City of Columbia, Missouri

Meeting Minutes

Board of Health

Columbia/Boone

County Public Health &

Human Services

Thursday, November 13, 2025

5:30 PM

Regular

Training Room 1

1005 W. Worley St

Columbia, MO.

I. CALL TO ORDER

Heidt called the meeting to order at 5:31 P.M.

Public Health and Human Services staff present: Rebecca Roesslet, Michelle Shikles,

and Kevin Meyers.

City of Columbia staff present: Adam Kruse

9 -

Present:

Excused:

Harry Feirman, Jonathan Heidt, Sonita Simelus, Ella Miller, Ashton Day, Joseline

Hernandez Arroyo, Tom Rose, Samantha Joiner and Jennifer Carter Dochler

2 - Rosann Geiser and Bridget Kraus

II. INTRODUCTIONS

Introduction of New Board of Health Member: Jennifer Carter Dochler,

MSW

Heidt then turned the floor to Jennifer Carter Dochler for a quick introduction. Carter

Dochler introduced herself as the newly appointed county member for the Board of

Health. She lives in Harrisburg and she works her full time job as the Director of

Government Affairs for Missouri Foundation for Health. Previously Carter Dochler worked

for the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Carter Dochler

mentions that she is looking forward to getting back into the community with her Board of

Health position.

III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Rose moves to approve the agenda, seconded by Feirman. The motion passed

unanimously.

IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

BOH Draft Meeting Minutes 10.09.2025

Attachments: BOH Draft Meeting Minutes 10.09.2025

Rose suggest a change in the minutes, to change New World Worm to state New World

Screwworm making it correct.

Rose moves to approve the minutes as amended, seconded by Day. The motion

passed unanimously.

V. OLD BUSINESS

Discussion of Criteria for Sec. 5-60 Limitation upon Number of Dogs and

Cats Kept.

Attachments: Sec. 5-60 Criteria Discussion

Law Draft - Ch 5 Limit of Cats and Dogs

The board moves into their discussion of old business, starting with the criteria for Sec.

5-60 Limitation Upon Number of Dogs and Cats Kept. Attending the meeting tonight is

Adam Kruse. Kruse is an attorney for the City and has been with the City for about 15

years. Kruse has been handling the animal control violations that are referred to the City

board. Kruse tells the board that when looking over the boards intent and changes with

the ordinance that most everything looked good, but for Sec. 5-60 they did want to add

some more detail and criteria. Some of the criteria that is added states that each animal

will have to have rabies vaccine, a City license, be microchipped, and sterilized. Kruse

continues to go over the criteria that has been added to Sec. 5-60 and the board begins

the discussion with some comments. Day asks what the reasoning is for having to renew

the permit each year. Roesslet answers that it aligns with the other permits like, the feral

cat colony caretaker permit. Kruse also adds that this is something that they want to say

on top of. Feirman asks about the section where it mentions the animals needing proof of

rabies vaccine, wanting to get clarification on if it is all of the pets in the house hold, or

the pets that are being added beyond the four. Meyers clarifies saying that he would think

that it would be for the pets that are being added beyond the four limit. Kruse goes on to

say that the permits are really strict, that they are going to list every animal and their

breed that is in the house, and those animals are going to need to be approved for the

permit, microchipped, and sterilized. Roesslet mentions that there could be situtations

where someone has three cats and two dogs and are over the limit for animals allowed,

but the animal they have is not in the condition to be re-homed, due to health or age

reasons. Roesslet says that there will still be some flexibility that would allow them keep

the animal. Heidt gives another situation that could likely happen, asking what would

happen if someone that has already received and been approved for the permit has a new

neighbor move in, would they have to go through the process over again and get a new

permit. Meyers answers that they would likely not have to go through the process again,

but if the new neighbor or anyone makes a complaint against that person with the permit

animal control would have to investigate and their permit could be at risk. Asking at this

time Day wants to know if the permits are public record and Roesslet confirms that they

are. They continue their discussion on Sec. 5-60 and the changes, and the question of

what would happen if the permit was revoked comes up. Roesslet explains that the

animals would be re-homed and Meyers adds that animal control would not be able to

take the animals without a court order from the judge, stating that the process would be

more like issuing a violation and giving the owner time to re-home the animals. They also

discuss the change of the name for the permit. The suggestion from Kruse was Multiple

Pet Permit. They decided on Multi Pet Permit for it to be simpler To finish off the

discussion Day asks to see if there are anymore questions or suggestions. There are

none for this topic.

Rose moved to approve the ordinance with the changes made to Sec. 5-60,

seconded by Day. The motion was approved with 9 votes in favor, and 2 excused

members.

9 -

Yes:

Feirman, Heidt, Simelus, Miller, Day, Hernandez Arroyo, Rose, Joiner and Carter

Dochler

2 - Geiser and Kraus

Excused:

Review Presentation for Pre-Council Meeting on December 1, 2025

Attachments: Revd Law Redline Ch_5_ANIMALS_AND_FOWL.

Starting the conversation of the next topic for discussion, Feirman has a comment about

the places where it states health official in the ordinance. Feirman wants to know what a

health official is defined as and if they need to put a definition somewhere in the

ordinance to make it more clear. Roesslet suggest that it could be added to the definition

listed in Sec. 5-1 of the ordinance. Feirman also has another suggestion that he noticed

in Sec. 5-57(d) where it states dogs when talking about dangerous and aggressive

animals, but in the other parts of that section it states animals. Feirman is suggesting

that it needs to be consistence throughout the section and that they change where it

says dogs to say animals. The board agrees with this idea.

Heidt runs through the changes that have been suggested at the meeting tonight making

sure the board agrees.

Roesslet goes into reviewing the presentation for the Pre-Council meeting letting the

board know that council will also have the slides and the red lined version of the

ordinance with all of the changes that the board has made prior to the Pre-Council

meeting when the board will present the changes. The presentation is going to cover the

main points of what the board has been working on, focusing mainly on areas like the

feral cat colony caretaker permit, dangerous and aggressive animals, animals out in

extreme weather, and multiple pet permits. The board will not go over the little changes

that were made in detail when presenting to the council, but those changes will still be

giving to the council to see. Roesslet goes over the presentation slides going over the

main points that will be presented. Roesslet ask Dr. Rose if he is comfortable with how

the slides are presented and lets him know that the staff will be there, Meyers and her for

any further questions that council may have for them. Heidt ask to see if there are any

other comments. Roesslet gives a reminded that the Pre-Council meeting is just a

discussion with council, that the public is allowed to attend the meeting, but they are not

able to make any comments. There is no quorum for the Board of Health needed for the

Pre-Council meeting.

Rose moved to approve the changes made to the presentation, seconded by

Feirman. The motion was approved with 9 votes in favor, and 2 excused

members.

9 -

Yes:

Feirman, Heidt, Simelus, Miller, Day, Hernandez Arroyo, Rose, Joiner and Carter

Dochler

2 - Geiser and Kraus

Excused:

VI. NEW BUSINESS

Finalize Preparations for December 1, 2025 Pre-Council Meeting.

Moving into new business, Heidt confirms that they discuss the preparations for the

Pre-Council meeting just previously. The board can move forward to the next topic on the

agenda.

Discuss the December Board of Health meeting plan.

Heidt moves into the topic of the December Board of Health Meeting, if they should keep

the meeting on the calendar or not. Simelus suggest that they keep the meeting on the

calendar, that way if at the Pre-Council meeting they get suggestion or changes to make

by Council then the board can discuss and work on that at the December Board of Health

Meeting. They decided to keep the meeting on the calendar for now pending the outcome

of the Pre-Council meeting and what the board decides to do from there.

VII. REPORTS

Director's Report - Rebecca Roesslet

Roesslet goes into the director's report starting with good news that WIC is fully restored

and stable until the end of the contract. Roesslet brings up the utility assistance, letting

the board know that they have exhausted all of the funding that was budgeted for this

fiscal year within the first 5 weeks. There is an uptake of people in need of utility

assistance. The flu shot have not been very popular, there has been a decrease in people

coming to get their flu shot. The clinic is not see many kids coming in to get their flu

shots. Roesslet asks if anyone has any public health questions. Day has a question to

clarify the utility assistance, wanting to know if it would be Roesslet who would request

more fund or if it would be the utilities. Roesslet confirms that is would come from her.

Day, Feirman, and Roesslet discuss the Hot and Cold weather law talking about the

process when it comes to shutting of someone utilities. Roesslet ends by asking if

anyone else has any public health questions that she could answer. Roesslet gives the

board a thank you for the work that they have put into this process.

VIII. GENERAL COMMENTS BY PUBLIC, MEMBERS AND STAFF

None.

IX. NEXT MEETING DATE

January 8, 2026

X. ADJOURNMENT

Rose moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Simelus. The motion pass and

the meeting adjourned at 6:29PM