Jefferson City officials are moving forward on a plan to improve downtown sidewalks and electrical work for special events.
In April, the Jefferson City Public Works and Planning Committee approved plans for street and sidewalk repairs, as well as electrical work, which is estimated to cost $630,000.
The Cole County Commission discussed these plans Tuesday after city staff sent out letters to property owners earlier this month telling them about the project and inviting them to look at upgrading water service lines or other similar work.
The letters did not specify who is paying for the project, and Cole County Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman said the commission needs that clarification so they know whether the county is involved.
"We just kind of need to know if we need to budget money for it and actually what is being done," he said. "If it is something that we're paying in total on, we don't have it in our capital budget."
The city's Public Works and Planning Committee had asked city staff to determine the method and costs associated with festival-style electrical connections along High Street. They are looking at a four-block area that includes High Street from Washington Street to Monroe Street and Madison Street from High Street to Capitol Avenue.
Based on bids received for similar work along East Capitol Avenue, the estimate for the downtown electrical work would be $380,000 for all four proposed blocks.
As part of the $630,000 cost, an estimated $250,000 worth of repairs needs to be made to sidewalk and streets along the downtown portion of High Street to restore them to good condition. This includes work on sidewalks and curbs throughout the area that now have exposed aggregate. Repair crews also would be deep milling the street to remove the old railroad ties from trolley tracks rotting under portions of the street and creating a washboard effect in the pavement. The street will then be milled over its full width and overlaid with new asphalt.
Pending approval from the Jefferson City Council, the project should be bid in late January with construction beginning in March.
Also at Tuesday's meeting, the County Commission authorized abating a property in the 13000 block of Jefferson Road in Russellville, owned by J. B. "Darrell" Jackson. He has been cited for code violations such as solid waste storage, stagnant and offensive water retention, and vehicle nuisance on his property.
The county will hire a private contractor to clean the property and collect fines and charges from Jackson.
Bushman said the county and Missouri Department of Natural Resources have tried to contact Jackson since October to clean the property, but they have not received a response.
"We send out letters saying the county's goal is not to clean it up but through self-compliance," County Code Enforcement Officer Mike Sapp said in January.
Residents can call in complaints or fill out forms at colehealth.org in the "Environmental Public Health" section.
Sapp responds to complaints and investigates to determine if violations exist. If so, notices are sent to property owners describing violations, and they are usually given 30 days. If they do not fix the issue and comply with code, a hearing is held before the County Commission. If the commission finds a violation, abatement is ordered and a private contractor is hired.
The bill is submitted to the county health department, then a bill with an additional $100 administration fee is sent to the property owner. If that bill is not paid within 30 days of the work being done, a $50 late fee is charged. If the bill is not paid after 35 days, a lien against the property is added to the tax bill.