City of Columbia, Missouri  
Meeting Minutes  
Historic Preservation Commission  
City Hall  
Tuesday, March 5, 2024  
7:00 PM  
Regular Meeting  
Conference Room 1B  
701 E. Broadway  
I. CALL TO ORDER  
Chair - Stephen Bybee, Vice-Chair - Melissa Hagen, Secretary - Meg Ross  
Meeting called to order at 7:04 PM  
6 -  
Present:  
Melissa Hagen, Stephen Bybee, Meg Ross, Tyler Travers, Veronica Lemme and  
Carrie Gartner  
1 - Tanner Ott  
Absent:  
II. INTRODUCTIONS  
Guests included members of CoMo Preservation and Columbia Development  
Services Manager, Pat Zenner.  
III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA  
Commissioner Hagen moved to approve the agenda as distributed.  
Commissioner Gartner seconded and the motion passed unanimously by voice  
vote.  
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
Commissioner Gartner moved to approve the February meeting minutes as  
distributed.  
Commissioner Hagen seconded and the motion passed unanimously by voice  
vote.  
V. NEW BUSINESS  
A. Architectural Salvage - Inventory & Conveyance  
Staff Liaison Palmer and Mr. Zenner spoke with the Commission about potential  
avenues for the transfer of architectural salvage to CoMo Preservation.  
Commissioner Gartner moved to seek guidance from City Council and request a  
one-time exception from City purchasing regulations for the sale of City property.  
Commissioner Lemme seconded; however, after discussion on the motion was  
withdrawn.  
Mr. Zenner explained that transfer of the materials would be simplified if the two  
groups are able to agree on a formal partnership with the support and approval  
of City Council.  
CoMo Preservation representative, Elena Vega, discussed the goals and  
objectives of the non-profit in regards to the shared vision between the two  
groups.  
Further discussion centered on the potential for CoMo Preservatino to  
immediately join the Commission on any future salvage efforts to take possession  
of any new salvaged materials. Mr. Palmer noted that it was unlikely that Parks &  
Recreation would allow the non-profit to continue storing items on City property.  
Commissioner Gartner asked Mr. Palmer to investigate potential paths forward  
for the transfer of materials and any challenges that may arise.  
Commissioner Gartner moved to schedule a work session with CoMo  
Preservation once a feasible route forward is determined.  
Commissioner Lemme seconded and the motion passed unanimously by voice  
vote.  
B. FY 2025 Budget Request  
Mr. Palmer sought input from the Commission in regards to any necessary  
modifications to the Commission's budget for FY 2025.  
Commissioners noted increased costs for recurring expenses, and Mr. Palmer  
shared historical data on Most Notable plaques and property research as  
evidence of the Commission's concerns. Mr. Palmer's data indicated an 83%  
increase in property research fees and a 50% increase in the cost of the bronze  
plaques given to each recipient. Mr. Palmer also noted that the property research  
associated with historic neighborhood surveys has increased in cost by 77% over  
the last 5 years, and ongoing survey of historic properties is a primary  
responsibility of the HPC as laid out in their establishing ordinance and their  
Certified Local Government organizational agreement with the State Historic  
Preservation Office.  
Commissioners then discussed managing expectations in the future in regards to  
their budget and resulting spending power. Commissioner Hagen noted that, in  
particular, Most Notable Properties may have to be limited to 3-5 properties in the  
future due to the pronounced increase in expenses related to that program.  
Commissioner Gartner made a motion instructing Liaison Palmer and Chair  
Stephen Bybee to prepare a budget request memo, inclusive of the historical  
cost data presented, seeking and increase to $15,000 in the annual budget.  
Commissioner Hagen seconded and the motion passed unanimously by voice  
vote.  
C. Commissioner Event Commitments  
Commissioner Bybee noted a number of upcoming events and asked that  
commissioners be sure to devote some time to help with setup and cleanup  
duties. He also indicated an interest in creating sign-up sheets for events so we  
are sure to have Commission representation when/where it's needed.  
VI. OLD BUSINESS  
A. McKinney Building Task Force Updates  
Commissioner Bybee and Liaison Palmer reported on the latest task force  
meeting and indicated that the next meeting would take place at Second Baptist  
Church on 3/11. The group has a public charette planned for 3/21 at 6 PM in the  
McKinney Building, seeking public input on the project.  
B. Most Notable Properties - Site Visits  
Commissioner Bybee shared the MNP property visitation schedule and invited  
commissioners to join the tours.  
Mr. Palmer volunteered to create Google calendar invites as new tours are  
scheduled throughout March and April to ensure attendance is limited to no more  
than 3 commissioners.  
C. Most Notable Properties - Event Planning  
Mr. Palmer noted a need for a guest list and asked commissioners to access a  
shared Google sheet to add invitees.  
Commissioner Gartner asked if a press release was available to post online, or to  
use as a template for this year's event. Mr. Palmer indicated that he would share  
a previous version.  
Commissioner Ott suggested hosting future Most Notables events in historic  
locations triggering discussion of City policy requiring meetings to be held in  
public facilities to ensure full public access and ADA compliance.  
D. Potential Term & Supply Contract for Historical Research  
Mr. Palmer noted that past commissions had entered into annual term and supply  
contracts for historical property research. However; there was no further  
discussion.  
VII. DEMOLITION PERMIT APPLICATIONS  
Mr. Palmer presented information about the property at 2302 Paris Road, which  
was submitted too late for inclusion on the March agenda, but was likely to be  
deemed a nuisance property due to its condition. He indicated that the interior  
had been exposed to the elements for an extended period, and there was likely  
very little salvage materials remaining. Commissioners indicated no objections to  
the release of the demolition permit.  
VIII. STAFF REPORTS  
A. FY 2024 CLG Grant Updates - Preservation Plan  
Mr. Palmer provided an update on the RFP process for selection of a consultant,  
noting that the RFP deadline had not yet passed. He contacted the State Historic  
Preservation Office seeking an extension, which was granted. Mr. Palmer  
anticipated review of proposals at the April meeting.  
IX. GENERAL COMMENTS BY PUBLIC, MEMBERS AND STAFF  
Dianna O'Brien, President of CoMo Preservation, confirmed dates for the  
McKinney Building project and offered to assist with promotion of the Most  
Notable Properties event.  
X. NEXT MEETING DATE - April 2, 2024  
XI. ADJOURNMENT  
Members of the public may attend any open meeting. For requests for accommodations related to  
disability, please call 573-874-CITY (573-874-2489) or email CITY@CoMo.gov. In order to assist staff in  
making the appropriate arrangements for your accommodation, please make your request as far in  
advance of the posted meeting date as possible.  
USB DRIVES PROHIBITED: Due to cybersecurity concerns, flash drives and other media devices  
are no longer permitted for delivering files or presentation materials. A speaker who desires to  
display a presentation must upload the presentation, in advance, to the city network using an  
upload portal. To upload your files and learn more, visit CoMo.gov/upload. (Effective Jan. 1,  
2023)