Administrative Policy Committee

Regular Meeting

Columbia, SC · May 21, 2024

Minutes

ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024 CALL TO ORDER The Administrative Policy Committee conducted a meeting on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The Honorable Edward H. McDowell, Jr., Chair called the meeting to order at 11:26 a.m. Attendee Name Title Status Edward H. McDowell Chair Present Aditi Bussells Member Present Peter M. Brown Member Present INVOCATION The Honorable Peter M. Brown led the invocation. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. February 27, 2024 Administrative Policy Committee Meeting Minutes – Approved Upon a motion made by Dr. Bussells and seconded by Mr. Brown, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the February 27, 2024 Administrative Policy Committee Meeting Minutes. COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 2. Honorary Namings - The Honorable Edward H. McDowell, Jr. – Endorsed for City Council Consideration Councilor McDowell said we want to tie up any loose ends on the matters of the Leroy Moss Multipurpose Center, the Sara Nance Cultural Resource Center, and the Virginia Lee Bedford Center today before we bring this to Council. Ms. Pamela Benjamin, Assistant City Manager for Administrative Services said we have had several discussions about street namings, facilities, and buildings and the process in which we do so. To bring some order to this process, we revisited some of our policies. We’ve reviewed the application and tweaked it to better line up with the process. In the Honorary Naming Policy, we added that the application will be completed by an applicant or a sponsoring Council Member. In the past, we have named rooms after individuals with distinction, so we added “room” to the policy where appropriate. We have also added language to say if the facility is being named, then the signage would be on the inside and outside. There was a consensus of the committee to standardize signage while ensuring consistency between interior and exterior signage including dates of dedication, names of dignitaries, and Page 1 of 3 ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024 facility names. Rooms would have signage outside to indicate names, similar to City Hall's conference room. To maintain consistency, it was agreed to use plaques instead of letters for outside signage. Next steps include finalizing policy revisions, submitting the revised policy for approval, and reaching out to potential applicants. Additionally, a future discussion is planned regarding whether the naming policy should specify deceased or living individuals. 3. Proposed Memorial Garden at T.S. Martin Park - Mr. Randy Davis, Director of Parks and Recreation – Received as information Mr. Randy Davis, Director of Parks and Recreation presented a proposal for a community garden at T.S Martin Park, which stemmed from Joe Azar's desireto establish such a garden in the 29203 community, as expressed in his living will. The idea was presented by William Ackel, Joe's cousin, who had discussions with Ed Brogdon and Willa Martin Bailey dating back to 2014. Bailey, the daughter of T.S Martin, had envisioned a garden as part of her father's park. The proposal gained momentum after Joe Azar was impressed by a similar garden built by Brogdon in 2017. The proposed site for the garden is behind the baseball field in the park, featuring various elements such as raised beds, flower gardens, and educational programs for students from W.A. Perry Middle School. Funding for the project primarily relies on donors. The city is expected to contribute approximately $30,000 for perimeter fencing and signage bearing the name "Joseph S. Azar Community Garden” at TS Martin Neighborhood Park. There was discussion about the need for the proposal to undergo further review, including alignment with the city's new branding standards, particularly concerning sign design. There was consensus of the committee that the proposal would progress through the application process to establish a memorandum of agreement once approved. 4. Proposed Policy Related to the Issuance of Keys to the City and Proclamations - Ms. Pamela Benjamin, Assistant City Manager for Administrative Services Councilor McDowell said there needs to be a formal policy that indicates how a proclamation and keys to the city ought to be delivered. Ms. Pamela Benjamin, Assistant City Manager for Administrative Services shared the draft of the policy. The policy outlines the process for requesting proclamations and keys, including the completion of a form similar to an application. There was discussion regarding distinctions between staff initiated proclamations related to city work and citizens; keys being the highest honor; symbolic gestures by the Mayor;; and naming a portion of Gregg Street “Brian Newman Way”, with emphasis on the updated process. Next steps include bringing back policy with tracking method and communications. Page 2 of 3 ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 12:22 p.m. Respectfully submitted: Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC City Clerk Page 3 of 3

Agenda

Packet

ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024 The Columbia Administrative Policy Committee will conduct a meeting on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at the Busby Street Community Center, 1735 Busby Street, Columbia, SC 29203. Members of the public may view the meeting online at www.columbiasc.gov. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (803)545-3045 or cityclerk@columbiasc.gov if you have questions regarding the meeting. The Honorable Edward H. McDowell, Jr., Chair The Honorable Aditi Bussells, At-Large The Honorable Peter M. Brown, District IV Prior to entering the meeting please turn all electronic communication devices to the silent, vibrate or off position. All presenters are asked to speak directly into the microphone for recording purposes. CALL TO ORDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. February 27, 2024 Administrative Policy Committee Meeting Minutes COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 2. Honorary Namings - The Honorable Edward H. McDowell, Jr. 3. Proposed Memorial Garden at T.S. Martin Park - Mr. Randy Davis, Director of Parks and Recreation 4. Proposed Policy Related to the Issuance of Keys to the City and Proclamations - Ms. Pamela Benjamin, Assistant City Manager for Administrative Services ADJOURNMENT Page 1 of 1 1 MEETING DATE: May 21, 2024 DEPARTMENT: City Clerk FROM: Erika Hammond, City Clerk SUBJECT: February 27, 2024 Administrative Policy Committee Meeting Minutes FUNDING SOURCE & ORIGINAL BUDGET: ATTACHMENTS:  #a: APC_MN_02272024 (PDF) Updated: 4/23/2024 2:34 PM Page 1 Packet Pg. 2 1.a ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024 CALL TO ORDER The Columbia Administrative Policy Committee conducted a meeting on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at City Hall (Mayor's Conference Room), 1737 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201. The Honorable Edward H. McDowell, Jr., Chair called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. Attendee Name Title Status Edward H. McDowell Chair Remote Aditi Bussells Member Present Peter M. Brown Member Present COMMITTEE DISCUSSION 1. Ranked Choice Voting (Instant Runoff) - Ms. Pamela Benjamin, CPM, Assistant City Manager for Administrative Services – Received as information Ms. Pamela Benjamin, CPM, Assistant City Manager for Administrative Services said ranked choice voting was proposed last year by Councilman Duvall. We wanted to have this discussion while we weren’t in an election cycle. Currently, we are under a majority vote meaning you must have more than fifty percent of the votes to win the election or you will have a runoff. There was discussion about options for voting including majority, ranked choice, or plurality; the will of the people; ways to potentially eliminate the runoff; and a potential hybrid approach. Staff was asked to bring back examples of lowered thresholds from other municipalities. 2. Food Truck Policy - The Honorable Aditi Bussells – Received as information Councilor Bussells said we launched Food Truck Fridays in response to a question I received from a constituent about why we don’t have food trucks during the legislative session near the State House. Right now, we are doing an 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. time span on Bull Street. We have looked at other locations, but Bull Street has the place with most traffic and not a lot of options. We did some preliminary research about different food truck policies across South Carolina. Like Columbia, Greenville does not allow food trucks in public right of ways; however, Charleston does. Currently, we don’t allow food trucks in public spaces. Page 1 of 2 Packet Pg. 3 1.a ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024 Mr. Greg Williams, Business Liaison for Economic Development said the Office of Business Opportunities has started doing four trucks on each Friday. There’s usually three different cuisines and one dessert truck. This allows a variety of trucks to be out there, even if there is a cancellation. Each truck must have a Columbia business license and a DHEC permit for safe food. OBO is sending out periodic surveys to participants to get feedback. The vendors have also expressed an interest in having the event multiple days. There was discussion about the possible expansion into evening hours, responses from the brick and mortar restaurants, expanding the program to the State House, unauthorized food trucks, public safety concerns, and a possible text amendment. There was consensus of the committee to continue discussing the food truck policy. 3. Honorary Naming Policy Revisions - Ms. Pamela Benjamin, CPM, Assistant City Manager for Administrative Services – Endorse for City Council Consideration Ms. Pamela Benjamin, CPM, Assistant City Manager for Administrative Services provided the final copy of the application. I would like to formally move this application out of committee to be used for anyone who is looking to do an honorary street or facility naming. Chanique used this form so that we were in compliance with the application for the honorary naming of Zion Baptist Church Square and Columbia’s Black Business District. There was discussion about previous honorary namings and the need for a formalized process to ensure consistency and adherence to the rules. There was consensus to forward the finalized application that will be used for each honorary street, facility, room, or site naming request to an upcoming City Council Meeting. The committee will review a proposed policy and formal process related to the issuance of proclamations and keys to the city at its next meeting. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 1:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted: Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC City Clerk Page 2 of 2 Packet Pg. 4 2 MEETING DATE: May 21, 2024 DEPARTMENT: City Clerk FROM: Erika Hammond, City Clerk SUBJECT: Honorary Namings - The Honorable Edward H. McDowell, Jr. FUNDING SOURCE & ORIGINAL BUDGET: Updated: 5/17/2024 11:00 AM Page 1 Packet Pg. 5 3 MEETING DATE: May 21, 2024 DEPARTMENT: City Clerk FROM: Erika Hammond, City Clerk SUBJECT: Proposed Memorial Garden at T.S. Martin Park - Mr. Randy Davis, Director of Parks and Recreation FUNDING SOURCE & ORIGINAL BUDGET: Updated: 5/17/2024 12:28 PM Page 1 Packet Pg. 6 4 MEETING DATE: May 21, 2024 DEPARTMENT: City Clerk FROM: Erika Hammond, City Clerk SUBJECT: Proposed Policy Related to the Issuance of Keys to the City and Proclamations - Ms. Pamela Benjamin, Assistant City Manager for Administrative Services FUNDING SOURCE & ORIGINAL BUDGET: Updated: 5/17/2024 12:35 PM Page 1 Packet Pg. 7