Joplin city manager provides weekly update

(City Manager Sam Anselm provided the following update to the Joplin City Council Friday afternoon.)

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

Key Meetings

-On Tuesday, I met with former finance director Jon Johnson, co-founder of the Center for Priority Based Budgeting, to discuss the current status and next steps involved with priority-based budgeting. All of the departmental FTE allocation sheets have been submitted and are under review for edits. The next step involving staff will be the nonpersonnel allocations and assignment of revenues to the programs. Meanwhile, CPBB staff is finalizing the “Results Maps” that will provide some definition to the results/priorities that we have identified (“Safe, Secure and Prepared Community, “Reliable Infrastructure…” and “Access to parks…” etc.). Once those are developed, we will be able to present those to you for further refinement.

-On Wednesday, I met with Chamber President Rob O’Brian to discuss current and potential economic development projects, upcoming budget meetings, and retail economic development efforts.

-On Thursday, I met with Director Bolander to discuss the process of presenting the Historic Preservation Plan that is nearing completion by Heritage Strategies. Once staff reviews the draft report, we will present it to the Historic Preservation Commission and council, which should be sometime in August.

Miscellaneous

-CVB Director Tuttle has provided an update on our application to MoDOT to rename a portion of 249 as the Hearnes Memorial Highway. MoDOT staff has reviewed and will be recommending the approval of the application, which would name 249 from I-44 up to the Zora exit after former Governor Hearnes. Legislators will make the final determination within the next month or two, but it looks promising.

-In last week’s update I asked for your input on having a standing work session on the second Monday of the month. By your responses, we will be bringing those back starting in August. If you have any particular items you would like to discuss, please let me know. Next week during our department head staff meeting we will work to compile a list of future topics for discussion, but on my list are discussions about our pay plan/pay raises for employees, PBB, and a review of the current status of our parks & stormwater sales tax as we approach the half-way point of the 10-year program approved by voters in 2011.

-As a reminder, Tuesday is election day in Missouri. Proposition A is on the ballot here in Joplin, which asks voters if they want to discontinue the sales tax on titled equipment purchased outside of Missouri. I would like to commend our staff, particularly Assistant Finance Director AJ Whistler, for his time and efforts educating various groups about the issue. As you know, the city cannot advocate for or against any issue on the ballot, but that doesn’t preclude us from urging our citizens to vote, so please remind anyone you see to exercise their right to vote next week.