Columbus leaders are drafting a nuisance ordinance that would strengthen safety measures at establishments that have track records of violent behavior.
Discussion and action on implementing a law was tabled during Tuesday night’s council meeting to provide city attorney Jeff Turnage more time to meet with city interim police chief Tony Carleton and building department director Kenny Wiegel to refine the ordinance’s language.
Councilman Kabir Karriem brought the idea up for discussion during Tuesday’s meeting. He referred to a recent shooting at the Columbus Fairgrounds that resulted in the death of a 21-year-old and another injury.
“I was hoping we could come up with some type of discussion on how we handle businesses that have a track record of criminal activity, violence and illicit behavior,” Karriem said. “We need to come up with some type of ordinance that would give teeth to the police department…This is by no means attacking any particular business, but I think it’s incumbent on us to make sure the residents in the city are safe.”
Columbus Mayor Robert Smith said he had already discussed the possibility of added requirements for liability insurance and security personnel to get event permits with Turnage, Carleton and Wiegel.
“We’ve discussed this issue concerning requiring permits before a function where the person that takes out the permit would have to take it out through the inspection department, have the inspection department sign off and then notify the police department,” Smith said.
Councilmen will likely re-address the matter during their June 17 meeting.
J5 Broaddus negotiating Trotter renovation contract today
The council also authorized J5 Broaddus Senior Project Manager Robyn Eastman to negotiate a contract with Burks-Mordecai on a contract for multiple components of the Trotter Convention Center renovation. The project was initially split into 10 components, but Eastman said consolidating some of them into one was necessitated when the city, which is serving as the general contractor for the project, began receiving bids from sub-contractors who did not have licenses. State bid laws prohibit public project costing $50,000 or more to be performed by unlicensed companies.
Eastman informed councilmen that Burks-Mordecai is the apparent low bidder but is $72,000 over the remaining construction money budgeted.
“Right now we’ve already got bids in for the electrical work, lighting work and mill work,” Eastman said. “This package is all the other work in the building to include flooring, the ceiling, the front wall, the canopy, the auditorium floor (and) the sound system. We were under approximately $37,000 on some of our other packages and $6,000 over on the roof. Right now, I think we can negotiate this with Burks-Mordecai and get this project within budget.”
Construction accounts for $1.65 million of the overall $2 million budget for the project.
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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