Columbia aldermen voted 4-1 Aug. 20 to raise the fees for accident reports, fingerprinting and background checks from $10 to $25.
Chief Michael Kelly approached the board requesting the increase.
“I have contacted other municipalities our size such as Mendenhall, Magee and Collins just to see what they are charging. People from all over are driving here because we are the cheapest,” he said. “Our staff spends a lot of time providing those services.”
Kelly said sometimes officers have to be called to come in from street patrol to assist customers.
“I’m just thinking about people who are trying to get a job.” Alderwoman Anna Evans said, “I’m just saying on the health care side you have to have a background check and fingerprinted, and most of them don’t have funding and before you can be hired you have to have it. The accident report I can understand because most of that is reimbursed by insurance companies nine times out of 10. I’m saying in my standpoint, people are already going to get a physical. I’m thinking of jobs.
“Can we take into consideration fingerprints and background checks?” Evans asked, “Because if I live in the county, I am going to have to come to the city to get my background check done.”
Kelly responded, “There are two different kinds of people who come in to get background checks done. There are people who are trying to get housing and have to let their building managers know they are not repeated felons or whatever. There are also the ones who need it for jobs. However the most time consuming service we provide is fingerprinting, because we are still in the old age where you put some ink on a pad and it takes a while. We are spending a lot of time with it, providing the citizens with this resource.”
Aldermen Edward Hough, Jason Stringer, Wendell Hammond and Mike Smith voted for the increase, and Evans was opposed.
Kelly also received approval from the board for the police department to be a part of a task force on human trafficking.
“Do we have much human trafficking here in Columbia and Marion County?” Hough asked.
Kelly responded he could not provide much information in open session, but there is an open human trafficking case the police department is working on. He further said most people think of human trafficking as what Hollywood portrays with being chained or locked in a room, but if someone is being forced or coerced then that is human trafficking and for anyone under 18 it does not matter if they are coerced or not.
“The world capital of human trafficking is only eight hours away from us,” Mayor Justin McKenzie added. “Must human trafficking victims go through Atlanta, Ga., and from there are shipped all over the world.”
In other business a special meeting was set for Tuesday, Aug. 27 to discuss the SportsPlex and purchasing new patrol cars.
McKenzie said the Marion County Development Partnership submitted its budget for the year. He said it was the same as last year: $40,000 in operating costs and $32,000 for the Main Street Improvement Project loan. Both figures, he said, were already figured into the budget. McKenzie advised the loan pays out this year. He said discussion was held with the MCDP involving if the city wanted to take part in doing another loan for the Second Street addition. He requested the board think about it.
A motion was approved to replace the air conditioning unit in the front part of the Expo Center. The unit went out the day of the primary election, and four of the six compressors were no longer working in the unit. A bid of $20,325 was approved from Mack’s Heating and Air.
Regarding personnel matters:
- The resignation of Brandon Walker was approved. However, he is able to work part-time;
- The resignation of Drake Thompson was approved;
- Donneil D. Fortenberry was transferred from part-time to full-time uncertified officer;
- The resignation of Rebecca Newman was approved;
- Jermal Jefferson was terminated.
