CBCD Requests Maintaining 85-cent Tax Levy For Next Year

Monday night's City Council meeting, which clocked in at 33 minutes, featured two presentations.

The first was an annual report from David Esser concerning the Central Business and Cultural District's request to maintain current funding levels for the upcoming fiscal year.

Chairman Esser recommended that the City keep the 85-cent special business district property tax levy in effect so that CBCD can work on several projects.

The CBCD's budget is $118,100, which includes administrative costs.

$1500 of that is for grounds maintenance, $1600 is for the production of downtown murals, $15,000 goes to special events such as Thanksgiving fireworks, Scott Joplin Festival, the Criterium (bike race in August), $25,000 is for “alley activation,” $75,000 is for a facade program, and the rest helps fund other events, Esser noted.

CBCD's income last year was $41,214.83, and he anticipates next year's income to be around $42,929.56.

A financial report from City Administrator Kelvin Shaw showed that sales tax was down in March by $31,196, or 2.9%.

Use taxes were down $4,400, or 3.8%.

Franchise and cigarette taxes were down $7,627, or 2,8%.

Transportation taxes were up $5,331, or 7.8% for April.

Property taxes collected in April were down $9,556, or 21%.

Year to date, sales tax saw a 5.7% increase over last year, use taxes were up 20.8%, franchise and cigarette taxes were down 2.8%, transportation taxes were up 7.8% and property taxes collected were down 21%.

Under Community Development, Council agreed to nominate the old George R. Smith College, a historically black college, as a historic landmark, as suggested by Mayor Pro Tem Tina Boggess.

The nomination will be reviewed and vetted by the Sedalia Historic Preservation Commission.

The college, completed in 1882 and in operation by 1894, was attended by ragtime composer Scott Joplin. It was associated with the Southern Education Society of the Methodist Church. It was located southwest of Crown Hill Cemetery, according to historical maps.

The building burned April 26, 1925. The assets were later merged with the Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., in 1933.

Council adopted a resolution showing support for the nomination.

Council later approved a resolution supporting the concept of a national steamboat museum to be located at I-70 and Highway 65. The group promoting the idea claims that Sedalia, located 18 miles to the south, will benefit from tourism to the proposed site.

First Ward Councilman Jack Robinson suggested donating $10,000 to the project. Mayor Dawson reminded Robinson that a resolution is what the steamboat organization requested.

A pension program for Sedalia firefighters is being moved to the Local Area Government Employee Retirement System, or LAGERS. The old plan will be allowed to expire May 31, and the new one will be in effect June 1.

Under Public Works, Council approved the purchase of stainless steel air scour units for the City's water filtration plant from Roberts Filter Group at a cost of $76,336.

It was explained that last fiscal year, the filtration media was replaced at the plant. The old filters were so calcified, that a jack hammer had to be used to remove them. During the process, the surrounding air scour units were damaged.

To replace them, $20,500 was budgeted. Since then, it was learned that additional units needed to be replaced as well. And the cost of stainless steel has skyrocketed due to sanctions on Russian exports, as they are the major global supplier for the alloys used in stainless steel production, it was noted.

The vendor could not hold the quote past May 13 due to volatility in the market, so Mayor Dawson declared an emergency purchase in order to lock in the price. The vendor was expecting another 40% increase in cost past that date.

Staff has delayed the purchase of a truck, among other adjustments to the budget line items in order to accommodate the purchase of the air scour units.

Two requests for City utility services were granted to two couples Monday night.

Joseph and Karolena Gudishvili and Mark and Krista Kempton requested the services for property located outside the city limits.

In return for granting the request, the couples agreed to grant the perpetual right of the City of Sedalia to annex the properties if they ever become contiguous to the city limits.

The final item under Public Works was an agreement with Wilson and Company Engineers and Architects to provide on-call services for relatively small projects without the need to negotiate a contract every time. The City will pay hourly rates and will call Wilson & Co., as needed. Wilson's contract with the City was extended for another year.

There were five liquor license renewals on the agenda Monday night, including Jeremy Klein dba Cork 'N' Bottle, 3806 W. Broadway, and Kay Jones dba Prime Time #3 KKC, 1320 South Limit, both for packaged liquor and Sunday Sales, $450; and Cathy Goetz dba Breaktime #3079, 2801 W. Broadway; #3083, 808 East Broadway; and #3084, 318 West Broadway, all for Sunday Sales, $300 each.

All renewals were granted.

Council then adjourned to closed-door session to discuss legal advice and Real Estate matters.