Republic City Council approves school queuing road agreement, annexation and street‑lighting contract; hears proposed 2026 budget and fee changes

The Republic City Council voted 6‑0 to approve an intergovernmental agreement with the Republic R‑3 School District for construction of a school queuing road related to J.R. Martin Park improvements, adopted an annexation ordinance for about 9.66 acres at 4314 South Farm Road 107 and approved a municipal electric service agreement for city street lights.

The actions were among several votes and first readings the council handled at the meeting, where Chief Financial Officer Bob Ford presented the proposed fiscal 2026 budget and staff described changes to the city fee schedule and the employee handbook. The council also authorized a design contract negotiation for an intersection improvement and voted to go into closed session for personnel matters under Missouri statute.

Council approved the intergovernmental cooperative agreement with Republic R‑3 School District (Bill 25‑30) on final passage by voice/roll call, 6‑0. Laura Burbridge, city clerk, read the ordinance by title before council took the final vote. Mayor Franklin announced the motion carried "6 to 0." The agreement covers construction of a school queuing road associated with J.R. Martin Park improvements; the ordinance title appeared in the meeting packet and was read into the record.

Also on the consent/ordinance calendar, the council approved a municipal electric service agreement (Bill 25‑31) with Empire District Electric Company to provide electric service and equipment for city street lights and adopted an annexation ordinance (Bill 25‑32) for approximately 9.66 acres at 4314 South Farm Road 107 and adjacent right of way. Both measures passed on final action, 6‑0.

Bob Ford presented the proposed fiscal 2026 budget during the meeting's workshop portion and summarized key figures. "This is a budget that provides for an operating surplus of $6,400,000," Ford said. He told council the budget shows operating revenues of about $40.6 million and operating expenses of about $34.3 million, producing the $6.4 million operating surplus. On capital, Ford said the budget lists capital expenditures of roughly $50.1 million funded with sources of about $50.7 million, yielding a capital surplus of "just a little over $690,000," and a consolidated surplus of about $7.1 million for 2026. He also said the city has expanded the capital improvement plan from a five‑year to a 10‑year horizon to inform longer‑range planning and potential rate or borrowing decisions.

Council took multiple first readings of proposed ordinances, meaning no final vote was taken on those items at this meeting. The council approved first readings, each 6‑0, for: - Bill 25‑33: an ordinance appropriating expenditures in accordance with the proposed fiscal 2026 budget (first reading only), - Bill 25‑34: amendments to Title 8 (fees) of the municipal code (first reading), - Bill 25‑35: updates to business and occupation chapters in Title 6 (first reading), - Bill 25‑36: amendments to alarm permit and false alarm provisions in Title 2 (first reading), and - Bill 25‑37: amendments to the employee handbook (first reading).

Community Development Director Karen Haynes outlined several of the proposed fee changes included in Bill 25‑34. "We are changing the credit card processing fee from 3% to 3.5%," Haynes said, and staff will clarify third‑party reimbursement and add several permits and fees: an applicant‑requested ordinance fee of $750, a sinkhole remediation permit of $250, roof permit fees ($50 and $25 for structural and nonstructural), and a $1,000 street‑cut deposit for utility work that requires a street cut. Haynes also said the city would remove the January late fee penalty for business licensing and permit applications.

Jake Jones, finance manager, said the 3.5% processing fee will also apply to utility billing and confirmed the proposed $5 paper‑statement fee would be an opt‑in charge tied to the city's move toward a new utility billing system and an objective to become more paperless and cashless. "It will be an opt in," Jones said, and staff will provide implementation details prior to final action.

Human Resources‑role staff member Lisa Addington summarized proposed handbook changes that were presented on first read. She said the administration proposes reallocating discretionary leave granted earlier this year so the city reduces a previously granted 56 hours of discretionary leave down to 24 hours, and reallocates the remaining 32 hours to cover the city’s December holiday closure going forward. Addington said public safety and essential personnel will receive the equivalent time as vacation and that employees called in during the closure will continue to receive holiday pay. Staff recommended the handbook amendments for council review at second reading.

The council also approved Resolution 25‑R‑41, authorizing the city administrator to negotiate and enter into an engineering design agreement with Olsen Incorporated for improvements at the ZZ Highway and Heinz Street intersection. Haynes said five firms responded to the city's request for qualifications and Olsen was selected. The contract is "an amount not to exceed $400,000," Haynes said, and will include utility coordination, a traffic study required by the Missouri Department of Transportation, evaluation of intersection alternatives and final design. "Typically for intersections, it's going to be either a stoplight or a roundabout," Haynes said the study will evaluate alternatives for MoDOT review and approval.

Council members took a roll call vote to move into closed session under RSMo §610.021(3) to discuss hiring, firing, promotion or disciplining of personnel; the vote was 6‑0 (Council members Fields, Harder, Updike, Neal, Shaw and Gherke voted aye). The mayor said no further action would occur after the executive session except as announced at adjournment.

Other staff updates noted during the meeting included: construction underway at J.R. Martin Park with a new parking lot expected by November, a city‑wide Pumpkin Days attendance of 22,800 with 300 vendors, an ongoing target move‑in date to new city hall of Dec. 1 pending vendor deliveries, and the next council workshop scheduled for Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m. Council will consider the budget ordinance and the other first‑read items at subsequent meetings as they proceed through the ordinance process.

Votes at a glance: - Consent agenda: approved, motion carries 6‑0. - Bill 25‑30 (intergovernmental cooperative agreement with Republic R‑3 School District for school queuing road): final passage approved, 6‑0. - Bill 25‑31 (municipal electric service agreement with Empire District Electric Company for street lights): final passage approved, 6‑0. - Bill 25‑32 (annexation of ~9.66 acres at 4314 S Farm Rd 107): final passage approved, 6‑0. - Bill 25‑33 (fiscal 2026 appropriation): first reading approved, 6‑0 (final action pending). - Bill 25‑34 (fee schedule amendments): first reading approved, 6‑0 (final action pending). - Bill 25‑35 (business/occupation code updates): first reading approved, 6‑0 (final action pending). - Bill 25‑36 (alarm/false alarm code amendments): first reading approved, 6‑0 (final action pending). - Bill 25‑37 (employee handbook amendments): first reading approved, 6‑0 (final action pending). - Resolution 25‑R‑41 (authorize negotiation with Olsen Inc. for intersection design, NTE $400,000): approved, 6‑0. - Motion to enter executive session under RSMo §610.021(3) (personnel): approved, 6‑0.

Council members and staff asked that residents direct specific follow‑up questions to department staff prior to the meeting's next reading of ordinances. The city clerk read ordinance titles into the record for those items that advanced to final vote.