A number of items were approved during the Jan. 20 Columbia City Council meeting, including another waiver of bidding requirements for ongoing efforts to repair Valmeyer Road.

Last Tuesday night, Columbia City Administrator Doug Brimm offered an update on the project which began earlier this month to repair a “slope failure” of the roadway caused by heavy rains in April. 

Brimm reported the city received word it will not be required to purchase any potentially costly stream mitigation credits required by environmental agencies when waterways are disturbed during a public works project.

Brimm thanked Columbia Engineer Chris Smith for working with the relevant parties to propose “improvements made downstream to offset the perceived impact” of the repair work.

There will be a cost associated with those improvements, though.

Brimm explained the city believed its public works department could manage the improvements consisting mostly of riprap and other rock along Carr Creek west of the project site.

The decision to bring in outside labor was made in hopes of completing the repairs as soon as possible.

In another time-saving measure, aldermen last Tuesday night approved waiving the formal bidding process required for projects exceeding $25,000. 

The city approved a similar measure last month when ordering concrete culverts for the same project, also as a time-saving measure.

Brimm explained the city would still contact a minimum of three vendors for the project, which will include labor and material cost.

Smith added that the final expense will not be known until all the materials are purchased. The amount of rock needed will not be known until that aspect of the project has begun.

He explained that the contract will likely be composed with the cost linked to the amount of rock purchased for the project.

Smith added time is of the essence due to the concurrent work on the Bluff Road bridge, and with the possibility of work vehicles using adjacent fields as turnabouts, Smith wants to have work completed before rains soften the soil and spring planting begins.

Bids are expected to be submitted prior to an authorization vote during the next council meeting Feb. 2.

Progress on Valmeyer Road was the topic of discussion not only during Tuesday night’s Columbia City Council meeting, but also Tuesday morning’s Monroe County Board session.

During discussion of the ongoing Bluff Road bridge project with commissioners, Casey Carnahan of the Monroe County Highway Department noted the speedy work of crews on the Valmeyer Road slope failure repair work that began last week.

That momentum has likely been slowed as Columbia and the rest of the St. Louis area continue to deal with about eight inches of snow from a winter storm that made its way through Monroe County over the weekend.

Alderman also approved a motion intended to finalize purchase of property to be used as the home for most of Columbia’s city services.

The ordinance authorizes Columbia Mayor Bob Hill to sign a loan agreement with Bank of Belleville (the parent organization for Bank of Monroe County in Waterloo) to borrow $6.9 million to purchase property at 11800 Bluff Road.

The city announced in August its plans to purchase the property and building belonging to DeRossett Investments LLC just north of the 11 South Complex for use as a future municipal complex. 

Additional construction plans estimated at $8.5 million will relocate the headquarters of the Columbia Police Department into a planned addition to the existing building and house Columbia EMS operations  in a proposed new building on the property.

The $6.9 million loan will be used for “short-term bridge financing” to satisfy the purchase contract on the existing property. 

The loan will have a term of 12 months with a n interest rate of 3.55 percent – the lowest available – and it is tax-exempt.

“This borrowing will provide interim financing for the property acquisition,” Brimm said, adding that the “loan will count toward the city’s statutory debt limit.”

When plans to establish a new municipal complex were announced, the city said it planned to “leverage capacity from existing bonds set to mature in the coming years” in order to eliminate a tax hike.

Last Tuesday, Brimm said the loan is expected to be refinanced pending issuance of long-term general obligation bonds, although it was not stated how the proposed bonds would affect Columbia residents’ property tax bills.

In other business, a resolution was passed to set up a repayment system to Red Roof Lottery & Liquor to offset the impact of the city’s Route 3/I-255 Business District which went into effect at the beginning of 2025.

The business district adds a 1 percent sales tax to any purchases within the business district for a 23-year period. The additional tax revenue collected is set aside to be used only for qualified improvements to businesses within the business district. 

Realizing the additional tax’s potential impact on motor fuel sales, the city allowed for reimbursement of the 1 percent sales tax to Red Roof for total certified fuel sales.

Brimm explained the funds could not be drawn from the business district funds, rather, the payments would be made from the city’s general fund. 

In summarizing the gist of the agreement, Ward IV Alderman Steve Holtkamp asked if the resolution were akin to the city making its own investment in the business district, to which Brimm replied, “that’s a good way to look at it.”

Brimm added the city and owner of Red Roof could revisit the current agreement if improvements were proposed during the business district term.

The first item of business approved created a “mobile bartender” classification in the city’s liquor  licensing code.

Brimm explained the license would be issued only to “bona fide mobile bartending businesses incorporated within the City of Columbia with their registered office and principal place of business located within the city.” 

This license also authorizes the retail sale, dispensing and service of alcoholic liquor at private parties or private events. 

Alderman also approved a proposal from Curry & Associates Engineers Inc. to provide “necessary documents” needed for an initial loan assistance application to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for mandated upgrades to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

The cost of the engineering services is not to exceed $30,000.

Smith noted that a “max compliance” deadline for wastewater treatment upgrades is nine years away, but also noted the IEPA application is a needed first step in what he predicted will be a drawn-out process.

For the last agenda item prior to closed session, the council awarded a low bid of $928,546.94 to DMS Contracting Inc. for construction of the a walking trail and bridge at Creekside Park.

The bid includes construction of a 123-foot long pedestrian bridge to connect the GM&O Heritage Trail to Creekside Park, 2,200 feet of a shared-use trail to connect Creekside Park to Rueck Road as well as sidewalk improvements along Rueck Road.