Columbia council approves DNR-required stormwater ordinance despite concerns language targets homeless
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia City Council approved a stormwater ordinance amendment Monday night in a 4-2 vote, adopting changes city leaders say are necessary to comply with Missouri Department of Natural Resources requirements despite concerns from some council members that the language unfairly targets people experiencing homelessness.
The ordinance updates City Ordinance 12A-178, which prohibits dumping refuse, rubbish and other pollutants into the municipal storm sewer system or waterways. The amendment adds language specifically prohibiting "human waste or litter from encampment activities or other gatherings in close proximity to any waterway."
The update is required as part of the city's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit issued by the DNR. The federal stormwater program requires communities to take steps to reduce pollutants entering waterways. The permit is shared by Columbia, Boone County and the University of Missouri.
In October 2025, the DNR told city and county leaders that their existing stormwater ordinances did not specifically address waste from homeless encampments. The agency said Hinkson Creek, Grindstone Creek and Hominy Branch had contained E. coli linked to human waste from encampments near streams and warned that failing to address the issue could lead to penalties under the Missouri Clean Water Law and potentially affect eligibility for state and federal grants.
According to DNR spokesperson Connie Patterson, the department expects to issue Columbia's updated MS4 permit by the end of July.
Patterson said the updated Stormwater Management Plan includes "measurable goals and reporting requirements" that will allow the department to track the success of the plan's implementation.
The proposed amendment follows months of discussions between the city, Boone County and the DNR over concerns about pollutants entering local waterways.
Before Monday night's vote, two members of the public urged the council to reject the ordinance, arguing the language unfairly singled out people experiencing homelessness and that animal waste and agricultural runoff also contribute to water pollution.
Several council members echoed their concerns about the wording, with Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll being the most vocal critic.
“I believe this was politically motivated rather than water-motivated, and it’s not my preference. I don’t believe we have an option of not having a wastewater permit. I don’t know if we have a workaround, and I regret that’s the situation we are in. I do find this to be acted on our community in a way that I don’t appreciate," Carroll said.
Ward 2 Councilwoman Vera Elwood also criticized the wording but added that she was reassured that adding the language would not change how the city responds to encampments.
“Knowing that adding these words in, that are required by us, will not change how we clean up these sites, will not change how we as a city interact with this community, I think that was incredibly helpful to hear," Elwood said.
Ward 6 Councilwoman Betsy Peters also acknowledged concerns about the language but said addressing housing remained the larger issue.
“If we can provide other places for folks to live. I mean, to me, that's more important than getting in a fight with DNR in a Republican state.”
Ahead of Monday's vote, the city's Stormwater Utility proposed the following addition to the ordinance:
"It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit or dump or to cause or allow the placing, depositing or dumping any refuse, rubbish, yard waste, paper litter, human waste or litter from encampment activities or other gatherings in close proximity to any waterway or other discarded or abandoned objects, articles and accumulations containing pollutants into the municipal separate storm sewer system or into any waterway."
The ordinance underwent a 30-day public comment period that ended April 10. According to city documents, four anonymous comments were
