City of Columbia, Missouri

Meeting Minutes

City Council

City Hall

Monday, October 6, 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, October 6, 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

VERA ELWOOD, Council Member JACQUE SAMPLE, Council Member NICK FOSTER,

and Council Member BETSY PETERS were present. Council Member DON WATERMAN

was absent. City Manager De’Carlon Seewood, City Counselor Nancy Thompson, City

Clerk Sheela Amin, and various Department Heads and staff members were also present.

A moment of silence in remembrance of Aiyanna Williams and her bright light was held at

the request of Mayor Buffaloe as this was the first council meeting since Homecoming

Weekend.

The minutes of the regular meeting of September 15, 2025 were approved unanimously by

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

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

SI23-25

Point of Personal Privilege (Comments of Police Chief Jill Schlude).

Mayor Buffaloe took a point of personal privilege and invited Police Chief Jill Schlude to

come forward to speak about the recent shooting downtown, efforts made for improved

safety, and expected future actions. Chief Schlude explained that additional officers had

been placed in the downtown area on Friday and Saturday nights between 9:00 p.m. and

4:00 a.m. since June 8, and on July 1, eight more officers were added to their overnight

efforts, provided a comparison between the months of July and August in 2024 and 2025,

which indicated a 31 percent increase in arrests and a 20 percent decrease in response

times, which was driven by increased capacity, noted she had worked the night after the

MU/KU game and had observed that there were still lots of people downtown after the

bars had closed along with the factors contributing to that situation, such as parking and

traffic, which the Public Works Department was assisting with, food truck vendors, who

the Public Health and Human Services Department was educating in terms of locations,

not playing music, etc., and lighting, which was now programmed to be at the highest

setting at 12:30 a.m. until after the bars closed, pointed out that after the incident over

the Homecoming Weekend, they had been in earnest conversations with MUPD, the

Boone County Sheriff’s Department, and the Missouri Highway Patrol, which allowed

them to have 27 extra people in the downtown area this last weekend, stated she planned

to reinstate the downtown unit in May, explaining it could be reinstated then because the

16 officers that were currently in training would be out in the field then, commented that

they had assigned a patrol sergeant to coordinate all of the downtown efforts in the

interim, listed the statistics associated with the enforcement efforts over this last

weekend, understood the two assistant chiefs that had worked with her this past

weekend had been shocked by the number of firearms that were being legally carried

downtown, indicated the current gun laws caused situations whereby a juvenile could

possess a gun and anyone could conceal a weapon as long as they were legally allowed

to be in possession of one, and although she was not against the Second Amendment,

she felt common sense actions could help them in terms of safety. City Manager

Seewood pointed out the City allocated many resources to public safety as it was one of

their top priorities, stated they had made significant progress over the last couple of years

in terms of hiring police officers, and noted the City had created an office to help address

some of the social issues around violence and to understand the root causes of violence

in order to be better prepared to address the issue.

SI20-25

SI21-25

Presentation of Capture CoMo Finalists.

Mayor Buffaloe recognized Sultana Afroj, Nathan Jesse, and Megan Montesinos, whose

photos were chosen for use in the FY 2026 budget document, and presented them with a

framed copy of their respective photos.

Swearing in of Clinton Smith as the Director of Community Development

for the City of Columbia.

The City Clerk administered the oath of office to Clinton Smith as the Director of

Community Development for the City of Columbia.

SI22-25

Swearing in of William Rataj as the Director of Housing and Neighborhood

Services for the City of Columbia.

The City Clerk administered the oath of office to William Rataj as the Director of Housing

and Neighborhood Services for the City of Columbia.

III. APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

None.

IV. SCHEDULED PUBLIC COMMENT

SPC44-25

Matthew Schacht - An update on funding Vidwest and the role of

community media in Columbia.

Matthew Schacht, 211 N. Ann Street, a representative of Vidwest, which was Columbia’s

community media center, provided a history of the organization, showed snapshots of

various community events and activities in which their equipment or volunteers were

utilized, explained the City had notified them in June that they would no longer receive

funding because there was not anymore funding for PEG channels, which he disagreed

with based on the FY 2024 and FY 2025 budgets, and pointed out people shooting with

cameras were not shooting with guns.

SPC45-25

Bonnie Steinmetz - Increase of city taxes and fees having a negative

impact on citizens.

Bonnie Steinmetz, representing the COMO Renewal Project, understood there would

likely be increases in sales taxes, fees, and parking meters along with potentially a

property tax increase, expressed concerns regarding the increase in expenditures

between FY 2020 and FY 2024 by providing graphics showing increases in personnel,

salaries, training and travel, and unnecessary spending on items such as a pedestrian

safety study, and displayed quotes attributed to City Manager De’Carlon Seewood and

Finance Director Matthew Lue indicating operating expenses should not exceed operating

revenues along with homeless outreach team officers indicating some homeless people

continued to violate the law, refusing to use the resources and services available to them.

V. PUBLIC HEARINGS

PH29-25

Proposed construction of a sidewalk improvement project along the south

side of West Broadway, between Maplewood Drive and West Boulevard.

The public hearing was read by the City Clerk.

Public Works Director Shane Creech provided a staff report.

Mayor Pro Tem Foster opened the public hearing as Mayor Buffaloe had stepped out of

the meeting briefly.

Mitchell Moore indicated he had houses at 1210 W. Broadway and 500 Maplewood Drive,

believed this proposal was rushed as only one meeting had been held in the summer,

suggested a three foot sidewalk instead of a five foot sidewalk along with a traffic signal at

the intersection of Pershing Road, Spring Valley Road, and West Broadway to allow

people to cross the road, and recommended a pedestrian study along with better vetting

of the project.

James Bail,1312 W. Broadway, stated he lived in one of the oldest homes in Columbia,

explained there was not a lot of space between his home and the road and that they had

a steep driveway, and believed this project would make it even more difficult for them to

turn on and off of Broadway.

Annalise Bail, 1312 W. Broadway, explained this project would require the City to buy

two feet of everyone’s yards, pointed out their front door was already close to the road,

suggested a study, felt it made more sense for people to walk on the other side of the

road, noted they did not see enough foot traffic to justify the project, and reiterated the

need for more research.

McKenzie Ortiz, representing Local Motion with offices at 201 W. Broadway, stated

support for the project as they often walked on West Broadway, and felt anything that

would connect people and increase accessibility was a win.

Kathy Barreto, 2 Spring Valley Road, agreed with the comments of Mitchell Moore in that

they did not see many people walking in the area, suggested a study be completed, and

recommended less space be taken from their yards.

Dani Perez, a First Ward resident, explained she was a full-time pedestrian as she did

not drive a car, believed the reason people did not walk on Broadway was because it was

not designed in that manner, pointed out she tended to walk it during the night because it

was safer then, felt the concern of danger with homes being closer to the road was valid

and could be addressed with visual buffers, and stated people would use the road for

pedestrian purposes if it was accessible.

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

The Council asked questions and made comments.

Mayor Buffaloe made a motion authorizing staff to proceed with the construction

of a sidewalk improvement project along the south side of West Broadway,

between Maplewood Drive and West Boulevard. The motion was seconded by

Council Member Foster, and approved by roll call vote with Mayor Buffaloe,

Council Member Carroll, Council Member Elwood, Council Member Sample, and

Council Member Foster voting yes, Council Member Peters voting no, and

Council Member Waterman being absent.

PH30-25

Proposed construction of the Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center

improvement project; providing for the design and construction of the

proposed project using a design/build contract.

Discussion shown with B247-25.

B247-25

Authorizing construction of the Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center

improvement project; calling for bids for a portion of the project through the

Purchasing Division using a design/build contract.

The public hearing was read by the City Clerk, and the bill was given second reading by

the City Clerk.

Parks and Recreation Director Gabe Huffington provided a staff report.

Mayor Buffaloe opened the public hearing.

Traci Wilson-Kleekamp explained she was looking forward to shade being available at

that pool in the future.

Arch Kimbriel, a Third Ward resident, stated support for this project as it was important to

have a place to swim safely.

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

B247-25 was given third reading by the City Clerk with the vote recorded as

follows: VOTING YES: BUFFALOE, CARROLL, ELWOOD, SAMPLE, FOSTER,

PETERS. VOTING NO: NO ONE. ABSENT: WATERMAN. Bill declared enacted,

reading as follows:

VI. OLD BUSINESS

PR134-25

Adopting priorities for the 2026 state legislative session.

The policy resolution was read by the City Clerk.

Assistant to the City Manager Stacey Weidemann provided a staff report, and she and

City Manager De’Carlon Seewood responded to Council questions and comments.

Mayor Buffaloe made

motion to amend PR134-25 by adding “the City of

Columbia supports legislation requiring lost or stolen guns to be reported to local

law enforcement within 72 hours after discovery of the loss” to Exhibit A, which

listed the priorities. The motion was seconded by Council Member Elwood, and

approved by voice vote with Council Member Carroll being absent as she

stepped out during the vote on this item and Council Member Waterman being

absent from the meeting.

Natalie Hampton,

a First Ward resident, was happy that retaining local control was

included in the legislative priorities as she was concerned that some of the moves

recently made by MU President Mun Choi could pave the way for potential attempts for a

police takeover in Columbia, and believed it was important for the citizenry to maintain

control of the City.

Traci Wilson-Kleekamp concurred with the prior speaker with regard to local control,

pointed out City Manager De’Carlon Seewood at the City was equivalent to Mun Choi at

the University, and suggested the City be more proactive with its language in how they

situated their power structure so they were in front and not behind issues of concern.

The Council made comments.

PR134-25, as amended, was read by the City Clerk, and the vote was recorded as

follows VOTING YES: BUFFALOE, CARROLL, ELWOOD, SAMPLE, FOSTER,

PETERS. VOTING NO: NO ONE. ABSENT: WATERMAN. Policy resolution declared

adopted, reading as follows:

B243-25

Voluntary annexation of property located on the northwest corner of Clark

Lane and Lakewood Drive; directing the City Clerk to give notice of the

annexation; establishing permanent District M-C (Mixed-use Corridor)

zoning (Case No. 242-2025).

The bill was given second reading by the City Clerk.

Community Development Director Clint Smith and Development Services Manager Pat

Zenner provided a staff report, and responded to Council questions.

Caleb Colbert, an attorney with offices at 827 E. Broadway, indicated he was

representing the applicant, noted the County suggested the City would be interested in

this property due to all of the property south of the intersection being within the city

limits, believed M-C zoning was supported due to this site being located at a major

intersection along a major roadway with other auto-oriented uses nearby, including a BP

gas station, a Sonic Drive-In, and a Club Carwash, pointed out the most restrictive

buffering would be required along with compliance with the neighborhood protection

standards, displayed photos of the existing vegetative buffer, noted M-N would require

they go through a conditional use permit process for a drive-thru versus having that use

by right, and asked for support of the M-C zoning.

John, a real estate agent with offices at 1000 W. Nifong Boulevard, pointed out the site

had been sitting there for the last 20 years, understood there was a desire for more jobs

and retail to be located on the north side of town, believed planned zoning districts were

problematic in that they required plans, which took time and money to develop, and noted

it was now a small site due to the roundabout and an easement in the buffer zone so it

would likely house a small coffee shop or something similar.

Steve Spellman, 2312 Katy Lane, suggested the Council support this request as many

likely assumed it was already within the city limits, it was located at a busy corner near a

pizza place and gas station, a house would not be built there, the infrastructure was built

for this type of development, and it would provide for tax generation.

Kevin Murphy, an engineer with

A Civil Group, explained the requirement of the

conditional use permit process within the M-N zoning district provided for an uncertainty

that did not exist with M-C zoning, noted the M-C zoning required screening and

neighborhood protections, and this location was fitting due to it being at

intersection with a gas station, drive facilities, and bars and restaurants in the area.

The Council made comments.

a major

B243-25 was given third reading by the City Clerk with the vote recorded as

follows: VOTING YES: BUFFALOE, SAMPLE, FOSTER, PETERS. VOTING NO:

CARROLL, ELWOOD. ABSENT: WATERMAN. Bill declared enacted, reading as

follows:

VII. CONSENT AGENDA

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

Clerk.

B242-25

Voluntary annexation of property located on the south side of I-70 Drive SE

and east of Easter Lane (7098 I-70 Drive SE); directing the City Clerk to

give notice of the annexation; establishing permanent District R-2

(Two-family Dwelling) zoning (Case No. 221-2025).

B244-25

B245-25

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to VSP, LLC to allow the

operation of a short-term rental on property located at 11 Club Court;

providing a severability clause (Case No. 262-2025).

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to The Tyler and Ashley

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

located at 2613 N. Creasy Springs Road; providing a severability clause

(Case No. 266-2025).

B246-25

B248-25

Rezoning property located on the east side of Forum Boulevard and north

of Old Plank Road from District PD (Planned Development) to District R-1

(One-family Dwelling) (Case No. 265-2025).

Authorizing an agreement with The Housing Authority of the City of

Columbia, Missouri related to electric water heating equipment installation

reimbursement for the Patriot Place Apartments located at 2112 Business

Loop 70 East.

B249-25

Authorizing a cooperative agreement with the County of Boone, Missouri

for the installation of a replacement radio tower on City’s Municipal Power

Plant property located at 1501 Business Loop 70 East.

B250-25

Accepting conveyances for sewer and temporary construction purposes;

accepting Stormwater Management/BMP Facilities Covenants; directing

the City Clerk to have the conveyances recorded.

B251-25

B252-25

B253-25

B254-25

Amending the FY 2025 Annual Budget by appropriating $3,000.00 for the

Terminal Building loop road project at the Columbia Regional Airport.

Authorizing amendment number one to the agreement with Boone County,

Missouri for 2025 public health services.

Authorizing amendment number one to the agreement with Boone County,

Missouri for 2025 animal control services.

Authorizing Amendment No. 1 to the contract with the Missouri Department

of Health and Senior Services for teen connection project program

services.

B255-25

R135-25

Authorizing an affiliation agreement with The Curators of the University of

Missouri, on behalf of University of Missouri Health Care, to provide

educational experience and training for medical residents and fellows.

Awarding bids, and authorizing the City Manager to file applications and to

negotiate and enter into contracts with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and

Delta Dental for benefits administration and insurance coverages

beginning January 1, 2026 for City of Columbia employees and retirees.

R136-25

Authorizing Amendment No. 3 to the resource management agreement

with The Energy Authority, Inc. to prepare a 20-year comprehensive

Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) as part of the annual Midcontinent

Independent System Operator (MISO) resource adequacy process.

R137-25

R138-25

R139-25

Authorizing an agreement for professional engineering services with

Leidos Engineering, LLC for local and regional dynamic system modeling

and transient stability analysis of the City’s electric transmission system.

Authorizing Amendment No. 1 to the sidewalk renovation agreement with

First Presbyterian Church of Columbia Missouri, Inc. for reconstruction of a

sidewalk adjacent to property located at 16 Hitt Street.

Authorizing an agreement with Federal International Recycling and Waste

Solutions, LLC for their purchase of certain recyclable materials collected

by the City.

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

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

ELWOOD, SAMPLE, FOSTER, PETERS. VOTING NO: NO ONE. ABSENT:

WATERMAN. 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.

B256-25

Granting a design adjustment relating to the proposed Final Plat of

Meadow Lane Plat 1 located on the north side of Meadow Lane and east

of Anderson Avenue to waive right-of-way dedication; granting a waiver

and design adjustment for sidewalk construction along the south side of

Meadow Lane (Case No. 216-2025).

B257-25

B258-25

B259-25

B260-25

Approving the Final Plat of “Meadow Lane Plat 1” located on the north side

of Meadow Lane and east of Anderson Avenue; authorizing performance

contracts (Case No. 216-2025).

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to Amber and Mark

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

11 S. Heather Lane; providing a severability clause (Case No. 274-2025).

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to Black Dog Enterprise,

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

1501 Paris Road; providing a severability clause (Case No. 277-2025).

Granting the issuance of a conditional use permit to Matthew and Michaela

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

103 Parkview Drive; providing a severability clause (Case No. 280-2025).

B261-25

B262-25

Accepting a conveyance for temporary construction purposes; directing the

City Clerk to have the conveyance recorded.

Authorizing an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for

installation of a habitat improvement project in a stormwater basin located

on City-owned property at 515 Hickman Avenue.

B263-25

B264-25

Authorizing and ratifying application to the Missouri Department of Health

and Senior Services for the Missouri Substance Use Disorder Grant

Program; authorizing a grant agreement with the Missouri Department of

Health and Senior Services for preventing adverse childhood experiences

(ACEs) for families impacted by substance use program services.

Amending the FY 2026 Annual Budget by appropriating funds in the

amount of $50,000 associated with the Eighth Street and Cherry Street

municipal parking structure stairwell tower painting project.

X. REPORTS

REP49-25

Business Loop Community Improvement District (CID) - Membership

Change Due to a Resignation.

Mayor Buffaloe recommended that Renee Hall be appointed to the Business Loop CID

Board of Directors to the term ending April 19, 2027, and asked if there was any objection

by the Council. No one objected.

REP50-25

Office of Violence Prevention Strategic Plan Update.

Violence Prevention Administrator D’Markus Thomas-Brown provided a staff report, and

he and City Manager De’Carlon Seewood responded to Council questions and

comments.

XI. GENERAL COMMENTS BY PUBLIC, COUNCIL AND STAFF

Dani Perez, a First Ward resident, quoted Trevor Noah regarding how crime succeeded

because it cared, explained that crime did not pay when the government invested in its

community and engaged with its people, stated brute force and harsh laws were not

working, reiterated investments were needed via funding in programs, internships, and

businesses that could provide opportunities and advancements and in infrastructure for

more reliable and livable streets, and pointed out crime filled the gaps not covered by the

government.

Devin Battle, a native of St. Louis who had come to Columbia about seven years ago,

believed the killings were a result of a deeper issue, i.e., trauma, which needed to be

resolved if they did not want this to be the norm, and suggested they address the mental

aspects via mental health services.

Traci Wilson-Kleekamp explained some of her daughter’s classmates had died from drug

overdoses, suicides, or by guns, felt the root causes were social and environmental due

to urban renewal and choosing not to invest in certain places and spaces, believed young

people were shooting and killing each other due to the lack of hope, suggested they read

A Peculiar Indifference: The Neglected Toll of Violence on Black America by Elliott

Currie as it discussed what happened with the lack of investment in people, and

recommended the City develop practices of putting people first, include measurable goals

and actions that aligned with DEI and intervened in violence within the strategic plan, and

work on a deeper understanding of equity to help in those efforts.

Ken Rice, a Second Ward resident, stated he would like to see the Mayor, City Manager,

and Police Chief come together and be in front of issues, noted he did not feel a task

force was necessary, explained a 2014 task force had provided recommendations, many

of which were actionable, and suggested getting the community together to move forward

with actionable items.

Steve Spellman, 2312 Katy Lane, commented that he was unclear as to the work within

the Office of Violence Prevention, but was deeply impressed with D’Markus

Thomas-Brown in terms of his character and experience, and stated he was looking

forward to actionable items and explanations without acronyms.

Kristin Bowen, a Fourth Ward resident, stated she was grateful to hear about the Office of

Violence Prevention as it was powerful to learn about the work being done to connect the

community in its early days, noted that Missouri had one of the highest rates of gun

violence in the country as well as some of the weakest gun laws in the country, and

thanked the City for its time and effort in establishing legislative priorities as it was

important to be at the table and to be in the conversation since many extremist lobbyists

and lawmakers did not have the interests and values of Columbia in mind when

attempting to further weaken gun laws.

Paul Lehmann, an organic farmer and environmentalist, expressed concern with herbicide

damage at Stephens Lake Park, provided photos of the damage at the Park, explained he

was a victim of herbicide drift from his neighbor who had sprayed GMO soybeans, killing

his clover crop and garden, described the damage to a tree on his property, which was

the same damage occurring at Stephens Lake Park, and asked the Council for local

control measures as this could be mitigated.

Eugene Elkin, 3406 Range Line Street, suggested businesses close at midnight,

wondered if the lights needed to be brightened earlier than mentioned, recommended

better education for those carrying guns, and asked that officers deal with the public in a

proper manner as he was hearing many reports of them mishandling the homeless.

Demetria Stephens, a Third Ward resident, felt the Office of Violence Prevention was

necessary, believed the City needed to lead, not the University, agreed many of the

issues were related to mental health, which needed to be addressed, even before jobs

and homelessness, because until the root of the problem was fixed, they would continue

to have issues, and stated everyone needed to be held responsible and accountable as

well.

Ronecia Duke, a Fifth Ward resident, explained Aiyanna Williams was someone she

knew and someone that reminded her of herself, believed the sense of urgency had been

here, did not feel there was time to deliberate, suggested additional staffing in the Office

of Violence Prevention as well as crisis interventions, recommended a full assessment of

all of the citizens of Columbia to determine what everyone really wanted as there were a

variety of opinions with none aligning, implored the City to start by engaging with the

most vulnerable youth, urged for more funding and support in this realm, detested the

actions displayed this past Saturday, and appreciated the council members who spoke

out and did not give their presence.

Harry Castilow, a Fifth Ward resident representing Mid-Missouri Peaceworks, expressed

concerns with comments of MU President Mun Choi after the tragic death of Aiyanna

Williams despite the lack of information and the family not wanting her murder to drive

political agendas, pointed out the suggestions of

loitering ordinance, clearing

encampments, and enacting youth curfew would not address the problem of gun

violence, explained the accused shooter felt ganged upon and fired warning shots blindly,

wounding two people and killing one person, of which none were involved in the incident,

and noted President Choi’s alarmist comments did not address Missouri being a State

where one could carry a concealed weapon, which was not surprising from someone that

did not pay many a livable wage, stopped providing medical life-saving care for the trans

community, and sent emails to chill the speech of employees and student.

Sebastian Montgomery,

a student at Mizzou, stated the comments of President and

Chancellor Mun Choi did not reflect the views of the student body at Mizzou as they did

not want anti-loitering, anti-panhandling, or curfew ordinances as that would lead to the

harassment of unhoused people and others, believed the items discussed previously with

the Office of Violence Prevention would make things better, did not feel anyone should

give President Choi credit for starting them on a path toward violence prevention as the

City had been working on the issue for a while, expressed disappointment on President

Choi’s use of this tragic killing to push his political rhetoric and characterize Columbia as

unsafe as he lived in the downtown and did not feel unsafe, and hoped the City continued

on the path of addressing the root cause of violence.

Les Gray, a First Ward resident, commented that she had so much grief, stated she was

grateful that the Council was trying to do right by people by treating people like they

belonged to each other in a way that was not about ownership or discipline, indicated she

wanted to tell her students, particularly her black female students, that they were worth

protecting, and hoped the Council could sustain itself through this moment and the harder

moments yet to come.

The Council and staff discussed various topics to include asking the staff and the

Planning and Zoning Commission to revisit ADUs in terms of the recommendations of

Adrienne Stolwyk, the mourning of the tragic death of Aiyanna Williams, who was a

Columbia native and a beacon of light in the community, the fact the public conversation

had turned to homelessness and property crime in the wake of that tragedy, worrying

about the politicization in the wake of tragedy as it did more harm to communities already

affected by gun violence, sharing frustration with the delay in action associated with

community violence, the actions already taken, including the added staffing downtown,

assistance from the Missouri Highway Patrol, officers on the street interacting with

people, which was moving them toward community policing, discussion regarding the

addition of a downtown unit, proactive enforcement, which helped diffuse situations before

they occurred, crime prevention through environmental design, which involved lighting and

traffic flow, and the discouragement of groups forming after the bars closed along with

continuing to invest in violence prevention methods of strengthening mental health,

trauma informed care, community engagement, youth programs as diversions as well as

the societal factors that led to violence, such as workforce training, job programs,

improved housing, affordable housing, etc., suggesting they ask the legislators to expand

the 988 Mobile Crisis Response Team which had recently been integrated with dispatch

as that team could effectively respond to some calls that might not be prioritized by

police when it was not a police matter, such as a mental health crisis, discussing a

Block by Block program, which could put eyes on the ground and help people feel more

comfortable, acknowledging the start of the newest civic academy, which helped more

residents become educated and engaged with the community, United Airlines being back

at the Columbia Regional Airport, PrideFest and the Pride Parade celebrating 25 years

along with the support and acceptance provided by the community to the LGBTQ

community, the acknowledgement of the death of Sergeant Scott Heimann in the line of

duty in Hays, Kansas, by Council Member Elwood as she had known him and his family,

the fact issues, such as gun violence, the unhoused population, and traffic and pedestrian

safety, were not caused by each other and could not be fixed with the same solutions,

the need to be specific about solutions in terms of what they were trying to address and

how they intended to fix it, a suggestion to utilize local experts who could employ best

practices and build on the successes of others in the community, some of which had

been mentioned during the presentation regarding the Office of Violence Prevention earlier

tonight, the fact solutions did not always mean the doubling or tripling of the police

footprint as it could mean creating and changing policies, adding street lamps in certain

locations, offering social services, having hard conversations with neighbors, etc., the fact

public safety had been the priority of the community and the City Council for many years

now, the need to take a wholistic approach and recognizing the work already in progress,

such as trauma informed community education, the homeless outreach team, summer

camps, the C.A.R.E. program, which offered youth and young adults an opportunity to

make safe and healthy choices, the community support docket, complete street policies,

etc., encouraging the public to follow City social media sites, sign up to receive press

releases, talk to council members, or volunteer with the City or local organizations to

learn about things being done by the City and to provide support, requesting an update

regarding the recommendations of the Mayor’s Task Force on Community Violence in

terms of the items that were implemented, had barriers to implementation, etc., the

understanding that freedom of speech was a cherished right but did not mean there was

freedom of consequences to that speech, the fact the consequences were being felt most

by children as they were watching, learning, and absorbing how adults were handling

conflict, which oftentimes included name calling, superficial insults, and rhetoric that

edged toward violence, the fact words were no longer only words as they lingered and

were often weaponized long after they were stated or typed, the need for all citizens to

carry the responsibility to not only condemn acts of physical community violence but also

to reject language, behaviors, and actions that fueled and incited that violence by calling

it out or not allowing it, acknowledging that grief expressed itself in many ways, i.e.,

sorrow, despair, anger, and fear, and those who were scared often acted in survival mode,

urging the community to resist the pull to act on fear in ways that displaced or projected

anger onto the wrong targets as it belonged squarely with those who chose to commit

crimes harming citizens because, by directing anger onto helpers or those working to

solve problems to keep the community safe, there was a risk of losing them and creating

more danger, not asking everyone to agree with everything elected and appointed leaders

said or did, but to step away from the divisive rhetoric and instead have hard

conversations without finger pointing and personal attacks, provide feedback, offer

suggestions, allow children to learn how to disagree without destruction, hold each other

accountable without tearing each other down, and turn grief into progress instead of

division, understanding power was responsibility in the mind of former New Zealand Prime

Minister Jacinda Ardern, which was a shared perspective of Council Member Foster, the

belief that if a leader, elected or otherwise, saw their position as a place of enforceable

power, that person was more likely to act out of that power and in service to their own

self-interest or for the sake of power alone, but if that leader saw that role as being

entrusted with the responsibility to act in the best interest of constituents and the

community, the person was less likely to act impulsively or strategically in an exercise of

power over others, acknowledging that responsible leaders must make a commitment to

maintain trust and act in good faith by being honest in their assessments, as informed as

possible, and being a willing partner in finding and moving forward toward progress and

solutions, recognizing that they were not alone as it was reasonable to look at the

experts for input, understanding that if and when trust was broken, it was imperative for

each person involved to seek repair, which would likely require an additional level of

outreach, honesty, compassion, and the calling on each of them to recommit for the

common good of the community by acting in good faith, maintaining honest relationships,

and being responsible leaders in difficult times, Mayor Buffaloe thanking her fellow council

members for checking on her over the past week, thanking staff for keeping her informed

with regard to their work, stating appreciation for Police Chief Jill Schlude and her staff for

their patience in explaining what they were working on and making data informed

decisions even when people were trying to tell them how to do their jobs, and for Violence

Prevention Administrator D’Markus Thomas-Brown for his passion and work, having the

opportunity to learn best practices from Columbia, South Carolina, during a Chamber of

Commerce Leadership Visit in terms of the planning and resourcing accordingly with

growth, having homeless outreach employees connecting people with services, having the

services for people to connect with, and the importance of explaining the impact of funds,

especially during a time in which funding was being cut at the state and federal level, the

fact Mayor Buffaloe had been asked by University of Missouri President Mun Choi to

create a task force, acknowledging that property owners, business owners, staff, and

experts were already working together on issues, the need to communicate that work,

understanding the missing voice was that of university-aged students, considering a

collegiate council similar to one in Columbia, South Carolina, thanking the Council for

recognizing the work of staff behind the scenes, which included the start of their own

academy to help recruit, hire, and retain police officers, investments in technology to

support police officers, creating an Office of Violence Prevention, and having a homeless

outreach team and divert program as examples.

XII. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned without objection at 11:12 p.m.