Columbia City Council set to vote Monday on key development proposal and lodging tax ballot measure

The Columbia City Council is scheduled to vote Monday night on two key issues: a development proposal involving downtown and a proposed lodging tax increase for the August ballot.

The City Council meets at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

The Council is set to vote on a proposal to establish an administrative delay on the processing of applications for a building permit for multi-family housing in specified areas. Deputy City Manager Tony St. Romaine confirms testimony will be taken on this issue Monday night.

The proposal notes the delay would be within a 1-mile radius of an area bounded on the north by Elm, the west by Providence, the south by Stadium and the east by College.

St. Romaine says there is also an amendment sheet that will be added to this bill, so that it would also include demolition permits in the same prescribed area as building permits.

The City Council is also set to vote on a bill calling for a special election on the question of whether to increase the gross receipts license tax on hotels/motels. Testimony will be taken on this issue as well.

If the City Council gives the green light, Columbia voters will cast ballots in August on a measure to raise the lodging tax from 4 percent to 5 percent.

Supporters say revenues generated from the temporary increase would be dedicated to the Columbia Regional Airport terminal improvement project.

The Council packet says that from 2010-2015, COU experienced an 86 percent increase in enplanements.

The packet notes that the current facility is about 18,777 square feet, and that according to consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff, the existing terminal should be about 34,800 square feet to accommodate current passenger activity levels.

ABC 17 News reported last week that the Columbia Hospitality Association announced that it will not support the proposed ballot measure unless the city comes forward with a specific financial plan on how it will use the money for business operations.

The association represents a majority of Columbia’s 36 hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfast venues.