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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

City Council Meeting Summary for January 8, 2026: Water Rate Increase Approved

City Council — Thursday, January 8, 2026

BodyColumbia, Tennessee

SessionCity Council

DateThursday, January 8, 2026

StatusFILED

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Speaker 1

0:03

All

Speaker 2

0:03

right.

0:03

Well, good evening, everyone.

0:05

I would like to welcome this nice big crowd to our city council, city hall, uh chambers this evening uh for what will be a good productive meeting, I feel sure.

0:14

I'd like to say welcome to all of you who may be here for the first time.

0:17

If it is your first time, we say welcome, and you're welcome back anytime.

0:20

If it's not your first time, uh, we're glad you're back, and we welcome you to any of our city council meetings uh in the future as well.

0:27

Uh, I'd like to ask Mr.

0:28

Jablonski to please call the roll, please.

Speaker 3

0:31

Mr.

0:31

McCullum, Mr.

0:33

Upman,

Unassigned speaker

0:34

here, Miss

Speaker 3

0:34

Secret, Mr.

0:36

Marshall, here, Mr.

0:37

McKelvey here.

0:38

Nice Mayor McBroom.

0:39

Here.

0:39

Mayor Mulder.

Speaker 2

0:40

Here.

0:41

Let the record reflect those members of council who are present.

0:44

Um we do, before we go into the invocation this evening, I would like to uh make mention of one thing, as many in this room may have heard by now.

0:52

Uh former mayor Dean Dickey uh passed away um early this morning, and um all of us uh on this council and um in this city government and in this community as a whole, we're saddened by that news.

1:05

Uh Mayor Dickey was many things to me personally.

1:10

Um he was indeed an opponent uh of mine, but more than that, he was a friend, and he was a good man and he was a statesman and he was a fine mayor for this community.

1:20

Above all of those things, he was a husband and a father and a grandfather and even a great-grandfather.

1:27

Um many of us had an opportunity to serve with Mayor Dickey on various boards and capacities.

1:34

Um, even on this council.

1:36

I see former Vice Mayor Krista Martin, who I know served with Mayor Dickey for for many years.

1:40

Um, but Mayor Dickey will be missed by this community, and this community is a better place because of Dean Dickey's service and commitment to moving Columbia, Tennessee forward.

1:51

And so I just wanted to um say the remarks on behalf of all of us on this council.

1:56

Uh, we express our condolences to his family um and his memory uh and his service to this community will not soon be forgotten.

2:05

Um there are others on this council um who have a special connection with Mayor Dickey, including the vice mayor and vice mayor.

2:12

I wanted to provide the floor to you for a few words.

Speaker 4

2:26

As most of y'all have known, and I've told you um, Mayor Dickey got me started in politics.

2:32

And

Unassigned speaker

2:34

Speaker 4

2:34

was a true mentor to

Unassigned speaker

2:36

me.

Speaker 4

2:37

I even tried to call

Unassigned speaker

2:39

him a

Speaker 4

2:40

month ago that and just talk and help us through these situations.

2:47

He was a good man.

2:50

He's

Unassigned speaker

2:52

one

Speaker 4

2:52

thing I want to tell you was he was not afraid.

2:56

He knew where he was going, and that's a comfort to me.

3:00

He was happy, he had a great life, he married his childhood sweetheart.

3:06

How does it 70 years?

3:08

That should tell you everything.

3:09

I'll tell you one story real quick.

3:12

Mayor Dickey played football with Johnny Majors.

Unassigned speaker

3:15

And

Speaker 4

3:16

we happened to run into Johnny Majors, and we told him the connection.

3:20

And we said, uh, Coach Majors, what was your opinion of Mayor Dickey?

Unassigned speaker

3:24

And

Speaker 4

3:24

he said, All I remember was he was always chasing

Unassigned speaker

3:28

me.

Speaker 4

3:30

So let's not forget what Mayor Dickey represented, and um he will truly be missed.

Unassigned speaker

3:39

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Summary of Proceedings

City Council Meeting Summary for January 8, 2026: Water Rate Increase Approved

The City Council of Columbia, Tennessee, held a regular meeting on January 8, 2026, beginning with a tribute to former Mayor Dean Dickey who passed away that morning. The meeting was dominated by public testimony and a final vote on a 20% annual water rate increase over five years to fund a $505 million water supply project. The council also approved a development project, a new water impact fee, and several routine items.

Consent Calendar

Approved disbursements for November 2025 ($4,704,985.91).
Acknowledged receipt of debt obligation reports for Water System Revenue Anticipation Notes.
Approved an End User License Agreement with Local Government Corporation.
Accepted the 2025 Railroad and Utility Ad Valorem Assessments ($24,509,544 certified assessed value).
Approved a 5-year lease agreement with Providential Broadcasting, LLC for tower space at $325/month.
Approved the purchase of a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 pickup for $85,775.44.
Approved a $427,500 partial surety bond release for Armstrong Meadows Section 4.
Approved Change Order No. 2 ($47,648) for the Carters Creek Force Main Relocation Project.
Item 7.2 (acknowledgment of a $40 million Water System Revenue Anticipation Note extension) was pulled for separate discussion and approved after CPWS confirmed it would be repaid with new financing.

Public Comments & Testimony

Public Hearing 3 (Water Impact Fees): Eric Provetti (County Commissioner) and a resident expressed support for the impact fee increase, asserting that "growth should pay for growth."
Public Hearing 4 (Water Rate Increase - $505M Project): The council heard from dozens of citizens.
- Supporters: Bruce Peaton (45-year CPWS customer) supported the plan based on CPWS's reliability and dismissed accusations of impropriety. Shauna Pounders (BPU appointee) stated a pause would cost ratepayers $1.8 million per month. Courtney Moore argued the project is fully vetted and necessary. James Dallas (County Democratic Party Chair) shared personal support, urging a focus on facts. Trent Ogilvy (BPU appointee) asked the council to vote yes on the long-studied project.
- Opponents: Neil Blair called for a pause to explore alternatives like the Columbia Dam. Ken Newell (Ward 5) urged a "no" vote to force regional cooperation. Mike Kuzawinski accused the council and CPWS of breaking public trust. Scott Sumners (County Commissioner, Dist 5) called the $520 million the largest borrowing in county history. Robert Lacey (veteran, Mt. Pleasant) asked the council to listen to the people. Dustin Kittle argued the project has structural conflicts of interest and is legally vulnerable. Kyle and Andy Shunus (property owners on the pipeline route) criticized the lack of detailed public maps. Andrea Stewart detailed overlapping roles between entities as conflicts of interest.
- Alternative Suggestions: Bob Creighton proposed a larger public meeting to rebuild trust. Eric Provetti advocated for exploring the Columbia Dam.

Discussion Items

Waters Edge at Taylor Landing PUD (Ord. 4563): Council considered the 2nd reading for a 94-unit development. Joshua Moore (Taylor Landing resident) spoke in opposition, presenting a petition of 201 signatures and raising concerns about expired water availability letters and missing meeting videos. Dustin Kittle questioned the procedural validity of the vote. Vice Mayor McBroom abstained. The ordinance was approved (5-1-1).
Water Impact Fee (Ord. 4576): Approved on 2nd consideration.
Water Rate Increase (Ord. 4577): The central debate.
- Councilmember Huffman moved to defer the item for 90 days. The motion failed for lack of a second.
- The council heard from TDEC, who confirmed CPWS is at 93% capacity, project is fully permitted, and no viable alternatives exist. CPWS confirmed 63% of pipeline easements are acquired.
- Mayor Molder stated he would vote no, calling it "the right project at the wrong time."
- Councilman Marshall moved to approve the increase.
Foster Lane Items (Ords. 4574 & 4575): Deferred to the February meeting at the applicant's request.
Darks Mill Road De-Annexation (Ord. 4579): Approved on 1st consideration.

Key Outcomes

Water Rate Increase (Ord. 4577): APPROVED (5-2). (McCullen, Secrest, Marshall, McKelvey, and Vice Mayor McBroom voted yes; Huffman and Mayor Molder voted no).
Water Impact Fee (Ord. 4576): APPROVED.
Waters Edge at Taylor Landing (Ord. 4563): APPROVED (5 yeas - McCullen, Secrest, Marshall, McKelvey, Molder; 1 nay - Huffman; 1 abstention - Vice Mayor McBroom).
Foster Lane Items (Ords. 4574 & 4575): DEFERRED.
Darks Mill Road De-Annexation (Ord. 4579): APPROVED.
Defeated Motion: Motion to defer the water rate increase failed for lack of a second.
Tribute: The council honored former Mayor Dean Dickey, who passed away earlier that day.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Well, good evening, everyone. I would like to welcome this nice big crowd to our city council, city hall, uh chambers this evening uh for what will be a good productive meeting, I feel sure. I'd like to say welcome to all of you who may be here for the first time. If it is your first time, we say welcome, and you're welcome back anytime. If it's not your first time, uh, we're glad you're back, and we welcome you to any of our city council meetings uh in the future as well. Uh, I'd like to ask Mr. Jablonski to please call the roll, please. Mr. McCullum, Mr. Upman, here, Miss Secret, Mr. Marshall, here, Mr. McKelvey here. Nice Mayor McBroom. Here. Mayor Mulder. Here. Let the record reflect those members of council who are present. Um we do, before we go into the invocation this evening, I would like to uh make mention of one thing, as many in this room may have heard by now. Uh former mayor Dean Dickey uh passed away um early this morning, and um all of us uh on this council and um in this city government and in this community as a whole, we're saddened by that news. Uh Mayor Dickey was many things to me personally. Um he was indeed an opponent uh of mine, but more than that, he was a friend, and he was a good man and he was a statesman and he was a fine mayor for this community. Above all of those things, he was a husband and a father and a grandfather and even a great-grandfather. Um many of us had an opportunity to serve with Mayor Dickey on various boards and capacities. Um, even on this council. I see former Vice Mayor Krista Martin, who I know served with Mayor Dickey for for many years. Um, but Mayor Dickey will be missed by this community, and this community is a better place because of Dean Dickey's service and commitment to moving Columbia, Tennessee forward. And so I just wanted to um say the remarks on behalf of all of us on this council. Uh, we express our condolences to his family um and his memory uh and his service to this community will not soon be forgotten. Um there are others on this council um who have a special connection with Mayor Dickey, including the vice mayor and vice mayor. I wanted to provide the floor to you for a few words. As most of y'all have known, and I've told you um, Mayor Dickey got me started in politics. And he was a true mentor to me. I even tried to call him a month ago that and just talk and help us through these situations. He was a good man. He's one thing I want to tell you was he was not afraid. He knew where he was going, and that's a comfort to me. He was happy, he had a great life, he married his childhood sweetheart. How does it 70 years? That should tell you everything.

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City Council Meeting Summary for January 8, 2026: Water Rate Increase Approved

Consent Calendar

Approved disbursements for November 2025 ($4,704,985.91).

Acknowledged receipt of debt obligation reports for Water System Revenue Anticipation Notes.

Approved an End User License Agreement with Local Government Corporation.

Accepted the 2025 Railroad and Utility Ad Valorem Assessments ($24,509,544 certified assessed value).

Approved a 5-year lease agreement with Providential Broadcasting, LLC for tower space at $325/month.

Approved the purchase of a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 pickup for $85,775.44.

Approved a $427,500 partial surety bond release for Armstrong Meadows Section 4.

Approved Change Order No. 2 ($47,648) for the Carters Creek Force Main Relocation Project.

Item 7.2 (acknowledgment of a $40 million Water System Revenue Anticipation Note extension) was pulled for separate discussion and approved after CPWS confirmed it would be repaid with new financing.

Public Comments & Testimony

Public Hearing 3 (Water Impact Fees): Eric Provetti (County Commissioner) and a resident expressed support for the impact fee increase, asserting that "growth should pay for growth."

Public Hearing 4 (Water Rate Increase - $505M Project): The council heard from dozens of citizens.

Supporters: Bruce Peaton (45-year CPWS customer) supported the plan based on CPWS's reliability and dismissed accusations of impropriety. Shauna Pounders (BPU appointee) stated a pause would cost ratepayers $1.8 million per month. Courtney Moore argued the project is fully vetted and necessary. James Dallas (County Democratic Party Chair) shared personal support, urging a focus on facts. Trent Ogilvy (BPU appointee) asked the council to vote yes on the long-studied project.
Opponents: Neil Blair called for a pause to explore alternatives like the Columbia Dam. Ken Newell (Ward 5) urged a "no" vote to force regional cooperation. Mike Kuzawinski accused the council and CPWS of breaking public trust. Scott Sumners (County Commissioner, Dist 5) called the $520 million the largest borrowing in county history. Robert Lacey (veteran, Mt. Pleasant) asked the council to listen to the people. Dustin Kittle argued the project has structural conflicts of interest and is legally vulnerable. Kyle and Andy Shunus (property owners on the pipeline route) criticized the lack of detailed public maps. Andrea Stewart detailed overlapping roles between entities as conflicts of interest.
Alternative Suggestions: Bob Creighton proposed a larger public meeting to rebuild trust. Eric Provetti advocated for exploring the Columbia Dam.

Discussion Items

Waters Edge at Taylor Landing PUD (Ord. 4563): Council considered the 2nd reading for a 94-unit development. Joshua Moore (Taylor Landing resident) spoke in opposition, presenting a petition of 201 signatures and raising concerns about expired water availability letters and missing meeting videos. Dustin Kittle questioned the procedural validity of the vote. Vice Mayor McBroom abstained. The ordinance was approved (5-1-1).

Water Impact Fee (Ord. 4576): Approved on 2nd consideration.

Water Rate Increase (Ord. 4577): The central debate.

Councilmember Huffman moved to defer the item for 90 days. The motion failed for lack of a second.
The council heard from TDEC, who confirmed CPWS is at 93% capacity, project is fully permitted, and no viable alternatives exist. CPWS confirmed 63% of pipeline easements are acquired.
Mayor Molder stated he would vote no, calling it "the right project at the wrong time."
Councilman Marshall moved to approve the increase.

Foster Lane Items (Ords. 4574 & 4575): Deferred to the February meeting at the applicant's request.

Darks Mill Road De-Annexation (Ord. 4579): Approved on 1st consideration.

Key Outcomes

Water Rate Increase (Ord. 4577): APPROVED (5-2). (McCullen, Secrest, Marshall, McKelvey, and Vice Mayor McBroom voted yes; Huffman and Mayor Molder voted no).

Water Impact Fee (Ord. 4576): APPROVED.

Waters Edge at Taylor Landing (Ord. 4563): APPROVED (5 yeas - McCullen, Secrest, Marshall, McKelvey, Molder; 1 nay - Huffman; 1 abstention - Vice Mayor McBroom).

Foster Lane Items (Ords. 4574 & 4575): DEFERRED.

Darks Mill Road De-Annexation (Ord. 4579): APPROVED.

Defeated Motion: Motion to defer the water rate increase failed for lack of a second.

Tribute: The council honored former Mayor Dean Dickey, who passed away earlier that day.

Meeting Transcript