Jefferson City Council OKs port study funding

Speeds up bill to repair South Lincoln Street

Crumpled and collapsed pavement has closed South Lincoln Street to through traffic.
Crumpled and collapsed pavement has closed South Lincoln Street to through traffic.

In April, the Jefferson City Finance Committee sent the City Council a proposal to help fund a study to determine if a multimodal port facility should be located in Cole County.

The council Monday gave approval to fund the study.

Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce President Randy Allen said they believe there will be a renaissance of ports, because they can provide cheaper transportation of goods, they are environmentally friendly, and they can take trucks off of highways, reducing congestion and wear and tear on roads.

It is anticipated Jefferson City, Cole County and Callaway County would partner to develop the Port Authority, which could be adjacent to the Missouri National Guard Ike Skelton Training Facility on the Missouri River near the Chamber of Commerce's industrial park. Guard officials said they would be interested in a port that would allow them to move equipment and materials easily.

Callaway County is offering another potential site, on the river toward Hartsburg near current baseball fields, with access from U.S. 50/63.

The city is giving the chamber $47,600 to help fund the study. The chamber is asking Cole County and Callaway County to contribute the same amount. A meeting with the Cole County Commission about the study is scheduled for next month and a meeting with the Callaway County Commission is scheduled for after that.

If the funding comes through, Allen said the study should be done for this area by early fall. The statewide study is not expected to be done until December.

In other action Monday:

The council waived formal procedure in order to approve a bill for design work to make repairs on a street that had to be closed after heavy rains in early May.

The bill authorizes a $61,800 contract with Gredell Engineering Resources, Inc.

South Lincoln Street between East High Street and Willcoxon Drive has been closed since May 4 due to a stream bank slide, causing settlement in the pavement. Drivers have had to find alternate routes around the area. Since that time, the street has continued to drop, with portions of it now 2 feet below the original grade.

"It's like what was seen in 2015 when Lower Bottom Road was closed in Cole County following a slide after heavy rains, but this is not as bad as that situation," said Britt Smith, Jefferson City Public Works Operations Division director. "Lincoln has a branch of Boggs Creek running nearby it. The slide went almost all the way across the road. It was about a 60- to 70-foot-long area."

Smith said Missouri American Water Company was called due to concern about a possible break in the water line that runs in the street. They cut off the line because "had it broken, it would have made a mess," Smith said. Temporary water service to two residents was made by taping onto the service lines from adjoining homes.

Since no budgeted funds exist within the Capital Improvement Sales Tax for this slope and street failure, a supplemental appropriation will be taken from the city's General Fund to pay for the design work.

Smith said there was the possibility they could get federal funds to help pay for the work after it was announced last week that Cole County was among the counties in Missouri to get qualified for federal flood aid. He said work to the get the street re-opened will go on throughout the summer.

Also approved Monday night was a bill authorizing the purchase of replacement fire apparatus and associated equipment.

Last month, the council approved a proposal to award a financing plan of more than $5 million to fund the replacement of the fire department's frontline fleet. The financing will allow the department to purchase seven trucks (two ladder trucks, two rescue engines and three pumpers).

It would also allow the department to use three of the current frontline trucks to update their four reserve trucks, which Fire Chief Matt Schofield said are often pressed into service during maintenance intervals and peak demand circumstances.

From the time of order, it takes approximately one year to build and deliver the apparatus.