YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
A vote to allow the towing of unregistered vehicles in the city met with opposition at the Feb. 24 meeting of Springfield City Council after the bill’s sponsors earlier this month linked the issue to a tax collection deficit.
While the measure passed by a vote of 5-3, Councilmember Heather Hardinger raised objections to the bill, which gives police the option of towing cars with expired license plates, no license plates or outdated temporary tags.
“I feel that this places an undue burden on many of Springfield’s residents who are struggling financially,” she said. “While I fully understand the importance of vehicle registration compliance, I don’t believe that towing people solely for expired tags is the right approach.”
Hardinger characterized Springfield as a car-dependent city with a poverty rate of roughly 20% and limited public transit options.
“Removing someone’s only means of transportation in a city where getting to work or school or medical appointments without a car can be extremely difficult does not solve the root issue,” Hardinger said. “It only creates more obstacles for those already facing challenges.”
Hardinger acknowledged that proper identification is important for public safety and accountability but said it’s in council’s best interest to balance enforcement with practical solutions to help residents to comply with the law.
“Instead of punitive measures like towing for expired tags, I would support alternative solutions such as flexible payment plans for registration fees and delinquent property taxes, financial assistance programs to help low-income residents bring their vehicles into compliance,” she said. “We can’t enforce compliance by making it harder for people to participate in the economy.”
Arguments in favor of the bill centered on the link between having an unregistered vehicle and completing steps required for registration, namely paying personal property taxes and insuring the vehicle.
Hosmer said he consulted with the Greene County Collector and learned that in the last two years, a total of $3.9 million in personal property tax has gone uncollected. He did not specify which portion of uncollected tax could be recouped by impounding unregistered vehicles, nor what portion of owners of unregistered vehicles are behind in paying their taxes.
“Our schools are cutting jobs in the city of Springfield because they don’t have enough resources,” he said. “We have an obligation to support our schools, to support people with disabilities and also the library. If we don’t stand up and do what we’re supposed to do – if it’s a law in the city of Springfield, let’s follow it.”
Hosmer also pointed out the importance of vehicles having license plates for the city to get maximum value from its Flock license plate reading camera system, which alerts law enforcement of stolen cars, wanted suspects or missing persons, while also helping them to track vehicles linked to criminal activity.
Police Chief Paul Williams said officers would be using their best judgment in deciding whether to tow vehicles.
“We are not going to be taking every car that has an expired tag and towing it,” he said.
Williams said officers would target situations like habitual offenders, people with no license plates, people whose licenses are at least a year expired and those with a high-dollar car sporting a temporary tag.
Councilmember Hardinger was joined in her objection by Councilmember Brandon Jenson, who outlined the multistep process a person might need to go through in the case of vehicle impoundment.
He pointed out that a vehicle inspection is required for registration, but that may not be possible with an impounded car.
“I checked the Henry’s Towing website; it doesn’t appear as though there’s a state-certified inspector on-site, and I don’t know of many auto garages or inspectors who are willing to make field calls,” he said.
He also said public transit does not serve the current tow lot.
Additionally, Jenson said the city does not have an audit function in place to guarantee that the towing company’s fees are in alignment with the amount specified on the city contract – $30 per day.
He also raised a concern about the combined cost of towing and impoundment fees, and he said if a person can’t pay those fees, the car can be confiscated.
“If a vehicle sits on a lot for longer than 30 days, that private company has the right to sell it,” he said. ‘What are we telling our citizens if we tell them that you’re already poor, but we’re going to take your vehicle and put it in a lot, and if you can’t pay for it in 30 days, there’s the possibility that couldn’t be your car anymore, which is your only way to get around?”
He added that he understands the intent of the bill, and said he wished it had gone into a council committee to address some of these issues.
Chief Williams said the scenario outlined by Jenson could be avoided if people simply paid an inspection and registration fee.
Williams clarified to council that the approved measure allows police to tow a vehicle while writing a citation without the officer first having to make an arrest to tow the car, as was the existing policy.
“This just gives us another option,” Williams said.
Joining Hardinger and Jenson in voting no was Councilmember Monica Horton. Councilmember Callie Carroll was absent from the meeting.
Carryover divvied
The city had just over $8.4 million in carryover funds from the 2023-24 fiscal year to appropriate, and council approved seven one-time allocations.
The appropriations went to the following offices and expenses:
• City Manager: Severance package for former city manager, $487,376
• Planning: Commercial Street Community Improvement District, $50,000
• Parks: McDaniel Park pump track – first phase, $106,325
• Fire: Fire station alerting system, $166,848
• Parks: Dickerson Park Zoo boardwalk replacement, $580,000
• Planning: Historic survey update, $30,000
• Planning: Restore SGF down payment assistance, $500,000
The Historic City Hall renovation project received $6.5 million in a separate bill.
Rezonings approved
A series of rezoning measures passed by council began with a 7-0 vote to shift a half-acre of property to limited business district from residential townhouse at the request of Paul Mueller Co. The property at 2224 and 2234 W. Phelps St. is intended as an expansion of parking for the stainless steel tank manufacturer.
Councilmember Derek Lee, an engineer by trade, recused himself from the vote because of a professional conflict.
A resident of the impacted West Side Neighborhood, Nicholas Falley, spoke up at the Feb. 10 council meeting with concerns about factory noise and incursions into the residential neighborhood by the manufacturer, which is seeking to put additional employee parking on the site.
Horton followed up on his concern by asking if the city had received complaints about noise in the neighborhood, and interim City Manager Collin Quigley said, “We didn’t have any complaints in the system for the Police Department on the noise at all for the past – I think it was two years we looked at.”
Quigley said anyone with a complaint or concern can call the citizen resource center at 417-864-1010 or visit the city’s website.
Horton said no complaints doesn’t mean there is no noise.
“Sometimes the individual doesn’t necessarily know what is the proper channel,” she said.
Though Quigley invited the resident to reach out to him, he said that didn’t happen.
“I think part of it is that just because it’s not being reported doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not occurring,” Horton said.
According to past Springfield Business Journal reporting, Paul Mueller Co. broke ground on a $22 million expansion in August 2024, with plans to wrap up this fall.
Other rezoning measures that were approved by council without opposition were the following:
• The rezoning of 6.4 acres at 739 W. Talmage St. to planned development from single-family residential at the request of Baptist Temple of Springfield for a 32-unit residential condominium project.
• A conditional use permit to allow an electronic message center in a single-family residential district at 2854 W. Grand St. for the Greene County Baptist Association Inc.
• The rezoning of a half acre at 2242 N. Oakland Ave. to residential townhouse from single-family residential for SGF Homes LLC to build duplexes.
• A conditional use permit to allow residential uses on first-floor frontage of buildings within a general retail district at 901 S. West Bypass. The proposed development is called Kay Pointe Place.
Other action items
• Council voted to allow the Springfield Art Museum to accept $2.5 million in donations collected by its booster organization, Friends of the Springfield Art Museum, to support design and construction of the museum’s renovation and expansion project.
Additionally, council approved plans for the first phase of the museum project with Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. as construction manager at risk. The guaranteed maximum price for the project was set at just over $27 million.
• Plans and specifications were also approved for the Historic City Hall rehabilitation project with a guaranteed maximum price of just over $19.3 million. A contract with J.E. Dunn Construction Co., construction manager at risk, was also approved in the measure.
• Council heard first reading of an ordinance to appropriate just over $782,000 to the Police Department to fund equipment needs. The short-staffed department typically returns some $2 million to the city coffers in unused salary and benefit dollars, according to the chief.
Quigley directed the chief to keep some of the funds for its capital needs this year, and 14 items are scheduled for purpose, if council approves the measure on March 10. A $289,000 Bearcat armored vehicle is the top planned expenditure, followed by 45 in-car mobile data terminals at $135,000. Williams noted the current terminals will no longer be supported by their manufacturer in a year.
Ballistic shields and explosive panels, cameras, safety barriers and office chairs are also on the expenditure list.
Springfield-based Small Batch expects growth in sales as they target a national, local market.
