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The Issues
Spring 2011 Update
March 10, 2011
Dear Friends and Neighbors, 
The past few months have been a busy period in the life of our City. Council has been focused on a host of important issues ranging from public safety to public transit. Let me take this opportunity to bring you up to date and to invite your input.
Public Safety
In January Interim Police Chief Randy Scott was tapped to become Columbia's permanent Police Chief. He has been tireless in his efforts to address crime in our City.
Columbia continues to confront significant safety challenges with the most recent FBI statistics indicating an increase in violent crime. Over the past months we have seen numerous home burglaries in District 3 neighborhoods and violence in our hospitality districts. Chief Scott has alerted residents to a crime ring operating in various neighborhoods that focuses on electronics and has requested that neighbors report any unusual activities to the Columbia Police Department. He also has met with residents to urge the establishment of "Neighborhood Watch" programs, and neighborhood leaders in Shandon and in Hollywood Rose Hill are following up. A new Pro-Active Community Enforcement (PACE) unit has been established to provide intensive response efforts to crime around the city. This 21-officer team already has been sent into several District 3 neighborhoods. Law enforcement initiatives in the Five Points area now are coordinated with other state and local enforcement entities to help address challenges in this important retail/hospitality district. Ordinances have been approved to provide our officers with additional enforcement tools. Council recently strengthened its open container ordinance and passed a 2:00 AM bar closing time (with permitted exceptions to remain open) and is considering a youth curfew. These measures have been recommended by the City's special Hospitality District Safety Task Force.
City Finances
I am delighted to report that under the careful watch of City Manager Steve Gantt our City's financial position continues to improve. Last month we received the great news from Moody's Investor's Service that it has removed the "negative outlook " it gave the City in December 2009. At that time Moody's anticipated that "near-term challenges could impede the City's ability to stabilize operations and improve reserves." Moody's also has now affirmed that our general obligation credit rating of Aa1 has been reinstated. Read more.Of course a significant part of Moody's evaluation concerns the implementation of sound financial policies and practices. In the past two years we have seen a dramatic turn around in fiscal management. We finished last year in the black and began to replenish depleted reserves. Expenses for this year indicate that we remain on track with reports from the end of February showing the General Fund at approximately $4 million dollars under budget. While escalating fuel costs likely will impact total year-end savings, Council fully expects to meet budget and make yet another contribution to the reserve fund.
Public Transportation
District 3 voters, along with a majority of voters citywide, supported last November's penny sales tax referendum for transportation. I believe that vote reflected their understanding of the critical need for bus transit in our city and a willingness to financially support it. Our local economy, with workers in hospitals, hotels, and restaurants and students at Midlands Tech and USC, depends on public transportation. At Fort Jackson alone, some 1400 employees ride the buses to work each day.In the aftermath of the November referendum, city leaders confronted a shut down date in September for all bus operations. With no other realistic funding option, I supported a 2% increase in the franchise fee to keep the buses operational while City and County leaders devise other funding options. I offered an amendment to ensure that this new funding only be used for bus transportation, and I will call for the termination of the increase when a new funding source is approved. With the appointment of Mr. Derrick Huggins from USC as a special transportation advisor to the CMRTA, we have a new opportunity to make improvements to the existing service and to chart a transportation blueprint for our future.
Neighborhood Life
I remain committed to the notion that "Great Neighborhoods Make Great Cities" and embrace opportunities to strengthen neighborhood initiatives. If we truly are to become a sustainable city, we must retain current residents in safe, distinctive, and clean neighborhoods that will also draw future residents to our city. In recent weeks I have been working with leaders in the Wheeler Hill neighborhood to address a host of issues ranging from trees to pot-holes and with City staff to look at new planning opportunities in Rosewood and Edisto Court neighborhoods.The Melrose Heights neighborhood just received the type of news that every city seeks -- it has been designated by This Old House Journal as one of 64 "timeless neighborhoods" in America and Canada! Take a look at the comments about Melrose Heights in the article on their website.
Please know again how honored I am to represent you on Columbia City Council. I welcome your input and suggestions as we move our City forward.
Sincerely,
Belinda F. Gergel, Ph.D
Columbia City Council, District 3 Representative