Columbia City Council Meeting - June 11, 2026

On June 11, 2026, the Columbia City Council held a regular meeting at City Hall. Key actions included approval of the FY2027 budget without a property tax increase, adoption of a reduced certified tax rate of $0.6068 per $100 (a 26.5% decrease from the previous $0.8251), and first consideration of ordinances regulating animal sales in public spaces and establishing uniform fire safety standards for government buildings. The council also received a quarterly economic development update from the Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance.

Consent Calendar

• 7.1 Approved disbursements for April 2026 totaling $8,750,141.36.
• 7.2 Authorized disposal of surplus equipment.
• 7.3 Approved stop-loss medical insurance premium with Sun Life Financial (individual deductible $150,000, aggregating $125,000) effective July 1, 2026, with a 3.7% premium increase.
• 7.4 Received and filed a 3.00% cost-of-living adjustment for eligible retirees/beneficiaries, effective July 1, 2026.
• 7.5 Authorized a $59,500 contract with Chandlerthinks, LLC for branding and visual identity services.
• 7.6 Approved a $98,460 contract with Roof Systems, Inc. for roof replacement at the Columbia Aquatics and Recreation Center.
• 7.7 Approved a $550,000 contract with Path Company to replace the entire HVAC system at the Columbia Aquatics and Recreation Center.
• 7.8 Awarded a $715,861 contract to Drakes Creek Builders for interior renovations at the Columbia Aquatics and Recreation Center.
• 7.9 Approved Change Order No. 1 ($7,071.09) for the Ridley Pickleball Courts project due to an underground irrigation mainline.
• 7.10 Authorized a $4,000 contract with Kali Alexandria for a summer getaway social media influencer campaign.
• 7.11 Authorized a $2,500 contract with Haley Decatur for a unique summer travel destination social media campaign.
• 7.12 Approved a $5,300 software licensing agreement with ESkill for pre-employment and skills gap testing.
• 7.13 Authorized an amendment with Tyler Technologies removing the ACFR Statement Builder, yielding annual savings.
• 7.14 Authorized an amendment with Tyler Technologies removing Business Licenses and Central Property File, yielding annual savings.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Eric Prevetti (County Commissioner, Ward 4 resident) spoke in support of Ordinance 4591, thanking the council for aligning city fire safety codes for government buildings with State Fire Marshal standards, which he said would reduce costs and improve intergovernmental cooperation.
• Kim (Animal Shelter Director) spoke in support of Ordinance 4592, noting that five puppies at the shelter had broken with parvo the previous Friday, illustrating the need to stop unregulated giveaways in public parking lots. She reported that many animals come from outside the area and that the ordinance would help reduce shelter strain and improve public health.
• Megan Feed (Brookside Drive resident) expressed gratitude for the council's consideration of Ordinance 4592, emphasizing that the ordinance, combined with education and preventative initiatives, would disrupt the cycle of irresponsible breeding and reduce animal suffering and community risks.

Discussion Items

• Quarterly Presentation by Wil Evans (Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance): Evans reviewed key performance indicators, noting that Maury County's unemployment rate (6%) had temporarily risen due to partial layoffs at General Motors but remained far below the 12% rate during similar events in 2010. He highlighted strong growth: 16% population increase (to 118,000), 37.3% real GDP growth ($6 billion), 80% increase in total assessed value ($4.6 billion), 36% retail sales growth, 30% average annual income growth (to $63,000), and 18% civilian labor force growth (three times the state rate). Council members discussed the importance of economic diversification and accountability for incentives.
• Ordinance 4585 (FY2026 Budget Amendment): Approved on second consideration, increasing the total FY2026 budget by $15,419,351 to $200,390,741. The amendment included transfers for capital projects, street paving, health plan reserves, fire truck purchase, and various departmental expenses.
• Ordinance 4586 (Tax Rate Fixing): Approved as amended, setting the property tax rate at $0.6068 per $100 of assessed value, a 26.5% reduction from the prior $0.8251, due to a countywide reappraisal that increased the total tax base from $1.515 billion (2022) to $2.426 billion.
• Ordinance 4587 (FY2027 Budget): Approved unanimously on second consideration, establishing a total budget of $84,466,601. Mayor Molder noted this was the eighth consecutive budget passed without a property tax increase. An additional $24,200 (10% increase) was included for Animal Shelter services.
• Ordinance 4588 (Classification and Compensation Plan): Approved, providing a 3.5% salary range adjustment and a 4% pay increase for full-time and part-time regular employees. Changes included adding one Police Officer, one Fire Engineer, one full-time Codes Enforcement Officer (replacing a part-time position), one full-time Assistant Parks Director, and two Recreation Coordinators (replacing five part-time lifeguards). No new positions were added to the overall plan.
• Ordinance 4589 (Historic District Design Guidelines): Approved, adopting design guidelines for the Athenaeum, Barrow Court, Downtown Commercial, West 6th Street/Mayes Place, and West 7th Street/West End historic overlay districts.
• Ordinance 4590 (Honey Farms PUD – Taco Bell): Approved, allowing a 2,550 sq. ft. Taco Bell with drive-thru on Lot 1B of the Honey Farms PUD. The Planning Commission had recommended approval 6-0.
• Ordinance 4591 (Fire Safety Standards for Government Buildings): Approved on first consideration. The ordinance adopts Tennessee State Fire Marshal standards as minimum design and construction requirements for all government-owned buildings within the city, reducing jurisdictional conflicts.
• Ordinance 4592 (Regulation of Animal Sales in Public Outdoor Spaces): Approved on first consideration. The ordinance prohibits the sale, transfer, display, or giveaway of dogs, cats, and domestic rabbits in public outdoor spaces, with an exception for permitted events like Mule Day. It aims to reduce irresponsible breeding, shelter burden, and public health risks.
• Ordinance 4593 (Sewer Easement Conveyance): Approved on first consideration, conveying a 20-foot-wide sewer easement to John C. Davenport for property adjacent to 711 Lion Parkway.

Key Outcomes

• FY2026 Budget Amendment (Ordinance 4585): Approved unanimously (7-0).
• Tax Rate Reduction (Ordinance 4586): Approved unanimously (7-0), setting the 2026 rate at $0.6068 per $100.
• FY2027 Budget (Ordinance 4587): Approved unanimously (7-0). The city manager distributed a budget brief summarizing revenue and expenditures.
• Classification and Compensation Plan (Ordinance 4588): Approved unanimously (7-0).
• Historic Design Guidelines (Ordinance 4589): Approved unanimously (7-0).
• Honey Farms PUD (Ordinance 4590): Approved unanimously (7-0).
• Fire Safety Standards (Ordinance 4591): Approved on first consideration (7-0).
• Animal Sale Regulation (Ordinance 4592): Approved on first consideration (7-0).
• Sewer Easement (Ordinance 4593): Approved on first consideration (7-0).
• All consent agenda items (7.1–7.14) and resolutions (9.1–9.4) were approved unanimously.
• The council recognized upcoming events: Juneteenth holiday (June 19, 2026) and the unveiling of a historic marker for the Columbia Jail Fire (June 26, 2026, 3 p.m. at the Archives Building).