Columbia Association
| Type | Not for profit |
| Founded | |
| Headquarters | Columbia, Maryland, United States |
| Membership | Individuals and companies |
| Budget | $74.1 Million (2015) |
| Number of Members | 100,000+ |
| Founder | |
| Chairman Emeritus | |
| Chairman of the Board/CEO | Milton Matthews |
| Board | Reginald Avery - Oakland Mills |
| Board | Chao Wu - River Hill |
| Board | Brian Dunn - Kings Contrivance |
| Board | Lin Eagan - Town Center |
| Board | Alan Klein - Harper's Choice |
| Board | Nancy McCord - Wilde Lake |
| Board | Dick Boulton - Dorsey's Search |
| Board | Gregg Schwind - Hickory Ridge |
| Board | Andrew Stack - Owen Brown |
| Board | Janet Evans- Long Reach |
| Website | http://www.columbiaassociation.com/ |
The Columbia Association (CA) is a management organization for the financing, and maintenance of common-use facilities of the Rouse Company planned development of Columbia, Maryland. CA has 260 full-time employees, 800 part-time year-round employees and 150 to 500 seasonal employees.
The CA was originally named The Columbia Park and Recreation Association, Inc. The association was responsible for developing public amenities, transportation systems, snow removal, and landscaping promised in its application for New Town Zoning. The funding for the association would be provided by a combination assessment and use-fee's.
The seven man CA board was originally staffed with representatives of the development company with James Rouse as president. The association developed a "one lot" - "one vote" system, with which gave the majority of control to the Rouse Company. Control of the association to residents was planned in phases spanning until 1980. In 1967, 285 residents were able to establish a 5-person council in Wilde Lake, which in turn would provide the first elected board member. In February 1966 Jack Slayton, the city manager of Vancouver, Washington was hired by the Community Research and Development subsidiary of the Rouse Company becoming Columbia's first resident. He died suddenly in 1967 and was replaced with John Levering from Monumental Life Insurance Company to manage the town. Levering left the company to form an art studio "The Eye of the Camel" in a historic Oakland Manor stone house where Vantage house stands today. Padraric Kennedy managed the CA for 25 years before leaving for Boise Cascade's low income housing unit.
The CA originally planned on self-sufficiency of county funding of Fire services as its own taxing authority. In 1968, the CA negotiated with the county commissioners to pay for and build the Banneker Fire station and charge an assessment to residents to pay for the equipment. Howard County remained responsible for all continuing capitol and operating expenses afterward. The association agreed to pay $168,000 in matching HUD funds for a $416,600 study to investigate driverless automated bus services for Columbia.
By 1970, the CA had grown to 5500 members, three five member village boards with a $1.5 million budget and $5.75 million in debt. The budget switched from company eyes only, to a publicly viewable budget without public input. Three additional Rouse managed neighborhood shopping centers were funded for construction with CA funds.
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Wikipedia