A Columbus Police Department officer will face a 60-day suspension without pay after her involvement in a fight at McDonald’s while she was on duty.
During executive session of Tuesday’s Columbus City Council meeting, councilmen unanimously voted to suspend Kenyatta Blair, who got into the altercation at about 10:30 p.m. on June 22 at the McDonald’s on Alabama Street. Blair’s suspension is effective immediately and will be followed by one year on probation.
Blair, 24, reportedly removed her gun belt, untucked her uniform shirt and failed to activate her body camera before engaging a citizen in a fight in the McDonald’s parking lot. A CPD press release issued after the incident said Blair signed out on her radio to speak with someone before the fight started.
Mayor Robert Smith said the council followed Police Chief Oscar Lewis’ recommendation for Blair’s punishment. He said the council discussed a stiffer punishment.
“I think the officer is lucky that she still has a job here in the police department,” Smith said. “There was discussion of termination. But we followed the lead of our chief.”
Smith said Blair has been on the police force for about a year.
Lewis declined to comment on Blair’s suspension. He did note that because officers have about 15 working days in a month, Blair’s suspension will stretch out for about four months.
Blair’s base salary is $35,700, according to city records.
Bond resolution
The council also unanimously approved the city’s formal adoption of a resolution to use up to $5 million in general obligation bonds to pay for road, bridge and drainage repairs.
The city initiated the process to adopt the resolution of intent at its June 8 meeting. Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong said the city didn’t receive any written petitions against the bond issuance. Other than a question about bond issuance related to the city’s borrowing capacity from resident Berry Hinds, no one opposed the matter during a public hearing before the council voted on the resolution.
Armstrong said during a May meeting the city could issue about $12 million in bonds before hitting its debt limit.
The new plan will include milling, paving and striping, as well as curb, gutter, sidewalk and bridge work.
The planned paving project includes work on a bridge in Ward 6 on Deer Run that will cost an estimated $135,000. Smith said a collapsed culvert on College Street between 15th and 19th streets south also needs to be addressed. That project should cost about $130,000.
The improvement plan, Smith said, is similar to a project the city initiated in 2014.
In June 2014, the council approved $5 million in bonds to provide $4.5 million for paving, drainage and sidewalk improvements. At the time, a survey identified $6.3 million in needed improvements and council members were asked to help the city determine which roads in each ward should be considered a priority.
To fund the 2014 project, the city raised property taxes by 1.1 mills, an estimated additional annual cost of $11 for a property with an assessed value of $100,000.
This time, Smith said, the city will not have to raise taxes. Instead, it will use increased sales tax revenues to fund the project.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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