Shortly after she was sworn in, Ward 3 Councilwoman Treaka Young received a standing ovation in the council chambers.
Donna White approached the stand after the swearing in ceremony with a resolution from the House of Representatives recognizing Young as the first African American woman on the Jefferson City Council.
White forgot her glasses, but fortunately Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Ahlers offered his own readers, which White took.
"Whereas the Missouri House of Representatives pause to recognize an outstanding Missouri citizen who has long distinguished herself as a leader of her community," White read from the proclamation.
The resolution was offered by State Rep. Crystal Quade (D-Springfield), the Minority floor leader, and Rep. Marlene Terry (D-St. Louis), who is also chair of the Missouri legislative Black caucus.
Ward 5 Councilman Mark Schwartz stood first, leading to the rest of the council chambers standing and clapping for Young.
The new City Council also heard its first contentious bill.
In the new City Council's first meeting Monday night, the group passed four resolutions.
The electorate heard from six individuals about a resolution, which was up for a vote, to develop East Capitol Avenue properties. Residents are concerned the contract could go to a developer intending to destroy the standing historic buildings.
Monday's final resolution would have declared 20 properties within the East Capitol Avenue district -- in addition to 611 Jefferson St. and 320 E. Miller St. -- as surplus and authorizing the disposal of the properties through a request for proposals (RFP). However, the City Council voted to push the resolution back to the city's historic preservation commission (HPC) and the council's public works and planning committee for further discussion.
The final decision was to ensure the RFP states the city will favor proposals that will not destroy the standing homes, of which there are five in the Capitol Avenue district.
The city planned to publish the RFP later this month, opening the door for potential developers to remodel the area. A list of the properties and more information is available at the city website under the "Capitol Avenue plans" headline.
Donna Deetz was the president of the Historic City of Jefferson for 10 years before reaching term limit; the group elected Stacy Landwehr in her place in January. Deetz is also on the HPC.
Deetz noted the HPC was not involved in the RFP process and instead only received a copy of the proposed RFP a few days before it went for a vote of approval the public works committee meeting earlier this month.
"Instead of asking your volunteers who are experts in the field of historic preservation, it was only set out because our liaison (Ward 2 Councilman Aaron Mealy) asked for it to be done," Deetz said.
There were also concerns about an escrow agreement from 2022.
Tony and Jenny Smith signed an agreement for 401 E. Capitol Ave and paid the city $5,000 -- which would be refunded if the city does not award the property to the Smiths -- stating they are interested in repairing the dangerous building, which still stands today. The idea, according to city attorney Ryan Moehlman, was to identify which properties have interested rehabilitators as to not demolish those houses.
Tony Smith said the blighted buildings on the street leading to the Missouri State Capitol is a "25-year slow moving tragedy" for Jefferson City. He said he feels the city has moved goal posts for him and his wife as well as other people with an interest in saving the historic buildings on East Capitol Avenue.
"Transparency was an element in the 2 April 2024 election here that we just had. Transparency is also important in the decisions concerning these Capitol Avenue properties, I think," Tony Smith said.
When it went before a vote, Schwartz amended the resolution to state the RFP would go before the HPC and the public works and planning committee, made up of half the City Council.
Schwartz noted most of the council -- especially the newest four members -- have little to no experience with the East Capitol Avenue plans.
"It's a contentious issue, it's something that needs to be discussed in very fine detail. I think we have a situation that folks believe that there should be a -- for lack of a better term -- a pecking order for whether you escrow'd or whether you want to rehabilitate or whether you want to demolish. And I think all those things are fine, they should be on the table, but I'm not so sure the folks in this room, especially our new colleagues have been able to participate in what I consider a very important debate about the future of Capitol Avenue," Schwartz said.
Ward 5 Councilwoman Mackenzie Job and Ward 4 Councilman Chris Leuckel made a point to request city staff move quick on drafting a new RFP.
"Those buildings aren't getting any better off by sitting there," Leuckel said.
The public works committee meets May 9 and Mealy said he plans to meet with members of the HPC for feedback. The HPC's next meeting is scheduled for May 14.
Cole County Presiding Judge Jon Beetem attended to administer the oath of office Monday night to Ward 1 Councilman Randy Hoselton, Ward 2 Councilman Mike Lester (who was re-elected for a second term), Ward 3 Councilwoman Treaka Young, Leuckel and Job, all of whom Jefferson City voters elected on April 2.
The newcomers then joined Ahlers, Mealy, Ward 3 Councilman Scott Spencer, Ward 4 Councilman Derrick Spicer and Schwartz.
Monday's meeting was also Jack Deeken's, Randall Wright's, term-limited Erin Wiseman's and Jon Hensley's last as members of the City Council for 2024.
The new council also elected Lester as president pro tempore; Lester will replace the mayor in an absence.
The new council then elected a chair and vice chair for each standing committee: Ahlers will serve as chair of the administration committee with Spicer as the vice chair, Spencer is chair of the annexation committee, Schwartz is chair of the finance committee with Leuckel as vice chair, Leuckel is chair of the public safety committee with Mealy as vice chair and Spencer was re-elected as chair of the public works and planning committee with Hoselton as vice chair.
Job nominated Lester as chair and vice chair of the public works committee though the nomination died for a second.
The new council also passed three resolutions allowing city staff to apply for federal grants related to transportation.
The city will apply for three grants: $327,676 requiring $81,919 in matching city funds to build a trail along Bolivar Street from Missouri Boulevard to West Main Street; $600,000 requiring $120,000 in matching funds to build a trail along Southwest Boulevard from near Schnucks to Tower Drive; and another $600,000 requiring $120,000 in matching funds for a trail also along Southwest Boulevard from Tower Drive to Stadium Boulevard.
All three trails are approximately 2,000 feet in length and the city's public works department states the matches would come from the "sidewalk category of Sales Tax H."
The former City Council makeup also passed several pending bills, three of which were on the informal calendar, during its meeting held just before the new council members were sworn in, officially replacing four members.
The former City Council hosted a public hearing for a 10-unit, two-story apartment building at 1235 Trade Center Parkway off Old Lohman Road, though the group postponed any action, moving a possible vote to May 6 with the new council.
The former council also approved a $214,975 contract with Corrective Asphalt Materials to apply pavement seal coating to about 205,000 square yards of public roads. This contract is the first of three for the 2024 surface maintenance program.
MoDOT's website states seal coating ensures water doesn't penetrate paved surfaces and can extend the life of pavement up to seven years. The website also states seal coating a road costs about a third of what it would cost for a conventional asphalt overlay, "averaging $18,000 per mile as compared to an estimated $56,000 per mile for an asphalt overlay."
The former council also approved a $305,000 contract with Premier Demolition to tear down the Jefferson City News Tribune offices at 210 Monroe St. The city plans to convert the property, along with the neighboring Madison Street municipal parking garage, to a conference center with a joint hotel and garage.
The former council also approved a landmark nomination award for 612 E. McCarty St. This property is part of the School Street Local Historic District and city data shows the house was likely built in the early 1900s.
The former council also approved an amendment to the city code which ups City Administrator Brian Crane's spending authority. The city administrator can now sign contracts, lease agreements and authorize change orders up to $50,000, double the previous $25,000 authority; he can also purchase real estate up to $20,000, a $10,00 increase. Anything costing more will require approval from the City Council.
The former council also approved two bills from the informal calendar: a $12 million contract with Burns and McDonnel Engineering for an improved biosolids facility, replacing the current one from 1997, and a subsequent $14 million bond issuance to fund the biosolids project. Wastewater division director Eric Seaman said the city plans to pay off the bond within 20 years using residents' sewer bills. Burns and McDonnel predict construction of the new facility will begin May 1 and be complete in September 2025.
Mealy abstained as the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Mealy's place of employment, provided the $14 million.
One bill Mealy put on the informal calendar in March died Monday for lack of action. The bill would have converted the intersection from a three-way stop to a through street per recommendation of the transportation and traffic commission. City staff said the stop signs are not warranted since the Capital Region Medical Center blocked off the fourth street.
The bill will return to the transportation and traffic commission; Mealy and Fitzwater requested staff be sure to contact Capital Region Medical Center as both said they met with hospital staff members who seemed unaware about the removal of the stop signs.
The new City Council's next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 6 at City Hall.
Donna White approached the council during the opportunity for public comment to present a resolution from the Missouri House of Representatives recognizing Ward 3 Councilwoman Treaka Young as the Jefferson City Council's first African American woman. Young will also join State Rep. Dave Griffith (R-Jefferson City) next week as an honored guest on the House floor.
Stephi Smith/News Tribune
The Missouri House of Representatives passed a resolution Monday congratulating Ward 3 Councilwoman Treaka Young as the Jefferson City Council's first African American woman.
"Not every day you get to see history in the making," Ward 3 resident Amy Rogers said before the meeting began.
Stephi Smith/News Tribune