The Columbia City Council met on Monday, July 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber at City Hall. Mayor Barbara Buffaloe presided, with Council Members Christina Hartman, Betsy Peters, Valerie Carroll, Vera Elwood, and Jacque Sample present. Council Member Sample left the meeting at approximately 9:16 PM. The meeting included public hearings on the MKT Trail bridge replacement, the 2026 Renewable Energy Plan, and the FY 2027 Capital Improvement Plan, as well as several ordinance votes and introductions of new legislation.
I'm gonna go ahead and uh call us to order for the July 20th, 2026 Columbia City Council meeting. Uh, I invite 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 it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Sheila, we please call roll. Miss Hartman here, Miss Peters, here, Miss Buffalo, here, Miss Carroll, here, Miss Elwood, here, Miss Sample. Here. All right. So welcome back to City Hall to Council Chambers. This was recently renovated to improve the audio visual systems. Our microphones, I feel like are very sensitive right now. And apologies if you guys get banned on that. I also do want to note the new podium. So for those who are coming up first, go to a public comment or any of public speaking later. Um if you need to adjust it, you can either move the microphone, but there's also a way that the podium itself adjust. There's a six-second delay. And I say that because you will realize it is the longest six seconds of your life if you're trying to adjust it, because but it will start moving if you go up or down. Um so quick overview of council agendas. Um, you know, items that are listed under consent agenda. If there's no adjustment to our agenda, there's not normally a presentation for those items, uh, and there's no normally uh discussion on them. They are kind of approved in bulk. And if you're looking under intro and first read, those items that have an asterisk would be on consent at that next agenda. I say that because people can always request uh to remove things from consent or for intro and first read to not be on consent the next time. Um rules for public speaking. The public has multiple opportunities to speak at Columbia City Council meetings. Uh you can uh speak under old business or during public hearing, old business, new business. I do remind people to get keep their remarks to the legislation being discussed at the end of the council meeting. You can talk about whatever you want to talk about for the three minutes. It can be on something on the agenda or nothing, whatever you want to do. Um we do ask the people to state their name and their ward, and that is just so that she likes to make sure she has it correct for the minutes. Individuals are allotted three minutes. If you're an organization that is impacted by the legislation being discussed, you can request five minutes. Please let me know that you're requesting it, and that way I can let Stephen know. Because on the podium is a little timer that lets you know how much time you have. It will turn green when you can talk, yellow when you're getting towards the end, and red when you've come to the end of your talk. Um of the comments that will also encourage people is that we want to avoid demonstrations that might intimidate your neighbors from speaking at city council meetings. We can address issues, please don't attack individuals, and that includes uh city staff. Uh if we have major disruptions, they would be addressed with a warning, and if necessary, uh removal and recess. All right, so moving on for our council agenda. Um, up first, uh, we have uh the June 1st and June 15th regular meeting minutes, so I'll make a motion to approve both of those uh packets of minutes. Do I have a second? Second, second by Vera. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right, thank you. Um and then as far as adjustments of the agenda, um, there was a request from the applicant for Bill 1762 that is currently under intro and first read to be removed from the agenda. Um there any other changes to the agenda. Seeing none, uh, I'll make a motion to approve the agenda with the removal of Bill 1762. Do we have a second? Second, second and by view. Thank you.