Minutes - City Council

City of Columbia, Missouri

Meeting Minutes

City Council

Boone Electric

Cooperative

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

9:00 AM

Joint Work Session

Community Building

Volt Room

County Commission & City Council

1413 Rangeline St.

Columbia, MO 65201

I. CALL TO ORDER

Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick called the meeting to order at

approximately 9:03 a.m.

5 - Peters, Carroll, Sample, Elwood, and Hartman

Present:

Absent:

1 - Buffaloe

II. INTRODUCTIONS & WELCOME FROM BOONE ELECTRIC

Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick announced the promotion of Jesse

Stephens to Executive Director of the Boone County Regional Sewer District. Kendrick

expressed confidence that this appointment will enhance collaboration and improve

data-sharing between the Sewer District and Boone County Government. He also

extended appreciation to Boone County Electric Cooperative for hosting the meeting.

Andrew Petri, Manager of Engineering and Technical Services at Boone Electric

Cooperative, provided an overview of initiatives to develop membership rate structures to

increase housing affordability and give consumers greater control over utility billing. He

highlighted programs such as Time-of-Use (TOU) rates and load control/energy efficiency

initiatives. Petri emphasized that reducing system costs during off-peak periods results in

direct benefits for the cooperative’s membership as a whole.

III. TENTATIVE TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

March 2026 Meeting

Attachments: Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the prior meeting were shared with the group.

Homelessness Strategic Plan

Rebecca Roesslet, Director of the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human

Services Department, reported on the completion of the program’s vision statement. She

noted that current priorities include developing data metrics, finalizing group structures,

and identifying key stakeholders for upcoming public engagement surveys. Roesslet

stated that the finalized strategic plan remains on schedule for formal presentation to the

City Council by year-end. In response to questions from Kendrick regarding the program’s

scope, Roesslet underscored the importance of careful scope management to ensure

efficient use of time and resources.

Housing Continuum Update

Alejandra Pardini, Bloomberg Fellow for the City of Columbia, presented updates about

her housing continuum project, followed by a discussion regarding data

ownership/collection frameworks. Presenters noted that immediate data access limits the

tool to city limits for the first phase, with a long-term goal of scaling outward. Current data

views aggregate at the census tract level rather than individual home levels, private sector

integration. In response to inquiries from Kendrick regarding private housing development

utility, Pardini noted that the data serves as an inventory to evaluate needs, but increased

private sector involvement is required, accessibility features. Council Member Christina

Hartman raised questions regarding system accessibility. Pardini confirmed that

accessibility features are built-in, with further assessments ongoing to determine their full

extent. Finally, Kendrick highlighted opportunities for deeper city-county partnerships,

citing recent sidewalk updates and the benefit of a “one-stop-shop” approach to regional

policy.

Cross Jurisdictional Collaboration

Meeting attendees discussed several key topics related to future housing and

infrastructure planning. Clint Smith, Community Development Director for Columbia, and

Stephens highlighted the importance of sewer capacity for supporting growth, noting that

current infrastructure can accommodate near-term expansion and that long-term planning

should be part of the Comprehensive Plan. Stephens also reported on efforts to renew the

Area Wide Management Plan with the state, aiming for regional partnerships to reduce

costs. Rataj introduced state-level legislative trends focused on removing barriers to

housing construction, including waiving certain environmental reviews. Kendrick proposed

forming a specialized task force of private-sector building professionals to address

county-level regulatory reforms, with the goal of preparing an official regulatory package

within four months. Carroll inquired about a related City Council motion on a building

professionals task force, and Smith confirmed that coordination between city and county

initiatives is under discussion.

Housing Study Recommendations Crosswalk Updates

Attachments: Master Housing Study Crosswalk - 6.15.2026

Andrew Deboro, Boone County staff, reported significant progress in mapping out land

management and permitting workflows on paper, which will ultimately be transitioned into

a single automated digital system. Smith reported the passage of the Accessory

Dwelling Unit (ADU) policy and corresponding changes to R1 zoning setbacks. A second

wave of zoning reforms, focusing on small-lot integration and incorporating feedback from

community groups, is currently underway. Council Member Valerie Carroll requested a

review of the original housing study recommendations, specifically highlighting

institutional check-ins, staffing changes, and methods for expediting the housing approval

process.

Bill Rataj, Director of Housing and Neighborhood Services for Columbia, noted strong

survey support for dedicated funding mechanisms, such as short-term rental (STR) fees

and related measures to establish a revolving local housing trust fund. Council Member

Betsy Peters and City Manager De’Carlon Seewood discussed the feasibility of aligning

these funds with existing land trusts. City Manager Seewood emphasized that access to

both funding options increases the city’s flexibility.

Gina Jenkins, Data & Performance Analyst for Boone County Community Services

Department, welcomed the City of Ashland as a new regional participant and emphasized

the importance of unifying terminology between Boone County and Ashland. Enola White,

Upward Mobility Program Coordinator, then presented updates on targeted workforce

training programs aligned with current labor demands. Following a brief

question-and-answer session on the reports, Carroll requested either more frequent

meetings or longer sessions to accommodate the workload. Due to time constraints, the

remaining agenda items were tabled, and Director at Boone County Community Services

Department Joanne Nelson instructed committee members to submit any outstanding