The Columbia City Council voted in favor of Trial E, one of five possible ward reapportionment choices proposed at the meeting, by a vote of 6-1. Trial E extends the First Ward and is based on information gathered from the 2010 Census.

Trial E was recommended to the council by the reapportionment committee by a vote of 5-3. The committee also recommended the Trial D map with a 4-4 vote, but Trial D was found not to be contiguous. To make Trial D legal, Fourth Ward Councilman Daryl Dudley took on the task of amending the proposed map. After Dudley amended Trial D, some area residents accused him of gerrymanderding.

A petition was formed during the week that received hundreds of signatures for the removal of Dudley from his position.

Second Ward Councilman Jason Thornhill came out in support of Dudley, calling the recall petition nonsensical and based on emotion rather than logic.

Dudley defended himself and said his amendment to Trial D was not a political move, but a population and geographical move.

Benton-Stephens Neighborhood Association President Kip Kendrick spoke out in support of Trial E.

“Trial E is favored by the committee and the community and it doesn’t support one political ideology over another,” Kendrick said.

At the conclusion of Kendrick’s speech, more than 10 neighborhood organization representatives stood up in support of Trial E as well.

Sixth Ward Councilwoman Barbara Hoppe based her support for Trial E on several factors.

“It is straightforward, simple, it disturbs the least and is the least divisive,” Hoppe said.

The council also voted Monday to table the rezoning of the Regency mobile home park until Nov. 21.

The mobile home park is proposed to be sold to Aspen Heights developing company, which builds student apartment complexes.

Controversy has arisen over concerns that the homeowners would not have the financial resources to move and some homes are incapable of being moved because of their age or structural deficiencies.

An amendment was introduced at the meeting to address some of these concerns. It would allocate $1,200 dollars to each homeowner for relocation and would also give homeowners 180 days notice of eviction rather than the original 120. The amendment was tabled along with the bill until Nov. 21.

The Council received a unanimous recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Committee to vote against the bill. Several community members spoke at Monday’s meeting, all in unanimous support to deny this bill.

Recently-crowned Homecoming Queen Kam Phillips said this proposal is not one that students desire and that it would be divisive to the community.

“This is not something that we as a city or a student body can support,” Phillips said.

MU student Curtis Edwards, who has been at the university for seven years, also disapproved of the proposal because he feels students will be just fine without additional housing.

“There is plenty of housing for students in Columbia,” Edwards said, who questioned whether this issue was truly a matter of student needs.