Independence council approves $5 million watershed repairs, sidewalk design and several contracts and ordinances

The Independence City Council on Feb. 17 approved multiple infrastructure, contract and regulatory items, including a federally funded $5 million project to replace deteriorated corrugated pipe in the Rock Creek watershed and a design contract for Phase 2 of sidewalks along the 23rd Street corridor.

Council members voted unanimously on the consent agenda and on individual items later discussed. City Manager (name not specified) told the council the Rock Creek Watershed project will replace rusted corrugated metal pipe with modern concrete pipe to reduce erosion and protect public and private property; the manager said significant federal grant funding covers a large portion of the work. Deputy City Manager and Director of Municipal Services Lisa Reynolds described the Phase 2 sidewalk contract as a design contract that will study whether a multimodal trail, sidewalks on both sides, or a single-side sidewalk is feasible on the state highway corridor from Route 291 east to Speck Road, near Bridger Middle School. "This is actually the design contract, so bike lanes through here would be anticipated to be something more along the lines of a multimodal trail," Reynolds said.

On a separate consent-item contract, the council approved a substitute agreement between the city and the Independence Chamber of Commerce for economic-development consulting services after adding contract protections and additional city input on the hiring of personnel assigned to perform the work. Council members also approved an amendment changing a contract reference from the "City of Willard" to the "City of Independence" after staff acknowledged the former was a typographical error.

The council approved a resolution to reconstitute the animal-welfare committee as a city-appointed Independence Animal Welfare Committee after the regional committee created under an intergovernmental agreement with Jackson County dwindled because the county stopped making appointments. The manager said the new committee will be appointed by the city council, composed of Independence residents, and will advise on shelter operations and the use of property-tax funds that support the shelter.

On ordinances, the council adopted amendments to the city code regulating hotels and extended-stay lodging to give more stability to residents who live in extended-stay hotels while retaining cleaning and safety requirements; the measure was the ordinance's second reading. The council also approved ordinances authorizing acquisition of electrical easements for the Sub S distribution feeder project (Project No. 202316), including negotiation authority and, if necessary, eminent-domain proceedings, and an ordinance vacating and dedicating water-line easements for recorded parcels on South Speck Road.

At the meeting's close council members briefly noted ongoing public outreach about the proposed general-obligation bond, local tours of the Rock Creek water treatment plant, and a personnel update on the city's StayWell employee health-insurance program. Mayor Roland and several council members also offered condolences for the recent death of former state representative Ira Anders.

Votes at a glance

- Item 2 (Phase 2 sidewalk design along 23rd Street corridor): Approved 7–0. Motion to approve by Council Member Stewart; design will determine multimodal trail vs. sidewalks and include public meetings; MoDOT provides significant funding but city will manage construction.

- Item 6 (Rock Creek Watershed corrugated pipe replacement — federal grant): Approved 7–0. Motion to approve by Council Member Fierce. Project replaces deteriorated corrugated metal pipe with concrete pipe to reduce erosion in the southwest portion of the city and uses federal grant funds to cover much of the cost.

- Resolution 25‑705 (Contract with Independence Chamber of Commerce — substitute and amendment): Substitute approved 7–0; amendment changing "City of Willard" to "City of Independence" approved 7–0. Substitute adds city input/oversight in hiring for personnel providing economic-development services and standardizes legal protections in the contract.

- Resolution 25‑720 (Establish Independence Animal Welfare Committee): Approved 7–0. Creates a city‑appointed committee to advise on shelter operations and oversight of property‑tax funds after the Jackson County appointments lapsed.

- Ordinance 25‑005 (Amendments to hotels/extended-stay regulations — second reading): Adopted 7–0. Changes clarify what qualifies as an extended-stay lodging unit, add cleaning and safety requirements, and provide stability for residents who remain for extended periods.

- Ordinance 25‑006 (Electrical easements — Project No. 202316): Adopted 7–0. Declares necessity to acquire easements, authorizes negotiations and, if necessary, eminent-domain proceedings, and approves plans and specifications for the Sub S distribution feeder project.

- Ordinance 25‑007 (Water-line easement vacation/dedication for properties on South Speck Road): Adopted 7–0.

Items introduced (first reading)

- Ordinances to rezone several parcels and to vacate certain utility easements were read for first consideration (no final votes at this meeting).

- Item 25‑12 (first reading): Council read an ordinance authorizing award of $841,711 in contracts to Burns & McDonnell Inc. and AspenTech/OSI to help the Power & Light Department comply with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order No. 881; the FY25 purchase-order portion is $408,695 (Burns & McDonnell $309,225; AspenTech $99,470) with future change orders capped at 10% ($84,171.10). That item was introduced on first reading only.

What it means

Several measures approved Feb. 17 authorize or fund physical work — sidewalks, stormwater infrastructure and electrical easements — and formalize local oversight of economic-development consulting and animal-shelter operations. Projects that rely on outside approvals or funding (MoDOT, federal grants, FERC-related procurements) will require further technical work, public meetings and subsequent construction contracts or additional council votes.

Reported quotes are from speakers identified on the meeting record.