Council debates $250,000 cap on city participation for Truman Hotel demolition; no final vote

Council members spent extensive time discussing a proposed cooperative agreement that would let the city participate — up to $250,000 — in hauling costs for demolition of the former Ramada Inn/Truman Hotel at 1510 Jefferson Street.

City staff and outside counsel described a reimbursement mechanism in which the city’s $250,000 would be escrowed with a third‑party agent. Reimbursements would be paid to the property owner against verified hauling invoices from Republic Services at a $45 per‑ton rate (if the owner hauls material to the landfill) or $199 per truckload (about eight tons) if Republic performs the hauling. Work would start within three months of agreement execution and take about six months to complete, including grading, seeding and stabilization, staff said.

Council members raised multiple concerns during a lengthy public exchange: ensuring demolition material actually originates from the Truman site; the risk that partial demolition could leave the…