City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. We'll call this special City Council meeting to order for Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026. Madam Clerk, reading of the special call.

Present. We have one item under a new business to go into closed session. Madam Clerk.

Mayor. The chair would entertain a motion.

We have a motion by Mr. Cortez, a second by Mr. Jackson to adjourn to closed session. Please vote.

Thank you, Mr. Koppel. We have nine in favor, none opposed. We are adjourned to closed session. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here. This is Joplin City Council budget work session number two. We appreciate everyone who is here this evening and thank you for your interest. We'll begin. Mr. Edwards with you.

Okay, thank you. Thank you all. Good presentation. So, questions? Mr. Dittar.

Very good. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Cortez, I'm sorry, Mr. Cowles, then Mr. Cortez.

Absolutely. Thank you. Mr. Moran, and then we'll come to you, Mr. Bard.

Anything else from anybody? that I would just echo. Thank you all. It was a very good presentation. And, you know, I... I think you guys are doing a great job. And Brendan, glad to have you on board. I think the first time you came, we said no pressure. We'll let you scoot one more time. But after this, no, we're kidding you. But for the citizens and the rest of the council members, this relationship with the city and the Chamber for Economic Development goes back to 1984. So we're talking coming up now in 47 years, which is one of the longest running, as far as I know, partnerships in the sta

We have a motion by Mr. Jackson, a second by Mr. Dittar, that we approve the Chamber of Commerce and MOCAN request as presented. Please vote. Yes. Thank you, Chuck. We have nine in favor, none opposed. Again, thank you all very much for being here this evening. Leslie, next item.

Thank you, Mr. Dittar. Mr. Jackson. Thank you, Mayor.

Anyone else? Don't see any. Lori, you know, one of my early mentors about downtown development said thriving cities should be like a cinnamon roll all the way through and not like a donut where it's tasty on the outside with a hole in the middle. So thank you and thank all of your board members out there for doing your part to try and get a tasty center here for downtown Joplin. We appreciate that very much.

Okay. So, Leslie, since this is coming back as a contract at the next meeting, do we need to take action tonight?

Okay, we have a motion by Mr. Dittar, second by Mr. Cortez to approve issue two for the Downtown Joplin Alliance at $75,000. Please vote.

We have eight in favor, one opposed. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Bless you. Other questions or comments at this point? So, Leslie, what do you need at this juncture from us?

Okay. Everyone good? All right. Next thing.

Mr. Moran, you were not called on. Mr. Cortez, you get to come back to you.

Mr. Dittar, or was it Mr. Kells? I think Mr. Dittar.

Well, Mrs. Price, Mr. Koppel. Yeah. A few things.

Okay. So a couple of comments. We started the conversation, I'd ask the council to remember this, we started the conversation with Leslie's presentation where she was very clear that these are estimates at this point in time because we you know we do have a pension fund right now that's being that we're seeing revenue from but we still don't know exactly when that closes off and when we can begin police and fire so we don't know in 2027 fiscal year exactly what that looks like and also She's making her best estimates in there. The other thing, there's been a lot of great discussion tonight abo

Mr. Cortez. Did Mr. Koppel have something to say?

Okay. You good, Chuck? Yes, sir. All right, thank you.

Second. We have a motion by Mr. Cortez, a second by Mr. Bard to approve issue four, police and fire sales tax spending plan as presented. Please vote.

We are approved. Eight in favor and one opposed. Thank you all very much. The mayor will take the prerogative of calling at least a 10-minute break. A 15-minute break.

All right, we'll get started again. Thank you all. So, Ms. Haas.

Thank you, Mr. Cowles. Anybody else? Mrs. Price.

Anyone else want to make a comment or question? So I guess I would have, picking up from Mrs. Price's comment, since we have these pre-approved meetings, Mr. Manager. And we know some things come up. For example, there was the MML, Missouri County Association, program on data centers. So that some other things may come up. But since we're basically working with pre-approved Travel at that point not just driving around town Is that reimbursement as mrs. Price? Pointed out is that feasible?

Council does have a vehicle. Any other questions or comments? Okay, I hear none at this point.

Second. Okay. Any additional discussion, Mrs. Price? Well, under that, it says that you have to drive your own vehicle with no reimbursement. I couldn't hear, Mrs. Price, I'm sorry. Mrs. Price was asking a question.

Should we do that as prior approval? Is that basically, since you say under different circumstances? Okay. So for tonight, we just basically are approving a budget? Okay. Right. Just pre-approval. Make the ask before travel. So, okay. We have a motion by Mr. Cortez, a second by Mr. Dittar to approve Council Issue Number 5, Travel Policy and Budget Allocation. Please vote.

We have nine in favor. Thank you all very much.

Okay. Any other questions? So, Mr. Cowles.

Okay. Other comments or questions? So if I'm reading this correctly, Leslie, in the book, the full one-time expenditure would be option three under what you have here? Yes, sir.

Thank you. We have a motion by Mr. Jackson, a second by Mrs. Price to adopt option three on issue six, facility security improvement plan items. Please vote. Yes. Nine in favor. None opposed.

Lastly, thank you. Any questions? Mr. Cowles.

All right. Thank you, Mr. Kells. Any other questions? Okay. I see no other questions. Any comments or discussions? I see none of that. The chair would entertain a motion.

I have a motion by Mr. Cortez, second by Mr. Dittar, that issue number seven, the golf and pool discounted fees for veterans and employees, be approved as presented. Please vote. Yes. We have nine in favor and none opposed. Thank you very much.

Any questions about the additional budget book this evening? I see none. We're adjourned. There we go.