City officials have begun a process that could expand the size of Columbia significantly.

Planning and Development Department Director Roy Dudark during a work session last night showed Columbia City Council members a map of possible areas for annexation.

The city now includes 55 square miles of land. The areas being contemplated for annexation comprise 36 square miles and include 17,000 people. The proposed boundaries would extend west to include the Midway area, east to but not beyond Sunrise Estates, south to the border of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park and north to Oakland Church Road.

While serious about holding a vote this year on bringing additional land into the city, the council faces a tight timeline to make the August election. At the same time, members are trying to be mindful of public opinion as they consider the first involuntary annexation attempt since the failed push to bring Georgetown subdivision into the city in 1989.

"This is going to be one heck of a contentious issue," Second Ward Councilman Chris Janku said. "Most people will ask, ‘Will I be better off?’ "

In addition to being contentious, the process for putting involuntary annexations on the ballot is difficult and cumbersome.

The first step for the council is to determine exactly which areas to include in a ballot issue. While the council made no firm decisions last night, it did direct staff to focus on the north, east and west sections: The north and east because of planned and recent sewer projects, and the west because it’s prime for development but limited by lack of city services.

Third Ward Councilman Bob Hutton said the selection of areas should be determined to some extent by the city’s bottom line.

"What is the cost to provide all of those services, and what’s the income going to be on the other side?" he asked.

The council also discussed how many areas to pursue. All areas selected would probably be voted on individually but on the same day.

After identifying the areas it wants to bring into the city, the council must pass a resolution specifying those areas. The city must notify residents of the targeted areas by certified mail; Dudark said those notices would likely go out about a week after the resolution is passed.

The next step is to create a plan of intent, which would detail how soon city services could be provided to the areas and what zoning is proposed for the tracts.

Approval of the annexations requires a majority of voters both within the city and within the area to be annexed.

If city voters approve the plan and those in a targeted area defeat it, a combined election could be held within 120 days if the city wants to proceed. In the second vote, a combined two-thirds majority of voters must approve the plan.

The final step is to gain a declaratory judgment by filing suit in circuit court and proving that the city has followed all the rules, that the annexation is reasonable and that the city can provide adequate services within three years.

If the council wants the first vote to come in August, it has about two weeks to decide on a map. If it wants the first vote to be in November, it has until May to approve a map.

"We may, for financial reasons, not be able to pick up all the areas," Mayor Darwin Hindman said.

"But that ought to be the ultimate goal," he said. "We ought to try to bring in as many areas as we can."

In other action last night, the council decided to advance the Sustainable Farms & Communities plan to build a $2.7 million Columbia Farmers Market Community Center.

While the council and SFC have yet to resolve some major issues, council members decided to send a letter to the Department of Economic Development indicating it’s negotiating with SFC so that the group doesn’t miss out on possible state tax credits. The council will hold a work session to hear from SFC’s Arkansas-based architect next month.

Kate Gorman graphic