Council approves consent agenda and multiple infrastructure and budget items including ARPA park funds, donations and BNSF easement

The Saint Joseph City Council approved a broad set of consent and individual items covering equipment purchases, capital projects and funding recognitions.

The consent agenda included a budget amendment ($219,690 to the general fund), appropriations totaling $278,274 to purchase 57 mobile data terminals for police vehicles from Turnkey Mobile Inc, a unit-price contract for the 2024 urban trail system maintenance project (not to exceed $642,328.90), and a state public-health participation agreement with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for $176,126. The council also approved a resolution with Mosaic Life Care Foundation and Mosaic Health System to allocate $220,000 in ARPA block improvement funds for perimeter sidewalk improvements adjacent to the Plymouth building.

Separately, the council approved accepting a $20,000 donation from Ag Processing Inc. to purchase equipment for new fire trucks and agreed to substitute an amended ordinance that added a $10,000 donation from CoBank; the substitution motion and the amended bill passed by recorded vote (9 ayes). The council also authorized acceptance of easement and overpass agreements with the BNSF Railway Company for the MacArthur Drive project (total $13,500) and attached the required documents to the ordinance; staff confirmed that contractor requirements and BNSF flagging standards will be enforced. That item’s amendment and final vote carried (recorded as 9 ayes / 9-0).

The clerk also read multiple first readings: redistricting and zoning amendments, updates to boards and commissions and code relocations (including moving language into the administrative code related to the St. Joseph Land Bank), an amendment to a wastewater agreement with Triumph Foods LLC, a proposed $1.6 million Friends of the Animal Shelter contribution and related General Fund amendment to design and construct a new animal shelter, and an ordinance to submit a use-tax extension proposition to voters at an Aug. 6, 2024 election.

Why it matters: The consent items and approvals move forward purchases, contract work and grant recognitions that affect public safety equipment, trail and drainage infrastructure, park and sidewalk improvements funded by ARPA, and next steps for a proposed new animal shelter and a voter referendum on the use tax.

What’s next: Many items approved were administrative or budgetary and will proceed to procurement and implementation; the use-tax ordinance will be second-read at a special meeting next Monday and, if approved, be filed with the county clerk prior to the statutory deadline.

Quote: "We will do that. But you help us pay." — paraphrase of public comment referencing state and federal regulatory costs affecting local systems (public comment context).