From the Roundtable: Time to reinstate Depression-era legislation
The past couple of weeks have been tough on the business community, with dire developments affecting what I consider to be a most important aspect-consumer confidence. Fates and fortunes rise and fall with each day’s news amplified for better or worse by increasingly sophisticated communications tools such as the iPhone. There’s some history worth recalling […]
From the Roundtable: Columbia’s construction permit process a welcome development
The streamlining of Columbia’s construction permit process is a welcome development for the thousands of people engaged in that activity. Many of them have felt increasingly hamstrung and hassled over the years. City Manager Bill Watkins outlined steps his office and various municipal departments are in the process of implementing during the most recent CBT […]
From the Round Table: As budget conflict escalates, city should stick to charter guidelines
As budget conflict escalates, city should stick to charter guidelines Former city manager Ray Beck was fond of referring to Columbia as a “full service city.” By that, he meant a community that, over the years, has chosen to provide an ever-expanding rainbow of municipal services. Beyond the traditional city essentials, including police, fire and […]
From the round table: City must aim higher than Memphis as air travel destination
I know many people have worked very hard to restore regularly scheduled passenger airline service to Columbia Regional Airport, and they deserve our support. Mesaba Airlines brought back a handful of passenger flights to our airport just a few days ago, thanks to a $2 million federal subsidy. But to Memphis? Forget it! Sorry, but […]
From the Roundtable: Providence Road bridge ‘jumper’ highlights interstate expansion issues
While others continue to talk about the “jumper” who almost leapt off the Providence Road pedestrian bridge a fortnight ago, it’s time for business and commercial interests to have their say in the matter. Closing Interstate 70 for ninety minutes, with the consequent late-morning gridlock that enveloped Columbia, should sober us to the inadequacies of […]
From the Roundtable: Summer driving highlights traffic issues around Columbia
You can tell the summer driving season has begun because the nightly closings to repave portions of Interstate 70 have begun. Two westbound lanes of this splendid thoroughfare are now down to single file in the evening between Stadium Boulevard and the Missouri River Bridge while MoDOT performs its umpteenth surgery on the nearly half-century […]
From the Roundtable: Future of Columbia utilities remains uncertain
The most important matter engaging Columbia municipal officials right now is the future of its electrical power supply infrastructure conducted under the aegis of the Columbia Water and Light Department. Nothing else even comes close. The generation and distribution of electricity has been a municipal concern here for more than a hundred years. Somewhat odd […]
From the Roundtable: Missourian in transition as 100th anniversary approaches
Times are tough in the newspaper business these days and Columbia’s rare status as a city with two competing daily newspapers is clearly under siege. The Columbia Missourian, which turns 100 in September, is in trouble financially. For me, this is one of those difficult-to-write “glass house” stories about a media competitor. I believe the […]
What’s your frequency, CMDC?
When it comes to growth and development in and around Columbia, try using an imaginary radio dial to sort out the players and the groups they represent. Since each group is really just a little radio station with thoughts and ideas on individual “frequencies,” it’s an interesting exercise to see where each one is situated […]
From the Roundtable: Will Columbia be winner or loser as energy costs escalate?
In any situation there will be those who win and those who are not so fortunate and end up losing. As the cost of energy in this country escalates, some of the winners and losers are already well known. Today’s losers, though, could end up becoming tomorrow’s winners, and I like Columbia’s chances in this […]
From the Roundtable: City’s search for new police chief comes at critical juncture
City Manager Bill Watkins has added the task of finding a new police chief to the already-crowded items on his plate. It came as no surprise, since the possible departure was leaked to the press weeks ago. Chief Randy Boehm decided to step down as the department’s chief, effective in July, and he will join […]
From the round table: Power Lunch serves up optimistic outlook on Columbia’s economy
A fortnight ago, the Columbia Business Times hosted the first of a series of “Power Lunches” designed to explore significant local issues of interest to the business community. Set on the ninth floor of the Tiger Hotel with the carpet of Columbia laid out before us, we couldn’t have found a more fitting inaugural topic […]