Several public parking lots this summer will be getting a facelift. With $1.4 million in leftover general obligation bond money, the Columbus City Council Tuesday voted to complete paving projects in individual wards.
“We are projected to begin paving around July,” Mayor Robert Smith said. “I would like to suggest dividing the $1 million among the six wards and using the (remaining) $432,000 for some other projects.”
Areas Smith asked to be repaved include First Street South from College Street to Eighth Avenue South, the Hitching Lot and Trotter Convention Center parking lots, and a portion of the Catfish Alley parking lot.
Additionally, the city’s green area behind Harvey’s parking lot will be paved. Smith’s request was a source of contention for Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens.
“From looking at the city map, I would attest we need to do some more paving,” Mickens said. “I have no problem doing some more paving. I do have a problem, because I have committed my remaining funds to paving roads in my ward. I don’t want to give up a dime anywhere. I need mine that was allotted to me. I don’t agree to take nothing from mine. This is more paving money going to Ward 5 or Ward 6. I didn’t ask nobody to spend their money in my ward.”
Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box and Ward 6 Councilman Bill Gavin opposed repaving First Street, which is located in Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem’s ward.
“I don’t support repaving First Street,” Box said. “It’s in another ward and I’m not in agreement with it.”
“I support paving the parking lots, because they are used by the community,” Gavin said. “But I don’t support paving a street in a ward that’s not mine.”
Funding
Smith noted the city was issued $8.9 million in general obligation bonds in 2011.
“We paid some bills and we ended up with $3.7 million for paving and projects,” Smith said. “Last year the council approved spending $2 million of that money for street paving. It was divided equally among the wards at $333,333 a piece.”
Chief Financial Officer Mike Bernsen said allotted money remained in some wards, but not all, and noted the million dollar division would give each ward $166,666, unless the ward’s councilman had overspent on the 2011 paving projects.
Smith also told the council the county agreed to help with the paving of the Hitching Lot and Trotter parking lots.
“The only thing we will have to pay for is the asphalt,” Smith said. “I spoke with (Board President and District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders) and he said the county will do an in-kind service. We just asked that we re-pave the Trotter parking lot, behind the Gilmer hotel.”
After Mickens continued to challenge Smith on his requests, Smith told the councilman to be accurate in his rebuttals.
“Let me clarify something, Councilman Mickens. I hope you will get your facts together,” Smith said, firmly. “I only asked to use a portion of this money. I asked to use $423,000, not the entire $1.4 million.”
Mickens chastised Bernsen and City Engineer Kevin Stafford, telling each, “If you are going to bring these things before me, I demand you bring me some accurate figures as to how much it’s going to cost.”
Smith asked for a motion on the repaving of First Street, but could not get one from the council. The council voted 4-2 on the remaining three projects, with Mickens and Karriem opposing each measure. All city parking lot repaving projects passed by the city are located in Karriem’s ward.
In other matters, the council:
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