Bud Addison Columbia City Council convened at 9 am in City Hall on Wednesday, February 3. Council member Daniel Rickenmann was absent, but all others were in attendance: Kirkman Finlay III, Tameika Isaac Devine, E. W. Cromartie II, Mayor Bob Coble, Sam Davis, and Belinda Gergel.

Air quality

Myra Reece, DHEC’s Bureau of Air Quality, explained to council her agency’s continuing air quality monitoring around Columbia. Cromartie asked about bus exhaust since he is on a committee at CMRTA that’s about to buy another 10–12 new buses. He asked Reece to help in the bus selection, and she agreed. First, $40 million; then, another $30 million

John Dooley, the city’s director of utilities and engineering, reported the city’s Metro wastewater treatment plant next to Heathwood Hall School is about to undergo $40 million in improvements followed by another $30 million in a few years for upgrades with the aerator facility. Members of council asked about the money made by the city in its water and sewer charges. Clean water delivery makes far more money for the city than sewer service. There are about 70,000 wastewater accounts with the city, while the city has about 130,000 clean water accounts.

Hellen Dekle Audit

Bud Addison, an audit senior manager for the Webster Rogers LLP accounting firm, told council his final audit for the end of fiscal year 2008–2009 should arrive in another three or four weeks. Since the audit was expected last fall, Gergel asked for reasons it was running so late. Addison cited another accounting firm, Derrick Stubbs & Stith LLP, as the hold–up. DS&S’s work with CEZ Inc. (Columbia Empowerment Zone) has to finish before Webster Rogers can finish.

Smoking

Hellen Dekle, DHEC’s coordinator for secondhand smoke prevention policy, spoke on the possible loophole in the city’s anti–smoking ordinance. Bill Slicer of Tobacco Merchant on Bower Parkway and his attorney Darryl Smalls discussed with council their concept of serving alcohol besides tobacco products in The Tobacco Merchant. For now, according to Slicer, The Tobacco Merchant’s revenues come 97 percent from tobacco products, and maybe three percent can be attributed to alcohol. Gergel noted that her father died of cancer and that she herself was a cancer survivor of around 20 years. She saw no sense in governmental encouragement of smoking of any kind. Dekle told council the loophole, if allowed by council, would have far-reaching effect statewide, what with Columbia’s ban and 29 others across the state. Gergel offered to Cromartie she was ready to second his motion to close the loophole. Council decided to discuss the matter further in executive session with the city attorney. Fire service

Anne Sinclair John Dooley The Columbia/Richland Unified Fire Service Agreement is set to extend until July 1, 2011. City financial officer Bill Ellis said the books allow for a determination of how much Richland County fire service costs, and he was comfortable in letting Richland County pay the city that amount for providing the fire service. Coble let everyone understand the deal was fair for all, but he suggested city staff take another look at it before council’s final vote.

Next meeting

Council has a work session scheduled for Wednesday, February 10, at 9 am in City Hal. The next regular meeting is the following Wednesday, February 17, also at 9 in City Hall.
Darryl Smalls