City Beat: Council approves second diverging diamond interchange

Springfield City Council approved a set of bills May 18 allowing for construction of intersection improvements at South National Avenue and James River Freeway.

The $12.2 million job will be designed as a diverging diamond, similar to the project under construction at Kansas Expressway and Interstate 44. The project also includes street and bridge widening and traffic signal modifications, as well as a loop road under National connecting to the Cox South emergency department under construction.

CoxHealth is donating $3 million to the project; the rest of the cost is split between Missouri Department of Transportation funding and the city, which will be reimbursed during fiscal 2012 and 2013.

Part of the city's funding is coming from the Ozarks Transportation Organization, which is receiving funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for use in local transportation projects.

Councilman Nick Ibarra voiced concern about the use of federal stimulus money for a portion of the city's funding; he said he was worried that the use of stimulus funds could put unnecessary restrictions on how the project could be bid and completed.

However, City Attorney Dan Wichmer said that should not be an issue for the city, as MoDOT is taking the lead on the construction project.

"The only thing the government has done differently with stimulus funding is more transparent accounting procedures - you have to be able to account for where the money is being spent," Wichmer said. "We would be doing that anyway. With MoDOT taking the lead on this project, they will be the ones handling the accounting."

The city expects MoDOT to begin accepting bids by July 4 and award the bid a month later, with the yearlong construction beginning in September.

The 2010 budget

Council held a public hearing during the meeting on the proposed city budget for 2009-10.

The total proposed budget is $273.7 million - up 6 percent from the current budget - and includes $71.4 million in general fund revenue - down 3 percent from the current budget. City Finance Director Mary Mannix Decker said city staff had to cut $5.7 million from the budget, largely because sales tax revenue is expected to be flat next year.

Cuts came in the form of a hiring freeze in place since January that left 90 city jobs open, saving about $1 million; the elimination of all step-pay and cost-of-living increases; and continued cuts to the city's general fund transfers to the parks, health and transportation departments, which saves another $1 million.

The city also plans to make the full actuarial recommended contribution - $13 million next year - to the Police and Fire Pension Fund.

Decker said the city expects an increase in its gross receipts tax, due mostly to resumed telecommunications tax payments from AT&T, but that money is being used to fill some of the frozen positions in the Police and Fire departments.

Also, City Manager Greg Burris noted that the sales tax check the city received from the state in May was up 2.5 percent compared to last year, though sales tax revenues are still down 2.4 percent for the fiscal year, which ends June 30.

Decker said that while sales tax seems to have stabilized during the last three months, the city still anticipates flat sales tax revenue for next year.

No members of the public spoke about the budget. Council could vote on it June 1.

New-look council

Council also swore in its newest council member. Jerome Compton, former chairman of the Planning & Zoning Commission and current member of the city's personnel board, was chosen on May 4 to fill the vacated Zone 3 council seat. Compton was chosen over finalists Jeremy Cady and Dan Scott after all three were asked about issues affecting Zone 3, which covers southwest and central Springfield, and the city as a whole.

Compton will serve the remainder of former Councilman Ralph Manley's term, which ends in April 2011.[[In-content Ad]]