Council members on Tuesday took up four separate amendments to the Old Town Belton redevelopment plan, approving applications for 406 Main Street, 410 Main Street and 401 East Walnut while rejecting a request tied to 408 Main Street after sustained debate over emergency repairs, staff email guidance and possible conflicts of interest.

The contested applications would add individual properties to the redevelopment plan and make them eligible for 10-year tax abatement under the Old Town program. The council opened public hearings for each project under R.S.Mo. § 353.110.3 and received staff reports and public testimony before voting.

Why it matters: councilors said the decisions affect how the city treats downtown reinvestment and set precedents for whether work begun before formal approval — especially repairs characterized as "emergency" — is eligible for tax abatement. Several council members said unclear staff communications had led applicants to believe they could begin work pending approval, a point that prompted concern and contributed to a failed vote.

Staff presentation and certifications: city planning staff told the council that applications must include itemized costs, receipts and permits, and that the city performs a cost‑certification process before abatement is applied. Staff said work performed before formal council approval (for example, demolition or contractor labor started prior to final action) generally cannot be included in final cost certification unless there is clear, verifiable documentation (paid invoices, certified payroll, contractor licenses or coordinated inspection records). For projects with substantial owner “self‑help” labor, staff said the policy requires close coordination so hours can be verified; otherwise that labor typically cannot be counted toward abatement.

406 Main Street (project 2025‑2): applicant/owner Gregory Schroed requested a $30,000 project focused on interior and exterior improvements. Staff recommended approval and reported the Old Town Belton Redevelopment Corporation board had unanimously recommended the project. After discussion about what work had been done before the application and how demolition and other pre‑approval work would be handled in cost certification, the council approved the first reading by voice vote.

408 Main Street (project 2025‑3): Michelle Mellinger, who said she submitted the application on behalf of the owner, told the council she had to begin roof repairs quickly after repeated leaks and that she believed city staff had indicated emergency work could proceed. City staff said the city manager and staff had exchanged emails with the applicant; the city manager said he had told the applicant that, given the roof condition, he “would feel comfortable recommending the same treatment” but that final approval rests with the council and the redevelopment board. Several council members said the staff emails had created an impression that applicants could go ahead, while others said that impression was not an official authorization. The Old Town board had recommended unanimous approval. After extended debate about the definition of “emergency,” the timing of permits and inspections, the possibility that work had begun before formal approval, and concerns about the applicant’s relationship to a council member, the council voted by roll call to reject the first reading for the 408 Main Street project (yes: Council members White, McCallum; no: Council members Lawson, Davidson, Johnson, Thompson and Mayor Pro Tem Pryant). The motion failed and the amendment did not advance.

410 Main Street (project 2025‑4): staff presented an application seeking $60,000 in exterior improvements. Staff and the Old Town board reported outstanding code items were being addressed and the board had unanimously recommended approval. The council approved the first reading after a roll‑call vote; staff will proceed with the standard cost‑certification steps for work not started prior to approval.

401 East Walnut (project 2025‑5): a residential application seeking about $32,500 in exterior work — windows, roof, paint and fence — was recommended for approval by staff and the Old Town board; the council approved the first reading by voice vote. Staff said permits were required and that the work had not yet begun, simplifying later certification.

Policy and next steps: council members repeatedly urged the Old Town Belton Redevelopment Corporation board and staff to refine the redevelopment plan policy to define "emergency" work, clarify interior vs. exterior thresholds, tighten guidance on self‑help labor and establish clearer communications protocols so applicants do not proceed prematurely. Multiple council members asked staff to bring proposed clarifications back through the board and to the council. No ordinance language changing the policy was adopted on Tuesday; the council's votes applied only to the individual redevelopment project amendments that were on the agenda.

Quotations: Michelle Mellinger, applicant for 408 Main Street, told the council she began work because of repeated roof leaks and that "the city manager … said in emergency situations that it was not an issue to do this." City Manager Joe Warren said staff had provided guidance by email and that "I would feel comfortable recommending the same treatment with this application," but council members noted that such a recommendation does not itself authorize work.

Ending: The council's split votes left the broader question unresolved: whether and how the redevelopment program will treat emergency repairs and pre‑approval work going forward. Council members said they expect the Old Town board and staff to return with clearer definitions and procedures before similar applications recur.