The Missouri City Council unanimously adopted the city’s 2025 legislative agenda on Jan. 6, adding a priority to pursue state action limiting the proximity of concrete plants to residential areas.

E. Joyce, presenting the agenda and consultant work, said the only substantial change since the December draft was the addition of priority No. 11 to “propose or support legislation that limits the distance between concrete plants and residential areas.” The agenda also lists property-tax reform, the appraisal process, protection of extraterritorial jurisdiction, land-use authority, infrastructure resilience, group-home regulation and railroad-crossing improvements among other priorities.

Councilmembers pressed staff to be proactive in drafting and seeking sponsors for bills. Councilmember Boney said the city should not wait for outside sponsors and urged staff and the city’s legislative consultant to solicit bills or attach city language to related bills filed by state legislators. Councilmember Clauser asked about the parameters of proposed group-home legislation; Joyce said staff already had language in preparation to allow cities greater authority to license certain residential facilities and charge fees.

Councilmembers also emphasized funding requests tied to railroad-crossing improvements and specified that they want to seek funding for targeted projects such as an overpass at Cravens and improvements at Gessner. Joyce said the agenda is the staff’s authorization to pursue sponsorship, seek amendments and attach the city’s language to related bills, and that there is still time before the March filing deadlines to propose language.

The council voted unanimously to adopt the agenda.

Staff said it will coordinate with the city’s legislative consultant and representatives to advance the city’s priorities and will report back to the council on progress during the legislative session.