One-time retention pay could be coming to Columbia city employees

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia City Council Members will meet Monday night to review several agenda items, including one that would give all City employees a one-time retention pay bonus if approved.

The proposed amendment to the city's 2024 fiscal year budget would provide a one-time retention pay bonus to all permanent employees.

The $2.5 million amendment would provide either a $1,500, $1,000, or $500 retention payment.

Permanent employees are eligible for up to three retention payments with a maximum of $1,500. The pay would be based on the employees' date of hire. The criteria would be as followed:

• $500 retention payment for employees actively and continuously employed in a
  permanent position on or before 10/1/23 through February 4, 2024. Reflected on
  2/23/24 paycheck.
• $500 retention payment for employees actively and continuously employed in a
  permanent position on or before 11/12/23 through March 17, 2024. Reflected on
  4/5/24 paycheck.
• $500 retention payment for employees actively and continuously employed in a
  permanent position on or before 12/24/23 through April 28, 2024. Reflected on 5/17/24
  paycheck.

Employees represented by the International Association of Fire Fighters will also be eligible for the one-time payment. The Criteria for their payment are as follows:

• $1500 retention payment for employees actively and continuously employed in a
  permanent position on or before 10/1/2023 through March 17, 2024. Payment to be
  reflected on 4/5/24 paycheck, or;
• $1000 retention payment for employees actively and continuously employed in a
  permanent position with a start date anytime between 10/2/2023 and 11/12/2023 and
  still actively employed in a permanent position on March 17, 2024. Payment to be
  reflected on 4/5/24 paycheck, or;
• $500 retention payment for employees actively and continuously employed in a
  permanent position with a start date anytime between 11/13/23 and 12/24/2023 and
  still actively employed in a permanent position on April 28, 2024. Payment to be
  reflected on 5/17/24 paycheck.

Council members will also review its Short-term Rental Regulations.

If approved a 3-tier structure for STRs would be implemented. The structure would see renters being granted a maximum number of rental nights per calendar year, which would be either 30, 120, or more than 120 nights a year.

Additional parking requirements and permissible zoning district locations in which they may be operated as either an accessory, conditional accessory, conditional, or permanent land use will also be reviewed.

The regulations would limit STR licenses to one per property owner or authorized tenant, require payment of lodging taxes, restrict certificate of compliance transfer, limit occupancy of dwellings to a maximum of 8 transient guests, and prohibit dwelling usage for special events.

The wording of the regulations includes revisions to the term "days" to "nights" throughout the regulations with respect to the "day limits."

Council members will also review a proposed ordinance about the location where roll carts will be required to be placed between collection days.

The ordinance would require customers to store their roll-carts near or up against the house between collection days.

The city is still in the process of distributing roll-carts to residents, automated pick-up is set to begin on March 4.