Three weeks before Columbus” first public meeting to discuss the comprehensive plan, a city planner is in office.
Project Coordinator Christina Berry has been tabbed from the Office of Federal Programs to fill the city planner role on an interim basis. Berry, who has a degree in urban and regional planning from Jackson State University, applied for the position in 2010 but lost out to the more experienced Patricia Southerland.
Southerland resigned unexpectedly Feb. 3 after five months on the job.
George Irby, former director of federal programs, has agreed to return on a part-time basis to assume Berry”s old job.
Berry”s primary role for the time being will be acting as a liaison between city government, the public and the planning firm KPS Group in Birmingham.
She said engaging the public is the most underrated yet most important part of the process.
“Because the citizens pay the taxes you want their input on how they want the city to look. The realm of what people may say is just out there. As planner, we would look at those,” she said. “People may come to the public meetings with transportation problems. Or if someone says there”s too much crime in my neighborhood, that”s something we want to document. Someone may want more apartments or residential space in an area. It may or may not be related to growth and development, but we always want to document those ideas to look back and merge those ideas together.”
Berry said she”ll package that information for the mayor and city council so they can develop short and long term population needs.
“I”m really excited to see so much opportunity throughout Columbus for growth. We”re bringing in different things and projects and you see so much development that needs to all be pulled together,” she said.
Meanwhile, Irby will take a break from retirement to work “probably about 20 hours a week” for a few months. He”ll coordinate the city”s summer youth program, which puts high school-age children to work doing landscaping work with the help of a Mississippi Department of Transportation grant.
“I”ll be interacting with the kids and that”s something I like,” said Irby of his temporary return. “Since Christina was going to do that, I was going to volunteer. This just gives me the opportunity to make sure the program continues and frees (current Federal Programs Director) Travis Jones up to do what he does.”
Irby helped found the summer youth program in Columbus more than 10 years ago. He”ll also work on several grants for the city during his return, including a Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks grant for lighting at the Riverwalk.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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