Notes on the November 10 City Council Agenda

First reading, Emergency and Second reading bills

The November 10 City Council Meeting Agenda is online.

The item suspected to draw the most attention from the public is:

Item 12. COUNCIL BILL 2008-339:

"A special ordinance calling an election on February 3, 2009 in the City of Springfield, Missouri, to submit to the qualified voters a question as to whether or not to institute a one-cent sales tax on retail sales within the City of Springfield, Missouri, for the purpose of providing revenues for the Springfield Police and Firefighters Pension System, providing for a sunset on the tax at the earlier of either the end of five years from the date of commencement of the tax or the Pension Fund reaching a fully-funded status, and declaring an emergency."

The bill has been declared an emergency but is not anticipated to be voted on Monday night, instead, it is listed as a first reading bill.

The proposed ballot language for the February election is:

"Shall the City of Springfield impose a sales tax at a rate of 1 percent solely for the purpose of providing revenues for the Springfield Police and Firefighters Pension System with said tax to sunset upon the earlier of A) Five (5) years from the date of the commencement of collection of this tax or B) the Pension System fund reaching a fully-funded (100%) status as determined by an independent actuarial study conducted for the Pension System Board of Trustees?”

There is one emergency bill on the November 10 agenda:

15. COUNCIL BILL 2008-340. (Carlson) A special ordinance authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to apply for and accept a Missouri Department of Economic Development Emergency Community Development Block Grant Fund grant for the purpose of acquiring, redeveloping and disposing of foreclosed/vacant properties, and to execute agreements and do all things necessary to carry out such grant; amending the budget provided for the Planning and Development Department of the City of Springfield, Missouri, for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 in the amount of $2,800,000.00; and declaring an emergency

Council will likely adopt the Internal Auditor's Policies and Procedures and approve the annual Audit Working Plan of April Lathrom. See Item 21. COUNCIL BILL 2008-322. If you would like more information on the Internal Auditor's Policies and Procedures, see Community Free Press (CFP) supplements to the print edition of October 22. There is also a summary update on page 4 of the October 22 editon of CFP.

Also up for vote tonight is COUNCIL BILL 2008-323, "a special ordinance authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to appropriate $165,000 from the level property tax fund balance to construct a public parking lot at Jefferson Avenue and Phelps Street."

Council is expected to approve the reappointments of 4 members of the City Utilities board, Patrick Platter; Lisa Officer; Mark McNay; and Tom Finnie. The vote was divided at Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting. Councilman Doug Burlison and Council woman Cindy Rushefsky cast nay votes regarding Mr. Finnie, citing him as the source of many problems the city faces today. The other three members up for reappointment were unanimously approved for recommendation to the City Council by the Committee of the Whole.

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Highlights of the October 27, City Council Meeting

Upcoming Council Meeting Agenda

Here are a few items which will be up for public hearing at the Council meeting this Monday night:

> Item 8. COUNCIL BILL 2008-321: A portion of Phelps Street, between Kansas Expressway and LaFontaine Avenue is being considered to be made a private street, at the Paul Mueller Company's request.

The purpose is to allow the company to create a secured parking area. Muellers would take over all care and maintenence of the street should the bill pass.

Geoffrey Butler will represent Muellers in the matter. There has been no opposition raised.

> Item 10. COUNCIL BILL 2008-322: A special ordinance adopting the Internal Auditor’s Policies and Procedures and approving the annual Audit Working Plan.

If you'd like to read a summary of the Internal Auditor's Policies and Procedures, click on the cover shot of the paper at the Community Free Press Web site and scroll to page 4, you can also read the entire policy paper by clicking this and scrolling down.

> Item 11. COUNCIL BILL 2008-323: Will authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to appropriate $165,000 from the level property tax fund to construct a public parking lot at Jefferson Avenue and Phelps Street and amend the budget in that amount, if passed.

The parking lot is intended to provide parking for patrons and employees of the Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Greene County and the Missouri Highway Patrol.

Resolutions, which citizens may address but which will, likely, be voted on at the meeting (resolutions only require one reading) are:

> Item 13. COUNCIL BILL 2008-324: "...consenting to and approving financing of The Industrial Development Authority of Greene County, Missouri for the Pregnancy Care Center, a Missouri nonprofit corporation, by providing for the issuance of Industrial Revenue Bonds in an amount not to exceed $1,700,000 to pay the costs of financing and reimbursing the costs of the acquisition and renovation of an office facility for the Pregnancy Care Center."

> Item 14. COUNCIL BILL 2008-325: "A resolution adopting the City of Springfield's Legislative Policy for 2009. (Recommended by the Finance and Administration Committee.)"

The city's legislative policy for 2009 was recommended by the Finance and Administration Committee with a vote of 3 ayes, 1 nay. Councilman Burlison did not support some of the more contentious legislative policies included and so, as a member of the Finance and Administration Committee, opposed it.

One of the contentious policies has been written about in the local news, it was a request made by the Parks Department to lobby for a ban on guns in open park spaces.

It is my understanding that there is to be a citizen speaking out against the potential gun ban at the meeting Monday night, at least that's a rumor I heard today.

As always, the second reading bills will be summarized and note made of the votes in the next issue of the Community Free Press.

To view the consent agenda bills, click this. Citizens wishing to speak to an item on the consent agenda must let City Clerk Brenda Cirtin know that they'd like an item removed from that agenda so that they might address it.

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