City of Columbia, Missouri

Meeting Minutes

City Council

Old Kinderhook Hotel

678 Old Kinderhook Dr.

Camdenton, MO. 65020

Friday, May 27, 2022

8:00 AM

Retreat - Day 2 of 2

I. BREAKFAST & NETWORKING (8:00-9:00 a.m.)

II. CALL TO ORDER

III. DISCUSSION OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:

Tentative Day 1 Topics

Overview of Council Meeting Rules

Ideal Outcomes and/or "Parking Lot Issues"

Highs and Lows Exercise

Council Members Sharing About Their Ward

Connections Exercise

I-OPT Assessment and Small Group Discussions

Equity Definition

Takeaways, Wrap Up and Other Items Council May Wish To Discuss

Tentative Day 2 Topics

H.A.R.D. Questions

Council and Staff discussed some hard questions in relation to what priorities would be

considered most important/urgent and others that weren’t as urgent.

Communication and Decision-Making

Council and Staff discussed the importance of communication, how this can eliminate

unnecessary confusion and help staff and Council move forward while accomplishing

goals.

Top 3 Big Upcoming Items

The participants were asked to discuss what they believed should be the top priorities for

the city going forward. This exercise was designed to help participants to think about

what the most important things to begin focusing on in order to become the kind of city

that they envision Columbia becoming. Below is a consolidated list of the priorities that

emerged from this exercise.

1. Attract and Retain Excellent Employees

2. Build trust with the community

3. Achieve Equity (By doing such things as addressing affordable housing/homelessness,

mental health needs, and enhancing public safety for all residents)

4. Improve Communication

5. Improve Infrastructure

6. Facilitate Economic Development that will provide resources to provide excellent

services for all

5 Bold Steps toward Columbia's Future

The participants were divided into small groups to discuss ideas and topics the city might

accomplish over the next 20-25 years. Council Members and Staff were encouraged to

have fun and dream big with their ideas. Some of the key items that were common from

all the groups are listed below:

Desire for the prosperity and expansion of the airport

Desire to attain stable housing for all residents

Desire for the City of Columbia to be an employer of choice

Desire for Columbia to excel in offering health services/mental health services to all

residents

Desire for Columbia to be a safe city with a low crime rate

Desire for there to be a high level of collaboration between police and citizens

Desire for Columbia to have a thriving economy with an abundance of family supporting

jobs

Desire for Columbia to be a leader in the use of renewable energy

Desire for Columbia to achieve high levels of citizen engagement from all parts of the

community

Takeaways, Wrap Up and Other Items Council May Wish To Discuss

Council and Staff discussed main takeaways from this retreat and steps to move forward

and make positive changes for the City of Columbia.

IV. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 12:00 p.m.

*NOTE: This is a 2-day event. Topics not discussed Thursday, May 26, 2022 may be discussed today,

Friday May 27, 2022.