City Beat: Council OK’s expansion of SPD, Burrell co-responder program

Paul Williams: Mental health co-responder program has been a success.

Katie Towns: Jail diversion program provides alternatives for lower-risk offenders.

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Springfield City Council considered two measures that would provide mental health services to divert people from the justice system at its meeting April 22.

One measure, which passed, accepted a grant to boost the Springfield Police Department’s joint mental health response program that it operates with Burrell Behavioral Health. The other, which was the subject of a first reading and is scheduled for a vote May 6, would reestablish a jail diversion program through the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.

SPD’s mental health co-responder program will double in size with a grant from the Missouri Department of Public Safety’s State Crisis Intervention Program. Council accepted the $797,798 award to expand the program, which began in 2022 as a partnership between SPD and Burrell Behavioral Health, funded by a $557,000 grant obtained by Burrell from the Missouri Foundation for Health.

That grant, awarded for a three-year period, kicked off a hybrid model of law enforcement and mental health care response to calls related to behavioral health or substance abuse.

Since September 2022, Burrell has funded three full-time co-responders and one part-time co-responder for the program. Speaking before council, Police Chief Paul Williams said the new grant would pay the salary and benefits of three more full-time co-responders, two part-time co-responders and a full-time administrative support person.

A news release from SPD indicated the grant also would pay for limited training and equipment purchases. 

“The program so far has been very successful,” Williams told council. “We’re very excited that not only will we be able to continue it but expand it.”

The program pairs mental health and substance abuse counselors from Burrell Behavioral Health with police officers.

“This pairing allows for trained providers to ride along with police officers and be available to respond to persons who may be suffering from a non-law enforcement crisis or issue,” an explanation submitted to council states. “The co-response creates the opportunity for the citizen to be evaluated and referred to or taken in for immediate care and treatment, referral to services or in-home services.”

The goal of the program is to identify people who have used emergency services during a crisis and find a more effective alternative outside of law enforcement or corrections involvement, according to the department. 

“The program has experienced a number of successes, and there are now individuals being served solely by these mental health co-responders, when it is safe to do so, without law enforcement present,” the explanation states.

The expansion will provide co-responder coverage on days and times that are currently either not staffed for an immediate response or are being covered on an on-call basis, the SPD news release states.

Council also heard the first reading of an ordinance to reestablish a jail diversion program as a partnership between the Health Department and the Springfield Municipal Court.

Health Department Director Katie Towns and Chief Judge Wendy Garrison requested an allocation of $90,800 to restart the program that began in 2021. Funding for the program was provided through a Greene County general sales tax but was discontinued in September 2023 due to a decline in tax revenue.

Towns told council the program creates a pathway for lower-risk offenders to meet with community health advocates through the Health Department to create a path toward stabilization.

“Many times, folks that are involved with the criminal justice system suffer from a higher rate of mental illness, substance [abuse] and need assistance but sometimes are continually meeting barriers,” Towns said.

She said her department helps these people to work toward stability.

Garrison said she sees people on a regular basis that she would refer to the program.

She noted many people who would benefit from the program have problems communicating, and an interview with a health professional can help to determine if they would benefit. If they qualify, they can be released on their own recognizance on conditions of a plan, and if they don’t follow those conditions, they will be required to go back into custody.

The funding would provide two full-time community health advocates, a half-time supervisor and money that offenders can utilize for housing and transportation, according to Health Department officials.

Council will vote on whether to reinstate the program at its May 6 meeting.

Liquor license procedure
Council was prepared to vote on a measure to give renters the chance to protest liquor license applications. A proposed ordinance would require additional notices and protest eligibility for the granting of liquor licenses in the city, but an amendment proposed by Councilmember Abe McGull and approved by a unanimous vote of council pushed the vote to the May 6 meeting.

McGull made a motion that would inform the owner of a property if a tenant or occupant protested a liquor license to give the owner the opportunity to address the protest. The owner’s opinion would be given precedence in the event of a disagreement between owner and tenant.

The proposed regulation change would require liquor license applicants to mail a notice of their application to tenants and owners within 200 feet of the establishment.

Under the existing code, property owners are able to protest a liquor license via a protest petition, but tenants are not.

Zoning changes OK’d
Council approved several zoning measures, including the approval of a planned development first proposed in 2006 on 3.5 acres at 1735 E. Valley Water Mill Road by applicant Triple S Properties Inc.

At issue for neighboring property owners was the long delay between the initial proposal and movement on the multifamily housing development.

Councilmember Craig Hosmer was the lone dissenting vote for the council bill. He suggested there should be a limitation on how long a planned development approval should stand if it is not acted upon.

Hosmer noted if someone bought a piece of property in the vicinity 15 years ago, they would have been unlikely to know a planned development was in the works.

“To have a planned development sit dormant for 18 years seems a little odd to me,” Hosmer said.

Planning and Development Director Steve Childers said if council were to recommend a time limit, that would be something they could discuss.

“I’d like to take a look at that,” Hosmer said. “Eighteen years ago, what we thought was a good development or what the neighbors thought was a good development may be completely different today.”

After a postponement from the Feb. 26 council meeting agenda, 38.5 acres at 2730 E. Farm Road 188 were rezoned to residential single family from planned development for applicant Center Court LLC, who intends to sell the property to a church.

The name of the church was not disclosed, which was a subject of concern to some participants in the required Dec. 20, 2023, neighborhood meeting. Some neighbors expressed concerns about the possible traffic and high activity of a so-called mega church.

Council also approved the rezoning of 0.4 acres at West College Street and North Nettleton Avenue to industrial commercial from highway commercial for applicant Lorisa Kirkpatrick LLC, which intends to establish a distillery in a historic flagstone garage building.

Council OK’d a rezoning of 0.1 acres at 2646 W. Walnut St. to highway commercial from single-family residential for applicant Seth Holdings LLC to allow for commercial expansion along Scenic Avenue.

The rezoning of nearly 10 acres at 2200 N. Belcrest Ave. to heavy manufacturing from highway commercial with a conditional overlay was approved for applicant 3G Investment Group LLC.

Other action items

• A one-time, $2,000 retention incentive payment was approved for 911 telecommunicators and shift supervisors.
• Council agreed to enter a funding agreement with Ozark Greenways Inc. to fund a multitrail gap planning and design project for $182,000. The money would be used to provide missing connections in the city’s trail system.
• A pair of Type 2 short-term rentals were approved and another denied. Approved were permits for 3059 N. National Ave. and 826 E. Stanford St., while an application at 535 E. LaSalle St. was turned down.
• Council declared the results of the April 2 special election, amending the city charter to extend the mayoral term from two to four years and to change employee ethics rules.