The Board of Aldermen placed Bill 3668 on first reading to authorize contracting with Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (CMT) for engineering design and construction administration on the Outer Road project (phase 1), a connectivity project the city submitted for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding.

Director Jeremy Parson gave a detailed presentation reviewing the project area (Spring Valley/Chadwick Flyer corridor), partners including Show Me Christian County and the Department of Economic Development, and the procurement process. He said seven firms responded to the RFQ and that CMT scored highest on qualifications given their familiarity with the corridor and related phases. “CMT just did a great job of understanding what we're trying to get accomplished here,” Parson said.

Parson walked aldermen through a proposed schedule: design work in 2025 and construction in 2026, with bidding in winter 2026 and completion targeted for late fall 2026. He told the board the design and construction administration work was budgeted and that the presentation package showed a figure of $298,000 for the design and related work, with a city share reported in staff remarks as $59,000. Parson said staff negotiated scope and internal contributions to reduce costs where possible.

Aldermen asked clarifying questions about RFQ vs. RFP process and coordination with the Longview Corridor/interchange; Parson said the design incorporates preliminary spacing per MoDOT standards and that the interchange remains a longer‑term, higher‑cost element. The board opened public comment with no speakers and held the bill for a future meeting.

No final contract award occurred at first reading; staff will move into design if the contract is approved at a later reading and proceed with grant compliance and bidding as planned.