City Council Highlights | April 4, 2023
April 5, 2023
This City Council Meeting was the first meeting attended by new council member, Councilman Peter Brown. He was sworn in on April 3, 2023.
Three proclamations were presented during the City Council meeting. The first one presented was the National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week Proclamation. The United States Congress designated the second week of April as National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week back in 1991 to honor the Nation’s “first” first responders for their contributions to safety and security of the residents in the United States. The City of Columbia recognizes the hard work of Columbia-Richland 911 Communications and thanks them for their dedication to the safety of our City.
The National Community Development Week Proclamation was presented next. The week of April 10-14 is known as National Community Development Week by the National Community Development Association to celebrate the 49th anniversary of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and the 31st anniversary of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. In honor of Community Development Week, the city is holding a “Columbia Clean-Up” event for the month of April. This initiative encourages neighborhoods and districts to help beautify our communities and help our environment.
The National Fair Housing Month Proclamation was the last presentation. The month of April has been designated National Fair Housing Month to recognize and celebrate the 1968 passage of the Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act into law. The month of April has also been designated as National Financial Literacy Month. The City will recommit to improving financial literacy efforts and ensure Columbia residents have access to trustworthy financial services and products. In honor of Financial Literacy Month, the Community Development Department is partnering with Richland County to host a Home Buying and Financial Workshop on April 20 that will cover down payment assistance programs, credit, guidelines, budgeting, and credit counseling.
City Council passed two items on the consent agenda that will continue the funding of software and programs that protect the City’s data and information. Council approved the purchase of Cisco Secure Firewall (Item #5) and the purchase of Cisco Security Licenses and Subscriptions (Item #6), as requested by the Information Technology Department.
City Council passed an ordinance to grant a Franchise Extension of the Franchise Agreement between Dominion Energy and the City of Columbia (Item #20). This will open up more riverfront opportunities for the City of Columbia.
City Council approved a $200,000 allocation to the Columbia Parks and Recreation Foundation for the Columbia Public Art Program: Columbia Streams Art (Item #23). Students and professional artists will turn fiberglass fish into art which will be auctioned off to help fund beautification efforts and public art throughout the City of Columbia.
Mayor Daniel J. Rickenmann also shared a brief video recap of some of the items discussed at the City Council meeting. View the recap here: https://youtu.be/EZr_iU1i7qc.
For more information about upcoming City Council meetings or general information about the City of Columbia, please visit www.ColumbiaSC.gov.
