City Beat: Springfield, Willard sign boundary agreement

Both cities have expressed interest in expanding their city limits and urban service areas, particularly toward the Springfield-Branson National Airport. The agreement signed Jan. 14 by Springfield Mayor Tom Carlson and Willard Mayor Jamie Schoolcraft would allow Willard to eventually annex the land north and west of the airport, with Springfield securing the areas to the south and east.

The agreement is contingent on a proposed amendment to the state airport zoning law.

The current law, passed in 1979, allows only Springfield to annex land inside the Springfield airport zone.

Senate Bill 943, sponsored by State Sen. Dan Clemens, would amend the state law to allow Willard annexation rights for the land in the airport zone. That bill had received first reading in the state Senate as of Jan. 15.

Carlson said the agreement is a sign that Springfield is trying to look more toward the future than have the larger Missouri metro areas of St. Louis and Kansas City.

“This agreement is an example of our continued work toward regional cooperation and partnership,” Carlson said before signing the agreement. “It exemplifies the way we want to do business in Springfield.”

Schoolcraft also expressed his pleasure with the cooperative spirit of the negotiations between the two cities.

“It’s great to see that two cities can work together for what’s best for their individual citizens, and be able to cooperate and come to an agreement that works for both cities,” Schoolcraft said.

Also on the agenda

• Council considered three nonbinding agreements related to the development of the West Meadows portion of Jordan Valley Park.

The agreements, heard on first reading, would create a three-year plan to convert the area – bounded by Main Avenue, Phelps Street, Fort Avenue and College Street – from use as a rail yard to a multipurpose public space.

The West Meadows rail configuration project, which carries an estimated $47 million price tag, involves agreements with Union Pacific Railroad, Missouri & Northern Arkansas Railroad and BNSF Railway Co. to relocate several existing rail lines and interchanges.

The plan also calls for the relocation of several companies in the West Meadows area, including Commercial Metals, to new locations so they can maintain rail service. City officials said it’s unclear exactly which companies will need to move and when.

Council is expected to vote on the agreements at its Jan. 28 meeting.

• Council approved an agreement to form the Central Street Recycling Coalition. The program is a partnership of the city, Greene County, Springfield R-XII Schools, Springfield-Greene County Library District, City Utilities and the two colleges on Central Street, Ozarks Technical Community College and Drury University.

Under the agreement, the group would have a central collection facility for recyclable materials, using the city’s existing recycling collection contracts.

Each organization will pay its share of the approximately $7,200 annual cost of the program.