Joplin city manager offers weekly update

(City Manager Sam Anselm sent the following update to Joplin City Council members Friday.)

Good afternoon, everyone. Please see below for this week’s update.

Key Meetings

-On Tuesday, I attended a lunch meeting hosted by Innovative Objects, discussing the Fuel the Four States regional recruiting initiative.

-On Thursday, I met with facilitators of the One Joplin Transportation Team, which is one of the Wave Two issues that the collaborative is working on (in addition to the health team, human services team, and poverty teams that I’ve spoken about here before). Through many of the conversations between the original three teams, one issue that popped up repeatedly focused on the ease of access to various transportation methods in our community.

Miscellaneous

-Please follow this link for the latest public works update regarding their projects and activities.

-Earlier this week our human resources director provided an update to staff on the status of our worker’s compensation claims. Comparing July 2016 with July 2015, total claims are down 29%, while the severity of those claims is down 184% over last year. In addition, the average cost per claim is down 120%.

-As part of Third Thursday this month, Downtown Joplin experimented with what is known as a “parklet”, or an outdoor seating area that usually takes up the space of one or two on-street parking spots, as a way to provide an inexpensive, temporary gathering space for pedestrians. The group has asked to consider placing another one in Joplin next month as part of Parking Day, an event that takes place in cities around the country to promote outdoor spaces in urban settings. I have asked staff from police, planning and public works to explore the idea further with representatives from Downtown Joplin. Our ordinances are silent on allowing these temporary structures on public rights-of-way, so using this temporary event as a test case to determine whether we need to formally adopt a policy or program, will be a worthwhile endeavor in my opinion. As the discussion progresses, I will keep you posted.

In the Pipeline

-The opening of Mercy Park will take place on Saturday, August 27th, at 10:00 a.m.

-The dedication for the butterfly mural at Mercy Park has been rescheduled for Wednesday, August 31st, at 2:00 p.m. Representatives from State Farm Insurance, Walmart, and the Joplin Proud Committee will be on hand for the celebration, and you are invited to attend.