Roll call

Sam Catoe Columbia City Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, August 19, at 9 am on the third floor of City Hall. Council member Kirkman Finlay III was absent, while all other members of council were present: Tameika Isaac Devine, E.W. Cromartie II, Mayor Bob Coble, Sam Davis, Daniel Rickenmann, and Belinda Gergel.

City favorite

The city's August 2009 Employee of the Month was introduced. Mayor Coble presented Oscar "Sam" Catoe with a commemorative plaque. Catoe works in the department of Construction Management.

Going green

Mar y Pat Baldauf, city facilitator for sustainability, recognized local businesses for their green characteristics. ADCO, Backpacker , Bui lders Wholesale Carpet, Carolina Collegiate Credi t Union, Cohn Const ruction, Cyberwoven, Dance Station, Earth Care Recycling, Environmental Fabr ics, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Hampton Inn Historic Dist r ict, Heathwood Hal l Episcopal S chool, KD's Treehouse, Lighting Carolina, LS3P, Nationwide Mortgages, Nature Learning. com, Pisgah Lutherine Church, SC Methodist Advocate, SC Trend, Select Comfort, The Tom Sawyer Company, and WOLO- TV.

Companies going green Trees

Jimmy Walter s, urban forester for the SC Forestry Commission, congratulated Columbia on its dedication and success in managing its trees.

EngenuitySC

Neal McLean, director, reviewed the EngenuitySC annual report. He cited the four main directions EngenuitySC was taking: (1) knowledge creation, (2) Midlands K- 12 entrepreneurial education, (3) talent attraction and retention, (4) Columbia's opportunities for world class status.

Redevelopment District Plan

Norman Whi taker, executive director at Central Midlands, presented the Columbia Renaissance Redevelopment Plan, the concept of turning a large area of Columbia into a tax increment finance (TIF) district. The TIF that became the Congaree Vista was cited as the paradigm for what the city would like to do with the Columbia Renaissance, whether or not Cimabue or Giotto chose to call it that early on. Bond counsel Dan McLeod of the Greenville office of The McNair Firm explained the sequence of actions and approvals to finally gain TIF status in order to issue bonds for improvements. City council scheduled their adoption of the plan for September 9. Council member Cromartie gave an extended speech endorsing the deal, as did council member Davis. Council member Rickenmann, on the other hand, wondered where the money was coming from.

Jimmy Walters Next meeting

Council meets on August 26 for a work session on funding. And council meets on Sept. 2 for a regular meeting and a public hearing. The budget committee meets on Sept. 9. All meetings are in City Hall, and all meetings commence at 9 am.

Dan McLeod Neal McLean