Columbia City Council Regular Meeting – December 11, 2025

The Columbia City Council held its regular meeting on December 11, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, 700 North Garden Street, Columbia, Tennessee. Mayor Chaz Molder presided, and all seven council members were present. The meeting opened with three public hearings and then took up a consent agenda, resolutions, and ordinances, including final action on the 2024 International Fire Code, first consideration of the Waters Edge at Taylor Landing PUD, and a first-reading CPWS water rate increase.

Consent Calendar

The Council approved consent items 7.1 through 7.9 collectively. These included:

• Approval of October 2025 disbursements in the amount of $13,550,749.73.
• Authorization to dispose of surplus equipment at public auction.
• A PM/AM Corporation SaaS license agreement for the alarm management system at $7,000 per year for three years, beginning August 20, 2026.
• Acceptance of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, following a clean audit; no single audit was required, and the City plans to apply again for GFOA awards.
• Adoption of Mission Square 457 retirement plan changes required by the SECURE 2.0 ROTH mandate and an optional domestic violence withdrawal provision.
• A Granicus work order for $1,250 for ten support hours on the Visit Columbia website.
• A Lose & Associates contract amendment for $52,750 for construction administration services for Phase 2 of the Public Works building expansion.
• Ratification of a $14,000 Kimley-Horn agreement for limited construction phase services for two paddle-craft launches along the Duck River within Riverwalk Park.
• Approval of Mimecast terms and conditions for the previously approved renewal.

Public Comments & Testimony

Ordinance 4563 – Waters Edge at Taylor Landing Public Hearing:

• Joshua Moore, 360 Coleman Court, opposed the ordinance. He said an attorney had reviewed the procedure and found it legally deficient, that combined petitions had more than 200 signatures representing more than 100 Taylor Landing homes, and that the item had been revived after failing first consideration in October. He also alleged the November 13 agenda was posted late, public records requests went unanswered, prior comments were omitted from the minutes, and code violations were closed without reinspection.
• Christy Dyes, 710 Taylor Bend Road, opposed the project. She cited added HOA costs, strain on the Duck River ecosystem, conflicts with the city’s Vision 238 plan, traffic and pedestrian safety concerns, and the project’s incompatibility with the existing subdivision.
• Mariva Walsh, 605 Taylor Bend, opposed the project. She said the prior approval had expired, no traffic light was proposed at River Road and FEDA Pike, and the neighborhood’s 200 townhomes and 99 single-family homes on 70 acres would bear the cost of maintaining amenities. She also said 30 additional parking spaces would not be enough.
• Howard Todd, 203 River Road, said he had not found a reason to oppose the development, noting the property is currently overgrown and saying the project could help redevelopment in the area.
• Councilmember Secrest said she never spoke with other council members about changing her vote, though she did speak with staff. She also said property owners cannot control property they do not own and referenced emails threatening an investigation if she voted yes.

Ordinance 4568 – 2024 International Fire Code Public Hearing: No audience members spoke. Councilmembers asked Fire Chief Cummings about hydrant capacity and older subdivisions. The Chief said a minimum six-inch water line and 500-gallon-per-minute hydrants are common, but the system can support higher flows as infrastructure improves; some older subdivisions have dead-end mains and limited hydrant availability.

Ordinance 4571 – FY 2025-26 Budget Amendment Public Hearing: No public comments were offered.

Ordinance 4577 – CPWS Water Rate Increase Public Comments:

• Gabe Howard opposed the rate increase and urged creation of a regional water authority, saying growth should pay for growth and that he had previously been told the city did not have a water supply issue.
• State Representative Scott Sopicki expressed concern about whether the roughly half-billion-dollar project is the best use of borrowed state and federal money and raised alternative water supply options.
• Jason Gillam, a Maury County Water System board member, described a cheaper HBNTS pipeline connection from the Cumberland River and said Hickman County officials do not support the CPWS intake project. He asked the Council to hold the proposal.
• Bethany Torino, Marsha Howard, Katie Martin, and Commissioner Kathy Walker asked for a pause or a no vote, citing impacts on fixed-income seniors, affordability, and residents outside Columbia who have no vote in the decision. Katie Martin said water and sewer bills could rise more than 150% over five years.
• Doug Jones, president of the Duck River Conservancy, opposed the project, said he had found no support outside the city, and referenced past disputes over CPWS selling water outside the valley.
• Jason Brooks opposed the increase, saying CPWS was not respecting residents. Trevor Pennington, owner of 1822 Farms, said the increase would put cattle farmers out of business and hurt the roughly 3,000 families his operation serves monthly.
• Mike Kozwinski and Wayne Rumsburg asked the Council not to vote or to table the matter and suggested alternative approaches, including regional options and the Columbia Dam.
• Dan Allen, assistant city administrator and general manager of Spring Hill Water, said Spring Hill has been a long-term collaborative partner with CPWS and will continue working in good faith regardless of the decision.
• Danny Grooms, a Mount Pleasant commissioner, presented a letter from 18 of 22 city and county commissioners opposing the rate increase and argued that a body representing only part of the county should not decide water rates for the whole county.
• Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt asked the Council to postpone the vote and allow the Duck River Water Planning Partnership to complete a nine-month regionalization study, saying new regional and funding possibilities are being explored.
• Laura Mitchell said her CPWS water bill had already risen from about $35 to $65 per month and asked the Council to consider other options.

Discussion Items

Approval of Agenda and Minutes: The agenda was approved, and the minutes of the November 13, 2025 City Council meeting were approved.

Resolutions 9.1–9.6: The Council approved all resolutions as presented:

• Resolution 25-82, tax corrections through November 20, 2025.
• Resolutions 25-84, 25-85, and 25-86 accepting sewer improvements for Dabbs Subdivision 1A/The Reserve at Hickory Ridge (3,863 linear feet), Heritage Green Phase 1 (5,741 linear feet), and McClure Farms Phase 2 (1,996 linear feet).
• Resolution 25-87 accepting a $5,000 donation from Wolfe Enterprises for Columbia Fire & Rescue.
• Resolution 25-88 ratifying approximately $2,000 in donated items from Tony and Connie Massey for the City employee Christmas party.

Ordinance 4568 – 2024 International Fire Code: Approved on second and final consideration. It adopts the 2024 International Fire Code with amendments, retains Appendix B with an amendment authorizing Tanker Shuttle Operations, establishes Fire Marshal Standard FM-101 for fire-flow and water-supply requirements, and requires Business Portal/Community Connect registration for commercial, industrial, and institutional occupancies.

Ordinances 4569 and 4570 – Delinquent Property Taxes and Special Assessments: Approved on second and final consideration, authorizing collection of 2024 delinquent property taxes and special assessments.

Ordinance 4571 – FY 2025-26 Budget Amendment: Approved on second and final consideration. The amendment increases the City’s total FY 2026 budget by $806,949, from $182,320,991 to $183,127,940. It includes street paving carryforward funds of $29,192, Fire Station No. 1 reappropriation of $30,000, THSO grant funds of $28,442, a $10,000 transfer to Legal, tourism enhancement reserve funding of $60,417, tourism office improvements of $27,079.50, and $296,250 for the Downtown Improvement Grant project.

Ordinance 4572 – Post-65 Supplemental Healthcare Benefits: Approved on second and final consideration. The ordinance extends the retiree supplemental healthcare benefit to employees hired after June 30, 2012, using the same eligibility criteria as the existing plan. Staff reported that six employees would have been eligible in the past five years and that Aetna indicated no premium increase.

Ordinance 4563 – Waters Edge at Taylor Landing Preliminary PUD Master Plan: Approved on first consideration. City Attorney Jake Hubbell confirmed the item was properly before the Council. Councilmember Marshall stated his motion included a finding that the PUD meets zoning requirements. The vote was 5–1, with Councilmember Huffman voting no and Vice Mayor McBroom abstaining.

Ordinance 4567 – Municipal Court Updates: Approved on first consideration. The ordinance updates Title 3 of the Municipal Code and increases the state municipal training fee from $1 to $2 and the correctable offense cost from $10 to $25.

Ordinance 4576 – Water Impact Fee Increase: Approved on first consideration. Public speakers, including Larry Chun and Eric Prevetti, said the impact fee was overdue and that growth should pay for growth. CPWS representatives answered questions about the Comptroller’s guidance and the use of impact fee revenue for growth-related capital projects.

Ordinance 4577 – CPWS Water Rate Increase: Passed on first consideration by a 5–2 vote, with Mayor Molder and Councilmember Huffman voting no. The ordinance would increase water rates by 20% per year for five years to help fund the projected $505 million long-term water supply project, including a downstream intake, raw water transmission main, raw water pump station, and new water treatment plant. The ordinance also establishes January 8, 2026 as the date of public hearing. During discussion, CPWS representatives said Spring Hill has a first right of refusal for excess water, CPWS sells wholesale water at cost, the aging Riverside dam cannot be raised, and inside-city rates could reach the low $80s per 5,000 gallons if all annual escalations occur. Mayor Molder read a statement saying the project is necessary and fully vetted but that he could not support the rate increase as proposed.

Key Outcomes

• The Council adopted the 2024 International Fire Code on second and final consideration.
• The FY 2025-26 budget amendment was approved, increasing the total budget to $183,127,940.
• The Waters Edge at Taylor Landing Preliminary PUD Master Plan was approved on first consideration in a 5–1 vote, with one abstention.
• The CPWS water rate increase was approved on first consideration in a 5–2 vote; a public hearing is set for January 8, 2026.
• All consent agenda items and resolutions were approved.
• The next study session was rescheduled to Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. due to the New Year’s Day holiday.

The meeting concluded with the Council’s final regular meeting of the calendar year.