Columbia residents have elected two new members to the Columbia Association board in time to take on the redevelopment of downtown and the search for a new association president.
“I think there are so many important decisions coming up,” said Alex Hekimian, head of watchdog group Alliance for a Better Columbia and elected to represent Oakland Mills.
Four villages elected representatives to the CA board this weekend, and the incumbent representatives for Owen Brown and Hickory Ridge ran unopposed. Several villages also elected village boards.
And the work begins immediately: Columbia landowner General Growth Properties released Monday night its highly anticipated plan for downtown redevelopment.
“That will be a big focus for the next month or so,” said Hekimian, who narrowly edged out opponent Phil Engelke in a 270-262 vote.
Suzanne Waller, the second addition, secured the seat representing Town Center, beating fellow village board member Stephen Meskin 134-121.
“I see the plan as a beginning,” Waller said of GGP?s document.
Waller also said public safety and the environment are key issues for the board. Incumbents Cindy Coyle and Phil Kirsch kept their seats.
“I have a lot of things I actually am interested in finishing up, so it was important for me to finish the next two years,” said Coyle, who represents Harper?s Choice.
Coyle has spearheaded the board?s work in crafting quality-improvement metrics and drafted the job description for a new president. President Maggie Brown?s term expires in May 2009.
Kirsch also named the president search and the quality-improvement plan as priorities, adding to the list the push for a watershed management plan and the new customer service computer system.
For Hekimian, the new board is a chance for a new dynamic. The 10-member board is at times faulted for infighting.
“The leadership of the board is going to be important for setting the tone,” he said.
