 Good afternoon everyone. Good afternoon. We call the meeting to order. Madam Clerk could you read the roll please? Mr. Bailey. Mr. Brown. Here. Dr. Bussells. Here. Ms. Herbert. My apologies. Mr. Brennan. President. Mr. McDowell. Mayor Rickman. Here. Mr. Brown, would you do us the honor of the invocation? My pleasure. Please bow your heads. Heavenly Father, we pray for purpose. We pray for your guidance. We pray for the strength to move Columbia forward and to make our city the best place to live, to raise a family, and to run a business. We pray for justice that all people will be treated equally and all of our citizens will have the chance to realize their potential. We pray for growth that Columbia will become the city of hope and promise. We pray for each other that we will always treat each other with respect and dignity. We pray for our staff, the backbone of all of our efforts in Columbia. And finally we pray for our future. For togetherness that as a team we will make a difference in Columbia. In your name we pray. Amen. Mayor Rickman and council good afternoon. At this time I asked for your consideration of the agenda to adopt it with one amendment the addition of an executive session item, the receipt of legal advice city council meetings. Yes ma'am. So is there a motion? With that amendment that add a short executive session. So we have a motion. Is there a second motion a second any further discussions hearing non-seeing none madam clerk could you read the roll? Mr. Bailey. Mr. Brown. Ms. Herbert. Dr. Bussells. Mr. Brennan. Yes. Mr. McDowell. President. Mayor Rickman. Here. I should say thank you. At this time any individuals are allotted up to three minutes to address city council about items on the agenda. These items would be items that do not require a public hearing and would be addressed later on in the meeting but if there's any public input related to items on the agenda we can receive them at this time. I don't think we have any Mr. Mayor. All right. Let's keep on going. Moving into a period of presentations item number one the national public safety telecommunicators week proclamation the honorable Daniel J. Rickman mayor. First of all could we ask all of our folks are our first responders from 911 to come up front to the podium and be recognized please. Come on ladies. First of all we as a council and as a city on behalf of the city manager just want to thank y'all for what you do day in and day out. You know we talk a lot about first responders and there are a lot of pictures out there of all of our law enforcement and our fire department but at the end of the day y'all are part of that community and the backbone and I call you the hidden heroes because you're you're behind the phone but seeing what y'all do on a day-to-day basis in the ball call volume that y'all handle and how you're able to handle that is amazing. You know we're real excited for the future for your new home when that when we get there which we're working towards to make sure that y'all have a great place to work out of and continue the hard work that you do but on behalf of this city a lot of grateful city residents and county residents we want to thank you for for everything you do and also recognize that the second full week of April is the National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and this started in 1991. I don't know why we waited so long to do it but we did and now you know we want to celebrate the week of the 14th through the 20th is National Telecommunicators Week and we we encourage everyone to take a moment this week and and contact the dedicated men and women that work at Columbia Richland 9-1-1 communications. Thank you for their thank them for their contributions to public safety and the citizens they serve and I and then if you haven't had an opportunity to get to to see what they've done and see how well they serve our community I encourage you to do that I know the chiefs both know it I know our officers and our firefighters know it I know the EMS knows it I know the sheriff knows it but I hope the public realizes at the end of the day our first responders are standing right in front of us and thank you and I did you want to say a few words before we give you the proclamation now now come on how can you know I just want to say thank you to everyone actually showed up and I really do encourage you all to stop by if you have it we have done a lot of things and again just thank you to our staff for you know supporting us yes including assistant city manager Simon's is so proud of me I wasn't saying it for that reason Wendy but I but to the mayor's point we we may we do a lot sometimes with a little and he really has been working with also our general services director Kelvin Kees are in Stacey and all the team to make sure you all are taken care of we have to keep pushing forward to make sure y'all have what you need and that commitment from this entire city and city council and our entire staff city manager down so we want you to hear that but with that I'd like as the mayor of the city of Columbia along with my fellow council members here we proclaimed the week of 4th the April 14th of 2024 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and we'd like to present y'all with the proclamation at this juncture we'd like to invite Henry Simons our assistant city manager over our 9-1-1 department for a special presentation thank you mayor thank you so much mayor recommend city council city manager miss Wilson for providing us an opportunity to recognize such an extraordinary team as you have just mentioned National Telecommunicators Week I am so proud of this team and I've grown to know them personally as I take time to move myself through the room and they are passionate about what they do and it means a lot people so words cannot express how appreciative we are of what they do and what they do for our community to law enforcement our Friday department EMS corners office solicitors office just to name a few extremely proud of what they represent for the city of Columbia in addition it is my absolute pleasure to acknowledge our CRC 9-1-1 team on their clear which means commission on accreditation for law enforcement agencies and public safety agencies for 2024 this accreditation is a four-year designation and it is always an intense process where departments have to own a variety of standards to achieve accreditation this includes a systematic review and internal assessment teachers handled by the accrediting body so it's a it's a very intense process thank you to our director of our 9-1-1 Senate Wendy Royal this is actually her first accreditation process since becoming the director of the 9-1-1 Center she's been with us for 15 years but this is her first process and she did extremely well helped me in congratulating what I call the often heard but not seen the first of the first responders are 9-1-1 dispatchers for their Kaliya accreditation for 2024 I just want to say thank you to everyone at Columbia Richland 9-1-1 because this process very tedious and I appreciate all the help all the support the dedication from us all thank you get the whole team y'all get a picture that needs to be documented that was great thank you mayor and council our consent agenda items are items 3 through 19 for your consideration is there a motion got a motion is there a second again got a motion a second and there any did questions concerns comments any clarifications I know there's some a couple projects on here I know that we're all excited about especially the Hardin Street phase to be improvements will be happening up there on the corner of Taylor I know that our two favorite colleges up there will be very excited you know that about that but we're very excited about that is there anything else madam clerk could you read the roll mr. Bailey mr. Brown miss Herbert or 025 amending the 1998 code of ordinances of the city of Columbia South Carolina chapter 2 administration section 261 remote meetings is there a motion so move motion is there a second a motion is second any further discussion seeing none hearing none madam clerk could you read the roll mr. Bailey I mr. Brown miss Herbert I mr. Brennan yes mr. McDowell yes mayor recommend I resolutions item 21 resolution number are 2024 020 start buying a building site is an abandoned building pursuant to the South Carolina abandoned buildings revitalization at title 12 chapter 67 section 12 67 100 to prove we got a motion is there a second motion in a second any further discussion questions or concerns seeing none hearing none madam clerk could you read the roll mr. Bailey I mr. Brown I miss Herbert I mr. Brennan yes mr. McDowell yes mayor recommend I item 22 resolution number R2024 022 amending resolution number R2023 101 approving and ratifying mutual aid agreements between the city of Columbia and the city of Columbia police department and various law enforcement agencies and authorizing the city manager of the city of Columbia and the chief of police of the city of Columbia to execute all such agreements to add the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco firearms and explosives to the list of agencies motion to move or second got a motion in a second any further questions or concerns seeing none hearing none madam clerk could you read the roll mr. Bailey I mr. Brown I mr. Herbert I dr. Bustle I mr. Brennan yes mr. McDowell yes mayor recommend I item 23 resolution number R 2024 023 adopting the bylaws of the climate protection action committee last revised on July the 29th 2023 pushing to approve got a motion is there a second second a motion in a second want to thank that committee for their continued work and helping us build the pathway and making us the first city to be gold certified in the state of South Carolina lead certified which is a great honor with that madam clerk could you read the roll mr. Bailey I mr. Brown I mr. Herbert I dr. Bustle I mr. Brennan yes mr. McDowell yes mayor recommend I 24 resolution number R 2024 017 authorizing consumption of beer and wine only at the Columbia food and wine festival in the 1600 block of Blending Street on Sunday April the 28th 2024 motion to approve that we got a motion is there a second second got a motion in a second any further discussion seeing none hearing none madam clerk could you read the roll mr. Bailey I mr. Brown I mr. Herbert I dr. Bustle's mr. Brennan yes mr. McDowell yes mayor recommend I appointments we have three appointments or three different committees or entities I'm sorry to for appointments to occur they're the Central Midlands Council of Governments the Columbia Housing Authority and the Transportation Penny oversight committee mr. Mayor I'd like to make a motion to appoint Paul Gaffney as the city of Columbia appointee to Central Midlands Council of Governments we have a motion is there a second second got a motion in a second any further discussion questions seeing none hearing none madam clerk would you read the roll please mr. Bailey I mr. Brown mr. Herbert I dr. Bustle I mr. Brennan yes mr. McDowell yes mayor recommend I so we we may have an update from miss Knox the question on whether council can appoint someone to Columbia Housing Authority it lives outside the city correct and they can counsel by their own bylaws appoints to their counsel to the city committees should live in the city but to another outside entity they appoint according to their bylaws which does not require that all right any questions for miss Knox here mr. Mayor yes sir miss Knox could you repeat that again under under our meeting and committee counsel bylaws in order for someone to be appointed should live within the city point to outside entities we go by their bylaws which do not have the same restriction we can appoint anyone to the outside entity and that's based on the bylaws that I've reviewed that I was given today so with that I would ask that we bifurcate the motions for the appointments today yes all right so can we please have I put forth motion for miss Mosley second there's a motion in a second any further discussion Rev was trying to speak yeah may I speak may I say yeah mr. Mayor we got a motion though let you mind if we do the motion quick I got a motion we got a second second go ahead Reverend um that person lives up one of the person lives outside of the city and of course I understand that can we go ahead and I understand we're going to go ahead and approve attorney Mosley is that correct that is correct and then we're gonna have a second motion after that yeah the second most it the second motion involves what the second motion will be it put forth miss Karen Jenkins all right thank you sir yes sir madam clerk could you read the role mr. Bailey mr. Brown mr. Herbert aye aye yes yes aye I'm the motion forward to appoint miss Karen Jenkins to the housing authority is there a second second a motion in a second any further discussion hearing none seeing none madam clerk could you read the role mr. Bailey aye no mr. Brennan mr. Mayor yes the sound is breaking up and you you barely can hear on this side on this side of the universe sorry about that I will check into that I think our tech folks are here from IT will yeah I'm gonna be able to add to the record and of course I can't hear anything I'm sorry sir yes sir next is it is this are we still in the same motion because I would know we're done close okay sorry Reverend McDowell looks like you missed out in both I didn't vote I didn't hear I didn't hear the roll call by the by the clerk would you like to record your vote for the record Reverend McDowell your the motion was in regards to the approval of miss Karen Jenkins to the Columbia Housing Authority yes sir thank you miss Wilson next one transportation penny oversight committee do we have any recommendations for the transportation penny we need to make those today have a recommendation for mr. Peyton Bryant and a recommendation for mr. Creston Brown and for full disclosure he is my nephew is there a second second a motion in a second any further discussion can you hear us Reverend McDowell Reverend McDowell the the motion to a point for the site committee included motion and motion made by council mr. Brown for Peyton Bryant and Preston Brown yes one of those persons related is it Presley and Brown yes yes could you read the roll mr. Bailey mr. Brown mr. Herbert I mr. Brennan yes I the establishment of the Columbia Town and Gown Advisory Committee as a new community impact committee this was endorsed by the Community Development Committee on January the 16th 2024 and there's I wanted to clarify there's really no rhyme or reason to the terminology community impact committee it is simply just another committee of council that you're adding just oh I'll make a motion is there a second got a motion in a second is the so is the idea that they will report out to the Community Development Committee on a consistent basis we just get a rundown from Peyton really so it will act as a Town and Gown Committee Advisory Committee and they will submit a report out to not only the city but also each institution as all the other ones typically recommend so we can have it go to that committee or to all of council okay thank you go to all of council I think it's too important of a committee that is really touches every district I think it'd be important for it to come back to City Council as a whole that would be my request that sounds good Peyton let me ask you something what for the for the public to understand our commitment here what are the next steps in finding you know citizens that want to participate institutions they want to participate of course so a big part of this committee is it not just being the city and all of the schools it's also incorporating the neighborhoods in the business community so we have four open neighborhood spots and the biggest thing around that is you live work or own a business within one mile of one of our seven institutions of higher learning it's open on match board now you can apply or be nominated this month as well as a hospitality sector position that has opened to anyone in one of our certified hospitality districts that runs or owns a business and and Peyton we have a wonderful list of initiatives all that's going to be tightened up when when the committee is formed and a strategic plan is put together is that my is that correct yes sir the International Town and Gown Association is going to be convening a strategic planning session with all those appointed to the council or the committee and from there they will release their kind of master agreement with what their focus is they're going to be for however many years that starts in some communities it's safety and other communities as transportation in some list out more than one great appreciate staffs time and your time pulling all this together thank you thank you the within one mile is that an and or or so he said live work is it live and work or live or work or and mayor I agree that the report should come out to the entire council I think that if there is an issue with maybe implementation then that could go to community committee level right clean it up before it comes back absolutely absolutely and I think Peyton may be acknowledging to the city's membership in the International Town and Gown organization to yeah I can give a little history we've been a member of the International Town and Gown Association as well as the University of South Carolina for many years now but as we know there's lots of institutions in Columbia so we wanted to broaden that and create kind of a new format that best fits Columbia and that's what this does and that's why we haven't had a formal meeting schedule or established this because we were waiting to get to this point so it's exciting we're not the first city but we are one of the bigger groups to come together and so the ITGA has committed us for that as well great thank you thank you very much city council reports referrals and new business on the yeah so move to previous question thank you read the roll mr. Bailey mr. brown miss harbert hi mr. Vernon yes for some reason hear me so the item is 28 and the vote is um the motion has been made to approve the new committee the colombia town and gown advisory committee we're waiting on it okay yeah except for america men is that a yes reverend mcdowell yes thank you yes city council i'd like to refer to the public safety committee if they'll accept i'd like them to refer the topic of creating a peddler permit ordinance as our city grows and we we know to know and understand who's selling what for everyone's safety across from peddlers to local businesses citizens i just think it's important that we update the ordinances that we have so i'd like to refer this for review to the public safety committee thank you so much mr. mayor can you just for my peddler what what is it peddler someone who's selling items on the street or or soliciting on the street without any type of permit okay thank you reverend mcdowell the referral is from mere recommend for the a the establishment or a view of a peddler permit ordinance peddlers being those selling goods or wares on the streets of colombia and the referral is to the public safety committee and we need a second second we got a motion in a second any further discussion yes sir reverend mcdowell keep looking up like he's going to come out of the ceiling or something reverend mcdowell did you have a question sir i just wanted to get clarification and uh at least get our technical people to work on hearing and receiving information from you guys from us from me uh as i talk long distance it is duly noted it is on the top of my list to deal with absolutely sir we'll make sure i'm not sure are you hearing me right now reverend mcdowell just yeah i am here but but but at least you you fade out and other members of council fades out okay in addition to the mayor in addition to the mayor that's why i'm not that's why i'm not hearing yes sir thank you i think we have to stay close up in the mic when we're speaking i think you're correct yeah with that um madame clark could you read the roll mr bailey i mr brown all right mr reverend i dr bustle i mr bernard yes mr bigdowell yes mayor yes is there any other referrals yes mayor i would like to add on a future council agenda of appointment for the capital city lake murray um board mr deval used to serve on that board with me um and so we need you want company is that what you're saying yes because i need someone to fulfill the role he did such a great job um so and we do have someone in mind but we need to make the appointment official okay thank you um so we'll refer that to the next agenda which will be the 16th correct miss wilson yes um so we have a second for that motion second a motion and a second uh madame clark could you read the roll mr bailey watch it watch i dr bustle's i mr brennan yes mr bigdowell yes mayor rickabin yes any other referrals or reports i just have a new business okay i just wanted to share with the public that the city of columbia will be holding a press conference on april fourth to announce our first ever black maternal health week and we will be hosting as a part of that week a mom's market at drew wellness center on april sixth which is this upcoming saturday from 11 to 3 it is absolutely free and a great way for you all to get to know the different resources and services available in the greater midlands community as as you all may know um you know black mothers particularly in south carolina are almost 70 more likely to die um as this relates to pregnancy related complications often time in postpartum and this critical issue certainly deserves visibility as this council has committed very much to addressing different public health issues including things like our mobile market our blue zone our office of you know violent crime prevention so this is just one other way in which that we are engaging with our community partners to address the critical issue i also want to note that there are many other events happening next week that are being led by the local group which is the black maternal health collective you can learn more information online if you look that up on facebook or instagram there's some great events like talk to a doctor you can also do a screening of a birthing justice film but just a really great way again to engage with a critical issue and help spread the word about the different things that are available so we hope to see you on april sixth and then if you're interested to come support our efforts we will have the press conference on april fourth thank you thank you very much we look forward to that on thursday any other new business or referrals uh madam city manager we're at that magical time okay we will now receive any additional public and input individuals are lighted up to three minutes to address city council i think we have mr wade fulmer signed up good afternoon i'm wearing my special ops glasses today anti pollen and you all look very different from here i want to congratulate two dispatch and 911 services workers on the desired the deserved award they and columbia police department have often responded two years of it to repeat calls uh enabled by animal control non-enforcement of of uh code um it has now been six uh months and eight presentations to council since october the third my victim concerns and questions there have been no answers to the non-enforcement of code nor to the obstruction of justice evidence questions no follow-up and meeting to include the victim referred to council committee uh and uh requested management chain which i would like to be able to talk to somebody in the city manager's office mr shealy i think is the next in line uh i am asking again for answers after six months of no answers not far one on one down the chain dropped the ball not enabled more nuisance parking non-action silence no answers are complicity and non-enforcement and victimization and system non-accountability i have added to the list of uh awakenings this is since uh february on march the 29th i was awakened at 12 33 a.m and there were several repetitions of markings on good friday 303 a.m uh i was awakened more marking at 3 16 a.m on march 31st east or sunday awakened at 121 a.m several repetitions marking again at 135 a.m uh i did phone dispatch to log those in as i'd been instructed to do so that will be there and in all of these cases the owner was home which is a different situation than it was but the bargaining is going on i'm more concerned most concerned and i'm a closing now the questions presented to council initially remain who of animal control withheld the columbia police department provided accumulated evidence from city legal thus the court and why second question who stopped animal control from code enforcement ticketing of the two after february barking incidents seen and documented by columbia police department and why and again back to the fact that 9 11 services were deserved that award today it's 9 11 and the complete department they're the ones who have their resources stretched already when i call in about a dog barking i know i go to the to the bottom of the list that is fine but they should not be having to use their time and their resources to do something that should be taken care of and again my situation has gone on for two years and it continues to go on but it's going to go on until we get these answers because there's no credibility with getting help from animal control uh without the answers to the questions and knowing that someone will respond and and and do something that should be done as far as the duty thank you thank you sir mayor i do have one question i'm sorry i do have one question you said that the current instances over the weekend were different how from the prior ones uh the first two years and after the first year i had a meeting with the police department tried to get a meeting with animal control and nobody there would meet with me but no you said there was something the circumstances were different the difference is that tenants were home since we since we did have to go to court and it was quite a circus there they know that they're being looked at and whereas what was happening before they would leave the house not come in from the bar especially on the weekends until two o'clock or later but they would leave the house and they would leave the dog with access to the outside and uh twice uh once the the the one that brought me here which was four hours of barking that i listened to on a sunday morning from 11 o'clock at night Saturday till 3 a.m the police even went the extra mile and called some number that they had for animal control and said you know we've been here many times why can't you do something about that well i i think i did i i got the clarification i needed thank you so much what you said was uh that the dog has access to in and out so we can't do anything about the dog okay thank you thank you very much have you brought a private action against the homeowner for nooses or anything like that i have you considered a private action against the dog owner i can't hear your question well have you considered a private action against the dog owner for a nuisance to your enjoyment your own private action because um that's always out there but i have not considered private action because the code is clear it's it's uh untimely barking it's it's it's both actually both the owner uh nuisance but uh you know primarily the dog nuisance but the way that you read the code you could also do it by way of the owner so the fact that the code is there um animal control is somewhere along the chain in the documentation they've given you before they've just decided they're not going to enforce the code and then we get to court and the animal control officer supervisor i believe he smiles twice for the defense and he says smiles twice and says i never heard the dog bark and and the defense attorney says will you repeat that i never heard the dog bark he knew he's uh the animal control withheld the evidence from columbia police police department that was supposed to be there that day it was not turned over to city legal therefore they didn't have it and um so um i lost my train of thought i'm sorry uh so he he answered that way uh i never heard the dog bark why didn't hear the dog bark book calls 99 of the times that i had to call was after midnight somewhere between midnight and three o'clock a.m animal control is not working and even if they were are they going to be able to get out get from home or whatever to to get there that's that's not the answer the answer is to not have the repeat violations when everybody's work else is working so hard dispatch and and um and columbia police department and and then after 17 months that only ticket be written and and then uh it takes us eight months to get it through the court and during that time that the defense gets um two continuances during that time of the two continuances there's two more dog markings late at night they are um observed documented by columbia police department again and yet animal control would do nothing when i ask animal control why why did we got we didn't get a ticket until 17 months during this period that they're getting continuances they've had two more why don't why doesn't animal control ticket again they won't let us do that i ask him who they is and i still haven't found that out and that's why that's one of the questions thank you thank you there's no one else signed up that will entertain a motion to get an executive session make a motion we enter into executive session for receipt of legal advice relating to matters covered by attorney client privilege pursuant to seco 30-4-70 a2 got a motion is there second second any further discussion here and unseeing now madame clark could you read the roll mr bailey mr brown eye eye yes mr mcdowl yes hi