All right.

Good evening.

Go ahead and call our Monday, April 20th, 2026 regular Columbia City Council meeting to order.

I'll ask all those who are able to please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which one nation under God, indivisible liberty, and justice for all.

Sheila, we please call roll.

Miss Peters.

Here.

Miss Buffalo.

Here.

Miss Carroll.

Here.

Miss Elwood?

Here.

Miss Sample.

Mr.

Foster.

Here.

Miss Hartman.

Here.

And a welcome to our newest council member, Ms.

Hartman.

Welcome.

Good to have you here.

All right.

So just a quick overview of council agendas in case this is your first time coming to a Columbia City Council meeting or your 90th time.

And our multiple opportunities for the public to speak on city council items.

So items that are listed under consent agenda are typically adopted all at the same time, and there's not usually public comment on those unless it's been pulled from consent.

Similarly, items under introduction and first read do not have a public presentation at the council meeting, and there's no conversation on them.

Items on the intro and first read that have an asterisk are scheduled to be on consent at the next city council meeting.

Items that do not have an asterisk on intro and first read are scheduled to be on old business, which means there would be a presentation and public comment at them at the next meeting.

And then the rules for public speaking are that you can speak under public hearing, old business, new business.

Because at the end of the council meeting, you can say whatever you want to say for three minutes, as long as it's within polite company, hopefully.

I ask people to respect the timelines for fairness so that everyone has an opportunity to speak.

We want to make sure that everyone has that opportunity and that they feel welcome to speak.

And so in that light, we ask not to attack people.

We can talk about issues, not to attack our neighbors, and that includes city staff.

If there are interruptions, uh we might do a re a recess and delay, and if it escalates, um person might be asked to leave.

All right, so that's just a few of the rules on that one.

Moving on when we get to the minutes.

So I'll make a motion to approve the April 6th, 2026 regular meeting minutes.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second by Betsy Peters.

All those in favor of the minutes say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right.

Moving on for adjustments to our agenda.

Um, so uh councilmember Carroll, I think you indicated to request for R 7326 to be moved from consent to new business.

Is that the correct one?

I think so.

I think so.

I did request to move one.

Let me open it up again.

Okay.

Um, and then also um staff has requested for a bill 8126 to be withdrawn from the agenda.

All right, right.

7326.

Okay.

All right.

So I'll make a motion to approve the agenda with R 7326 being moved to new business and Bill 8126 being withdrawn from the agenda completely.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Second.

All those in favor as the agenda as amended say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right.

Moving on, we have uh no special items, but we do have some appointments to boards and commissions.

So the city have the city has multiple boards and commissions where um volunteers within the community can have their expertise and their voice heard um and help influence uh council decisions.

So this evening we have um a few vacancies on some of our boards and commissions.

We have a few appointments to make, and we have some that we will re-advertise.

And usually those are posted around Wednesday of this week.

So I encourage you to look at those as well as any additional openings that are up there.

So first is our bicycle and pedestrian commission.

We have two applicants for one vacancy.

So Sheila, we please call roll.

Miss Peters.

Anne Marie Gortmaker.

Miss Buffalo, Anne Marie Gortmaker.

Miss Carroll, Anne Marie Gortmaker, Miss Elwood, Anne Marie Gortmaker, Mr.

Foster.

Anne Marie Gortmaker.

And Miss Hartman.

Anne Marie Gorther.

Sorry.

Okay.

All right.

Uh so it looks like Anne Marie got that one.

Okay.

Um, and so we'll continue soliciting applications for the Board of Adjustment, the Building Construction Codes Commission, and the Finance Advisory and Audit Committee.

Um, and then similarly, Planning and Zoning Commission.

Um, I understand you know, we're gonna continue accepting applications through May 8th, because then we will be doing interviews for those applicants, and we would then make the appointments um at the second meeting in May because their term is not up until the end of May 31st.

That's everyone, is that all of our kind of a that was our understanding?

Okay, perfect.

All right, moving on.

Um scheduled public comment.

Members of the public can contact the city manager's office by five o'clock on the Monday prior to the city council meeting.

Um schedule public comment cannot be on items that are on the same night's agenda, but you do get five minutes rather than the three minutes later on.

Um and of note, it's been a typical practice of city council to ask for additional follow-up at the end of the council meeting if it's warranted.

This evening we have three scheduled public comments, and I'd first like to invite Trevor Harris to come forward to the podium and you'll get five minutes.

Oh, yeah, you might need to adjust it.

We had some things in here earlier.

Good evening.

My name is Trevor Harris, and I reside in Columbia's Fourth Ward at 1120 Sunset Lane here in Columbia.

I am here tonight to ask you to consider including support in your 2027 city budget for community media.

I'm asking for your ongoing support of community media for four reasons.

One, Columbia's Community Media Center, Vid West provides needed training not available elsewhere.

Back in 2019, I started a business where I record and preserve life stories.

When I learned about Vidwest, I made an appointment to see how I could make my business more successful with the addition of videography.

The volunteer studio managers at Vidwest freely offered their support, guided me through the process of renting gear that was new to me, and provided me with education.

This training prepared me well to be a videographer for hire.

Two, Vidwest offers low-cost gear rental.

This was essential when I started my business.

The studio managers guided me as I built my business, especially regarding what gear was best for my needs.

They continue to provide me with access to a wide range of gear needed to be a digital creator.

Third, Vidwest provides accessible education through low-cost classes.

Through the organization's annual contract with the Office of Cultural Affairs, Midwest offers training in a wide variety of areas.

Midwest has allowed me to share what I have learned in workshops about gathering oral histories and using digital technology to preserve family and community stories.

And fourth, Vidwest provides an opportunity to collaborate with other creatives and to find work.

Community media has introduced me to a whole echelon of local creators who work with photography, do video and audio production, and stage live performances.

Community media provides a positive outlet for creativity and is a good investment in small businesses like mine.

I want to thank the Columbia City Council's previous support for community media.

Bidwest continues to be available to serve as a critical resource, especially for me as I established my business.

Now there's over 270 paid members.

Bidwest is doing for other creatives what they did for me.

So I can only relate to you my one story, but there's 269 other stories of success thanks to Vidwest.

To sum up, I'm asking you to please consider creating a service contract for community media in our city and allocate 105,000 annually for community media.

That number is based on Vidwest's operations costs, which is $60,000 a year, and more hiring one full-time employee at $45,000 a year.

I thank you for considering my comments and thank you for your service to the City of Columbia.

Thank you, Trevor.

All right, and now I'd like to ask uh Devon McTai to come forward.

There.

Good evening, Council.

I'm Devin McTye, and I'm from the fifth ward.

I live at 2507 South Providence Road Apartment B.

And tonight I'm coming to you to talk to you about campaign finance reform.

Um I wanted to come tonight because I wanted to bring this back up because it's already been brought before council before back in May of 2025.

Um council member Jackie Sample had brought a motion forward to look into municipal campaign contribution reforms and look at what other cities are doing, like Kansas City, St.

Louis and Springfield to see what enforcement could look like here at Columbia.

Um it was passed at that meeting.

That was a meaningful step.

Um but since then there's no action that's been taken on that, and I'm coming to you tonight to ask that you bring it back up for uh for talking about.

Um the reason why I'm bringing that this back up is pretty simple.

I recently served as our campaign manager for the last city council election, and I had to spend time going through the campaign finance reports.

And when you sit with that type of data and you look at those kind of numbers, it starts looking at you differently from the from when you're on the outside looking in.

Uh what stood out to me wasn't just one number, it was just the overall scale.

We're talking about tens of thousands of dollars being spent in local races, races that are ultimately decided by only a few thousand people.

And this, and in this case, the largest single donor came from an outside pack in Chicago, based out of Chicago.

Again, I'm not trying to accuse anybody of anything or wrongdoing.

It's just about what we want to allow or what we want the system to allow and whether that system reflects the kind of local democracy we want.

Because when you step back and you look at it, it raises a pretty simple question.

Is our current system really aligned with the scale and the values of local elections?

And that's why what you guys did in May actually matters.

Um, because it wasn't about previous jumping to conclusions, or it was actually about doing the work.

Looking at the real data, comparing what other cities are doing, understanding what's actually possible under the law.

That's thoughtful, that's responsible, and that's actually what city government should be doing.

But right now, that work hasn't completed been completed or moved forward.

Um, and that's why I'm asking you to step back into that and start moving forward with that again.

I'm asking that you bring the report forward.

I'm asking that you start the conversation again, and I'm also asking that you let the public see what is available as far as options go when it comes to campaign finance.

Um I don't think you guys can solve this tonight.

I'm not expecting that.

I'm just asking that you take the next step forward and actually bringing the uh the issue back up again so that we can actually come to some type of resolve on this.

Um I just want to close by saying that people understand that you can't do this overnight.

They understand that there are legal limits, they understand that there is complexity with this issue, but what they're really looking for is effort and follow-through.

And at the end of the day, it all comes down to trust.

People want to know that they can trust that their local elections have their voice in mind, their neighbors' voice in mind, and their community in mind.

Uh, not just raise money to have money.

And so I I thank you for doing the first step, and I'm asking you to take the next step.

Thank you.

Thank you, Demon.

And next, I'd like to ask Randy Cole to come forward to speak.

Good evening.

I'm Randy Cole, CEO of the Columbia Housing Authority.

Uh, came here tonight to talk a little bit about our 70-year anniversary at the Columbia Housing Authority.

Speak a little bit to the history of the organization, but also focus in on where we're at and where we're headed.

Uh so since 1956, the Columbia Housing Authority has worked to provide affordable housing and supportive services to thousands of residents.

That work continues to evolve and grow alongside the needs of the community.

CHA is a mission-driven organization.

But more importantly, it's a public institution established and defined by city ordinance with not only a mission but a responsibility to help deliver affordable housing in this community.

That responsibility is shared across our board, our staff, our residents, and our partners.

And it calls for steady leadership and accountability.

Uh we also recognize that history uh of housing in this country, including here in Columbia, has been complex.

Our responsibility today is to keep moving that work forward, ensuring access to safe, stable housing while expanding opportunity, and doing so in a way that is grounded in community.

Where residents are not just recipients but are active participants in shaping their future.

While we recognize our history, I wanted to focus on what history looks like today.

Uh just this month in April, as we're celebrating, one of our family self-sufficiency participants is making history with the largest success and largest escrow payment program payout in the uh history of the program.

The FSS program supports residents in rebuilding credit and increasing income and also growing a savings account that they can take with them to the next step.

And in fact, we have Travana Cowans here with us tonight.

Uh and I asked her to stand to be recognized.

She graduated.

43,000 in savings due to her success.

That's awesome.

So I don't know thank you.

Thank you for being here tonight, and we appreciate you and celebrate your success.

Also tonight, we have uh Anthony Allen in the office, one of our uh CHA resident commissioners and a nice purple shirt over there.

Uh he traveled with me to DC in March and helped uh corner a HUD official uh that was very supportive and helpful in helping us get an early start on our Providence Walkway project to keep us on track with our ARPA expenditures.

So appreciate Anthony being here tonight.

But uh looking ahead, uh we have $55 million in renovations and expansion across our properties underway, uh, impacting about 165 housing units, including 43 new units, and these investments are anticipated to impact over 3,000 people over the next 25 years.

This transformative work is made possible through partnership with the city council, uh Boone County, and I also want to recognize the leadership of the City Council, the city manager, and city staff all along the way, helping with not only funding and resources, but technical assistance and support.

Uh your help has been truly transformative.

I wanted to note the progress we're making down on Park Avenue because we have clear evidence now at what's at stake.

Uh earlier this year there was a study released by Opportunity Insights, Raj Chetty that examined public housing uh revitalization that occurred back in the mid-2000s, very similar to what we're doing on Park Avenue.

They examined 260 units.

And what they found was a clear correlation that units where investments were made, each of those children that grew up in those units earn more income when they became adults.

And those long-term gains exceeded the cost of the housing investments themselves.

That speaks to the performers we do in our projects, but also with the people that are in those units.

Uh development, property management, safety, resident services, positioning us for further growth and a further ability to meet the need and impact in our community as we move forward.

Because the reality is this the demand for affordable housing continues to rise.

And as you consider the need, I would offer this to continue building on strong progress that's underway, but also think in terms of scale and impact, because the needs are very real and they continue to rise.

But we appreciate all the support all along the way, and we look forward to continuing this work together and appreciate the 70 years of partnership.

Thank you.

Thank you, Randy, and congratulations again.

All right, moving on in our agenda.

We have no public hearings this evening.

Um and the one item under old business was removed from the agenda um during the adjustment and approval agenda.

So we'll move on to our consent agenda.

So Sheila, will you please read the items under consent and call read the items under the consent agenda twice and then call roll.

Council bills 80 26, 82, 26, 83, 26, 84, 26, 85, 26, 86, 26, 87, 26, 88, 26, 89, 26, 90, 26, 91, 26, 92, 26, 93, 26, 94, 26, 95, 26, 96, 26, and resolution 69, 26, 70, 26, 71, 26, 72, 26, 74, 26, 75, 26, 76, 26, 77, 26, 78, 26, 79, 26, 80, 26, 81, 26, 82, 26, 83, 26, and 84, 26.

Bills 80, 26, 82, 26, 83, 26, 84, 26, 85, 26, 86, 26, 87, 26, 88, 26, 89, 26, 90, 26, 91, 26, 92, 26, 93, 26, 94, 26, 95, 26, 96, 26, and resolutions.

69, 26, 70, 26, 71, 26, 72, 26, 74, 26, 75, 26, 76, 26, 77, 26, 78, 26, 79, 26, 80, 26, 81, 26, 82, 26, 83, 26, and 84, 26.

Ms.

Peters.

Yes.

Ms.

Buffalo.

Yes.

Ms.

Carroll.

Yes.

Ms.

Elwood.

Yes.

Mr.

Foster.

Yes.

Ms.

Hartman.

Yes.

Thank you.

Uh moving on to new business.

We want uh one item.

Uh, Councilmember Carroll requested a poll from the consent resolution 7326.

So, Shely, would you please read the item?

Council 7326 is a resolution authorizing an agreement with Love Columbia Corp.

for the lease of city-owned property located at 200 North Garth Avenue for use as transitional housing for participants in the homeowner readiness residential program.

Do we have a staff report?

We do.

Thank you, Mayor.

Council.

Okay, so uh we're talking about the lease agreement for 200 North uh Garth Avenue.

Uh the property is at the northeast corner of Garth and Ash.

And it's a historic property that's currently owned by the city.

Uh the properties on the African American Heritage Trail.

And uh it's significant because Dr.

Leroy McAllister practiced uh dentistry there from uh the 1930s through the 1960s.

And at the time he was Columbia's only black dentist.

So Love Columbia is going to lease the property from the city.

It'll be an initial 15-year lease agreement, and they uh would be eligible up to four one-year extensions if it's uh something in their interest and ours as well.

So potentially there'd be 19 years available.

Uh so here are some pictures of the property.

Uh this is uh taken from Ash Street looking north.

Uh this one is the back side of the house looking to the west.

This is the uh kind of the side uh looking to the south.

And this is taken from Gar Street uh looking east.

And then here's a uh picture of the commemorative plaque um showing the significance of this property.

No, it's probably hard to read.

So Love Columbia intends to use the property as transitional housing, and their goal is to help uh families uh become first-time home buyers.

Uh so some of them will probably currently in an on-house situation.

Um so this is a really good uh way to uh get kind of give them some stability as they work on things to um ultimately become uh first-time home buyers.

So they're targeting uh this uh program to households that are between 65 and 80 percent of the HUD area meaning income.

So just to give you an idea, um for a family of four, that's about sixty-three thousand dollars.

And the residents receive the following services from Columbia, or Love Columbia rather, um homeownership readiness training, uh that include things like budget and and credit counseling, um financial coaching, uh savings support, um to kind of help them build up savings to uh help them uh be in a position to buy a home, um you know, maybe to help them with their earnest money and things like that.

So Love Columbia is going to be responsible for repairs and maintenance to the structure, the parking lots, sidewalks, um, you know, connecting to utilities, lawn care, uh things like that.

Uh the scope of work uh is estimated to cost 168,000, and all those improvements will be uh paid for by Love Columbia.

So um I do want to point out that city funds are not being used uh for the use repairs.

And uh just some of the highlights uh for the repairs include major uh type systems replacements, uh health, life safety issues, co-compliance, uh including roofing, foundation, windows, uh soffit fascia, gutters, uh HVAC, plumbing electrical flooring, doors and trims.

Um so uh they're gonna have a a lot of work uh uh to to get this uh in the position where um it's safe to live in and a desirable place uh to live in.

So I will be happy to answer any questions.

Yeah.

Um any questions before we open up for public comment?

Or question?

Yeah.

Bill, do we have an idea about how many bedrooms will be in this house when it's done?

I don't know the answer to that.

I'm guessing probably two, maybe three, just because of the family size they're trying to help.

Yeah, I assume it would be a single family in this.

Yeah, it'll definitely be a single family.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay, thanks.

Questions?

I don't have questions.

I have comments.

We can go to public is anyone from the public wish to speak on resolution 7326.

Mark Swiss since I had the Christian leadership conference.

Um I'm a little perturbed with this because this sets on the African American trail.

Um it sets in a historically board one, which was a black neighborhood.

And so my question would be um, what was the process on getting this information out uh to the community on who could have it, who could do what they want with it as far as Love Columbia?

And and and don't get me wrong, I respect the work that Love Columbia does, um, but I I I just think that we have other organizations here um who could utilize that property as well too, if they were afforded the opportunity to do that.

Um I don't think no other organization that I heard, maybe they was, I don't know, uh, that was afforded to take over this property.

Um if it is to be taken over and used as transitional housing, we're we're replacing a house with a plaque.

That that doesn't make any sense to me.

Um and uh see you look at me silly when I say that, but there's a there's an African American trail plaque that's already there, right?

And so if you give it over to Love Columbia, is that historically, how does that tie into the neighborhood?

How does that tie into the community?

How does that tie into historically what that was?

And so to me, it looks as if we're taking the house, but we'll give you a plaque to commemorate what's here.

I don't think that's right.

And so I think that the process needs to be open up to the public.

The process need to be open up to all the other organizations to be maybe to have the opportunity to do it, and if they don't end up with it, that's fine.

At least they have the opportunity to take it.

So that that's my public comment.

Thank you.

Thank you, Marcus.

Would anyone else from the public wish to speak on resolution 7326?

Tracy Wilson Cleekamp, Race Matters Friends.

So a while back I asked about an inventory of housing stock.

And the reason why I asked if we had an inventory of housing stock, if we have such a document, we can look at vacant property, rental property, and we could actually do some planning with it.

And it seems like some of these things that are happening are a piecemeal, and I don't see how they're all connected together.

And if if we're gonna make smart decisions about affordable housing, we can take this as an example.

Shouldn't we have these in a plan that everybody can follow along and we know what's coming up and why we're replacing it and what's on the table and what kind of monies are available, but these are just coming up like one at a time, it feels like out of nowhere.

Um it's happening in the central city, and this seems to be a pattern.

It's like um we are doing a a different kind of urban renewal, but it's a little trickier.

You gotta be in the back room to know that uh that property is coming up next.

So um I'm I'm gonna again say that I think having an inventory of our housing stock, which includes our rental housing and the characteristics of that housing, how old it is, does it have a basement, does it have um central air, does it have what what what things does it have, what kind of condition it is.

And so when we are asking people to come do affordable housing, we can say, here's all the housing we have.

These are the places where we need the work done.

This is this is we've done homework, this is how much much we think we can spend here.

And these are all of our partners that are willing to help us do this.

Um because I really don't want to have an argument about, and I'm not discounting what what Rev Richardson said.

I'm saying that when we get in a situation where it's about the plaque and then we're still getting rid of the property to somebody that we didn't know that was happening about, there's something really wrong with the process.

It's basically signaling to people who have long lived in a neglected neighborhood where this happens all the time, that we haven't changed our ways.

We're actually we're gonna double down and we're gonna keep on doing this.

And unless you, you know, rise up and get a thousand people, you know.

Of course, it's Central City.

We have a lot of working class uh neighbors there.

Um and the city hasn't worked on building a new neighborhood association there, building those relationships, although they already have done an awesome job trying to rebuild what hasn't been there.

This really is a case of what doing an equity looks like.

So if we're gonna practice equity, let's start with the process.

Let's start with a strategy, and let's talk with who's at the table when we start having these conversations and who's not, and let's come up with a plan that produces an equitable outcome.

This I don't know how anybody wins on this, but Love Columbia and I respect them, but I don't respect what this is doing in the face of what history has shown us and is still there for us to see.

Would anyone else from the public wish to speak on resolution 7326?

Seeing none, we'll go to council comments, council questions as well can be all mixed together.

Yeah, Valerie.

We'll make some comments and questions.

Um I could ask Mike a question first.

Um my understanding of this item is that um the original structure will be renovated and maintained as housing, transitional housing.

With the original structure intact.

That is correct.

Yes.

Um I pulled this off the consent agenda um because I thought that it deserved to be seen by the public.

Um because this is a house on the African American heritage trail, because it's a city-owned property.

Um because for the entire time that I've been a first word um representative, people have um frequently shown interest in what's this um property, what's it being used for, what's the future of the property, and what are we going to do with it?

There's always been interest.

And I've never had the answers until recently.

Because I hadn't heard from many plans that involved keeping the original structure.

And this is a structure that is important to the first ward, to the residents here, to the history and the culture.

I think that they are I think that they are giving us a lot here and that this is a lease.

And they're putting in 168,000 for the renovation.

I can absolutely agree that the public process should have been more transparent and could have been seen more.

And as that changed, I didn't know that changes had occurred until after I found out.

That said, I'm pleased to see that there is something that provides progress and certainty with a future.

It's been a particular pain spot to see to see LeRoy McAllister's house boarded and uninhabited.

And I do look forward to renovations and to people living in and using the house.

So Shane, um this was a proper I'm like remembering that it was not a full year to go.

Was this was gifted to us and it was already in bad repair when it was gifted to the city?

Yeah.

I believe it was Compass was the previous owner.

Um they reached out to Bill's predecessor, uh Becky Thompson when she was over there asking the possibility of using it for affordable housing or something along those lines.

She reached out to me as the public works director, and I said that, you know, um when we talked about the Ash Street project some time ago, we talked about at some point in the future the need for intersection improvements there, what that would look like.

We had a a drawing.

There's structures on all four sides.

If we had that property, it would allow us to push like a future roundabout or something that direction to because there's there's just not enough room there to really do that.

Um we said that that location, it would limit the amount of new buildings that could go there.

That was the thought at that time.

Compassed and still wanted to donate that property to the city.

So from my perspective, I I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't think about that in the future, how that intersection would work.

So once we that project, that property was donated to us, I then reached out to Becky and said, would there be anybody interested that would be anybody that would be interested in the building itself?

And so that started conversations with Love Columbia.

For some time I didn't I didn't really think that was going to happen.

And so really at that stage, based on the condition of the property, um I probably would have been here tonight telling you that I'd recommend that you allow us to demo it.

Um I'd talk to Eric Hemple about the possibility of using the space for a community garden or something like that until intersection improvements were were needed and warranted.

Um so that's kind of how we got here tonight.

And so Love Columbia came in and said this is what they wanted to do.

That's why the agreement's in front of you, that's why it's structured for 15 years.

We're just starting our capital improvement sales tax.

That that the project we're talking about here isn't on that, isn't on that list.

So it'll be for some future council to decide where that's on the list and then whether you move forward.

And so this gives us an opportunity to use that property that you know as it sits today, where it wouldn't be something that I don't think the it would be difficult to project what's going to happen 20 years from now, but that'll get 20 years of use out of the existing structure.

Okay.

Thank you for that reminder of last year's conversation.

Yeah.

What year was this donated to the city by Compass?

It's about a year ago.

I can't tell you the exact date.

I remember, but now I forgot now the date.

Yeah.

Couple, I guess, questions, maybe a comment.

One is, um, and that's I guess is for Bill.

Are we getting um a housing stock or maybe it's for DeCarla and I don't know.

Are we doing any any looking at what our housing stock is in Columbia and what um city-owned property we have that we might be able to build on?

Is that in the process at all?

Can we do that?

For city-owned property, we've we've already done that analysis of exactly what properties we have.

Okay.

Most of it's not buildable.

And so we have looked and see exactly what can have what part can have housing built on it.

And so there are a few parcels, but most of it's not buildable.

Is that is that available somewhere?

I mean, is that on the city website or is that report somewhere?

I don't believe it's on the city website, but I know is a report that's gone to council a couple times.

Okay.

Uh as for the housing stock, I know Bill has done analysis or will be doing part of an analysis, and I'll let Bill told you.

Yes.

Yeah, thank you to Carlton.

Yeah, we've um we've done an analysis on uh an area about a year ago, a little over a year, um, just kind of looking at the housing stock, what's available, um, the condition of the property conditions.

And uh we're working on that now as we speak to expand it from that initial study um to cover more parts of the city.

So that's an ongoing uh project.

We probably will be finished with that um by the end of October.

Okay.

Thanks.

And then the follow-up, I mean, with this type of public comment, do you want to not do this with Love Columbia and put it back out and say to the community, this property is available for renovation, the city wants to keep it.

You know, does someone else want to put the type of investment into it that Love Columbia is willing to put into it to keep the property?

I mean, this did not go out for bid or for really public because it was like, well, who could use it?

I mean, I I agree with the original plan, but obviously from the public comment, people don't think that this is appropriate.

So do we want to change this?

That making what what would be the are you making a motion or I'm asking people's opinion.

Well, so we have legislation in front of us for this one, but your request is to um either it would be in and this would be either a Nancy or a Sheila question on process for if we're wanting to then re- you know what I mean, like bid out the work for this.

I mean, do we want to I I guess I would make a motion that we put it that we advertise it as available for so what I would say is that in that instance, what you would do is you'd vote down the the current um the current resolution to authorize the contract and then the the future guidance, the following guidance would be to um to send it out for bid.

Okay.

If that's what you want to do.

And so what you'd be saying, would they be sending out for bid would be for the purpose of either rehabilitation or but the whole thing is is really about the city is still going to maintain ownership.

So before rehabilitation and le long-term lease for the purposes of affordable housing.

So see if somebody else would like to put this type of money into this house, which I have to agree with public works every time I drive by it.

I think, oh, how long is that gonna stand?

But so I I did use the word put out for bid.

I would probably say if we were going to use a process, if you wanted to use some sort of process, it'd probably be a request for expressions of interest where somebody could come forward and say what their plan would be for investment, reinvestment in the property to lease it for a period of time, you know, what their terms proposed terms and conditions would be.

That's a fairly lengthy process, but something that could be done.

All right.

All right.

Nick and then uh Vera.

Nick.

Well, one of the things I like about this is it preserves the building.

And I'm I I drive by this building all the time and have been concerned about it for a long time.

I think Compass just used it for storage for uh for a number of years.

So it it it really is in disrepair.

I appreciate Love Columbia's willingness to do that.

I I I can see what happened here too.

The other thing is I think it is in the uh whether or not we do something differently.

This this does address a um a concern and a need that we've expressed in the city for uh transitional housing, which Love Columbia is doing a lot of and they do it in a really good way in providing the wraparound services that prepare someone for future uh homeownership, among other things.

So I I would if we're going to include that, I think the city has an interest in that kind of use of that property and could be true for others that a proposal would need to include that kind of thing.

I don't I don't know that I'd be interested in somebody saying, yeah, I'm gonna referb it and it's gonna be my summer home, you know, whatever.

Yeah, very you had a question or a comment.

I yeah, I had a very uh very similar um thoughts to Nick.

What the question means so if we if we were to vote this down and then take it, make a motion to open the process back up, whatever that process is, would Love Columbia be eligible to then submit the same plan, but to that process?

Or by us voting it down tonight, would that so I guess this is a Nancy question.

If we vote it down tonight, would that mean they would have to submit a different plan in can into consideration?

No, I think they could submit the same plan as part of that, but I think the risk we have is if they don't.

Yeah.

What if they don't?

And no one else does.

That's yeah.

Yeah.

And then I think to Nick's comment, the follow-up question of could if we open that process back up, would we be able to put a emphasis or priority on nonprofit usage, affordable housing, transitional housing.

That's my point.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm I guess I'm asking I I'd like an answer from legal that can we do that.

Yeah.

And we can do it for the intent of expressions of interest for the intent of XYZ related to affordable housing.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

And preservation of the existing structure is a piece.

Okay.

Any other conversations, questions on this one?

So I had my hand up.

Yeah.

Um, I think it's meaningful that the city does not intend to be a landlord in this, that we're looking for someone who will renovate and operate.

Um, when we ask for, we're not asking for bids, we're asking for letters of intent.

Um I think it's worthwhile to have input on this.

I think it's worthwhile for the community to see it and partake in the process.

Um I think it's a hundred and sixty-eight thousand dollar investment for a leased property, I think is a tall ask.

Yeah, and I don't know that we won't get lots of interest.

I'm just I'm just shame when you ask what could happen, what would happen.

And and I think Sheila, you looked up what was the date that this our sale or gift came to us?

Well, it was a contract for sale that came to you guys' attention as a resolution on May 5th, 2025 is when you guys approved it.

And how do we approach this kind of property sale usually?

Um as in I know that you you show the property to sustainability.

Um these get listed?

Oh, it's not property.

Yeah.

All right, Vera, you had a follow-up question.

Not a not a follow-up question, just a comment.

Um, which is I I certainly I understand the concerns that have been raised tonight.

I also think it's really important to highlight that Love Columbia is not exactly getting a sweetheart deal here.

They are agreeing to very intensive and expensive renovations for a short-term lease for a property that could still be on the on the chopping block 20 years down the line.

And so I'm not I don't I'm I'm not saying one way or the other on the decision of whether it needs to go, whether it needs to open back up, but I do just want to highlight this was uh certainly not just like a sweetheart deal that's being handed out.

This is a very thoughtful idea that's been brought to us.

And then um Valerie did you have Yeah, yeah.

What I do not want to end up with is a prolonged period of a vacant property.

Um a demoed property.

Um I want to end up with a property that clearly means something to the community and has the community's input.

Um the opportunity shared with community groups that may have an interest.

Thank you.

Nancy, can I ask you a question?

Um if we were to if this were to not pass, but then we had an expression of interest for this property to go out, um, what would be what is an because it's not a typical kind of RFP or you know, for request for service or expressions of interest, what would that timeline be like to um be open for responses to come back?

Well, I think you know, before we would issue a request for expressions of interest, we would want to to put together vision, a vision statement basically for the property and what the city would intend uh for that to look like or to for what re respondents would need to put together to be able to be responsive to requests for expressions of interest.

We don't just say it like a one, you know, please send us your your your expressions of interest.

We would want to have your vision at least identified.

So that's going to take some time.

Um I don't I don't know if that takes 30, 60 days to be able to put that together and then you'd want it out on the street for another.

I would say it would take around 30 days to put together some of the language for around the expression, and then you want to put it, you want to leave it open for at least 30 days in order to give people an opportunity to respond, maybe 60 days, depending on the complexity of what we're looking for.

And so it's not a short window.

But you know, if we want to take a step back, I mean that's I think that would be the best process.

I mean, ideally the goal is to have a structure that can be used for affordable housing in that in that period of time.

And so whether that's no 20 years and what does that look like and what's the time frame in order for someone to kind of make that response.

So your most more most aggressive time frame would probably be 90 days, the um depending on how long each of those steps takes and what happens between each delays, it's probably looking more like six months.

If I receive it, did you have you had a question or comment?

Yeah, I think uh, you know, I'm in the newest here.

So I think uh one of the things that I think uh the that I was hearing out of the comments is we we want to ensure that this doesn't happen again.

So not just addressing what is happening right now in this particular thing, but making sure that when we are looking at historical or culturally significant pieces of uh Columbia's history that the processes um being uh fair to everyone so that everyone has a voice.

Um and the other thing that I would mention is that uh while this is a big number, yes, um there are uh I think there are a lot of interested people that would be interested in helping with this issue.

And then additionally transitional housing is very important process of upward mobility, so that is um very significant.

And so we do want to look at um options for that.

And if I recall, so last year when you know, when this was like what a dollar or whatever it was for the sale gift, whatever it was that we got the property for.

I think council at the time was asking, since we didn't have a plan for it, but we didn't, you know, we knew we weren't gonna do a roundabout any day soon.

I think we did kind of ask for you to find, you know, someone to use it, if somebody could renovate it so it doesn't get demolished for this.

And I guess the lesson learned here is like we we also need to make sure we have a process in place for how we do put out that call for request.

And I appreciate I don't think there's any nefariousness on staff's part.

You went to, you know, your housing director was like, hey, who do we know that can do these things?

But I think now we kind of this idea of this public improvement process for these.

Yeah, that said, we don't own a lot of property.

Like we don't own a lot of houses that we're waiting to do something with.

And so I I'm hoping this won't be a thing that comes up to us all the time.

But it we this is not like the city's not in the habit of being the landlord, or at least my understanding.

Yeah, Betsy.

Um I would say, I mean, since I'm the one who sort of I guess kicked off part of this off of the public comment.

We are really in desperate need of transitional housing.

Um, and Love Columbia has shown an ability to to do this, and I don't think that they're colorblind in doing it.

Um I think I would be okay with this realizing as Christina says then Barbara, you know, we need to look at the process and improve it in the future, but I think we've heard that loud and clear.

Yeah.

I haven't heard any other anybody else who was interested in this.

I mean, I know I've asked for the other.

If they didn't know that it was available, that was the that was the question.

Yeah.

I guess I don't know who else.

You have a boarded up house.

If you're interested, somebody could say who owns that.

Um I had inquired about this property.

Yeah.

Um handful of times.

Um asked you what we were doing with it?

No, and I had asked, passed on the question and asked what the future is.

And the answers that I got were maybe around about in the CIP in the future.

Um we intend to show it and we don't think it's habitable, it's likely to be demoed.

Um, and I was pleased to hear that it was not to be demoed.

And I asked the same question.

I mean, I'm like, what is this house?

And the city owns it, what are we doing with it?

And I heard both the roundabout, but then I also heard, well, we're asking Left Columbia if they wanted, and I started laughing.

I will that looked so just in disrepair, but so I'm sort of impressed they're willing to do it.

I don't think I would as a landlord.

Yeah.

I cannot I the possibility of this being demoed, being one of the few remaining structures on the heritage trail.

Um does not sit well with me, and it's absolutely not okay to me.

Um we have a number of markers that were placed where the structures had already been demolished, where we're memorializing something that no longer exists.

This is one of the ones that still exists.

Um that is retaining that is my number one priority here.

Um because it's important.

Um because a plaque on an empty field doesn't say the same thing as a well-maintained property that was cared for where the history is known and honored.

Um a six-month process.

It's important to the public.

Um I don't want to prolong the time on a short lease before this can be renovated because seeing it.

Seeing it when it's not in its current condition is a point.

Um it's hard to see in the center of the first ward.

Uh Nancy, can I ask you a question?

Uh so now on the other question, let's say this passes tonight.

Um, we could still ask for request for kind of putting together what would our process be for the evaluation or or you know, I don't know how many you know, you mentioned we have had reports to us on city-owned property, properties that we own, be interesting.

The ones like, you know, I'm thinking about um uh like the Kirkland house, you know, with these conversations like and similar to McKinney, right?

These other ones that we own, what have been what is our process for that sort of going out to request?

Which we I think we've done it really well with the McKinney building.

We've been very public about our conversations and evaluations of that.

What other properties might be coming up for council so that we can be prepared on that?

Is that we we actually use that process for the first time uh with the Lamon building, you might remember.

Right, right.

And so that was one of the that was the process, and that's kind of when we when we started developing that process.

So it's it's not something that's unfamiliar to the city.

So it's something we can do and try to identify properties that could maybe be usage of which could be improved.

As well as um what administrative rule or what rule needs to be.

These are not things that normally come to the city council, but we could be made aware that are part of the city manager's administrative rules for the public process for these evaluations, knowing that this is not a common one, right?

This sort of exp this example, but just knowing that we kind of have a replicable and expected process.

Yeah, because usually when we acquire properties, we don't acquire with the intention to utilize it in a different way.

So like the Kirkland property, we require that per per purposely because of the historical significance and to we want to develop a plan before we move forward with any type of use on that property.

Right, right.

Christine, you had a follow-up.

Yeah.

Um wouldn't this work on like uh the historic the historical preservation plans like couldn't that be included into this type of process or thanks to the on this lease was to not have it added to a historical wasn't it?

Am I wrong?

I don't remember seeing that.

Good.

Never mind.

I think but the the part of the concern here about preserving it is prover preserving the property about future use uh related to the roundabout in particular, right?

There's there is that piece of it, which is part of the reason that it's a 15 year lease that I imagine would be uh you know uh completed and moved on, I mean renewed.

So that is that is part of the concern.

I mean, it is it is a 15 year lease with four year one year renewable so out possible to nineteen.

Um my sense is that Love Columbia sees that the investment is large investment, but that's a short term.

It it's short term and that they see um that they'll get the value out of that investment over that time period.

And I uh you for the use that they're in intending, I think that would be true.

Yeah.

Did you have a follow-up to that more, Christina?

Ridge you could um I think that we should be hesitant to replace um pieces of property that's on the trail with roundabouts, um, kind of going back to what Valerie was saying about um assigned in with a vacant post or next to a roundabout.

Like I understand traffic is a huge issue, um, but we also have to preserve our neighborhoods in a way that um extends our character.

I know.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, and again, like we don't have a proposal before us for a roundabout.

It's a it's a maybe in 20 years.

But but yeah, but yeah, it could be.

If I'm here in 20 years, you I don't know where I'm thinking, I guess.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Follow up and then I'm called rule.

Extraordinarily hesitant to replace this with a roundabout.

Um this came to us as a roundabout plan roughly three years ago, I think, um, and was not given a vote of approval on that plan at council.

Um it's not on the current CIP list for ballot list.

So first the list goes to ballot is voted on, then it comes back and is added.

So it's quite a far ways out.

Um I view renovation as a step in a positive direction.

All right, I'll ask no other council comments.

I'll ask uh sorry, I have we're really briefly.

No, no, please do.

Which is just to say if you if we are looking to the future and wanting to see um the structure continue to stand, it is a lot easier to make that argument when that structure is being actively used.

It is a lot easier to prevent demolition of an actively used community service structure than it is an empty structure or a structure under bid or a structure that we hope will one day be renovated.

Council comment?

Yeah.

All right.

Um Sheila, will you please call roll?

Oh, question, follow-up question.

Follow-up question.

What are we calling roll on?

The resolution that's before us.

The resolution before, which is the contract with Love Columbia for the renovations.

So we are not amending it.

We are either opening voting up or down based on Nancy's And then regardless of upper down.

I feel like we need information from the community.

I would say not to table.

I mean I think we've had this conversation, and I was the one who started to say, well, maybe we should put this out.

But as Vera points out, I mean it's better to have a house that's being used than one that is boarded up, which is what it is right now.

And I think we've heard loud and clear that we need to be more careful or we need to change the way that we do things in the future.

I think this can be used as a house.

I'm not sure that we want to have something else that's available for rent that has some historic plaques in it that we really aren't using for anything.

I mean, that's the other thing I worry about.

This is an actual use of the property.

So I would say voted up or down.

And if you decide not, you know, if we voted down, then we go back to putting it out for a bid or something like that.

And I don't think that tabling it's going to change it.

We still have to decide if we're going to make a contract with Love Columbia or not.

So the um what they had said vote up or down on the contract before us, and then regardless, also asking for the process for evaluation of city properties and you know how that making what is the process for going through for that would still be a follow-up.

So Nick and then Valerie.

So can we assume then that we're going to go ahead with that process if we vote this down?

That would be my intent.

I have next time.

I mean, but it's not included in the resolution itself.

So we just have to make it a separate motion at a later time.

I'd want to feel confident about that, I suppose.

I want to have a date that it's coming back.

We would make that motion right after this.

Right now.

Or like once the vote is done.

Correct.

Yeah.

We just can't make that motion before the vote is done.

Why can we not make that motion before the vote is done?

Nancy.

So you have to dispose of your resolution and then you would make that motion.

But practically speaking, if if if there's no contract with Love Columbia, you're either going to the city manager's going to sit there with the boarded up house, or you're going to have to go through some sort of process to do something with it.

So the direction we're going to be giving is to go through that process and also create the process as part of an administrative rule that is replicated for the next time this comes up as well.

Yeah, well, so I would also tell you that as as far as an administrative rule goes, we have this, the current authority exists in our purchasing code.

That's the authority that we currently use.

I think it's just more of that process and that understanding, because obviously while that is in our purchasing or whatever the administrative rules that you have, a process like that doesn't sound like it was followed in this property instance.

So it's kind of like just making sure that it is in future ones or this one in future ones.

Yeah.

All right.

Value, did you have anything more before I have Sheila call roll?

I'm just thinking.

You want me to start?

Yeah.

Any other comments before I have or go, or do you want to wait until you're voting?

I want to know that we're changing the process.

But I think we can do that.

I want to know what the process looks like for this.

Okay.

Well, you can read roll.

Okay.

She will you please call roll on resolution 7326.

Councilville 7326, Ms.

Peters?

Yes.

Ms.

Buffalo?

Yes.

Ms.

Carroll.

Yes.

Ms.

Elwood?

Yes.

Mr.

Foster?

Yes.

Ms.

Hartman?

No.

Okay.

So thank you.

So for moving on, um Nancy, what would be my requ our request for sort of that put together of what is going to be our, you know what I mean?

What's going to be the administrative rule?

We're making a motion to request or what what is it that um you think would most get to the intent?

Because again, administrative rules are some things that don't normally come to council, but we want to make sure that we're setting that this is our expectation.

Yeah, so we have a public improvement process.

We had a report on this a few months ago.

No, what I was saying is the disposal of property should go through a procurement process.

And so what should have happened, and it should have.

What should have happened is before we entered into an agreement with Law of Columbia, we should have put out some type of process that would allow for public input or at least public discussion on the disposal of this piece of property.

Okay.

So that was something that staff did not do.

Okay.

And so we currently have in this, I'm trying to think I'm and I'm racking my brain because we currently have in the city clo code that in order to sell or lease property, um, there are certain guidelines that you can use if it's an we can do it without using a public process if it's an adjoining property owner, or if we have somebody who's formerly leased the property, or these kind of exceptions, but bringing something to the city council ultimately is what is the contract or the and bringing contract to council is the is the ultimately the largest escape hatch that um the city has to bring an administrative action forward that maybe hasn't gone through that process.

So that we we currently have some of those rules in our city code and they're part of our purchasing code.

And when you did revise the purchasing code recently, we spelled out requests for expression of interest as an option for our purchasing agent and the city manager to use to be able to be more creative with public processes for properties.

So can I maybe ask then?

So it sounds like you know, obviously the expectation is, you know, it's a certain under a dollar amount or um the sensitivity of like it needing to be done sooner than later because of risk of demolition by neglect.

Um is there is well what sort of um safeguards could we put in there for ones that might be in a sensitive nature?

Is it a certain census tract?

Is it you know what I mean?

Like is is maybe in this might be the sort of thing that we're asking for staff to kind of come up with, you know, if and then for a council report on these are some ways that we could put these catches in place.

Does that make sense?

Yeah, I think we might need to actually brainstorm that a bit because it's not coming to me right now because I think the framework exists in the code.

It's just figuring out what other kinds of safeguards and where those might be more appropriate.

Or getting feedback from council on things that you might not know would be a sensitive nature, but obviously those in the community and the council members would.

Okay.

So are we requesting then a report to come back to us on those examples of like how those you know what I mean?

Like in I don't know, I don't know if it's like a less action after action report of this.

I don't know.

I think council just really wants to know what the process is.

Let us let us kind of bring back the process for expression of interest, and we can talk about how do we dispose of property that we're looking for.

So we can we can have that as part of a conversation.

I don't because I'm not sure exactly what would be in the report, but I think ideally I know I know where we missed the set, and so it's just bringing that back as part of the conversation.

Yeah, Nick.

Well, not simply disposal of, but use of properties.

I think that you know what we're what we're looking at is what can and this remains a question of my mind.

What properties does the city own?

What what use could those properties be put to?

And it could be that this could be the beginning of looking at other properties for that same purpose.

But I think we'd have to we'd want to express what the use, what would be the desired use of those properties before we would put out a proposal?

I kind of was referencing that a while ago, but that I think we'd want to be pretty specific about what we're looking to have happen.

And and we are looking at issues related to housing, not only transitional housing, but other you know, affordable rental housing and so forth.

Yeah, I I think you know it's I think one thing with unlike a lot of cities, we don't end up with a lot of property that are in neighborhoods that are more specific that could be utilized for housing.

Most of the time we end up with properties that are the less desirable properties or something that's used for detaining for stormwater improvements or something that is utility is utilizing.

It's very rare that we have property that can be actually utilized and turned around for housing.

We do have a couple, and but we have not moved forward with that, and I think if we with when and if we move forward, it would be a process that's extremely open and public.

So can I ask then um so then maybe our request of what we're uh what at least what I'm I I'd be interested in, I'd be interested in council's thoughts too, is if we could have something come back to us that is the evaluation, let's start first with city-owned property.

What is our current, you know, what is the current city owned property that we have that could potentially be used for either dispose we historical, but I don't want to limit to historical because sometimes if they're not within that certain year or whatever, but like the process for evaluating them for disposal or lease or you know, use what is going to be then the process for going forward with that.

And I think that might then give you some guidance on some of those ones that we have that you're we're kind of just waiting on.

And the McKinney building is included in that as well.

Like what is gonna be our process.

You came to us with a pre-council, we did it.

Those would be included on that piece.

Yeah, Valerie.

Yeah.

You mentioned property for disposal, and Nick was right to mention not necessarily disposal, but use.

Um is this is this what that is?

This is allowing someone to lease the land.

Um it's a at this moment a temporary use of the property.

Um the other thing that's come up in this discussion that I'm not sure was fully understood is the intent.

So we're declaring now that we want to have someone use this for the purpose of affordable housing.

That intent was not made clear by this body until this moment, or by any other body, to my knowledge, it was initially shown for any purpose.

Um I was relieved to find that it was used for a purpose that retained the structure.

Um and I think that's worth noting, and perhaps that you know, determining what the use is is part of what happens in a procedure that comes back to us or goes to the public.

Um but that was not a determination that was made necessarily at any stage, to my knowledge.

Yeah.

So um when you're doing kind of the follow-up on the expectations of what to come back, um, you know, I I'm hearing like evaluation of city-owned properties, what will be the process for um evaluating use lease, disposal, what uh you know, what is gonna be the process, what's gonna be the public involvement in it, right?

So this will this be an interest, like how will we do that?

And then I think to Valerie's last point, how do we put in kind of like what the intent is?

If you're the next steps, you're going out to the public to say what should we do with this property.

Is that the point where council is saying is it meeting our priorities, right?

This is for housing or safety or I think that's gonna be on a I think it's yeah, I think it'd be it would be difficult to put that just that one blanket.

Oh, yeah, not assuming a blanket.

It's kind of like how does that then, how does the intent of what council's expectations for the property use is come into play?

We can we can have that as part of the conversation.

Yeah.

Because we can let us let's put our heads together.

I think we can come up with a process that would be sound and would make sense.

Okay.

And then include in that report what are existing, like what are the existing kind of like how we do your procurement, expressions of interest, like you said, even though we just made changes to the one, the refresher on what that actually means would be helpful.

Absolutely.

Okay.

All right.

Uh moving on, Sheila, we're now on to intro and first read.

Sheila, we please read the items under introduction and first read.

All bills that are introduced by the mayor unless otherwise indicated bills 9726, 98, 26, 99, 26, 126, 101, 26, 102, 26, 103, 26, 104, 26, 105, 26, 106, 26, 107, 26, 108, 26, 109, 26, 110, 26, 11, 26, 112, 26, 11, 26, 114, 26, 115, 26, 116, 26, 117, 26, 118, 26, and 11926 first reading.

All right.

Um moving on to the report section.

Um so report 2226, this is our the downtown community improvement district or CID board of directors.

They had some membership changes due to vacancies.

And so they do an application process, uh, and then they have presented to us the suggested um appointments.

So um I would I would um they want a motion to appoint uh Glenn Laverick to the term ending February 6, 2027, and Justin Riley to the term ending February 6, 2028.

Um is there any objection uh to those two appointments?

No objection.

No objection.

Okay.

Um and then moving on, we have um next is report 2326.

This is our public transit advisory uh commissions PTAX annual report.

So I know this is informational, but Shane, I don't know if we have an update from that.

Um no formalized um presentation.

This is their second annual annual report.

Happy to attempt to answer any questions you might have.

No, I appreciate that.

We had a member from PTEC here for a second, but I don't see them there anymore.

Well, no, I just appreciate, and I'm I know we're in the process of kind of reaching out to our boards and commissions about getting more into the process of an annual report just to help make sure that we know what's going on and what they need.

So thank you, Shane.

All right, moving on.

X is report 2526.

Uh, this is the supplemental report for our Citizens Police Review Board 2025.

Um they're doing some updates to this.

I see Stephanie Brown, so I don't know if we have a staff report.

Yes, Stephanie Brown, contact center and engagement manager and uh Citizens Police Review Board staff liaison.

Um no additional information.

This is the supplementary report to the 2025 CPRB annual report as required by the ordinance.

Uh this includes the aggregated demographic data uh for complaints, citizen complaints to the police department.

Great.

Any questions for Stephanie?

Happy to answer any questions or share any information with the board.

I just want to make a question.

Yeah, Nick.

Uh I did ask about this about the of the six appeals, what were their what was their final disposition?

We received a uh response back to that.

Um was for jurisdictional review only, so the board concurred with the police chief's determination.

One, the board disagreed with the police chiefs preliminary determination and provided additional recommendations.

And on four, the board agreed with the police chiefs preliminary determination, didn't provide any additional recommendations.

So there just to add that into the record that there was um there was further disposition beyond simply being appealed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Appreciate that, Stephanie.

Thank you.

All right, and moving on uh to general comments from the public.

Would anyone from the public wish to speak?

Eugene Elkin, second ward.

Your previous discussion on uh going forward not knowing how to resolve the matter, you might back up and look at the housing that took place in front of Oak Towers right across the street there on Garth.

We have brand new homes, nice solar panels, and I believe they can live there on 99-year lease.

They only own the house.

They do not own the property.

It belongs to the city.

Something to check into.

City loans.

We have a program here in the city, and the reason I'm bringing this up is I'm comparing city and county.

Low-income persons with houses, not mobile homes, are eligible for a loan through the city.

I do not know all the criteria, but I'm saying I would like for you to at least check into this.

The county is relaxing different rules to allow the lease hindrances, hindrances to housing.

The credit union I spoke of several years ago that played a role in 1984 helping to create the United Credit Union now here on the South End of Columbia.

They have a 3.99% six-month housing loan, again, for houses only, not mobile homes.

Quick update from last week, the credit union as I spoke of one million when it started.

Two uh 100 million in 2010, 200 in 2020, and thinking it would hit 300 in 3030, it has already hit 310 million.

That is a very impressive effort that I played a role, not saying I'm not bragging I've got money or anything.

Each one of us in this world, you're sitting in a very good position to change our world.

What can you do to change the lives of those of disability, low income, and the housing is becoming an emergency, and you've heard it repeatedly here tonight as the issues go on.

What can each one of us do that can just slightly turn someone's life, get on board and get that house and feel like ownership is better than renting.

The city could increase loans to the public, increase that city revenue instead of taxation that you're looking at.

Thank you.

Thank you, Eugene.

Anyone else from the public wish to speak?

Casey Wilson, Cleek Camp Race Matters Friends.

I I don't want to belabor the issue that you just had about the lot and the house, but I'm going to.

I I don't want to belabor the issue that you just had about the law and the house, but I'm going to in college I was a public relations major, journalism school, and one of my favorite t-shirts to wear was don't just talk, communicate.

So what I heard tonight was a lot of talking, but we're still not communicating with the people that matter.

So if affordable housing is really what's driving this, it should be front-loaded.

None of this backdoor thing, well, we have creative rules, so we can practice using our purchasing creatively.

We don't have to tell you that's bull.

We shouldn't be doing that.

We shouldn't be doing that.

We shouldn't be putting a property up here when you know people in this community are concerned about what's happening in their neighborhood.

And not only are they left out of the dark, but I guess you guys didn't know what was going on either.

But then we put Love Inc.

up front, like they're putting up this 168,000 dollars.

Has anybody done a calculation on how much historical neglect has happened to the central city?

Let's put that up against that 168,000.

Now am I raising my voice?

Yeah, because it makes me mad.

Not a fair comparison, but that's the reality on the floor.

And when I say floor, I mean that's the kind of politics we're doing here.

It's the floor, it's the basement.

So basically the conversation ended up was well, we screwed up this town, we didn't have a process again.

We'll defer to Nancy.

We can fix it later.

Um and by the way, we changed the rules.

Remember.

I want to know who is working for who.

Who are we doing this for?

Because this is some bureaucratic bull.

So what I would love to see is if you really care about housing and affordable housing and transition housing, that we get our act together on who's at the table when we make these decisions in the front end, not the back end.

And in the front end, we make it a practice.

We're gonna do we're gonna have a house inventory of housing that's a map.

You don't have that.

I want an inventory of housing that's a map.

I want to see these properties that you've been looking into that are problem properties.

I want to see the properties that are vacant.

I want to see all these properties so that we're all on the same page about what we're talking about and what's going on.

And there should be a legend and there should be annotations, and we should all be on the same page about hey, if someone wants to come do some work here, well, maybe you guys should do some work over here.

I don't know.

We can't have that conversation because you're not building the infrastructure for it to have that conversation.

You did a housing study, great, do something with it.

But waving the flag and say we have an inventory and we did some analysis, unless you can put it right here in my hand or point to it on the on the on the web, we don't have it.

I'm not gonna look through 500 pages of that book to look for it.

So here's what I want transparency, but I also want equity and I want inclusion.

Who's supposed to be at the table when you have these meetings?

And if the answer is we didn't meet with them, somebody failed.

Thank you, Tracy.

So, Renee Carter, second ward.

Um as a reminder of ways that we can learn to operate better as a city.

Uh Race Matters Friends will be having another community discussion on Wednesday, April 29th at 6:30 p.m.

We'll have food at 6 p.m.

for those that are interested.

And we'll have Doug Linkart, president of the National Civic League.

Um, will be there, and he'll present an interactive presentation about the civic index, which is a self-assessment tool used by communities to measure their civic capital, the formal and informal relationships, networks, and capacities that communities should use to solve problems, make decisions, and thrive.

And I think this is an important time for us to be looking at how can we operate better?

How can we be more equitable with our community members?

And how we can include the public as a participant and not as something that we just have to deal with.

Thank you.

Thank you, Renee.

Would anyone else from the public wish to speak?

I am Davids.

So bear with me.

Between holiday and east and sunrise estates and a little subdivision called high field acres, about 50, 60 homes.

Everybody in my area is affected right now with all the road and intersection closures because of I70.

And then I found out six o'clock night that Rolling Hills Road, one of our primary ways to get to town, is gonna be an encumber to put this great big subdivision called the vintage part of it is on a floodplain.

Infrastructure hasn't been improved.

I'm really confused how you can improve it just so quick.

It makes no sense to me to add so much more traffic to roads with no shoulders.

Strictly two lane roads.

So I guess I've been following this issue the best I could check each agenda for the past 18 months or so.

And last I knew the zoning was maybe not gonna be approved because of the floodplain issue.

And now all of a sudden it's all approved.

What happened?

So two questions.

Is the council approving a development that's partly in a floodplain?

And two, will this be yet?

No, sir.

Development done before infrastructure, especially roads, are improved.

It doesn't make sense to me.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Diane.

Would anyone else from the public wish to speak?

Seeing none will come uh to the council comments.

And some of some of the questions that were raised, I think will be answered by council comments or questions for staff.

So Betsy, you are up first this evening.

Okay.

Um, I can't really quite address um the last speaker completely, but I don't think that we are probably building out a floodplain that's probably going to be a park or something that they've donated back to the city.

Um these developments take a lot of years, and you're exactly right.

We are working with the county about dealing with the road.

So fortunately for us, this won't be showing up tomorrow or in the next year, but it is certainly a concern and something we're aware of.

Um I do want to thank um the public works department and um Modot for starting to look at the lights because you're exactly right with closing of I-70 and I-70 drive southeast and whatever the heck else they're closing.

Um it's been St.

Yeah.

There's um there's a lot of interesting traffic changes that are happening.

Um I know Friday I sent off an email saying who's responsible for these traffic lights and are as anybody looking at them, which I was sure they were, and they apparently are because today when I was out there, there's still a problem with one light, but everything's not backed up, so I think we're starting to see, oh, we need a longer left-hand turn light, or we need to whatever, whatever the tr it's the traffic engineers.

But the guys know what they're doing, and I want to thank them for working on it because both that and Stadium Road and 63 North, I mean, there's just a lot of work.

Um, hopefully in the next year, um, both the traffic lights will get better, and so will the roads.

Um I did want to um I actually called the city um 874 City number today, um, expecting to hear the usual one-minute long thing about we're not utilities and we don't take bills and all the usual stuff, only to be um pleasantly surprised to discover that um that has changed.

And now when you call the 874 city number, you get um three options.

One is to actually talk to the concierge, one is to um push two and get utilities and or push three and get planning and zoning.

So I wanted to thank you all for getting that straightened out because that was certainly annoying to all of us that called the um 874 city number.

And then I had a third thing and oh yeah.

The public sales tax.

That is on first read for those who didn't really notice that it will be up for discussion in two weeks.

Please take a look at it and please let us know if there are things that are missing.

The goal is to ask the citizens for 1% sales tax increase, which is a big ask.

And that was it.

Thank you, Betsy.

There's a lot that I want to address now.

This meeting surprised me in many ways.

So it's important to me that the public sees what happens on that property.

And it's interesting to me because this is in reflection not all that different than the discussion that we had around the basketball courts.

Yeah.

And things come forward in different paths in different manners.

Yeah, I wish I had the foresight 100% of the time to catch that.

And also that it's not part of a planned improvement, so we didn't have the same opportunities for input.

Yeah.

I'm hopeful.

I'm glad that the property will be retained.

There were questions about the flood zone and the development of vantage.

This is there are two one and a half buildings in the one percent flood plane.

It received an 8.0 vote at planning and zoning.

I have questions about our policies surrounding development in 1% floodplain.

What I can say is that that building would be permitted the building within the floodplain would be permitted regardless of whether it had been rezoned or not rezoned.

And it was allowable in if it had been straight zoned, it would still be allowable.

And since that vote couldn't change the outcome, I I didn't ask to have it off of the consent agenda for that one.

But I still look forward to discussions on floodplain and on policies regarding fill and build.

And this property involved easements for road improvements as well as parks and trails.

And the traffic analysis seemed to indicate that it could handle the amount of traffic from the current development.

So thanks for attending.

Highly researching the items that are in front of us so that then when we receive public comment, the research and the data and the facts that I know can be informed by that, and I can make my decision.

But sometimes that research is flawed, sometimes there are holes, sometimes there is something big that is brought forward to us through public comment, and we end up with minutes or mere seconds to suddenly decide what our vote is going to be and come up with the correct decision.

I feel like I have been repeating myself on this quite a lot, but I am very excited for the upcoming council retreat where we will be talking about the structure of council meetings and where we'll be talking about the possibility of receiving public comment on first read.

So that and in my mind, this along with the basketball courts at Douglas Park are two fabulous examples of moments where if we had received this public comment, um we could have had more time to reflect on it, more time to gather information, more time to see what our possibilities and our alternatives were.

So I know that I will go into our retreat with this on my mind.

Yeah, Nick.

That's you.

But we're human beings and we're fallible.

And I think it's important to keep that in mind that each of us is carrying our own burdens, and I think that that the vision for what we want in the city though is pretty clear.

And if we continue to move in that direction, we'll make some progress and it'll be better.

But when someone else is taking their oath, it's good for us to remember our own and recommit ourselves to those oaths.

Christina.

Thank you everyone for being here tonight.

Um I just want to say that it's really great to see how many people are here tonight and to keep asking everyone to keep showing up to put in public comment to show up at board meetings or commission meetings and to really understand the issues that are happening.

Um that's the best way to stay informed.

Um is definitely taught me a lot.

Um in regards to the um vote we took earlier.

I appreciate that Valerie pulled it from consent.

And um I appreciate the conversation we had here tonight.

I voted no because I feel that we need fair and transparent processes to have an opportunity for people to express interest or to balance what we might be doing as a organization government organization.

And we had the opportunity tonight to pause and reflect on uh some process issues that were identified tonight.

And so that's why I voted no.

No, no.

Yeah, again, welcome you if your first meeting done before nine, you're welcome.

They're all like this.

Congratulations.

Yeah, well done.

Right.

We're not done yet.

Oh, oh no.

Oh no.

We are almost done.

We're almost done.

Hush you.

Um, I'll just say um just one quick note on um the vantage property.

Diane, thank you for for coming.

Um yet to Valerie's point, you know, a lot of it, I think even though it's not on the CIP plan for the road infrastructure there, because of the development pay-ins for a lot of those, we will probably be able to do that project sooner than originally planned.

I mean, it's there's them getting in as because it's not even on the current CIP plan to make some of those improvements.

So I'm hopeful to see those um road infrastructure improvements come into play.

Um also similarly, um, I was happy to see on consent agenda tonight for that same project, some of the public comments at the planning and zoning were about traffic calming needs at Hoy Lake, and those were on tonight under consent, traffic calming for the neighborhood calming for the neighboring um neighborhood that had that.

So for the planning and zoning commission and members who said, I hope the council is reading these minutes, we were, and so is the staff, because the Hoyle uh traffic calling improvements are moved up on the list and they're they're being done.

Um then I think I I Nick, I appreciate yours.

Like I think for a lot of these things.

We we everyone does we want to improve.

I don't think in this the discussion around I think council or staff had a uh uh a piece of property and they knew that we want to help and they're just like help, we want to make a difference.

And I think sometimes we might get ahead of ourselves and and and in that goal to to make council happy.

Um and I'll just be like, always just bring it just ask, right?

We can always just come back to us.

Or DeCarlin, that's your job, right, too, to also do those kind of pause and check in on this.

But I'll I will echo Nick's statements that you know all the humans that work here and are part of our community are part of that.

And I really appreciated the comments about the mapping and the voicing of this.

So we've been talking a lot about that as we've been talking about central city development.

And you know, we know we have a need for housing.

The housing study says that.

We've had that evaluation of properties that tells us like 1,700 properties have these needs.

And now it's kind of the question of who are we building housing for?

Who is it that needs it?

Who who are we doing and how are we getting those voices in?

So I appreciate the comments to that part, and I and I know we'll continue those discussions.

So now we'll go to staff comments, which Sheila makes me nervous when she says we're not done for a while.

What do you have planned?

DeKurlin, any staff comments from you?

I actually was just gonna have Shane kind of talk about what we're doing with MODOT as we have all the construction going on just to kind of talk about.

Oh, so we are gonna be here for a while.

Okay.

And what's the MODOT number that I refer people to when they call me?

I can get that to you.

Thank you.

I think it's I think it's as simple as 1800 and 188 call mod, I think.

But I'm not 100% sure of that.

All right.

Um I won't I probably won't take very long.

Um there's obviously a lot of things going on.

There's a lot of moving parts to a project this big.

Um and I would love to tell you that it's it's gonna get better soon, but it's honestly not.

It's gonna get worse before it gets better.

Um so what we do and as far as my traffic engineers, we don't we don't monitor, we don't maintain all of the signals in town.

A lot of a lot of the ones that are the biggest point of of frustration right now are actually MODOT signals.

But they have an impact on city signals.

So a prime example, and I think Betsy mentioned this earlier was Keene and St.

Charles.

We're looking at that one.

That one's ours.

We're tweaking it where we can.

But a lot of what we're seeing is it's it's backed up through that.

So giving more green to St.

Charles doesn't do you any good because there's no place to go.

Because it's all happening out on Broadway.

And Modot's biggest concern when they look at Broadway and 63 is to keep cars from backing out on to 63 itself.

They don't want cars backed out onto 63, no different than they don't want cars backed out onto I-70.

So their first priority is going to be different than maybe we would want it to be is the city.

And so and the other thing is everybody that lives in town knows a different way to get.

It might not be your preferred way, but there's a different way to get around.

And so people start to figure those out, and that changes what we have to do with the signal that was maybe two blocks over from the signal we tweaked before.

And so that's why it's going to be on us to watch that.

And I can tell you Modot's doing the same thing, but there reaches a point where there's only so much that any of us can do just based on what needs to be done in a short period of time.

The Providence Road Bridge is going to come down soon after school's out.

I don't know the exact date of that.

We had a project on Garth that we've been planning for quite some time that we're going to hold off on because GARS gonna see that traffic that wanted to go down Providence.

Um but they have to do the Providence Bridge because eventually they have to do the stadium bridge.

And so and they've got to build one of the outer roadways because they've got to get that in so that you can get off and on at midway while you can't get to what would be, I guess, westbound I-70 from stadium.

So patience is key.

Um if you all get anything from constituents and you want us to reach out to Modot, we meet with them monthly.

Um the traffic guys talk to their traffic guys more often than that.

Um just like I said, I just encourage some patience.

I think at the end, this is in the best interest of the entire community, but we won't get there without some some some pain, is what I would tell you.

So thank you.

And I think we have a spot on our website that links to this the improve I-70 project, correct?

Where like people will put kind of like the up-to-date information.

Correct.

Um Modot site itself, they they really do have a good job.

If you just uh literally just Google improve I-70, you'll get to their website and you can look at there's two different projects through Columbia.

That's part of what's going on right now.

It's you've got two design build teams that both have a time frame they have to hit.

And so you've got two different groups um impacting um our roads all at the same time.

Um but there's there's one project that's Roachport to Columbia, and there's one from Columbia to Kingdom City.

And so between those two projects, they do a pretty good job of showing you uh some plans of what they're gonna do.

They put all of their press releases there.

We try and coordinate our press releases accordingly, um, you know, to push that out with social media and those kind of things.

Um, like I said, this Providence one's coming next, and so we're trying to find out what their timeline is so we can make sure we can we can communicate that and try and get ahead of it as best we can.

So thank you.

Sorry, Shay.

That's all right.

Um is there any um discussion with Modot?

I realize that's I guess two different teams, but they're taking down two different bridges around Columbia.

Is there some way they could not take down the Providence Road one until they put the Lake of the Woods one back together?

I think the answer is no.

Yes.

Uh-huh.

Are they glad to do that?

Sure.

Would it take uh three or four-year project to make it an eight or nine-year project?

I think that's the issue.

Oh, okay.

And so, you know, the the big thing about the stadium bridge is when when that bridge is gone, there most of Columbia is driving north on stadium to get to that intersection.

Well, you won't be able to get on westbound because there's no outer road.

Currently, there's no continuous outer road to midway.

And so you've got to build that outer road in my mind before the stadium one comes down.

So if they do Providence, that gets Providence back open on that east side of town to get to I-70, while they take down the stadium one and run people that are there out on the outer road to Midway.

And I'm by no means in charge of that project, nor do I want to be, but that's my understanding.

So is have they had any thought about football games for the fall?

That's that's part of the reason that they want to get the Providence one down, I think, as soon as possible.

So they can get it back up or they can get it as close to back up as they can.

Uh-huh.

And I would anticipate while they build because they got to build a bridge to build the outer roadway.

Uh-huh.

So there's a big bridge to build there.

They've got to do that probably during this football season so that that way my guess is soon after next football season is when you would see the stadium bridge come down.

That's what I'd do.

I don't know what that's what they'll do.

Okay.

And then we'll turn around and do it again leading up to getting ready for the next year.

That's why they're traffic engineers and we're not.

We're just consumers.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Did you have a question for Shane?

Are we?

I was just going to say, is there a way we can validate that assumption that that bridge would be built?

And then would it be in their master plan?

Or how do we how do we validate that that's what they're gonna do?

Sure.

Um so from Paris Road to the West, that's a different design build team that's much earlier in their design build process than from Paris, basically from Paris Road to the east.

So the timelines, the St.

Charles Bridge coming down, they have a pretty good timeline.

I don't have it in front of me, but the timeline there, the the US 63 connector bridge, how they're gonna do all those things, they that's much more etched in stone than the things to the west, because they're still trying to figure out all all of that.

But if they don't start moving on, because they've got four bridges that are gonna come down the Midway Bridge, Providence Stadium, and Paris all come down.

And so they've got to start on one of them.

And so I think they decide, you know, that's my take is they decided the Providence one was the easiest one on the west side to do first.

Or one in the middle.

So they do a good job of getting the schedule out.

Um they've got a preliminary schedule, but it's not finalized yet because they've got to get design done.

There's some hurt, there's some steps they have to take.

Um, but I can tell you that because you don't want the Providence Bridge gone too much into the school year next year, I would think they'll want to move quick.

So thank you.

Thanks, Shane.

All right, any other staff updates?

Nancy, anything from you?

Sheila, anything from you?

All right, I'll go ahead and adjourn to 852.