City Council — Columbia, SC
Date: 2026-02-03
Time: 14:00

Columbia City Council Work Session Agenda
 Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM
 City Hall, Mayor's Conference Room, 1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29201
 City Clerk’s Office: (803)545-3045 or cityclerk@columbiasc.gov

 The Honorable Daniel J. Rickenmann, Mayor
 The Honorable Edward H. McDowell, Jr. • The Honorable William Brennan
 The Honorable Tina N. Herbert, Mayor Pro-Tempore
 The Honorable Peter M. Brown • The Honorable Tyler D. Bailey • The Honorable Samuel P. Johnson


Call to Order

Invocation

Adoption of the Agenda

City Council Discussion

1. Columbia Homelessness Consulting Services Project Kickoff — Ms. Kameisha Heppard,
 Director of Homeless Services; Ms. Trish Marsik, MSW, Principal Co-Project Director / Health
 Management Associates, Inc ; and Ms. Zipatly Mendoza, MPH, Project Manager / Health
 Management Associates, Inc.

Executive Session

2. Discussion of negotiations incident to proposed contractual arrangements pursuant to S. C.
 Code §30-4-70(a)(2)

 • Health Management Associates, Inc.


Adjournment




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Columbia City Council Work Session Agenda
 Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 2:00 PM
 City Hall, Mayor's Conference Room, 1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29201
 City Clerk’s Office: (803)545-3045 or cityclerk@columbiasc.gov

 The Honorable Daniel J. Rickenmann, Mayor
 The Honorable Edward H. McDowell, Jr. • The Honorable William Brennan
 The Honorable Tina N. Herbert, Mayor Pro-Tempore
 The Honorable Peter M. Brown • The Honorable Tyler D. Bailey • The Honorable Samuel P. Johnson


Call to Order

Invocation

Adoption of the Agenda

City Council Discussion

1. Columbia Homelessness Consulting Services Project Kickoff — Ms. Kameisha Heppard,
 Director of Homeless Services; Ms. Trish Marsik, MSW, Principal Co-Project Director / Health
 Management Associates, Inc ; and Ms. Zipatly Mendoza, MPH, Project Manager / Health
 Management Associates, Inc.

Executive Session

2. Discussion of negotiations incident to proposed contractual arrangements pursuant to S. C.
 Code §30-4-70(a)(2)

 • Health Management Associates, Inc.


Adjournment




 Page 1 of 1

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COLUMBIA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2026


CALL TO ORDER

The Columbia City Council conducted a Work session on Tuesday, February 3, 2026
at City Hall (Mayor's Conference Room), 1737 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina
29201. The Honorable Daniel J. Rickenmann, Mayor called the meeting to order at
2:06 p.m. and the following members were present: The Honorable Edward H.
McDowell, Jr., The Honorable Will Brennan, The Honorable Tina N. Herbert, Mayor
Pro-Tempore, The Honorable Peter M. Brown, The Honorable Tyler D. Bailey, and The
Honorable Sam P. Johnson. Also present were Ms. Teresa Wilson, City Manager and
Ms. Erika D. Moore Hammond, City Clerk. This meeting was advertised in accordance
with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.

INVOCATION

The Honorable Edward H. McDowell, Jr. offered the invocation.

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

Upon a motion made by Mr. Johnson and seconded by Mr. Brown, Council voted
unanimously to adopt the agenda subject to adding the discussion of matters relating
to the proposed location, expansion, or provision of services encouraging location or
expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body
pursuant to S.C. Code §30-4-70(a)(5) - Convention Center Hotel as Item 3.

CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION

1. Columbia Homelessness Consulting Services Project Kickoff — Ms. Kameisha
 Heppard, Director of Homeless Services; Ms. Trish Marsik, MSW, Principal
 Co-Project Director / Health Management Associates, Inc.; and Ms. Zipatly
 Mendoza, MPH, Project Manager / Health Management Associates, Inc.

Ms. Teresa Wilson, City Manager stated that the city is moving forward on homelessness
initiatives through the Homeless Services Ad Hoc Committee. The committee has
advanced a strategic blueprint and is now engaging a consultant to assess existing
programs, identify service gaps, and provide an external perspective. Health
Management Associates, Inc. was selected as the consulting partner and is presenting
an overview of the firm and the next phases of work.

Councilor Brennan emphasized the value of an independent, third-party perspective
to help shape a regional blueprint that could attract state and federal support.



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 COLUMBIA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2026


Councilors Brown, Bailey, McDowell, Johnson, and Herbert expressed a shared
interest in better aligning resources, coordinating services, and developing a holistic,
compassionate, and long-term approach to reducing homelessness.

Mayor Rickenmann stated that the City’s ultimate goal is a structured, results-
driven process that leads to measurable reductions in homelessness while
addressing mental health and addiction without overburdening residents.

Ms. Teresa Wilson, City Manager noted staff’s commitment to supporting Council
policy direction and welcomed an external evaluation to strengthen partnerships
and improve service delivery.

Ms. Trish Marsik, MSW, Principal Co-Project Director / Health Management Associates,
Inc. outlined the firm’s 40 years of national experience in supporting publicly funded
programs for vulnerable populations, including Medicaid, behavioral health, housing, and
homelessness. She shared national best practices centered on prevention, crisis
response, and housing, citing examples from Santa Clara County, Denver, and Dallas,
where flexible financial assistance, targeted outreach, and landlord incentives led to
measurable reductions in homelessness and cost savings.

Mr. Charles Robbins, MBA, Principal Co-Project Director / Health Management
Associates, Inc. described a data-driven, partner-informed approach to evaluating
homelessness services in Columbia. The project will include a needs assessment across
housing, mental health, and substance-use services; program mapping of the existing
service network; and actionable recommendations developed through a four-phase
process. Community input will be central, with feedback gathered through interviews,
focus groups, surveys, and a town hall to ensure the final roadmap reflects local needs
and lived experiences.

There was discussion about expanding local and state resources beyond the
downtown area; using public health dashboards to inform decision-making; adopting
a multi-layered approach to homelessness that considers social factors, local
conditions, and resource investment; identifying service gaps and aligning
organizational efforts; evaluating the benefits and limitations of existing programs to
avoid duplicative work; rebuilding public trust through transparency and measurable
outcomes; engaging the community early in the process; understanding project
timelines and phases; recognizing that the presence of services does not always
equate to effectiveness; acknowledging the limitations of local government;
coordinating service delivery and care; creating visible change; and the value of direct
outreach combined with data from engagement.


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 COLUMBIA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2026


EXECUTIVE SESSION

Upon a motion made by Mr. Brennan and seconded by Mr. McDowell, Council voted
unanimously to enter into Executive Session at 3:18 p.m. for the discussion of Items
2 and 3 as amended.

2. Discussion of negotiations incident to proposed contractual arrangements
 pursuant to S. C. Code §30-4-70(a)(2)

 • Health Management Associates, Inc.

3. Discussion of matters relating to the proposed location, expansion, or
 provision of services encouraging location or expansion of industries or other
 businesses in the area served by the public body pursuant to S.C. Code §30-
 4-70(a)(5)

 • Convention Center Hotel

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.


Respectfully submitted:



Erika D. Moore Hammond, MMC, CPM
City Clerk




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