OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Columbia City Council Meeting Summary - January 20, 2026

Video Archive — Tuesday, January 20, 2026
BodyColumbia, Missouri
SessionVideo Archive
DateTuesday, January 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 4:54:13

Transcript — Verbatim
0:10

I'm gonna call to order our Tuesday, January 20th, 2025, Columbia City Council meeting to order.

0:17

Appreciate the patience as we deal with the technical difficulties with the timer.

0:21

Just so you know, I will be using my phone so I can see what the timer says.

0:24

We'll see if it works.

0:26

All right.

0:27

Would all those who are able to please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance?

0:49

All right.

0:50

She Louis, please call roll.

0:55

Um, yes, uh, Miss Buffalo.

0:57

Here.

0:57

Miss Carroll?

0:58

Here.

0:59

Miss Elwood?

1:00

Here.

1:00

Miss Sample?

1:01

Here.

1:02

Mr.

1:02

Foster.

1:02

Here.

1:03

Mr.

1:03

Waterman.

1:04

Here.

1:04

Miss Peters.

1:05

Here.

1:06

All right.

1:07

So welcome to our second meeting of 2026.

1:10

I'm going to give a quick overview of our council agenda, especially for those of this is your first time coming.

1:16

So items and our rules for public speaking.

1:19

So items for I so first for items currently listed under the consent agenda.

1:23

Those will be kind of like page four.

1:25

Look onto that.

1:32

I will say we will have one adjustment to the consent agenda here shortly when we we change the agenda.

1:38

For items that are listed under introduction and first reading with an asterisk, they will be placed on the consent agenda at our next item unless a request to put them on to old business is requested.

1:49

Items under intro and first read that do not have an asterisk, those would automatically be under old business at the next council meeting.

1:55

And that means they would typically have a presentation and an opportunity for public comment.

2:00

Now the public have multiple opportunities to speak at city council meetings and on items on tonight's agenda.

2:06

So there's opportunities during the public hearing that we have, old business items, new business item portions of the agenda.

2:12

I do remind people to combine their remarks to the specific item that's being discussed, and I'll remind you if the comments start to veer into other conversations.

2:21

General comments on other topics are allowed at the end of the council meeting, and then you can talk about whatever you want to talk about.

2:27

Individuals are allotted three minutes with representatives of organizations requesting five minutes.

2:32

We do limit one speaker per group, but multiple speakers can talk for the three minutes.

2:37

I mean for the five-minute rule.

2:40

Respect time limits for fairness.

2:42

We do these rules so that many people, as many people as want to speak, can speak at a city council meeting.

2:47

And that I'm not keeping you here until Tuesday or Wednesday.

2:50

Sorry, today is Tuesday, until Wednesday.

3:04

And that includes on city staff.

3:07

So disruptions will be addressed with a warning and if necessary, removal and recess.

3:11

So moving on for our agenda, the first item we have is I'll make a motion to approve our January 5th, 2026 regular meeting minutes.

3:19

Do I have a second?

3:20

Second.

3:20

Second by Nick Foster.

3:22

All those in favor say aye.

3:24

Aye.

3:24

Any opposed?

3:26

All right.

3:26

And then for our adjustments to the agenda, um, Jackie, you had a request.

3:31

Yes, to pull B 1626.

3:34

All right, so the request is to pull B 1626 from consent agenda to old business.

3:39

Um then I'll also just make note all I mean do you want to make or I can make the motion?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation███████████11%
Community Engagement██████████10%
Zoning██████████10%
Transportation Safety██████████10%
Public Engagement████████8%
Affordable Housing███████7%
Public Safety██████6%
Land Use██████6%
Historic Preservation█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Columbia City Council Meeting Summary - January 20, 2026

The Columbia City Council convened on January 20, 2026, to approve regular meeting minutes, adjust the agenda to pull specific items for deeper deliberation, approve board and commission appointments, and address policy resolutions and ordinances regarding utilities, historic preservation, and development. The meeting featured extensive debate on infrastructure readiness versus development needs, resulting in the rejection of a major planned development proposal while passing several funding and administrative measures.

Consent Calendar

  • The motion to approve the January 5, 2026, regular meeting minutes was unanimously approved.

Appointments

  • Board of Adjustment: Charisa Gaines was appointed with 4 votes; William Sims received 2 votes.
  • Historic Preservation Commission: Matt Fetterly was appointed by voice vote.
  • Parking Advisory Commission: Shane Lowe was appointed by voice vote.
  • Personnel Advisory Commission: Marcus Glover was appointed as the regular member with 4 votes; Joseph Jeffries and Marcus Glover were appointed as alternates.
  • Tree Board: Jacob McMaines was appointed with 6 votes for the first vacancy; Max Miller was appointed with 4 votes for the second vacancy.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Jim Windsor: Expressed full support for expediting the transmission line project, noting that 96.2% of residential and 100% of commercial customers view reliable electric service as very important. He opposed the Chapel Hill route, stating it is more costly and difficult, and supported the Voter School route as the least cost solution.
  • Javi Mana Mugisha: Expressed full support for continued funding for "Vest West" (Vid West), stating it is critical for youth direction and that without it, he might not have found his passion. He highlighted that his client count grew from 15 to 289 after receiving access to the organization's resources.
  • Scott Holland and Kristen V.M.: Expressed opposition to the ADU on Glenwood (Bill 226), arguing that historic preservation is not a primary city focus and that the notification process for the hearing was flawed. They urged the council to revive historic neighborhood surveys.
  • Adrian Stolwick: Expressed full support for the ADU on Glenwood as a "poster family" example and a vote for infill housing.
  • Pat Fowler: Expressed opposition to the condition requiring one unit to be owner-occupied, stating that rental property is not inherently problematic and that renters deserve the same benefits as owners.
  • Brian Rogers: Expressed full support for the ADU, allowing his family to live as a multi-generational family.
  • Shane Lowe: Expressed full support for the ADU as a way to add sustainable density to historic neighborhoods.
  • Peggy Kirkpatrick, Austin Bryan, Holly McCoy, Pat Weber, Gail Halsworth, Loretta Forcey, Jack Maynor, Stephanie Bell, Michael Bryant, John Shin, Eric Thairu, Jim Walls, Shane Logan, and Diane Buffington (representing Sagemore residents): Expressed strong opposition to Bill 426 (Ashford Place), citing outdated 2017 traffic studies, excessive density calculations (7-8.5 units per acre on developable land), inadequate infrastructure, safety risks on Sagemore Drive, failure to provide the negotiated 10-acre park, and lack of developer engagement. They argued the development is landlocked and will strain existing roads without necessary infrastructure improvements.
  • Tim Crockett and Caleb Colbert (representing the applicant): Expressed full support for Bill 426, stating the project aligns with housing needs, adheres to 2010 zoning regulations, and received a recommendation for approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission. They disputed the density calculation and defended the traffic study.

Discussion Items

  • Bill 226 (ADU at 105 S Glenwood): Staff recommended approval with conditions, including a requirement that construction on the primary house begin before the ADU permit is issued and that only one unit be rented at a time. Council members noted that owner-occupancy is not a standard code requirement but a specific condition for this project. The item was approved unanimously.
  • Bill 426 (Ashford Place PD Plan): Extensive discussion focused on the discrepancy between the proposed density (3.2 units/acre gross) and the functional density on net developable acreage (approx. 7-8.5 units/acre). Council members and residents raised concerns about the 2017 traffic study being outdated, the lack of infrastructure (El Chaparral extension) for over a decade, and the safety risks on Sagemore Drive. The Mayor questioned the validity of grandfathering the project, and council members debated whether infrastructure should precede development.
  • PR 626, PR 726, PR 826: The council amended and approved resolutions regarding public comment rules (PR 626 and PR 726) and virtual participation (PR 826). Amendments included changing the comment request deadline from noon to 5:00 PM and changing the term "request" for virtual attendance to "notice" to protect council members' privacy regarding medical reasons.
  • Juneteenth Funding (Bill 1126): Staff reported on the reduced grant amount from the Missouri Division of Tourism ($26,982) compared to previous years. The council approved the appropriation and noted changes to the application process to be more equitable and include workshops for organizers.
  • Violence Prevention (Bill 1326): The council approved an appropriation of $291,280 for the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform to conduct a gun violence landscape analysis and assist in creating a strategic plan for the Office of Violence Prevention.
  • Risk Management Relocation (Bill 1626): The council discussed the relocation of the Risk Management office to the Law Office's space in the Gentry building. Public commenters raised concerns about the move from Finance being unauthorized by the Finance and Audit Committee. Council clarified the operational reasons for the move and approved the appropriation.
  • Resolution 1526 (Chariot Race): The council approved the special event agreement for the Red Bull Chariot Race, noting that participants are local, vehicles are human-powered, and safety measures including police presence and insurance requirements are in place.

Key Outcomes

  • Bill 226: Approved unanimously to allow the accessory dwelling unit with conditions.
  • Bill 426: Failed with a vote of 4 to 3. (Buffalo: No, Carroll: Yes, Elwood: No, Sample: Yes, Foster: Yes, Waterman: Yes, Peters: No).
  • PR 626, PR 726, PR 826: Approved unanimously as amended.
  • Board and Commission Appointments: All appointments approved as listed.
  • Bill 1126 (Juneteenth): Approved unanimously.
  • Bill 1326 (Violence Prevention): Approved unanimously.
  • Bill 1626 (Risk Management): Approved unanimously.
  • Resolution 1526 (Chariot Race): Approved unanimously.
  • Tabled Items: Reports 5 and 6 were tabled until the February 16, 2026, council meeting. Report 226 (Portland Loo) was information only. Report 326 (Volunteer Service) and Report 726 (Love Your Block) were presented for information. Report 826 (Finance) highlighted a 20% drop in operating cash and a decline in sales tax revenue, which will be monitored for the FY27 budget.

Meeting Transcript

I'm gonna call to order our Tuesday, January 20th, 2025, Columbia City Council meeting to order. Appreciate the patience as we deal with the technical difficulties with the timer. Just so you know, I will be using my phone so I can see what the timer says. We'll see if it works. All right. Would all those who are able to please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? All right. She Louis, please call roll. Um, yes, uh, Miss Buffalo. Here. Miss Carroll? Here. Miss Elwood? Here. Miss Sample? Here. Mr. Foster. Here. Mr. Waterman. Here. Miss Peters. Here. All right. So welcome to our second meeting of 2026. I'm going to give a quick overview of our council agenda, especially for those of this is your first time coming. So items and our rules for public speaking. So items for I so first for items currently listed under the consent agenda. Those will be kind of like page four. Look onto that. I will say we will have one adjustment to the consent agenda here shortly when we we change the agenda. For items that are listed under introduction and first reading with an asterisk, they will be placed on the consent agenda at our next item unless a request to put them on to old business is requested. Items under intro and first read that do not have an asterisk, those would automatically be under old business at the next council meeting. And that means they would typically have a presentation and an opportunity for public comment. Now the public have multiple opportunities to speak at city council meetings and on items on tonight's agenda. So there's opportunities during the public hearing that we have, old business items, new business item portions of the agenda. I do remind people to combine their remarks to the specific item that's being discussed, and I'll remind you if the comments start to veer into other conversations. General comments on other topics are allowed at the end of the council meeting, and then you can talk about whatever you want to talk about. Individuals are allotted three minutes with representatives of organizations requesting five minutes. We do limit one speaker per group, but multiple speakers can talk for the three minutes. I mean for the five-minute rule. Respect time limits for fairness. We do these rules so that many people, as many people as want to speak, can speak at a city council meeting. And that I'm not keeping you here until Tuesday or Wednesday. Sorry, today is Tuesday, until Wednesday. And that includes on city staff. So disruptions will be addressed with a warning and if necessary, removal and recess. So moving on for our agenda, the first item we have is I'll make a motion to approve our January 5th, 2026 regular meeting minutes. Do I have a second?

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