As a voice for nearly 100,000 residents, the Columbia Association?s board of directors wants a better handle on county laws and regulations.
“The villages tend to keep track of it, but at the CA, we don?t,” said Miles Coffman, a board of directors member representing Hickory Ridge. “There may be legislation at the county level that may affect us.”
The board?s 10 members represent each of Columbia?s nine villages and Town Center.
The board?s External Relations Committee, of which Coffman is a member,is mulling over the best approach for understanding local legislation. It could be through an outside special committee or through the board members.
In April, the previous committee suggested the board create a committee to review both county and state legislation.
But the new committee, selected in May after CA board elections, reviewed the proposal and determined it was too focused on state legislation, Coffman said. There are already several organizations monitoring state action, but it?s the county level that needs a closer watch.
The board can then take a stand on issues and “make sure residents know what?s going on,” Coffman said.
Board Member Michael Cornell, of River Hill, said the board should increase its advocacy on important issues.
“We really need to be networking more and influencing decisions more,” he said. The board recently secured state funding for Columbia?s lake dredging projects, a good example of effective advocacy, he said.
The committee plans to meet with County Council Chairman Calvin Ball, D-District 2, and Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, D-District 4, on July 9 to get more information on the process.
“We reasoned it was a good idea for those of us representing Columbia to have a conversation on how we can better foster communication,” Ball said. “I see this as the beginning of increased cooperation.”
The meeting also will give the council a chance to share some of its needs and expectations, Sigaty said. “How can we utilize this as a positive encounter with the CA, as a huge land owner in Columbia?”
On which issues do you thing the Columbia Association should advocate? Respond below in our comment section.
