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Columbia city staff will repair broken Clear Creek sewage pipe

The Clear Creek force main sewage pipe will be replaced after multiple failures resulting in sewage spills.

The 2,500-foot sewer main was improperly constructed and has failed six times since 2010, resulting in sewage spilling into Clear Creek. The most recent failure occurred last February.

“It was pretty much destined to fail,” Utilities Director Dave Sorrell said. “At this point, we just need to replace it.”

The Columbia City Council approved the repair project unanimously Monday evening during its bimonthly meeting.

Sorrell said the Missouri Department of Natural Resources issued fines for the sewage main failures.

The city was directed to pay over $16,000 in fines from failures in 2024.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources also found that the sewage spill killed 1,348 aquatic organisms.

The $1.5 million repairs are expected to improve or add air release valves and construct a new bypass vault at the pump station.

Community revitalization grants

The council unanimously approved a minigrant “Love Your Block” program, intended to revitalize Columbia neighborhoods.

The program focuses on enhancing local safety, cleanliness, green spaces and the arts, according to a council memo.

“Some things that we have heard interest in: community gardens, tool libraries,” Leigh Kottwitz, manager of Neighborhood Services, said. “There’s been some interest in how we can improve some of our public amenities.”

As much as $2,500 per project is available for work in central and northeast Columbia. Minigrant applications will open Feb. 14 with the application period closing on March 21. Projects must be completed by Aug. 31. A second year of funding will be available in 2026.

Love Your Block is a competitive national grant program that focuses on improving communities. Columbia is one of 16 cities awarded a $20,000 grant in cooperation with Johns Hopkins University and funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Sidewalk projects

Two proposed sidewalk projects that will cost over $1 million together were also approved unanimously.

The council held a public hearing on proposed sidewalk construction in northeast Columbia. The sidewalk plan along the south side of Vandiver Drive between Oakland Gravel Road and Parker Street was approved. The total project cost estimate is $682,415.

Another proposed sidewalk construction, along the west side of Oakland Gravel Road between Blue Ridge Road and Smiley Lane, was also considered. The total project cost estimate is $517,640.

Both sidewalk constructions will include concrete sidewalks with 80% of funding coming from the MoDOT Transportation Alternatives Program. The city’s capital improvement sales tax will pay for the remaining 20%.

Police staffing update

Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude gave the council an update on staffing in the Columbia Police Department.

There are currently 24 officer vacancies and two sergeant vacancies. Vacancies show the number of spots open for hiring and will not be filled by recruits in field training or Columbia’s academy.

Other business

Several residents picketed outside with signs prior to Monday’s meeting to express their continued interest with the construction of two trails at Gans Creek Recreation Area. Some residents disapproved of the trail’s construction due to environmental concerns before council approved the project last month, according to previous Missourian reporting.

Stacey Button, Columbia’s director of economic development, was also recognized on behalf of the mayor and City Council after ten years of service. Button retired Monday, but the hiring process for a new director is ongoing.

The Columbia Missourian is a community news organization managed by professional editors and staffed by Missouri School of Journalism students who do the reporting, design, copy editing, information graphics, photography and multimedia.
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