The Columbia City Council approved several grant applications Monday night while also discussing property code violations, drainage improvements and a request for city sponsorship of a Halloween event.
After approving the minutes from the previous meeting, the council voted to enter executive session for discussions between a public agency and a business.
Mayor Pamela Hoots said no action was taken during the executive session and the meeting resumed.
Council member Hannah Peck asked about the status of properties that had been in violation of city code for an extended period. The council had previously asked the city attorney to move forward with legal action regarding the properties.
City attorney Mike Harris was not present for the meeting.
Council member Ronald Rogers said the property on Jamestown Street that was among the residences in violation was being cleaned up and that significant progress had already been made.
Council member Craig Dean asked about the status of a drainage project at Rice Drive and Watson Street intended to address heavy rainfall.
Hoots said she had been in contact with Sen. Max Wise and that state funding for the project had not yet been released.
Hoots then asked the council for permission to apply for a Kentucky League of Cities grant to purchase body-worn cameras for the Columbia Police Department. Applications are open through November.
Chief Evan Burton said the cameras would replace older cameras currently in use by the department.
The discussion of cameras also prompted Hoots to address questions she had received about Flock cameras.
“There is only one camera in the city limits of Columbia and it is a highway department camera, and it is used for primarily weather for the roads,” she said. “So, there is none in the city limits of Columbia.”
The council approved the application for the body-worn camera grant.
Hoots also requested permission to apply for a USDA grant for technical equipment for the road department. The funds would be used to replace gas meters with meters that can be read remotely.
The council approved the request.
The council also approved Hoots’ request to apply for a Kentucky economic development project grant for the gas department.
The final topic discussed was a request from Columbia-Adair County Tourism for the city to sponsor its Halloween mixer.
Dean said he would abstain from the discussion and vote because he is contracted to work at the event.
Council member Sharon Payne said she did not believe a mixer was an event the city should sponsor.
Rogers said Dean’s abstention meant the council did not have enough members voting to establish a quorum.
“In abstention, his vote goes for the majority. Whatever the majority of us votes, his vote automatically goes toward the majority, but if we only have three people actually voting then we don’t have a quorum to vote for that,” he said.
No action was taken on the sponsorship request.
Council members Rhonda Loy and Mark Harris were absent from the meeting.
By Amy Pike
amy@adairvoice.com
