2026-10-26 - City Council

00:03The meeting is called to order. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance and remain

00:07standing for a moment of reflective silence.

00:10I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of

00:14America, and to the Republic for which it stands,

00:18one nation under God, indivisible, with

00:22liberty and justice for all.

00:38Please be seated.

00:41Push yourself, because no one else is going to. Ms.

00:44Cotter, please call the roll.

00:48Hardinger?

00:49Here.

00:50Carroll?

00:52Lee?

00:52Here.

00:53Adegbuyi?

00:55Here.

00:56Hosmer?

00:56Here.

00:57Mc gull?

00:58Here.

00:58Horton?

00:59Here.

01:00Jensen?

01:01Present.

01:03And Schrup?

01:04Here.

01:05Before we begin, we ask that all individuals present please

01:09silence or turn off any cell phones or recording devices.

01:12We also remind everyone this is a public meeting of the city council, and we ask

01:16all attendees to observe the rules of civility and decorum,

01:20and refrain from obscenities or profanity of any sort.

01:23Outbursts, applause, and other disruptions are not permitted so that the

01:27council may conduct the city's business in an orderly and respectful manner.

01:31Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Ms.

01:34Cotter, do we have any minutes to approve this evening?

01:37Yes. City council members have received the minutes of the October 12th,

01:412026, meeting in their packets.

01:44Does anyone have any changes to those minutes?

01:47May I have a motion to approve those minutes?

01:49We have a motion to approve and a second.

01:52Council members, please vote.

02:05The minutes are approved. Ms. Cotter, did you receive any requests to

02:08remove an item from the consent agenda?

02:11No, sir.

02:11Does anyone in the audience have an item they wish to have removed from the consent

02:14agenda?

02:16Does any member of council have an item they'd like to remove from the consent

02:18agenda?

02:20Council members, please vote.

02:34The consent agenda is approved. Mr.

02:36Cameron, please present the city manager's report.

02:40Good evening, Mr. Mayor and City Council.

02:42I have

02:43several things I want to highlight tonight.

02:45Starting first

02:47with the data center policy development.

02:49Obviously, tonight we have two agenda items that we'll hear the first

02:53reading of bills proposing a formal definition of data centers to our land

02:57development code and extending the temporary administrative delay on applications

03:01through February 24th of 2026. Actually, we have 2027.

03:06As council knows, we've heard extensive community feedback about utility

03:09demands, environmental impacts, and neighborhood compatibility.

03:13Mm-hmm.

03:14We're using that input to develop regulatory options that will help

03:18council determine whether and under what conditions Springfield could permit

03:20large-scale data centers.

03:22So, in the manager's report tonight, and also will be available to the public, is

03:26a calendar, and I want to cover that briefly as just a schedule of

03:30anticipated actions. So we've obviously had, on October 15th, we had the Planning

03:34and Zoning Commission, and the public hearing and unanimous votes on

03:38data center definition, extension of the administrative delay.

03:41On October 26th, we have the first reading, which is tonight.

03:45But on November 16th, the second reading will take place.

03:48January 7th, the Planning and Zoning Commission.

03:50That's where the public hearing and votes on proposed regulations and

03:54prohibition options will be presented.

03:57January 19th will be the city council meeting for the first read, and then

04:01January 26, 2027, would be the second reading.

04:05One thing I want to make sure that's abundantly clear, that is just a

04:09timeline-

04:09Mm-hmm

04:09... for how we publicly notice the council meetings.

04:12That does not mean that there's not an opportunity for the council to make

04:15amendments, and it'd be an additional meeting.

04:17But that would be the proposed public outline or schedule as of this point of

04:21what that would look like. So again, that does not say that it's already done.

04:25It basically says that if there's additional addendums or amendments to the

04:28language, it allows you that space to do it.

04:30But just to be very transparent upfront from the very beginning, where are those

04:34opportunities? And I believe the one meeting that'll be scheduled is a special

04:38meeting solely for the discussion of public comment for the

04:41discussion of data centers, not blended in with another council meeting.

04:45So this would be a special meeting, I believe, in both planning and zoning, and one

04:48that would also be the same way for city council.

04:52A couple highlights. We constantly talk about the police and recruitment.

04:55So, the recruitment remains strong.

04:58In October, 29 candidates passed initial testing, and

05:01SPD received another applications for the November testing.

05:05And I also want to congratulate the

05:09Springfield Police Department on receiving an award from the Midstates Organized

05:13Crime Information Center. The organization recognized the Springfield Police

05:17Department for leading a complex multi-state, multi-agency gambling

05:21investigation that resulted in multiple convictions and the forfeiture

05:25of property and cash.

05:28The fire department last Friday, the city

05:32clerk swore in Fire Department Battalion Chief Steven

05:35Sharp as division chief of safety and training at a

05:38ceremony Friday at the Bush Municipal Building.

05:43I love to see our staff that have actually come up through the ranks that are

05:46actually being promoted to these positions, and I want to highlight that.

05:48There's also one from Alicia Smith in the Public Works Department, that

05:52she was

05:53recognized by the Missouri Municipal League by going on her own initiative to get

05:57a certified municipal partner

06:00... in her role with no initiative or just basically on her own.

06:04And I want to highlight those things because that's what the employees are doing,

06:06is looking for ways to... Certified Municipal Official.

06:10Then I got it. And so I was like, "What is that title?" Certified Municipal

06:13Official. And I appreciate when I see staff do that and take an effort to

06:18improve themselves.

06:19Neighborhood planning and housing.

06:22We'll host our first public open house from 6:00 to 8:00, November 9th,

06:262026 at Lincoln Hall on the Ozarks Technical Community College

06:30campus.

06:32The initiative will give residents a direct voice in identifying neighborhood

06:35priorities and guiding future public investments.

06:38We're also making progress with our rental inspection. Oh, I kind of deviated.

06:41One thing I want to go back to on the public forum on the

06:45neighborhood planning initiatives. These are very important for the community.

06:49This is something I believe,

06:51especially for those that went on the Indianapolis trip, that they're talking about

06:54how we have these conversations in advance of development, but also planning out

06:57what neighborhoods look like in the future.

07:00So I would highly encourage that we publicize this.

07:02We will, but at the same time, this is a very large-scale opportunity for our

07:06community to be more involved on the front end than more on the back end, which is

07:10one of our five priorities, which is development processes.

07:13Just more to follow on that.

07:15Now we're making progress with our rental inspection pilot

07:19program. More than 530 properties have registered, and

07:23inspectors have completed 183 initial inspections.

07:27Property owners have corrected 54 of the 55

07:30properties re-inspected, demonstrating how the program is helping and

07:33improving housing.

07:36On the infrastructure side,

07:38crews have begun constructing on the West I-44 lift station.

07:41We'll extend wastewater service to the developing area near I-44 and

07:45Route MM. Why this is important, as we talk about

07:50industrial sites or our industrial parks or where we're working, and this is a very

07:54large investment. I believe we've invested 8.2 million the city approved

07:58to move this property to the west. There'll be more conversations about how we

08:01advance those opportunities

08:03in the future.

08:06And last but not least, I want to talk about the parks department.

08:10Our parks team is beginning the design, I want to be very clear about this, the

08:13design work on a potential splash pad at Westport

08:17Park to replace the aging pool, which has reached the end of its useful

08:20life. The project would introduce the first splash pad to Springfield's park

08:24system. Again, this is a potential piece, but as you know, the challenges

08:28with the pools, finding alternatives for those

08:31kids in those neighborhoods and for parents to take the kids there is very

08:34important. And lastly, our parks also continue to drive sports-related

08:38economic activity. Recent athletic tournaments and Special Olympics state outdoor

08:42games generated an estimated 1.6 million in direct

08:46economic spending, and I think this will be a conversation that we'll continue to

08:50have about sports tourism and the impact financially that it'll have to our

08:54community. But I want to commend the parks staff for doing that. And Mr.

08:57Mayor, that concludes my report. I'll be happy to take any questions.

09:01Are there questions from members of council for the manager?

09:04Council Member Jensen.

09:05Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Mr.

09:07Cameron, for

09:08those points. As always, the detail you provide in the written

09:12report is more than you're able to dive into here, so I think everybody should

09:16be reading those every two weeks. I had a couple of things.

09:19The first is I wanted to continue the tradition started by

09:23Councilman Hosmer at our last meeting of highlighting some good work that staff

09:27do. So, I was on a recent call about the crisis

09:31cold weather shelter system that we operate each year in partnership with

09:35CPO, and they had a lot of compliments for both

09:39fire and BDS staff about their willingness to

09:43work with shelter locations and ensure that they were able to open and provide

09:47those critical beds.

09:49They did note that last year they provided over 9,100 bed

09:53nights

09:55throughout the cold weather shelter

09:58across 52 nights, averaging about 70 volunteers a night.

10:02So every time the weather drops below 32 degrees, we need at least

10:0670 community members to step forward and help volunteer to

10:09staff these crisis cold weather shelter systems.

10:12If folks want to sign up to do that, there are several locations that

10:15operate them. They can go to CPO's website.

10:19The second thing is I just want to echo your statement about the importance

10:22of neighborhood planning.

10:25We've had a lot of development conflict on

10:29a few cases. Most of them go through without any issues, but there are a few that

10:33always catch attention and grow into

10:36really big boondoggles. And so the importance of engaging the

10:40community beforehand and letting the market know

10:44where development will be supported, I hope is something that

10:47developers in our community will listen to and say, "Okay, these are

10:51places where I can invest my dollars with a reasonable

10:55certainty of success." I know that

10:58not everybody on the trip believed that was the most important thing to promote

11:02housing. I think a majority of members had identified

11:06changing the city charter and/or development regulations to support

11:10the development of housing was the most important takeaway from the

11:14trip, but I appreciate the comment about neighborhood planning. So thank you.

11:19Other comments for the manager or questions? Councilman Brad Abiasi.

11:24Thank you, Mayor. And just to tag onto that, if you don't mind, just for the folks

11:27listening in, would you repeat the date and time of that particular meeting,

11:30please?

11:33Sure. It is... Now I got to put my readers back on.

11:38It does happen. It is November... That's not it. Yes, it is.

11:42November 9th, 2026

11:45from 6:00 to 8:00 at Lincoln Hall on Ozark

11:49Technical Community College campus.

11:52Thank you.

11:53You're welcome.

11:55Other questions?

11:57Thank you very much. Now we'll proceed with council bills for second reading

12:01and final passage.

12:04Council Bill 2026-154.

12:09Council Bill 2026-154, a general ordinance amending the

12:13Springfield City Code Chapter 36, Article 10, Section

12:1636-10.09.C.5,

12:20marijuana and medical marijuana uses to allow drive-through facilities to operate

12:24until 1:30 a.m.

12:27Mayor Pro Tem Hardinger, do you have a motion?

12:32I do have a motion.

12:34I move that Council Bill 2026-154 be amended by making the

12:38extension of drive-through hours subject to a conditional use permit.

12:42Is there a second for that motion?

12:44Councilor Nicole.

12:45I have a second.

12:47Thank you.

12:47A motion and a second.

12:50Council Member Hardinger, would you please explain your motion?

12:55This bill was referred to the Plans and Policies Committee, and after review,

12:59the committee recommended making the extension of drive-through hours subject to a

13:03conditional use permit. This amendment would change the bill as recommended

13:07by the committee.

13:10Are there questions for the-- Council Member Adegbile.

13:14A question for staff.

13:15Question for staff.

13:17In

13:18making this subject to a conditional use permit, would the

13:22process for that be to go both back through Planning

13:26Commission and City Council for those approvals?

13:29Justin Crighton, assistant director of Planning and Development.

13:32The conditional use process as it's designed now, which this would follow, would

13:35only stop at Planning and Zoning Commission.

13:37There would be a public hearing, but the final decision would be Planning and

13:40Zoning Commission's, unless it were appealed to City Council.

13:43Great. Thank you.

13:44Council Member Lee.

13:47So my question's more for

13:50Mr. Powell or

13:52Mr. Paul. So

13:55this conditional use,

13:58this amendment is to require a conditional use.

14:03If this doesn't

14:05get approved, how would it be handled?

14:09Right. So assuming that the bill is passed as

14:12introduced,

14:14it would be

14:16as a matter of right, rather than conditional use,

14:19where if you apply and you meet the

14:23conditions, that you get it no matter what.

14:26The committee's recommendation was to subject it to the conditional use

14:30permit to, of course, look at specific sites.

14:33So

14:34the amendment actually creates a stricter standard than is introduced,

14:38if that answers your question.

14:40That does answer my question. And I just have one more thing.

14:45We would not be voting on the underlying bill tonight, right?

14:53Well, public comment was taken on July

14:5513th. Sorry. Public comment was taken on

14:59July 13th, so my understanding is

15:03no. We would be

15:05once, and then we'd hold it over for the next time.

15:08Am I correct?

15:09That's correct.

15:10Yes.

15:10So tonight, we're just voting on the amendment and then-

15:13Yes.

15:14Thank you for...

15:15That's my assumption.

15:19Other questions from members of council?

15:24Council Member Horton.

15:26Thank you. I just had a question for anyone who was on the

15:30committee, the Plans and Policies Committee.

15:33So this particular amendment

15:36stems from

15:38a business off of Kearney Street, and I am curious if

15:43there was any discussion in committee regarding the

15:46impact of the Kearney Street redevelopment plan.

15:50How did that factor into decision-making in the committee?

15:57Thank you, Councilwoman Horton. I don't know that we expressly

16:00discussed

16:02the Kearney Street redevelopment plan as a part of this proposal.

16:06Is there anything specifically that you feel should be discussed as a

16:10part of that?

16:11Well, we understand that we really want to improve up

16:15on the street. We want to improve up on the corridor.

16:19And to the extent that

16:22our decision-making considers,

16:26of course, the Kearney Street redevelopment plan,

16:30that should definitely factor into the fact that we have a business

16:34on Kearney Street

16:36that is not necessarily aware of what our intent of the

16:40council in terms of approving the

16:44redevelopment plan and what we're trying to spur on the

16:48street and on the corridor. And I am curious as to,

16:52do we feel as though this action is congruent and

16:55consistent and contributes to improvement up on

16:59the street in terms of the redevelopment plan?

17:03And you've answered my question, and you mentioned that there was no consideration

17:07of the Kearney Street redevelopment plan. So, thank you.

17:10I just wanted to add, too,

17:13that is something that could be considered as a part of this.

17:16It just wasn't brought up in discussion.

17:19So we could reach out to staff and see what their recommendation might be regarding

17:22that.

17:23Well, they don't have a recommendation at all so far.

17:27They didn't have a recommendation on the first bill, and

17:31I'm not sure they have a recommendation on this bill.

17:34I am just saying that my vote

17:37on this amendment, or even if it goes back to the original,

17:41is going to be based upon factors related to

17:45the Kearney Street redevelopment plan.

17:48Thank you.

17:49Thank you.

17:51Other questions?

17:53Seeing none, we will now vote at-- Is there a question?

17:59Council Member Hosmer have a question?

18:00No. I apologize. Or

18:01cons? No? Okay.

18:02I'm going to-

18:03Yes

18:03... support the amendment, but only because I think it's the only way that we

18:07have any control over how this

18:10process works. I think it's bad public

18:13policy for the city of Springfield to extend marijuana sales

18:17hours to 1:30 in the morning. I think it's going to lead to higher instances of

18:21motor vehicle accidents. It's going to higher instance of injuries, fatalities.

18:26It doesn't make any sense. If we do this, we will

18:30be one of the most lenient cities in the state of Missouri

18:34with the use of marijuana products.

18:38and the sale of marijuana products.

18:39The

18:41proponent of the amendment

18:44indicated that his staff has no training on recognizing someone's

18:47impaired,

18:49no ability to determine whether someone's impaired when they're in the vehicle when

18:52they're buying marijuana.

18:54I think it's going to put more burden on the SPD.

18:58We talk about how we're underfunded and understaffed with police officers in the

19:01city, and yet we do things that are inconsistent with

19:05making this city safer. So again, I'm going to vote for the amendment because

19:09I think it improves a bad situation, but I will be voting against the bill because

19:13I think it's

19:16bad public policy. And we just recently passed the

19:20marijuana dispensary law, and we've got

19:23dispensaries in the city of Springfield that are within

19:26blocks of residential properties.

19:29You're going to have people

19:31going to these facilities till 1:30 in the morning, right next to

19:35neighborhoods.

19:37And again, I don't think there's any city in the state of Missouri, except

19:40O'Fallon, Missouri, that has any more

19:43lenient sales of marijuana than Springfield.

19:45I don't think that's something we should be known for.

19:47So I'll be voting for the amendment, but against the bill.

19:52Council Member Hardinger.

19:54Thank you, Council Member Hosmer.

19:57I respect your perspective on this issue.

20:01I also just want to add that this will allow

20:04businesses who qualify to apply for the conditional use permit.

20:07So it's not a guarantee that they will receive it, but it does give them an

20:11opportunity to make their case to Planning and Zoning. Thanks.

20:15Yes. Count.

20:17Yes.

20:18And I would support

20:21the idea that if this came back to council, because I think council should

20:25ultimately...

20:27It's not like a regular zoning issue.

20:30This is something that affects people's lives, affects public safety, it affects

20:33law enforcement. If it would go to Planning and Zoning with

20:37conditional use permit and then come back to council,

20:40I wouldn't have any problem with that because then the people that are elected to

20:43represent the people in the city of Springfield would have the say, rather than the

20:47Planning and Zoning Commission being the only

20:51body that would look at it and the only body that would approve or disapprove.

20:54So if it would come back to council,

20:57I wouldn't have any problem with it, but I think the way we're doing it is

21:01allowing a non-elected body to make a decision

21:05that is going to impact the city of Springfield in a negative way.

21:11Council Member Lee.

21:14I would just like to say I agree with Council Member Hosmer, and I'll

21:18be voting the same way. You said it very well, so

21:22I won't repeat everything. But I will be voting the same way,

21:26in favor of the amendment, but against the underlying bill.

21:33Before we vote, any other comments

21:36or questions, members of council?

21:37Just to clarify for everyone, so what we're voting on right

21:40now is the amendment. If the amendment passes, the

21:44hearing will be held over until next week, in

21:48which we would have the hearing, and I anticipate a vote.

21:51That is consistent with the charter and established practice.

21:54When we have substantive amendments are adopted by vote of city council, then we

21:58allow time for the public to review and to consider the amended

22:01language.

22:03Seeing no other questions, I ask council members to vote as to the amendment only.

22:19The amendment passes, and so the bill as amended will be held over

22:24to the next city council meeting on November 16, at which time we'll hold

22:28a public hearing.

22:33Council Bill 2026-214.

22:41Council Bill 2026-214, a general ordinance amending

22:44Springfield City Code Chapter 98, Streets, Sidewalks, and Public Places.

22:49Article 7, Encroachment on City Property, to expand the types of encroachments that

22:52may be administratively approved and modify the requirements for obtaining an

22:56encroachment license.

22:59Just like the previous bill, this bill was amended

23:03on October 12th. Does the clerk have any scheduled speakers as to the

23:07amendment?

23:08No, sir.

23:09Then the public hearing is declared closed.

23:11Are there questions or comments from members of council?

23:18Did you have one, Mr. Hosmer?

23:19Yes, I do. What is the change in the insurance requirements

23:24from one million to, or is it from three million to one?

23:28Could staff answer that,

23:30please?

23:31Right.

23:32I'd

23:36have to pull it back up.

23:37It is from three.

23:39But I want to say it was

23:42a default of one million with authority to

23:45increase depending on the risk.

23:49But prior to this, was it-

23:52It was the sovereign immunity limits.

23:53The sovereign immunity limit, which is, is it three?

23:56It's a little over three now.

23:57Okay. And do we require marijuana facilities to have

24:01insurance?

24:03We don't require them to have any special insurance as far as I

24:06know. So if this is for somebody that has a sign on city property,

24:11an encroachment,

24:12like if it's a sign that hangs over a city piece of property?

24:16Any normal

24:18encroachment,

24:20any normal ordinance would apply to a marijuana facility.

24:23But there's no special law that applies to marijuana facilities.

24:27But for any encroachment on city property, the property owner has to have a

24:32million dollars worth of insurance.

24:34I believe that would be the new default rule.

24:36And yet we don't require

24:39bars or marijuana dispensaries to have any insurance in the city of

24:43Springfield.

24:45I don't believe there are any special insurance laws for either of them.

24:52That seems crazy to me, but

24:55maybe we should look at that, because a lot of people get hurt by

24:59drunk driving, by

25:01impaired driving all the time in this city.

25:03And I think

25:05I'm not against having an insurance level for encroachments on

25:09city property, but the risk to the city is much, much greater, or its presence

25:13in the city much, much greater, by a marijuana dispensary or a

25:17bar in the city of Springfield. So,

25:19thank you.

25:20So, to clarify the amendment, I just pulled up my notes on it.

25:23So right now,

25:25encroachment insurance is at the sovereign immunity limit, like we discussed.

25:29There is currently a category of items that are

25:32eligible for reduction to a million, which are signs, awnings, and

25:36canopies.

25:37This would allow that one million reduction to be eligible

25:42for any encroachment. And I think the example that was brought up was sidewalk

25:45cafes. And so during the pandemic, those were eligible.

25:49That went away after the pandemic.

25:51This would allow those encroachments, among others, to be eligible for it,

25:55but leave staff with the authority to determine on a case-by-case

25:59basis if something presents a particular risk to require more insurance.

26:06Other comments or questions from council?

26:11Then council members, please vote on the amended council bill

26:142026-214.

26:26The amended council bill passes. Council bill

26:292026-216.

26:35Council bill 2026-216, a general ordinance amending Chapter

26:3936, Article IV, Section 4.01B of the Land Development

26:43Code Official Zoning Maps by rezoning approximately 2.75 acres of property

26:47generally located at 1435 West Tallmadge Street from Mixed Density

26:51Neighborhood Medium District with Conditional Overlay District Number 115

26:55to Mixed Density Neighborhood High District with Binding Site Plan

26:59Condition 287 and adopting an updated Official Zoning Map.

27:04Public comment was taken on October 12.

27:06Are there comments this evening from members of council?

27:11Council members, please vote.

27:22Council bill passes. Council bill 2026-217.

27:30Council bill 2026-217, a general ordinance amending Chapter

27:3436, Article IV, Section 4.01B of the Land Development Code Official

27:38Zoning Maps by rezoning approximately 6.8 acres of property generally located

27:42at 4233 through 4297,

27:454268 through 4270 South Hillcrest Avenue from

27:49General Commercial District to Light Industrial Commercial District and adopting an

27:53updated Official Zoning Map.

27:55Public comment was taken on October 12.

27:58Are there any comments from members of council?

28:02Council members, please vote.

28:11Council bill passes. Council bill 2026-218.

28:17Council bill 2026-218, a general ordinance amending Chapter

28:2136, Article IV, Section 4.01B of the Land Development Code

28:25Official Zoning Map by rezoning approximately 0.17 acres of property

28:29generally located at 1469 North Rogers Avenue from General

28:33Commercial District to Mixed Density Neighborhood Low and adopting an

28:36updated Official Zoning Map.

28:39Public comment was taken on October 12.

28:41Are there comments this evening from members of council?

28:45Council members, please vote.

28:56The council bill passes. Council bill

28:582026-219.

29:01Council bill 2026-219, a special ordinance approving the final

29:05development plan of Planned Development District Number 298, generally

29:09located at 3515 East Olive Street.

29:13Public comment was taken on October 12.

29:16Are there comments this evening from members of council?

29:20Council members, please vote.

29:29Council bill passes. Council bill

29:312026-220.

29:34Yes, Councilman Lee has notified me that he will be recusing himself from this

29:38item. The record will reflect the recusal.

29:44Council bill 2026-220, a special ordinance approving the

29:48first amendment to the Springfield Plaza Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment

29:52Plan to allow multifamily residential use within Redevelopment Project

29:56Area 2, extending the duration of tax increment financing

30:00with Redevelopment Project Areas 1 and 2, and directing the city manager or

30:04designee to implement such changes to the Springfield Plaza TIF Redevelopment

30:08Plan.

30:10Public comment was taken on October 12.

30:12Are there comments this evening from members of council?

30:15Council members, please vote.

30:27Council bill passes. Council bill

30:292026-221.

30:36Council Bill 2026-221, a special ordinance approving the plans and

30:39specifications for the South Creek Greenway Fremont to Glenstone

30:43project, accepting the bid of Hunter Chase and Associates for construction of the

30:47project in the amount of

30:48$797,922.17,

30:52authorizing the city manager or designee to enter into a contract with such bidder,

30:56and declaring this ordinance qualifies for approval in one reading pursuant to

31:00Section 2.16, subsection 25 of the city

31:03charter.

31:04Okay. Council Member Adegbile, do you have a motion?

31:07I do, Mayor. Thank you very much.

31:09I move that Council Bill 2026-221 be amended to

31:13correct the contract price by changing it from

31:15$797,922.17

31:20to

31:21$601,994.54.

31:26Is there a second to that motion? We have a second.

31:29Council Member Adegbile, any explanation?

31:33Yeah. So, as we listened in our last meeting, the bill was introduced and

31:36referenced a combined base bid,

31:41rather than the South Creek Greenway base bid only.

31:44This amendment would correct the contract price by referencing the South Creek

31:48Greenway base bid only.

31:52Thank you. Are there questions?

31:56Council members, please vote on the amendment only.

32:14The amendment passes. Therefore, according to council policy, the public hearing

32:18will be continued as to the amendment on the November

32:2216 city council meeting.

32:25And as anticipated, the council will vote on the amended bill,

32:29at that time.

32:32Council Bill 2026-226.

32:37Council Bill 2026-226, a general ordinance repealing Special

32:40Ordinance 23765, 24472,

32:4425460, and 27410, and

32:47amending Chapter 2, Article 4 of the city code by

32:52adding thereto a new Division 9 for the purpose of codifying the governing

32:55provisions of the Police Civilian Review Board and bringing the board into

32:59compliance with the city charter.

33:01Public comment was taken on October 12.

33:03Are there comments from members of council this evening?

33:07Seeing none, council members, please vote.

33:17Council bill passes. Council Bill 2026-227.

33:23Council Bill 2026-227, a general ordinance repealing Resolution

33:279214 and 9749, and amending Chapter 2, Article 4

33:31of the city code by adding thereto a new Division 13 for the purpose of

33:35codifying the governing provisions of the Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board.

33:40Public comment was taken on October 12.

33:42Are there comments this evening from members of council?

33:46Council members, please vote.

33:54Council bill passes. Council Bill

33:562026-228.

34:00Council Bill 2026-228, a general ordinance amending Chapter 2,

34:04Article 4 of the city code by adding thereto a new Division 10 for the purpose of

34:08codifying the governing provisions of the Citizens' Advisory Committee for

34:11Community Development.

34:13Public comment was taken on October 12.

34:15Are there comments from members of council this evening?

34:19Council members, please vote.

34:29Council bill passes. Council Bill 2026-229.

34:34Council Bill 2026-229, a general ordinance repealing Resolution

34:3810874, amending Section 2-271 of the

34:42city code, and amending Chapter 2, Article 4 of the city code by

34:46adding thereto a new Division 12 for the purpose of codifying a

34:50duty

34:51of the Citizens' Tax Oversight Committee and codifying the governing provisions

34:55of the Citizens' Advisory Board.

34:58A

34:59public hearing was taken on October 12.

35:03Are there comments from members of council?

35:05Council members, please vote.

35:16Council bill passes. Council Bill 2026-230.

35:27Council Bill 2026-230, a general ordinance repealing

35:31Resolution 8900, 9104, and

35:349838, and amending Chapter 2, Article 4 of the city

35:38code by adding thereto a new Division 11 for the purpose of codifying the

35:42governing provisions of the Tree City USA Citizens' Advisory Committee.

35:47Public comment was taken on October 12.

35:49Are there comments from members of council this evening?

35:52Council members, please vote.

36:02Council bill passes. Council Bill

36:042026-231.

36:11Council Bill 2026-231, a general ordinance amending Chapter

36:1538, Article 2 of the Springfield City Code for the purpose of modifying the

36:18certification and registration requirements of certain crafts trades, modifying

36:23the membership of the Building Trades Examination and Certification Board, and more

36:26clearly defining the board's role and duty to hear appeals of orders, decisions,

36:30and determinations made by the city, and implying the requirements of the city

36:34construction codes.

36:36As provided on Friday, I have a motion to amend Council Bill

36:402026-231 by requiring an

36:44additional board member to be certified or licensed in either

36:48of electrical, gas fitting mechanical, or the plumbing

36:51trades. May I have a second for that motion? Council Member Jensen.

36:57Does anyone have any questions?

37:04May I have a vote as to the amendment only?

37:19The amendment passes, and that means according to council policy, we will hold

37:23over a public hearing again until the next meeting of city

37:27council, November 16,

37:312026. At which time, council will hear from interested

37:34parties, and it is anticipated to take a vote.

37:42Now, we move to the public hearing portion of the agenda.

37:46If there is a council bill on the agenda you wish to speak to, particularly item

37:507.1 through 14.1, you must sign

37:54up with the city clerk before she reads the title.

37:58Please indicate whether you support or oppose the bill.

38:02This time is for your comments only, not to ask questions of city council,

38:05staff, or the audience. The time allotted for your comments will be reflected

38:09on a display screen at the front of the room.

38:12Please observe the rules of civility and decorum, or you may forfeit your right to

38:15address us this evening. Council Bill

38:182026-241.

38:21Council Bill 2026-241, a resolution

38:25adopting This Place We Make, a creative roadmap for the Ozarks as

38:29a cultural plan for the city of Springfield.

38:31Good evening.

38:32Good evening, Mayor, Council. Jordan Paul, city attorney.

38:35Council Member Horton has introduced this resolution, which would adopt the

38:39Springfield Regional Art Council's This Place We Make, a creative

38:42roadmap for the Ozarks as a guiding policy document to help

38:46inform future city decisions related to arts and culture.

38:50And with that, I will defer to the council member for her remarks.

38:55Council Member Horton, is there anything you'd like to say?

38:57Yes, I would like to just say

39:00so last year, I believe that there was

39:04a significant

39:07effort to engage pretty much all of our

39:10constituents

39:12here in the Ozarks, to the tune of what, 1,000

39:16touchpoints or so to come up with this particular plan.

39:21Each year, the City Council approves the Springfield

39:25Regional Council's budget, and it would

39:28be nice to ground our decision-making in

39:32terms of their budget that we already approved, to ground

39:36that in their strategic planning process that has already taken

39:40place.

39:41And that is a 10-year strategic plan that they call the place that we

39:45make, the cultural plan.

39:48But also, I think the timing is great to adopt such a

39:52plan because this is October. It is Arts and

39:56Humanities Awareness Month. But also, if we take a

40:00deep dive into the economic impact of cultural tourism

40:05in Springfield, to the tune of $89 million

40:08annually in economic activity, with $60 million

40:12alone in visitor spending annually

40:16from at least 500,000 visitors to this city to

40:19engage in cultural tourism.

40:22But also the economic impact of

40:26up to 1,700 jobs across the region.

40:29That includes artists, but also

40:31entrepreneurs who are also

40:35creatives and in the arts.

40:38But also the types of sales tax that generates

40:42for our community, but also the state and federal to the tune of $2

40:46million.

40:48And I'm coming from the Springfield Regional Arts Council's website.

40:51These are analyses that were done in 2023.

40:55$2 million in local sales taxes, $2.4 million

40:59in state sales taxes, and $9 million in federal.

41:04And it also generates at least $50 million in personal

41:08income to the arts industry here in the region.

41:11And so their impact

41:14and grounding our decision-making in terms of when we approve their

41:18budget, it would be nice to be able to adopt

41:22this particular plan

41:25as it would be rooted in a policy guide that will

41:29allow for us to make decisions about their budget when it comes

41:33time for us to approve. So that's all I really have to say about that.

41:38I'm certainly thankful to all of the advisory council

41:42members who came together to bring this effort

41:46to pass. I know that some of

41:49the City of Springfield staff was also a part of that, so there

41:53is definitely a coordinated and a

41:56congruent effort to improve upon and build upon the

42:00cultural tourism in the Ozarks. Thank you.

42:04Are there any questions from members of council for staff?

42:07As a reminder, this is a one reading bill, and so there'll be a time for

42:11comments from members of council at the conclusion of the public hearing.

42:14Are there any questions?

42:19All right. Does the clerk have any scheduled speakers?

42:22Yes, sir. Julie Bloodworth.

42:34Good evening.

42:35Good evening.

42:37Um,

42:38I encourage council to adopt This Place We Make as the cultural plan for

42:42Springfield. Having vibrant arts and culture in

42:46Springfield is a personal thing for my

42:50family. My dad was founder of Tent Theatre

42:53in 1963.

42:56I was the director of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy on MSU

43:00campus for 10 years. My husband and I participated in

43:05countless numbers of theatrical productions around that

43:08time, around 10 years or so. And if you have

43:12seen large glass art pieces in

43:17BKD, in The Order at Vanderbilt, in Top of the

43:20Rock and Brentwood Center, those came from Springfield Hot Glass

43:24and were made by my husband and my son,

43:28Gabe. They were proud studio artists of downtown

43:32Springfield for 16 years.

43:37Having a robust creative community is

43:41a key component to quality of life.

43:45For us and for many, it's a deciding factor of where we live and

43:49work.

43:50This Place We Make is really an extraordinary

43:54document, one that the city can be proud of.

43:58As its subtitle says, it's a roadmap

44:02for strengthening this area's cultural life.

44:05It was meticulously researched and presented,

44:09and it has actionable strategies.

44:12Adopting This Place We Make as an official cultural

44:17plan bridges the gap between grassroots

44:21arts participation and municipal policy,

44:25and it provides a structured 10-year guide

44:29for Springfield Ozarks region.

44:32The city of Springfield has a unique

44:37chance right now to build its cultural

44:40profile nationally.

44:43Springfield Regional Arts Council has taken the first step by

44:47commissioning this remarkable document.

44:51Please take the next by formally adopting this

44:57remarkable plan as Springfield's cultural plan.

45:01Thank you.

45:02Just hold on just a second. We have some questions.

45:05Oh.

45:05Council Member Jensen.

45:06Yes. Thank you, Ms. Bloodworth, for being here and speaking tonight.

45:10You've got me really excited. I believe in the vision that you're casting right

45:14now.

45:15I'm just curious, is there

45:18any strategy in this that gets you the most excited about the future for

45:22Springfield?

45:23Yeah. And I can talk to that as the wife and mother

45:27of studio artists in Springfield.

45:29That's a hard sell to be a studio artist in

45:33Springfield and to try and make your money

45:35doing that. And

45:38one of the strategies is to support the creative community,

45:42and I

45:44could think of all sorts of

45:47ways that we could have used when we were still in

45:51business, and still studio artists could use

45:55help from the city.

45:57And that's the part that really excites me.

46:00Individual artists living, making their lives here,

46:04and enriching the cultural community of this city.

46:08Awesome. Thank you for being here.

46:10Council Member Adegbile.

46:12Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Ms. Bloodworth, for your testimony tonight.

46:15And I want to just say a personal thanks and send back to Terry

46:20our thanks from my wife and I for the dozens of

46:24globes that we put up every year.

46:25Thank you. Thank you. I'll tell him. That'll make his night.

46:29Thank you very much.

46:30Thank you. Next speaker, please.

46:32Rusty Worley.

46:41Good evening.

46:41Good evening. Good evening, Mayor and members of council.

46:44I just want to take a few minutes and speak on behalf of the cultural plan.

46:48As someone who's lived and worked in Center City Springfield for over two

46:51decades, I see the effect that the arts have.

46:54They breathe life and energy into our historic districts.

46:59And the points of this plan call for the deepening

47:02engagement, and that's a two-way street.

47:05The engagement happens when artists are showcased, and they

47:09shine, and they see the fruits of their labor.

47:13But then the public gets that engagement by learning

47:17more about their story, their skills, their talents, and so

47:21it creates that connection.

47:23We've seen some examples of that throughout the year, but Arts

47:27Fest on Walnut Street, recently Thriller on Commercial Street, and then

47:31every First Friday, there's activity that have our

47:35sidewalks bustling. And it draws people to our restaurants and our

47:39retailers. And never is that more important.

47:42Folks can shop online. They can go buy what they need online.

47:46They can get their entertainment digitally.

47:48But it's the personal connections that artists provide that

47:52create experiences that are uniquely Springfield.

47:55The second point is professional development for the arts.

47:59And just as the eFactory is that professional development for entrepreneurs

48:03and innovation, the Creamery, Leslie Forester and her

48:07staff, provide great resources for our artists to help train them up,

48:11both in their skills and in the business side of being in

48:15the arts. And then infrastructure for the arts.

48:19If you've been to Route 66 Stadium,

48:22and then over seeing the Creamery, you know the

48:26Creamery's bursting at the seams throughout the year.

48:29And we need more space for our artists.

48:34That was a great example of how The city worked

48:38with the creative community and breathed new life into that building

48:42that used to be the early days of O'Reilly Auto Parts.

48:45Now it's home to

48:48several different arts groups, but they need more room to expand,

48:52and that model can serve as a catalyst for other

48:56areas of our Center City that we want to see new activity.

48:59It can be a catalyst to fill storefronts and bring activity,

49:03and that's been a

49:05success or a formula that's been used ever since the

49:09initial days of First Friday Art Walk back 20 years ago.

49:14One last thing is we've had the centennial for Route 66 this year.

49:19I've been very proud to see the Queensgate Birthplace

49:22Plaza and then the great activities on Commercial Street.

49:27Our artists have really

49:29just had an opportunity to shine, and it's made Springfield a

49:33unique destination for all those thousands of people coming in from all

49:37over the world. And so,

49:39we need to be having the cultural plan chart the course for the

49:43next 10 years of artists and

49:47creativity that we can have in our community. Thank you.

49:50Just hold on a second. Council Member Jensen, you have a question?

49:52Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Worley, thank you for being here, and thank you for

49:56all you've done for downtown over the years.

49:59I won't say how many. But I appreciate every one of them from you.

50:03And I also really appreciate you mentioning Art Walk.

50:06I just want to note that if anybody wants to see what our downtown looks like,

50:10the first Friday of every month is the absolute best way to get an

50:14experience of what downtown is and can continue to

50:18be.

50:20You had mentioned all of these great things that are

50:24in the plan, and I hope they all come to fruition.

50:28I really believe in the organization, so this may be a leading

50:31question, but do you think that those outcomes could be achieved

50:35if we didn't have a well-supported arts organization like

50:39SRAC leading the charge?

50:42No, I don't. I think

50:46being someone who's worked with artists for 20 years

50:50with Arts Fest and Cider Days and other,

50:53they are a group that are very colorful, and they're scattered.

50:57They're all over the region, all over the country.

50:59But it takes professionals who are trained in this, who are

51:03connected both locally and across the state to bring those

51:07resources

51:11back to them and train them. So yes, we need an

51:15organization like Arts Council.

51:18And I'd say we have several nonprofits that-

51:19Yeah

51:19... do an exemplary job. I think Jeff Steele at the Gillioz does a great

51:23job. I'd hate to think of what downtown Springfield would be without The

51:27Little Theater. You talk about a great example.

51:30Any time The Little Theater has a show, Walnut Street breathes-

51:34Yeah

51:34... much differently and has a hive of activity.

51:38Formed Gallery right next to Gailey's is a great model of having 40

51:42artists right there in a storefront, and I think it's the new model of what

51:45retail can be by collaborative retail.

51:48So I think there's several examples, but the Arts Council is the conductor

51:52for that.

51:53You're giving me goosebumps. Thank you, Rusty.

51:56Thank you very much.

51:58Leslie Forrester.

52:05Good evening.

52:05Hi. Good evening, Mayor, and members of council.

52:09I'm Leslie Forrester, and I'm the executive director of the Springfield Regional

52:12Arts Council. This Place We Make: A Creative Roadmap for the

52:16Ozarks is a community-driven guide for how a place supports and

52:20grows its arts, culture, and creative life for the next decade.

52:23It sets a shared vision. It names priorities and assigns who

52:27does what. We already have incredible talent and dedicated

52:31audiences, but persistent challenges remain, like funding and

52:35space, because arts and culture is loud and messy, and we take up a lot of room.

52:40To begin to address these challenges, we have to plan for them.

52:43We will build robust systems and resilient audiences.

52:48This Place We Make

52:49gives us a guide to focus our efforts and strategies for the greatest outcomes.

52:54The inspiration for this project came from Forward SGF, which

52:57identifies arts and culture as a theme woven throughout, and a

53:01theme is not a plan. So the Arts Council, along with support from the

53:05Hatch Foundation, set out to build that plan.

53:09And we didn't come to this plan alone, as Council Member Horton mentioned.

53:13Instead, we prioritized community engagement efforts.

53:16To the Arts Council, this is the most important step in the process.

53:20Utilizing the expertise of a partner, the Cultural Planning Group, we spent

53:2418 months learning what the community wants and developing strategies to

53:28support them. We did an environmental scan with arts and culture community,

53:32collected community surveys, and hosted facilitated focus groups.

53:36All in all, we talked to more than 1,000 people to come to these three goals.

53:40The first is to broaden and deepen the region's engagement in arts and culture.

53:45We seek to engage residents and visitors and businesses in the region to grow

53:49marketing and promotion efforts to ensure no one misses any of the

53:53great things happening here. The second goal is to cultivate and elevate

53:57the region's creative sector, including artists and creatives and

54:00nonprofits, community groups, and networks through learning and shared

54:04services and creative spaces. Developing

54:08sustainable infrastructure for the region's arts and culture ecosystem is the third

54:11goal, including funding and structures, policies, and

54:15regulatory systems. How do we fund this work?

54:18There is no easy answer to that question, and I'd love to stand here and tell

54:22you that we've all figured it out, but we haven't quite yet, but we're working on

54:26it. As an organization, we'll continue our work to diversify

54:30funding from both public and private sources.

54:32Our research shows that our region strongly supports increased public arts

54:36funding. 80% of respondents, in fact, said We shouldn't

54:40ask our government to do everything, and to do all

54:44of the work, and nor would we ever ask that of you.

54:47Public funding instead will be leveraged with private donations, event

54:51revenue, grants, and other revenue-generating opportunities.

54:55To continue the public engagement and the community engagement beyond

54:59this step in the process, we'll host Lunch and Learns at the Creamery Arts

55:03Center starting in November to share more details of the plan and

55:07to ensure we focus where the community wants us to work,

55:11and prioritize strategies. Arts and culture organizations are

55:14already incorporating this place we make into their own strategic planning

55:18efforts. We encourage the community to also continue to connect with us via

55:22social media, and

55:24can access the entire plan on our website at springfieldarts.org.

55:28I hope to see you all at one of the many coming arts and culture events this busy

55:32holiday season, including First Friday Art Walk, as we've already talked about, and

55:36the 100 & Under Art Market in December.

55:39This is the place we make, so let's build it together.

55:42Thank you very much.

55:45Hold on a second. Council Member Horton, you have a question?

55:47Thank you, Mayor. And I wanted to give you an applause after that

55:51presentation. So I want to go straight at the hip in

55:55terms of sustainable infrastructure.

55:57Yeah.

55:58Can you

55:59go as deep as you want or keep it as high level as you want? Mm-hmm.

56:02Do you have any

56:06thoughts about the expiring debt service on the Jordan Valley

56:10Ice Park?

56:11Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think that we would be excited to be

56:15at any table about discussing opportunities, whether it's a specific project

56:19in the plan, supporting and leveraging some partnership

56:23funds, in any setting. I haven't studied it closely to give you an

56:26exact detail plan, but that's on the list to study some more as we

56:31roll this plan out.

56:33But we would ask that arts and culture's at the table for those

56:36discussions,

56:38and

56:39seek opportunities where we can leverage those funds, but also

56:44just be a part of the larger picture of what our community seeks,

56:48along with the culture of sports and arts and

56:51neighborhoods and all of the different elements that make this place a really great

56:55community.

56:56Thank you.

56:58Council Member Adi Biasti.

56:59Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for your testimony tonight, too.

57:05I really

57:06support the arts in our community in many different ways, and they come in many

57:10different fashions.

57:11Mm-hmm.

57:11But I think it would be remiss not to re-stamp the

57:15comments about the fiscal impact on our community as well.

57:19I think this is one of the things, as the city manager

57:23mentioned earlier, the sports tourism sort of flies under the radar in some ways.

57:27Yeah. I think this arts cultural initiative also flies

57:31under the radar relative- Mm-hmm

57:32... to the fiscal impact. And glad to see this strategic plan come

57:36together, and hopefully we can get that into an adopted

57:39resolution here tonight.

57:41Thank you.

57:43Thank you very much.

57:44Thank you very much.

57:46That was our final speaker.

57:48Then the public hearing is closed.

57:50This is a bill and is eligible to be voted on this

57:54evening. Are there comments from members of council?

57:58Seeing none, council members, please vote.

58:08The council bill passes. Council Bill 2026-234.

58:16Council Bill 2026-234: A general ordinance amending Section

58:201-9 of the Springfield City Code, "City Limits," and Section 46-1

58:24of the Springfield City Code, "Boundaries of Wards, Precincts, and Council Zones,"

58:27for the purpose of annexing approximately 30 acres of private property generally

58:31located at 4156 East Division Street into the City

58:35of Springfield as Annexation A-5-2026.

58:39Good evening.

58:40Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of council. I'm Alana Owen.

58:43I'm a principal planner with the Planning Department.

58:47This annexation was petitioned by the property owner.

58:51The intent, if annexed, is to rezone the property and develop with a mixed

58:55residential or mixed-density residential development.

58:59This is consistent with the property to the west, which was annexed and

59:02rezoned for a similar type of development.

59:06I will point out that this property does provide a strategic link to the

59:10properties to the east. We have several properties

59:14to the east that have existing consent to annexation agreements on them,

59:19so this is in line with the comprehensive plan to facilitate new growth

59:22and could do that in that area. Staff is recommending

59:26approval, and I'll be happy to answer any questions that you have.

59:29Are there questions from members of council for staff? Council Member McDull.

59:33Thank you, Mayor.

59:35I just have one question. I looked through the plan itself, and

59:39I'm all for annexation and growth,

59:43but I noticed that the fire chief has some concerns about response

59:47time, and I was wondering, is our annexation

59:51team coordinating with the fire department to see how we can

59:54build out that infrastructure in terms of substations and

59:58fire stations? And maybe at the next meeting, we can get the

1:00:02fire chief to give us some sort of strategic plan on what he's

1:00:06doing as we grow.

1:00:09Mr. Mayor?

1:00:10Yes, sir.

1:00:11Whoa.

1:00:12So obviously, at the last meeting, we brought the consent to annex going to

1:00:16committee. These will be things that'll be brought up in the consent to annex

1:00:19pieces as well, is talking about those concerns associated with fire district

1:00:23fire response, but also partnering with City Utilities about where those

1:00:27areas are deficient that may be associated with providing water and fire

1:00:31hydrants as well. So all those provisions or questions or comments coming from the

1:00:35fire chief will also be provided. But yes, we can bring him for the

1:00:39second read for this particular piece because-

1:00:42Routinely, from what I can see from annexation, that's been expressed, or concern

1:00:45expressed for several years. So making sure that those concerns, that's one

1:00:49thing I've assured him, even in the financial sustainability discussion we're

1:00:52talking about, how do we fund these efforts so that we

1:00:56do have the opportunity to continue to grow, and address those deficiencies or

1:01:00concerns that he has. So,

1:01:02the answer is yes, we'll bring him to the next meeting.

1:01:03One other question. Could you ask the fire chief to look at not

1:01:07only fire stations, but substations, and whether or not that would

1:01:11affect our ISO rating? Because if you have a substation

1:01:15that could response,

1:01:17it's a lot cheaper as opposed to a full fire station.

1:01:20So

1:01:21check with him.

1:01:21We'll pass along that

1:01:23question.

1:01:24All right. That's the only question I have. Thank you.

1:01:26Council Member Adeyemi Asti.

1:01:28Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for the presentation. Two questions.

1:01:32You know the first one I'm going to ask.

1:01:34It says, in your report that we would receive property tax from the

1:01:38new annexation and the resulting development.

1:01:41Is there any way you can calculate any ranges of what

1:01:45that might look like, just for our informational purposes?

1:01:49It's difficult to say without there being a specific development there

1:01:53already.

1:01:53Mm-hmm.

1:01:54When we look at residential properties in general,

1:01:58and then look at cost of service based on what we've been given from

1:02:02public works and all of the services that the city offers, they

1:02:05generally don't balance out to where it's a financial gain for the

1:02:09city.

1:02:11So we kind of look at other things, and in this case,

1:02:15it is in a strategic area, which I've mentioned, and can facilitate

1:02:19growth of the population base. So

1:02:22as far as specific numbers, I don't have those, but we do look at

1:02:26that in terms of when we're making our recommendation.

1:02:29And you made mention that, at least at this point, the petitioner

1:02:33has said that they would be looking to develop the property or have a

1:02:37developer develop the property into a mixed residential,

1:02:41maybe somewhat similar to what's being developed to the west.

1:02:45So it seems like there's some way to look ahead and see,

1:02:4910 years from now, could this be something similar?

1:02:51And

1:02:53it can't be a hard number, right?

1:02:54Mm-hmm. So it feels like there still ought to be some understanding of what that

1:02:58looks like, number one. Number two,

1:03:02I know you can't do it on the map on your screen, but I think it'd be worth also

1:03:06understanding from my perspective and our council's perspective of

1:03:10what is the extent of consent to annex

1:03:14in the...

1:03:15I see some adjacent residential properties are likely in that category,

1:03:19but how far out does that consent to annex

1:03:23go specifically and even, I think, relative to this, zooming out

1:03:27a little bit would be helpful.

1:03:29Sure. Absolutely.

1:03:31Council Member Hosmer.

1:03:34David, also on

1:03:36Councilman McGold's question about the ISO rating, I'd like some information

1:03:40about how that ISO rating impacts or could

1:03:43impact ratepayers in the city of Springfield.

1:03:46I think there's sort of a disconnect between what the ISO rating

1:03:50is, and the response time by fire departments, and how that impacts

1:03:53citizens of the city of Springfield, about whether it impacts their insurance rates

1:03:57or how it impacts their insurance rates, because I think that's the only real

1:04:00purpose behind the ISO rating is the better the ISO rating, the

1:04:04lower,

1:04:05at least in theory, the lower the insurance rates could be.

1:04:08I'd like to have some information on that.

1:04:10And then also, what is the target property to the east that

1:04:14we're looking at trying to

1:04:16do consent to annexation of?

1:04:18This is the subject property for the annexation right here.

1:04:22Properties in this area to the east, residential properties, there are several in

1:04:25that area that we have consent to annexation agreements on.

1:04:29So it's quite a bit of property to the east that we have

1:04:33those agreements for.

1:04:34And a few years ago, we talked about whether or not we could bring in other

1:04:38properties with the voluntary annexation, with the

1:04:41consent to annexation. Could we do that together in one bill, or does that

1:04:45have to be separate bills for each?

1:04:49That would probably be a question for legal department, but I know in this case,

1:04:54while there is a process to annex and even properties that we have a consent to

1:04:58annex on, and that procedure, of course, wasn't

1:05:02followed with this in terms of notification.

1:05:04And in those cases, we do have to do quite a bit of

1:05:08notification because those consent to annexation agreements were done

1:05:12sometimes a really long time ago, and the current owners aren't even aware that

1:05:15they have it. And so I don't know if you want more

1:05:18explanation about the legal.

1:05:21I guess the question, are there properties that are contiguous to this

1:05:25property that have a consent to annexation?

1:05:27Yes, sir.

1:05:28Okay.

1:05:29I think, if we could, we should look at maybe, if we could, I don't know

1:05:34the legality of whether we can do it in one bill.

1:05:36But the

1:05:37longer you wait,

1:05:39property changes hands and property owners have no idea that their property

1:05:44is under a consent to annexation. I think it would make some

1:05:48sense for us to look at trying to do those things

1:05:51consistently.

1:05:52Yeah, I think that's the goal of the referral to the committee.

1:05:57Staff has been directed to sort of begin a process by looking at all of

1:06:01the consents to annex the agreements that we have, evaluate the

1:06:04proximity and whether or not those are ready to be annexed,

1:06:09because they're compact and contiguous, or because they may

1:06:13be becoming compact and contiguous with this new

1:06:17development as it starts to flow outward.

1:06:20There are several, and anything that you usually see that is

1:06:23developed at the urban level density, it typically has a

1:06:27consent to annex on it like that, most of the things that are close to those

1:06:31things.

1:06:32So that's what will be going to the committee, and the fire chief will be

1:06:36a part of those presentations as well, and

1:06:40we'll get to dive into it a lot further.

1:06:43Okay. Thank you.

1:06:45Council Member Jensen.

1:06:47Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Two questions.

1:06:48The first is more related to the process you just discussed, Mr.

1:06:52Childers. So,

1:06:54whatever recommendation comes from the committee, that'll

1:06:58come back to council before we engage in a lot of that widespread

1:07:02consent to annex effort, correct?

1:07:05Yes. And to just be clear on the question that Councilman Hosmer

1:07:09did ask, it is my understanding that each one of the

1:07:13individual CTAs, or consent to annex agreements, will

1:07:17likely need to be done on an individual basis.

1:07:20You may have six or seven on the agenda at one time through

1:07:24the study that we do to say, "Hey, these are all ready." But it's

1:07:28my understanding, because they were

1:07:32each individually done, they all have different legal descriptions,

1:07:37in following the annexation process as established by the State of Missouri,

1:07:41you would probably see each one of those be voted on individually.

1:07:44Okay, thank you. My second question is specific to this

1:07:48project. So,

1:07:50that property to the east did receive quite a bit of public

1:07:54interest whenever council considered it.

1:07:57So, I'm a little surprised that there are no members of the

1:08:01public here to speak on this, from what I saw.

1:08:03Are there any notice requirements as part of the annexation

1:08:07process?

1:08:09There is notification in the newspaper regarding the annexation.

1:08:13But none mailed to surrounding property owners, like for rezonings?

1:08:16No, sir.

1:08:18Okay. This

1:08:20is the first step in a process, and so

1:08:24I think when folks talk about feeling like things have happened

1:08:28too late, this may be a part of that process.

1:08:31But I realize you're following the city code and the city process, so

1:08:35just pointing out a concern I have with the process. Thank you.

1:08:40Other questions?

1:08:42Thank you very much. Are there any scheduled speakers?

1:08:46Derek Estell.

1:08:52Good evening.

1:08:54Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of council.

1:08:55My name is Derek Estell with Toth and Associates, 1550 East Republic

1:08:59Road here in Springfield, Missouri, representing the applicant.

1:09:03Ms. Owen did a great job at explaining the request before you here this evening.

1:09:07The request is to annex 30 acres of property in East Springfield

1:09:11into the city limits.

1:09:13Councilman Jensen, to answer your question specifically,

1:09:17this annexation will be followed closely with a rezoning.

1:09:20That rezoning process does require notification of the neighbors, which they have

1:09:23already been notified. We'll be hosting a neighborhood meeting this Thursday at

1:09:27Boulevard Baptist over on Eastgate Avenue, so we'll have an opportunity

1:09:31to seek feedback from the surrounding neighborhood,

1:09:35make adjustments to the rezoning request that'll be coming shortly

1:09:39after this, and make any changes to a site plan that might accompany it as well.

1:09:42But otherwise, the request before you here today is just simply the annexation of

1:09:46the property. We want to annex it in before we can

1:09:50make a request for rezoning. And with that, I'll be happy to answer any questions.

1:09:54Are there questions for the speaker?

1:09:56Council Member Adebayosi.

1:09:58Thank you, Mayor. So, thank you, Derek.

1:10:00So did I hear you correct that while this

1:10:04has yet to be annexed,

1:10:06and then, of course, yet to be rezoned, you've already scheduled a neighborhood

1:10:10meeting to rezone?

1:10:12That's correct. We have made an application to the City of Springfield for

1:10:16rezoning, and as a part of that application process, we're required to host a

1:10:20neighborhood meeting, and that neighborhood meeting is scheduled for this Thursday.

1:10:23So those processes can go concurrently?

1:10:28They can be filed concurrently.

1:10:31Before you're able to go forward with the rezoning, actually, you have to have

1:10:35the city officially in the city of Springfield.

1:10:38Thank you.

1:10:41Other questions? Thank you very much.

1:10:44Thank you.

1:10:45Next speaker.

1:10:46That was our only speaker.

1:10:47Public hearing is declared closed.

1:10:49City Council will vote on November 16.

1:10:52Council Bill 2026-235.

1:10:57Council Bill 2026-235, a special ordinance amending Chapter

1:11:0136 of the Springfield City Code, Land Development Code Section

1:11:0436-11.01, definitions, by adding

1:11:08definitions related to data centers.

1:11:11Good evening.

1:11:12Good evening, Mr. Mayor,

1:11:14members of council. I'm Justin Crighton, the assistant director of Planning and

1:11:17Development. Item 12.2 tonight is a text amendment that adds a

1:11:21definition of data center to the Land Development Code.

1:11:24So back on June 29th, City Council adopted an administrative delay on

1:11:28data center applications

1:11:30for 120 days, which is now set to expire on November 17th.

1:11:35I'm having technological issues here. Sorry.

1:11:42Which is set to expire on November 17th.

1:11:44The current Land Development Code does not define data centers.

1:11:47Table 4.3, which lists all of the uses in the code, does not list data center

1:11:51as a use. Under Section

1:11:5436402, subsection A4, which is how we determine

1:11:58where to slot uses when they're not defined, a use that is not equivalent to a

1:12:01defined use can be allowed only by a code amendment, so that's what this amendment

1:12:05is. This amendment gives residents, applicants, and staff, the Planning

1:12:09Commission, and council the same definition to work from.

1:12:13So the way that the definitions are set up...

1:12:18Sorry.

1:12:21Every data center will fall into one of three separate classes.

1:12:24So when we assess a data center, the very first question that we're going to ask

1:12:27is: Is it an accessory data center?

1:12:29So in order to be an accessory data center, it must meet all four of those

1:12:33criteria there. It has to be inside the principal building.

1:12:36It can't be more than 20% of the principal building's gross floor area.

1:12:40It needs to serve only the owner or the tenants, so it has to be

1:12:44for Use on-site, and its maximum power

1:12:48demand has to be less than one megawatt.

1:12:50So, an example would be a floor or a server room that's inside an existing office

1:12:54building that serves only that business.

1:12:56So if it does not meet all four of those criteria, then the next test is

1:13:00size and power.

1:13:02So a data center

1:13:04is considered a large load data center if it meets either of these two thresholds:

1:13:08If it's five megawatts or more maximum power demand, or it's more than 10,000

1:13:12square feet. If it's under both thresholds, then it's a micro data center.

1:13:15So those two points there on the chart show why either threshold is enough.

1:13:19A 1,000 square foot facility at 11

1:13:21megawatts is a large load because of its power demand,

1:13:26and at 10,500 square foot facility at

1:13:294.9 megawatts is a large load also because of its floor area.

1:13:34So this amendment adds the definition

1:13:37and sorts every data center into one of those three classes.

1:13:40It sets how power is measured, defining with the term maximum power

1:13:44demand, which combines that measure across a site.

1:13:47And it also gives the updated administrative delay, which we'll speak about here in

1:13:51just a minute, a clearly defined subject.

1:13:55This amendment does not add data centers to the use table or allow them in any

1:13:59zoning district. It does not approve any project.

1:14:02It does not set standards for where or how data centers could be built.

1:14:06And it does not decide whether a data center should be allowed in Springfield.

1:14:10Those decisions will come with a full draft, which I'll speak about in just

1:14:14a second here.

1:14:16So this is the same schedule that the city manager gave earlier, but just to

1:14:20reiterate, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval

1:14:23of the definitions on October 15th.

1:14:26Tonight is council's public hearing and first reading.

1:14:29The first vote is scheduled,

1:14:31council's vote is scheduled for November 16th, which is one day before the current

1:14:35delay expires.

1:14:37A full draft of regulations is scheduled to be before the Planning and Zoning

1:14:40Commission for a public hearing on January 7th.

1:14:44Council would then hold a public hearing on January 19th, and is expected to

1:14:48vote on January 26th. The next item, we'll talk

1:14:52about the

1:14:54existing administrative delay and ask for an extension of it.

1:14:58Staff and the law department do expect to revise the definitions as part of the

1:15:01full draft that will be back before you based on the comments they receive, so the

1:15:05revisions can be considered at the January 7th hearing.

1:15:10Now for the technical part. The amendment meets all of the review criteria set out

1:15:14in the code, which is section 36209

1:15:17. Staff finds that it is consistent with Forward SGF, and it furthers the purposes of

1:15:21the code in responding to changing conditions, including data center inquiries in

1:15:252026 and development in the region and across the country.

1:15:29It improves the administration of the code by replacing a classification by

1:15:32comparison and offering a very specifically defined term.

1:15:36Staff recommends approval of the text amendment as presented in attachment one.

1:15:41Planning and Zoning recommended approval by a six to one vote at its

1:15:44October 15th meeting. I'll be happy to answer any questions.

1:15:48Questions? Council Member McGull.

1:15:51Thank you, Mayor. I think my question is going to be directed at the

1:15:55city attorney.

1:15:57In drafting this ordinance,

1:16:00did you review other city ordinances that are

1:16:04addressing data centers?

1:16:07I'm going to look to Justin on that.

1:16:09I was not the lead attorney on the work group.

1:16:11Oh, okay.

1:16:12So in terms of the definitions, we did look at a couple of other regional examples.

1:16:16I think if you read the city of Ozarks' definitions, you'll find that they're very

1:16:19similar to these. We've taken kind of a similar approach to them.

1:16:22They think they did a good job in classifying them. So, yes.

1:16:25All right.

1:16:27Council Member Adubesi.

1:16:28Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Justin.

1:16:31I think if you go back to the three classifications,

1:16:35I think we could all understand what a... Go back one more.

1:16:40Accessory data center. Let's just talk about places, a hospital that has a

1:16:44server room that's going to be 20% or something like that.

1:16:46It's fairly simply understandable.

1:16:50And I think 10,000 square feet is pretty understandable,

1:16:54at least physically.

1:16:56Can you give me some examples?

1:16:59Separate from data centers, are there facilities in our

1:17:03service area that currently have a five megawatt

1:17:07load or higher?

1:17:09So according to the conversations that I have had, I don't believe that there's any

1:17:12user anywhere on the system in Springfield that uses five megawatts.

1:17:16Okay.

1:17:16I think the largest

1:17:18user that I've heard of is the Bluebird data center, which uses about two or three

1:17:22megawatts.

1:17:22I'm not talking about even data centers, but let's just say Kraft Foods or

1:17:26some other facilities. I'm curious, I'm just trying to get in my mind what does

1:17:29five megawatts look like in a usage standpoint?

1:17:33I think it's good for everybody to understand.

1:17:35We know the square footage, we can look at that. We can look at an accessory.

1:17:38But understanding what that power usage separate from just data centers

1:17:42looks like. Are there other folks who use that kind of power within our

1:17:46service area?

1:17:47So I can't give you a specific example, only that megawatts is a very

1:17:51difficult concept to grasp. I will say that the reason that we set the threshold at

1:17:54five megawatts, that's the same level that City Utilities uses to

1:17:58assess whether or not a customer coming to them is going to be assessed as a large

1:18:02load customer. So if you ask for five megawatts or more, you get a separate

1:18:05assessment, which is why we set that level there.

1:18:08So can we get an example or two or several of the large load

1:18:12customers that we may have in our city?

1:18:14Mr. Mayor?

1:18:15Yes, sir.

1:18:15So one example, because it's a great question, because I've asked similar pieces

1:18:20to have some level of comparison. So a 15-megawatt load would be the

1:18:23equivalent of Mercy as a campus.

1:18:27So basically utilizing their average usage on a day, the difference

1:18:31is for, say, just using that as an example, I can't say it's apples for apples, but

1:18:35it's a good comparison of the size of the facility that they have,

1:18:39the uses that are around that property, around that campus.

1:18:42The difference of what

1:18:46So those loads would come and go, just like we turn our lights on and off.

1:18:48A data center does not, in those capacities, is a consistent 15

1:18:53megawatts, 24 hours a day versus what the highest peak in the

1:18:57year. So how they measure electricity is the highest 15-minute peak of the year,

1:19:01and it's 15 megawatts, I believe is in the ballpark.

1:19:03So that's a best comparison. So if you scaled it back a third, a third, that's

1:19:07probably what you'd be able to find.

1:19:09But that's the first one I can give you on 15 megawatts.

1:19:11Yeah, I'm just trying to, for myself and maybe for our

1:19:15residents here in Springfield, what does five

1:19:18megawatts look like and feel like? And who...

1:19:22Large loads, I get that our utility company has those customers.

1:19:25I think it's just good to have that visual of what that large load could look like.

1:19:30Thank you.

1:19:33Council Member Jensen.

1:19:34Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Crighton, thank you for being here.

1:19:36Just a couple of questions. On this slide, I'm curious,

1:19:40under accessory criteria number three, how would we

1:19:43determine

1:19:45if a data center was only serving the

1:19:49on-site business?

1:19:51It would probably be part of the application

1:19:54request because all of these, I think, would be subject to some kind of public

1:19:58process. So there would be some assurance that they would give us the data center

1:20:01that they're building would house and serve only

1:20:05uses on-site or-

1:20:05So it's a self-attestation?

1:20:09At this point, yes.

1:20:11Okay. I think that might be something to just...

1:20:14Look, I hate to have

1:20:16any regulation that's just, "Tell us you're going to follow the rules." I

1:20:20think we should trust most people to follow the rules, but-

1:20:24Sure

1:20:25... I think it's good to have a plan of how are we going to enforce something.

1:20:28I think the idea is that by capping it or

1:20:31restricting it to only the tenancies, you're not going to

1:20:34have an excuse to build extra capacity.

1:20:35You're only going to build what you need, which would then make it truly accessory.

1:20:39Okay. And then if you could go to the next slide.

1:20:44Or sorry, maybe one more. The what it does and what it does not.

1:20:47Yes, this one. So I want to put just a finer

1:20:51point on this slide because I think you did a good job of describing it.

1:20:55But it's my understanding that

1:20:58if,

1:20:59for some reason, Springfield decided to not allow data

1:21:03centers in our community, we would still need a definition

1:21:07to base that upon.

1:21:08Yes. This is a very useful thing for staff to have so we can point to what is and

1:21:12is not a data center very clearly for everybody.

1:21:13Okay.

1:21:14Yes.

1:21:14Thank you.

1:21:17Other questions?

1:21:20Council Member Horton.

1:21:22Thank you, Mayor. Could you go down to the

1:21:26slide that you were... Yes, that particular slide.

1:21:31Okay, so number four, under Accessory Data Center, it says

1:21:35the maximum power demand is less than one

1:21:39megawatt.

1:21:41I'm wondering if number four should say less than five,

1:21:46because this definition doesn't account

1:21:49for two megawatts or three megawatts or four megawatts.

1:21:53Correct. But if it's less than one but less than five,

1:21:57then that is a micro data center.

1:22:02I just don't see that under

1:22:04that second rectangle. It says,

1:22:08"Is it five megawatts or more?" It doesn't

1:22:11necessarily say two megawatts or more for a micro data

1:22:15center. So I'm trying to figure out how do we specify

1:22:19and clarify in the definition and account for

1:22:23two to four megawatts.

1:22:25And maybe this is on me for not doing a very good job of explaining it.

1:22:28But so anything under one megawatt, and if it meets those four criteria, it would

1:22:32be an

1:22:33accessory data center. If you're over one megawatt to five

1:22:37megawatts, then you're a micro data center, and five megawatts and above is a

1:22:41large load. There's also the square footage that comes in, too.

1:22:44So if you answer no to are you less than five megawatts and less than

1:22:4810,000 square feet, you're a micro data center.

1:22:51I don't mean to be too meticulous, but should we just say that it's

1:22:55two megawatts or more?

1:22:57Yes.

1:22:58That would be simpler.

1:22:59So are you going... Well, yes.

1:23:02So- That would be clearer to me.

1:23:04And as these definitions work through this process, as I said, the

1:23:07expectation is that there'll be an amendment to these that will be brought back

1:23:10forward with the full bill and incorporate these suggestions.

1:23:14Got it. Thank you.

1:23:15Council Member Hosmer.

1:23:17Justin, you said that we modeled this after

1:23:21which city?

1:23:22The city of Ozark.

1:23:23Ozark.

1:23:24Does Ozark have a data center?

1:23:26Nope. They were the first in the region to adopt regulations about data centers.

1:23:30Again, I know we need definitions to...

1:23:34Any time you regulate something, you have to define what you're regulating.

1:23:37So I understand that, but I

1:23:39think it would be a good idea to look at some other cities that actually have a

1:23:43data center and how they define them, because you

1:23:46have to know what you're dealing with before you...

1:23:49And I know that

1:23:51there have been other cities that have been dealing with data centers

1:23:55since the 2012s, 2013s. But it seems like

1:23:59if we don't get a good definition,

1:24:03the worst thing you can do is define something that there's a loophole in, and

1:24:06something comes in when we don't anticipate that it should.

1:24:10But I do think that we should make sure we've got the definition, and maybe

1:24:14we should expand our search to other cities besides the city of Ozark.

1:24:18And I'm not critical of the city of Ozark.

1:24:20I haven't even seen their

1:24:22ordinance, but it would make some sense to do something with a city that's got a

1:24:26little bit better experience with what they are and what they aren't, whether

1:24:29they're good, bad, indifferent, it doesn't matter.

1:24:32I think we need to know a definition that has been tested.

1:24:36And Council Member, I do know that it is broader than Ozark.

1:24:39Off the top of my head, I know they looked at City of St. Louis.

1:24:43I know they looked at St. Louis, I think county has regs as well.

1:24:47They do.

1:24:48I know they looked at Joplin. I know that there were a number of cities

1:24:51that they looked at besides Ozark.

1:24:54I don't know if Justin knows any other off the top of his head.

1:24:57Camdenton as well. There's a few in this state, and then also just

1:25:01the literature in general has a lot of examples from different cities.

1:25:04One thing I would also ask you to look at is the environmental

1:25:08groups have looked at these

1:25:10data centers and the use of water, the heat,

1:25:14the diesel fuel that they burn to keep their

1:25:20on downtime or to check their battery, their

1:25:24energy sources. But I think those groups should

1:25:28also be consulted. I think when you cast a broader net and get the

1:25:31definition, I think everybody's

1:25:34a little bit more secure in what we're defining.

1:25:38Understood. Yes. This is an evolving process.

1:25:41This gives us a very good place to start with a definition, and there'll be another

1:25:44package with a much more

1:25:47fleshed

1:25:47out- And I know it's hard to start from scratch when you don't have anything on our city

1:25:50code, but it's new and it's starting, but I think we need

1:25:54to make sure we get the...

1:25:56because the definition will be the foundation of what you regulate.

1:26:00But thank you.

1:26:03Other questions?

1:26:06Thank you very much. Before we start the scheduled

1:26:10public hearing, how many speakers?

1:26:14We have 10 speakers this evening.

1:26:15To this. So here's what I'm going to do.

1:26:17I'm going to declare a break for eight-ish minutes, then we're going to

1:26:21come back and do the public hearing portion

1:26:24as we're approaching the 8 o'clock hour.

1:26:26So,

1:26:27I don't know, five minutes, seven minutes after 8:00, something like that.

1:26:32Yeah. Something like that.

1:26:35So we'll declare a break, and

1:26:39we'll be right back.

1:26:42This is the one-minute warning. We are going to start up in one minute.

1:26:48I don't think it's on.

1:26:54This is the very slow we're going to start going here as

1:26:58everybody finds their seats

1:27:00in the next minute or so.

1:27:08Just for a reminder, we are on Council Bill

1:27:112026-235. The meeting is

1:27:15now called back into order, and we will begin the

1:27:19public hearing portion.

1:27:23Clerk, please read the scheduled speakers.

1:27:26Yes. If I could before that, Mayor, members of council, since we have 10

1:27:30speakers signed up to speak on this bill, in accordance with city council

1:27:33policy, each speaker will be allotted three minutes.

1:27:37To ensure an efficient process, I will call two speakers at a time,

1:27:41the current speaker and the next speaker.

1:27:43So the next speaker may be seated in the front row and then prepared to speak.

1:27:48Okay. So, at the risk of repeating ourselves, we're going to call two speakers at a

1:27:52time. The first speaker comes to the podium, the second one sits in the

1:27:56front row, and then we'll call the next person.

1:27:58So, a nice orderly turnover of speakers.

1:28:01Three minutes each. The time is noted on the screen.

1:28:05Please proceed with the first set of speakers.

1:28:08James Ritzendoller, followed by Cameron Rose.

1:28:21Good evening.

1:28:22Good evening, everybody. My name is James Ritzendoller.

1:28:25I want to begin by saying that I do support this council bill.

1:28:28Springfield absolutely needs comprehensive definitions for data centers, and I'm

1:28:32glad that after 120 days, we finally have one in front of us.

1:28:35But I'm also pretty disappointed that after 120

1:28:40days all that we have in front of us is these definitions.

1:28:43At the very first public hearing in June, I stood before this council

1:28:47and provided each of you with

1:28:49comprehensive definitions as were provided by Camden County, passed all the way

1:28:52back in 2024. So I think there were a few inaccuracies

1:28:56stated a moment ago. There are

1:29:00places that have had definitions in place for a long time and still

1:29:03continue not to build data centers.

1:29:06So I don't have a city planning

1:29:10degree, and I don't have staff, and I don't have thousands of dollars to spend on

1:29:14consultants or anything of the likes.

1:29:17But it seems like we managed to come up with exactly the same plan after 120

1:29:21days.

1:29:22We can call this progress, but people are justified in asking why this is the

1:29:26principal concrete product of 120 days of work.

1:29:29The city has spent public money on consultants, research, and public engagement.

1:29:33At the very least, I would like to see the data produced from considering that

1:29:37it was our dollars that paid for those consulting and public engagement sessions.

1:29:41We don't have any comprehensive data sets out on that for the public to review,

1:29:46which I thought was part of the point of that, because it's hard to have a

1:29:49conversation when only one side gets the responses.

1:29:54I think there's a growing feeling among people that there are feet being

1:29:58dragged on this instance,

1:30:00and that's not necessarily going to be in their interest.

1:30:03Once again, I think we're asking people to trust a lengthy process involving

1:30:07technology, private developers, and decisions that will affect the public

1:30:11long after tonight.

1:30:13We're going to skip around for the three minutes.

1:30:16I also did want some clarification on the section eight of the explainer.

1:30:19I understand what's trying to be accomplished by not allowing them to split

1:30:23individual lots.

1:30:25It seems like it's not clear to me whether or not this would prevent somebody from

1:30:28being able to use multiple locations, like if a developer owned, say,

1:30:32several different

1:30:34locations around Springfield, if they could build multiple data centers, that

1:30:38would allow them to skirt some of these definitions.

1:30:41Which I'm not saying is a big fat loophole, I'm just saying, again, after 120

1:30:45days, there's some really glaring questions on a first review of this.

1:30:50We're going to skip on down. I found it kind of shameful that this referred

1:30:54to Chapter 10 of Forward SGF. Chapter 10 talks about

1:30:59strengthening public safety, sustainable business development practices,

1:31:02maintaining water quality and environmental stewardship, as well as promoting arts

1:31:06and culture, which I think actually points to some of the contradictions that data

1:31:10centers have. Those data center being built here would in fact be a

1:31:14cannibalizing feature of those stated goals. Thank you.

1:31:18Thank you very much.

1:31:21Cameron Rose, followed by Sam Schwartz.

1:31:25Good evening.

1:31:26Good evening. Good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of council.

1:31:30My name is Cameron Rose.

1:31:32Oh, address, 1904 North Lacombe, Springfield,

1:31:36Missouri.

1:31:38I'm in a partner with

1:31:40One Communications. We're a small internet provider here based

1:31:44in Springfield. We also have an office in Polk County in Bolivar.

1:31:48We provide

1:31:49mostly

1:31:53business internet service, but also some residential in certain areas.

1:31:58The reason I am here tonight is because while I realize that these

1:32:02are only definitions,

1:32:06they are fairly broad.

1:32:09We do not build data centers. We're not a hyperscaler.

1:32:13We're not building a large data center.

1:32:17We're not planning to build a large data center.

1:32:20The issue that I see is that the way these definitions are

1:32:25currently written, they would prevent us from moving our office.

1:32:30They would prevent us from

1:32:32setting up a fiber hut, which is just a small

1:32:35building that,

1:32:37usually about eight by 10,

1:32:41that we use to provide service to other

1:32:45businesses or to

1:32:47residents, depending on where that is.

1:32:51Because the accessory data center definition

1:32:56says that you cannot provide services to anyone other

1:33:00than tenants or the

1:33:04occupant of the building,

1:33:06that would cause anything that we build to be

1:33:10classified as a data center.

1:33:13What we build is low impact, low power usage,

1:33:17does not use water.

1:33:20I would just

1:33:22ask that council consider

1:33:25a bit more thorough

1:33:28writing of the definitions, and if they

1:33:32would also consider bringing in some people that

1:33:37work in this industry. I understand there would be

1:33:42opposition to that by some people, but it feels

1:33:46difficult to regulate an industry when you don't actually know

1:33:50what they do and how they do it.

1:33:54Thank you.

1:33:55Thank you very much, sir.

1:33:58Sam Schwartz?

1:34:01Is not here.

1:34:02Emily Reed,

1:34:03followed by John Bottorff.

1:34:15Good evening, ma'am.

1:34:17Good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of city council.

1:34:21My name is Emily Reed. I'm the executive director of Springfield Tech

1:34:24Council. We're at 405 North Jefferson Avenue

1:34:28in Springfield.

1:34:30I actually thought I was going to go later, but you'll hear tonight

1:34:34from some of our others associated with Springfield Tech

1:34:37Council,

1:34:39our chair, and also one of our board members.

1:34:42But Springfield Tech Council has created a statement

1:34:46on responsible data centers, so I'm just here to read that this

1:34:50evening.

1:34:53Okay.

1:34:54Springfield Tech Council believes data center growth should be handled thoughtfully

1:34:59with clear facts and community input.

1:35:01Not all data centers are the same. They range from small server

1:35:05rooms, like Cameron was just kind of talking about, and local co-location

1:35:09providers, to massive hyperscale campuses, and each should

1:35:13be judged on its own impact.

1:35:16Reliable technology infrastructure isn't just a tech industry

1:35:20issue. Businesses and organizations of every kind across

1:35:23Southwest Missouri, including manufacturers, hospitals, banks,

1:35:28schools,

1:35:29retailers, depend on it to grow and operate.

1:35:33So STC believes that data center development should

1:35:37strengthen the regional economy,

1:35:39protect quality of life for residents and workers,

1:35:43deliver benefits that last well beyond construction, and responsibly

1:35:47manage power, water, land use, noise, and

1:35:51environmental impact over the long term.

1:35:53We support growth that protects residents and keeps Southwest Missouri a place

1:35:57where every business can thrive. So again, kind of like what

1:36:02Cameron was just talking about,

1:36:04we are

1:36:06in favor of more clear definitions,

1:36:10and more of us will speak to that tonight as well. So thank you.

1:36:14Thank you very much.

1:36:18John Bottorff and Brittany Sheriff.

1:36:22Good evening. My name is John Bottorff with cleanearthforkids.org,

1:36:26and definitions are very, very important.

1:36:29I do think the definitions as proposed tonight are inadequate

1:36:33to form a good platform for the regulations that are coming.

1:36:38As has been brought up, there's a lot of different granularity in what a data

1:36:42center is and what they're for. The main thing I think that people get scared

1:36:46about, and what we're all concerned about, is the amount of power that these things

1:36:49can take and the water utilization, the pollution that can come with them, and

1:36:53that's where those definitions really need to start getting filtered through.

1:36:56And that was touched on, five megawatts.

1:36:59It's hard to wrap your head around how much power five megawatts

1:37:02is. If you look at the entire Mercy campus

1:37:06being allocated 15 megawatts. Now think about a third of that

1:37:10power going to 10,000 square feet.

1:37:13That's not a lot of space. That's a lot of power in a small

1:37:17space, and that means a lot of noise and a lot of pollution because

1:37:20data centers need backup power. So if you think about

1:37:24five megawatts of diesel generators

1:37:28sitting someplace

1:37:30right next to someone's home or something like that, or any type of sensitive

1:37:33areas, that's a lot of potential pollution because if five megawatts of

1:37:36diesel generators fire up, that's a lot of noise, that's a lot of air pollution,

1:37:40and diesel exhaust is carcinogenic.

1:37:44So it's critical to understand what's going on and how much you're talking

1:37:48about. There's megawatts, there's also megawatt hours, which is the

1:37:52amount of power used over time. So in a week,

1:37:56an hour,

1:37:57a month, a year. Data centers will run not

1:38:01necessarily full load, full capacity, but they can run

1:38:05pretty high for long periods of time.

1:38:08So if you're talking about even from a

1:38:10city utility standpoint,

1:38:13Mercy's not going to pull 15 megawatts for any

1:38:17sustained amount of time. A data center can.

1:38:20A data center absolutely can run at almost max capacity for a prolonged amount of

1:38:24time. So that's where these definitions really come into

1:38:28play. So definitely support definitions, but I think

1:38:32what's being proposed needs a lot more work before you guys really need to adopt

1:38:35it. Thank you.

1:38:37Thank you very much, sir.

1:38:39Brittany Sheriff and Matt Morrow.

1:38:42Good evening.

1:38:43Hi.

1:38:44I just want to reiterate what he said. Oh, I'm sorry.

1:38:47Brittany Sheriff, I live at 2525 West Weatherly Drive.

1:38:51And I just want to reiterate what he said.

1:38:53Five megawatts is a substantial amount of power to be considered a

1:38:57micro. A micro data center makes it seem like it's small,

1:39:01but that's not a very small amount of power, really.

1:39:05That's really all I have to say about that.

1:39:07Thank you so much.

1:39:10Matt Morrow, followed by Sherry Coker.

1:39:13Good evening, sir.

1:39:14Good evening. Thank you all, council, for your consideration of this.

1:39:17I want to just thank the city staff and those who've worked hard to try to

1:39:21get to a good definition. This is not an easy thing to tackle, and

1:39:25there's been a lot of really good public input and more to come, and I think that's

1:39:28good and important. Also want to just share that, and I think

1:39:32this is something that's been discussed a couple of times tonight, Councilman Adi

1:39:35Biasti, you brought this up as well.

1:39:37It's a rapidly changing environment.

1:39:42Even if you're not talking about what any of us are thinking of when we think of

1:39:44data centers, there are health systems, there are financial

1:39:48institutions, there are corporate headquarters that are

1:39:51increasingly investing in their data management,

1:39:55investing in their computing power, investing in on-site servers.

1:39:59And so what defines the landscape today is likely to

1:40:03be different in the future, but hard to predict how it will be different.

1:40:06And so the thing that I would just say is I'm probably not qualified to

1:40:10make a definition. I do believe that the work has been done by the staff,

1:40:14and there may be ways to continue to

1:40:16improve on that, and I'm sure they're alert to that.

1:40:19But the thing that I would just encourage is to just give yourselves permission,

1:40:23latitude to be able to revisit definitions later when

1:40:26things change, because it's hard to predict today whether today's definition

1:40:30will make sense or somehow maybe inadvertently qualify

1:40:34something as a data center that none of us are thinking of as a data center today.

1:40:38Just being mindful of it. But gratitude for you and for the city

1:40:42staff for their work on this and for continuing to

1:40:45engage the community.

1:40:47Thank you, sir.

1:40:49Thanks.

1:40:49Sherry Coker, Ren Bortofsky.

1:40:53Good evening.

1:40:55Good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of city council.

1:40:59First of all, thank you for your time this evening, and thank you for the hard work

1:41:02that you are putting forward to come up with definitions.

1:41:05My name is Sherry Coker, and I'm speaking tonight as the current president

1:41:09of the Springfield Tech Council, located inside the eFactory at

1:41:13405 North Jefferson, and I'd like to take a moment to speak on

1:41:17behalf of not just our organization, but the more than 1,000

1:41:21members that we have spread across approximately

1:41:24175 businesses. I've attended public sessions on the data

1:41:28centers and appreciate, again, all of the hard work that you're putting forth with

1:41:32this.

1:41:33Our board of directors approved, and you just heard from Emily

1:41:37Reed, our executive director, that we did release our position statement

1:41:41on data centers, and we are for the responsible development of data

1:41:45centers.

1:41:47We really want them to have a positive impact on our economy

1:41:51without a negative impact on our citizens, the same thing that I hear all of

1:41:55you looking for as well. However, we do

1:41:59really want you to reconsider the definitions that you have in place at this time.

1:42:05We have a lot of technical experts, which is not

1:42:09me, talking about this very issue,

1:42:13and we do have some concerns about the definitions.

1:42:17You heard from one of our members earlier, you'll hear from another one

1:42:21later, that really the most important thing to us is that any

1:42:25definition, does it inhibit some of our existing clients

1:42:28from performing the work that's already having a positive impact on our economy

1:42:33here in the region?

1:42:34So it's with that that I ask that you continue to do the

1:42:38exploration that you're committed to doing, especially when it is considering

1:42:42the definitions. Thank you.

1:42:45Thank you very much.

1:42:47Ren Budkowski, Kevin Waterland.

1:42:51Good evening.

1:42:52Good evening. Um, sorry, I'm actually not here to speak about the definition.

1:42:55I signed up for the wrong one. Uh, but I am just here to speak about data centers.

1:42:59Do you want to just come and speak on the other one?

1:43:02Yes, that would be wonderful.

1:43:02Okay. That's perfectly fine with us.

1:43:05Thank you.

1:43:05Don't let us forget.

1:43:07I will not.

1:43:08Thank you very much.

1:43:11Kevin Waterland.

1:43:13Good evening.

1:43:14Good evening.

1:43:14Mr. Mayor, members of council.

1:43:18Pull up my notes here.

1:43:20Uh, my name is Kevin Waterland. I'm owner and general manager of Pitt Technology

1:43:23Group. I'm also a board member of the Springfield Technology Council.

1:43:27We employ 57 employees, uh, here in Springfield, Missouri,

1:43:32and we are around and in data centers

1:43:35every day. It's what we do. So, uh, I am speaking today

1:43:39primarily in opposition to the definitions that we have on the table.

1:43:43Uh, the way that they are worded would, uh, I think, be broad at a

1:43:47minimum. Um, it would actually capture our headquarters as a data center.

1:43:51So the way that we run our business is we serve our clients through some racks

1:43:56that have equipment that are in our building, and by the definition that's written

1:43:59right now, we'd be classified as a data center.

1:44:02I don't think that's the appropriate definition.

1:44:04I don't think it was intended, obviously, to do that.

1:44:07But then in addition to that, there are some other factors, um, related to these

1:44:11definitions that I think should be discussed, uh, at greater length.

1:44:14And I would re- ask that the, uh, council either vote this

1:44:18down or would refer this back to committee and seek, uh, industry

1:44:22expert advice on crafting these definitions moving forward so that they are

1:44:25appropriately used when we get to the point of restrictions.

1:44:29And I did want to make a point of saying that if these were put

1:44:33forward as is and restrictions were placed on them, it would inhibit

1:44:37us to the point we would have to move out of Springfield, which is clearly

1:44:41not what intended, um, consequence of these actions. So...

1:44:46Hold on, sir. We have a question. Council Member Lee. Sir, were you done?

1:44:50Uh, yeah, sure.

1:44:52Council Member Lee.

1:44:55My question's really more for staff.

1:44:57Um,

1:44:59did we speak with the tech council

1:45:04and some of these groups to make sure that the existing

1:45:07businesses... I don't have a question for you.

1:45:10Okay. You can sit down.

1:45:12Okay.

1:45:12They may want to come up. Thank you.

1:45:14Thank you so much- Thank

1:45:14you ... for your eloquent speech.

1:45:20Uh, when we developed these definitions, did we speak with the

1:45:24tech groups? Did we get feedback from them?

1:45:26And then the other question is, did we look at some of these existing

1:45:31facilities to see if this definition would

1:45:34classify them as... Because these seem like legitimate

1:45:37concerns to me.

1:45:39They are. So we didn't speak with, not to my knowledge, we didn't speak with any

1:45:42specific tech groups to determine the actual definitions of whether those...

1:45:46That's what this conversation is about, and I think it's what the feedback that

1:45:48we're hearing is that we need to amend those a little bit, uh, to get it

1:45:52right. In terms of existing facilities, we're in the process of

1:45:56figuring out if we do X, then what's the result with

1:46:00some JS analysis yet. We're still working through that process to figure out

1:46:03exactly where these regulations and how they could apply.

1:46:07Well,

1:46:09um,

1:46:10does it make sense for you guys to take a little more time

1:46:14before we vote on these definitions and move forward with them to where we

1:46:18get the definitions-

1:46:21That is one possible option. I would also suggest these definitions will be coming

1:46:25back before you. They'll work their way through Planning and Zoning Commission with

1:46:28the full set of data center regulations.

1:46:30So any amendments that you could suggest could be included in that next package.

1:46:35So you're comfortable moving forward with these?

1:46:39I am comfortable moving forward with these.

1:46:40This doesn't establish data centers as a specific use, and it doesn't place

1:46:44them, uh, as allowed or not allowed anyplace else.

1:46:49Mr. Childers, did you have something to add to this?

1:46:50Yeah. Um, I know that we've got a schedule

1:46:54that we were looking at and trying to move forward.

1:46:57I don't believe we're voting on anything tonight or taking any action tonight.

1:47:02Um, I'm really glad that the, uh, Springfield, uh,

1:47:06tech, um, committee has come before us.

1:47:10I think that's very, uh, that's good information.

1:47:13Um, I certainly would like to reach out to them and have a broader conversation

1:47:17about this. Not trying to slow anything down or do anything different.

1:47:20I just want to... I think we should get it right.

1:47:23Um, so I guess that would be my answer.

1:47:27Um, I think this is a good start. I think we did use good

1:47:31examples. Um, I think that we needed to bring

1:47:34something to Planning and Zoning and to this board to look

1:47:38at. And I'm really glad that, uh, those that are,

1:47:43uh, in our community that work in this every day, this industry,

1:47:47uh, also paid attention and was listening and is looking, and are

1:47:51looking at these definitions. And, um, I know this is just my

1:47:55opinion, but I certainly would, uh, think we would want to reach out to

1:47:59them.

1:48:00Mr. uh, Cameron.

1:48:02Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And one point I want to reiterate, I would

1:48:06concur with staff.

1:48:08If we meet with different groups and someone's left out, it will be perceived that

1:48:12we have been working specifically with language with different

1:48:16parties, and I think that's what's been routinely repeated in this body, is

1:48:19making sure that we're doing this out in those capacities.

1:48:23So I think this, to move it to the first stage, to have that conversation, the

1:48:26feedback is what we're looking for.

1:48:28If we get the feedback before we write it, then it's going to look like we met with

1:48:31a different group. And so I do support the fact that the way the

1:48:35staff is doing that, it will come back through the process before this body, but

1:48:39it's being done out here, and I think that's the best way for people to have their

1:48:43feedback, to share their comments.

1:48:45It was not to create a perfect definition.

1:48:47It was to present it

1:48:48and show that it was not

1:48:51Pre-baked is the way I would use it.

1:48:53So that's just my-- Just to-

1:48:55Okay. Yep

1:48:55... to support where the staff has gone with their recommendation, or at least

1:48:58bringing it before you tonight.

1:48:59Please continue, Mr. Lee.

1:49:01So I just want to be clear. You're comfortable with

1:49:05us adopting these definitions and then working through

1:49:09revising them later. That's what you're saying?

1:49:12Yeah, you have to have a definition on the books that we do not possess, and I'm

1:49:16comfortable with us revising them

1:49:18later.

1:49:18Thank

1:49:19you.

1:49:20Council Member Hosmer.

1:49:23Well, I'm all for the definitions, but I do think

1:49:26if we don't talk to people that have ex--

1:49:30We're all on council, we're trying to do the best job we can, but we certainly

1:49:33aren't experts in

1:49:35the tech field. So I think if we've got the opportunity to talk to people

1:49:39that are in this industry and people that are against

1:49:43data centers, because I think you make better public policy when you

1:49:47listen to the environmental groups, when you listen to people that are against data

1:49:50centers, when you listen to the industry.

1:49:53And I think that we've sort of done that with the

1:49:58energy code.

1:50:00For a long time, the energy code, they'd meet with the chamber and the developers

1:50:04but wouldn't meet with the Sierra Club.

1:50:05They started meeting with both groups, and they actually built a policy, and it

1:50:09was easily done. And so I think when you bring in

1:50:13more groups, you have a better product.

1:50:18And I know sometimes that's sort of messy, but I think that you have a better

1:50:21product when you listen to both sides, and I think we probably need to--

1:50:25Again, I'm not saying we need to scrap these. I don't think we should.

1:50:28But I do think we need to bring in

1:50:31people that have some constructive

1:50:33information, whether it's pro or anti, because the definition

1:50:37really doesn't make a determination of whether you're for a data

1:50:41center or against a data center. You have to define it right.

1:50:44But we have to make sure the definition is right, because that is foundational.

1:50:50Council Member Adeyemi Isney.

1:50:51Thank you, Mayor.

1:50:53Let me know if I'm out of order here, but while we had staff up there, I

1:50:56had a question. I know we're still going through public testimony.

1:50:59I really appreciate the variety of testimony we're hearing tonight.

1:51:03Do we have

1:51:05compiled

1:51:08feedback from the public engagement sessions that we

1:51:11had a month and two months ago?

1:51:15Has that work been compiled, and has it been presented out in a public fashion yet?

1:51:25Mr. Mayor, I'd have to defer to the ones that actually facilitated.

1:51:29Cord, do you have any feedback on it?

1:51:32It's in progress.

1:51:33It's in progress. Thank you.

1:51:35To repeat it to the microphone, it's in progress, but we've not sent it out yet.

1:51:38Is that what you said?

1:51:42Are there more public, or are there more scheduled speakers?

1:51:46Okay.

1:51:47Anything else from members of council?

1:51:51All right. That concludes this public hearing.

1:51:55And Mayor, maybe just one-

1:51:56Yes, sorry

1:51:56... comment to tag onto that. I think from staff's

1:52:00perspective, the thought was on the text amendment, that would be a

1:52:04helpful step since one of the learning lessons from the public

1:52:07engagement sessions was there was a lot of disagreement about what a data

1:52:11center even was or wasn't, to at least start with some kind of a

1:52:15framework that we could then shape going forward.

1:52:18But at the end of the day,

1:52:20if council wants to sit on the

1:52:24definition,

1:52:26I don't know that that is perceived as as much of a problem as

1:52:31the delay.

1:52:32My understanding from the workgroup is that

1:52:37the delay is kind of what keeps everything paused while you work through this.

1:52:41And so at the end of the day, that is probably the priority between the two-

1:52:45Absolutely

1:52:45... if that makes sense. And I was just going to throw that out there

1:52:49as between the two.

1:52:51All right. This concludes the public hearing.

1:52:54Council will next take this up on November 16.

1:52:59Ms. Cotter, will you please read agenda items

1:53:0212.3 and 12.4 together?

1:53:06Council Bill 2026-236, a special ordinance delaying the

1:53:10acceptance and processing of applications related to the evaluation, establishment,

1:53:14construction, servicing, or expansion of a data center facility for

1:53:18a period ending on February 24th, 2027, directing the

1:53:22city manager to direct staff to take all necessary actions to

1:53:26review, take public input, and prepare recommendations to address data

1:53:30center development. And directing the city manager to provide a report on

1:53:34any options available to address the unique characteristics, demands,

1:53:38and potential cumulative effects of data center development.

1:53:41Council Bill 2026-237, a special ordinance

1:53:45delaying the acceptance and processing of applications relating to the provisions

1:53:49of utilities as part of the evaluation, establishment, service,

1:53:53or expansion of data

1:53:55center facilities for a period ending on February 24th,

1:53:582027, and directing the city manager to provide a report on any

1:54:03options available to address the unique characteristics, demands, and potential

1:54:06cumulative effects of data center development.

1:54:11Before staff explains, just to make sure what we're doing, we have two bills

1:54:16related to

1:54:17the

1:54:19delay

1:54:22of data center in processing whatsoever.

1:54:26And we're going to take that public hearing together.

1:54:28So it'll be an individual public hearing for both bills combined.

1:54:33So you may speak to either 2026-236 or

1:54:372026-237. We're holding those public

1:54:40hearings concurrently.

1:54:42But they are individual public hearings for both bills.

1:54:46Oh.

1:54:46Please.

1:54:49Go right ahead.

1:54:49Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

1:54:51I'll be presenting item 12.3, which is item 236 of the delay extension, and then

1:54:55I'll turn it over to City Attorney Jordan Paul.

1:54:58Item 12.3 extends the administrative delay on data center applications from

1:55:01November 17th, 2026 to February 24th,

1:55:052027.

1:55:07The delay council adopted on June 29th expires November 17th.

1:55:11The definitions that were in item 2.2 identify what the delay applies to, but it

1:55:15does not set where or how data centers could be built.

1:55:17Staff needs more time to finalize the draft regulations, including the definitions,

1:55:21and hold the required hearings. The new date, which is February 24th, allows the

1:55:25anticipated council vote on the full draft at their meeting on January

1:55:2826th.

1:55:30The extension continues the delay on accepting and processing data center

1:55:33applications. It keeps an exception for accepting applications in the circumstances

1:55:37listed in the bill, and it directs the city manager to report on recommended

1:55:40actions. It does not allow data centers in any zoning district, it

1:55:44does not approve any project, and it does not set standards.

1:55:47And it does not decide whether data centers should or be allowed in Springfield.

1:55:51The timing on this item does matter.

1:55:52The current delay is set to expire on November 17th.

1:55:56November 16th is the last council meeting before that date, so if council does

1:55:59not vote on November 16th, the delay would end on November

1:56:0317th. Staff recommends approval of the extension to February 24th,

1:56:072027. The Planning and Zoning Commission also recommended approval by

1:56:11a seven

1:56:12to nothing vote. I'm happy to answer any questions.

1:56:16Questions?

1:56:19Okay, now we'll proceed to the staff... Sorry, Council Member Adamyasti.

1:56:24If I may,

1:56:2712.3 or 236 and 237 almost

1:56:31read identical. Can we talk about what's the difference between these two

1:56:35ordinances?

1:56:37Sure, and I can handle that one. So, in the original

1:56:42delay that you received, everything was kind of collapsed into

1:56:46one bill

1:56:48for a variety of reasons.

1:56:51For this particular bill, we broke them out.

1:56:53And so the one that Justin just read to you is the

1:56:57delay from a zoning perspective, and so that one went through the

1:57:01Planning and Zoning Commission, and is now to council.

1:57:05The one that I was going to read to you afterwards is specific to

1:57:08utilities. It is a different governing power.

1:57:12It's a different source of authority.

1:57:14That one doesn't go through planning and zoning, and so it's kind of they're

1:57:17two different tools being applied to the same thing

1:57:21for redundancy as much as anything else.

1:57:24Thank you.

1:57:26Is there any more explanation of item 2.4 that we need

1:57:30before we begin the public hearing, or was that sufficient?

1:57:35Council Member Hosmer, do you have a question?

1:57:39Jordan, is there any magic to 120 days? I don't know.

1:57:44Like I said before when we did the first

1:57:48delay, why only 120 days? For us

1:57:52to get something done right, it seems like we need a longer period of time, and I

1:57:56don't know if that's-

1:57:58The short answer is I don't think there was any magic behind it.

1:58:01I think that was the estimated amount of time they thought they might need

1:58:05to do public engagement, get bills where they needed

1:58:09to go. I don't know if Justin has more information on why we picked 90 or

1:58:13120 days, but there was nothing

1:58:17specific or special about it.

1:58:22Would you be against 180 days or...

1:58:25It seems like 120 days is an artificially created timeframe

1:58:29that

1:58:30I'd rather get something done right than get something done quick, and

1:58:34we

1:58:35pushing things out, I don't like to do that.

1:58:38But in this

1:58:39situation, I think it's important to get it right.

1:58:44I think that is the reason for the extension is, I think staff was

1:58:48looking for more time, but you're correct.

1:58:50There is no magic number out there.

1:58:53It's whenever you feel ready to proceed with an ordinance that you're

1:58:56comfortable with.

1:58:58I guess I'll ask staff. Do you think 120 days is

1:59:02enough time to get the thing,

1:59:04at least a proposal to us that's going to be

1:59:08done right, or would you rather have 180 days?

1:59:12Mr. Mayor?

1:59:13Yeah, Mr. Cameron.

1:59:15Councilor, are you asking for an additional, should we ask for an additional 120

1:59:18days? Is that what you're asking? Is the request, or where did the 120 days come

1:59:22from?

1:59:23Yeah.

1:59:24I recommended on the original part when this bill was being proposed,

1:59:27that there needed to be a date other than an open-ended

1:59:31opportunity. When it was presented, I also discussed that it

1:59:35was

1:59:37a speculation at best that we would potentially come back and ask for additional

1:59:40days just to make sure we do get it right.

1:59:43And so I think that that is why we're asking for the delay is not just to rush

1:59:47something, but at the same time, to allow enough time for additional comment.

1:59:51But that was communicated on the first bill, and just making sure while we're here

1:59:54tonight, that this is pretty much what we

1:59:57anticipated to some extent because we didn't know how much additional public

2:00:00comment. We added an additional listening session that extended the

2:00:04conversation, but I'm not allowed in my own powers to extend that

2:00:07delay. Therefore, it's before you tonight to extend it further as well.

2:00:11But do you think, I guess my question is 120 days

2:00:14sufficient time

2:00:17to do what we need to do?

2:00:21I believe it's sufficient time to do what we need to do.

2:00:25Okay. Thank you.

2:00:27Further comment, Commissioner?

2:00:29Who's next? Council Member McGall.

2:00:32To Councilman Hosmer question are,

2:00:36I agree that we should have a date certain

2:00:40and not leave it open-ended or extended any further

2:00:44since there are pending applicants for this

2:00:50data center. So, from a legal standpoint, I think we should

2:00:54stick with the 120 days.

2:00:59Council Member Jensen.

2:01:01Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

2:01:03Along a similar line of questioning,

2:01:07just thinking through how all of this has played out, I

2:01:11think there's at least a possibility that whatever set

2:01:15of ordinances council adopts,

2:01:18that there

2:01:19is likely to be some sort of citizen action if

2:01:23council doesn't choose to put this to a vote of the people.

2:01:26There's likely to be a challenge to put it to a vote of the people.

2:01:31Was there any consideration of extending this until the day

2:01:35after one of the upcoming election dates to ensure that

2:01:39the moratorium could remain in effect, if and when that happens?

2:01:45I'm not sure I understand the question.

2:01:48So,

2:01:50in February,

2:01:52if staff are able to prepare a set of ordinances and bring them forward to us for

2:01:56adoption,

2:01:58if we chose as a condition of approving those to put them to a

2:02:02vote of the people, or if we approve them and then there was a

2:02:05referendum to put it to a vote of the people,

2:02:10I

2:02:11think regardless, that it's likely these are going

2:02:15to go that route. So was there any consideration of setting

2:02:19the end of the moratorium to be after

2:02:23one of the upcoming election dates so that it could continue to run while that

2:02:27process plays out, or is that necessary?

2:02:31The election calendar's

2:02:34a little tricky because I think your biggest, depending on the year, you have

2:02:38sometimes longer gaps than others.

2:02:39But-

2:02:40Mm-hmm

2:02:41... in this situation, I have not calculated all the dates backwards,

2:02:45but assuming you did pass something in February that then was

2:02:49subject to a referendum,

2:02:51I would think you'd probably have time there before the

2:02:55final certification date for August for it to make the

2:02:59August ballot. Again, I can't swear to that because I haven't run the dates, but-

2:03:03Okay

2:03:03... I would think that

2:03:05that calendar would line up, if that answers your question.

2:03:08Yeah, I guess I was just asking if that had been an element of consideration

2:03:12when proposing this new date for the end of the moratorium.

2:03:16I think we would-

2:03:16But it sounds like there will still be options for

2:03:21moving forward-

2:03:22Right ...

2:03:22up to and including extending this further if necessary.

2:03:25And I believe that was in the manager's report to you all, kind of the

2:03:29potential timeline. I think it was a

2:03:33forward rather than a back into it situation.

2:03:36When do we think something could get to planning and zoning?

2:03:39What is enough buffer time to get to council,

2:03:42give it a couple of readings, have some more buffer time, all within an

2:03:46Edmond delay period. And-

2:03:48Okay

2:03:48... so it was calculated this way rather than that way.

2:03:51But to your point, certainly if we ran out of time for some reason, you could

2:03:55always extend it if necessary.

2:03:57Okay. Thank you, sir. And thank you to staff for your work on this.

2:04:02Other questions from members of council?

2:04:05We will now begin the individual public hearings on both

2:04:09bills

2:04:11236 and 237.

2:04:14Clerk will call the first speaker.

2:04:17Wren Bortowski.

2:04:27Welcome back.

2:04:28Thank you for letting me speak when I wanted to.

2:04:32So good evening. My name is Wren Bortowski.

2:04:35I have a master's degree in ecology from Missouri State University, and I

2:04:38teach environmental science at the college level.

2:04:42I'm here to use my expertise to explain why we must extend the data center

2:04:45moratorium to prevent environmental disaster.

2:04:48Data centers cause a variety of environmental harm.

2:04:51No matter how few we build, we will only contribute to the continued worsening of

2:04:55climate change. Unless we have fully given into nihilism, I believe that we

2:04:59must do everything we can to prevent even 0.1 degree further warming.

2:05:04A UN climate report released this month stated we would soon go over the 1.5

2:05:07degrees Celsius or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit limit set by

2:05:11the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015.

2:05:14This commits us to certain devastating climate tipping points, such as thawing

2:05:18permafrost and slowed down ocean currents.

2:05:22Here in Greene County, that commits us to hotter and more frequent heat waves, with

2:05:26an average annual temperature 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit warmer.

2:05:30In a world that's 2.7 degrees hotter, that commits us specifically

2:05:34to 10 extra days above 95 degrees

2:05:38Fahrenheit and 12 fewer days below 32 degrees

2:05:42Fahrenheit. We already had 19 days above 95 degrees this year.

2:05:47Beyond temperature, we're also expected to see a 1.3% increase in

2:05:51rainfall, most of that coming in extreme rainfall events.

2:05:54According to Climate Central, we are

2:05:5721.9% increased risk of that overall rain

2:06:01increase coming in the form of rain bombs or derechos.

2:06:06While a small increase in rainfall might sound okay, especially in an area that's

2:06:10already somewhat prone to drought like us,

2:06:14what's really going to happen is that this rain will fall all at once, causing

2:06:18flooding, erosion, and dangerous conditions without the ability to soak into the

2:06:21ground as the water is moving too quickly.

2:06:24These are all problems we're already committed to.

2:06:27We will hit 1.5 degrees Celsius within the next few

2:06:31years if we haven't hit it already.

2:06:34Even if we were to completely quit using fossil fuels tomorrow, this

2:06:38is inevitable.

2:06:41But why does that matter? Because data centers are primarily run by

2:06:45fossil fuels, the main contributor to climate change through release of carbon

2:06:48dioxide

2:06:50into the atmosphere, which bonds with oxygen to become carbon dioxide, a

2:06:54greenhouse gas. Now, President Trump did state that data centers must

2:06:58provide their own electricity, but that's primarily going to come from fossil fuels

2:07:02because it's easy and cheap,

2:07:05unless we mandate that it can't before we build them.

2:07:09The International Energy Agency estimates that emissions from data centers will

2:07:13increase by 300 million tons per year by the year

2:07:162035. Data centers already keep running their diesel generators,

2:07:20causing people to flee their homes from fumes in places like Virginia.

2:07:24I am against building data centers in general, and I know many of my neighbors are

2:07:28as well. I want you to understand that this is not just me desiring it not in my

2:07:32backyard, but nowhere. However, if these wishes are

2:07:35overridden, then I implore you to please think about the consequences of these

2:07:39environmental changes and decide to install strict legislation about how

2:07:43data centers run in our town. And I'm happy to provide my references

2:07:46if you would like me to.

2:07:49Thank you very much. If you could, you must send anything to the clerk, she will

2:07:52disseminate those to us.

2:07:53Okay.

2:07:55Our next speaker signed up online, and I don't have a last name.

2:07:59I have Cassidy.

2:08:11Welcome.

2:08:11Thank you.

2:08:14Hi, my name is Cassidy. I live on Campbell, just across from Walmart, and I want to

2:08:18say thank you to the council members, Hardinger and Hosmer, for proposing this

2:08:23moratorium extension on data centers in our area.

2:08:26I speak in support of the decision due to the drawbacks that these buildings have

2:08:29been causing. I'm not a scientist, nor do I specialize in this topic, but I still

2:08:33speak before you to say that I don't want these machines in my city where the noise

2:08:36is unbearable, the calves never get to breathe, the bees can't communicate, and the

2:08:39water is the color of coffee paired with the pressure of a kinked hose.

2:08:43The environmental

2:08:48damage a data center will cause will be instantaneous and take years, if not

2:08:52decades, to reverse. In the point of time where our reliance on fossil

2:08:56fuels snuff out lives on the daily, we truly do not need any more

2:08:59contributors to the collapse of our only livable planet.

2:09:02I don't want any micro or large low data centers in Springfield, and I support this

2:09:06moratorium. Thank you for your time tonight.

2:09:09Thank you very much.

2:09:12Suzanne Hume.

2:09:23Good evening.

2:09:24Good evening, Mayor and City Council, and everyone here.

2:09:28My name is Suzanne Hume, and before I begin, I'd like

2:09:32to say thank you to the previous speakers

2:09:36for the excellent points. Anyway. Okay.

2:09:39So I'm the educational director of cleanearth4kids.org, and I'm

2:09:43also here speaking tonight on behalf of the thousands of

2:09:46people in Stop Project 2025 USA,

2:09:50and the members of Clean Earth for Kids, including moms,

2:09:54kids, families, seniors, veterans, people with

2:09:58disabilities. And we don't want AI

2:10:02data centers here in Springfield, Missouri. It's really clear.

2:10:06You had the three meetings, the city did, entitled

2:10:09Readiness. And as I said when interviewed by the news at the Planning

2:10:13Commission,

2:10:15we are not ready for AI data centers, and we don't want AI data

2:10:19centers for a very good reason. The American Lung Association

2:10:22predicts that there will be an excess of 1,300 deaths

2:10:27per year in America from these AI data

2:10:31centers, and we already know the makers of AI what they have

2:10:34said. What they have said is that AI is a threat

2:10:38to humanity. So why would we bring something that is a threat to

2:10:42humanity here to Springfield, Missouri?

2:10:46When AI agents can go rogue and turn off our water

2:10:50systems and our utilities?

2:10:53The makers are saying that, and people are quitting their jobs

2:10:58that work

2:11:00in the AI industry and saying that these bots go rogue,

2:11:04and we know the kinds of

2:11:07terrible materials produced with Elon Musk and

2:11:10Nudification, right? Why would we want to bring that

2:11:14here? This offends. This goes against the morals,

2:11:19the integrity, also our privacy and our

2:11:23civil rights and our justice. People don't want that here.

2:11:28So why? Because why would we bring this here?

2:11:32We cannot vote on the side of greedy developers, I'm just going

2:11:36to say it, sorry, greedy developers and billionaires and people

2:11:40that will profit. Your job is to protect our air, our

2:11:44water, our lives, our civil rights.

2:11:47Our lives here in Springfield and also small businesses.

2:11:51They do not want to compete for utilities and

2:11:54water.

2:11:56We cannot have our air and water poisoned and our land taken so someone

2:12:00else profits. Please show me how this is in the public good,

2:12:04because it's not. And when a statement was

2:12:07made about there will be a referendum or citizens'

2:12:11actions, oh, yes, there will be. You have

2:12:15no idea how many people oppose AI data centers in

2:12:19Springfield.

2:12:20You have a good idea because people came and spoke against it, standing room

2:12:24only and out into the hall. Thousands of people.

2:12:28Thousands and thousands and thousands of people.

2:12:30We have a mailing list of over 5,000 people, of over

2:12:345,000, and I saved a lot of time from council tonight by

2:12:38speaking on their behalf. So anyway.

2:12:42So we don't want this here. It is absolutely unnecessary

2:12:45and unjustified, and it is not in the public good.

2:12:49We've talked about, or I shared a little bit about air pollution.

2:12:52So we know that air pollution increases Alzheimer's,

2:12:56dementia, brain, heart, lung diseases, pre-birth,

2:13:00stillbirth, low birth weight babies, SIDS, sudden infant death

2:13:03syndrome,

2:13:05right? And

2:13:06learning problems and

2:13:10birth defects. Why would we want that here? Backup generators.

2:13:14And we need to shut the coal plant down anyway.

2:13:16And when you ask us, with all due respect, when you ask us to

2:13:20trust you

2:13:22Well, I was in California working on regulations, and Springfield, Missouri

2:13:26was the first city in the nation to sue the Biden administration to

2:13:30not comply with the regulations with the

2:13:33coal plant, to have more coal ash and more coal pollution.

2:13:38Springfield was first. I was there because I work on MATS

2:13:41regulation, Mercury and Air Toxic Standards, that saves thousands of lives per

2:13:45year. So, no, the trust isn't there, and no,

2:13:49this should not go forward yet

2:13:53because it's not good enough. And just no, a hard no, people

2:13:57do not want this. You need to protect our lives, our livelihoods,

2:14:01small businesses, and families. It is unacceptable to bring

2:14:05AI data centers here to Springfield, Missouri.

2:14:08Thank you so much on behalf of all of us. Thank you. Have a good night.

2:14:11Thank you very much.

2:14:14John Boderof.

2:14:24Welcome back.

2:14:26Once again, I am going to combine the two, though, into one, so we'll try to get it

2:14:30all going. Definitely support the extending the moratorium.

2:14:34Certainly, if more than 120 days is necessary, absolutely, because

2:14:39comprehensive regulations are absolutely necessary.

2:14:42Data centers to protect us. You got your noise pollution, air

2:14:46pollution, water pollution, you've got greenhouse gas emissions, and you also have

2:14:49e-waste. So your large-scale data centers, that gear is

2:14:53usually replaced every one to three years.

2:14:55So you're talking a large-scale data center, you're talking tons of

2:14:59e-waste every year. So where is that going to

2:15:03go? So make sure that your regulations cover life cycle management for

2:15:07all your data center gear. Where is that going to go? Who's responsible for it?

2:15:11What's going to happen with it?

2:15:13And along with that, if you look at the power consumption,

2:15:17data centers, large-scale data centers especially, are notorious for the amount of

2:15:21power they use. So there is going to be an increased

2:15:24demand on city utilities, which means more grid improvements

2:15:28and other stuff. Make sure the developers pay for that and they pay for it

2:15:32upfront.

2:15:33A lot of the large-scale data centers developers create LLCs,

2:15:37one per project. So as soon as that product is built, they dissolve it, and the

2:15:41liability's gone. So if you don't get your money up front for improvements

2:15:45and that kind of thing, you're probably never going to see that money.

2:15:48So please make sure that you address all these issues.

2:15:51There's a lot of stuff going on. Obviously, you're hearing a lot of people very

2:15:55concerned about your large-scale data centers.

2:15:57And you had your tech people earlier.

2:16:01This building, I'm sure, has a server room and IT closet.

2:16:05No one's worried about something like that.

2:16:07People are worried about 10,000 square foot, five megawatt data centers

2:16:11in the middle of a housing residential area.

2:16:14That's what people are really, really worried about.

2:16:16And that's what we want to make sure that these regulations,

2:16:19120 days to 140 days, whatever you guys need to do to make sure that those

2:16:23regulations are in place, the definitions are solid, and everything's in

2:16:27place to protect people's homes and their

2:16:31property values from data centers. Thank you so much.

2:16:34Thank you very much.

2:16:37Brittany Sheriff.

2:16:50Welcome back.

2:16:51Thank you.

2:16:52I also support the moratorium being extended, and I just would

2:16:56suggest having it go longer. I suggest a year, honestly, because

2:17:00the time it's going to take after the definition

2:17:04is actually set, the amendments that they're going to be doing,

2:17:08I don't think that's enough time to actually really consider

2:17:12everything that needs to be considered.

2:17:13Obviously everybody has a lot of questions, and I think that we just really should

2:17:17take our time with this and not rush through it.

2:17:20That's all.

2:17:21Thank you very much.

2:17:21Thank you.

2:17:24That was our final speaker.

2:17:26That concludes both public hearings.

2:17:28City council will next take this up on November 16.

2:17:32Council Bill 2026-238.

2:17:37Council Bill 2026-238, a special ordinance approving the plans and

2:17:41specifications for phase two of the Springfield Art Museum renovation and

2:17:44expansion project, accepting the guaranteed maximum price for phase two

2:17:48of the project proposed by the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company in the amount of

2:17:52$31,282,240, and

2:17:56authorizing the city manager or designee to enter into a contract with

2:17:59Whiting-Turner Contracting Company for the purpose of constructing said project

2:18:03with a total contract value of

2:18:05$58,515,796,

2:18:09and declaring this ordinance qualifies for approval of one reading pursuant to

2:18:12section 2.16, subsection 25 of the city charter.

2:18:17Good evening.

2:18:18Good evening. I'm Nick Nelson, museum director, Springfield Art

2:18:22Museum. Good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of council.

2:18:26It's my pleasure to present this bill tonight to

2:18:30approve a guaranteed

2:18:34maximum price for phase two of the Springfield Art Museum

2:18:38renovation and expansion project,

2:18:42proposed by our construction manager at risk, Whiting-Turner Contracting

2:18:46Company. The total amount of the phase two GMP is

2:18:50$31,282,240.

2:18:55So acceptance of this GMP and passage of this bill will

2:18:59initiate a change order to Whiting-Turner's

2:19:02contract by the amount of the GMP and will establish

2:19:06a combined construction cost,

2:19:09including both phase one and phase two, of

2:19:11$58,515,796.

2:19:17Total project funding, including all the money from

2:19:21all public and private sources, is

2:19:23$67,345,707.

2:19:29This figure is also reflective of our

2:19:33Total project cost, our targeted total project cost,

2:19:37which includes the aforementioned construction cost, all the

2:19:41design fees,

2:19:42consulting services, as well as furniture, fixtures, and

2:19:46equipment.

2:19:48So per Exhibit A in

2:19:53the

2:19:54bill packet, substantial completion of phase two

2:19:58is now projected to be

2:20:01July 14th, 2028. One of the largest factors

2:20:04affecting our project timeline at this point remains

2:20:08procurement of structural steel and other specialty materials.

2:20:13As those timelines become more clear, we will be able

2:20:17to provide more specific information about construction completion and

2:20:21plans for reopening the museum. So, as I shared with the

2:20:25Citizens Advisory Board earlier in the month,

2:20:29as with many construction projects nationwide, cost and schedule remain a

2:20:33challenge as market conditions shift.

2:20:36We're a little less than 1% off of our target budget

2:20:40goal.

2:20:41But with the construction manager at-risk delivery method, we are

2:20:45given the opportunity to continue realizing cost savings on the

2:20:49project as we move forward.

2:20:52As part of that Exhibit A, there is a list of value

2:20:56engineer items that will bring our total project cost

2:21:00down. And so we're working with our partners on our design team, with the

2:21:03construction manager,

2:21:06and with our funding partner, Springfield

2:21:09Art Museum Foundation, to not only identify cost savings, but

2:21:13also fundraising opportunities

2:21:15to ensure that we stay on track for a budget while

2:21:19delivering the highest quality and most impactful project possible

2:21:23given the resources at hand. And phase two is the final phase of this

2:21:27project, so we're really excited about getting this underway.

2:21:31And finally, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you all,

2:21:35city administration, the Art Museum board, the Citizens Advisory Board,

2:21:39the State of Missouri, and our donors and supporters, and the people of Springfield

2:21:43for getting us to this point and making this project possible.

2:21:47So, I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

2:21:50Council Member Adebiyadi.

2:21:53Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Nick, for that update.

2:21:55I'm glad to hear that,

2:22:00say, within 1% of your original overall budget.

2:22:04That's pretty amazing these days.

2:22:06So, nice work there for you and your team,

2:22:09and our team that's helping you in that process.

2:22:12I recall shortly after being elected to this

2:22:16seat, the mayor and I actually did a tour with your group,

2:22:19and I literally could not imagine

2:22:23finishing phase one

2:22:26and not having the funds and the plan ready to go into phase two,

2:22:29pulling everybody out,

2:22:31and five years later, coming back with phase two.

2:22:33Just given the amount of work and the integrated work

2:22:37between the two phases,

2:22:39I could not imagine it, and I'm glad to see this on our

2:22:43dais tonight.

2:22:45Appreciate it.

2:22:46Council Member Hosmer.

2:22:49Nick,

2:22:50I think

2:22:51this is going to be a great project for the city of Springfield, and I think it's

2:22:56a good thing that we're doing it. But one question I had, could you give us

2:23:00information about the local impact as far as

2:23:03contractors that are being utilized?

2:23:08I don't have that information in front of me, but I can certainly get that to you. Can

2:23:11you get it?

2:23:11There are many subcontractors that are,

2:23:15like

2:23:17Springfield Engineering Company doing the HVAC.

2:23:21But I can get you a list of that, certainly.

2:23:22Yeah, if you could get us a list of the contractors who are being utilized, I'd

2:23:26appreciate it.

2:23:28Thank you.

2:23:30Other questions? Thank you very much.

2:23:33Are there any scheduled speakers?

2:23:35Yes, sir. Kate Francis.

2:23:44Good evening.

2:23:45Good evening. Good evening, Mayor and Council.

2:23:48My name is Kate Francis, and I am the executive director of the Springfield Art

2:23:52Museum Foundation. It's my pleasure to join you this evening to thank

2:23:56Council and city administration for your support for the museum's

2:23:59transformation.

2:24:01Projects of this scope and scale are not without their challenges, as Nick has

2:24:05had the unenviable task of outlining tonight.

2:24:08But in true Nick fashion, he and his team have come armed with as many

2:24:12positive solutions as possible, and I am here to amplify his

2:24:16positive outlook and share some less obvious successes we have achieved in the

2:24:20past year, all of which would not be possible without the

2:24:24Council's and the city's commitment to the Art Museum.

2:24:28Since June 2025, when we did that tour with Councilman

2:24:32Adebiyadi and the mayor, Nick and I have given nearly

2:24:35100 hard hat tours, welcoming over 500 people to

2:24:39experience firsthand the amazing transformation the

2:24:42museum has undergone in just the first phase of construction.

2:24:46These tours have been tantamount to building public confidence in and

2:24:50understanding of the need for the museum's transformation.

2:24:54In 2025, the museum's foundation contributed $2.5 million

2:24:59in private contributions toward the capital project, as well as an

2:25:03additional $120,000

2:25:05toward the museum's Art Is Everywhere community-embedded programs, the

2:25:09annual all-school exhibition, and fifth grade

2:25:13in-school field trips.

2:25:15In 2026, the foundation has made an additional commitment of

2:25:19$3.2 million of private contributions to this

2:25:23final phase of construction and raised nearly

2:25:26$140,000 to date toward continuing the

2:25:29museum's arts and education programs.

2:25:32While tonight's presentation addresses the final phase of construction The

2:25:36foundation does not consider its capital campaign responsibilities complete.

2:25:40We will continue to raise the resources that ensure we bring the full vision

2:25:45for the museum to life.

2:25:47As recently as last week, we formalized a six-figure naming

2:25:50opportunity to the museum from a Springfield native who now lives

2:25:54out of state.

2:25:56In truth, fundraising for a building of this significance never really ends,

2:26:00and our responsibility is to help safeguard its success both during

2:26:04construction and for generations to come.

2:26:07Looking to 2027 and beyond, the foundation's strategic plan

2:26:11calls for its fundraising focus to evolve toward contributing to the

2:26:15museum's operating soundness upon reopening,

2:26:19developing plans to grow annual support, exhibition

2:26:22sponsorships, major gifts, and membership programs.

2:26:26Notably, the foundation has been quietly building an endowment fund for the museum,

2:26:31the proceeds from which will further support the museum's day-to-day needs.

2:26:35Earlier this month, the foundation was awarded a generous $50,000

2:26:38contribution toward this effort.

2:26:41So while the timeline may have changed, the community's commitment to this museum

2:26:45has not. The hard hat tours, the continued investment from our

2:26:49donors and patrons and residents, and the programs reaching children and

2:26:53families throughout the regions are all evidence that this project is

2:26:57about so much more than just a building.

2:27:00On behalf of the foundation, thank you for your partnership, your

2:27:04confidence, and your investment in this vision. Thank you.

2:27:07Thank you very much.

2:27:10Andy Drennan.

2:27:19Good evening.

2:27:19Good evening, Mr. Mayor, council members.

2:27:22Thank you for your service and your time. I won't take much of it tonight.

2:27:25It's been a long night. But I just want to express my position of being in favor

2:27:29of continuing with the art museum and the expansion.

2:27:33I grew up in Paraguay, South America, and the arts and culture is something that

2:27:37I brought back to Springfield and got involved with Springfield's sister cities,

2:27:41was with them for about 20 years. So being able to touch lives in that

2:27:45capacity and to be able to continue to do that with our museum, I think will be a

2:27:48true gem for Springfield. I do want to comment on the leadership

2:27:53of the art museum. They are first class, and I am

2:27:57encouraged, enthused, and excited about what they bring to the table.

2:28:00So we definitely have the right people for the job. So thank you, guys.

2:28:05Thank you very much.

2:28:07That was our final speaker.

2:28:08And the public hearing is declared closed.

2:28:10This bill qualifies for one reading and may be voted on tonight.

2:28:15Are there comments from members of city council?

2:28:19Council members, please vote.

2:28:34The council bill passes. Council Bill

2:28:372026-239.

2:28:44Council Bill 2026-239, a special ordinance

2:28:48approving the second amendment to the amended and restated College Station Master

2:28:52Redevelopment Agreement between the City of Springfield, Missouri and College

2:28:55Station, LLC, and authorizing the city manager or designee to execute

2:28:59all documents necessary to implement the intent of this ordinance.

2:29:04Good evening.

2:29:05Good evening, mayor and council. Matt Schaefer, Assistant Director of Economic

2:29:08Vitality.

2:29:11This

2:29:11bill

2:29:20proposes a second amendment to the amended and restated Master

2:29:23Redevelopment Agreement.

2:29:25Kind of mixed up my words there.

2:29:27Basically, the purpose of this is to basically establish a

2:29:31mutually agreed upon

2:29:34appraisal-based

2:29:38valuation of the theater property within the College Station

2:29:42developments

2:29:43to serve as the basis for the remaining parking deck participation

2:29:47payments.

2:29:49Just as a brief refresher, the city entered into the original

2:29:53Master Redevelopment Agreement back in March of 2005.

2:29:57This agreement facilitated the construction of a 150,000 square foot

2:30:01mixed-use College Station development on a three-acre site.

2:30:05The project included a

2:30:07393-space

2:30:10parking deck on the south tract, which lies directly south

2:30:14of College Street, as well as the construction of

2:30:18a multi-screen movie theater on the north side, north

2:30:22of College Street.

2:30:25The bonds for the parking deck are repaid through-- Well, the city

2:30:28financed the parking deck with bonds, and those bonds are being repaid through

2:30:32multiple sources. And one of those sources includes parking

2:30:36deck participation payments that are paid by the property owners

2:30:40within the College Station developments.

2:30:43These payments are tied to a 25-year, 100% Chapter

2:30:47353 real property tax abatement that runs from

2:30:512006 through 2030.

2:30:54During that term of the abatements,

2:30:57the property owners make parking

2:31:00participation payments that are equivalent to the taxes that would otherwise be

2:31:04paid

2:31:05if the properties were not subject to abatements.

2:31:08And those

2:31:09payments are used to pay down debts

2:31:12on the parking decks.

2:31:19Recently,

2:31:21there's been a divergence between the-- Well, I should

2:31:25probably back up and say that

2:31:27the parking deck participation

2:31:30... payments are based upon,

2:31:32or calculated based on, the assessed valuation that the property

2:31:36would otherwise have if it were subject to abatement.

2:31:38So, the calculation is dependent on

2:31:42the assessor's valuation of the property.

2:31:45And recently, there's been a divergence recognized between the

2:31:49valuation that the assessor has on the books for the property

2:31:53versus what

2:31:54the market would indicate the value would be.

2:31:58Because the property's taxes are currently abated, there's really no standard tax

2:32:01appeal procedure

2:32:03that would be applicable in this situation, because the property is essentially

2:32:07assessed at $0.

2:32:10Furthermore, the existing 2005 agreement lacks any alternative

2:32:14mechanism to determine valuation in this

2:32:18specific scenario.

2:32:20So, to resolve this issue,

2:32:23College Station, LLC provided an independent appraisal for the north

2:32:26tract,

2:32:28demonstrating a total market value of $5.2

2:32:32million.

2:32:33Staff reviewed the appraisal and concurred with this valuation.

2:32:37To isolate the theater's specific value, because the north

2:32:41tract consists of just two parcels, you have the parcel for the

2:32:45movie theater, as well as a vacant parcel that kind of wraps around the south

2:32:49side of the movie theater.

2:32:53Staff subtracted the current valuation of

2:32:57the vacant parcel, which is

2:32:58$143,600, and arrived at an

2:33:02indicated market value for the theater, which would be

2:33:05$5,056,400.

2:33:09And that would translate into a commercial assessed value of

2:33:11$1,618,048.

2:33:15The proposed second amendment to the master redevelopment

2:33:19agreement

2:33:22proposes to use that valuation as the baseline valuation for

2:33:25determining

2:33:27or calculating the parking participation payments that remain

2:33:31through 2030.

2:33:33This amendment also accounts for the fact that

2:33:38properties undergo a typical reassessment every

2:33:42odd year. So, this amendment also factors in a

2:33:463% biannual increase that

2:33:50would adjust the value upward

2:33:53on the odd years.

2:33:55Just to summarize or to wrap this up,

2:33:58this amendment simply provides a practical, mutually agreed-upon

2:34:02mechanism that resolves the valuation issue fairly, equitably, and

2:34:05consistently with the original agreement's intents.

2:34:09So with that said, staff would be happy to answer any questions.

2:34:14Questions from council. Mr. Lee.

2:34:17Before we vote on it, can you send a map-

2:34:21Sure ...

2:34:22of College Station, the property?

2:34:23When I looked at these, there just wasn't any

2:34:27map or diagram.

2:34:29Yeah.

2:34:29And I appreciate you going through in detail all these different properties, but it

2:34:33would be helpful to me if there was a map.

2:34:37Absolutely.

2:34:40I have a question. So, assuming that this would go through,

2:34:44are there sufficient funds to make 100% of the

2:34:47bond payments?

2:34:50So, that would be more of a question for our finance

2:34:53department. Basically,

2:34:56are you asking if this

2:35:00would have any negative

2:35:03effects on the budget?

2:35:05That's correct.

2:35:06There has been discussion with our finance director, and

2:35:10we can go ahead and we can put through this

2:35:14amendment to the agreement. It has been vetted.

2:35:18So again, just to restate it, so there will be sufficient money

2:35:22to pay

2:35:25off the bonds.

2:35:27When do they mature? Do they mature in 2030?

2:35:31I believe so. Don't quote me on that.

2:35:33Okay.

2:35:34What I can tell you for a fact is that the abatement under Chapter

2:35:37353 continues through 2030. So, that parking

2:35:40participation payment would end.

2:35:43Got you.

2:35:46Just a little bit more clarity to make sure that there's no tax

2:35:52or no detriment to the general revenue fund.

2:35:54Sure.

2:35:55I would appreciate that before we vote. Council Member Hosmer.

2:36:00Matt, what was the assessor's valuation?

2:36:03What was the difference between the valuations?

2:36:04It was pretty significant. I'd say

2:36:08it was

2:36:10twice what the appraisal would suggest.

2:36:14And that's only for the... What?

2:36:17I know you took-

2:36:18That was just for the theater,

2:36:20just the building.

2:36:26If you compare it

2:36:29to other theaters in Springfield,

2:36:32it was-

2:36:33And was the-

2:36:34... not close

2:36:34... appraisal just an as-built appraisal, or was it an

2:36:37income-based appraisal?

2:36:39So, it's the valuation that the assessor's office has on

2:36:43the books for the property prior to adjusting for any kind of

2:36:47abatements. Now, the thing is that the property is abated at

2:36:50100%, so there's really no

2:36:55mechanism there for the property owner to contest that

2:36:58because

2:37:00when it goes through the reassessment,

2:37:04it's

2:37:05going from $0 to $0,

2:37:07and there's really no notice or-

2:37:08But the owner of the property did an appraisal?

2:37:10Excuse me?

2:37:11The owner of the property did their own appraisal.

2:37:13Yes.

2:37:14Was that an income-based appraisal, or was that an as-built appraisal?

2:37:21Yeah, the income approach was factored into that appraisal.

2:37:26And if

2:37:27we don't pass this, what happens?

2:37:32We're at an impasse

2:37:35with the property owner, and

2:37:38this had been addressed in prior years,

2:37:42where there was an agreed-upon settlement to address that because there was

2:37:46no meaningful way to

2:37:50break the log jam.

2:37:52Because we've done something before on this, haven't we,

2:37:56counsel?

2:37:57Yes.

2:37:58And

2:37:59remind me of what we did before.

2:38:02So

2:38:03I do recall, and this was many years ago, there was a stipulated

2:38:07value at one point. I want to recall.

2:38:11Also,

2:38:12just two years ago, there was

2:38:15some litigation

2:38:17between the owner and the city,

2:38:20and it was merely just to bring the issue to a head to get a

2:38:24resolution to it because there was really no action to bring this forward.

2:38:28And

2:38:29I would defer to our city attorney if

2:38:32there's any clarifying language, if I'm missing the mark here.

2:38:36But

2:38:38that only addressed the situation for one year, and it was not really

2:38:42a

2:38:43solution to the broader problem, which is that

2:38:46the

2:38:48parking participation payments were framed so that

2:38:52the property owners are

2:38:56making a payment that's equivalent to the abated taxes.

2:38:59And I think a fair argument could be made here that,

2:39:05basing it on this appraisal, which has been vetted

2:39:09by staff,

2:39:12would suggest that

2:39:15this proposed valuation would be reflective of what the

2:39:19property taxes

2:39:21would be-

2:39:22And it-

2:39:22... and it would be a fair adjustment.

2:39:24Has the owner been paying based upon the

2:39:27appraisal or the valuation from the assessor's office?

2:39:30Excuse me?

2:39:31Has the owner been making payments based upon the current valuation by

2:39:35the assessor?

2:39:37Yes, the owner has, but in recent years, the

2:39:40valuation has

2:39:43been higher than-

2:39:49Okay

2:39:49... than what it

2:39:53should probably be.

2:39:54So you're telling us that you believe this is a fair and good deal for the city of

2:39:58Springfield?

2:39:59I think so. If

2:40:02those parking participation payments were meant to

2:40:05be equivalent to the property taxes that would otherwise be paid

2:40:10if abatement was not granted, I would say yes.

2:40:13If you look at just going off the appraisal, and then also if you look at

2:40:17comparable properties in the city,

2:40:20I would say that this would be a fair

2:40:24adjustment.

2:40:25Okay. Thank you.

2:40:27Council Member McGall.

2:40:28Thank you, Mayor.

2:40:30You say the owner.

2:40:33How long has the owner been in that building?

2:40:45College Station LLC has been the owner of that property, I believe

2:40:49since

2:40:51this

2:40:52project started.

2:40:54A- And it was leased to Hollywood Theatres, and then there was a bankruptcy, and then

2:40:58it

2:40:59went vacant. And then,

2:41:03then it was reopened-

2:41:03Do you know how long it sat vacant?

2:41:05It sat vacant for, I want to say probably two years.

2:41:09Two years. And during those two years that it was vacant, we weren't

2:41:12collecting any?

2:41:14Yes, we were.

2:41:15We were?

2:41:16Yes. There were parking participation payments being collected.

2:41:19Okay.

2:41:21But

2:41:22right now, it's occupied, and people are using it, and

2:41:26you're now telling us that the amount they're paying

2:41:30will sufficiently cover

2:41:33the cost of maintenance and everything that we need for those parking

2:41:38facilities.

2:41:38So those payments are going towards debt service.

2:41:42Debt service.

2:41:43Right. Yeah.

2:41:45That along with you have a community improvement district, a transportation

2:41:49development district. There's some

2:41:52state downtown

2:41:53preservation.

2:41:58I get the

2:42:00acronym wrong. It's DRPP program.

2:42:03There's annual funding that is

2:42:06directed towards it. There's multiple streams that are going towards

2:42:10retiring the debt, and this is just one of those streams.

2:42:13And there's more than just a movie theater there.

2:42:15There's some other commercial developments there as well, isn't there?

2:42:19For the

2:42:20specific property that we're talking about tonight, it is just the theater

2:42:24property.

2:42:25Oh, okay.

2:42:25But the College Station development as a whole, yes, there's multiple

2:42:29units, condominium units on the south tract, which

2:42:33comprises of the

2:42:36parking deck. You also have The Moxy Theater.

2:42:38You have some

2:42:40multi-family residential.

2:42:42You have some offices in there as well.

2:42:44And otherwise, a vibrant economic development area,

2:42:48right? As opposed to a vacant

2:42:51theater.

2:42:52Yeah.

2:42:53It's a going concern, and it's open-

2:42:55Yeah. Mm-hmm

2:42:55... and operating.

2:42:56Okay. Thank you.

2:42:59Councilman Brad Biasti.

2:43:01Thank you, Mayor. And echoing Councilman Lee's discussion, I think a diagram

2:43:05for everybody would be really helpful.

2:43:06Being involved with some of the early parts of that project, I visualize it, but

2:43:11my question

2:43:12is, have you or has the staff considered getting an

2:43:16additional appraisal just to double-check or kind of have an alternative view

2:43:20of that?

2:43:24That has not been a part of the discussion.

2:43:28The property owner provided a

2:43:31very recent appraisal. It was performed by a

2:43:35reputable appraisal firm.

2:43:39We had in-house staff do an appraisal review,

2:43:43and

2:43:45there was concurrence with the indicated value in that appraisal.

2:43:49And is that pretty standard protocol then for something of this nature?

2:43:53To have the property owner do the appraisal and then us just

2:43:57review it?

2:43:59So,

2:44:00the appraisal was prepared by a third party.

2:44:03Right.

2:44:03Yes, it was hired by the property owner.

2:44:06However,

2:44:08staff did an appraisal review and was

2:44:11comfortable with the

2:44:16appraisal and the findings.

2:44:17Okay. Thank you.

2:44:18Yeah.

2:44:20Any other questions?

2:44:22Thank you very much. We'll move to the public hearing. Any scheduled speakers?

2:44:26No, sir.

2:44:26Public hearing is declared closed.

2:44:28City council will vote on November 16.

2:44:32We will now begin petitions, remonstrances, and communications.

2:44:34Here are a few reminders of our rules.

2:44:37Please adhere to the time constraints.

2:44:39Remember that this is a time for council members to hear residents' comments.

2:44:43Please make your comments to city council only, not to staff or other members of

2:44:47the audience. The time allotted for your comments will be reflected on the display

2:44:51screen at the front of the room. Please observe the rules of civility and

2:44:55decorum, or you may forfeit your right to address us this evening.

2:44:58Please call the first speaker.

2:45:00Mitchell Budd.

2:45:13Good evening, sir.

2:45:14What's going on, guys?

2:45:17Man,

2:45:19every time I step up here, I say, "Man."

2:45:22I don't know why.

2:45:24And the last time I came here,

2:45:27I didn't bring anything to read, but I

2:45:32brought the agenda sheet up here with me.

2:45:34So it made me a little bit more comfortable

2:45:37looking down while speaking at the sheet.

2:45:40So

2:45:41if I'm not looking at you guys, it's because I'm looking down at the sheet,

2:45:45and I did take a couple notes.

2:45:56First and foremost, I

2:46:01wanted to take just a moment of silence for

2:46:06the

2:46:08kids in my neighborhood that might've been

2:46:12poked by a fishing hook in the last 20 years.

2:46:16It's a

2:46:18very serious issue.

2:46:23Let's see.

2:46:26Holding a sign on the side of the road,

2:46:29I do believe this

2:46:30should be

2:46:33legal regardless of what sign you're holding.

2:46:37Right? So

2:46:39I know there's

2:46:42different things people feel very strongly about, but

2:46:48first of--

2:46:49I said that already, first and foremost.

2:46:52More so than anything, I'm an advocate for the First Amendment of the Constitution.

2:46:57So,

2:46:59and I wanted to address how that pertains to the solicitation of charitable

2:47:02contributions

2:47:04given that everybody that is sitting at this table,

2:47:08when you were elected,

2:47:10had free rein to accept as many contributions as you could collect.

2:47:14So,

2:47:19and again, this is a reference to the pedestrian safety ordinance I've talked to

2:47:22you guys about.

2:47:25And

2:47:26as far as the safety side of the

2:47:29issue is that

2:47:30there's a sidewalk next to the median,

2:47:33and I would advise

2:47:35everybody here, unless you know how to ride a skateboard, not to

2:47:39ride a skateboard on that sidewalk.

2:47:42In fact, I am a very risk-averse person, and I don't ride my skateboard

2:47:46on the sidewalk because I don't feel safe when I'm doing it.

2:47:52When I came here today, I brought this agenda sheet

2:47:56from the last meeting that said that you guys approved

2:47:59$4,261,000

2:48:03for the Missouri Department of

2:48:06Environmental

2:48:09Water Safety thing.

2:48:15There's a pond next to my house,

2:48:18and there's people that want to fish in that pond.

2:48:22And they've wanted to fish there for a long time, and

2:48:25I believe that

2:48:27adding an expansion to that pond would be very good for

2:48:31my

2:48:33neighborhood.

2:48:35I don't think people are going to show up down here screaming at you guys.

2:48:40And I didn't know how to ask for a number to approve for the

2:48:44expansion to the pond.

2:48:47But just

2:48:49in the simplest terms I can put it, I would like you to amend

2:48:53the ordinance

2:48:55that I'm here referencing to only apply to medians less than six feet wide,

2:49:00to remove the solicitation bans that I believe are

2:49:04unconstitutional,

2:49:10and then allocate the same funds to expanding

2:49:14the pond

2:49:15that you

2:49:17allocated to

2:49:19water safety at the last meeting.

2:49:22I

2:49:23do believe it is...

2:49:28I'm trying to be all politically correct here, guys.

2:49:31I'm just a guy that wants to go up the street and play

2:49:35my music, and then go home, and then maybe go to

2:49:39the pond next to my house and go fishing.

2:49:43And

2:49:44that is the basic premise of why I'm here tonight.

2:49:48I really sincerely don't care about,

2:49:52and not in a mean way, but it's not that I don't care about this stuff, but it's

2:49:56important. I'm just saying that there's nobody sitting

2:50:01here that I would rather see sitting here.

2:50:04So I won't vote for any of you, but I won't vote against you either.

2:50:08I'm just telling you what is in my best interest and what is the best

2:50:12interest of

2:50:13my community from my honest observations.

2:50:17So...

2:50:18Thank you so much.

2:50:19Yes, sir.

2:50:22Sorry. Council Member Hosmer has a question.

2:50:24Mr. Budd, where is the pond you're talking about?

2:50:28Is that on city property?

2:50:30The pond is

2:50:31at Doling Park,

2:50:34and the reason that people aren't allowed to fish there is because

2:50:37they say it's too dangerous. A kid might step

2:50:41on a fishing hook over there.

2:50:43Which

2:50:45I think your kid should probably be wearing shoes at the park, but

2:50:54as far as the specifics, I'm not that interested.

2:50:57If you don't want people fly fishing, I think that's understandable.

2:51:01If you want it to be catch and release fishing, then that's something you guys got

2:51:04to figure out, but

2:51:08I do believe that could very well be the tipping point.

2:51:10There's also a big empty

2:51:16school building over there

2:51:18with about 400 unoccupied

2:51:21little dorm rooms or whatever they call them.

2:51:23So I do believe an expansion to that pond might be the tipping point

2:51:28to bring the economic growth to my community that could potentially

2:51:33put that big empty building that you're allowed to donate money to, to use. So...

2:51:37All right. Thank you.

2:51:39Council Member McGall.

2:51:43My question's not necessarily to you, but just to city

2:51:46staff. I just want to know, are those

2:51:50ponds stocked with fish or anything like that?

2:51:53Or does the city maintain those ponds or what?

2:51:58You don't know? Could you find out?

2:51:59I have no information. I can find out for you.

2:52:01Yeah, find out for us and see if they have stock or there's some

2:52:04hazardous reason why people can't fish in the pond or

2:52:09if you could-

2:52:09Yeah, and please put fish in there, so that way when people go fishing there, they

2:52:13can actually catch some fish. Thank you, guys.

2:52:15It may not be stock. I don't know.

2:52:17I don't know. I'm sitting here going, of all the things going on

2:52:21in the city, is our primary concern making sure kids don't go

2:52:25fishing in the pond at the park, right?

2:52:29Aye, or the guy playing a guitar on the side of the streets in handcuffs.

2:52:33It just seems kind of a little over the top to me, but...

2:52:36Are there any further questions? Thank you so much.

2:52:39Thanks, guys.

2:52:40Next speaker.

2:52:41Cecil Ince.

2:52:52Good evening.

2:52:53Good evening, Mr. Mayor and distinguished members of city council.

2:52:57I'm Cecil Ince, and

2:52:59I'm a resident of the city of Springfield, Woodland Heights District,

2:53:03and

2:53:05I'm here to talk about the Atlantic and Lyon Street

2:53:09roundabout project.

2:53:12And

2:53:15my concern comes down to three things:

2:53:18lack of accountability, wasteful spending, and government

2:53:22overreach.

2:53:24The project was originally budgeted for

2:53:27500,000

2:53:30from the transportation budget, and has since increased to

2:53:33700,000.

2:53:36And climbing. Could be more.

2:53:40And behind the construction barriers,

2:53:45unbeknownst to taxpayers,

2:53:47several issues arose that increased the cost of

2:53:51excavation and construction.

2:53:55These raise questions as to the efficiency of

2:53:59project management as well as accountability of contractors.

2:54:04Who should be liable for their negligence?

2:54:08The contractor is D and E

2:54:14Plumbing and Heating of Nixa,

2:54:16hired through City Public Works,

2:54:19that damaged

2:54:21AT&T underground

2:54:24cable near my home four times.

2:54:28April 5th, April 25th,

2:54:32May 21st, and October 2nd,

2:54:36leaving cable exposed and unreported

2:54:39as the law requires.

2:54:42I reported D and E to Missouri 811 myself.

2:54:46Four outages, one contractor, and no accountability

2:54:50from the city that hired them.

2:54:55That's not a paperwork error. When you

2:54:59strike a utility line and you don't report it,

2:55:03you leave a hazard in the ground for the next crew

2:55:07and the next resident to discover it the hard way.

2:55:11If a citizen, a local resident

2:55:15affected by the negligence did not step forward,

2:55:19who would've called out the negligence and asked

2:55:23for accountability?

2:55:27Who reviewed the bids,

2:55:29and what due diligence was done before awarding the

2:55:33contract?

2:55:34And when problems arose, what did Public Works

2:55:38do?

2:55:40And what is being done today, or what's going to be done in the future to

2:55:43bring this project under control?

2:55:48It's since been pretty much completed, except for some sod that's

2:55:52dying on the corner of Lanok and

2:55:56Campbell.

2:56:00Springfield residents deserve better, but this is only one

2:56:04example of lack of accountability and transparency in the municipal

2:56:07government.

2:56:10From contract surveillance, to eminent domain abuse, to

2:56:14banning economic growth, to lack of effective oversight

2:56:18in project improvements, and the preemptive overreach of

2:56:22municipal powers

2:56:24succeeding the state.

2:56:26With that said, I would like to take these last seconds

2:56:30to announce to you, members of City Council,

2:56:35that due to these grievances, I will be organizing and

2:56:39circulating a statewide petition to amend Missouri

2:56:42Constitution to limit the gross abuse

2:56:46of administrative power by our municipalities in this state.

2:56:52Thank you.

2:56:53Thank you very much.

2:56:56Next speaker.

2:56:57Matt Morrow.

2:57:05Good evening.

2:57:06Good evening, Mr. Mayor and Council.

2:57:08Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight. My name's Matt Morrow.

2:57:10I'm president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and I'd just like to

2:57:14highlight something from earlier this month when 85 leaders

2:57:18from the private and public sectors spent two and a half days in

2:57:21Indianapolis on the Chamber of Commerce annual community leadership visit.

2:57:25Several of you joined us for that, and I appreciate the time that you invested, and

2:57:29I'm grateful for your leadership in this way.

2:57:31We came home with lots of ideas. There are some common themes that

2:57:35we picked up on on the trip, I believe regional alignment, strategic investment,

2:57:39and quality of place. Many projects really reflected those

2:57:43common themes.

2:57:45But the biggest lesson for me wasn't really any particular project.

2:57:48It was

2:57:50what decades of public-private cooperation, shared priorities, and steady

2:57:54investment made possible. About a week after the trip was

2:57:58over, we reconvened that group back together at the chamber

2:58:02offices to talk about what we'd learned and where it might lead next.

2:58:06One idea really struck me that was kind of crossing

2:58:10multiple

2:58:12observations, and that was that

2:58:15the best investments are the investments that make other

2:58:18investment more possible and more probable.

2:58:22And we had several good examples of that on the trip, but we also have several

2:58:25really good examples of it here in our community as well, and there's one in

2:58:28particular that I'd like to highlight tonight.

2:58:31For more than 30 years, City of Springfield, City Utilities, Greene County,

2:58:35the Chamber of Commerce, and SBDC have partnered to develop

2:58:39Partnership Industrial Center and Partnership Industrial Center West.

2:58:43Those parks are now home to about 40 employers in our community,

2:58:47and nearly 4,500 jobs that pay above the county

2:58:51average wage.

2:58:53Our economic development team estimates that the total annual

2:58:56economic impact of those 40 companies in those two

2:59:01industrial parks is about $816 million

2:59:05per year in GDP impact.

2:59:08And that's just directly from those companies that are there.

2:59:11It's tremendous positive economic impact and an ROI for the

2:59:15city and the chamber and other partners who invest in these industrial parks, an

2:59:19ROI that's technically infinite because we all get paid

2:59:23back as those lots sell. So our initial investment that goes to building

2:59:27the industrial park is paid back to the investors along the way.

2:59:31So by the end of it, you have zero investment and you have all of this economic

2:59:34impact. Think about one great example is Vital Farms,

2:59:38as just one fairly recent example.

2:59:41They were headed to another market, to another community, but Springfield had a

2:59:45shovel-ready site at PIC West that met their needs and that we could

2:59:49move very quickly to provide. Speed to market made all the difference for Vital

2:59:53Farms, and that started with a win for our community of an

2:59:56attraction project of 50 jobs. It's now grown through

3:00:00multiple subsequent expansions to more than 400 jobs for Vital

3:00:04Farms, along with ripple effects of additional investment and growth for local

3:00:08businesses that are now a part of Vital's supply chain and

3:00:11distribution network along the way, all local companies that are significantly

3:00:15impacted for the better.

3:00:17Now, there's something probably worth highlighting about these parks because I

3:00:19think sometimes people who aren't familiar with them can get a little bit confused

3:00:23by this. These industrial parks were never intended to compete with private

3:00:27development. Private developers are very good at reading the

3:00:31market and moving quickly and adapting quickly and on the

3:00:34fly when conditions change. They're a huge part of why Springfield is

3:00:38so competitive and successful in winning economic development projects.

3:00:43But a private developer can't always afford to hold a large property

3:00:46together for years or to preserve valuable

3:00:50utility capacity when there's a buyer that's ready today.

3:00:54And the first buyer isn't always the one that will make the community's most

3:00:58optimal long-term use of that land and infrastructure.

3:01:01So there are things that private developers can't get done, and that's why we do

3:01:05these industrial parks. Those public-private partnerships give us controlled

3:01:08sites that provide essential patient capital.

3:01:12These partnerships allow us to wait, sometimes for years, for projects that

3:01:16maximize the best use of the property and deliver the greatest benefit to our

3:01:19community. These are good jobs, higher wages, substantial private

3:01:23investment, productive utility demand of the kind that we're looking for,

3:01:27and tax revenue for the city and the region.

3:01:30And when the right opportunity comes along, we're ready when we have those sites.

3:01:33That's why I'm encouraged that the same partners are already working together to

3:01:36explore what a third industrial park might look like.

3:01:39We've jointly funded a feasibility study to better understand current and future

3:01:43market demand, and where gaps may exist that private development isn't best

3:01:47positioned to fill. There are lots of possibilities.

3:01:49Some may look like previous parks, others may look quite different, but

3:01:53we'll learn more as we study it together. I'm excited about what the future holds.

3:01:57I'm thankful for the partnership, particularly the partnership with the city of

3:02:00Springfield on these, not just in the past, but to be able to translate this proven

3:02:04model for future success as well.

3:02:06I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

3:02:10Thank you, sir, very much.

3:02:12Okay. We appreciate you.

3:02:15Now we'll move to the new business portion of the agenda. Ms.

3:02:18Cotter, please read the new business items individually, beginning

3:02:22with 16.1.

3:02:24Refer to the Plans and Policies Committee, the merit rules for review and

3:02:28recommendation.

3:02:31Is there any objection to this being referred to committee?

3:02:35I have an objection.

3:02:37We have an objection.

3:02:40Is there a second? I'm sorry. Sorry, do we have an objection?

3:02:43Now we'll move to a vote.

3:02:48May I have a motion to accept?

3:02:54Seeing no motion to accept,

3:02:59for the purposes, I will make a motion to accept. I don't know if there's a second.

3:03:04We do have a second. Motion and a second.

3:03:08Are there any comments from members of council as to whether or not to

3:03:13recommend this to committee?

3:03:16I actually have

3:03:18just a brief comment.

3:03:22This referral

3:03:26states that it's supposed to be comprehensive,

3:03:30but I see a major component of this referral that's

3:03:33missing.

3:03:36This particular

3:03:37referral is asking for a comprehensive

3:03:41review of recommendations that are already in progress.

3:03:46The major component to this, though, is the fiscal and the budgetary

3:03:50impact

3:03:51of expansion of merit rules. And if that can happen

3:03:55concurrently with the consideration of what

3:03:59staff has already

3:04:01had in progress in terms of recommendations for changes to

3:04:05merit rules, I think that it will give the city

3:04:09council a better idea in terms of

3:04:13how we are going to absorb

3:04:18future considerations of merit rule

3:04:22expansion as we're planning for the budget.

3:04:25I would hate for us to

3:04:28have approximate range of costs associated with

3:04:31expansion of merit rules at the budget meeting.

3:04:36I would prefer to have that going on

3:04:39concurrently while it is in committee before we go

3:04:43into budget discussions in April or May.

3:04:47So to the extent that

3:04:51budgetary and fiscal impact of merit rule expansion

3:04:55can occur concurrently in committee,

3:04:59that is something that I would be willing to support.

3:05:02But as it stands now, I'm not willing to support this

3:05:06going to committee without consideration of the fiscal and a

3:05:10presentation of the potential fiscal and budgetary impact of merit rule

3:05:14expansion.

3:05:16And any comment from staff

3:05:19on that?

3:05:23I would just suggest that if it's going before the committee, that would be the

3:05:26provision that we would not present anything that would not have consideration of

3:05:29the financial impact.

3:05:30Okay. That's great. Any other comments or questions from members of

3:05:33council?

3:05:35Mr. McGall.

3:05:36In

3:05:37reference to Council Member Horton's comment,

3:05:41it is possible that certain things move from one

3:05:44committee to the next committee, the finance committee can

3:05:47review what the plans and policy came

3:05:52up with if there's a fiscal impact.

3:05:57All right. Any other comments, members of council?

3:06:00Council members, please vote to

3:06:02refer this to committee, up or

3:06:05down vote.

3:06:17It is referred to committee. 16.2, please.

3:06:25Refer to the Community Involvement Committee, the Strategic Housing Implementation

3:06:29Program for review and recommendation.

3:06:32Is there an objection to this matter being referred to committee?

3:06:34Objection.

3:06:35We have an objection.

3:06:38With an objection,

3:06:50do I have a motion to move this to committee?

3:06:55I move.

3:06:55So we have a motion to move this to committee. Is there a second?

3:06:59We have a motion and a second. Now, are there any comments from members of

3:07:03council? Council Member Adi Asdi.

3:07:06Thank you, Mayor. And

3:07:08while I

3:07:10have absorbed as much as I could of the strategic housing implementation

3:07:14plan draft that was forwarded to us some weeks or maybe months

3:07:18ago now,

3:07:20I have concern with the fact that it's being

3:07:24titled the Strategic Housing Implementation when

3:07:28it really seems to focus primarily on the affordable

3:07:32housing side of our city's needs. And don't get me wrong, we need

3:07:37to do everything that's within that document in order to

3:07:41move affordable housing forward in our community.

3:07:44But a strategic housing implementation plan should also include other kinds of

3:07:48housing.

3:07:49And I feel like this by itself is a

3:07:53kind of a wobbly

3:07:56leg of a three-legged stool that should exist.

3:07:59And so,

3:08:00while I support the

3:08:02components of it and I think it's the right thing we need to be doing, and

3:08:06in the Finance and Admin Committee, we've talked about low-income housing tax

3:08:09credits and how we handle those, and this is part of that

3:08:13I just feel like a strategic housing implementation plan needs to be more holistic

3:08:17than what I've read and seen in this document.

3:08:22Other comments from members of council? Council Member Jensen.

3:08:26Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I certainly don't oppose this being referred.

3:08:29I hear some of the concern,

3:08:32and I think it's valid from Councilman Abiase.

3:08:37Mine is more a

3:08:39question of

3:08:42our operations. I'm not sure how many

3:08:47items are before the Community Involvement Committee right now, but just

3:08:51a couple meetings ago, we referred four or five different topics to

3:08:55them. There have been some topics there for a while,

3:08:58and we have,

3:09:00what? Five months left until the end of this

3:09:04legislative session. And so I,

3:09:08one, just have a question if council previously received

3:09:13regular updates of all the topics that were pending before committees.

3:09:17If we could start receiving those again, it'd be really helpful for us to

3:09:21understand the balance of work across all of our committees.

3:09:26And then I guess it's just a question of

3:09:31does

3:09:33Chairwoman Carroll anticipate being able to knock out all of these

3:09:37topics

3:09:38over the next five months? I don't know the answer to that.

3:09:41I realize she's not here, it was rhetorical.

3:09:43But just a concern that I have in whether

3:09:51the way assignments are divvied up between council committees

3:09:54is functioning as we would like for it to.

3:09:58But no concerns about this specific item being referred.

3:10:01Council Member Hardinger.

3:10:04Just a quick friendly response to that.

3:10:06As the former chair of the Community Involvement Committee, I will say that

3:10:11we do prioritize items that citizens bring up to us.

3:10:15And so although

3:10:17when I was chair we had a lot of topics before the committee, I think prioritizing

3:10:21those items and

3:10:24just making very thoughtful decisions helped us move through those items

3:10:28thoughtfully, not necessarily quickly.

3:10:31But that's been the goal.

3:10:36Are there other questions or comments from members of council?

3:10:41All right. Seeing none, council members please vote.

3:10:53The council bill is referred to committee.

3:10:55Please read item 16.3.

3:11:00The Committee of the Whole recommends the following appointment to the Board of

3:11:03Public Utilities, Dr. John Youngman and Dr.

3:11:07Benjamin Brannock, term to expire December 1,

3:11:102029.

3:11:12The Committee of the Whole recommends the following reappointment of the Board of

3:11:15Public Utilities, Gerald Lee and Benjamin Shantz, with terms to expire

3:11:19December 1, 2029.

3:11:24Seeing no other business to come before the council.

3:11:27I have a motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn. Is there a second? I have a second.

3:11:31Council members, please vote

3:11:34or walk right out in protest. Either way.

3:11:41I'm just going to vote no anyways.

3:11:46Who do you need?

3:11:49And it passes.