Expansion Of City Hall On Schedule

The Columbia City Council met on Monday night in their regular scheduled meeting and voted to commit money to the renovation and expansion project at city hall.
Columbia Mayor Pat Bell will now send a letter to the Rural Development Administration stating that the city will give $341,630 from the city's contingency fund for the expansion project.
According to Bell they should be able to submit the project for bids at the end of the month and possibly begin construction as early as March 2009.
The Council also voted to table the a request by Sue Stivers of the Columbia Adair County Economic Development Authority's in the amount of $10,000 for operational costs.
City Council member Charles Grimsley requested the delay because would like Stivers to answers question regarding how the money could be spent.
In another matter, the council approved the return of $20,000 of the $40,000 that the city had advanced to Renaissance Columbia to put on the Diamond Rio concert during the Downtown Days festival, but tabled a request from the organization that the remaining $20,000 be given as a donation.
The council had voted to advance the organization up to $40,000 to secure a band, which proved to be Diamond Rio, for Downtown Days, with Renaissance Columbia to repay the money from proceeds from the concert. However, the costs proved to be more than originally expected, and the committee came up $20,000 short.
Council member June Parson stated that she would like to see a detailed report of Renaissance Columbia's expenses before approving the donation, and the council voted to table the matter until they receive an expense report.
Following the budget discussion Bell made appointments to Renaissance Columbia board, which included Carolyn Edwards, Mark Harris, Sharon Burton, Andrea Station and Ann Marie Nixon until 2010, Rhonda Loy, Jada Coomer, Sonja Roy, and Chastity Yarberry and Gina Campbell until 2011 and Sherry Moore until 2009.
The council also approved a request by Bell to sign a letter of intent to support and energy plant in Casey County to be developed by MXI, INC of Lebanon, KY that takes garbage and turns it into energy and then sells the energy to electric companies which in turn creates revenues for the city and county.
The Adair County Fiscal Court approved a similar action at last month's meeting.
The council also approved a contract with Kris Lowry & Associates to update the City's Zoning Map at a cost of $7,995.
According to Edwards the new zoning maps will be updated using Geographic Information Systems and will be much easier to update in the future.
The council then approved a request by Columbia Water Department Supervisor Dana Rogers for $10,000 for a telemetry unit for the Columbia Water Department to be installed behind IGA.
The council also voted to accept three quitclaim deeds from property owners Janella & Randy Brown, Sharon Burton, and Sue Rowe, which allow the city to proceed with repairs to the sidewalk.
The council approved the fee schedule and contract with Carley Fudge's Bluegrass Inspections who will handle the city's residential and commercial building inspections and permit issues.
The council also approved the rezoning of nine pieces of property for Lindsey Wilson College to P-Public including; a parcel located on Hanley Drive, where the new 21-acre athletic complex is being built, lot 304, 306 and 107 on Lindsey Wilson Street from R-2 Low Density Residential to P-Public, lot 302 on Fairgrounds Street from R-2 Low Density Residential to P-Public, and 916 Russell Road including from R-2 Low Density Residential to P-Public and a lot at the corner of Lindsey Wilson Street and Fairgrounds Street.
Bell then announced that the city received a grant in the amount of $12,000 for underground electrical work on Public Square, for the installation of buried electrical lines for outlets to serve booths at events such as Downtown Days.
Council member Charles Grimsley announced that the City Parks and Recreation Board have began talking with the county to create a joint Parks and Rec. board with the County. Council member Craig Dean asked if the City Cemetery chain could be taken down since the bypass was complete, however council member June Parson, the City's representative on the City Cemetery Board, stated that the issue would be discussed at the boards next meeting.
Council member Linda Waggener requested that the City begin looking into installing sidewalks from the main Lindsey Wilson Campus to the new Athletic Complex currently under construction so they will be completed in conjunction with the complex.
Bell also had the council members take the oath of office.