St. Joseph council approves consent agenda covering health funding, landfill change orders and pedestrian grant application

The St. Joseph City Council voted unanimously to adopt the published agenda and to approve a consent package that authorizes multiple contracts, funding agreements and change orders affecting city services, public works and health providers.

The consent agenda — adopted by an 8-0 vote after a motion by Council Member Novak and second by Council Member Eslinger to accept the agenda followed later by a motion by Council Member Schultz seconded by Council Member Eslinger to approve the consent items — included a resolution allowing the city to seek a Transportation Alternatives Program grant through the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission that would fund up to $284,000 for three pedestrian crossings with a city match not to exceed $71,000 (total project cost not to exceed $355,000). The council also authorized a contract with the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce for economic development services totaling $210,000.

The largest single funding item on the consent agenda was a resolution authorizing a funding agreement with the social welfare board doing business as Stuber Health Center for up to $546,617 to provide ambulatory and other health and wellness services to qualified residents. The council also approved a $50,000 funding agreement with the Samaritan Center for mental-health services and the purchase of two John Deere mowers for park maintenance for $44,717.65 using park sales tax funds.

Sanitary landfill work was addressed through several consent items: an amendment to the landfill fund budget of $35,331 and authorization to purchase a hydraulic excavator from Foley Equipment not to exceed $68,240; a change order No. 3 with Mcon LLC for the Sanitary Landfill Cell 8 emergency excavation in the amount of $152,300.20; a change order with Texas Environmental Plastics LTD not to exceed $45,775 for additional stage 8 liner installation; and a change order with Stearns, Conrad & Schmidt Consulting Engineers not to exceed $49,350 for additional construction quality assurance services at stage 8.

Other consent items approved included a cooperative billing-and-collection agreement with Buchanan County for special tax bill collection, a services agreement with CVIS Insurance Services Inc. for workers' compensation insurance for St. Joseph Transit employees ($85,866 for fiscal year 2026), and a purchase order with Herzog Contracting Corporation for City Hall parking-lot resurfacing ($79,935).

The consent agenda also included several appointments and reappointments to the tourism commission and library board that were listed by the clerk as filling vacancies or replacing outgoing members; those appointments were approved as part of the consent package.

The council voted to cancel the September 15, 2025, regular meeting and approved administrative items listed on the consent docket. There was no public comment on the consent items and no council debate recorded in the transcript.

What happens next: items approved on the consent agenda will be implemented by the responsible city departments and vendors; the TAP grant application will proceed through the MHTC process pending award decisions.