City Beat: Council put cellular phone towers on hold

In the Nov. 27 City Council meeting, the public hearing bills regarding permits for construction of telecommunications towers could have been voted on, but instead were tabled and moved to the next council meeting, Dec. 18. Representatives from Nextel, Southwestern Bell and Crown Castle spoke to council in support of the placement and use of the six telecommunications towers, which range in height from 130 feet to 200 feet. All of the proposed towers meet the requirements of the present ordinance and each would accommodate up to three cellular providers. Both Planning and Zoning Commission and staff recommend approval of all six bills. Councilman Thomas Carlson moved to table the bills due to some uncertainties and concerns for what these towers might impose on Springfield in the future. Council carried the motion by a 7-2 vote, with Councilwoman Teri Hacker and Councilman Ralph Manley voting against.

Pension talks among first readings

Council heard nine first-reading bills, but the one that would amend the policemen's and firemen's pension plan and its board of trustees received the most attention. The proposal would allow for three private citizens professionals of finance, accounting and law to sit in on the meetings and vote. A board member and a few firemen spoke strongly against the change. The current eight-member board is made up of police, fire fighters and Hacker, who acts as a liaison, but does not vote.

Hotel tax may be collected monthly

Another first-reading bill would amend the current ordinance of collecting hotel-motel taxes quarterly to a monthly collection. This would prevent tax losses when ownership changes or the hotel-motel goes out of business. The amendment would also provide for additional penalties for failure to pay the taxes. Tracy Kimberlin, executive director of the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, said there are 5,415 hotel rooms in the city with roughly 200 more in construction.

Two grants offered to Springfield

Other first-reading bills include two bills that would authorize City Manager Tom Finnie to accept two separate grants from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The first grant of $200,039 would be for the upper Galloway storm water improvement project, while the second grant of $412,027 would go to the flood mitigation and sinkhole restoration project in east Springfield.

Another first-reading bill would authorize the city to enter into an agreement with Commercial Metals Company for disposal of used beverage containers and other scrap metal items left at city recycling centers, including anything from aluminum cans to household appliances.

One consent agenda bill was moved to a first reading. It would authorize the city to build a trunk sewer south of Lake Springfield and east and west of U.S. 65, and also amend the Public Works budget in the amount of $550,000.

City health plan budget amended

The second-reading bills, which all passed, included two rezoning bills and a budget amendment. The first rezoning bill passed unanimously and will rezone about 112 acres on the west side of Westage Road between Kearney and Division Streets from a Greene County M-1 district to a heavy manufacturing district. The other will rezone about 2 1/4 acres on the north and south sides of the 1600 and 1700 blocks of West Florida Street, between Kansas Expressway and Lexington Avenue from a heavy manufacturing district to a single family residential district. It passed 8-1, with Hacker voting against.

Council also voted to amend the City Code by establishing new contribution rates for the city health care plan and amending the budget in the amount of $170,000. It passed 8-0, with Mayor Lee Gannaway abstaining.