The agenda for the March 25 Magnolia City Council meeting has been released. Included items of “new business” list the annual State of the City address by Mayor Parnell Vann, as well as Steve Rogers as a speaker on the Columbia County Firing Range.
There are no further details on the agenda items, but the local shooting range was closed temporarily by the council on Jan. 28 due to safety concerns and potential liability to the city. The 90-day closure went into effect that night, leaving the city one more month after this Monday to work out a solution. In February, the council stated that some $300,000 in repairs and reorganizing needed to be performed at the Columbia Rd. 302 area, but that it would also cost a large sum to close the range.
Aldermen Steve Nipper in January and February floated the idea of privatizing the range and even mentioned Rogers by name -- who already owns a prominent outdoor and hunting goods establishment in Magnolia -- as a potential suitor to take over and charge patrons to use the range.
Rogers through his Steve's Outdoor Sports Facebook page on March 4 posted a message titled “SAVE THE MAGNOLIA SHOOTING RANGE!!!!” encouraging citizens to “act now” and encourage the Magnolia City Council to reopen the area “or it will be closed forever.” The message also listed all eight Magnolia aldermen and their contact numbers and asked that supporters attend the 5 p.m. March 25 meeting at the council’s Pine Street chambers. As of Wednesday morning, the social media message had been shared 80 times and contained a lengthy comment section between many supporters, a few detractors, and many questioning why the range was closed, to begin with, and a few potential solutions.
“We want to make the range safer and keep it open,” said one post from Steve’s Outdoors.
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Other remaining items on Monday’s agenda are as follows:
Old Business:
- 1. Zenner USA
Zenner USA, a major water metering and utility reading company, in February sent sales reps to inform the city council of a potential $953,000 project to convert Magnolia water areas I and II into wireless, non-traditional “smart” meters to better keep tabs on lost or stolen water and make for remote shutoffs, potentially saving the city of lost revenues. The council also suggested retrofitting the entire city to include water areas III and IV as well, but that would add significantly to the proposed cost. The water tech project would be paid through refinancing and extending a 2012 bond issue, according to the city.
In February, the council said that funding and approval of the water meters could be voted on in March.
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New Business:
- 1. Andy Franks with A.L. Franks Engineering
- 2. Appoint Mark Taylor tot he Airport Commissioner
- 3. Approve personnel policy
- 4. State of the City address
- 5. Steve Rogers to speak on the shooting range