Columbia City Council holds a regularly scheduled meeting
August 20, 2014
By Temple Ligon
At Columbia City Council last Tuesday night, August 19, three major issues dominated the meeting. First was the city employee and retiree health care plan, something of an expensive turmoil as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) works its way through municipalities. Next was the Exclusive Minor Child Play Zones, dedicating parts of public parts as playgrounds for people 12 and under only unless there is supervision involved. And then the city committed to a two-million-dollar architect fee for the Bull Street ballpark.
HEALTH CARE COSTS
Current city staff strategy in health care for its active and retired employees includes the idea of no separation between active and retired. The two should get the same health care plans. The city staff’s preferred plan is something called its fourth alternative, which by fiscal year 2014/2015 should cost the city more than $28 million. In just the jump from FY10/11 to FY11/12, there was a one-third increase in the health care costs carried by the city. That’s from $18,220,416 to $24,894,389.
By 2015 the active employees health care plan will be under the rules of the ACA, which include mandating any cost associated with the purchase of prescription medications will apply towards the out-of-pocket maximum.
New for the city is a tobacco usage surcharge where participants are assessed $25 to $50 per month.
MINOR CHILD PLAY ZONES
Roy Lynch Park in Elmwood was dedicated in 1981 under Mayor Finlay’s administration. It became the recess play area for the first through the fifth graders at Logan Elementary. Recently, though, presumably due to the nearby Transitions homeless shelter, the park has seen strong gains in visitation by the homeless. Councilman Runyan wants the homeless out of Roy Lynch Park and any other city park that accommodates little children. On July 15 council voted for an ordinance to dedicate play areas in parks as off-limits to people over 12 unless they are supervising the young children 12 and under. Runyan cited rampant refuse at Roy Lynch such as condoms, drug needles, liquor bottles, beer cans and other indicators of illicit behavior. Calls to cops to complain about sex in progress at the park, not even one acre, are on the rise, according to Runyan.
There was no vote Tuesday night, but plenty of the public showed to protest the child-protection ordinance. One problem is the matter of federal funds. Those funds will be withdrawn if any park dedicates more than 50% to exclusive use by the little kids. Council Davis said, “Fine, they can have the money. I’m prepared to err on the side of the safety of the children.”
ARCHITECT
Council committed more than $2 million to hire Populous, Inc. in Kansas City MO as the architect for the baseball stadium in the Bull Street development. Populous was chosen as the city’s favorite among five competing firms. Most recently Populous is famous for its Target Field in Minneapolis, opened in 2010 and this summer’s host for the 2014 MLB All Star Game. USC’s first football opponent this fall, Texas A&M, has a home field in College Station TX designed by Populous.
