Mayor Bob Coble, Brittany Hooks, Tameika Isaac Devine Roll call

City council convened shortly after 9 am, Wednesday, April 12, in City Hall for its work session. Council member Sam Davis was out of town on business, and councilman-elect Kirkman Finlay was present but not seated with the other council members. Finlay takes his seat the first meeting after July 1, the beginning of his term. All other council members were present: Tameika Isaac Devine, E. W. Cromartie, Mayor Bob Coble, Anne Sinclair, and Daniel Rickenmann.

Memorial Park trees

Advertising executive Bud Ferillo and Carol Shropshire of Columbia Green presented their plans for replacing decaying, unsafe trees at Memorial Park with live oak trees donated by Columbia Green.

Community promotions

Ned Pendarvis and Mayor Bob Coble Libby Gober , city ombudsman, reviewed community promotions funding recommendations from the Community Promotions Advisory Committee.

Budget

Melissa Caughman , budget administrator, handed council copies of the general overview of the fiscal year 2006/2007 proposed budget, totaled at $99,866,700. This year there is an increase of 17.7%, while the projected revenues are increased by only 4%. (A tax increase is looming.) Mayor Coble recommended a night city council meeting as a good time to hold a public hearing on the budget. May 3 at 6 pm was agreed upon.

Taxi

Council approved a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity for Billie McBride, Express Taxi Service.

Special zoning public hearing

Libby Gober Council adjourned for a few minutes and resumed around 10 o'clock.

Map amendments/

rezoning - first reading

John Blackmon , Drake Development Corporation, pled his case for approval of a planned unit development and its 24 single-family residences. Having passed approval by the neighborhood association, Blackmon's plan was recommended for approval by the city staff. There was heated objection from next-door neighbors, mostly objecting to the density, but council concurred with Blackmon since the alternative was a 48-unit apartment block on the same property.

Community Development Week

Rick Semon , director of community development, highlighted National Community Development Week, April 17-23, and Columbia's best practices in federal funds programs.

Corporate Stewardship Award

Bud Ferillo and Carol Shropshire Ned Pendarvis , chairman of the Columbia Development Corporation (The Vista), presented Mayor Coble with an award for the redevelopment work on the Confederate Printing Plant, not Publix.

Miss Fairfield County

Ebony Woods , property manager for the city's TN Corporation, was recently crowned Miss Fairfield County.

Essay contest

Brittany Hooks , Cheraw High School, won the high school division in the National Youth Violence Prevention Week essay contest. Her winning essay answered the question, "How has respect changed or shaped your life?" There were winners introduced from the elementary and middle school divisions, also.

Next meeting

Council meets again on Wednesday morning, April 19, at 9 for its work session and at 10 for its regular session.

Melissa Caughman

Rick SemonEbony WoodsJohn Blackmon