[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6590404,"mediaKeyId","5564548-1572816f6fe4c965e1e4f88b4b58136b","parentId",5564548,"title","City reports persistent jail roof, plumbing and mold problems; presents $398 million site plan for new jail","audioSeconds",616,"startMs",7880000,"endMs",8496000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5564548-1572816f6fe4c965e1e4f88b4b58136b&start=7880&end=8496","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5564548-1572816f6fe4c965e1e4f88b4b58136b/thumbnail_7880000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6590404/Columbus/Muscogee-County/Georgia/City-reports-persistent-jail-roof-plumbing-and-mold-problems-presents-398-million-site-plan-for-new-jail","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590404-ae4b8edb29aa57e10883598e2eb29be7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770487034&Signature=fzUcVeHWEswG8tBISyM3unXKPxjDiy5gyn3B5ofkgLY~tGeWTZjHvjsFeghcXpvSbS4dlkwC0MZN5UgeBsRvNXzRUmNqoTXLcuWZii0hEitopWFacJiMa-FWNMxgvKI7G7GBKqVWSfaUimH6lgZK-Sv8ChU-iaudVd1qeYe2unCzUJjq3Vo0Yl5VMd7tWdGR2ToL-PAs7KpjdBSmKjec9ds5kumYEHvBonBVr98y4r4NAMLLYRepWE6EgPEgk~L4ujLqZF-rD6BRKTTJquEDTKD45mGnWI~cf9rns~MBaA35f5k1xPB25mJijBXrkROAvADF7jR4eTwNNJAjzgHdNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Columbus","date","2025-08-12T22:59:53.853Z","article","City staff and the project design team told Columbus City Council on Aug. 12 that the current county jail has recurring life-safety problems and that the city is pursuing a replacement site and schematic designs.

Existing facility conditions: Public Works Director Gerald Short reported three persistent problem areas: the roof (aged and leaking), widespread plumbing failures caused in part by incompatible hanger hardware on copper piping, and mold and indoor-air-quality concerns. Short said the buildings configuration makes repairs difficult: walls often must be opened to reach plumbing, and failing façade masonry has created falling-debris hazards.

Costs to date and immediate work: Short reported roughly $1.9 million in facility remediation and repair spending so far: about $510,000 estimated for targeted roof repair/replacement work already under procurement, approximately $1.1 million for ongoing plumbing repairs and contractors to supplement city plumbers, and roughly $310,000 estimated for mold remediation and HVAC deep cleaning. Short said roof replacement work was scheduled to begin in September pending material deliveries and contractor mobilization.

Replacement planning and site selection: Project architects, corrections consultants and Gilbane (construction manager) presented \"Site 3B,\" a city-owned parcel south of Casita Road within roughly a mile of the judicial center. The team said Site 3B avoids property acquisition costs but requires environmental testing because of prior industrial uses. A completed geotechnical and environmental phase-1 study prompted a recommended phase-2 investigation; the team said phase-2 results would be available in early September.

Preliminary cost and program: Gilbanes preliminary construction estimate for the preferred site is about $398 million for the base program. The conceptual program shown to council calls for roughly 1,600 beds with land reserved for a future 400-bed expansion; the team said modular cell systems and modern direct-supervision design approaches are under discussion. Project schedule work remaining includes schematic design, updated cost estimates, and subsequent design milestones before procurement.

Operational and fiscal questions: Councilors asked about maintenance, operational costs and possible savings from technology and newer designs. Project staff said the team is studying operational efficiencies but noted capital costs and long-term operations will need separate planning and funding discussion. Council also asked staff to examine options for relocating existing public-works functions currently on the preferred site and to estimate demolition and remediation costs for the current jail campus once a move is completed.

Ending: The presentation was informational; no site-selection vote or appropriation was taken. Staff said it will return with phase-2 environmental results and more detailed schematic-level cost estimates; council members urged the team to study operational costs and to identify funding options and community impacts ahead of any formal site-selection vote.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Columbus Ga City Council Meeting 08-12-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Public Works and the citys project team told Columbus council that the regional jail has chronic roofing, plumbing and mold problems and presented a preferred city-owned replacement site with a schematic program (about 1,600 beds) and a preliminary construction estimate of roughly $398 million.","taxTitle","Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia","taxId",4892,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6590408,"Council amends camping ordinance to require 8 days' notice; debate centers on enforcement and services",735,3820000,4555000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5564548-1572816f6fe4c965e1e4f88b4b58136b&start=3820&end=4555","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5564548-1572816f6fe4c965e1e4f88b4b58136b/thumbnail_3820000.jpg","/articles/6590408/Columbus/Muscogee-County/Georgia/Council-amends-camping-ordinance-to-require-8-days-notice-debate-centers-on-enforcement-and-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590408-aee43cd90f1859f75f2c0d6332c05c5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770487034&Signature=VJItv80NYSa9G4OyoZJj5lzeghXauCrVlu1M1oAHB6~kQpa2xCSlkdjsvnDi~2HuV64hQCMXIISwlDqOmgp4UnCLaJVFs6LmukhJvd7UeOZfIFgGE07lCKEXYYMZabsNJBkIOEiUQaz0gQ4~uTjPZ2fUxX0qcGHpO679XaTIk93f7~7Hr2-Khq1SDCm9vFbqXbJ-z2ybJwiZ7e7ogwlkIL6WkxIXOSF8WsKHZCOD3CX~IrQtLpLkzNtkuAFMZt0m4-qvBnv7safwp8DVruwKKQCUXUv8Q7Jn62CJinKRYvqtW-UlFK--QwC5h12McdOXctNQT11K8lQ85z5mtNCYdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Columbus City Council on Aug. 12 approved an amendment to the city's ordinance prohibiting camping on public property, adding an explicit eight-calendar-day notice requirement before the city or Public Works removes unattended personal property.

What the ordinance does: The amendment to paragraph E requires the Columbus Police Department to provide a written or oral notice before enforcing subsection B; the notice must give alleged violators eight calendar days to vacate. Paragraph F was changed so that Public Works must wait a minimum of eight calendar days after notification before removing and transporting personal property to the landfill.

Why the change was proposed: Councilor Charmaine Crabb introduced a substitute amendment she said codifies the seven- or eight-day outreach timeline used by local service providers. Crabb read the changes into the record and moved the substitute. She told the council the amendment aligns enforcement with the community partners' seven- to eight-day engagement practice described earlier by United Way and Home for Good.

Council debate and law enforcement input: Police and community-policing leaders said they welcomed the codified timeline and stressed officers still need discretion. Sergeant Katina Williams told council enforcement had rarely resulted in arrests and that officers prefer to rely on outreach and voluntary movement: \"As long as we can use discretion, yes, sir,\" she said when asked whether officers had the ability to pause removals in complicated situations.

Public comment: Dozens of residents and service providers spoke during the public comment period. Speakers urging caution said criminalizing camping would harm people with complex needs and veterans, and would transfer costs to jails and emergency health services. Faith leaders, nonprofit staff and volunteers urged the council to pair any enforcement with usable shelter capacity and services; several speakers urged more immediate investments in shelter, sanitation and outreach rather than broader prohibitions.

Vote: The ordinance amendment passed on a council roll call (91). A few council members urged the administration to return with funding options for sanitation and cleanup teams and to coordinate code enforcement, Public Works and outreach partners.

Ending: The ordinance now requires notification and an eight-calendar-day minimum before removal of unattended personal property; council and staff framed the change as a procedural step that must be matched by the task force and service investments discussed in the earlier homelessness presentation.

","Columbus councilors voted 91 on Aug. 12 to amend the city's camping ordinance, requiring police to give written or oral notice and a minimum eight-calendar-day period before Public Works may remove unattended personal property from public land.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6590413,"United Way and partners ask Columbus council to back a task force as homelessness rises",1348,1187000,2535000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5564548-1572816f6fe4c965e1e4f88b4b58136b&start=1187&end=2535","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5564548-1572816f6fe4c965e1e4f88b4b58136b/thumbnail_1187000.jpg","/articles/6590413/Columbus/Muscogee-County/Georgia/United-Way-and-partners-ask-Columbus-council-to-back-a-task-force-as-homelessness-rises","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590413-ae59922198929e4e6e1435e6b42a7121/orig.mp4?Expires=1770487034&Signature=aVCQO-nfLwM~66pVZr2ONtsenI~0le0UYZegAIPBOE07SPnsPTM~1gSh2RuYYyTZ~AKwbR2hMV6-eObhtXHwQO9Ed3~WB3GTucfB5JTDP3DCqdKuZggVcoqC7GG957hMRlBFZ47f-0wSToIGu-CIt~MPv9fdtJI6bbsbdmqYWjLJIahBJBmyuJZ~ikQMTZ9bW3RT65dmNrWHIv2LQkIrLYnlKPZCGafta0LPQmJpXiQw1lmU02RNmQffAkYXqjjLYCf~~DhHcUGnBe7OBA1gP~doLXLzN8dIHkQHEuqvuAEAftSmekBgcVXYSPIKF1r0-ThBOmD5ICwtQCpQCJCLAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","United WayHome for Good and other local partners told the Columbus City Council on Aug. 12 that homelessness in Muscogee County has increased and urged the city to back a small, fast-moving task force to craft a 35-year plan.

The partners presented data and operational problems they said are constraining local responses: the point-in-time count returned to 303 people (the same count reported in 2016 and 2025), a 218% increase in families with minor children, and sharply higher rents — speakers said rents rose about 43% since 2022. United WayHome for Good also told council it has less temporary shelter capacity than in previous years and that state grant awards (Department of Community Affairs) were still pending and due to take effect Oct. 1.

Why this matters: Presenters said the rise in people experiencing homelessness is colliding with declines or delays in traditional state and federal funding, creating bottlenecks in shelter and rapid rehousing programs. They said a small, focused local commission could set short-, medium- and long-term benchmarks and coordinate existing nonprofits, health care providers, law enforcement outreach and city services.

What the presenters proposed: Pat Frey of Home for Good asked council to sanction a 57-person task force that would use advisory groups and return to council with a report at six months and a final set of recommendations at 12 months. Frey said the group would avoid producing a long, unused plan; instead she said the task force would produce a short, iterative plan with measurable touchpoints. Valley Healthcares Dr. Sante Hiltz said her organization would formally absorb the PATH outreach team and run combined outreach with Valley's safety-net services so outreach and medical care are dispatched together.

Council action and next steps: Councilor Toya Tucker moved, and Councilor Byron Hickey seconded, an oral resolution of council support for the task force; the motion passed by voice vote. Council asked the partners to return at the next council meeting with a one-page budget and a list of specific resource requests the city might consider funding. Frey said she would prepare a six-month reporting plan for council review.

Local concerns the presenters raised: presenters warned that without housing stock, even available rapid-rehousing funding cannot be spent; they reported last years rapid-rehousing allocation was about $162,000 but said that without housing options funds may be returned. They also described operational problems: an offline family shelter reduced capacity, and multiple service providers playing catch-up since 2020 had created an ad-hoc system that Home for Good is trying to coordinate.

Voices from the council and community: Council members from multiple districts praised the partnersefforts and pressed for concrete commitments.

Ending: Councils endorsement was procedural (an oral resolution of support) rather than a formal budget appropriation; partners will return with a short budget and implementation timeline for the task force and an arrangement for six-month reporting to council.

","United WayHome for Good and Valley Healthcare told the council homelessness in Muscogee County is increasing, and asked the council to sanction a 57-person task force. Council gave an oral resolution of support and asked the partners to return with a budget and implementation timeline.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6590400,"Votes at a glance: Columbus City Council actions on Aug. 12, 2025",11867,862000,12729000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5564548-1572816f6fe4c965e1e4f88b4b58136b&start=862&end=12729","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5564548-1572816f6fe4c965e1e4f88b4b58136b/thumbnail_862000.jpg","/articles/6590400/Columbus/Muscogee-County/Georgia/Votes-at-a-glance-Columbus-City-Council-actions-on-Aug-12-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590400-cb8342242feba8b3ec47027ebbbc12d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770487034&Signature=jR-QAEfmaMoWrWG1kA~hJ8IxMB9rtvLb~sGtdjBcGsLT9FW3KF2S6jFCCscPtP-p2foR8yOLuSX5nFTMEUNHQk3qYHEWV9YF8hVC-qRXxCMfS6JJXDNqj3fnr3NFwJxsTC2yLrifzLDQ4uyHYzNoX8ATtNYrxg1M7j40sOzwFksEDBUsjM5DfFwRNstnML6zTYnalkDt8sh-58xMybQiEUIzW1OMuPp0O9P48m8nIvZ~oXmPN~Wm9hKUgR3AsNY86tiPakXKm4i10olFcOJwSZzFGpMXWvSpR5g9kU29UwOoAQ5jbDH13xTx4O~1oTwpmd8lDW0fVoHBTypT8OGXIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Here are the key formal actions the Columbus City Council took Aug. 12, 2025 (summary of motions, outcomes and next steps):

- Resolution: Sister-city covenant with Jinju, Republic of Korea — approved. Council authorized the mayor to sign a covenant of friendship with Jinju after the government of Jinju adopts a parallel resolution. (Outcome: adopted by voice vote; administrative next step: mayor authorized to sign; project lead: Circle/Columbus State University liaison.)

- Ordinance amendment: Camping/camping-on-public-property (see separate coverage) — council adopted a substitute amendment requiring police notification and a minimum eight-calendar-day period before removal of unattended personal property. (Outcome: approved; vote 91.)

- Grants and federal plan: HUD annual action plan adjustment (HOME-ARP administrative correction of +$5,355) and related grant acceptances — approved by council; staff to submit required paperwork. (Outcome: approved.)

- Banking and purchasing: Synovus purchasing-card monthly limit increase (from $600,000 to $800,000) and several contract items/purchases AH (inmate medical services, auctioneer contract transfer, medical evaluations for Fire/EMS, change orders for fire station design, NICE digital evidence software, preventive maintenance for EMS equipment) — all approved on the consent/manager agenda. (Outcome: approved.)

- Grants: Wirehouser Giving Fund ($3,000 for a public-safety robot pilot) and Atlanta United Youth funding (parks soccer equipment) — both accepted. An Emergency Management hazard-mitigation grant application (approx. $102,397 with 25% local match) was authorized. (Outcome: accepted/authorized to apply.)

- Legal settlement: The council authorized settlement payment of $45,000 to resolve a claim by Leslie Pinkerton arising from an April 12, 2023 incident. (Outcome: approved in closed session.)

- Appointments: Multiple mayoral and council nominations and confirmations for boards and authorities were approved on the consent portion of the agenda (Audit Committee, Columbus Sports & Entertainment Authority, CDAC nominee, and several council-appointed seats). Vacancies remain on a few boards; clerk to list nominations for the next meeting. (Outcome: confirmations approved.)

- Homelessness: Council gave an oral resolution of support to United Way / Home for Good and Valley Healthcare to form a 57-person task force; partners will return with a one-page budget and a six-month reporting plan. (Outcome: oral resolution of support approved.)

What council asked of staff: For several items (the camping ordinance implementation, the homelessness task force and public-works sanitation), council directed staff to return with budget estimates, operational plans and implementation timelines before new recurring city funds are added.

For full vote records and links to the agenda items, see the city clerk's official minutes and posted agenda packet.","The council approved a sister-city covenant with Jinju (Republic of Korea), an amendment to the camping ordinance (8day notice), a set of purchasing and grant items, several board appointments and a $45,000 settlement; it also endorsed an oral resolution supporting a homelessness task force.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City reports persistent jail roof, plumbing and mold problems; presents $398 million site plan for new jail

Council amends camping ordinance to require 8 days' notice; debate centers on enforcement and services

United Way and partners ask Columbus council to back a task force as homelessness rises

Votes at a glance: Columbus City Council actions on Aug. 12, 2025