Columbia City Council held a second public hearing on the Vista Business Improvement District on April 15, 2026. The Vista Property Owners Organization presented the plan: clean-and-safe services, arts and culture programming, public space maintenance, business support, and marketing for the Vista corridor in downtown Columbia. The Vista Guild Board currently oversees the corridor without formal assessment authority — operational continuity without a permanent funding mechanism. The BID would provide the formal assessment structure the Guild lacks.

City Center Partnership's Matt Kennel: the BID would enable downtown Columbia's two corridors to "unite, tear down silos, connect the two areas." Carolyn Decker of the Vista Neighborhood Association said residents support the proposal but want board representation guaranteed. The board composition question — whether the BID includes a resident seat — must be resolved before the petition circulates.

Watch: City Council authorization of the petition process and resolution of the board composition question.

Source: WIS-TV, April 15, 2026.