City of Columbia, Missouri

Meeting Minutes

City Council

City Hall

Monday, July 7, 2025

7:00 PM

Regular

Council Chamber

701 E. Broadway

Columbia, MO

I. INTRODUCTORY ITEMS

The City Council of the City of Columbia, Missouri met for a regular meeting at 7:00 p.m.

on Monday, July 7, 2025, in the Council Chamber of the City of Columbia, Missouri. The

Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and the roll was taken with the following results: Mayor

BARBARA BUFFALOE, Council Member VALERIE CARROLL, Council Member

JACQUE SAMPLE, Council Member NICK FOSTER, Council Member DON

WATERMAN, and Council Member BETSY PETERS were present. City Manager

De’Carlon Seewood, City Counselor Nancy Thompson, Deputy City Clerk Holly

Alexander, and various Department Heads and staff members were also present.

The minutes of the regular meeting of June 16, 2025 were approved unanimously by voice

vote on a motion by Mayor Buffaloe and a second by Council Member Foster.

The agenda, including the consent agenda, was approved unanimously by voice vote on a

motion by Mayor Buffaloe and a second by Council Member Peters.

II. SPECIAL ITEMS

None.

III. APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

None.

IV. SCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMENT

SPC29-25

Michelle Casey - Central Missouri Humane Society's critical need for a new

animal shelter.

Steve Smith, a Board Member of the Central Missouri Humane Society (CMHS), asked

that the City invest in the new shelter planned for property at the intersection of Range

Line Street and Brown School Road to replace their current woefully inadequate shelter

on Big Bear Boulevard due to the long-standing relationship they had with the City of

holding and caring for animals brought to them by Animal Control.

Michelle Casey, the Associate Director and Campaign Manager for CMHS, indicated

CMHS had continuously operated for over 80 years, stated it was the de facto municipal

shelter, explained the current shelter, which was the only open admission shelter in

Boone County, had deteriorated over the years, noted the goal was to create an animal

care campus on the 17.5 acres of property they now owned, but it was not a project they

could do alone, and pointed out an investment would signal the City valued public health,

public safety, and the humane care of animals.

Steve Smith stated the estimated construction cost was $25 million, believed a fair share

from the City would be about $5.5 million, and felt private donors would be more open to

contributing if the City contributed an amount commiserate with the needs of the Animal

Control division.

SPC30-25

Krista Murray-Salisbury - Poverty wages and outsourcing of city services.

Krista Murray-Salisbury, 1101 Jean Ray Drive, explained she was one of the union

stewards for the transportation division and was representing them along with the other

represented employees who worked for the City of Columbia, noted 37 represented

employees made less than the poverty line, requiring them to work other full time jobs,

and less than $100,000 would remedy that situation, and asked for a fair cost of living

increase to keep them viable in the market.

Scotty Johnson indicated the City needed to prioritize paying employees instead of

outsourcing labor, listed the amount of month spent outsourcing fleet maintenance, water

infrastructure repairs and new service installations, and solid waste services, and

wondered why work would be outsourced instead of using trained and experienced union

workers would could do the work in-house at a lesser cost and with better results.

Krista Murray-Salisbury asked the Council to stay true to its promises by making the

work force a priority, and pointed out the workers would give them quality, time, and

retention for their investment.

V. PUBLIC HEARINGS

PH19-25

Proposed voluntary annexation of property located on the northwest corner

of New Haven Road and Warren Drive (3501 New Haven Road) (Case No.

226-2025).

The public hearing was read by the Deputy City Clerk.

Deputy City Manager and Acting Community Development Director Matt Unrein and

Development Services Manager Pat Zenner provided a staff report, and responded to

Council questions.

Mayor Buffaloe opened the public hearing.

Christina Luebbert of Luebbert Engineering with offices at 409 Vandiver Drive, indicated

they had been working on this project for quite some time to bring this property into the

City to connect to the sewer, explained they were documenting what was there in order

to keep it the same, except for adding two pump stations and some force main to take

the sewer to the City’s system, and noted some improvements would be required by the

final plat, which would be the next step down the road.

Eugene Elkin, 3406 Range Line Street, stated he lived at Rustic Meadows, which was a

mobile home court and low income housing, and felt conformity to City standards should

be required to address emergency vehicles, poor road conditions, etc.

Sherrece Smith, a resident of the Woodstock Mobile Home Park, wondered who would

spend $3 million on a 208 mobile home park, noted rezoning nearby with mixed uses and

residential housing, stated her concern about increases in the cost of the lots as some

people only received a social security check of $625, which was subject to federal cuts,

and suggested they be informed of resources so they were able to remain in housing.

Jill Engel of Oak Wood Properties, indicated she was representing the owner of

Woodstock, listed the improvements made over the past year, which included a new

basketball court, fencing along the pool area, and tree work, and noted they had an online

portal for all communications, including weather, office closures, community events, etc.

There being no further comment, Mayor Buffaloe closed the public hearing.

The Council asked questions and made comments.

PH20-25

R97-25

Consider proposed amendments to the FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan

and FY 2025 Annual Action Plan, FY 2025-2029 Citizen Participation Plan,

and the FY 2019, FY 2023, and FY 2024 Annual Action Plans.

Discussion shown with R97-25.

Adopting amendments to the FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and FY

2025 Annual Action Plan, FY 2025-2029 Citizen Participation Plan, and the

FY 2019, FY 2023, and FY 2024 Annual Action Plans.

The public hearing was read by the Deputy City Clerk, and the resolution was read by the

Deputy City Clerk.

Acting Housing and Neighborhood Services Director Leigh Kottwitz provided a staff report,

and responded to Council questions and comments.

Mayor Buffaloe opened the public hearing.

Pat Kelley, 1007 Grand Avenue, Acting President of the Ridgeway Neighborhood

Association, requested support for the reallocation of $45,000 for a path through the

recently built greenspace at Garth Avenue and Sexton Road to allow those in wheelchairs

and those who had trouble walking across the lawn to access it, and listed the various

improvement that had been made and would be made to the area, including the planting

of trees, a rain garden, which had started to bloom this year, an entrance to the path, a

bike rack, and a chimney swift tower.

There being no further comment, Mayor Buffaloe closed the public hearing.

The Council made comments.

R97-25 was read by the Deputy City Clerk, and the vote was recorded as follows:

VOTING YES: BUFFALOE, CARROLL, SAMPLE, FOSTER, WATERMAN, PETERS.

VOTING NO: NO ONE. Resolution declared adopted, reading as follows:

VI. OLD BUSINESS

B122-25

Rezoning property located on the south side of Clark Lane and west of St.

Charles Road (5320 Clark Lane) from District M-N (Mixed-use

Neighborhood) to District M-C (Mixed-use Corridor) (Case No. 154-2025).

Discussion shown with R91-25.

R91-25

Approving the Preliminary Plat of “Armstrong Subdivision, Plat No. 1”

located on the south side of Clark Lane and west of St. Charles Road

(5320 Clark Lane) (Case No. 155-2025).

The bill was given third reading by the Deputy City Clerk, and the resolution was read by

the Deputy City Clerk.

Mayor Buffaloe made a motion to table B122-25 and R91-25 to the August 18, 2025

Council Meeting at the request of the applicant. The motion was seconded by

Council Member Peters, and approved unanimously by voice vote.

B141-25

Accepting conveyances for utility and temporary construction purposes

associated with the Greek Town Sidewalk Project - Curtis Avenue Phase II;

directing the City Clerk to have a conveyance recorded.

The bill was given second reading by the Deputy City Clerk.

City Counselor Nancy Thompson provided a staff report.

Mayor Buffaloe made a motion to amend B141-25 per the amendment sheet. The

motion was seconded by Council Member Waterman, and approved unanimously

by voice vote.

B141-25, as amended, was given third reading by the Deputy City Clerk with the

vote recorded as follows: VOTING YES: BUFFALOE, CARROLL, SAMPLE, FOSTER,

WATERMAN, PETERS. VOTING NO: NO ONE. Bill declared enacted, reading as

follows:

B149-25

Repealing Ordinance No. 025954 which authorized agreements,

promissory notes, and deeds of trusts with Housing Authority of the City of

Columbia, Missouri and Park Avenue Housing Development Group, LP

associated with the replacement of downtown public housing units on Park

Avenue; approving revised documents thereto; directing the City Clerk to

record certain documents.

The bill was given second reading by the Deputy City Clerk.

Acting Housing and Neighborhood Services Director Leigh Kottwitz provided a staff report.

Randy Cole, CEO of the Columbia Housing Authority (CHA), noted HUD had signed off on

moving forward with the Park Avenue project, the CHA has provided 30, 60, and 90 day

notices to their residents, the residents would be moved to the CHA’s downtown portfolio,

and they had a really strong financial proforma despite increased construction costs,

increased interest rates, and some shifts in tax credit pricing, which meant they would

have funds for ongoing maintenance, operations, and supportive services, and thanked

the City and County leadership for their support for this project as it was good for the

CHA along with its residents.

The Council made comments.

Mayor Buffaloe made a motion to amend B149-25 per the amendment sheet. The

motion was seconded by Council Member Foster, and approved unanimously by

voice vote.

B149-25, as amended, was given third reading by the Deputy City Clerk with the

vote recorded as follows: VOTING YES: BUFFALOE, CARROLL, SAMPLE, FOSTER,

WATERMAN, PETERS. VOTING NO: NO ONE. Bill declared enacted, reading as

follows:

VII. CONSENT AGENDA

The following bills were given second reading and the resolutions were read by the Deputy

City Clerk.

B134-25

Authorizing a first amendment to the development agreement and an

escrow agreement with Mid-Am Development, LLC associated with the

Springbrook Crossing North project located on the northwest corner of

State Farm Parkway and Veterans United Drive; directing the City Clerk to

record the development agreement.

B135-25

B136-25

B137-25

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to Jamie Kroll to allow the

operation of a short-term rental on property located at 209 Alexander

Avenue; providing a severability clause (Case No. 188-2025).

Approving the Final Plat of “Discovery Apartments, Plat No. 1” located at

the terminus of Artemis Drive and south of Endeavor Avenue; authorizing a

performance contract (Case No. 124-2025).

Authorizing construction of a single-lane roundabout with splitter islands

and sidewalks at the intersection of Fairview Road and Chapel Hill Road,

and construction of a sidewalk along the northeast side of Chapel Hill Road

between Fairview Road and Handley Place; calling for bids through the

Purchasing Division.

B138-25

Authorizing the acquisition of easements associated with construction of a

single-lane roundabout with splitter islands and sidewalks at the

intersection of Fairview Road and Chapel Hill Road, and construction of a

sidewalk along the northeast side of Chapel Hill Road between Fairview

Road and Handley Place.

B139-25

B140-25

B142-25

Authorizing construction of street and sidewalk improvements along Garth

Avenue, between Texas Avenue and Thurman Street; calling for bids

through the Purchasing Division.

Authorizing the acquisition of easements associated with construction of

street and sidewalk improvements along Garth Avenue, between Texas

Avenue and Thurman Street.

Amending the FY 2025 Annual Budget by appropriating funds associated

with grant funds received from the U.S. Department of Transportation to

support the restoration of air service between the Columbia Regional

Airport and Denver International Airport.

B143-25

B144-25

Authorizing the City Manager to execute a grant of easement for water

utility purposes to Public Water Supply District No. 4 of Boone County,

Missouri for the construction of a new water main on City-owned property

adjacent to Calvert Hill Road; directing the City Clerk to record the

conveyance.

Authorizing Amendment No. 1 to the joint funding agreement for water

resource investigations with the U.S. Department of the Interior - U.S.

Geological Survey to provide additional water quality analysis of well sites

in the vicinity of the McBaine wetland treatment units and the Eagle Bluffs

Conservation Area to include microplastics.

B145-25

B146-25

Authorizing an agreement with the City of Moberly, Missouri for mutual aid

fire services.

Authorizing Amendment 1 to the cooperative agreement with The Curators

of the University Missouri, on behalf of University of Missouri Health Care,

to provide clinical experience for firefighters training for emergency

medical services certification.

B147-25

B148-25

Authorizing a contract with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior

Services for Show Me Healthy Women program services.

Authorizing renewal of a contractual service agreement with the State of

Missouri Children's Trust Fund for child abuse prevention projects through

the Brighter Beginnings home-visiting collective impact initiative.

R92-25

R93-25

Setting a public hearing: consider the FY 2026 Capital Improvement

Project Plan for the City of Columbia, Missouri.

Authorizing a lease agreement with New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC for

the installation and operation of telecommunications equipment at the

Columbia Regional Airport.

R94-25

R95-25

Authorizing an amendment to the power sales contract with the City of

Sikeston, Missouri and the Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities.

Authorizing an aviation project consultant agreement with Burns and

McDonnell Engineering Co., Inc. for design services associated with the

Airport Drive reconstruction project at the Columbia Regional Airport.

R96-25

Authorizing a memorandum of understanding with President and Fellows of

Harvard College acting through the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership

Initiative at the John F. Kennedy School of Government associated with the

engagement of City Hall Fellows.

The bills were given third reading and the resolutions were read by the Deputy

City Clerk with the vote recorded as follows: VOTING YES: BUFFALOE, CARROLL,

SAMPLE, FOSTER, WATERMAN, PETERS. VOTING NO: NO ONE. Bills declared

enacted and resolutions declared adopted, reading as follows:

VIII. NEW BUSINESS

None.

IX. INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING

The following bills were introduced by the Mayor unless otherwise indicated, and all were

given first reading.

B150-25

Voluntary annexation of property located on the northwest corner of New

Haven Road and Warren Drive (3501 New Haven Road); establishing

permanent R-MH (Residential Mobile Home) zoning; approving the

“Woodstock Mobile Home Park” RMH Development Plan, inclusive of

requested design exceptions (Case No. 187-2025).

B151-25

B152-25

B153-25

B154-25

B155-25

Rezoning property located on the south side of Starke Avenue and east of

Highway 63 (2620 Starke Avenue) from District PD (Planned

Development) to District M-C (Mixed-use Corridor) (Case No. 195-2025).

Rezoning property located on the north side of Grindstone Parkway and

west of Rock Quarry Road from District PD (Planned Development) to

District M-C (Mixed-use Corridor) (Case No. 186-2025).

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to Anne Caverte to allow

the operation of a short-term rental on property located at 3407

Goldenwood Drive; providing a severability clause (Case No. 194-2025).

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to Battles Holdings LLC

to allow the operation of a short-term rental on property located at 212 Park

De Ville Drive; providing a severability clause (Case No. 127-2025).

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to Kyle and Bailee

Bogner to allow the operation of a short-term rental on property located at

411 N. Brookline Drive; providing a severability clause (Case No.

193-2025).

B156-25

B157-25

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to A.G. Jones Properties,

LLC to allow the operation of a short-term rental on property located at

1516 Wilson Avenue; providing a severability clause (Case No. 196-2025).

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to Yronwode-McFarling

Revocable Trust to allow the operation of a short-term rental on property

located at 105 Pinewood Drive; providing a severability clause (Case No.

202-2025).

B159-25

B158-25

Approving the Final Plat of “The Cottages at Bristol Lake, Plat No. 1”

located on the northwest corner of Bristol Lake Parkway and Gans Road;

authorizing a performance contract (Case No. 183-2025).

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to Jon Michael and

Christina Washington to allow for the construction of a detached accessory

dwelling unit on property located at 1120 Westwinds Drive in an R-1

(One-family Dwelling) zoning district (Case No. 165-2025).

B160-25

Authorizing construction of the Columbia Gorge Parkway sidewalk

improvement project; calling for bids through the Purchasing Division;

amending the FY 2025 Annual Budget by appropriating funds.

B161-25

B162-25

B163-25

B164-25

B165-25

B166-25

Authorizing construction of a sidewalk along the west side of Oakland

Gravel Road between Blue Ridge Road and Smiley Lane; calling for bids

through the Purchasing Division.

Authorizing the acquisition of easements associated with the construction

of a sidewalk along the west side of Oakland Gravel Road between Blue

Ridge Road and Smiley Lane.

Authorizing the acquisition of easements associated with the construction

of the Rice Road Private Common Collector Elimination (PCCE) #43

sanitary sewer improvement project.

Amending the FY 2025 Annual Budget by appropriating funds for

development of a comprehensive safety action plan associated with the

Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant program.

Amending the FY 2025 Annual Budget by appropriating funds for

management of City-owned property located at 2810 Lemone Industrial

Boulevard.

Authorizing a water line differential payment agreement with Hemme

Construction, L.L.C. associated with construction of a water main along

Bosco Bell Drive and Barberry Avenue serving Amberton Place, Plat No. 1.

B167-25

B168-25

Accepting conveyances for sewer and underground electric purposes;

directing the City Clerk to have the conveyances recorded.

Amending the FY 2025 Annual Budget Appendix - Authorized Full Time

Equivalent (FTE) position identification summary; amending the FY 2025

Classification and Pay Plan by adding and reassigning classifications.

X. REPORTS

REP32-25

Request from the Food Council to add two Boone County representatives.

Public Health and Human Services Director Rebecca Roesslet provided a staff report, and

responded to Council questions and comments.

Mayor Buffaloe made a motion asking staff to prepare an ordinance to add two seats to

be appointed by the Boone County Commission to the Food Council. The motion was

seconded by Council Member Sample, and approved unanimously by voice vote.

REP33-25

Business Loop Community Improvement District (CID) - FY 2026 Annual

Budget.

Mayor Buffaloe understood this was informational and required per state statute.

REP34-25

Rental Inspections Report.

Acting Housing and Neighborhood Services Director Leigh Kottwitz provided a staff report,

and responded to Council questions and comments.

XI. GENERAL COMMENTS BY PUBLIC, COUNCIL AND STAFF

Ken Rice, 209 Reedsport Ridge, stated some of the rental properties he had visited

through his church were abhorrent, recalled living in that situation when he was young

and going to college with two kids, agreed it was scary to be in that situation and

complain about something that was broken, felt the City needed to conduct more frequent

inspections by prioritizing that in terms of the budget, and believed protections were

needed for tenants who made good faith complaints.

Eugene Elkin, 3406 Range Line Street, commented that those within low income areas

were sometimes unsure of what to do or how to help people and provided examples of

situations in which he did not know what to do.

Deb Bailey, 511 Westridge Drive, listed issues at the Central Missouri Humane Society,

which included the building falling apart with exposed asbestos, being at capacity at all

times, and it costing money to address injured animals, noted they had received a $ 2.5

million donation that could be doubled so they had the potential to reach $5 million this

summer, believed the assessment of the situation with Animal Control was correct, and

emphasized this was a public health issue.

The Council and staff discussed various topics to include recognition of Bill Cantin, a

long-time employee, who recently passed away and was the initial City contact for many

residents due to his work with neighborhood associations, thanking all of those involved in

Fire in the Sky, which included Parks and Recreation, Police, Fire, Public Works, and

Convention and Visitors Bureau staff, as it had been a great event and allowed many in

the community to come together to enjoy, the upcoming Ward 1 Let’s Talk Local

scheduled for Monday, July 14, the upcoming Ward 3 Indian Hills Block Party scheduled

for Thursday, July 10, the Ward 4 Fairview Park Block Party along with the Ward 4 Let’s

Talk Local events that were held the last week of June, and the Ward 5 Block Party that

had been held this past Monday at Cosmo-Bethel Park, appreciation for the community

connectors and others who helped to plan and who participated in the Let’s Talk Local

and Block Party events as those were great avenues for outreach, engagement, and

feedback, recognition by Council Member Sample of those that had planned the Unity in

the Community event she had attended last week at Indian Hills as it had been very well

attended, the potential of holding all pre-council meetings and council work sessions in

the Council Chamber to allow them to be broadcast similar to regular council meetings

along with the decision to further discuss that topic at a work session after the start of

the new fiscal year, the potential of allowing council members to virtually participate in

regular council meetings on an as-needed basis due to work or illness as well as the

decision to further discuss that topic at a work session after the start of the new fiscal

year, the various Juneteenth events that had been held throughout the month of June and

the importance of remembering and reflecting on the significance of Juneteenth, the need

to revisit planning and zoning related notification rules for certain situations, such as that

with mobile home parks, so more than just the owners of property within a certain number

of feet were informed of upcoming projects, the status of the use of QR codes to assist in

providing more details on projects versus only a sign indicating there would be a public

hearing, the status of small trash trucks in terms of whether any were in service and if

they had made a difference on narrower roads, the status of recycling for which a report

would be provided at the second council meeting in August, the comments of the

representatives of the Central Missouri Humane Society (CMHS), information regarding

how much CMHS had and would receive for the services provided to Animal Control,

which was $229,890 for the 2025 calendar year for office space, 25 kennels per day,

some veterinary medical services, and spaying and neutering and would include an

increase of three percent for the 2026 calendar year, acknowledging that the City was

fortunate to have good relationships with the Boone County Commissioners, the Chamber

of Commerce, the Columbia Public Schools, and the University of Missouri as it allowed

all of them to work collaboratively for their citizens, the Solarize Columbia kickoff that

would be held this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Boone Electric Cooperative and would allow

for the group purchase of solar to lessen those costs, the concerns about the potential

elimination of CDBG and HOME funds as it would be devastating to many, including

Columbia, as it assisted families and parents who were working hard to stay housed,

seniors who were aging safely in-place, and children who were thriving due to stable

home environments, the need to speak up to save CDBG and HOME funds, and the

e-waste recycling event that would be held on Saturday, July 12 on the University of

Missouri campus behind the softball stadium.

XII. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned without objection at 9:12 p.m.