Council - Regular Meeting

Are you careful? All right, everyone, good evening. I have 5.30, so I will call this meeting to order. We'd like to welcome everyone who are here this evening for the July 9, 2026 City Council meeting. For those of you who are visiting for the first time, we say welcome. If you've been here before, we say welcome back. We also want to give a special welcome to all of you who are tuning in online via our YouTube live stream. We have no public hearings this evening, so we get to call or go right into our regular meeting, beginning with our roll call, Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McCullen? Mr. Huffman? Here. Ms. Sechrest? Here. Mr. Marshall? McElvey? Here. Mr. McCroom? Here.

here let the record reflect those members of council who are present this evening we will now go to tonight's invocation by marty atkins of calvary chapel as marty's making his way uh to the podium for tonight's invocation i would ask all of you who are able to please stand and then remain standing for the pledge of allegiance which will be led this evening by mr thad jablonski thank you very much and uh if you don't mind i'll actually read my prayer

Lord, we're so grateful to be a part of a nation where the people of our communities have the freedom to choose. We just celebrated 250 years of our nation's existence. We know that many of the early leaders of this nation were swayed by your hand of providence. and the decisions they made, they helped define who we would become as a people. And there are those decision makers here tonight in the coming months and years that will make decisions either small or large that will impact our community possibly for years to come. So I pray Lord that you would truly guide their thoughts and words and choices in such a way that would open the door for your blessing. In Jeremiah 32, 17, Lord, your word says, ah, Lord God, behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by a great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you. I thank you, God, for reminding me of that verse often whenever things seem difficult. I pray for your great power and outstretched arm to accomplish your will in the hard things that may lay ahead and give your wisdom to the good people of this council. Whether we realize it or not, we need your hand of guidance, and I'm grateful that this city council has allowed each meeting to open with an invitation for you to bring that guidance. May each heart here sense your presence. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you, and congratulations to the soccer team.

public which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice. All right thank you everyone that takes us to section four approval of agenda entertain a motion to approve tonight's agenda. Motion's been made and properly seconded. Any discussion on that motion? Hearing none, Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McClellan, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Seacrest, Mr. McKelvey, Vice Mayor McCroom, Mayor Mulder.

Aye. The agenda tonight is approved. Next section five, presentations. We have three presentations this evening. What I will do is I will read through the three presentations and then I'll invite members of council to join me in the well with those who were presenting to this evening for the official proclamation and for a photo. Beginning with item 5.1 presentation from our local army recruiting office of Columbia, celebrating the achievements and commitment of our future soldiers who have chosen to serve while strengthening community support for their journey. Item 5.2 will be a presentation of a proclamation for Parks and Recreation Month. And item 5.3 will be a presentation of a proclamation to Columbia FC 2011G. With that, I would ask members of city council to please join me in the well and invite our local army recruiting office and enlistees who are here this evening for a brief presentation.

Hunter.

Miller. Yeah.

whether they live.

Elijah. Ray in all red. Wall. Phillip . They have enlisted service All right. Next up we have. celebrating Parks and Recreation are an integral part of our communities. Parks and Recreation both health and wellness. Parks and Recreation both cognitive well-being, creating illness, depression. Parks and Recreation encourages

. . .

I just want to say that

WE'RE GOING TO MAKE YOU GIVE SPEECH.

I'd like to thank the department heads who do so much to help our department, our administration, of course, and our elected officials. And most of all, I'd like to thank you all for letting me be your first director, putting so much into it.

All right, appreciate it. All right, one more presentation. And it is a presentation that, actually I'd like to invite, go ahead and give him a round of applause.

Maybe next.

I've known. All right. , Justin Butler, , , , , , FTC needed its five-year-old . 2011 FTC 11 girls . Columbia, which . 11 day. Anything I always say to a young man is that you want to win in the championship. go down the line.

I'm going to come down here and stay on YouTube.

Y'all are having fun. Thank y'all, this is when I need to go. Good.

I'm sure that was you back then. All right, thank you for your patience on that. It's always fun and I think appropriate and necessary to recognize good work that's happening in our community. So thank you for allowing us to do that this evening. I will now move to organizational business section six, 6.1, approve the minutes of the June 11, 2026 city council meeting, entertain a motion to approve. Motion's been made, properly seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McCullen, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Seacrest, Mr. McKelvey, Vice Mayor McBroom, Mayor Mulder.

Aye, item 6.1 is approved. We'll now move to tonight's consent agenda, section 7. These items are deemed non-controversial, requiring no additional debate or discussion. I will read them collectively. We'll vote on them collectively. Subject to anyone wanting to remove any item from the consent agenda. Item 7.1, approve disbursements for the month of May, 2026, in the amount of $10,777,884.15. Item 7.2, approve and authorize the mayor to sign a no upfront cost citywide agreement between the city of Columbia and AllSource Enterprises LLC, DBA Safe Industries, to provide on-call emergency disaster response, recovery, and related services on an as-needed basis in response to declared or undeclared emergency events under its emergency procurement authority. Item 7.3, approve bid award and authorize the mayor to execute the contract with Galls LLC for police uniforms and duty equipment. Item 7.4, approve and authorize the mayor to execute an agreement between the City of Columbia and Off-Duty Management, Inc. Item 7.5, approve and authorize the mayor to sign a contract amendment number five between the City of Columbia and Lozen Associates in the amount of $27,000. Item 7.6, approve and authorize the mayor to sign a five-year connectivity and support contract between the City of Columbia and Temple, Inc. for school beacons and traffic cabinets in the amount of $37,481. Item 7.7, approve the purchase of a CAT 265 compact track loader in the amount of $152,060 from Thompson Machinery using state of Tennessee contract number 72878. Item 7.8, approve sole source purchase of six Caltrons base mount traffic cabinets in the amount of $62,118 from Tipple Inc., 7.9, approve the upgrade of traffic detection to radar detection using wavetronics as sole source provider in the amount of $370,870. Item 7.10, approve the purchase of a Cat 930-14A wheel loader in the amount of $245,098.20 from Thompson Machinery using State of Tennessee contract number 72878. Item 711, approve the purchase of an Alltech model AT41M bucket truck in the amount of $242,025 using source well contract number 110421ALT. Item 7.12, approve the purchase of a CCTV HD camera system from the Sansom Equipment Company in the amount of $130,530.69 using source code contract number 120721EVS. Item 7.13, ratify the approval of the signed contract with BAM2 Inc. for the construction of the Royal Oaks Sewage Pump Station replacement in the amount of $948,803.00. Item 714, approve and authorize the mayor to execute a contract with an amendment with Pape Dawson Consulting Engineers, LLC, for engineering services related to Garden Street Roadway and streetscape improvements in the amount of $98,500. Item 715, approve the purchase of a 9009 John Deere turf mower in the amount of $102,139.44 using the source well contract. Item 16, approve and authorize the mayor to sign the non-exclusive use and occupancy grant for the City of Columbia and the Columbia FC Corporation for the 2026 season, awards one and four. And item 717, approve and authorize the mayor to sign a non-exclusive use and occupancy permit to the City of Columbia and honor martial arts for the 2026 season. That is your consent agenda. Item 7.1 through 7.17, entertain a motion to approve. Motion's been made. Properly seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McCullen. Mr. Huffman. Ms. Sechrist. Mr. McKelvey. Vice Mayor McBroom. Mayor Mulder.

Aye. The consent agenda is approved. Moving on now to Section 8, Administration. Item 8.1, approve the contractual agreement to the City of Columbia and keep Murray beautiful in the amount of $8,000. Motion's been made. Properly seconded.

Any discussion?

Hearing none, Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McClellan, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Seacrest, Mr. McKelvey, Vice Mayor McBroom, Mayor Mulder.

Aye, that item is approved. Next item, 8.2, approve the contractual agreement for economic development services between the City of Columbia and Murray County Chamber and Economic Alliance amount of $140,000. Okay. Been moved and properly seconded by Councilman McKelvey. Any discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McClellan, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Sechrist, Mr. McKelvey, Vice Mayor McBroom, Mayor Mulver.

Aye, that item is approved. Next item, 8.3, approve the contractual agreement between the City of Boney and Murray County Regional Airport Authority in the amount of $10,000. Motion's been moved. Properly seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none. Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McClellan. Mr. Huffman. Ms. Segrist. Mr. McKelvey. Vice Mayor McBroom. Mayor Mulver.

Aye. That item is approved. Next item, 8.4. Approve the contractual agreement between the City of Columbia and Murray County Senior Citizen Center, Inc. in the amount of $58,000. Motion's been made. Properly seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McClellan, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Seacrest, Mr. McKelvey, Vice Mayor McCroom, Mayor Mulder.

Aye, that item is approved. Next item, final item under this section, 8.5, approve the contractual agreement to the City of Columbia and Tennessee Rehabilitation Center in the amount of $17,000. Commission has been made. Properly seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Zablonski.

Mr. McCullen. Mr. Huffman. Ms. Seekers. Mr. McKelvey. Vice Mayor McBroom. Mayor Mulver.

Aye. That item is approved. We'll move on now to Section 9, Resolutions. Item 9.1, Resolution 2641, a resolution to accept the public street and drainage improvements serving Columbia Rock Road for ownership and maintenance. Motion's been made. Properly seconded. Any discussion on item 9.1? Hearing none, Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McClellan, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Seekers, Mr. McDelvey, Vice Mayor McBroom, Mayor Mulver.

Aye, that item is approved. Next item, 9.2, Resolution 2642, Tax Corrections. been moved and probably saying any discussion. Hearing none. Mr. Sponsky.

Mr. McCullen. Mr. Huffman. Mr. Seekers. Mr. McKelvey. Vice Mayor McBroom. Mayor Mulvaney.

Aye. That item is approved. Next item, 9.3, Resolution Numbers 2643 through 2651, Resolutions Authorizing Appropriations for Financial Aid to Nonprofit Organizations Who Services Benefit the General Welfare of the Residents of the City of Columbia in accordance with TCA Section 654111. Second. Motion's been made properly seconded by Vice Mayor. Any discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Zablonski.

Mr. McClellan, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Sechrist, Mr. McKelvey, Vice Mayor McBroom, Mayor Mulder.

Aye, that item is approved. Next item is 9.4, Resolution 2652, a resolution to ratify the City of Columbia's application for the 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant. Accept the award and authorize the mayor to execute documents related to accepting and administering the grant project. Motion's been made and properly seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Zabonski.

Mr. McClellan, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Seekers, Mr. McKelvey, Vice Mayor McBroom, Mayor Mulder.

Aye, that item is approved. Last item under this section, 9.5, resolution number 2653, a resolution accepting a donation of $500 to the City of Columbia Arts Council.

Second.

Commission has been made properly seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McClellan, Mr. Hubman, Ms. Seekers, Mr. McKelvey, Vice Mayor Mulder.

That item is approved. Council Member McClellan lodges his aye vote. Is that correct, Council Member? All right. For the record. All right, we'll move on now to section 10 ordinances. Item 10.1, second consideration on ordinance number 4591 to amend the Columbia Municipal Code by adding section 12108 to Title 12, Chapter 1 pertaining to minimum design standards for fire prevention, fire protection, and building and construction safety for government-owned buildings. The motion has been made. Properly seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none. Mr. Spunk.

Mr. McCullen. Mr. Huffman. Ms. Segrist.

Mr. McKelvey. Aye.

Vice Mayor McBroom. Aye. Mayor Mulder.

Aye. That item is approved. Next item, 10.2, second consideration of ordinance number 4592, an ordinance to amend the Columbia Municipal Code by adding section 10108 to title 10 chapter 1 to regulate and prohibit the sale, transfer, display, and giveaway of dogs, cats, and domestic rabbits in public outdoor spaces.

Second.

The motion has been made. Properly seconded. Any discussion on that matter? Hearing none. Mr. Blunt.

Mr. McClellan. Mr. Huffman. Ms. Seacrest. Mr. McKelvey. Vice Mayor McBroom. Mayor Moulton.

Aye. That item is approved. 10.3, second consideration of ordinance number 4593, an ordinance conveying a 20-foot-wide sewer easement to John C. Davenport for property located on tax map 100G, group A, parcel 32.07.

Make a motion to approve.

Motion's been made. Properly seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McCullen, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Sechrist, Mr. McKelvey, Vice Mayor McBroom, Mayor Mulder.

Aye, that item is approved. That takes us to section 11, public comments. We do have an individual who signed up to speak this evening under public comments, Mr. Connor Lehman. So Layman, if you would like to come up, if you'll provide your name and address, you'll have the floor for three minutes and you're on the clock. Thank you. Good evening.

Thank you for the three minutes. Let me be clear about what this is up front, because I know how it sounds when somebody walks in to talk about hemp. This is not about weed. It's not about getting high. It's about illegal Tennessee industry getting handed to its own competitor by law. I'm Connor. I'll be honest. I'm not from Columbia. I'm from Brentwood, Williamson County. But this isn't a Columbia problem or a Williamson County problem. It's happening all over the state. The businesses and towns just like this one. The law is House Bill 1376. The full ban kicked in about a week ago, July 1st. It bans a whole category of hemp products that have been sold legally here for years. It ends online sales and it moves the entire industry out from under the Department of Agriculture and puts it under the Alcoholic Beverage Commission. the same folks who regulate liquor. Here's the part I really want you to hear. Step one, they banned the products that were most of these shops' business. For a lot of these little stores, that was more than half their sales, just gone. Step two, it's the part that tips their hand. whatever's still legal after the ban a shop cannot buy it the way it used to before this a local shop bought straight from a tennessee grower direct a handshake now that's against the law everything got to run through middleman first a wholesaler the grower sells to the wholesaler the shop buys from the wholesaler and that's the only way it allowed to work here's the catch to be one of those wholesalers you have to have at least 750 000 in capital So no regular business is gonna be clearing that bar, no regular local business at least. They're locked out of the one spot that actually controls the supply. It's the same exact wholesale license built for wine, liquor and beer run by the same commission. So it goes to whoever already has that license, that money in those warehouses. And I'm not just guessing who that is. This past fall, the National Beer, Wine, and Spirits Wholesalers wrote to Congress asking them to bring hemp under the alcohol system because in their own words, alcohol sales have been sliding and hemp helps them meet demand. And reporting on Tennessee's law specifically found the three-tier setup was pushed by the alcohol wholesaler lobby. Whose stated goal is a system where they get a cut of everything that moves through it. A hemp shop owner here put it as plain as it gets. This wipes out small business and hands the whole thing to an industry that never even worked with a product in the first place. And look, I'll be fair, someone could ask, what's wrong with regulating hemp like alcohol? And honestly, nothing, if that's what they did. If they had, this stuff would be on the shelf, legal, taxed, and carded just like a six pack. But that's not this. They banned most of it and made whatever's left crawl through the middle, man, only the big money and afford to be. And here's what it tells me. This is why I don't think this is about safety. They already regulated this back in 2023, age limits, testing, taxes, licensing, all of it for two years. Then they tried to ban it through the agency. and a court told them no. They did not have the authority, so they passed it as a law instead. Same ban they've already been told they couldn't do just through a different door. It's in federal court right now, and it's putting real people out of work as we speak. So here's where I'll land it. I'm sorry, I did a good job. I gave you a little bit of extra time.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for being here this evening. Thank you. Okay, that takes care of our public comments this evening. We now move to section 12, other business. Any member of council have anything for the good of council to discuss or mention? Seeing none, I would like to say thanks to everyone involved with First Fridays and Fourth of July and all the festivities and activities. I know the weather was a little bit of a bummer, but it's hard to be too upset when we have rain in June and July. And we had some rain today, but we do. It was the buildup for the event was phenomenal. And unfortunately, I didn't get to fully execute again because of the weather. But there was a lot of work that was put into it up to that point across the departments. And we appreciate that. There's no other business to be had.

Everybody think about Kenny. He had his foot operated. But we know what that means. And he's been getting back to his bike. He's in good shape.

Well, we need to let Kenny Marshall know that he had the final word about his foot. So with that said, we'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

Motion to adjourn.

Motion's been made by Councilmember Huffman. Second. Seconded by the Vice Mayor of the City of Columbia. Any discussion on that? Hearing none, we'll take the vote. Mr. Jablonski.

Mr. McClellan. Mr. Huffman. Mr. Seacrest. Mr. McKelvey.