CBT | The Home & Real Estate Issue 2023

THE HOME & REAL ESTATE ISSUE

DELTON AND AMANDA JACOBS , father/daughter owners of Jacobs Property Management.

MEET THE PCE PRINCIPALS

The PCE team has proudly served mid-Missouri since 1912. With over 100 years of crafted expertise in commercial construction, we have remained dedicated to building reliable, functional, beautiful buildings across Missouri.

PCE’s legacy is defined by the work we do and the relationships we build, and we always strive to exceed expectations.

Call: (573) 442-1113 Visit: www.pce-mo.com

The 100% Professional Provider Mortgage

Becoming a professional provider took years of training and hard work. Now, let’s get you home. Our 100% Professional Provider Mortgage program can help you overcome common obstacles to buying a home—such as the down payment—offering more flexibility.

Wade Horn, Lisa Johnson, Ryan McCullem, Matt Robe & Steven Stepanovic

Meet the Advisory Board for COMO Business Times

CBT ’s advisory board is made up of industry leaders and small business owners who help ensure CBT ’s content is relevant to our local business community.

ERIC MORRISON President Sundvold Financial STEVE SPELLMAN Senior Investment Officer The Bank of Missouri

SUZANNE ROTHWELL Vice President Advancement Division Columbia College MEGAN WALTERS Founder & Team Lead The Walters Team, eXp Realty

BRIAN TOOHEY CEO Columbia Board of REALTORS®

MATT MCCORMICK President Columbia Chamber of Commerce

MATT MOORE Retired Shelter Insurance

JEN HEDRICK President SOA Architecture

SHAWN BARNES Director of Business Development and Recruiting Williams-Keepers LLC

MIKE GRELLNER Vice President Plaza Commercial Realty

BROOKE BERKEY VP Relationship Manager Central Bank

NICKIE DAVIS Executive Director The District, Downtown CID

Reflecting on what to write for my publisher’s letter, I thought of all the places I’ve called home. I’ve lived in Carl Junction, a tiny suburb of Joplin, MO, as a single mother creating a safe space for myself and three small children, and that was home because I was born there and my family was close by. I’ve lived in Columbia where I had my fifth child, and that was home because we were raising our family and had found a church to belong to. I’ve lived in Boonville where we decided to raise our littles in a small-town environment on a small farm we all loved, and that was home as we tended chickens and gardened and fished in our pond. And then as a single mother again, I’ve chosen to come home to Columbia because it’s truly become and will always be my home with my dear friends and colleagues. Even my business is named after it. But whatever town I was in, I was fortunate to always have a safe place to call home.

I’ve had tiny houses and larger houses and most of my Pinterest board is about the dream house that I will someday build. But we aren’t all so blessed to have the comfort and security of a home we can call ours. Columbia has its own share of problems, but there is one that really stands out. Some of you may not even think of this as a problem, but it is one that touches many other things that you do see. There is an extreme lack of affordable housing in our community which has created tenuous situations for many of our families. Without a secure and safe home, children find it difficult to attend and succeed in school. With the stress of an ever-changing home situation, instances of domestic violence rise. The ability to find and keep work and even transportation to and from work and school all can be attributed to if that family has a steady and secure housing situation. It’s a problem that has a wide ripple effect.

Some people call it workforce housing. Some call it affordable housing. Regardless of the name, we need more of it. The Columbia Housing Authority has hundreds of people on the waiting list. As many as 1300 Columbia families qualify for housing, but the inventory isn’t there. Randy Cole and the Columbia Housing Authority have great plans to address this, but it’s not enough. The price of materials is high. The building codes are arduous and add significant costs to any building project. Home prices in general have skyrocketed in Columbia creating a lack of upward movement which would open lower priced inventory.

I don’t have the solution to this problem, but I have to think that as a town blessed with so many resources and smart people we can figure it out. I think the answer lies somewhere in between making it easier to build more inventory at any price level allowing for movement, the Columbia Land Grant which makes buying homes more affordable, the Columbia Housing Authority expansion plan, and the work of non-profits that build homes such as CMCA and Job Point. Maybe you have an idea? I suggest you call your city council person and talk to them about what they see and what plans our city has to address it. Because, when all our families have a safe place to call home, the entire city benefits.

Photography by Anthony Jinson

Some people call it workforce housing. Some call it aff ordable housing. Regardless of the name, we need more of it.

OVER

27 YEARS of experience in real estate.

Martha Tomlin-McCrary

“I am committed to making all your experience as smooth as possible. One of my strengths is my passion for real estate. As my client(s), I always have your best interest at heart.”

Specialize in first-time homebuyers and is committed to making their experience as smooth as possible.

Clear vision and plan for achieving homeownership with personalized strategies to meet your individual needs.

Whether you’re looking to sell or purchase a home, Martha’s dedication to call clients ensures a confident and successful real estate transaction.

CONTACT

PHONE: 573-424-6737

OFFICE PHONE: 573-256-8601

EMAIL: REALTOR4U@MCHSI.COM

WEBSITE: WWW.WEICHARTFT.COM

EDITORIAL

Erica Pefferman, Publisher Erica@COMOBusinessTimes.com

Kim Ambra, Editor-in-Chief Kim@COMOBusinessTimes.com

Jodie Jackson Jr, Digital Editor Jodie@COMOBusinessTimes.com

DESIGN

Kate Morrow, Creative Director Kate@COMOBusinessTimes.com

Jordan Watts, Senior Designer Jordan@COMOBusinessTimes.com

MARKETING

Charles Bruce, Director of Sales Charles@COMOBusinessTimes.com

Scott Callahan, Director of Events Scott@COMOBusinessTimes.com

Amanda Melton, Director of Account Services Amanda@COMOBusinessTimes.com

J.J. Carlson, Director of Web Development jj@comobusinesstimes.com

Sarah Hempelmann, Marketing Representative Sarah@COMOBusinessTimes.com

Becky Roberts, Marketing Representative Becky@COMOBusinessTimes.com

MANAGEMENT

Erica Pefferman, President Erica@COMOBusinessTimes.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lana Eklund, Anthony Jinson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Taylor Ambra, Sam Barrett, Lauren Sable Freiman, Jodie Jackson Jr, Steve Spellman, Brian Toohey

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Copyright e COMO Companies, 2023 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any editorial or graphic content without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Amanda Melton J. J. Carlson

Kim Ambra Jodie Jackson Jr

Erica Pefferman

Kate Morrow Jordan Watts

Charles Bruce Scott Callahan

Becky Roberts Sarah

Closer Look

DADA DÖNER

Dada Döner is a mobile food business serving delicious Turkish food since April of this year. ey specialize in one thing very well — the chicken döner.

e Turkish word döner comes from dönmek (“to turn” or “to rotate”). After 24 hours of marinating, the meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Customers have the choice of enjoying the chicken as a wrap, a sandwich, or a dinner plate that is served with rice and a salad. Owner Vahap Ulker says that he believed Columbia was missing out on Turkish food.

“I want people to experience Turkish food,” he explains. “I bring tasty and high-quality food and part of Turkish culture.”

Vahap compares the döner as similar to a gyro or shawarma. Dada Döner can be found around Columbia most weekends with the location always shared on its Facebook page.

502-295-7066

dadafoodtruck@gmail.com

Facebook: Dada Döner

KW DESIGNS

Kate Whittaker, owner of KW Designs, says she has found the best of both worlds combining her love of interior design and throwing a perfectly decorated party.

“I would say I am known for my creativity and the ability to take risks when it comes to design. We built our own home two years ago and I handled the interior design myself without any outside help,” Kate says. “Most recently I would say I am known for my balloon décor for events. e ability to create things and use my creativity is so much fun.”

Kate says she wants to leave every space prettier than before she got there, whether through one of her many styles of balloon art or expanding her creativity with interior design. KW Designs launched in February 2023 with hopes of growing one project at a time. Kate is currently running her passion projects out of her home and is eager to see what the future of design brings.

“I would love to be able to make this into my full-blown, heart and soul, full-time business and the only way to do that is by continuing to grow my business with the amazing people in this community and getting my name out there,” she says.

573-529-4350

@Katewhittakerdesigns

PLATINUM PAWS

Platinum Paws is a dog grooming salon where every dog gets the ultimate spaw day! Owner Melodi Wisswell says that each dog gets pampered with the highest quality shampoo and conditioner and unconditional love. She is currently the sole stylist.

“I have been grooming for almost nine years now. I started for a corporation and as much as I am grateful for my training and my start, I was fully ready to own my own shop and be in charge of my schedule,” Melodi says.

After graduating from Columbia College with a business degree, she moved around a bit before returning home to Columbia to plant her roots.

“I love my clients and want to give them everything they deserve in a smaller, more intimate environment,” she says, “I have always had a love and passion for animals.”

3410 W Broadway Business Park Ct. Suite 107 573-514-4645

platinumpawscomo.com CBT

Would you like us to take a Closer Look at your business? Reach out to our Editor at kim@comobusinesstimes.com.

Movers & Shakers

PETER GLOGGNER

Boone Health has announced Peter Gloggner, SHRM-SCP as the new chief people officer. Gloggner has nearly two decades of human resources experience including previous service with Boone Hospital Center.

Prior to joining Boone, Gloggner served as the vice president of human resources at Calvert Health in Prince Frederick, Maryland. Gloggner started his career as a communications supervisor and then manager of human resources and training at Boone Hospital Center. He will be responsible for day-to-day human resource operations.

BOB BAILEY

Missouri Military Academy (MMA) announces that University of MissouriColumbia Law School

Dean Bob Bailey has joined the academy’s board of trustees. In his role as trustee, Bailey will help provide strategic oversight and support to MMA, one of the United States’ top college preparatory military boarding school. An allmale school, MMA provides residential and day school education for middle and high school.

Bailey joined the University of Missouri Law School in 1979. He now serves as

assistant dean emeritus and CSDR senior fellow.

He maintains an active arbitration practice, serving on several arbitration panels including having served on Major League Baseball’s salary arbitration panel. He is on the federal mediation and conciliation service labor arbitration panel and served as the National Academy of Arbitrators vice president.

JONATHON MOBERLY

Columbia College Provost and Senior Vice President

Dr. Piyusha Singh announced that Jonathon Moberly has been named dean of the Robert W. Plaster School of Business following a nationwide search.

Moberly currently serves as the dean of the College of Business and Technology as well as the director of operations for strategic enrollment at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. He also served as the dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Adult Education from 2015-19 at Concordia. He has more than 16 years of experience in higher education.

Before his career in education, he worked in the sports business industry for five years, representing professional athletes in marketing efforts and contract negotiations.

DAN HOOVER

Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) announces Dan Hoover as its new chief financial officer, further expanding the company’s executive leadership team. Hoover joins the holding company leadership team following his predecessor, Keith Bennett, who has served as the CFO for the last 22 years.

In his new role as CFO, Hoover will be responsible for all accounting, finance, and employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) management for the holding company as well as its family of brands.

SOA ARCHITECTURE

Brad Stegemann and Nick Borgmeyer have been named principals for SOA Architecture. Stegemann has been with SOA for 17 years, taking on projects for the University of Missouri Health Care, Columbia Public Schools, Missouri Public Utility Alliance, and Compass Health Network. Borgmeyer has been with SOA for 20 years, helping clients including Capital Region Medical Center and the Special Olympics Missouri.

Both Stegemann and Borgmeyer have an expertise in sustainable design. Borgmeyer and Stegemann are LEED-accredited professionals. CBT

GLOGGNER

BAILEY

MOBERLY

BORGMEYER

HOOVER

STEGEMANN

Are you or your employees moving up in the Columbia business community? Send us your news at kim@comobusinesstimes.com

Briefly in the News

CELEBRATION

UScellular Announces Three Winners of 7th Annual Black History Month Art Contest

UScellular recently announced the three winners of its 7th annual Black History Month Art Contest with Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia at a celebration at the club.

In recognition of in uential Black STEM icons, Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia members were encouraged to create original pieces of artwork of important historical gures, world leaders, scientists, and educators who have made vital contributions to the world of STEM. Ten nalists were chosen by representatives from the Boys & Girls Clubs based on creativity, quality, interpretation, clarity of theme, and overall impression and featured Mae Jemison, George Washington Carver, and Mary Jackson, among others.

“Working with Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia to celebrate Black History Month and to highlight the achievements of Black STEM icons such as Mae Jemison and George Washington Carver has been extremely gratifying,” said Kelli McAllister, store manager for UScellular in Columbia. “ e creativity that club members displayed in their artwork was inspiring and we congratulate our participants and winners in this year’s contest.”

Public voting for the nalists’ art was available online, and the winning artists were awarded gift cards in the following amounts:

1 ST PLACE

NALYN J.

Received $250 for the portrayal of Mary Jackson

2 ND PLACE

COREY WES

Received $150 for the portrayal of Mae Jemison

3 RD PLACE

KAYZIAH B.

Received $100 for the portrayal of Madam

C.J. Walker

NALYN J.

COREY WES

KAYZIAH B.

CELEBRATION

2023 Boone County Hall of Fame: Artist, Food Bank, and War Hero Selected

e Boone County Historical Society’s (BCHS) Endowment Trustees selected three new members for the Boone County Hall of Fame: Charles A. Morgenthaler (posthumous recipient), the Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri (organization recipient), retired Colonel John W. Clark, USAF (living recipient).

ese three esteemed enshrinees will be added to the elite Boone County Hall of Fame, which currently boasts 73 members. Each year one living recipient, one posthumous honoree and one business or organization are selected for enshrinement based on their lasting contributions in Boone County and beyond.

GIVING BACK

OATS Transit Receives

Anspach said. “Central Bank of Boone County has enabled us to continue providing reliable transportation to Boone County residents.”

EDUCATION

Columbia College

Named Top-10 Most Military Friendly College in the Country

Columbia College was recently ranked among the top 10 higher education institutions in the country for militarya liated students by MilitaryFriendly. com, which advocates on behalf of service members, veterans, and their families. e college earned the gold designation in the category of private, non-doctoral-degree institutions for the second consecutive year and has been ranked every year since 2010.

the past two years, it has led her to the end of a di erent writing venture: self-publishing her rst novel, Twisted Fate: Playback’s Story. Schroeder’s book became available to readers worldwide after she published the novel under her own imprint, Lost Library Press.

e young adult superhero scinovel follows Cassidy Sinclair, a freshman at Everett University, in the aftermath of a tragic accident that leaves her with a surprising new ability: the power to change the last decision she made. As she dons a new mantle with the help of an unexpected mentor, however, she starts to realize being a superhero isn’t what she expected. e right choice can make all the di erence, but sometimes, there isn’t a right choice to make.

Schroeder’s time at MU inspired much of the book’s setting from the start, as well as the experiences of many characters in the story world.

GIVING BACK

Fifth

Annual Columbia

Donation

from Central Bank of Boone County

OATS Transit, a Missouri nonpro t organization, has received a donation from Central Bank of Boone County. e bank presented OATS Transit with a check for $1,000. e funds will be used to provide rides to Boone County residents needing access to community resources, which helps them live independently.

“Central Bank of Boone County is proud to support such an important organization,” said Judy Starr, the bank’s chief nancial o cer. “Creating independence for those who need a little help is a great way to serve our friends and neighbors.”

Gary Anspach, OATS Transit’s Mid-MO regional director, expressed the organization’s thanks.

“We are grateful that Central Bank of Boone County is dedicated to giving back to the communities they serve,”

“We are proud this year to celebrate our 50th anniversary of partnering with the U.S. Armed Forces through our Columbia College Global network,” says Dr. David Russell, president of Columbia College and a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army. “Nothing better exempli es our mission than providing quality academic opportunities to those who have sacri ced greatly for our nation.”

CELEBRATION

Mizzou Graduate and Columbia Native Publishes First Novel

As an undergraduate in the Missouri School of Journalism class of 2020, Nicole Schroeder learned the importance of seeing stories through to the end. Of course, it often came at the cost of brevity while reporting as a student for the Missourian and Vox Magazine

But her habit of chronic overwriting seems to have nally paid o . Over

College Giving Day Raises Nearly $188,000

e Columbia College community rallied around a common cause to raise nearly $188,000 in support of the college’s fth annual Giving Day. More than 260 donors combined to contribute the second-highest total in the history of the initiative.

e 24-hour endeavor encouraged alumni, faculty, sta , students, and friends of the college to make a participatory gift that is put toward the college’s most immediate needs within the coming year.

e $187,915 raised from 261 donors helps the college strengthen academic and student programming, attract top-tier faculty, provide scholarships, bolster athletics, and bene t learners nationwide. Cougar student-athletes and coaches conducted personal outreach to connect with potential donors, epitomizing the teamwork behind the campaign’s success. CBT

It Doesn’t Take Colombo to Solve the Mystery of Affordable Housing

BY STEVE SPELLMAN

THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING is this ongoing enigma.

Depending on who you talk to, it could be those greedy developers to blame or that dad-gum guv’ment. For lower-income working folks in town, all they know for sure is “the rent’s too (darn) high.”

From a demand side, a seemingly eternal in ux of folks are wanting to move to COMO, to join up with the good thing we’ve got going here. With thriving professional industries like higher ed, medical, nance, and several unicorn-type startup companies, ours is an above-average income town overall.

More people, with strong purchasing power from well-paying, steady local jobs, can a ord to bid up housing across the price spectrum. With a multigenerational trend of more households, living in bigger homes, ever more building materials are needed, pushing prices up.

From a supply side, land is constrained — as old-time farmers say: they aren’t making any more of it. COMO's footprint has stretched the city limits, and our metro area is well beyond.

NOW HIRING

en there’s the lack of workers in the building trades. If it’s a challenge for restaurants and air-conditioned o ces to keep sta ed these days, it’s harder to ll openings for swinging a hammer out in the elements. Like Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” fame, local industrial tech teacher Allen Sharrock is trying to raise awareness against a multi-decade tide that about everybody and their dog ought to aspire to a four-year college degree. Allen's

aim points to several types of careers to which a young person may aspire.

Builders, engineers, and the like are still needed desperately, but not many Americans are skilled to do so, and/or shy away from hard physical labor. No labor (or any other) market occurs in a vacuum, so many immigrants from our Latin American neighbors to the south nd their way here to ll the void.

Many readers commonly observe around here roofers, building framers, and concrete pourers working out in burning hot or freezing cold conditions, from dawn to dusk. And many seem thrilled to be here, even with our country’s very outdated and inadequate immigration system.

A HIGH BAR TO CLEAR

In a prosperous, stable community, it is natural to desire high-quality housing for all people, so many rules establishing minimum standards have evolved, adding the latest new building standards over time. Nobody wants slums.

But all these rules, from international standards organizations — often routinely adopted by cities nationwide — continue to raise the bar (and the cost) for what is allowed to be built at all. In big cities and for wealthy buyers, they would probably build to high standards anyway, but for middle/lower income midwesterners, such a high hurdle means they can a ord less house than otherwise.

Some residents are also rightly concerned about volatility in their established neighborhoods, particularly those with a historic feel. ere is this ongoing trend that seems to slowly snowball over time, where long-

time residents of well-established neighborhoods in our city center have become more vigilant over the specter of redevelopment next door particularly around the periphery of the MU campus where many a college student would desire to live, so density naturally increases via remodeling and a heavy sprinkling of new bigger structures amongst single-family homes from the early/mid 20th century.

e latest attempt to put the kibosh on up-zoning in their backyards was a shocking proposal to halt such redevelopment activity in older areas for six months. is was not a new approved zoning code to enforce, nor a proposed new rule, nor rules in the works, nor a consultant report being pondered, nor a consultant selected, nor had a Request For Proposal been issued to solicit bids for a consultant to even start on new rule ideas.

is outrageous idea was shot down in an early May city council meeting with customary late-night brouhaha. Between the NIMBYs, realtors, and ideologues, it was — oddly enough — two local nonpro t groups who maybe swayed the council’s sympathies. Such a moratorium would sti e their active taxpayer-funded low-income housing e orts. You can’t make it up.

NO DIY

ere are volumes of commentary the pundit could saw on about, but it dawned on yours truly about my own childhood home.

My dad took a drafting class in high school and learned basic handyman skills from an uncle gure growing up. In the late '70s, aspiring to upgrade his young family from a

trailer home in Prathersville, he designed and built his own home on a three-acre lot in the Midway area. ere are still faded DIY manuals and small home architectural magazines on a bookshelf — how to install kitchen cabinets and attach wood siding. Over evenings and weekends, friends and family pitched in, between subcontractors who did bulldozer work, poured concrete for the basement, and delivered building materials to the site.

In a telling sign of the times, he more recently had an idea to add on a primary bathroom to facilitate single-level living in retirement, but even the Boone County

building inspection code required that he upgrade the whole house’s wiring and replace the perfectly functioning septic tank. Discouraged by this unexpected cost, you know what he did? Nothing. is house will therefore go unimproved, and his life worse o because of it.

AFFORDABILITY EXTINCTION

And that’s what’s been going on all over town for years — mystery solved.

No matter theorizing about the causes of una ordable housing, the numbers don’t lie: according to the “Facts and Fig-

ures” booklet for 2023 from Regional Economic Development Inc (REDI), Columbia has the second highest housing costs in the state, only behind metro Kansas City which includes the a uent suburbs on the Kansas side.

As more people and more restrictions have amassed here over time, middle- and upper-income homebuyers quietly suck it up, while for lower-income, the sub-$100k bungalow in COMO has gone the way of the dodo bird. In a way, it now seems that low-income housing is generally illegal in Columbia, Missouri. CBT

Steve Spellman is a lifelong Columbia-area resident and political observer.

All in the Family Business

Jacobs Property Management celebrates 50 years of managing properties for local, national, and international clients.

BY SAM BARRETT | PHOTO BY ANTHONY JINSON

JACOBS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT is a local, family-owned property management company that recently celebrated 50 years in the business, with a rich history, tightknit team, and close client relationships as the company’s hallmarks.

JACOBS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT HISTORY

Father-son duo Everett P. “Jake” Jacobs and Delton Jacobs opened Everett P. Jacobs Realty Inc. in May 1972. e company eventually became Jacobs Property Management while maintaining Jacobs Realty Inc. as a traditional real estate brokerage, assisting buyers and sellers.

Shortly after opening the brokerage, Delton Jacobs graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in real estate. Around this time Jake retired from his job as a butcher at A & P Grocery with the plan for his real estate business to be a “retirement job,” says his granddaughter and Delton’s daughter, Amanda Jacobs, owner/asset manager of Jacobs Property Management.

e company’s website says that in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Jake and Delton worked to expand their business, becoming one of the two largest real estate brokerage rms in Columbia by the end of the decade. As the business grew, the shift began to merge the business of real estate with property management.

“Fast forward a number of years, they went through a couple of ideations; they did a franchise with Red Carpet — it was

1972

1980

Red Carpet Realty for a while in the ‘80s,” Amanda says. “I believe it was 1990, Richard Mendenhall invited the two of them to sort of partner up with him in what is now RE/MAX, Boone Realty, so they merged the sales side of the business in 1990 with Boone Realty, but kept Everett P. Jacobs Realty Inc., open as a property management company.”

Initially, the property management side was meant to manage the residential investment real estate that the Jacobs team had started acquiring for “very close family and friends,” Amanda adds.

By the 1990s Everett P. Jacobs Realty Inc., became Jacobs Property Management, existing solely as a property management rm.

“At the height of our management, we were managing for almost 60 di erent private property owners and had a portfolio close to 500 individual front doors,” Amanda says.

When Jake died in 2013 at the age of 95, Amanda took on his shares of the company. Since that time, Jacobs Property Management has been owned and operated by Delton and Amanda.

BUILDING A FAMILY

Being in the business for 50 years has earned Jacobs Property Management a wide array of clients. Although the company manages only local properties, its clientele extends outside of Missouri and even beyond the U.S.

“A lot of our owners don’t live here in town; they live all over the country,” Amanda explains. “ e majority of our property owners are not local, so we are the day-to-day eyes and ears on their investment.”

Being someone’s eyes and ears is not always easy. Managing multiple investments is a signi cant task with an array of detailed responsibilities.

“ e misnomer is that all we do is collect the rent and that’s it, but it’s so much more than that,” Amanda says. “We are the risk managers for the property owners. at means screening tenants. You really want to screen incoming prospective residents to make sure we’re putting the highest quality resident in place that we can. We’re eliminating risk where we can. It also means property preservation. We’re really managing these properties as if we own every single one of them ourselves.”

Managing multiple properties requires a quali ed, well-rounded team. As a family-owned company, Jacobs Property Management strives to create a close-knit environment with its employees.

“Our team is really tight. We’re like family,” Amanda adds. “Even though the rest of the team isn’t family by blood, they’re family by experience and just being here every day. We’ve got really good longevity with our team, especially for a small business. We don’t have a huge amount of turnover.”

She continues, “We have an awesome culture within our company. We work

1990

Everett P. “Jake” Jacobs and his son Delton Jacobs opened Everett P. Jacobs Realty Inc.

Jake and Delton focus on expanding; by the end of the decade the company was one of the largest real estate brokerages in Columbia.

Everett P. Jacobs Realty Inc., partners with RE/MAX and begins managing residential investments and local properties.

really hard to provide the very best service we can with what we do.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

As Jacobs Property Management neared its 50-year mark, co-owner Delton announced his retirement, passing most of his responsibilities to Amanda. After celebrating the business’s half-century anniversary, Amanda has “big plans” for the company, spending time with her team in 2022 to re ne its management portfolio.

“We actually let some properties and some owners go. Not because we didn’t love them, not because we were angry with anybody, but because we’ve deter-

1995

mined we’re not necessarily the best t for this property,” she explains, noting that the portfolio review and evaluation led to being able to focus more on the properties the company has and the ability to “be really intentional with which properties are coming in.”

“ at’s where our focus is right now,” Amanda adds, “just making sure that with our slightly sized down portfolio, we’re able to perform with excellence on a daily basis.” CBT

JACOBS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

573-449-2558

jacobspropertymanagement.com

“We have an awesome culture within our company. We work really hard to provide the very best service we can with what we do.”

AMANDA JACOBS

Amanda Jacobs takes on her late grandfather’s shares and she and Delton become the owners and operators.

Jacobs Property Management celebrates 50 years; Delton Jacobs retires, passing his responsibilities to his daughter, Amanda.

Jacobs Property Management becomes official and exists solely as a property management firm.

The Evoke Group

Turning creativity and passion into quality video production.

BY TAYLOR AMBRA | PHOTOS BY LANA EKLUND

IN THE 10 YEARS SINCE Austin Kolb and Adam Weber met through Columbia’s music scene, the business they created

e Evoke Group has established itself as a full-service marketing agency, specializing in commercial lmmaking, photography, and animation.

“Helping people grow businesses through the power of video gives them con dence,” says Evoke Group partner Will Moore. " eir businesses grow because it gives their audience a chance to get to know them better,” Will says. e agency values curiosity, passion, and honesty with the mission of creating e ective and creative projects for its clients.

COMPANY HISTORY

In 2013, Austin and Adam started the company as a creative production house providing web development, video production, and graphic design. During the last 10 years, the company has responded to client needs and market trends to grow and ourish. In 2017, Will joined the team as a video producer and was invited to become a partner four years later. Will says that the company’s culture is what compelled him to join the team, and becoming a partner was his goal all along.

e Evoke Group sold the web development and digital marketing aspect of the company to its partner company in Colorado VEA Technologies in 2021. at step allowed the Columbia team to focus on video advertising and video production.

“We see online video advertising as the most critical piece of the marketing puzzle, and we are the leading experts locally to get value out of video campaigns,” Adam says. e team has created fulllength episodes for the travel documen-

tary series, Missouri Life TV, and one of the episodes earned a regional Emmy in 2020. It's one of more than 30 national awards the company has won for its video production creations.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Behind the videos, photos, and animations are hours of preparation and hands-on work. e process begins with an initial, free consultation, where the team gets to know the client's needs and marketing objectives. From there, the project goes into a discovery and pre-production phase and the company charges a creative fee to de ne all the moving parts and details of the project. Austin says that approach results in a clear and accurate budget.

“If the client has a predetermined budget, we can utilize the discovery session to ensure that their project stays within their expectations,” Austin notes, adding that a full budget is not determined until all the project pieces and steps for executing the plan are in place.

“It is rare for production to go smoothly without a thorough pre-production phase,” he adds. Ensuring that the client is happy with the process and what the result will look like before requiring full payment is one of the unique features of e Evoke Group.

While the company is made up of three partners, e Evoke Group uses a large network of contractors to put together a team for each project based on the strengths and skills that match the client’s vision for their project.

STANDING OUT

With backgrounds in graphic design, digital marketing, and sales, the team o ers a holistic approach to each project.

Austin says the team has "experiential knowledge and education in many di erent areas of the marketing world," including websites, search engine optimization, and digital advertising campaigns that are enhanced by videos, photos, and animations.

Will notes that in addition to providing a ordable, high-quality, and high-value productions, the fun and excitement the team has for each project sets e Evoke Group apart from similar companies.

“I love watching people watch their videos," Will says. "It is like holding up a mirror to show them how awesome they are.” e Evoke Group takes time to connect with and get to know a client's needs. Adam says that focusing on creativity and aiming for desired outcomes “ has led to phenomenal retention, over 30 national awards, and always happy customers by not over-promising.”

THE GROWING FIELD OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Arti cial intelligence using machines to simulate human intelligence is a hot topic in the current pop culture and technology world, and e Evoke Group is capturing the technology and know-how that is creating massive changes in the digital marketing world.

“For the foreseeable future, there will still be a need for real humans to go out into the eld to record and capture stories to put together in a creative way even as we continue to integrate AI into our process,” Austin says, suggesting the services e Evoke Group provides cannot easily be simulated without the human aspect.

With the trend toward AI rising, the company is not disregarding its impacts but rather using it to an advantage.

Will Moore, Austin Kolb, and Adam Weber

“We saw trends toward AI in digital marketing starting as early as 2018 and have been implementing various tools while we wait to see where things are going,” Adam adds.

FUTURE OF THE COMPANY

Since opening its doors 10 years ago, e Evoke Group has embraced inevitable change as the team works to stay in front of new technology. And the progress doesn’t stop here. All three partners rec-

ognize that the world of advertising and marketing online is changing each day.

“We plan to specialize moving forward as a boutique video production and video advertising agency that helps small businesses a ordably use cutting-edge technology to target new customers and gain brand awareness,” Adam says.

e company will continue to pursue its passions and create long-form video content such as documentaries and TV pro-

duction. e Evoke Group will continue to grow with trends such as over-the-top campaigns to “reach the digital streaming services and o er a better value than traditional TV,” Austin says. CBT

505 FAY ST. #204

573-303-5476

THEEVOKEGROUP.COM

SO YOU WANT TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

By Brad Roling broling@midambk.com

It’s exciting to see new businesses pop up in Columbia and the surrounding areas! It means the economy is growing and jobs are opening. It also means that individuals are working hard to achieve their goals. Maybe you have thought about opening a business but just don’t know where to start. I’ve got a few tips to make starting a business just a bit less overwhelming.

1. Create a solid business plan that outlines your goals, target market, marketing strategy, and financial projections. When you approach the bank about funding this business idea, your lender will want to see that you have a clear goal in mind for your business and the numbers to back it up. The U.S. Small Business Administration has great resources to help you research for and write your business plan: www.sba.gov/businessguide/plan-your-business/marketresearch-competitive-analysis.

2. Secure funding or investment to cover startup costs and initial expenses. Here is where your local lender will really shine. Once they see that you have a clear goal in mind, they will work with you to meet your financing goals. They’ll also be a great, trusted advisor. To learn more about the lending solutions Mid America

Bank can offer your business, visit our website at midambk.com/lending/ commercial-loans.

3. Build a strong team of employees or partners who share your vision and can help execute your business plan. They say it takes a village, and they’re not wrong. Not only should you have a local lender in your corner, but also build a strong support system of other business professionals, employees, partners, and friends that believe in you and what your business has to offer.

4. Stay adaptable and open to pivoting your business model based on feedback and market trends. The world is an ever-evolving place. Look at the number of phone models Apple has created or the updates that car companies have made throughout the years. Don’t get discouraged should you have to pivot from your original plan.

As you start your business journey, if you’re looking for a local lender to partner with, look no further than Mid America Bank. We’re a growing financial institution that provides friendly, reliable service tailored to you! Reach out to me or visit our website at midambk.com for more information.

Brad Roling is the Columbia Market President for Mid America Bank. Brad has more than 10 years of banking experience that he uses to help businesses in and around Columbia thrive. When he is not helping your business with its financial needs, Brad is serving the community in a variety of capacities. He is proud to serve on the Ronald McDonald House Mid-Missouri Board of Directors as Treasurer, the Columbia Chamber Foundation Board, and Beta Theta Pi Advisory Board. Brad is a proud Mizzou grad and loves cheering on the Tigers!

PROJECT PARTNERING: A COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO BUILDING — AND BUSINESS

By Vaughn Prost info@prostbuilders.com

The concept of construction project partnering, a process championed by Associated General Contractors (AGC) since 1992, is described as “a formal management process in which all parties to a project voluntarily agree at the outset to adopt a cooperative, team-based approach to project development and problem resolution to eliminate or at least reduce conflicts, litigation, and claims.”

In legal language, partnering is established as an obligation of good faith and fair dealing in its performance and enforcement a process that the contractor, owner, consultants, and subs agree to with a positive commitment to honesty and integrity. While that sounds like good, common sense, the concept of project partnering is still a bit foreign to some contractors and builders, but for Prost Builders, it’s a hallmark of how it does business.

Why does Prost Builders advocate for and emphasize project partnering? Think of project partnering as a vital step that takes place prior to the important pre-construction meeting, a process that builders, owners, and other involved entities are familiar with. The partnering development meeting — more of a seminar and team building workshop — occurs prior to the preconstruction meeting with all the key players. In this setting, all potential issues are discussed and there’s a process put in place to identify problems that might arise during the project, along with how those issues can be resolved.

It’s not just a sincere handshake with the backing of a contractual agreement, but there’s that personal, face-to-face connection that is at the heart of partnering.

In the words of former AGC President Robins Jackson, “Boiled down to its lowest common denominator, partnering is a way to avoid disputes so they don’t need to be resolved.”

In a speech to an AGC conference three decades ago, Jackson added, “We don’t claim to have invented this perfectly logical concept. But we perfected it for contractors.”

Prost Builders was an early advocate of partnering and has scores of successful projects that have featured and demonstrated how it works. That success is established early on with the partnering development workshop with a level of decision-making from lowest level to highest management level that is agreed upon to resolve problems that are challenging to address during the project at lower management levels.

While the preconstruction meeting goes over contractual requirements and interface issues, the partnering workshop sets the agenda for how all parties will work as a partnership to resolve problems as a team. With that level of commitment and teamwork and buy in from all parties adversarial relationships do not have space to form.

One of many examples of how Prost Builders uses project partnering was a formal AGC partnering agreement between Prost Builders and the University of Missouri on a Veterinary Medicine School Addition anjd Renovation project. There was good buy-in from all parties and a smooth, successful project with all issues resolved quickly.

Projects like that bring the joy of creating building projects to owner, user, designer, and contractors, which means it’s a win-win for all parties, unlike traditional contracts and preconstruction parameters that often make it seem like in order for one “side” to win, others must lose. As we say at Prost Builders, “When you meet face to face in a partnering meeting a lot of stereotypes are broken down and you get the know the person with respect for each party‘s point of view.”

Summing up the partnering concept, we take another look at Robins Jackson’s AGC speech from 1992: “The contract becomes an agreement between individuals who are known to each other by more than a formal contract on a piece of paper. Partnering puts the handshake back into the business relationship. … it is a concept for bringing out the best in people and people are the most important ingredient for creating a successful construction industry.”

VAUGHN PROST Owner & President

Vaughn Prost is the owner and president of Prost Builders lnc., a design/build and construction services firm located in Columbia. Vaughn has over forty years of domestic and international design and construction experience as a cost and scheduling engineer, structural engineer, owner’s construction representative, and general contractor.

PROECTING AGAINST CYBER-ATTACKS

By David Nivens

dnivens@midwestcomputech.com

The June installment of WTPK continues the conversation of what tools your business should have or be working towards to protect your business against cyber-attacks. The last few key components to cover include a managed detection and response (MDR) platform and doing regular penetration testing of your network.

What are these and why are they important?

MDR

Managed detection and response involves outsourcing the monitoring of potential cyber threats to a specialized team or service provider. These individuals are trained in threat actor tactics and normal behavior of users. This allows them to detect anomalous behavior that a threat actor may be using.

They are often able to detect and respond to an attack before too much (if any) major damage can be done. As such, managed detection and response plays a vital role in modern cybersecurity by providing continuous monitoring, rapid threat detection, expert incident response, proactive threat hunting, and cost-effective security operations. By partnering with an MDR service, organizations can strengthen their security posture and better protect their critical assets from evolving cyber threats.

Penetration Testing

Penetration testing, or ethical hacking, is a crucial practice for evaluating the security of computer systems, networks, and applications. By simulating real-world attacks, it helps uncover vulnerabilities and weaknesses that malicious attackers could exploit

Penetration testing goes beyond typical vulnerability scanning by adding human influence and tactics customized to the organization. It can be used to help prepare

DAVID NIVENS

Owner

Originally from Tipton, David and his wife Sara have called Columbia home since 2005. He has been an owner at Midwest Computech since 2004, as well as owning 404 Portland Event Center in Columbia, and being partners in the COMO Companies. They have three kids and enjoy traveling and going to MU, Chiefs, Royals and Cardinals games. David is on the Board of Directors for The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, CrimeStoppers, the Columbia Chamber Foundation, and is the current Chair of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Midwest Computech

800-346-8934

organizations for incident response by testing current policies. Regular penetration testing promotes proactive security improvement by identifying areas that are weak, while simultaneously providing guidance to improve the overall security posture.

Security isn’t something you can just put off or get around to sometime. Your best bet is to start the conversation with an outside expert to review what you have and give

you best practices recommendations to protect your organization’s data and keep you in compliance to maintain the proper level of cyber liability coverage for your organization.

If you would like to learn more just email me at dnivens@midwestcomputech.com for a free consultation on how we can test, review, and fix any network security issues your business may have.

Trusted Technology Partner since 1982

BEYOND APPAREL: THE POWER OF PROMOTIONAL ITEMS WITH SHOW ME CUSTOM APPAREL

By Reid Allison team@showmecustomapparel.com

Show Me Custom Apparel, a leading provider of custom apparel, also shines in offering a wide variety of promotional items from pens and coffee mugs to bags and umbrellas. Our promotional products serve businesses, non-profits, events, and awareness campaigns, providing a tangible representation of your brand or cause. The power of these items lies in their ability to boost brand visibility, foster customer loyalty, and leave a lasting impression.

The Advertising Specialty Institute reveals that promotional items outrank TV, radio, and digital advertising, with an impressive 85% of recipients remembering the advertiser! From small trinkets to larger merchandise, these items ensure repeated brand exposure and spark a sense of reciprocity in the receiver, driving engagement and potential return.

In today’s fast-paced digital world, promotional items offer a lasting touchpoint for your brand or cause. Partner with Show Me Custom Apparel to leverage the immense potential of promotional items in your marketing strategy.

DID YOU KNOW?

• 82% of people have a more favorable impression of a brand after receiving a promotional product.

(Source: PROmotion Marketing, LLC)

REID ALLISON Founder & President

Reid is an entrepreneur and the founder of Show Me Custom Apparel. His experience in the business world has helped him understand the challenges that small businesses face in today’s economic climate. Reid has a passion for developing trusting and personal relationships in a digital age which is driving society to stray from these crucial elements of business success. Reid grew up in Tipton, Missouri and received his degree from the University of Central Missouri.

• 72% of consumers believe that the quality of a promotional product is directly related to the reputation of the company.

(Source: PPAI)

573-375-3104

showmecustomapparel.com

• The first known promotional products in America were commemorative buttons from 1789 when George Washington was president.

TIME VS. MONEY

By Erica Pefferman erica@comomarketing.co

We all know the saying, “Time is money.” Unfortunately, we can’t create more time in a day, so what if you could use the time and money you do have in the most efficient way?

What is your time spent on now? Posting on social media? Updating Google Ads? Rebranding your entire business? Adding a new section to your website? Or, are you so busy working in your business that the idea of having time for marketing seems like a faraway dream? The good news is that COMO Marketing can do all of this for you — or even just one of these items if that’s all you need to free up your valuable time.

However, freed up time isn’t free. The sweet spot you need to find is on a continuum. If you have more time, you can spend less money as you do it yourself or learn to. If you have no time, you need to spend more money to have someone help you. Saving pennies where it matters is important, but when it comes to the success of your business, loosening the purse strings can be a good thing when that money is put in the right hands. Professional marketing hands. Hands that know how to and have a proven process to clear stuff off your plate while continuing to help your business grow.

Starting or running a business is not as simple as just coming up with a cute name and creating a logo. There is a great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes in order to keep the business alive and thriving. Much of what keeps a business relevant and in the customer’s mind is how often they see or hear about the business in positive ways, meaning how well it’s marketed.

Marketing yourself comes with a lot of responsibility and commitment. Learning to use the software, creating advertising, and understanding the data is all possible, but it takes time. This is time that many business owners don’t have. But, there’s another saying that comes to mind. “In order to make money, you have to spend money.”

Let COMO Marketing create your social media strategy and social media posts

Erica Pefferman is the owner and president of COMO Companies, which owns and operates COMO Magazine, COMO Business Times, COMO Marketing, and COMO Tickets. Erica shares her love of Columbia with the people she serves with on a multitude of boards including the Chamber of Commerce. In 2017, Erica was named Outstanding Business Woman of the year and her team was named the Columbia Chamber Of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year.

573.499.1830 | comomarketing.co

so you have time to refine your menu. Let us work on your new website so you have time to research new products and services. Let us create an SEO strategy that drives traffic to your site so you can recruit, hire, and train new employees.

If you’re interested in a free consultation, email me at erica@comomag. com to take the next step in learning where on that continuum you need to be.

ERICA PEFFERMAN President & Owner

REASONS TO GET BUSINESS ADVISING YEAR-ROUND AS A BUSINESS OWNER

By Samantha Dent, EA samantha@accountingplusinc.com

As a business owner, it’s essential to stay ahead of the curve and make informed decisions to ensure the success and growth of your business. One way to achieve this is by seeking business advising services year-round. Here are the top three reasons why you should consider getting business advising throughout the year:

1. Continuous Improvement and Growth: By engaging with a business advisor regularly, you can identify areas of improvement and where to implement strategies. This ongoing process helps your business stay competitive and grow consistently. A business advisor can provide valuable insights and recommendations based on industry trends, market research, and your company’s performance data.

2. Proactive Decision Making: Yearround business advising allows you to make proactive decisions rather than reactive ones. With the help of an advisor, you can anticipate potential challenges and develop contingency plans to mitigate risks. This approach helps you stay prepared for any situation and avoid costly mistakes that could harm your business.

3. Financial Management and Tax Planning: A business advisor can help you manage your finances more effectively by providing guidance on budgeting, cash flow management, and financial forecasting. Additionally,

a business advisor can assist with tax planning strategies to minimize your tax liability and ensure compliance with tax regulations. Regular meetings with your advisor can help you stay on top of your financial obligations and make informed decisions about investments and growth opportunities.

SAMANTHA DENT, EA Business Services Manager

Samantha joined the firm in January 2011 as a tax preparer and has continued her career earning her EA and ABA as a Business + Tax Advisor, eventually becoming the manager for that team in June 2020. Growing up in Columbia and now having a family here, she loves helping clients navigate business ownership. Her passion for small business and innovation fuels her desire to work hard to make sure the firm serves the business community in Columbia.

573-615-0291 | insuranceplusllc.com 573-445-3805 | accountingplusinc.com

In conclusion, engaging in year-round business advising can significantly benefit your business by promoting continuous improvement, enabling proactive decision-making, and improving financial management. By working closely with a trusted advisor, you can ensure the longterm success and growth of your business.

Why Can’t My REALTOR ® Answer My Questions?

BY BRIAN TOOHEY

NOW MORE THAN EVER, the home-buying process can be frustrating and stressful. For most people, their home is the largest nancial investment they ever make. Buyers want to ensure they get the most home for their money and desire great schools and a neighborhood with low crime. What can make it more frustrating is when your REALTOR® can’t answer these types of questions about a home because of federal, state, and local fair housing laws.

e Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), family status, and disability. In addition, the city of Columbia has added protected classes, including ancestry, marital status, receipt of government assistance, citizenship status, victims of sexual or domestic violence, order

of protection status, and, more recently, source of income.

To comply with fair housing laws, REALTORS®, sellers, and mortgage lenders must avoid steering or in uencing a buyer(s) to purchase or avert purchasing a home in certain areas to avoid populations consisting of protected classes.

When it comes to schools, peoples' opinions vary, and those opinions can inadvertently violate fair housing laws — even answering the most basic questions. When questions about schools come up, REALTORS® can provide resources for buyers to do their own research, such as the Columbia Public Schools (CPS) website.

CPS’s site o ers district nancial information, test scores, and demographics, to name a few. e Missouri Department of Primary and Secondary Education also compiles sta-

tistical data on school districts across Missouri. Another recommendation is to meet with the school principals, tour the schools, and ask questions about speci c programs your child is interested in (sports, band, theater, clubs, etc.).

Questions involving neighborhoods can lead to fair housing violations. Simple questions such as, “What type of people live here?” or “How far is it to church?” can violate fair housing laws regarding race, family status, and religion.

Buyers need to do their own research, such as walking around the neighborhood in the evening, paying attention to the noise level, amount of tra c, or neighbors enjoying outside activities. ere are many internet resources available to homebuyers. You can even nd walkability scores from sites like walkscore.com.

Asking your REALTOR® about crime activity may also inadvertently create fair housing violations, especially with the added protected classes in Columbia. e internet is your best source of information to nd crime statistics. e Missouri Highway Patrol’s website has crime data based on local police departments. Other sites like crimegrade. com have data broken down by counties and municipalities. Columbia has police activity information you can search by street name, and the Boone County Sheri 's O ce provides crime data in the county.

e Fair Housing Act of 1968 was historic housing legislation that made it possible for segments of the population to have equal rights when buying or renting a home. REALTORS® are required to obey fair housing laws. However, they can still be a trusted advisor for questions about schools, neighborhoods, and crime by supplying resources for buyers to research and make decisions about where they want to live.

Some reports can be purchased from sites such as Neighborhood Scout that contain information about all three subjects. However, you’ll want to use multiple sources to verify the information. Most of the answers to these questions are subjective and can be misinterpreted. CBT

Brian Toohey is the Chief Executive Officer for the Columbia Board of REALTORS®

JAMI CLEVENGER

EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND BRANCH MANAGER, EO FOR HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF COLUMBIA (HBAC), BM FOR GUARANTEED RATE

JOB DESCRIPTION: My responsibility is two-fold.

Bridging the gap between consumers who are interested in purchasing homes and the builders. I act as a liaison and facilitator, ensuring a smooth and seamless home buying process for both parties.

I am also responsible for overseeing the operations and strategic initiatives of the Home Builders Association of Columbia. I work closely with the board of directors and members to advocate for the interests of home builders, promote industry growth, and provide valuable resources and support to association members.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND:

With nearly a decade of experience as a business owner and marketing professional, I have cultivated a diverse skill set and understanding of the marketing and business industries. As owner of a marketing company in Houston, Texas, I gained invaluable hands-on experience in developing and implementing successful marketing strategies for a wide range of clients. is experience honed my ability to identify target audiences, craft compelling messaging, and execute e ective marketing campaigns. My role as a marketing manager at Hubbell in the civil construction sector, Centralia, further solidi ed my expertise in the construction industry.

HOMETOWN: e small town of Lowry City, Mo., where I was raised on a cattle

Photo by Anthony Jinson

farm. Growing up, I had two great passions: music and animals. Whether it was playing the piano or exploring the outdoors, my childhood was lled with joyful music and unforgettable encounters with nature.

YEARS LIVED IN COLUMBIA: Over seven years now. My, how time ies!

QUOTE YOU LIVE BY: “It was then I carried you,” from the beloved poem “Footprints in the Sand” resonates deeply with me as a guiding principle in my life.

FAVORITE VOLUNTEER/COMMUNITY

ACTIVITY: I love volunteering in the community, and I am actively involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters. I greatly enjoy spending time with my little sister, Londynn. Londynn makes a positive impact on my life with every interaction.

FAVORITE RECENT PROJECT: I have recently been involved in organizing and managing two meaningful projects: the Spring Home Show and the Parade of Homes. ese events showcased the nest homes and provided an opportunity for builders, consumers, and industry professionals to come together, exchange ideas, and explore the latest trends in home construction and design. Being part of these projects allowed me to contribute to the growth and success of the home building industry while connecting builders and consumers in a meaningful way.

A COLUMBIA BUSINESS PERSON YOU ADMIRE AND WHY: I admire Vicky Shy, a Columbia businessperson who has been a member of the community her entire adult life. She is strong, savvy, and smart, and I am always inspired by her passion and fearlessness in taking on any challenge. Recently Vicky said, “ e busier you are, the more you can do.” I am also proud to call her my aunt.

WHY YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR JOB: I am passionate about helping consumers understand the homebuying process and best options available to them, and connecting them with the premiere contractors in our area.

WHY YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY: I strongly believe that by helping contractors with education and promoting best building practices, I can ensure consumers have a quality and positive experience in the construction industry. I am also passionate about educating consumers in nding the best contractors for remodeling and new homes, as well as guiding them through the entire real estate process. I believe that knowledge is a powerful tool, and by providing valuable information and guidance, I can help consumers make informed decisions and ensure a positive and successful experience.

IF YOU WEREN’T DOING THIS FOR A LIVING, YOU WOULD: Travel! A lot!

WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR PROFESSION: e Home Builders Association of Columbia ensures all its members are professional, sign a code of ethics for sound business practices, and are licensed and insured. e Association also encourages continuing education, and members regularly work with each other when completing a project creating a strong business relationship. is helps ensure homeowners get quality and excellent service.

THE NEXT CHALLENGE FACING YOUR INDUSTRY: Addressing the issue of a ordable home ownership and working towards nding innovative solutions and opportunities to make homeownership more accessible to a wider range of individuals and families.

YOUR NEXT PROFESSIONAL GOAL: Making the Home Builders Association of Columbia a household name!

BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED IN BUSINESS: Never give up. Never.

HOW YOU WANT TO IMPACT THE COLUMBIA COMMUNITY: I am committed to making a positive impact on our local community by actively assisting our local government in navigating green building initiatives with a focus on a ordable housing. By promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly construction

practices, we can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future. Additionally, I aim to arm consumers with the strongest home buying strategies, providing them with the knowledge and resources needed to make informed decisions and secure their dream homes while ensuring a ordability and long-term value. Together, these e orts can lead to a more resilient and thriving community.

GREATEST STRENGTH: I am best known for my ability to create growth and collaboration through strong leadership.

GREATEST WEAKNESS: Finding balance in life has always been a challenge.

FAMILY: I have a 24 year-old son. He is currently operating heavy equipment in the agricultural industry in Nebraska.

FAVORITE PLACE IN COLUMBIA: Dinner at Flyover and a show at Missouri Symphony. Hiking our amazing area trails. Yoga at Sumits. Networking at ACA Business Club.

ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF: I am most proud of my son, Derek. He is one of the kindest, most intelligent humans I have ever known.

MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT YOU: ...have a fully house-broken, cagefree, Mini Rex Rabbit named Dixie that runs my house! CBT

“I believe that knowledge is a powerful tool, and by providing valuable information and guidance, I can help consumers make informed decisions and ensure a positive and successful experience. ”

BY JODIE JACKSON JR

Six years ago this spring, the Columbia City Council adopted a new zoning code, a voluminous set of ordinances that consisted of more than 400 pages and scores of amendments that came from a series of protracted public meetings and hearings the previous year.

What’s the verdict six years later?

“Functionally, the code works well,” says Pat Zenner, Columbia’s development services manager. “Do we have things that are confusing? Yeah.” (If a landowner wants to build a new gas station, for instance, that allowed use is found under “vehicle service and repair” on the city’s list of permitted land uses for speci c zoning designations.)

But the code is “evolving,” he says. Pat oversees the review of rezoning requests and development plans. e “living document” zoning code, formally known as the Uni ed Development Code (UDC), certainly has kept Pat and his team of three other sta members hopping, trying to anticipate what future needs will be and where to prioritize their focus while “doing the day-today plate spinning” of plan reviews.

Incidentally, the ongoing, chronic labor shortage has also pinched the city planning department. Pat’s o ce, which has taken on 275 cases since October 2022, has two vacant positions.

“It keeps us relatively occupied,” he says with a laugh.

OVERHAULING THE CODE

e zoning code was initially adopted in 1936 then overhauled and readopted in 1964. e next update was adopted in March 2017, following months of public hearings.

“ e terminology in the code back then was signi cantly out of date,” Pat says, referring to the previous zoning code as “quite unwieldy.” e code wasn’t fully updated — more “cobbled together,” he says — between 1964 and 2017.

A 2008 city-led visioning process known as Columbia Imagined aimed to update the city’s overall comprehensive plan. In addition to a new zoning code, that process also led to modi cations of subdivision regulations and recodi cation of portions of city rules regulating stormwater and land disturbance.

Although the UDC process was initiated

by Columbia Imagined, the push to update the zoning rules and regulations kicked into even higher gear as a result of the proliferation of student housing developments that began enveloping downtown Columbia a decade ago. In fact, a moratorium on downtown development — a building freeze — was in place from May 2016 to mid-2017 until the new zoning code was in place.

e zoning overhaul included more than 1,000 changes to how the city regulates planning, construction, and zoning, and put tighter restrictions on downtown development and development in residential areas, especially those closest to downtown.

CODIFYING NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTIONS

e new zoning code covered myriad regulations, including general zoning provisions; subdivisions; parking and loading; tree preservation and landscaping; special rules for mixed-downtown development, or M-DT rules; a new table of permitted uses; the length of time required to develop a preliminary plat; rules for continuing nonconforming use of property; and neighborhood protection standards.

Some developers, property owners, bankers, and business assailed the zoning code revision on several fronts, warning that the new code would run counter to the city’s aim for more a ordable housing by increasing costs for builders and buyers — and thus discouraging investment in the growing community.

Also, P&Z commissioners routinely observed the wide disagreement between property owners who wanted to preserve the single-family character of their neighborhoods and property owners who wanted to maintain the right to build multifamily apartment buildings or townhouses on lots they bought as investments.

ose conversations and disagreements continue, but there are now processes to resolve them. For most of his professional engineering career, Tim Crockett, professional engineer and partner at Crockett Engineering Consultants, has lled the role of negotiator, if not diplomat, on behalf of his clients and is typically one of the rst contacts for city sta reviewing development plans. at has led to usually amicable agreements to address parts of the code or processes that

The still-new regulations guide development and property protections.

“A document like the UDC is meant to be a living document, meaning it will need to be revised over time to account for small changes.”

Tim Crockett, professional engineer and partner at Crockett Engineering

might still be unclear.

“It takes time, but we will get through the revisions,” he says. “ e city recognizes this, and we work together to make it work.”

‘A LIVING DOCUMENT’

Among the more visible administrative changes in the 2017 document, the new code shrunk the number of zoning designations from 26 to 13, each with unique standards and compliance requirements, along with spelling out permitted uses. Commercial, industrial, residential, and mixed-use designations — and variations thereof — are now more clearly de ned. Prior to the new code’s adoption, developers who anticipated needing variances and other uses for a tract presented those projects as planned developments.

“We no longer need to negotiate various items of the development at the P&Z and council stage as the UDC already covers those items,” says Tim.

While the still-new zoning code is sometimes still open to interpretation, it is “a much more comprehensive document” than the pre-2017 zoning code, he says.

Pat often refers to the voluminous UDC as “a living document.” at phrase also stood out during the UDC’s formation throughout much of 2016, when — from May through November — the planning and zoning commission hosted more than a dozen public hearings. e sometimes-contentious hearings in September and October that year often lasted well into the early morning hours and combined for more than 40 hours of P&Z time.

“Like any large comprehensive document there are bound to be things that weren’t contemplated when it was written — or ambiguity to some degree,” Tim says, echoing city sta ’s terminology. “A document like the UDC is meant to be a living document, meaning it will need to be revised over time to account for small changes.”

THE STUDENT HOUSING SURGE

One of the major changes for city sta and developers is that there are fewer requests for planned developments, a process that seemed to mire the approval process in

administrative reviews and multiple meetings or hearings with developers.

e city still gets planned development requests, but fewer than before the new UDC was adopted. Tim also makes that observation, adding that city sta , the P&Z commission, and the city council — along with developers — see less need for planned developments.

“I think it works better for both sides,” he explains, reiterating that the use of open zoning still provides the protections of a planned district. In addition, the process is “more straightforward and less cumbersome.”

Downtown development has been snail’s pace slow compared to pre-UDC regulations when downtown was besieged by new student housing structures. Downtown development is now guided by formbased codes that are “more in keeping with the historic vibe and fabric of the built environment,” Pat explains.

“We’re not seeing the level of development we had in the past,” he says.

He points to speci c sites and projects — My House at 119 S. Seventh St. and Raising Canes Restaurant at 203 South Providence — as examples where the form-based code had an impact on development. Rather than downtown redevelopment on significant scales, the planning sta sees more requests for interior renovations and upts, with little or no modi cation of building exteriors.

e mosque at the Islamic Center of Central Missouri at 201 S. Fifth St., was among the rst sites where the new code was applied. e mosque built an addition that mirrored the rest of its architecture, which was one outcome of the form-based code change. Meanwhile, the former U.S Bank building on the southeast corner of Tenth and Broadway is being redeveloped as a mixed-use building, with retail o ce space on the bottom oor and the upper ve stories as residential apartments.

MORE INFILL COMING?

One new scenario that is happening with increasing frequency is land that has been vacant for a long time — as long as two

or three decades, in some cases — is now coming up for development.

Pat also expects that his sta and the P&Z commission to begin seeing more requests for in ll development — the process of developing vacant or under-used parcels within existing urban areas that are already largely developed.

“We’ve been pushing development outward and allowing urban sprawl,” Pat adds. “We’ve reached our outer limits. Some of the more challenging sites are now being considered for development.”

e UDC gives more opportunity for the public and a ected, neighboring property owners to weigh in on rezoning and development requests. Likewise, Pat says, there are also processes in place for appeal.

“We’re not so dogmatic that the owner is left without options,” he notes, adding, “We’re pretty consistent and we’re pretty e ective at getting our applicants coming in to be compliant with the code.”

WORKING TOGETHER

Even ve years into the new code’s application, amendments have continued.

“We’re taking care of things that were confusing or addressing things that we didn’t think needed to be addressed,” Pat adds.

Tim shares that observation.

“A document as large and as comprehensive as the UDC is, there was no way that we were going to get it perfect right out of the gate,” he adds. “We work with the city to identify these issues and then we try and make the needed changes.”

He also agrees with Pat that there’s still some public misperception about the muscle behind the zoning code and protections that are now codi ed.

“ e public has the perception that planned development zoning has more protections and restrictions as opposed to an open zoning district,” Tim adds. “What a lot of the public does not understand is that there are a lot of protections and restrictions written directly into the UDC.

e old zoning code did not account for these items.” CBT

Up for Debate

Short-term rentals are a hot-button issue in Columbia.

BY LAUREN SABLE FREIMAN

Columbia’s Planning and Zoning Commission, Columbia City Council, short-term rental operators, and residents continue to debate whether the city should adopt ordinances to regulate the short-term rental industry in Columbia.

“I don’t envision there’s a perfect solution, otherwise we would have done it,” says Mayor Barbara Bu aloe. “We need to come to a compromise because we’ve been in this grey area for over ve years.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic tabled the discussion about short-term rentals for nearly two years, the city took steps to solicit input from the community late last year.

“ e city council had a joint work session with the planning and zoning commission in December 2022 about potential regulations for short-term rentals and we asked them to survey the community on the potential regulations,” Barbara says. “Next steps will be another work session with council and the planning and zoning commission, most likely in late June or July.”

WHAT’S THE CONTROVERSY?

According to the city of Columbia, a short-term rental is de ned as “a dwelling unit rented out for a short period of time either informally or via an online platform/website including, but not limited to, Airbnb.com or VRBO.com.”

Long-term rentals, which are units rented for more than 31 consecutive days under a rental contract, are not a ected by the proposed ordinance.

While the regulatory standards drafted by the P&Z commission dene criteria that would need to be met in order for a property owner or tenant to legally license a dwelling as a short-term rental, the proposed ordinance would also establish permitted locations, or zoning districts, where short-term rentals are permitted. As proposed, the ordinance would prohibit owners who do not live in the dwelling from operating a short-term rental in residential-zoned neighborhoods for more than 30 days per year. Short-term rentals would be permitted in commercial areas.

“Currently, a short-term rental operating in a residential zone is considered to be a commercial use,” Barbara says.

Some who own and rent homes in residential neighborhoods say that e ectively puts them out of business.

“ ey are calling it a regulation but it would eliminate over 90 percent of the short-term rentals in town,” says Patrick McCollum, a Columbia resident who owns three short-term rentals and two long-term rental units in the city. “ ere would be no full-time short-term rentals in any residential neighborhoods. at’s putting us out of business, not regulation.”

RESIDENTS SPEAK

Survey results reveal that of 432 respondents, 63 percent do not support limitations on the location of shortterm rentals, while 37 percent of respondents do support limitations.

e majority of respondents — 59 percent — did support standards related to registration of short-term rentals, like business licenses, payment of lodging taxes, and inspections to ensure that health and safety standards are being met.

Barbara says the planning and zoning commission has conducted a review identifying where short-term rental units are located in Columbia.

“Based on their presentation to council in December, the majority appear to be located in the First Ward,” she says. “Residential properties in the First Ward are centrally located — and within walking distance — to a number of neighborhood commercial and business uses, which makes them ideal for individuals who utilize alternative modes of transportation to obtain goods and services.”

e a ordability of residential housing in highly desired locations can be negatively a ected when it is required to compete with commercial use, such as short-term rentals, Barbara adds.

Of the 32 respondents from the First Ward, 53 percent did not support limitations on the location of short-term rentals, while 47 percent were in favor of limitations regarding location. Nearly two-thirds of the 87 short-term

“Columbia is lucky because the short-term rental owners are all very invested in the health and vibrancy of Columbia. This isn’t a situation where you have a bunch of out-of-state owners. We want to see the city be awesome.”

- JESSIE YANKEE

rental owners who responded to the survey said they support the preservation of a ordable housing, whether owner-occupied or rental, within the city.

OPEN TO DISCUSSION

Jessie Yankee, who owns two short-term rentals in Columbia, including the historic “hobbit house” on the corner of Ash and West Boulevard, and co-hosts another property, says she does think there is a perfect solution — if all sides could sit together at the table for a discussion.

“I would love the opportunity for a work session,” Jessie says. “Let’s sit down with the mayor, the planning and zoning commission, and the council and have a guided conversation. I think we could leave with a reasonable set of regulations. We agree that there need to be regulations that need to be written and approved, but not the regulations as they exist. We want to have a voice in whatever the next step would be.”

Patrick echoes Jessie’s belief that there is a solution that could protect the interest of all sides, and many of those pieces are already in place for long-term rentals in the city.

“I don’t think it’s a tough solution to make all sides happy,” he says. “I think it could be done fairly easily.”

Because two of his units are long-term rentals, Patrick says he is already registered with the city, and his properties are inspected as rental properties.

While short-term rental owners are open to registration and inspections, holding short-term rentals to the same standards as a hotel or motel, as the ordinance proposes, is like comparing apples and oranges, Jessie says.

“Hotels are serving a very di erent demographic,” she says. “ eir kitchens have to pass safety checks like a restaurant would, and in a home, that isn’t necessary. Just inspect us like a regular rental unit. Why should the inspection be di erent for a place you’re going to stay for 29 versus 31 nights?”

SUPPORTING GROWTH

While short-term rental owners like Jessie and Patrick understand the need for additional a ordable housing in Columbia, they say their short-term rental business helps keep rent in their longterm units a ordable.

‘We are able to keep the rent down for the long-term rentals because we have the rent from the short-term rentals,” Patrick says. “If the short-term rentals went away, rent would go up in the long-term units.”

While many cities see short-term rentals being operated by out-of-state investors, that isn’t the case for Columbia’s nearly 400 short-term rental properties.

“Columbia is lucky because the shortterm rental owners are all very invested in the health and vibrancy of Columbia,” Jessie says. “ is isn’t a situation where you have a bunch of out-of-state owners. We want to see the city be awesome.”

ROOM FOR BOTH HOTELS AND SHORT-TERM RENTALS

Barbara says the city collects a 5 percent lodging tax on stays at hotels, inns, and motels. e tax is not currently collected from stays at short-term rentals.

Short-term rental owners do currently collect taxes from renters, and Patrick says they are not opposed to collecting lodging tax as well, a cost that would be passed along to the renters.

“ e city could collect tax revenue, and I think there is quite a bit of revenue to be had,” he says.

As the city seeks to increase tourism and commerce, Jessie says that short-term rentals are a vital piece of the lodging puzzle in Columbia, as the rentals often house traveling nurses, larger families, and other longer-term travelers to the area.

“ is isn’t a hotel versus short-term rental issue, because we need both in Columbia,” Jessie says. “For Mizzou graduation, every Airbnb was sold out in Columbia a year ago, and every hotel room and Airbnb is already sold out for next year.”

As short-term rentals become even more popular among travelers, Patrick says he is delivering a service people want, while supporting the local economy.

“ e guests we have are dedicated to this type of lodging; it is what they seek out,” he says. “We give them recommendations on where to go, what to eat, share information about the parks. We always send them to local places, and it’s a good thing for our city. Short-term rentals have become a common type of lodging that people like and seek out, and it would be a bad thing if the city eliminated them.” CBT

of the 432 survey respondents do not support limitations on the location of short-term rentals.

of the 432 survey respondents support standards related to registration of shortterm rentals.

lodging tax that the city currently collects on stays at hotels, inns, and motels — but not short-term rentals.

63% Do not support limitations on the location of short-term rentals

total respondents 432

$350,046

37% Support limitations on the location of short-term rentals average home price in Boone County in April 2023

The City of Columbia zoning code was initially adopted in 1936 then overhauled and readopted in 1964

the next update was adopted in March of 2017

The zoning overhaul included more than

1,000 changes to how the city regulates planning, construction, and zoning, and put tighter restrictions on downtown development and development in residential areas, especially those closest to downtown.