City of Columbia, Missouri  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
City Council  
Old Kinderhook Hotel  
678 Old Kinderhook Dr.  
Camdenton, MO. 65020  
Thursday, May 15, 2025  
10:00 AM  
Council Retreat  
I. BREAKFAST AND NETWORKING (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.)  
II. CALL TO ORDER (10:00 a.m.)  
The meeting was called to order at approximately 10:00 a.m.  
6 - Buffaloe, Foster, Waterman, Peters, Carroll, and Sample  
1 - Meyer  
Present:  
Absent:  
III. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS  
The retreat began with Mayor Buffaloe welcoming attendees and thanking staff. She  
encouraged the group to take advantage of the time to be able to disconnect from the  
day-to-day and to reconnect with each other. She then introduced the facilitator, who  
reviewed the agenda and meeting norms. Next, members of the City Council and staff  
introduced themselves by sharing their expectations for the retreat and something they  
are excited about. Common themes included learning from one another and strengthening  
relationships.  
IV. DAY 1 TENTATIVE TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:  
Setting the Stage  
Council members were asked to come prepared to share “what they believe” about the  
future of Columbia. This exercise is loosely based on the “This I Believe” essay format  
initiated by Edward R. Morrow on National Public Radio in the 1950s.  
Future of Columbia Discussion  
After the elected officials shared their beliefs, staff reflected upon themes they heard,  
including optimism, a spirit of collaboration, and a shared commitment to Columbia’s  
success. The facilitator encouraged the group to continually reflect upon their shared  
experiences as they move forward.  
Communicating Together  
The group then spent time in small groups discussing the following prompts: 1. What is  
your preferred mode of communication? Is it different when you give information vs. when  
you receive information? 2. What does the Council need from staff to be effective? 3.  
What does staff need from Council to be effective? Discussion Preferred modes of  
communication vary depending on urgency and topic. For more sensitive topics, a  
number of participants prefer verbal communication, which can help avoid  
misinterpretation of tone in written documents. A few staff noted that follow-up emails  
after phone calls are useful, particularly if the conversation was about data. They also  
discussed challenges of navigating an ever-evolving media landscape, and the need to  
constantly battle misinformation from social media. When discussing what Council and  
staff need from each other, the group agreed on the principles of 1) assume good intent,  
and 2) no surprises. Informal “heads ups,” even when passing each other in the hallway,  
can be very valuable and minimize surprises. Council members noted they appreciate  
when staff is direct with them. They also noted that, even if they have already asked staff  
a question and have the answer, they may sometimes repeat the questions on the dais in  
the interest of transparency to the public. Some Council members prefer short,  
bullet-point summaries at the beginning of Council memos summarizing main points.  
Staff offered to serve as advisors and help prepare members of Council for interviews. The  
group highlighted that both Council and staff are on the same team.  
Over lunch, the group then discussed their norms for communication; originally  
established in 2023 and revised in December 2024, shown below:  
• Agenda items should be sent to the City Clerk by noon on Mondays (if pulling off  
Consent). Responding to fellow Council members should take place within a day  
• If all Council members are copied on an email regarding a specific ward, whoever  
replies will copy only the Mayor so she’s aware that someone has responded  
• If emails are received regarding citywide issues, the Mayor will respond but others  
may respond if they have the capacity  
• The Mayor is open to meeting on a regular basis with Council members if they ask  
• Requests for memos and FYI reports (i.e., two pages) are reasonable to ask for, but  
larger, more in-depth requests should be brought up under Other Business and the  
majority of Council members will need to agree that it’s worth spending the staff hours on  
to produce  
• Use the “Council Inquiry” email to make requests for Department Directors. Council  
members may call department heads directly to ask specific “quick” questions.  
The group discussed the challenges presented by the Monday noon deadline, especially  
regarding answering Council questions. Some Council members noted they would be fine  
with answers to questions as they are available; others prefer to receive one  
communication with consolidated information. The group agreed that moving forward,  
questions would be organized by agenda item, not by Council member. City Manager  
De’Carlon Seewood added that the department directors work to answer questions using  
a Google Doc, and once the questions are answered and organized by agenda item, staff  
will share a PDF version with Council. Council members will also highlight which  
questions are most pressing. Council will continue to be mindful of staff’s time and  
resources, and staff will be transparent about the time and resources required to address  
some requests. The group also discussed the Council Inquiry email system, which goes  
to the City Manager’s office. Seewood mentioned that the organization is exploring  
alternatives to SeeClickFix.  
Governing Together  
In December, the Council discussed stipends for elected officials to make the role more  
accessible, as well as examining possibilities for changing the dates and/or times of  
Council meetings. Budget Analyst Lekel Lyons and Management Fellow Peyton Oliver  
have since conducted research on these topics, looking at the practices of 24 peer cities.  
Stipends  
The average Council salary of Columbia’s peers was $15,003; the average mayoral salary  
was $25,693. The City of Fort Collins, Colorado had the highest paid elected officials, at  
$41,600 for Council members and $62,400 for the Mayor. Fort Collins’ current  
compensation was passed by a ballot initiative in 2022. The City of Boulder, Colorado  
passed a ballot initiative that raised council salaries to 40% of Area Median Income (AMI)  
and 50% for the Mayor; this change will take effect December 2026. Two cities (College  
Station, Texas and Springfield, Missouri) do not offer any stipends or salaries for Council  
members; these were not included in the calculated averages.  
The Council decided to table this item until a later date, especially in consideration of  
potential budget cuts across the organization, and so that they may have more time to  
digest the research.  
Meeting Dates, Times, and Public Comment  
Staff then presented research on peer cities’ meeting times, dates, and structure -  
especially as it relates to public comment. Most cities begin their meetings between 6:00  
and 7:00pm. Most also do not allow for comment on Old or New Business. Five cities  
have virtual meetings but do not allow for public comments virtually. A few cities have  
different models for public comment, including a set 30- or 60-minute period at the  
beginning of meetings to allow for public comment on any agenda item; after that period,  
public comment is closed and the rest of the meeting proceeds. The Council will consider  
piloting off-week Monday work sessions starting in September or October. If piloted, the  
Council will discuss how the meetings are working during their December check-in  
meeting. Next, the Council discussed their meeting dates. After some discussion, the  
group acknowledged the problem they are trying to solve is a short period of time  
between agenda publication and meetings themselves. There are pros and cons to  
changing the meeting dates; some worry that this will not solve the root problem. Some  
members of Council expressed interest in moving Council meetings to Tuesdays but  
there was no consensus. The idea of off-week Monday work sessions may help relieve  
some time pressures related to reports and resolutions.  
Council Budget  
Next, City Clerk Sheela Amin provided a brief presentation on the Council budget for  
FY26 and asked for Council guidance on three items.  
As the organization is facing budget reductions, the Council noted it would be prudent of  
them to reduce their own budget, especially because the community engagement and  
newsletters line item was underutilized last budget year. The Council discussed ways to  
supplement community engagement, and highlighted Let’s Talk Local as a successful  
program. Mayor Buffaloe also noted it will be important for Department Heads to be direct  
about clarifying “wants” vs. “needs” with upcoming budget requests.  
The group discussed internal (ex: onboarding) versus external (ex: national conferences)  
training for the City’s boards and commissions. Amin shared a spreadsheet that  
contained line item budget requests from the boards and commissions, which the Council  
will review following the retreat. The Council will provide policy guidance to staff on how to  
prioritize board and commission training at a later date.  
Speed Dating with Department Directors  
For the rest of the afternoon, members of Council rotated among different groups of  
department directors for a “speed dating” exercise, in which staff briefly shared their  
departments’ current challenges and initiatives. Following the exercise, Mayor Buffaloe  
captured a few high-level themes from the activity:  
• Staff tries to be thoughtful in determining the best way to bring items to Council, and  
it will be important to develop consistent processes across departments.  
• Most departments are concerned about staffing and budget impacts.  
• Departments discussed the need for consistent onboarding and training, including  
crossdepartmental training.  
• Directors also discussed how to best continue to support the community, especially  
given local and federal budget cuts. Other Council members noted that hearing all of the  
needs of the organization and community was impactful. They highlighted their  
determination and trust in staff to forge ahead.  
Closing - Six Word Slam - Again  
As Day One wrapped, each member of staff reflected on the day. Their parting thoughts,  
a mix of short phrases and complete observations, are captured below:  
• Inspirational positivity  
• We are resilient people and passionate  
• Shared vision for community  
• Collaboration and partnership  
• We have lots of work to do  
• It’s clear that we all care about doing our best job for the community, and we should  
remember we all shared that good intent  
• We have a shared vision, and also share our burdens. Nobody is alone. We can  
celebrate success together and help each other.  
• This is a great way to build trust and get to know one another as people  
• Partnership and pragmatism  
• The day re-affirmed that we support one another and are stronger together; I know  
my colleagues have my back  
• Today was a glimmer of hope because we are a group of people who can bring  
meaningful solutions to people who are hurting  
• I now have a deeper appreciation for the mass of information Council needs to  
consume regularly  
• I appreciate our ability to talk about challenges  
• Mix of optimism and nervousness about future  
• “Speed dating” reinforced our need to be innovative and agile  
• Spending time with departments you may not regularly work with was great and  
beneficial  
• Amidst a barrage of uncertainty and change, I have felt lately more disconnected as  
a member of this group. But the longer I sat here, I was reminded we have the people in  
this room to do this job. It changed my perspective today.  
• I realize how well we “gel” as team  
• Today reinforced that we have so many good project ideas, but not nearly enough  
resources to do them all. We need Council’s help prioritizing across the organization.  
• Feeling encouraged and inspired by passion of each individual for what they do,  
despite challenges  
• Collaboration with different departments  
• We are finding a way forward together  
City Manager De’Carlon Seewood closed the day by highlighting that everyone agrees on  
a vision for Columbia to grow and be successful, expressing appreciation for the  
conversations that took place.  
V. DINNER AND NETWORKING  
VI. DAY 2 TENTATIVE TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:  
Setting the Stage  
Community Summit Report & Strategic Plan  
Attachments: 2025 Community Summit Report  
Strategic Plan Flyer  
Next Steps  
Closing Remarks  
VII ANY OTHER ITEM COUNCIL MAY WISH TO DISCUSS  
None.  
VIII ADJOURNMENT  
The meeting adjourned at approximately 4:00 p.m.