On Monday night, the Columbia City Council unanimously approved purchasing a building for the new municipal animal pound, marking the first step toward moving animal control operations into a new facility.
The facility will operate as a pound rather than an animal shelter because it will not provide adoption services, according to a presentation from Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services.
The property at 1300 Boone Industrial Drive will provide additional space for animals and the eight animal control employees. The facility will include approximately 12 gated indoor spaces for dogs, 30 cages for dogs or cats and room to expand with indoor and outdoor animal runs, according to an Oct. 5 report to the council from PHHS.
The building's purchase price is $995,000, with the city expected to contribute $595,000 and Boone County expected to contribute $400,000.
PHHS currently has a contract with the Central Missouri Humane Society to provide veterinary care and animal shelter services. However, Central Missouri Humane Society has said it will not provide services at the new facility, citing the challenges of operating at two separate locations.
The current contract runs through 2027, according to a council memo. The city plans to issue a request for proposals to secure providers for animal care and veterinary services beginning in 2028.
The city and county have used the Central Missouri Humane Society for animal housing and animal care services since the 1970s. The Central Missouri Humane Society hopes to break ground on a $20 million shelter and animal care facility in 2027, according to previous KOMU reporting.
Over the next 14 months, Boone County's health department will secure contractors, complete operational plans and remodel the building in spring 2027, according to previous KOMU reporting.
Council member Sharon Jones described the purchase as a necessary first step.
"I think we've been put in an impossible situation," Jones said. "We don't have an option to continue working with CMHS the way that we have been ... so this is the first step in many steps to get to a point where we are fully operational."
The city is expected to close on the property on Friday.
Flock Safety camera public hearing
The Columbia City Council scheduled a public hearing for Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. to discuss the city's contract with Flock Safety.
The city entered this contract on Oct. 9, 2024. Flock Safety cameras use automated license plate recognition technology to capture vehicle information that can assist law enforcement in identifying vehicles associated with criminal activity, locate stolen vehicles and develop investigative leads, according to a council memo.
Multiple Columbia Flock cameras appear to have been vandalized, according to previous KOMU reporting.
Arts and culture funding
The council approved $210,000 in funding for 28 grants supporting arts and culture programs from November 2026 through October 2027, according to a council memo.
Two additional grants will be submitted to the council for approval at a later meeting.
Columbia Values Diversity Celebration Event
The council approved an agreement with the Wyndham Executive Center to host the Columbia Values Diversity Celebration in January.
The city has hosted the annual celebration since 1994 to celebrate the life and teachings of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Wyndham Executive Center is the only hotel and event venue capable of accommodating more than 950 people for the breakfast celebration, according to a council memo.
Under the agreement, the venue will provide event setup, food, beverages and staffing, according to the memo. Expenses will be covered through sponsorships and ticket sales.
Columbia Regional Airport to partner with Avis
The council approved an agreement allowing Avis Budget Car Rental to lease office and counter space in the Columbia Regional Airport's administration building for five years, according to council memo.
In addition to rental fees, Avis will pay a concession fee equal to 10% of its annual gross profit or $2,000 per month, whichever is greater, according to a council memo.
Reports to the council
The council received three reports Monday covering historic preservation, social media policies and home weatherization projects.
The council approved a motion to hear a proposal from the Community Development Department that would require a nine-month waiting period before demolishing buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The proposal is tentatively scheduled to return to the council in January.
The city’s communications department presented potential policies to the council that could turn the city’s social media pages into a limited public forum. Currently, the city’s social media pages are a public forum in which “true threats” may be removed from comment sections. The new provisions may include deleting off-topic or other “non-compliant” posts, according to the council memo.
Insulting an official, using rude language, or expressing a negative or critical viewpoint that does not otherwise violate the social media policy would not qualify for removal, according to the council memo.
Implementing the proposed changes would require the city to hire an additional employee to moderate comments or reassign an existing employee from other communications responsibilities.
The council approved a motion to revisit the proposal at a future meeting.
Housing and Neighborhood Services reported completing 177 weatherization projects for low-income homeowners, including 146 insulation projects and 31 heating, ventilation and air conditioning projects.
The improvements were provided at no cost to homeowners and funded through $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding.
