Columbia’s city council will be spending Thursday and Friday at a council retreat at Old Kinderhook in Camdenton. The council will be discussing several topics, including the future of Columbia and communicating and governing together.
Fifth ward councilman Donald Waterman tells 939 the Eagle that he expects there to be some continued discussion on President Trump’s executive order to end illegal immigration:
“I’m sure that we’ll probably spend some time on the issue around the what we tabled at the last council meeting around the executive order, and how Columbia wants to approach that,” Councilman Waterman says.
No council votes will be taken at the retreat. Columbia’s city council considered President Trump’s executive order at their May 5 meeting, before tabling it. The proposal they are considering changes language referring to diversity, equity and inclusion in the city’s strategic planning document. $13-million in federal funding is at stake.
The council retreat at Old Kinderhook begins this morning at 9 with breakfast and networking. Columbia’s seven city council members, city manager De’Carlon Seewood and department directors are heading to Old Kinderhook for the retreat. Councilman Waterman looks forward to the numerous discussions and would like to see more of this:
“Right now the way it’s set up it’s almost like we’re all thinking in our little seven individual silos and hoping that we’re all kind of thinking in similar directions when it comes time to bring it to council and vote on it,” Waterman says.
Another session is titled “speed dating with department directors”, where council members will spend time with each department director and be able to ask questions about that department.
