.

T

They used that four hundred thousand dollar sale and they bumped it up against our capped, bear Lot Sale from 21 for like twenty thousand dollars, we ended up with a ratio of five. They use that in the audit we found 10 of those that they used and that just pulls our number down our number and I'm sorry. This is so small and it's kind of hard to read.

T

um This is the this is the Department of audits results and they break it down by individual categories. You'll say that we have residential agricultural, commercial industrial. How much AG do you think we actually have here in Muskogee County? There ain't a whole lot of Agriculture you'll notice, 2400 supposed samples in their study. Those are residential units they're using the land industrial. Do you think we had 94 Industrial Sales in 2022? No, we didn't they pulled they.

T

They do in order to have enough samples, they'll pull Parcels they'll, do their own um appraisals they're supposed to provide us with that list for the appraisals and they're supposed to give us the actual appraisals. If we request them, I have yet to see the list of properties they use for those appraisals. So I can't tell you whether that's accurate or not for the industrial.

T

So these are some of the issues that we have with this department of audits uh ratio study for 2022..

T

So that's kind of the reason that I'm here to talk to you all, because it has ramifications for us now. Internally, we run sales ratio, studies ourself before we release notices of assessment, and we run initial ones that tell us what the situation is before we make adjustments to the digest and what the situation is after we make the adjustments. This is our overall. Our system doesn't using a fair market value. The state of Georgia uses an assessed value so off to the side. There I've put the assessed values in there.

T

The bottom number is the one that matters: that's the median and that's the one that we get rated on and you'll see that our bottom number on our internal sales ratio after we made our adjustments to the digest was 39.6.

T

That is right where it's supposed to be we're supposed to be between 36 and 44. We want to be between 38 and 42 in order to assess Public Utilities at 40 percent. 39.6 is about as good as it gets, and we did a a just over 10 percent increase gross increase to the digest in 22..

T

So we increase that digest in 2010. We increased it again in 23, but we increased it in 22 to get us to this point. But Department of audits says we're at 34.. Department of audits says: oh yeah, your uniform, you're, unbiased, but you're undervalued, is what department of audits said for our 2022 valuations, because they're using data that happened after the data valuation, while the market has continued to escalate and they did not and we're not trending it back to that one January time frame for that controlling.

T

So this is our overall study uh residential. Also a 39.6, and then our commercial was a 40.4. Our commercial includes commercial and Industrial together.

T

So here's the process. We would like to appeal this.

T

The board of assessors does not have the right to appeal. The right to appeal is limited to the county governing Authority and the school system.

T

um The school system is doing a called meeting to discuss this issue tomorrow afternoon and we'll be there to let them know the situation as well. The process to appeal is: we have to appeal by September 8th once we appeal once we file the appeal we will get all of the data. The appeal is actually handled by the board of assessors, but we don't we act as your agent.

T

We don't have the right to actually file the appeal, um so we will be able to collect all the other data that we're still missing once we file that appeal. They have to give it to us, so we'll get that, then they will schedule a hearing. It's an informal hearing for the first step, we'll go through we'll show all the data that we've got we'll scrub all of the data that that they have provided to us, which we've already done, um and then they will have the opportunity to make adjustments if they so choose.

T

They will. Let us know what their findings are. If we disagree with those findings, we have the ability to continue it on to arbitration. We have 15 days from the from when they provide us with their appeal findings. If it goes to arbitration, it's done with the panel of three arbitrators. We pick one. They pick one and the two arbitrators together pick the third one. The decision of the arbitrators is final at that point.

T

So here's what's at risk right now, because Department of audits says that our ratio is below 38 means that we cannot assess Public Utilities at 40 percent.

T

We would have to assess Public Utilities at 34.27 percent that works out to about just over nine hundred thousand dollars in Revenue, at risk split between this body and the school board for the city about three hundred and seventy thousand dollars of Revenue- and you know I always say: I, don't do taxes, but I did the taxes on this one um that would be Revenue. That is at risk of being collected.

T

If we don't uh appeal this and get them to acknowledge that they didn't use good data, um the school has about five hundred and forty thousand at rest. So last year a whole bunch of counties appealed theirs. We we did not appeal ours. Last year we were okay.

T

um So far from all of the colleagues that I've spoken with everybody that I've spoken with at appealed did prevail because they ended up with these same kind of situations um we can do. Most of the analysis uh can be done in-house we're already doing it. um We can hire an industry expert for a flat fee of forty five hundred dollars. They will represent us all the way through the process. This is somebody that has handled these appeals last year and will be handling them this year.

T

um The arbitration costs are 250 up to 250 dollars per arbitrator plus per diem and travel costs per arbitrator.

T

um I believe that the city attorney's office has already prepared a resolution that spells out total cost. um The school board has already indicated a willingness, provided they passes their school board tomorrow. I just I spoken with Dr Lewis they've, already indicated a willingness to split the cost. This 4 500 in the cost of the arbitrators with the city, so it would be basically half of what I have up there on the board is, is.

J

T

Would cost the city to appeal this.

T

B

They're going to split.

T

B

Counselor Thomas.

K

Let me make sure that I understand this process. We appeal to the Department of audits. Yes,.

T

Ma'am they make a decision. Yes, ma'am.

K

If we don't like that, then we um we can file an appeal that would be handled by the three arbitrators correct and then the decision of the three arbitrators is final. Yes, okay, yes, I just wanted to make sure that I had that process. Correct.

T

Thank you. It's a two-step process.

D

All right that all the questions for the moment, no.

B

I counselor crab I thought you were speaking to this side. Council crab.

L

I would like to see the split 40 60 because we get 40, they get 60 percent, so they pay 60 of the expense and we would pay 40.

L

Not 50 50., we base it on the on the split.

D

Well, we can pass a resolution subject to that split of 60.

B

40. I think historically.

D

B

Have argued that they pay a full price for the collections that we we do and which and there's been some discussion that in other communities where it's it's collected like that, uh it's not as I had split more favorably for them. I just.

D

They've asked quite frequently that we let them pay a lower cost for collection of all the tax digest money and.

T

If I may it, they don't actually have to participate. That's the other thing. It only requires the approval of one of you boards. So if you all approve going forward with the appeal they can say, no, so that's just something to bear in mind. It's it. It doesn't require both of you to appeal. It only requires one to appeal. I.

B

Like the idea, I.

T

Prefer having both of you on board, because to me that gives more support to our appeal.

L

B

D

We've got a resolution around the table on the agenda for the equal split. We can condition that if, if the majority of council wants to do that, 40 60 split, but we need to have that Amendment first, if we're going to do that.

B

We would go forward with the appeal with the one Amendment, okay, all right, so the motion is to move forward with the appeal but modify. The resolution reflect the 40 60 split in cost of of the process.

B

Is there a second.

B

All right, it dies for lack of a second. Does anybody.

D

B

D

Original 50 50 resolution on the table, as is, would be the resolution authorizing an appeal of the results of State, Department of audits, 22 sales assessment ratio with cost split, 50 50 between Columbus and the Muskogee County school district has set forth with the proposed expenses and that's ready for adoption.

B

All right hearing, none it'll. We won't appeal it so move to up to adopt that resolution. All right. There's a motion and a second to adopt the resolutions around the table, which is the appeal with the 50 50 split of the cost appeal.

B

Any discussion, Council Thomas.

K

And Mr Mr Mayor, if I may, um to uh councilor uh crabb's position, we're talking about 900 here and I, don't want us not to appeal for nine hundred dollars. Quite frankly, I think that that I mean I I, agree with you that if they, if they uh they get sixty percent, perhaps they should pay more. But I don't want this not to go forward on the basis of nine hundred dollars.

B

All right, here's the motion, a second uh all in favor, please say aye any opposed right. It's unanimous! It passes all.

D

Right and that passes Miss Winehouse you can inform the school board and, let us know their decision too Council.

T

um Let us know absolutely.

B

Thank you thank.

M

B

Anthony have a question: here's a.

M

Question, no, it's not it's not too.

D

Suzanne. Thank you very much appreciate it. Is this emotion.

J

D

Okay, yeah counselor kogo wants to make a motion mayor. Okay,.

M

um Since we're at the end of our agenda, um there's been a series of events um that have been happening as of late and I. Think Council needs to initiate our powers to have an investigative firm to work in conjunction with our internal auditor, um so I'd like to make a motion to requests that we hired Troutman and pepper to work.

M

Alongside of our internal auditor in a previously approved audit, with the intention and goal of providing a detailed report of some of the concerns that have serviced I think we just need to get some answers and we need some help to completely understand some of the issues that are going on. So we can get back on track and in control.

B

Motion in a second any further discussion, all in favor say aye aye, any post that passes.

D

And then mayor, we will of course get with internal auditor. Let her know this particular vote and with Troutman pepper all right as well. Madam.

B

G

Miss America would it be appropriate at this time I'd like to add a resolution to excuse mayor Pro, Tim Allen from today's meeting.

B

Motion second, to approve mayor Pro, tems absence all in favor, say aye any post he's excused. Thank.

G

B

Have he's out there floating somewhere foreign.

B

All right, yeah, I, think that is there anything else that needs to come before the council today, all right, I'll, entertain a motion to adjourn is there? Second, all in favor say aye any opposed, I wear a jerk.