Roll call

Off duty fire fighters turn out in force Columbia City Council convened Wednesday morning soon after 9. Council member Kirkman Finlay III was absent, and all other council members were present: Tameika Isaac Devine, E.W. Cromartie, Mayor Bob Coble, Sam Davis, Daniel Rickenmann, and Belinda Gergel.

Lawyers

For about 30 minutes before the regular council meeting on the third floor of City Hall, council met in executive session on the second floor with three of its defense lawyers concerning the hotel litigation. As an executive session, the meeting's discussions were not revealed.

City favorite

The March 2009 Employee of the Month is Brenda Jones, senior administrative secretary for the city's economic development office on the ground floor in the former AT&T Building. Jones was nominated by her supervisor, Deidre Crow, and endorsed by Jim Gambrell, head of the department. Jones has been with the city since May 2002.

New director

Haneez Zattam, outgoing executive director of the World Affairs Council, introduced her successor Sabrina Mandanas.

Brenda Jones Fishing

Miriam Atria, president of the Capital City Lake Murray Country economic development office, narrated her video about the Forrest Wood Cup fishing tournament. Total economic impact of the event was $46,556,207. Television coverage of the event was broadcasted to 81 million Fox Sports Net households in the U.S. On World Fishing Network, the Forrest Wood Cup was broadcasted to more than 429 million households in Canada, Europe, Africa, and Asia, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. Atria is trying for a return engagement with the event, but she asked for a larger convention facility. The convention center on Lincoln Street was built too small for the fishing tournament and all its collateral activities.

Firefighters and health insurance

Something short of 100 Columbia firefighters, both active and retired, waited through the council meeting to see their representatives get invited to speak before council on the matter of health insurance. The city is running out of money, and the city employee health insurance plan could possibly begin charging premiums to a group promised no premiums from the day they started their careers with with city.

Miriam Atria Scott Fulkerson worked at the Columbia Fire Department for 29 years. He protested the possibility the city might take away what had long been promised to its employees, the premium- free health insurance for life.

John Wright began with the Fire Department when there were eight stations in 1974. Now there are 34 stations. Wright has been retired for five years after a 30- year career, and he believed a deal was a deal with the city. They can't start charging for something promised as free when Wright agreed to work for the Fire Department.

Joe King rolled his oxygen tank to the lectern and expressed disappointment with the city, sharing all the same reasons of the previous speakers. King volunteered to work on a health insurance steering committee.

Bailey McClinton wondered where all the money went. In other words, since the Columbia Fire Department also covered all of Richland County for fees from the county, what happened to the fees?

Next meeting

Council meets at six in the evening in the city building in Heathwood Park, 800 Abelia Road, Wednesday, April 1.