At a meeting tonight, members of Columbia’s City Council are expected to vote on a resolution offering preliminary support for a downtown TIF district. The idea, which would fund downtown infrastructure improvements, would freeze sales and property taxes for up to 23 years – money from any additional future revenue increases would then be diverted to a special fund for those improvements.

Local leaders and the community are divided over the idea. Today on Intersection, we’ll talk to the city manager about downtown development in Columbia. In the second half of the show, we’ll ask the city manager your questions, which we gathered throughout the week.

Panelists

Mike Matthes has been Columbia’s City Manager since 2011.

Brent Gardner is a realtor and chair of Columbia’s downtown leadership council.

On Jan. 21, Governor Jay Nixon delivered his State of the State address, where he renewed his call to expand Medicaid in the state to low-income adults. Nixon also pledged an increase of $490 million to education at all levels, including $278 to K-12 education.

In this special broadcast of Intersection, live from the Missouri State Capitol, we review Nixon's proposals with a panel of lawmakers and journalists.

Panelists:
Representative Chris Kelly is a Democrat from Columbia who represents the 45th House District.

Senator John Lamping is a Republican from Ladue who represents the 24th District. 

Phill Brooks is the director of the State Government Reporting Program at the Missouri School of Journalism.

Missouri lawmakers returned to the Capitol last week to kick off the 2014 legislative session. While it is still early in the year, a number of lawmakers have hinted at what’s to come. 

In his opening remarks, House Speaker Tim Jones highlighted medical malpractice reform, so-called “right to work” legislation, and income tax cuts as part of his agenda. Meanwhile, Gov. Nixon closed out last year with a call to expand Medicaid coverage for low-income residents. 

Other issues that failed in last year’s session, such as highway funding, ethics reform, and bond financing for construction and repair of public facilities, could make a return this year.

This week on Intersection, we talk to several state lawmakers and preview the 2014 legislative session.

Panelists:
House Speaker Tim Jones represents the state’s 110th district, serving St. Louis and Franklin Counties. He was first elected as speaker of the house in Sept. 2012.

Chris Kelly is a Democratic representative for the state’s 45th House District in Boone County.

Caleb Rowden is a Republican house member, representing the state’s 44th district in Boone and Randolph Counties.

Columbia commuters may soon be able to take advantage of new bus routes as part of an overhaul of the city’s public transportation system. The project, tentatively dubbed CoMO Connect, could be up and running as soon as this August. The new plan scraps the use of Wabash Station as a central hub in favor of a connected network of neighborhood and downtown routes.

This week on Intersection, we discuss the city’s proposed public transit overhaul.

Panelists:

Drew Brooks is the multi-modal manager for Columbia's public works department.

Ian Thomas is a councilmember for Columbia’s 4th Ward.

Last week, Missouri lawmakers approved a package of tax credits aimed at attracting a new Boeing facility to the state. Missouri is just one of a little over a dozen states competing to house the new production site of Boeing’s Triple 777x airliner. The company is considering its options following a labor dispute with a machinists union in Washington state.

Missouri’s bid offers the company up to $1.7 billion over 23 years, with the exact amount depending on the number of jobs created. The state is also offering assistance with job training and a pledge from union groups to work around the clock without overtime to build the facility as quickly as possible. Gov. Nixon is widely expected to sign the bill before Boeing’s deadline Tuesday. The company is expected to announce a decision early next year. 

This week on Intersection, we’ll take a closer look at Missouri’s offer and talk about ways the state could best attract business in the future.

Panelists

Chris Kelly is Democratic state representative for part of northeastern Boone County.

Daniel Mehan is the President and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the state’s largest business association.

Brian Dabson is the associate dean of MU’s Truman School of Public Affairs.

Over the next few weeks, civic leaders will continue to pore over the details of City Manager Mike Matthes’ proposed annual budget, in advance of an expected vote by city council in September. 

The $414 million budget for 2014, which was unveiled in July, reflects Matthes’ insistence on ending deficit spending from the city’s general fund. Some of the changes announced in the budget include hiring three additional police staff, retooling the city’s public transit system, and cutting funding to CAT-TV. This also comes as city leaders discuss whether the police department needs to add new officers, and how to find money to pay for them.

This week on Intersection, we’ll take a closer look at the proposed budget, find out what it could mean for Columbia if approved, and talk about some of the other issues facing the city.

Panelist:
Mike Matthes, Columbia city manager

It’s that time of year again, when students across Columbia sharpen their pencils, pack their book bags, and prepare for the start of yet another school year. Tuesday is the first full day of classes for CPS, and it marks the start of a number of changes for the district, including new school start times, new school bus routes, and a new comprehensive high school.

This week on Intersection, we’ll explore some of the changes this year, and get a preview of what's to come.

Christine King, president, Columbia Board of Education
Michelle Baumstark, director of community relations, Columbia Public Schools
Susan McClintic, teacher, Alpha Hart Lewis Elementary

The state of Missouri is getting less than stellar ratings on its infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave the state a C minus grade overall for its roads, bridges and dams. According to that report released last month, 31% of the state’s roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and nearly 14% of its bridges are functionally obsolete. 

So what could be done to raise money for roads? How will the state repair its aging infrastructure in the future? And how long do we have before we begin to feel the effects? This week on Intersection, we’ll take a closer look at the infrastructure needs of the state, and talk about some ways to pay for it.

Panelists:
Roberta Broeker, chief financial officer, Missouri Dept. of Transportation
Bill McKenna, spokesperson, Missouri Transportation Alliance
Sen. John Lamping, R-St. Louis, 24th Senate District (joining by phone)

The Columbia Public School district is in the midst of deciding new start times for the district's elementary, middle and high schools. We discuss the options on the table and explore how the changes could affect parents, students and teachers.

Panelists:
Christine King, vice president, Columbia Board of Education
Mark Maus, principal, Rock Bridge High School

As the Columbia City Council considers a halt on downtown demolitions, we explore the factors that are leading to the recent spate of new development, and take a look at the future of Columbia’s downtown area.

Panelists:
Brent Gardner, chairman of the Downtown Columbia Leadership Council and member of the historic preservation commission
Barbara Hoppe, Columbia City Council representative for the sixth ward
Craig van Matre, attorney representing several developers including the Odles, who built the Brookside student housing complexes in downtown Columbia
Brandt Stiles, director of development for Collegiate Housing Partners, a St. Louis-based group seeking to build student housing on the Niedermeyer site in downtown Columbia (joining by phone)