The City Manager’s Spotlight
January 12, 2015
The City Manager’s Spotlight provides details about what is happening in the City of Columbia in an effort to keep citizens informed about City operations. The City of Columbia has made considerable accomplishments over the last year, and we still have more work to do in order to move our city forward.
New Year, New Career
The City of Columbia offers many career opportunities and we look forward to a new year of growth and development for our city. Police Chief William “Skip” Holbrook launched a major Recruitment and Retention Initiative on Tuesday, December 9 that will allow the Columbia Police Department to hire qualified applicants for 45 (forty-five) vacant law enforcement officer positions. The Department’s Plan also includes a 7% (seven percent) pay increase and a host of incentives to help recruit and retain law enforcement personnel.
These initiatives are critical to public safety, as the Columbia Police Department works to become fully-staffed and better positioned to compete with neighboring law enforcement agencies, whose salaries and incentives have historically given them a competitive advantage over the CPD–making it more difficult for the Department to recruit and retain good officers.
The Columbia Police Department hopes to change that. Beginning in 2015, positions that require specialized skills and training will receive additional pay for their expertise. Officers who live in the City can look forward to a $500 annual Residency Bonus and Educational Pay Incentives will be available to all personnel who earn professional degrees while working with the Columbia Police Department. Incentives also include signing bonuses for qualified and certified (new) officers, as well as low interest home loan programs.
According to Chief Holbrook, “attracting and retaining law enforcement’s best and brightest will put the Columbia Police Department in a more competitive position and help to ensure our departmental transformation.”
These employment opportunities, as well as the Recruitment and Retention Incentives, will be widely publicized within the industry and are expected to attract candidates from across the Midlands and Southeastern United States.
For more information about the Columbia Police Department and these exciting new opportunities, please contact:
Columbia Police Department
Office of Staff Development
803-545-3552
Or
City of Columbia
Human Resources Department
803-545-3010
City of Columbia to Host Public Forums for Citizen Input in Five Year Consolidated Plan
It is very important to me that our community has an opportunity to be involved. Columbia’s Vision needs your voice! The City of Columbia’s Community Development Department will host public forums for citizen input in the Five Year Consolidated Plan for submission to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). All interested citizens of the City are invited to provide input and comments on community needs by attending one of the four public forums:
Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 6 p.m.
King Park, 2300 Greene Street
Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 6 p.m.
Edisto Discovery Park, 1914 Wiley Park
Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 6 p.m.
Woodland Park, 6500 Olde Knight Parkway
The Consolidated Plan is the application for federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Partnership Investment Program (HOME) and Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids (HOPWA) program funding and consists of strategies to address the housing, homeless and community development needs of the City. A summary of citizen comments will be included in the 2015–2020 Consolidated Plan submitted to HUD. For more information, contact Dollie Bristow at 545-3371 or Community Development at 545-3373.
City of Columbia Recycling Roll Cart Press Conference
The City of Columbia will announce plans to convert to recycling roll-carts and the partnership with the Container Value Partnership on January 21 at 10 a.m. at the Public Works Facility, 2910 Colonial Drive. City officials, staff and CPAC appointees and members will be in attendance.
City of Columbia to Hold Walk Bike Columbia Public Meeting
It is my pleasure to invite you to see the draft pedestrian and bicycle master plan. The completion of this Plan will set the stage for the City of Columbia achieving a higher national designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community. The public meeting will be held on Thursday, January 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. at EdVenture Children’s Museum, 211 Gervais Street in the Canal Room. This is an opportunity for citizens to give input on the plan recommendations and talk one-on-one with the planning team before City leadership considers formally adopting the plan.
Walk Bike Columbia! is a comprehensive effort to address the pedestrian, bicycle and transit needs of the City of Columbia through detailed analysis, public participation and interagency collaboration. The website for the project is www.walkbikecolumbia.org and includes an interactive map where users can pinpoint specific locations where they would like to see infrastructure improvements, a 5-minute user survey and other documents and project briefings that are updated regularly.
Register for Columbia-Richland Alerts
It is our goal to provide excellent service to citizens, and to work as a team in order to achieve safety for all citizens. Consistent with our mission and vision, the City of Columbia’s public safety team is committed to promoting citywide safety. I highly encourage citizens to learn and participate in the City’s safety initiatives by registering for the Columbia- Richland Alerts (CRA). Citizens can also sign up to receive updates about special events and public meetings. Together, we can increase the opportunities for you to know more about your community and activities in your neighborhood, as well as advise you of important notifications. Click here to Register!
About Teresa Wilson
Teresa Wilson is the City Manager for the City of Columbia, SC. For more details on the City Manager, visit ColumbiaSC.net/city-manager. City Manager Wilson can be reached at [email protected] or 803-545-3026. For more information about the City of Columbia, visit ColumbiaSC.net.
