Roll call

Dr. Jim Morris City council convened about 9 am, Wednesday, Sept. 3, on the third floor of City Hall. All council members were present: Kirkman Finlay III, Tameika Isaac Devine, E.W. Cromartie, Mayor Bob Coble, Sam Davis, Daniel Rickenmann, and Belinda Gergel.

Memorial walk

Yvonne Donald, assistant agency director for the James R. Clark Sickle Cell Foundation, invited council to join the 3rd Annual James R. Clark Memorial Sickle Cell Walk, Saturday, Sept. 13, at 8:30 am. The walk forms at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 2211 Lady Street. On- site registration begins in the church's O'Neal Center at 7:30 am. The registration fee is $15 per person, and that includes a commemorative t-shirt. For further information, Donald can be reached at 765.9916.

911 supervisor

City Manager Austin introduced CRC 911 Supervisor Elron Davis, who participated in the 2008 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon in Las Vegas over the Labor Day weekend.

Heart health

Pat Noble, PJ Noble and Associates, directed council's attention to the upcoming Women at Heart Health Forum and Exhibition, a free event for women featuring free heart health screenings. Health screenings are from 7 am until noon, Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. For further information and to register, call 296.CARE or visit Palmettohealth.org/WomenAtHeart.

Kyle Michel Public hearing

To meet requirements directed by HUD, Eric Cassels of Community Development appeared before council as part of a public hearing time frame. No one came forward, and the public hearing was closed.

Five Points parking investigation

Depending on 1999 data, the decisions on parking needs at Five Points have come into question. New parking research is being pursued, and the first action is to get council to call for qualifications among parking research firms. Susan Lake is chair of the Five Points Parking Committee, and she asked council to formally issue a RFQ, a request for qualifications. Finlay noted there was no money, probably, so he warned Lake the parking research might have to wait.

Susan Lake Trees

Attorney Kyle Michel and Dr. Jim Mor r is, a forester, both live on Main Street across from the Columbia Museum of Art, and they thought the city was moving a little too fast to cut down two trees on Main Street. The city's argument was the trees had already been deemed unsafe, so liability was on the rise. The safe thing to do, the city argued, was to cut down the trees before Hanna blew them down this weekend. Between the two trees, one is clearly stressed, and the other appears healthy. Further investigations were scheduled before this weekend.

City manager report

Char les Austin, city manager, reported the Columbia Police Department had 357 officers authorized, and another seven are being added each of the next two years.

On the matter of the homeless, the city is apparently too polite, and homeless types are showing up from all over. A new direction, a less polite direction, is being investigated. A major homeless meeting is set for Sept. 24.

Mainline Construction's appeal for their lowest bid on the Columbia Canal project is under discussion. The contract was awarded to another firm, one with an original bid $1 million higher than Mainline's, but Mainline failed to check its adherence to the city's subcontractor outreach program.

Eric Cassels The city's energy audit response could cost about $25 million over the next 15 years, but the savings in lowered energy use could be worth it.

The city council retreat come January will probably be in Santee, where the city has held retreats before. No one suggested a visit to a real city with real transit and such.

Next meeting

City council meets on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 9 am in City Hall, corner of Laurens and Main.

Pat Noble Yvonne Donald City Manager Charles Austin, 911 Supervisor Elron Davis, and Mayor Bob Coble.