As the result of a rare tie vote during Monday night’s Columbia City Council meeting, Mayor Bob Hill cast the deciding tally to disallow ground-mounted solar power installation on residential properties.

The vote was taken following a lengthy discussion  during the Feb. 17 council meeting and a shorter discussion Monday night.

A resident who was denied one such proposal in January despite no objections from neighbors and seemingly ideal conditions for a ground-mounted system on his property shared his concern during Monday’s meeting, suggesting the council amend the ordinance to make requirements more stringent rather than remove the ground-mounted option altogether.

The applicant, John Czik, also spoke during the Feb. 17 meeting.

Czik explained he spent time preparing the permit application and working with a solar energy installation company to explore options which meet city guidelines only to be told of an “unwritten preference” for roof-mounted panels by the president of the Columbia Plan Commission during its Dec. 8 meeting.

Czik added the move would be “taking away choice from the citizens” and pointed out “the city’s made a dramatic change” since passing its solar energy ordinance three years ago.

During the Dec. 15 council meeting, Ward IV Alderman Steve Holtkamp spoke in favor of approving Czik’s permit, saying the property was ideal for a ground-mounted array according to the code’s language, suggesting the Plan Commission “misunderstood”   the solar energy ordinance. 

On Feb. 17, Holtkamp once again argued in favor of at least allowing residents to explore the possibility of having a ground-mounted system, saying the move was based on personal opinions about the aesthetics of those solar installations.

Following a report by Columbia Land Use and Planning Coordinator John Brancaglione, Holtkamp asked for clarification.

“I think the people who prefer solar ground-mounted (installations)… need to understand why we are banning this practice, and I don’t see that I’ve gotten any explanation here,” Holtkamp said.

Brancaglione explained it was a matter of convenience for the city due to the abundance of variables which need to be considered prior to approving a special use permit of that type.

He said the process would “be simpler to simply require roof-mounted systems because we would be doing special use permits from now until I don’t know when.”

Holtkamp responded he felt it was “very short-sighted of us and unfair to those who don’t want to put (solar panels) on the roof. I kind of want to know why, and I don’t know that you’ve answered that question.”

Brancaglione said the decision is ultimately up to the council, adding the proposal “followed what we thought we were hearing.”

City Administrator Doug Brimm echoed Brancaglione’s report of different solar installation companies having varying degrees of familiarity with Columbia’s regulations.

“The direction we seem to be getting is that residential ground-mounted is a concern,” Brimm said of his conversations with various staff and those in the solar installation industry. “We thought this was the best approach to alleviate frustration” with the application process, enforcement of regulations and in creating policy.

Ward III Alderman Paul Khoury spoke against allowing ground-mounted systems, reiterating previously-voiced concerns about property value and unsightliness of ground-mounted systems.

On Monday, Holtkamp reiterated his opposition to the amendment, saying “deterioration of rights is never a good thing,” suggesting ground-mounted requirements be modified rather than omitted as an option. 

Ward IV Alderman Jason Mayer also spoke against the amendment, explaining he received an email from a resident who reported roof-mounted solar panels would not be an option due to the house’s layout.

In addition to Holtkamp and Mayer, both Ward II Aldermen, Michael Lawlor and Lauren Nobbe, voted against the amendment.

Ward III Aldermen Jeff Huch and Khoury voted in favor of the amendment, as did Ward I Aldermen Jay Riddle and Andrew Hitzemann.  

With the amendment passing, ground-mounted solar installations will be removed as a special use for residential properties, although they will still be allowed as a special use on city properties zoned commercial and industrial.   

Aldermen unanimously approved the next item on the agenda, an update to the city’s electrical code needed to align with the amended solar energy ordinance as well as Ameren Illinois’s requirements regarding solar installation.

Later in the meeting, aldermen approved an addition to city code which establishes regulations for “stream buffers.”

During the Feb. 17 meeting, City Engineer Chris Smith explained Columbia is considered an “urbanized area” in the St. Louis Metro East, and as such is required to establish stream protection protocols to retain its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit as administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. 

The city is now required to have guidelines for any non-public works activity which would affect “blueline” streams, waterways designated as tributaries by the United States Geological Survey.

On Monday, Brancaglione noted the ordinance would “affect very little,” as Carr Creek in the southern part of the city is the only such stream which has the potential for future development. 

The ordinance has a “grandfather” clause which exempts any current development, projects already submitted for review and any work not yet submitted that is part of a planned or  “phased” development for up to two years after passage. 

The ordinance is intended to offset the impact of storm water runoff due to new development and protect streams from pollutants and erosion.

It also sets expectations for contractors and enacts safeguards during the initial permitting process and actual construction, also requiring post-construction verification.

Last year, the city was accused of letting developers install and use unauthorized and insufficient drainage systems, with the Joy View Acres Subdivision enduring repeated flooding during heavy rain events, leading to excess runoff which illegally drains directly into Carr Creek. 

The agenda packet for the Feb. 17 meeting includes a report of a fuel spill which occurred on April 19, 2024, in the 300 block of Carr Creek Drive in the Joy View Acres Subdivision – a property which abuts Carr Creek.

The incident led the Columbia Fire Department to request assistance from the St. Clair Special Emergency Services Association to identify and contain the “unknown liquid in a residential storm sewer.”

That incident and “post-construction drainage” modifications in the subdivision were perceived as problematic, leading Joy View Acres resident Eric Castelli to contact the IEPA.

Following what he described as non-action by the city regarding runoff in the subdivision for the past three years, Castelli told the Republic-Times an IEPA representative has been made aware of the alleged issues – although it is not known if that is the reason the city is now required to establish stream buffer protections.

In other utility talk, Mayor Hill spoke on a proposed rate hike by Illinois American Water reported in the Feb. 4 issue of the Republic-Times.

While the report only listed Columbia and Millstadt as customers of Illinois American, Hill said the report “incorrectly insinuated” that Columbia customers would also seek a rate hike.

He then explained water customers will not see a rate hike if approved due to the city’s current agreement with Illinois American that expired in 2028.

The city has previously noted its concern about rates once the contract expires.

When reporting a 12.5 percent increase in May 2024, the city provided information to its customers.

“Currently, the City’s agreement protects customers from an extortionary rate increase of this nature, but the recent filing does serve as a barometer fow what rates with Illinois American may look like for Columbia (in 2028),” the release stated.

It continued by saying the city was “optimistic” it could either negotiate an acceptable rate when the contract expires or identify alternative water supply sources. 

Those alternatives include “purchasing water from the City of St. Louis or another municipality, partnering with other local governmental units to construct a regional water treatment facility or constructing a city-owned and operated water treatment facility,” the release continued.

In other action Monday, aldermen unanimously approved an amendment to a special use permit which will allow the Sunset Overlook bar and restaurant  to provide entertainment from its front patio.

Sunset Overlook was the topic of controversy in 2020 when neighboring property owners alleged outdoor music and rowdy customers were disturbing nearby residents – in addition to pointing out such entertainment was forbidden by the business’s location in a C-1 business district zone.

Ultimately, Sunset Overlook was allowed to provide indoor musical entertainment.

“We are not asking to operate any differently than we have in the past five years. We’re asking for it to be formalized now,” Sunset Overlook co-owner Julie Ingold said during discussion Feb. 17.

Her comment caught the attention of Holtkamp, who asked, “Am I missing something here? You’ve been doing something that isn’t allowed with the permission of the city?”

Julie responded in the affirmative, adding that of the three official complaints the business received, a Monroe County judge decided the Ingolds and Sunset Overlook did nothing wrong. 

The amended permit now allows outdoor entertainment provided speakers are aimed westward toward Bluff Road and away from residences. 

Any outdoor entertainment must conclude by 9:30 p.m., while indoor entertainment may be held until 10 p.m.

In a personnel move, former Columbia finance guru Linda Sharp was announced as the mayor’s appointment as city treasurer.

It was announced Monday that the city will divide the roles of “director of finance” and “city treasurer,” creating an “accounting manager” position.

The move was precipitated by the resignation of former Columbia Director of Finance/City Treasurer Emily Voellinger.

The accounting manager will handle internal financial duties such as payroll and budget preparation while the city treasurer will be responsible for “external” and “fiduciary integrity.”

Brimm stated in the agenda report that “separating the individual who manages daily accounting records (accounting manager) from the individual who legally receives moneys and redeems warrants (city treasurer) creates a natural ‘check and balance’ system.”

Columbia City Council meetings are held at City Hall on the first and third Mondays of each month beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The meetings are live-streamed on the city’s Facebook page, and those recordings remain available on Facebook following the meetings.