AIRPORT COMMISSION, COLUMBUS: This board is responsible for the operation of the Columbus Metropolitan Airport. It has five members. The commission itself nominates three individuals for each vacancy. The Columbus Council fills the vacancies from the commission's nominees. (Constitutional Amendment, Art. 5, Sec. 4, Ga. Laws 1968, page 1655.

ANIMAL CONTROL ADVISORY BOARD:

This board monitors the operation of the Animal Control Enforcement Division of the Department of Public Services and renders guidance and assistance to this division. It has ten members, two of which shall be licensed veterinarians practicing in Columbus who are participating in the City's one-stop pet registration-rabies vaccination program. The two veterinarian members are selected by the local veterinary association and confirmed by the Columbus Council. One member shall be an employee of the Environmental Health Division of the Columbus Department of Public Health, appointed by the Columbus Board of Health and confirmed by the Columbus Council. One member shall be a designated representative of the Muscogee County Humane Society, confirmed by the Columbus Council. Four members shall be Columbus citizens appointed by the Columbus Council. One member shall be the Chief of the Animal Control and Enforcement Division and one member shall be the administrative office of the Animal Control and Enforcement Division. (Columbus Code, Sec. 5-3)

BUILDING AUTHORITY, COLUMBUS:

This board issues bonds to finance the construction and/or improvements of public facilities. It has five members. One member is appointed by the Columbus Council. The board meets only on an as need basis. (1945 Constitution, Art. VII, Sec. VI, Pa. 1, as amended Nov. 5, 1968, Ga. Laws 1966, Pg. 946)

BUILDING CONTRACTORS EXAMINING BOARD:

This board determines the qualifications of applicants for building contractors licenses. It has five members. Four of its members shall be building contractors holding valid Columbus Contractor's business license. The fifth member is the Chief of the Inspection and Code Enforcement Division of the Department of Community Development. (Columbus Code, Sec. 8-12.1 through 8-12.14)

COLUMBUS GOLF COURSE AUTHORITY:

This board is responsible for the operation of the Bull Creek Golf Course, Fountain City Golf Course and Oxbow Meadows Golf Course wherever the terms "Bull Creek Golf Course" or "golf course" appear in Ordinance 82-29 and amended April 8, 1997 by the adoption of Ordinance 97-35. It has nine members, all of which are appointed by the Columbus Council. (Ord. 82-29, adopted May 4, 1982, as amended by Ord. No. 94-41, adopted May 31, 1994), and amended by Ordinance 97-35, adopted April 9, 1996.

COLUMBUS IRON WORKS CONVENTION & TRADE CENTER AUTHORITY:

This board was established to supervise the manager, employees, buildings, grounds and operations of the Columbus Iron Works Convention and Trade Center. It has five members, all of which are nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by Columbus Council. Members shall be qualified voters of Columbus. (Columbus Code Sec. 2-121 through 2-126)

COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & CULTURAL LIAISON ENCOUNTERS: (CIRCLE)

This board was established to promote and coordinate communication, contacts and encounters between Columbus and the people of other nations and to facilitate cross-cultural communication and association among the various national groups in Columbus. It has twelve members, who shall serve four-year terms. Eight of the commission members shall be appointed by the Columbus Council, and four shall be appointed by the Mayor. The initial terms of all members of the Commission shall start on March 1, 1996. Post 1-3 shall be appointed for an initial term of one year, Posts 4-6 for an initial term of two years, Post 7-9 for an initial term of three years and Posts 10-12 for an initial term of four years. After their initial appointments, three commission members shall be appointed every year to fill vacancies created by completion of the terms of three commission members. Posts 1, 4, 7, and 10 shall be filled by appointment of the Mayor. Posts 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and shall be filled by appointment of the Council. Commission members may not succeed themselves in office, except that each commission member whose initial term was one or two years may be appointed to one additional term of four years immediately succeeding that initial term. (Ordinance 96-7)

CONVENTION & VISITORS BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS:

This board was established to promote tourism, trade, and conventions in Columbus. It has fourteen appointed members, plus the Mayor who serves as an ex officio voting member and the executive director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, who is not entitled to vote. Members are nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the Columbus Council. One member shall be the owner manager of a hotel or motel, one member shall be selected from the food service industry, one member shall be selected from the board of directors of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, one member shall be elected from the board of directors of Historic Columbus Foundation, ten members shall be selected at large. (Columbus Code, Sec. 20-91 through 2-99, and amended by Ord. 95-49)

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION ADVISORY BOARD:

Section 4-613 of the original charter of the Consolidated Government provided that this board shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Department to cooperative Extension Service and the University of Georgia Extension Service for the consideration of policies of the department and recommendations for it administration and program development throughout the community. Even through this original charter section was repealed in 1980, the board continuous to function. It has five members, which are appointed by the Columbus Council. (Columbus Charter, Sec. 4-613, which was repealed in 1980)

DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF COLUMBUS:

This board issues bonds to finance private industrial and business projects. It has seven members who shall be residents and taxpayers of Columbus and are appointed by the Columbus Council (Ga Laws 1969, page 137-145 and Columbus Code Sec. 2-61 through 2-65)

DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY:

This board issues bonds to finance private industrial and business projects for the downtown area only. Its seven members shall be residents of Columbus, not less than four of which shall, in the judgment of the Columbus Council, either have or represent a party who has an economic interest in the redevelopment and revitalization of the downtown development area. (Ga. Laws 1968, Page 1606 ; Ga Laws 1981, Page 1744, and Resolution No. 355-83)

ELECTION AND REGISTRATION, BOARD OF:

This board was established for the purpose of carrying out the duties heretofore exercised by the Muscogee County Board of Elections and the Muscogee County Board of Registrars and which have the powers relating to the conduct of elections a primaries and the registration for voters and absentee balloting procedures that are provide for in the laws of Georgia. It has five members, consisting of one each from the two major political parties and three appointed by the Columbus Council. (Act No. 149 (H. B. 941) signed into law by the Governor on April 4, 1991) Its executive director is also appointed by the Columbus Council.

FAMILY AND CHILDREN SERVICES, BOARD OF:

This board is responsible for the operation of the Columbus Department of Family and Children Services. It has five members, which are appointed by the Columbus Council. (O. C. G. A. 49-3-2 and Columbus Charter Sec. 4-602

HEALTH, BOARD OF:

This board is responsible for the operation of the Columbus Department of Public Health. It has seven members, two of which must be licensed and practicing physicians and three other citizen members, all of which are appointed by the Columbus Council. The Mayor and the City Manger serve in the other two positions by virtue of their title. (Ga. Laws, 1941, Page 937 and Columbus Charter, Sec. 4-601)

HISTORIC & ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW, BOARD OF:

Within its legal and persuasive posers, this board shall encourage preservation, maintenance and improvements of buildings of historic and/or architectural significance within the Historic Districts. It has eleven appointed and voting members, four, which are appointed exclusively by the Columbus Council. The other seven voting members are also appointed by the Columbus Council, but they must be members of and recommended by certain organizations as stated in the ordinance that established the board. There are three other nonvoting members, one of which is a representative of the Columbus Housing Authority, one of which represents the Columbus Planning Divisions and the other represents the Columbus Inspections and Code Enforcement Division. (Columbus Code, Sec. 22-39 (A) through (K)

HONOR, BOARD:

This board was established for the purpose of honoring deceased citizens through a continuing memorial program under which public activities, buildings, bridges and other facilities may be named for citizens who have distinguished themselves through service to the City. It has seven members, all of whom must be former Mayors, former City or County Commissioners, or former members of the Columbus Council. All of its members are appointed by the Columbus Council. (Columbus Code, Sec. 2-81 through 2-87

HOSPITAL AUTHORITY OF COLUMBUS:

This board is responsible for the operation of Muscogee Manor and Highland House nursing homes. It has nine members. The Columbus Council makes three nominations for each vacancy. The authority itself actually fills the vacancies from the Council's nominees. (O. C. G. A. Sec. 31-7-72 and Columbus Charter, Sec. 4-621)

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF COLUMBUS:

This board is responsible for all public housing projects. It is also, in conjunction with the Department of Community Development, responsible for the various urban renewal projects. It has six members, all of which are appointed exclusively by the Mayor. (Ga Laws, 1937, Page 210 and Columbus Charter, Sec. 4-620) (Increased by one member approved by Res. No. 444-99 pursuant to O.C.G.A. Sec. 8-3-50 appoints a Resident Advisory Board Member)

INDUSTRIAL & PORT DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION:

This board issues bonds to finance private industrial and business projects for special applications that cannot be financed by the Development Authority of Columbus. It has seven members, all of which are appointed by the Columbus Council. (Ga. Laws 1965, Page 702, Ga. Laws 1967, Page 947 and Columbus Charter, Sec. 4-623)

LAND BANK AUTHORITY:

This board was established to acquire tax delinquent properties in order to foster the public purpose of returning land which is in a nonrevenue-generating, nontax-producing status to an effective utilization status in order to provide housing, new industry, and jobs for the citizens of the county. It has four members, two of who are appointed by the Mayor and two appointed by the Columbus Council. (Ord. No. 92-12, adopted Feb. 11, 1992 pursuant to O. C. G. A. 48-4-60)

KEEP COLUMBUS BEAUTIFUL COMMISSION:

This board was established to work in conjunction with Keep America Beautiful, Inc. to achieve the goal of a sustained reduction in litter as a first step towards improving the environment. It has 25 members, eight of which consists of the each of the eight Council Districts. The eight Council District members are appointed exclusively by the Columbus Council. The remaining 17 members are nominated by the chairperson of the Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission or other nominations made from the floor of the Columbus Council. The board chairperson's nominees must be confirmed by the Columbus Council. Members shall be citizens of Columbus and qualified registered voters of Columbus, or owners of a business located in Columbus or a full-time employee of such a business. (Columbus Code, Sec. 2-131 through 2-138 (e)

LOWER CHATTAHOOCHEE AREA REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER:

This is an area wide board, consisting of members from all member counties. Columbus has five representatives. (O. C. C. G. Sec. 50-8-30 through 58-8-101) Contact Ron Starnes at 324-4221 for additional information.

MEDICAL CENTER HOSPITAL AUTHORITY, THE:

This board is responsible for The Medical Center. It has nine members, which must be residents and qualified voters of Columbus. For each vacancy, the Columbus Council submits a list of three eligible persons to the Authority. From this list, the Authority itself selects one of the individuals to fill the vacancy. (O. C. G. A. Sec. 31-7-72)

PENSION BOARDS OF TRUSTEES, EMPLOYEES:

There are actually four boards, which are responsible for the administration of the city employees' pension funds. There are ten members. Three members are designated by title, five members by name, and two members designated by a combined process of election and appointment from the city departments under the supervision of the Mayor in his capacity as Director of Public Safety. The five person designated by name are selected by the Mayor a confirmed by the Columbus Council. Those members designated by titles are the Mayor, the City Manager and the City Treasurer. (Columbus Code, Sec. 16A-13(13.01), 16A-25(25.01), 16A-40(40.01), 16A-53(53.01)

PERSONNEL REVIEW BOARD:

This board was established to make recommendations on personnel rules and regulations, hear appeals from employees, and investigate conditions of employment and report thereon at least annually to the Columbus Council. It has five regular and five alternate members. All members are appointed by the Columbus Council. (Columbus Charter Sec. 4-610 and 8-303, and Columbus Code Sec. 16B-1-5)

PLANNING ADVISORY COMMISSION:

This board serves in an advisory capacity to the Planning Division with regard to (a) a comprehensive plan or parts thereof for the development and redevelopment of Columbus, (b) regulations for the subdivision of land and amendments thereto, and (d) other such matters as may be required by ordinance. It has seven regular and two alternate members, all of which are appointed by the Columbus Council (Columbus Code, sec. 22-38)

RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD:

This board serves in an advisory capacity to the director of the Department of Parks and Recreation for the considerations of the department and makes recommendations for its operation and the advancement of recreational programs and facilities throughout the city. It has seven members. All members are appointed by the Columbus Council, but one member is recommended by the Muscogee County Board of Education and one member each is appointed from each of the four former Council District. The remaining two are at large members. (Columbus Code, Sec. 4-27 through 4-31) (Amended by Ord. No. 00-42, increasing the membership to eleven members to allow for the appointment from all eight Council Districts.)

RESOURCE RECOVERY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY:

This board was established for the purpose of developing procedures for recycling solid waste. It has five members, being the same individuals that serve on the Board of Water Commissioners. The Mayor serves as one of the members by virtue of his title and the other four are appointed by the Columbus Council. (Ga. Code Annotated, Sec. 69-1501(a) et seq. and Sec. 36-62-1 et seq. as well as Ord. No. 81-63, adopted June 25, 1981 as amended by Ord. No. 83-2, adopted February 1, 1983)

RIVER RESOURCES COMMISSION:

This board was established by Columbus Council's Resolution No. 517-80, adopted September 30, 1980. Twenty-five Columbus and Phenix City citizens were appointed originally. The Clerk of Council's Office has no information to reflect that this board has ever been active or ever held a meeting.

TAX ASSESSORS, BOARD OF:

Members are appointed by the Columbus Council. It has five members who must meet special qualifications as required by Georgia Law. (O. C. C. G., Sec. 48-5-290 and 48-5-291, Columbus Charter, Sec. 4-624, and Columbus Code, Sec. 19-21 through 19-29)

TAXICAB COMMISSION:

This commission has five (5) members that are appointed by the Columbus Council and consisting of tow (2) taxicab owners, one (1) taxicab driver, one (1) representative selected by the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and one (1) representative selected by the Chief of Police. The members of the commission shall serve for terms of two (2) years and shall be eligible to serve two (2) full terms. The commission shall ensure that taxicab drivers are properly educated as to serving the public and shall ensure that drivers are courteous to citizens, are familiar with the territory of Columbus, Georgia, shall ensure that taxicab company owners and drivers maintain cleanliness and safety of all taxicabs and shall ensure that ordinance provisions including regulations governing taxicabs fees and charges are followed by all taxicab company owners. The commission will also hear appeals from denials or revocation of taxicab permits by the Columbus Police Department. (Columbus Code Section 21-14) (Increased by two members with one member representing the Columbus   Airport and one member representing the hotel/motel industry pursuant to Ordinance No. 99-23)

TREE BOARD:

This board administers examinations to applicants seeking certification for properly maintaining and/or removing trees on public property, acts on adjustment of standards applications, makes recommendations to the city arborist and the Columbus Council, and acts on other matters designated by the Columbus Code or by the Columbus Council. It has eleven members, all of who are appointed by the Columbus Council. (Columbus Code, Sec. 20-A-1 through 20A-24)

UPTOWN FACADE BOARD:

The purpose of this board is to provide and protect continuity in design and preserve the architectural integrity of the properties within the C-1 zoning districts as indicated by the Zoning Atlas of Columbus. It has nine appointed members. One member shall be a representative of the Historic Columbus Foundation, two members shall be representatives of Uptown Columbus Inc., and six shall be representatives of Uptown Columbus Inc., and six shall be representatives of the Uptown Business Association. Representatives of the Planning Division, Inspection and Code Enforcement Division and the Columbus Housing Authority also serve as nonvoting members (Columbus Code, Sec. 22-39.1(A) through (M)

WATER COMMISSIONERS, BOARD OF:

This board has the responsibility for the operations of the Columbus Water Works. It was established by Act. No. 54, adopted by the General Assembly of Georgia on December 3, 1902. (Ga Laws 1902, Page 370-377) It has five members. The Mayor serves as one of the five members, the other four are appointed by the Columbus Council in the month of July for terms beginning the following January. (Ga. Law 1902, Page 370-377, Columbus Charter, Sec. 4-600)

WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA MENTAL HEALTH, DEVELOPMENT DISABILITIES & ADDICTIVE DISEASES PLANNING BOARD:

Four members of this board are appointed by the Columbus Council. This board shall establish policy and direction for disability services planning, delivery, and evaluation, including outcome evaluation, within the West Central Region, and shall perform such other functions as may be provided or authorized by law. (Contact the Assistant City Manager for additional information)

ZONING APPEALS, BOARD OF:

This board is responsible for deciding appeals and granting variances relative to the enforcement of the zoning regulations. It has five members, which are appointed by the Columbus Council. (Columbus Code, Sec. 22-37)

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Contact Clerk of Council's Office at 653-4013 if additional information is needed and for data bank cards to add names of individuals wishing to be considered for future board appointments.