City of Columbia, Missouri  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
City Council  
Conference Room  
1A/1B  
Tuesday, January 16, 2024  
5:00 PM  
Pre-Council  
Columbia City Hall  
701 E. Broadway  
I. CALL TO ORDER  
Mayor Buffaloe called the meeting to order at approximately 5:00 p.m. Council Member  
Betsy Peters arrived at approximately 5:18 p.m., left at approximately 6:00 p.m., and  
returned at approximately 6:28 p.m.  
9 - Peters, Peters, Buffaloe, Foster, Lovelady, Knoth, Proffitt, Peters, and Peters  
Present:  
Absent:  
1 - Waterman  
This item is open to the public: Annual Labor Group Presentations  
Local 955  
Andrew Hutchinson with Local 955 presented Council with a presentation about their  
bargaining objectives and original proposal. This includes new minimum wage, pay grade  
adjustments, hazard pay, child care assistance/reimbursement and wage compression.  
LiUNA! 955 proposes the City raise minimum wage from $15/hr for all full time positions  
to $17/hr.  
Another proposal included pay grade adjustments listed below:  
1.Adjust material handlers from 102 to 105.  
2.Adjust solid waste packer from 102 to 104.  
3.Adjust equipment mechanic from 102 to 105.  
4.Adjust paratransit van drivers from 102 to 105.  
5.Adjust container maintenance techs from 106 to 108.  
Hutchinson went on to discuss hazard pay at $2/hr for the following:  
Driving during hazardous weather conditions.  
Winter weather abatement work.  
Working in extreme heat or extreme cold.  
Household hazardous waste work.  
Working in confined spaces, around live electric wires and sewer overflows.  
Hutchinson went on to discuss child care assistance/reimbursement. He said it is  
important to create a pro-family workplace and suggested the City create a grant to  
provide childcare for City of Columbia employees.  
Lastly, Hutchinson addressed Council members regarding wage compression & COLA.  
He indicated their proposal is:  
Wage compression should be based on years of service, not time in class.  
Every employee should move up one step minimum.  
Cost of living adjustment to all scales to keep up with inflation.  
Council members, staff and others in attendance discussed.  
Representatives were not in attendance.  
CPLA  
Local 1055  
Zachary Privette, President of Columbia professional firefighters, IAFF Local 1055  
presented Council his presentation on collective bargaining. The IAFF Local 1055 have  
two priorities they want to discuss. Those are compensation and Missouri firefighters  
critical illness trust.  
Privette suggested continuing step moves and implementing across the board  
adjustments to adjust for consumer prices. He went on to discuss the consumer price  
index, consumer purchasing power and federal cost of living adjustment.  
Privette then began discussing the Missouri critical illness trust. Cancer is the #1 cause  
of injury and death amongst firefighters nationwide, therefore having a trust such as this  
can benefit firefighters.  
Privette stated their goal is simple. A full contract begins next year, they want to work  
together to maintain the progress of wages and implement the critical medical coverage  
necessary to protect firefighters.  
CPOA  
Don Weaver with CPOA presented the Council with a presentation on collective  
bargaining. Weaver indicated that the main goal is to attract and retain the best and  
brightest for Columbia policing.  
To achieve this, CPOA feels the City needs to provide competitive wages beyond starting  
pay, pension restoration/enhancement and neutral and unbiased outside review of  
discipline (binding arbitration).  
This item is open to the public: Motion for the City Council to go into  
closed session in Conference Room 1A/1B to discuss:  
- Preparation, including any discussions or work product, on behalf of a  
public governmental body or its representatives for negotiations with  
employee groups pursuant to Section 610.021(9) RSMo.  
- Sealed bids and related documents, until the bids are opened; and  
sealed proposals and related documents or any documents related to a  
negotiated contract until a contract is executed, or all proposals are  
rejected pursuant to Section 610.021(12) RSMo.  
At approximately 5:30 p.m., Mayor Buffaloe made a motion for the City Council of  
the City of Columbia, Missouri, to immediately go into a closed meeting in  
Conference Room 1A/1B of City Hall to discuss the preparation, including any  
discussions or work product, on behalf of a public governmental body or its  
representatives for negotiations with employee groups pursuant to Section  
610.021(9) of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, and sealed bids and related  
documents, until the bids are opened; and sealed proposals and related  
documents or any documents related to a negotiated contract until a contract is  
executed, or all proposals are rejected pursuant to Section 610.021(12) of the  
Revised Statutes of Missouri. The motion was seconded by Council Member  
Proffitt.  
This item is closed to the public: Closed Meeting in Conference Room  
1A/1B  
At approximately 5:31 p.m., the City Council went into closed session in Conference  
Room 1A/1B pursuant to RSMo Sections 610.021(9) and (12).  
II. ANY OTHER ITEMS COUNCIL MAY WISH TO DISCUSS  
None  
III. ADJOURNMENT  
The closed meeting adjourned at approximately 6:53 p.m.