Council approves consent agenda; city manager reports on parks projects and upcoming police chief interviews

The Saint Joseph City Council voted to approve the consent agenda, which included nominations, contracts, budget amendments and resolutions affecting multiple departments.

Items read by the clerk included the nomination of Kim Delaney to the Community Police Advisory Committee to fill a vacancy through Nov. 26, 2024; an ordinance to amend the Public Health Department and General Fund budgets and authorize a contract with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for $33,000 for the Baby and Me Tobacco Free Program; a budget amendment to the General Fund and Water Protection Fund to cover an anticipated $868,000 worker compensation deficit for fire, police, public works and transportation departments; a permit for United Services Inc to place fiber-optic lines at 17 locations across the city; dissolution of the Stockyards TIF special allocation fund and termination of that redevelopment area; and authorization to submit the fourth-year annual CDBG/HOME plan for program year 2023-24 to HUD.

The consent agenda also included a transfer of $1,339,922 from the police sales tax fund to the general fund to meet obligations in the police working agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3; authorization to donate a retired patrol car to Missouri Western State University; BEI2307 with Black Stone Environmental Inc. for construction quality assurance at the Saint Joseph Sanitary Landfill (Cell 7 B) for $58,913; a service agreement with RNW Towing and Recovery LLC for towing services; and purchase order SPR2305 up to $304,598.04 for replacement of the Hyde Park pedestrian bridge.

Council member Trout moved to accept the consent agenda and Council member Schomburg seconded; the motion carried with eight ayes.

In the city manager's report, staff announced West 8 has been retained as consultant for the Craig Park project to begin community activities and stakeholder meetings; the Liberty Oak Splash Park remains closed pending replacement of a warranted mechanical component; the Parks Department received a $5,000 grant to support a parks walking-tour virtual app; police chief candidate interviews are scheduled with a community meet-and-greet planned at Missouri Western State University; and a pipe burst at the Parks Administration building forced temporary relocation of in-person parks services for about two weeks.

During public comment, Kenny Reeder urged the CIP committee to restore more amenity-oriented projects to the capital improvements ballot language and said the current proposal shifts too much funding into public works (he cited about $14,000,000), which he said reduces the "icing on our cake" amenities that voters expect.

Procedural note: the clerk provided first reading of multiple additional ordinances later in the meeting; votes on those first-read items were not recorded in the transcript.