Creating "Santa’s lap has gone to the dogs"

At the start of the reporting semester I volunteered to help a reporting student create a multimedia piece for the Missourian. As photo major, it was not required that I make one.

We agreed then that she’d choose the topic and I’d assist her with everything audio/video.

On Sunday, Allison Seibel and I went the Lizzi and Rocco’s Natural Pet Shop to photograph a fundraiser at the store. For about the past two years the owners have invited pet owners to bring in their animals for photographs on Holidays. Thus, on Sunday, Santa’s lap was for dogs too.

The photo sales, which many people used for greeting cards, benefited the Central Humane Society and Columbia Second Chance.

Allison and I met around 11 a.m. that morning and checkout the proper equipment. I gave Allison a quick lesson on the marantz, and we decided that, photo being sequence, I would be in charge of making pictures.

The event was fun to cover. We met many different animals including some cats and a parrot. People were very enthusiastic about talking to us about telling us about their animals.

Also, the event itself being photo opportunity, there were a lot of great images for me capture, Allison did a good job collecting sounds.

I would say that collecting audio and video is usually the fun and easy part. Editing is where the tough work is.

We started by looking pictures find selects while also gaining a sense of the narrative of the event. We then did the same for our audio. While listening the nearly 30 minutes we collected, we took notes on where to find good quotes and sound.

We then sliced and arranged those audio gems for about four hours Sunday evening. I’ve found that voices provide the narrative to audio slide shows. Each person acts as a chapter in the story. Once we had assembled a logical order of quotes. We use ambient sounds fill in gaps or spice up moments with great photos.

By about 9 p.m. on Sunday we had a slide show ready.

So on Monday afternoon, with Allison home bound with a cold, all I had left was writing a caption and submitting the piece. When I write video captions, I use them to introduce the piece or fill in any gaps. Words do a good job of describing the setting and saying tedious details like how much was raised for charity.

So, it was fun project to work on, and a fellow reporting student knows a little bit more about multimedia.

Here's a link to the story at TomNagelPhoto.blogspot.com

Amnesty program encourages rental property registration

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 | 6:16 p.m. CST

BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA — An autumn amnesty program prompted landlords to add 225 previously unregistered Columbia rental units to the city's records. It brought the total number of registered rental units to 22,940.

The exact total will remain unknown as more rental units are out there, but Leigh Britt, manager of the Office of Neighborhood Services, is happy with the results of its Rental Registry Amnesty Program. Between Oct. 1 and Nov. 15, Columbia landlords were able to register rental units to the office without fear of prosecution for noncompliance.

“The bottom line is this: There are many new units that are in compliance,” Britt said. “We believe that those came from awareness of the amnesty program.”

The Missourian reported on the program in September.

The city requires all rental units to be registered with the Office of Neighborhood Services, which is responsible for inspecting and enforcing maintenance in accordance with the city’s Rental Unit Conservation Law. The office issues a certificate of compliance to rental units that pass inspection.

During the amnesty period, the office received 209 new applications for buildings with rental units. Britt said the city accepted another 15 applications with amnesty after Nov. 15 because they probably came in response to the program.

Those new applications added 225 new units to the registry and will generate $9,408 in fees for the city, according to a report to City Manager Bill Watkins by Britt. A new application is $35 per building and $7 per inspection per unit. A single-family home is $42, a duplex $49 and a fourplex $63.

“A lot of them were single-family houses. There were some duplexes in there,” Britt said. “There were several trailer homes that applied as well.”

Britt said the type of applications likely reflects that the newly registered property owners are not professionally organized and didn’t know that the registration law existed when they began renting their property.

In her report, Britt recognized her colleagues Julie Giboney and Rose Wibbenmeyer, assistant city counselor, for their work on the program.

“This is something they had discussed and come up with,” Britt said. “Julie is our administrative support assistant, so she entered all that data into our system.”

Britt said the office might consider another amnesty period.

“We could do it every few years,” she said. “We think it served its purpose. We’re happy with the response.”

Now that the office has received the new applicants, the next step will be inspecting the newly registered properties.

“We will require that they are in compliance with code we enforce,” Britt said. “After those applications are inspected, they’ll receive a certificate of compliance.”

The new properties will be added to the long list of buildings for which the office is responsible.

“We’ve got a large ongoing workload of things,” Britt said. “Nearly 23,000 (rental units) — that’s a lot of work.”

Read this story at the ColumbiaMissourian.com

Writing about rentals

In early September, I wrote a story about the city’s law, which requires all rental property owners to register with the city. It’s an interesting subject because at that time the Office of Neighborhood Services knew of 22,715 rental units in the city. The implied thought there is that in a town with so many college students – over 30,000 of them – the actual number of rental units certainly exceeds that figure.

So, I wrote then of program to be approved by the city council to encourage landlords to register rental units by offering amnesty. The office’s thought was that many long time property owners were in non-compliance by not registering and were concerned that they would be prosecuted if they came forward. The other motive of the program was to raise awareness that the law existed, and the period would be a good time to comply with the law.

This week, months after, the story had fallen away from my mind’s attention, yet it was certainly time for a follow up. The period for amnesty had ended Nov. 15.

When my editor Scott brought to my attention a report by Leigh Britt, the Office of Neighborhood Services manager, I was ready to write a story about it.

The report seemed to show that the program was a success, having brought that number of known units to 22,940. I called Britt Wednesday morning to find out more about it.

I was most concerned with who was registering. I was wondering what the demographics of unregistered landlords were. Britt couldn’t say whom she expected in September. The program over, it was interesting that many of the newly registered properties were single-family homes and some trailers. This would indicate that organized professional landlords were already registered, but those who came into being landlords were not registered. In other words, I’ve read articles and seen books about how people manage when they unexpectantly become landlords.

Britt was very helpful explaining the how the program went. She’s the star of the story one could say.

But there’s a few things missing. In the report she mentioned an office assistant who came up the idea and the city attorney who may responsible for prosecuting non-compliant landlords. They would have made interesting sources, however they were busy with work while I was making phone calls, and I, a student-journalist, had a three-hour class in the middle of business hours.

My next step is the record request I’ll be filing for the landlords who registered. Britt couldn’t recommend a landlord source for me. I’d really like to answer who is an un-registered landlord and did they actually act in response to the city’s program. If there’s any news year here, I’d be interested in what my missing sources think.

Scott has directed to the Attorney General’s sample language for a sunshine request. We’ll see what kind of information come out of it.

Finally, the story is based on a report from Leigh Britt to the City Manager. When I heard the news, I wondered where it had come from besides a press release. Scott kindly showed me a new facet of open information on the city’s website. That means I’m ready to digging into all sorts of news from internal reports.

Homeland Security grant could upgrade Mid MO's bomb squad robot

On Dec. 8, I blogged about the city's potential to upgrade its bomb squad robot via a grant from the Missouri Dept. of Homeland Security.

Documents describe the upgrade and break down its cost.

The post is on the Missourian's civic life blog, The Watchword.

Columbia Transit boosts ridership with new routes

Friday, December 3, 2010 | 6:13 p.m. CST
BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA ­— After adjusting its bus routes in August, Columbia Transit has seen a significant increase in ridership.

Between August and October of this year, the city experienced a dramatic 12 percent rise in public bus use. That statistic dwarfs numbers seen from 2009 to 2010 — when public transit saw a 0.9 percent increase — with total ridership at 2,025,229 as of Sept. 30.

The new figures are cited in a report by the Department of Public Works. The report will be read at Monday’s City Council meeting.

“We’re seeing an increase on a lot of different routes,” department spokeswoman Jill Stedem said. “We are foreseeing that the number will be even higher.”

On Aug. 2, Columbia Transit adjusted its bus routes and schedules after a year of planning.

“We made pretty substantial changes to most of the routes, mostly to fix the timing issues,” transportation supervisor Drew Brooks said. The route adjustments were intended to solve problems of efficiency and timeliness in the transit system.

“The biggest change is getting our routes back on the 40-minute intervals,” Stedem said. “When the Orange Route was delayed, it delayed the whole system. That is one area that has changed for us.”

Comparing ridership from November 2010 to that in November 2009, considerably more people have been riding Columbia Transit’s Gold, Blue and Green routes, according to a report compiled by Brooks. Of those, the Gold Route has seen the largest increase in riders.

“It’s business as usual,” Brooks said of the new data. “Except the Gold Route.”

The Gold Routes, which connect MU to stops along South Providence Road and Old 63, have increased ridership by 46 percent, from 54,113 rides in November 2009 to 78,861 rides in November 2010. Since August this year, ridership has increased by an additional 55 percent.

“Every year we see the Gold Routes increase, and that’s the student population from the Old 63 area,” Stedem said.

“We’d certainly like to expand in that area,” Brooks said. "That kind of growth is really hard to accommodate without putting more buses on the street."

Columbia Transit is still working to accommodate the increase, but Brooks said increases in the bus fleet are limited by funding. At this time, the city can only replace old vehicles, not expand the fleet overall.

Next fall, the city plans to purchase three new buses, two of which will be replacements.

Although the increase in ridership has certainly increased transit revenue, bus fares are only 10 percent of Columbia Transit’s operating budget, Brooks said. The agency relies on federal grants to expand service.

Other routes have felt the boost, though not as profoundly as the Gold Route. The Blue Route, which connects northwest Columbia with downtown, has increased ridership by 19 percent since 2009, to 8,101 rides in November 2010.

The Green Route, which connects northeast Columbia with downtown via Paris Road, gained 17 percent more riders in the same time frame, with 9,539 rides in November 2010.

Columbia Transit also added the Black Route when it made route changes in August, adding 7,158 rides from August to November 2010. The new route connects MU and downtown with areas around East Nifong Boulevard between Old 63 and Providence Road on the city’s south side.

“We’re obviously trying to monitor these routes very closely,” Brooks said. “It is the first step of gradually changing the system.”

Writing about transit ridership

COLUMBIA — Reading a city a council agenda over coffee early in the morning is a great way to find news. That is to say discover news, as opposed to my coffee to the tune of the New York Times – reading news.
Thus did I start my day with six story ideas: a vote on dirt piles, allocating funds for an AIDS program a few days after World AIDS Day, a vote on TIFs, voting to build the pavilion at the famers markets, accepting funds for the city’s robot bomb squad unit, and a research on an incredible increase in bus ridership.
Doing a little researched I pitched three ideas to my editors, and settled on breaking the story of transit ridership before the council hears the report come Monday night.
I began my work with extensive research and source compiling. The report I read from the agenda pointed me to John Glascock, director of Columbia public works dept. Reading a Missourian article on transit brought up the name Drew Brooks who is the transit supervisor.
Trying to reach these two for perspective on the data got me to Jill Stedem. The spokesperson for the public works dept., I speak with her often. Today she was particularly helpful. After getting her knowledge on the case, she was kind enough to e-mail me some data that was more comprehensive and up to date than the original report I read.
Moreover, as I was trying to reach Drew Brooks through out the day, I at one point found my self transferred to her phone line. After I explained whom I was trying to reach, I learned that she generously called Drew Brooks about my questions.
Perhaps this is way he called me at 4:30, which is late for government office on a Friday.
So, Drew Brooks, who wrote most of the research, explained it quite clearly to me. Thus, did I finally feel confident with my stats, and I was able to explain to graphics – after several revisions- what the data was.
Plus, photo got a great picture of bus. It wasn’t of relevant bus line, but the caption is accurate.
Two things helped me get this story to the desk early. The first is I wrote as I came to know my subject. Before I had a lot of quotes, I had date written out. Second, I wrote specifically or rather selectively. Focusing on a few bus routes, as opposed to whole picture, made a concentrated story and probably more interesting story.

MU announces new endowment for veterans

Friday, November 12, 2010 | 6:20 p.m. CST

BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA — At least 300 veterans are currently enrolled at MU. Now, the university is working to develop a new endowment to assist them.

Announced on Veterans Day at the grand opening of MU's Veterans Center, the Mizzou Military Veterans Endowment is in the early stages of fundraising and planning.

“It was just established a couple weeks ago,” Annette Sobel said. “The fund is specifically for programs for veterans.”

Sobel is the chairwoman of Chancellor Brady Deaton’s Task Force for a Veteran-Friendly Campus and a retired major general in the Arizona National Guard.

The endowment resulted from meetings of the task force, during which members decided to pursue the project. The group was formed by Deaton in August 2007 to look at how the campus can be more accommodating to veterans. It is comprised of 28 members including MU faculty, staff and students.

Boone County National Bank is the first and only donor at this time. It made a contribution of $5,000 to the endowment fund after the bank was contacted by Sobel, said Steve Erdel, president and CEO of the bank.

“We owe (veterans) a lot. It was the right thing to do for the right reason,” he said.

Sobel said she expects more fundraising will take place, possibly led by the Mizzou Student Veterans Association, which recently participated in the MU School of Social Work’s Helmet Heroes art auction to benefit a scholarship in the field of military social work.

Like the funding, the plan for the endowment is in the early stages. Sobel said it would provide further funding to programs assisting veterans through the new Veterans Center.

“Some veterans who have been through wartime experiences have specials needs,” Sobel said.

In addition to providing counseling for students and university-employed veterans, Sobel said, the center will help veterans use opportunities they receive through the GI Bill and other government programs.

“The first step is to make sure all the constituents are represented,” she said of future discussions, which will determine exactly what programs the endowment will benefit.

“What we need to do is a baseline assessment of what the education needs are and where the gaps exist," she said.

On Halloween, tricks for adults, too.

Sunday, October 31, 2010 | 9:20 p.m. CDT; updated 1:10 a.m. CDT, Monday, November 1, 2010

BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA — For grown-ups, Halloween is still about costumes and jack-o-lanterns.

“When you get right down to it, adults have always been into Halloween since the sixties," said Arro Froese, owner of Gotcha & Getcha, a costume store on Tenth Street. "It’s all about costuming. There’s no age restrictions on Halloween, and I got the Halloween rule book.”

While carving pumpkins Sunday afternoon outside her apartment building on Ninth Street, commonly called the "J-Slums," MU sophomore Natalie Devlin expressed a college student's views about costumes.

“I’m wearing the same costume I wore last year because I made my costume last year," she said. "It feels lame to buy a costumes the year after you made one.”

For East Campus resident Sally Geniec, wearing a costume to Halloween parties is about being individual within the larger theme of the weekend.

“I just borrowed a fur hat from a friend and just drew on whiskers to be a wolf,” she said. “I went to a zombie ball where everyone was dressed like zombies Friday night.”

Of her wolf costume that evening, she explained, "I just put a lot of red marker on my face, darkened my eyes. It was kind of confusing for some people.”

Part of that Halloween theme is wearing a costume, and the notoriety it can bring a masquerader.

“Now that Halloween weekend is happening, people have been putting pictures online and getting excited,” Geniec said.

Thus, for costumed partygoers, a good wardrobe requires innovation.

“Kudos to the guy who was Abraham Lincoln, all-star basketball player," Froese said at his store on Sunday. "Any costume can always be a little bit better with just a little imagination."

At the store, surprisingly popular costumes were Katy Perry and Elmo, he said.

“We sold about 80 blue wigs on day two,” he said. “We’re not doing many Abbott and Costellos.”

For many, Halloween is about reinventing childhood memories or simply creating those that one had missed in his or her youth.

“My family, they just deprived me of so many childhood glories," MU junior Trent Hayob said while he carved his first jack-o'-lantern with Devlin on the porch of the J-Slums. "I only shot off fireworks once, and I was with a cousin because my mom is all against shooting off fireworks. But then when you get to your twenties, you’re just like 'I feel like carving a pumpkin." Why not?"

Hayob said he had big plans for Halloween in order to recapture his youth.

“We’re going to Necropolis later tonight," he said. "I’ve been to a haunted house before, but it’s been a long time. For a while you skip out on childhood things while you’re growing up because they’re not cool anymore.”

Froese said much of adults' excitement is a sign of the times.

“You got to understand that a lot folks between my age and the college-age kids we’re brought up in an age of fear, when you couldn't trick-or-treat in your own neighborhood, when you could only trick or treat at the mall,” he said. “Things are starting to loosen up. And all those young adults are like, ‘yeah I want to use a knife and carve a pumpkin.’”

60,000 expected to cast ballots in Boone County

Saturday, October 30, 2010 | 7:39 p.m. CDT

BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA — All the clamor surrounding the 2010 campaign will conclude Tuesday as an estimated 60,000 Boone County citizens join voters across the state and nation to cast ballots in the general election.

Boone County Clerk Wendy Noren made her turnout projection Friday based on the number of absentee ballots cast and the number of new voters registered. Noren said both numbers are up significantly from the 2006 midterm elections, when 58,175 county residents voted. Population growth might also make for a larger turnout, she said.

She's prepared for a busy day. “We had 52 (polling places) in April and August. We’re up to 79 now,” she said.

Although that should speed things up at the polls, it can confuse people about where to vote, especially if they’ve changed addresses.

“The biggest problem for voters is they don’t file a change of address before they go to a polling place,” Noren said. “If they go to the old polling place, they have to do a change of address and go to the new polling place.”

Noren emphasized that voters should check their polling place on the election notices they receive in the mail. Not receiving a notice is “a sign they should go to our website,” Noren said. Those without Internet access should call the clerk’s office at 886-4375.

The U.S. Senate race is likely to be the key draw for voters, Noren said. Columbia voters also will decide whether to extend a sales tax for parks and whether to ban the use of Tasers in the city.

Boone County voters will choose a new presiding commissioner, elect or help elect representatives in five Missouri House districts and cast ballots in the 9th District congressional race.

Statewide, voters will cast ballots on three constitutional amendments, the state auditor's race and two propositions, including Proposition B, which calls for new rules for dog-breeding operations.

In the city, Tom Mendenhall of the Friends of Columbia's Parks committee said he's optimistic about Proposition 1, which asks voters to extend for five years a one-eighth-cent sales tax for parks that's scheduled to expire in March.

“I feel pretty good about it. I don’t see any negativity,” Mendenhall said.

The committee was formed by Columbia Mayor Bob McDavid to promote the ballot issue. Mendenhall said members have spoken to civic clubs, written e-mails to neighborhood associations and created radio ads.

Committee member Meredith Donaldson also expressed confidence.

“I’ve been talking to friends and neighbors and even people in the grocery line,” Donaldson said. “We had a few naysayers at the beginning. Right now, generally, when I talk to people, they’re favorable.”

The more contentious issue, perhaps, is Proposition 2, which would ban the use of Tasers and similar devices in the city. Neither police nor private citizens would be able to use or threaten to use Tasers.

The proposition was placed on the ballot by initiative petition. Law enforcement agencies oppose the ban, but the group People for a Taser-Free Columbia hopes a grass-roots campaign has persuaded people to pass it.

“It’s a neighbor-by-neighbor campaign. We’ve visited 2,000 homes,” member Mary Hussmann said. “We’re not going for tit for tat with the Police Department. It’s not our style or a winning strategy or what we believe.”

Secretary of State Robin Carnahan predicted Tuesday that 2.1 million people, or 51 percent of Missouri’s 4.1 million registered voters, will cast ballots on Election Day. She based that estimate on a compilation of projections from the state's 116 election authorities. Carnahan, a Democrat, is also running against Republican Congressman Roy Blunt and two third-party candidates for the U.S. Senate seat.

At polling places in Boone County, a new tool will help speed up the voting process. Laptops equipped with scanners, first used here in the August primary, will match bar codes on voters' ID cards and drivers licenses to the names and addresses of registered voters. Noren said the system is faster and more accurate than finding a voter’s name in a book.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. A sample ballot is available on the Boone County Clerk's website.

The Missourian’s Voters Guide lists races, candidate biographies, propositions and amendments, as well as information on how to vote.

Council to commission study of airport terminal

Friday, October 29, 2010 | 4:59 p.m. CDT; updated 2:07 p.m. CDT, Saturday, October 30, 2010

BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA — We’re ready for winter was the the tone expressed by officials from the city of Columbia, Boone County and Columbia Public Schools as well as area law enforcement and emergency personnel.

The agencies met at the Activity and Recreation Center on Friday for an annual conference to discuss how they will coordinate efforts when cold weather brings icy conditions to the area.

On Columbia’s streets that effort should be cleaner than in years past, said Sam Thomas, street and storm water maintenance manager for the city. He said that this year, the city will not use cinders to treat icy roads.

Last year, the city used a salt and cinder mix for the first half of the winter and then moved to salt-only for the second half, said Jill Stedem, public information specialist for the city's Public Works Administration.

Thomas said public opinion influenced the decision to stop using cinders.

“The public does not like cinders because they’re dirty," he said. "But they do provide traction and don’t cost anything.”

They city will still keep a stockpile of cinders in case conditions such as extreme iciness or cold call for it. A new storage facility, a vinyl building, will allow the city to react more effectively to events calling for cinders, Thomas said.

“We can mix enough for that event, so we don’t have too much stockpiled,” Streets Superintendent Darrell Lampkins said.

Thomas said the city has 5,000 tons of salt stockpiled, but he will pre-order 2,500 more tons just in case. He said that in 2008, early river ice prevented barges from delivering salt to Columbia.

Thomas also said 13 roads have been added to the city’s snow routes in response to changes in Columbia Transit’s bus routes.

Although the city plans to move ahead with a cinder-free winter, Columbians may still see cinders on major roads.

“We try not to use cinders in town, but depending on a storm, it’s better to have traction,” said Dwayne Vandelicht, Missouri Department of Transportation superintendent.

MoDOT is responsible for state highways that run through the city, including College Avenue, Stadium Boulevard and Providence Road.

MoDOT has stockpiled about 600 tons of cinders. About half of those come from Columbia’s power plant, Vandelicht said.

Those cinders, mixed with salt and sand, might help MoDOT’s plan to use less salt than in previous years. By spending less money on salt, the department would have more money for roadway repairs next summer, Vandelicht said.

Another cost-cutting measure is that Boone County is one of two counties in MoDOT’s District 5 that will be allowed to replenish salt reserves from the headquarters, Vandelicht said.

“They know Columbia is important because it is so populated,” he said.

Columbia receives an average snowfall of 23 inches, but this winter has potential for more ice than usual, according to a prediction by Brain Kochel, weather center manager at Weather or Not Inc., who was also at the snow conference. The company provides daily forecasts and predictions for Columbia and Boone County.

Kochel presented diagrams showing the northern half of Missouri in a predicted nationwide cold pocket covering much of the northwestern U.S. and the southern half of the state on the edge of a predicted humid area covering much of the southern U.S.

“I guess it’s always great to look for the worst case and know you’re prepared for that,” Vandelicht said.

Writing about Red Lights

I’m usually nervous the night before a GA shift. I never know what will happen. Today’s went thanks in part to a big bowl of oatmeal and my thermos of coffee.

Around 9 a.m., I took a story about MoDOT’s plan to stop approving new red light cameras with the intention to study the hot issue.

When I first read the AP story and the St. Louis Post Dispatch’s original, I took notes on details and possible sources. Thinking about localizing the issue, I started doing homework on the Missourian’s website. I also went to MoDOT’s website and the city of Columbia’s to make a list of possible sources.

The city government must be exceptional about access. A page about red light cameras featured a media package from 2009, when the program began. I printed a page, with contacts listed, directly from the site.

I also wrote down some names of citizens –camera protesters from a year ago- who were mentioned in an article. The issue seemed to be the blur between cameras as a cash cow and public safety. To look into the cash side, I made my first phone call to the municipal court clerk’s office for some statistics. Shara, the clerk, was very helpful. Before I called I wrote down what data I was interested in, and it certainly helped us exchange questions and information.

Next I started trying to get in touch with some officials. Shara said that police dept. had some stats that I wanted. I first called Jessie Haden who was out of the office till Monday. When I called Jill Weinke, she asked me to e-mail her questions. I sent her an e-mail at about 11:30. Around 4 p.m. she e-mailed me back saying she forwarded my questions to Jessie. Jessie e-mailed Moday.

Getting in touch with Kevin Keith, the director of MoDOT, I simply called the MoDOT office, as there was no direct contact number for him that I could find. After one transfer I was told he was on the road. Leaving a message with a person in that office, I was very happy when he called me back around 11:00.

From 12:00 to 1:00 I went home for lunch, as I’ve learned most offices do the same.

Around 1:30 I left a message with Tony St. Romaine’s office, as he was out. A person in that office recommended him over Bill Watkins for a source of red light cameras.
Tony gave me some really interesting information that localized the story. MoDOT’s pause is actually affecting a local project. After speaking with Tony for a long time, I felt really good about starting to write. I tried calling some camera opponents but couldn’t find any numbers in the phone book and deadline was getting near at 3:00.
The hardest part about writing for me was organizing issues. There is the issue of the red lights themselves, the pause, and finally local side. To settle this I spent about an hour writing what I knew and rearranging as I wrote. I’m very happy with final piece. I wish could have had fewer typos for my editor. This what I’ll have to try to improve on next time I’m writing on deadline.

New delay on red-light cameras affects Columbia project

Friday, October 15, 2010 | 7:06 p.m. CDT

BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA — The city of Columbia had been preparing to install its sixth red-light camera at Range Line Street and Vandiver Drive. But an announcement Friday by the Missouri Department of Transportation has thrown up a road block.

MoDOT wants to study the cameras’ use on state highways and is temporarily halting its approval of new red-light cameras. Existing cameras are not affected.

Interim Director Kevin Keith said the decision came after a conversation this past week with his colleagues, during which concerns were raised over municipalities’ use of the cameras.

“MoDOT thinks red-light rolling cameras are a good public safety tool," Keith said. "We just want to look back and see if we’re doing it right.”

The delay in Columbia is because Range Line is also Missouri 763, a state highway, and under MoDOT's authority.

Gatso USA Inc., which operates the city’s five other cameras, is responsible for asking the state for permission to install a red-light camera. Assistant City Manager Tony St. Romaine said Gatso sought the approval for the Range Line-Vandiver intersection a few weeks ago, but MoDOT has yet to respond.

“Gatso has done a traffic survey at that intersection, and the number of red-light violations were sufficient to support a red-light camera going in there,” St. Romaine said. “We’ll certainly have to put that on hold.”

The length of the delay is uncertain. “Quite frankly we just got started," Keith said. "I don’t think it will be a long thing.”

Plans for a study have not yet been formalized, Keith said.

Although Keith would not give specific examples of concerns about red-light cameras, he said enough issues have been raised that the state legislature might consider banning their use.

“One of the issues we’re looking at is if we want to set a procedure statewide,” Keith said.

St. Romaine agreed. "My guess is MoDOT is receiving some pressure from legislators," he said. "Bottom line, there needs to be some statewide regulations."

MoDOT has the power to approve the installation of cameras on its roads, but municipalities are responsible for creating their own procedures for operating them and issuing citations, Keith said.

“If this tool is abused, there’s a chance legislation would be passed to eliminate it,” Keith said.

The Missourian reported in April that the state Senate passed a ban on red-light cameras as part of a transportation bill. However, that measure has yet to gain approval in the House of Representatives.

One criticism of red-light cameras is that they could be used as cash cows for cities, Keith said.

St. Romaine defended Columbia’s cameras. “We anticipated that this would not be money maker for the city," he said. "I can certainly say that we have a problem with people running red lights.”

Before the red-light cameras were installed, the city issued about 300 violations per year, St. Romaine said. Since the beginning of this year, 1,056 people paid their red-light tickets, totaling $125,353 in revenue, Columbia Municipal Court Clerk Shara Meyer said.

However, the amount of revenue generated has fallen short of projections, and the city has eliminated a vacant city counselor position as a result, according to its 2011 budget. Moreover, $41 of each $120 ticket goes to Gatso to cover operating costs.

St. Romaine said of other more profitable red-light programs, “I’ve read about some municipalities across the nation. I think a lot of those, who have high numbers of red-lights tickets, ticket people for right on red. We’re not in the process of ticketing everyone who doesn’t make a complete stop on a right on red.”

He added that Columbia’s red-light cameras take pictures of drivers’ faces, so a ticket must be sent to the actual violator as opposed to a car’s registered owner, as in St. Louis.

"We, I think, have gone above and beyond with our program to make sure we are really sending our violations to the actual car driver," St. Romaine said.

While MoDOT prepares to study red-light cameras, Columbia is in the process of reviewing its own red-light camera program.

On July 23, the Missourian reported that St. Romaine had asked city auditor John Blattel to study red-light cameras' effectiveness in preventing accidents, as well as the revenue and expenses they generate. That report is not yet complete, but St. Romaine said it could be used to justify Columbia’s future use of the cameras.

"I think we will continue to look at other potential locations in the city of Columbia while they’re in the process of figuring out what they want to do," St. Romaine said of MoDOT.

Council to commission study of airport terminal

Friday, October 1, 2010 | 6:55 p.m. CDT; updated 1:20 p.m. CDT, Sunday, October 3, 2010

BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA – At Columbia Regional Airport, planners are thinking about the future. On Monday, the Columbia City Council will vote to allocate funds for a study to recommend improvements for the airport’s terminal.

As more passengers fill Delta Air Lines flights, the only commercial airline operating out of Columbia Regional Airport, the terminal’s ability to handle future capacity is of concern.

“If another airline or Delta wants to add more flights we’d like to able to accommodate that,” said John Riddick of the Airport Advisory Board.

Before Delta Air Lines began service to the airport in 2009, its projected load factor, or passenger-to-seat ratio, was 42 percent. Based on that prediction, the airline began flying 34 passenger turboprop airplanes at the airport.

In February 2010, the airline upgraded to 50 passenger jets, and the load factor has been around 82 percent for three daily flights, said Jill Stedem, Public Information Specialist of the Columbia Public Works Administration.

“They went to the jets which were fifty seats and the load factor didn’t fall off, so there’s a lot of people there,” Riddick said.

Before the council is a proposal to allocate $33,700 for a conceptual study of the terminal, which would influence a possible renovation of the building, according to a report prepared for the city council by John Glascock, Director of Public Works.

“Design is not until 2014,” Stedem said explaining the purpose of the study. “Unless we get funding ahead of that it’s quite a ways a way.”

Consultant Reynolds, Smith and Hill (RS & H), who were responsible for the airport’s master plan, which was completed in 2009, would carry out the study if approved.

“They’ve been working with the airport staff for last two years, so they are well versed in what we need at Columbia,” Stedem said.

The plan details recommendations for capital improvements, but has some limitations.

“The master plan does not deal with the terminal itself. It deals with the runway and space around the outside,” Stedem said.

Future capacity is the key concern. Though the plan does grade the terminal fair to good for flow of passengers, acceptable delays, and level of comfort, it doesn’t make recommendations for improving the building. The master plan and officials predict that the current building won’t adequately serve an increase of travelers.

“Obviously as the airport continues to grow and commercial service continues at the rate it is now, we will need to find funding for this in the future,” said Stedem. “We had in the 1960s the building that we are trying to continue to utilize the best way we can.”

Riddick explained the barrier to further airport expansion is the terminal’s inability to accomodate multiple flights at once, as flights must be scheduled around each other.

“Maybe the time they’d like to come here is dictated by other airports. Larger airports will have time slots,” he said. “We can really only handle one flight at a time with the current building.”

Riddick said the study could deal with other space concerns, such as security and fire protection.

When security was added after 9/11, temporary buildings were constructed to accommodate passengers waiting for planes after passing through security, said Riddick.

If you go down to the airport, (the terminal) is a nice brick architecture,” he said. “I’d be nice to not have a temporary buildings. They’ve been there for a long time.”

Riddick added that the temporary building is too low to accommodate a Jetway from the terminal to an aircraft.

Another concern regards how the building houses the airport’s emergency vehicles.

“It was built, my guess, in the 1970s. The types of trucks that are available now are quite a bit wider than they were in the 1970s. Getting out is okay, but it takes a while to get back in,” Riddick said.

Riddick said that if a separate building could house those vehicles, like at other airports, the space could be better utilized in a redesigned terminal.

Although the conceptual study and tentative designing phase depends on Monday’s council vote, improvements are already underway. Stedem said that the airport will renovate its restrooms this fiscal year; Riddick said that more seating has been recently been installed in the terminal's waiting areas.

Mayor voices worries about parks sales tax proposition

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 | 8:28 p.m. CDT; updated 11:18 a.m. CDT, Thursday, September 30, 2010

BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA — Vague language, a polarized political environment and touchy ballot issues might hamper the continuation of the city parks sales tax, Mayor Bob McDavid said Wednesday.

McDavid expressed his concern at a meeting with Boone County officials that morning.

"We want this to be a well-thought-out vote," he said. "This is about the gift we give to our children and grandchildren."

The gift refers to the City of Columbia's parks and trails, which are funded by a one-eighth cent sales tax. On Nov. 2, voters will decide whether to continue that sales tax, which was established in 2000 and renewed in 2005.

To combat possible misconceptions about the tax, the mayor created Friends of Columbia's Parks to promote the proposal. The committee's formation, which is co-chaired by former Mayor Mary Anne McCollum and Columbia Daily Tribune publisher Vicki Russell, was announced Sept. 8.

"We want people to know this is a continuation of a 10-year-old vote," McDavid said, explaining how the language on the ballot might confuse voters. "'Shall impose,'" he said, quoting the ballot. "It sounds harsh and heavy."

Read the full story at ColumbiaMissourian.com

ROUGH DRAFT: Mayor voices concerns over parks tax ballot issue

COLUMBIA - Vague language, a polarized political environment and touchy ballot issues may hamper the continuation of the City of Columbia’s parks sales tax on November’s ballot.

Mayor Bob McDavid expressed this concern at a meeting with Boone County officials Wednesday morning.

"We want this to be a well a thought out vote," he said. "This is about the gift we give to our children and grandchildren."

The gift refers to the City of Columbia’s parks and trails, which are funded by a one-eighth cent sales tax. On November 2, voters will decide whether to continue that sales tax, which was established in 2000 and renewed in 2005.

To combat possible misconceptions about the tax, the mayor created Friends of Columbia’s Parks to promote the proposal. The committee, which is co-chaired by former mayor Mary Anne McCollum and Columbia Daily Tribune Publisher Vicki Russell, was announced Sept. 8.

“We want people to know this is a continuation of a ten-year-old vote,” McDavid said, explaining how the language on the ballot may confuse voters. “'Shall impose,’” he said, quoting the ballot. “It sounds harsh and heavy."

Committee member and former mayor Darwin Hindman agreed.

"First of all, I think it’s important that people know it’s a renewal of current tax,” he said.

He added that some voters might think the tax will fund projects by GetAbout Columbia, which builds bicycle and pedestrian projects through a federal grant.

“I think people see bicycle lanes and they think of those are for recreation purposes when they’re really for transportation purposes,” Hindman said.

In reality, the local sales tax finances only Columbia parks. He added that about 14% of sales tax is paid by visitors to the city.

“If we don’t support the tax we’ll have to use money from the general fund,” he said.

Hindman said that parks play an important role in health, family relations, and economic development.

“I think it’s important for people to understand how important parks are to the community,” he said. He emphasized how companies look at parks when considering moving to an area.

At Wednesday’s meeting, McDavid echoed that sentiment. He expressed hope that Columbia would be able to host regional sports tournaments with the addition of more soccer fields. He used the Show-Me State Games as an example of Columbia’s potential.

Another facet of the McDavid’s concern is that other propositions may affect voters’ decision.

“Our proposition will among some issues of contention,” he said, referring the proposal to ban Tasers in the city, which is also on ballot.

“We have a polarized electorate,” He said, indicating that voter negativity could cause the proposal’s passage to fail.

"The hope is that through their advocacy, the ballot issue passes successfully," said City of Columbia Public Communications Director Toni Messina, "They will also raise funds to conduct public education campaigns."

On September 21, the Maneater reported a $100 donation to the group by the Audubon Society.

Hindman described Friends of Columbia’s Parks, “We are assigned to go out and tell people and educate people about the benefits of parks.” He said the group would give presentations to different civic groups and be responsible for creating ads and brochures promoting the sales tax.

Proposal would put medians in College Avenue crossers' paths

Saturday, September 18, 2010 | 10:21 p.m. CDT; updated 5:16 p.m. CDT, Friday, October 1, 2010

BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA — The Columbia City Council will vote Monday on whether to seek grant money to build medians on some parts of College Avenue.

While area schools are in session, there are more than 3,800 pedestrian crossings per day on College Avenue between University Avenue and Rollins Street, according to a report prepared by Tim Teddy, Columbia's planning and development director.

A majority of those crossings, more than 2,000 of them, are by jaywalkers, according to a report by consultants Crawford Bunte Brammeier, a firm that specializes in traffic engineering. City planners are trying to change that.

A proposal calls for building waist-high medians down the middle of College Avenue between University and Rollins to block jaywalkers from crossing.

“One of the points is to channel pedestrians to where drivers expect them,” said Mitch Skov, a planner in the city's Department of Planning and Development.

Channeling that flow would be two crosswalks, 15 to 20 feet wide, one between Wilson Avenue and Rosemary Lane and another about 50 feet north of Bouchelle Avenue.

Read the full story at ColumbiaMissourian.com

MU police responds to bomb threat at Truman Veterans Hospital

Friday, September 17, 2010 | 10:32 p.m. CDT; updated 5:46 p.m. CDT, Saturday, September 18, 2010

BY Thomas Nagel

COLUMBIA – When campus police and a bomb squad unit responded to a potential bomb threat at Truman Veterans Hospital on Friday night, they were met with only an empty cooler.

MU Police Department Capt. Brian Weimer said police received a call from the hospital asking for assistance with the cooler, which had been left near the building. Police responded to the call at 8:17 p.m., according to the City of Columbia’s 911 fire and dispatch log.

“There was nothing in the cooler," Weimer said. "We didn’t anticipate anything, but it’s always good to check."

Five squad cars seen near the hospital, located at 800 Hospital Drive, were blocking Hospital Drive between Deans Drive and Monk Drive. A bomb squad unit vehicle was parked on Hospital Drive about 100 feet east of Deans Drive.

Around 9:15 p.m., a remote controlled robot came from near the hospital parking lot’s north entrance and was loaded into the bomb squad vehicle.

The police cars left the scene around 9:30 p.m.

“We just wanted to check it out and make sure everyone’s safe,” Weimer said.

Missourian assistant city editor Rebecca Berg contributed to this report.

City to offer amnesty to unregistered landlords

Neighborhood Services hopes to increase awareness of registry requirement

COLUMBIA - City officials know there are 22,715 rental units registered in Columbia, but they also know there are landlords who have failed to register their properties.

"We are certain there are more rentals in this city, “ said Leigh Britt, manager of the Office of Neighborhood Services. “We work to try to identify them.”

The Office of Neighborhood Services tries to register all rental property. Registration helps ensure it complies with the city’s Rental Conservation Law, Britt said.

At Tuesday’s Columbia City Council meeting, officials will hear a proposal to establish a period for landlords to register their rental property without fear of prosecution. Landlords who are unregistered ordinarily would be prosecuted for failing to comply with city ordinances.

"If they don’t feel comfortable, this is a time for them to come,” Britt said.

Read the full story at ColumbiaMissourian.com

City to offer unregistered landlords amnesty period (rough draft)

COLUMBIA - The city of Columbia knows of 22,715 rental units, but an actual total remains elusive.

“We are certain there are more rentals in this city," said Leigh Britt, Manager of the Office of Neighborhood Services. “We work to try to identify them.

The Office of Neighborhood Services registers all rental property. Registering property ensures that it complies with the city’s Rental Conservation Law, according to Britt.

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, officials will hear a report concerning a period for landlords, who would otherwise be prosecuted for noncompliance with the law, to register their rental property with out fear of prosecution.

“If they don’t feel comfortable, this a time for them to come,” Britt said.

Called the Rental Registry Amnesty Program, the plan would allow any property owner to register their property with amnesty from prosecution from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, 2010.

“After that period, Nov. 15, we intended to return to investigating and prosecuting unlawful rentals.” Said Britt.

The Office of Neighborhood Services has a variety of methods for finding landlords who are unregistered. Britt describes how they receive tenant complaints, research lawn signs, and compare utility bills to ownership.

“We don’t have a consistent way, but we come across them everyday,” she said. “We have some active cases, which we aren’t going to drop,” Britt said, explaining that amnesty is for those who volunteer to register.

At his news meeting on Friday, September 3, City Manager Bill Watkins speculated, “It may be cheaper to pay fines than comply,”

When registering a rental unity, an owner’s property is subject to an inspection for proper zoning compliance and safety hazards. Britt speculates that some landlords aren’t ready to pay for major improvements to their property in order to be compliant.

“There is a fee, which is minimal,” Britt said. She added that, “you agree your property will remain to code.”

A new application is $35 per building and $7 per inspection. Britt explained that is costs a single family home $42 to be registered, and a duplex $49.

“That’s good for 3 years,” said Britt.

After the first period, the price drops to $25 per 3 years and the inspection fee is waived. Moreover, inspections are not required if there are no complaints, according to Britt.

Currently, landlords face a fine not more than $500 or less than three months imprisonment if they are found to not comply with this law, according to the report prepared for the city council.

“We have an awful lot of property owners in compliance, we don’t think it’s fair that other property owners aren’t making the effort,” said Britt.

Britt believes that some property owners are unaware that a registry exists, but hopes the program would change that. According to the report, the Office of Neighborhood Services would promote the Rental Conservation Law with press releases, articles in City Source, and speaking with realtors and lenders who might have contact with landlords.

“Tenants can play a role a in this,” she said, encouraging renters to ask their landlords if they are registered.

“This program is about ensuring safe housing for those who rent,” she emphasized. “I think it’s city wide.”

Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture to accept electronic food stamps

Jonathan Guaya samples a basil leaf he picked while working as Adam Saunders tours the farm’s diverse rows of crops at CCUA’s production farm on the corner of Fay St. and Smith St. on Wednesday, August 4, 2010. At the farm, fruits, vegetables, and herbs grow organically and are cared for and harvested by volunteers.

COLUMBIA — Healthy food in Columbia is about to get more accessible.

Plans are in place at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture to implement a system at its production farm, located at 1209 E. Smith St., to accept electronic food stamps called Electronic Benefit Transfer.

"A lot of people live on food stamps," said Adam Saunders, president of the center's board of directors. "It's really helpful for people because you got to get food in your belly. We're trying to make it so that more fresh food goes to people."

Electronic Benefit Transfer is a system similar to food stamps that allows its recipients to purchase food with a debit card. EBT is already used at many groceries and convenience stores, and in a nation where poverty is often associated with poor nutrition, the farm's use of the system offers another opportunity for food stamp recipients to buy locally grown produce.

Another bonus: At the center's production farm, where buyers will be able to use EBT, the organization will use a buy-one-get-one-free system.

"Every dollar for EBT is worth two (at our farm)," Saunders said. "So, that will make it more affordable, and our prices are already affordable. That will make some fantastic deals on good, good food."

Saunders said the two-for-one idea came from the local nonprofit group Sustainable Farms & Communities, which is trying to implement that system at the Columbia Farmers' Market.

The hitch at the farmers market is that the group still has to raise funds to fairly compensate farmers for their food, Saunders said. Because the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture relies on volunteers, the two-for-one system doesn't present the same financial problems.

The center's production farm plans to have an EBT machine available within the next week, pending some final paperwork, Saunders said.

The farm sells fresh produce from 4 to 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The center also gives tours and accepts volunteers to work at the farm during those times.

Saunders encouraged people to come.

"This is a good time of year because there's a lot of things coming to harvest," Saunders said. "It's very exciting. It's a lot of work, but it's very rewarding. What we've been working for all spring is right now. The big harvest."

Bill Bellmer and his dog Louie inspect produce at the stand of CCUA’s production farm on Smith St. about half a block from College Ave. on Wednesday, August 4, 2010. Like all costumers, Bellmer was given a free bag of herbs with his purchase.
Cornish chickens are raised for meat in movable wire cage, which allow access to the valuable fertilizer they leave behind at CCUA’s production Farm on the corner of Fay St. and Smith St. on Wednesday, August 4, 2010. Adam Saunders, president of CCUA’s board of directors, told how the organization has added this flock since the City of Columbia eased laws restricting the domestic keeping of chickens in February 2010.
Broccoli grows as the sun sets over CCUA’s production farm on the corner of Fay St. and Smith St. on Wednesday, August 4, 2010. The farm sells it’s fresh produce, hosts volunteers, and gives tours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 4 until 8 p.m.