St. Joseph council approves consent agenda, postpones four neighborhood revitalization agreements

The St. Joseph City Council on May 20 approved its remaining consent agenda, voted to attach a work order for watershed mapping services, and postponed four neighborhood revitalization agreements while withdrawing a museum strategic plan bill for further review.

Councilmember Eslinger moved to accept the published agenda and, after a roll-call vote, the motion carried. Councilmember Novak moved to accept the consent agenda; Councilmember Eslinger seconded and the clerk recorded the ayes. Among the consent items the clerk read were appointments to the Housing Authority and Senior Citizen Foundation, a rec center budget amendment recognizing $20,000 from Blue Cross Blue Shield for fitness equipment, an ARPA reallocation to purchase and install a sound system, and the submittal of the city's fifth-year CDBG/HOME plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Council then addressed items pulled from consent. Councilmember Schomburg moved and Councilmember Schultz seconded to postpone items 16 through 19 for two weeks to obtain further clarification; the motion passed on a recorded vote. Those four items were resolutions to authorize Saint Joseph Urban Homestead neighborhood revitalization agreements using ARPA Urban Homestead grant funds, each in the amount of $20,000, for cleanup projects in various neighborhoods (Edmond Street; Fearon Street; Old Town North; Museum Hill Historic District).

Councilmember Grama moved and Councilmember Trout seconded to withdraw bill 875-22, the resolution approving the 2024 St. Joseph Museum strategic business plan, and to hold a work session with the library and museum for further clarification; the motion carried.

On item 24, an ordinance authorizing a work order with Surveying and Mapping LLC for watershed mapping services and an amendment to the water protection fund budget not to exceed $72,480, Councilmember Novak moved to attach the work order and Councilmember Trout seconded. The council approved the attached work order and then approved the amended ordinance by roll call.

The clerk also read multiple ordinances for first reading, including a proposed donation of a vacant property to Community Action Partnership of Greater Saint Joseph, budget amendments, a landfill equipment repair purchase, subdivision and land-use matters, and grant acceptance for police traffic enforcement. The city manager noted staff will bring a resolution to cancel the council's September meeting due to the Missouri Municipal League annual conference.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to accept agenda as published: mover Eslinger; second Schultz; outcome: approved (recorded roll call; ayes recorded). - Motion to accept consent agenda: mover Novak; second Eslinger; outcome: approved (recorded roll call; ayes recorded). - Postpone items 16'19 (Urban Homestead agreements, $20,000 each): mover Schomburg; second Schultz; outcome: postponed for two weeks (8 ayes). - Withdraw bill 875-22 (Museum strategic business plan) for work session: mover Grama; second Trout; outcome: withdrawn (8 ayes). - Attach work order to ordinance (item 24) and approve amended ordinance for watershed mapping, not to exceed $72,480: mover Novak; second Trout; outcome: approved (recorded roll call).

What happens next

Postponed items 16'19 will return to a future council meeting in two weeks with additional information requested by council. The museum business-plan resolution was withdrawn to permit a work session with the museum and library. Several first-reading ordinances will return for committee review or future readings per regular process.