The Joplin City Council held an informal meeting on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 11:15 AM UTC. The meeting included two agenda items: appointments to the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) advisory board and an update from the Joplin Police Department. The council unanimously approved three new CVB members, and Police Chief Rich Pearson presented a detailed overview of departmental achievements, statistics, and goals for 2026.
Chief Rich Pearson provided a comprehensive update on the Joplin Police Department's operations. Key points included:
Well, good evening, everyone, and welcome to the informal meeting of the Joplin City Council on Monday, January the 5th, 2026. Happy New Year, everyone. We have two items on the agenda. This evening, item number one is boards and commissions appointments. CVB only. Okay. Very good. Um Holly, I don't have a list of that in front of me. I should have had one printed, but I don't have one in front of me. Thank you. Could you pass that down to me, Mr. Coppel? We don't include. I'm sorry, what was that question and answer? I didn't know if there's a way we could get them on our screen. She said they're not included in the packet. It appears that we're doing CVB only, and I'm I'm going to assume, and that's probably a bad assumption by me that everybody has got a copy of what we're looking at, but we're looking to add email to us. Um a couple of members to the CVB advisory board. And we've got four applications here, it looks like a Tanya Bogan Bogan Reef. From Fairfield Inn, Jeremiah Cook, KSN KOD anchor, Jerem Jeremy Morris, Joplin Expo, Director of Sales, and Jason Williams, self-employed at the Joplin Expo. Has everyone had an opportunity to take a look at these applicants? Does anyone have any questions or comments before the chair takes nominations? Mayor, one question I have. These all need to be industry specific, so that is the reason we are doing seeking someone from the hotel industry, someone from the media industry, and someone from local attraction, so they meet the criteria as needed, right? Information that I have, Mr. Jackson says 11 members, four from hotel motel industry, one restaurant, one chamber of commerce, one media, one area attraction, one retail, two at large. Joplin residents, but if there are no other qualified applicant, then a non-resident may apply. These meetings are to be held on the third Tuesday of every month at 3 p.m. These are three-year terms. Since we do have our CVB director in the House, I would ask him at this time, just a head nod. Did I get any of that information incorrect? Thank you, sir. I can tell you, in looking through the applicants here. And one that resides in the OSHO and one that resides in Carthage. One applicant from media. And apparently two, well, I guess you could call one from an area of attraction and one at large. Any other comments or discussions? Mr. Coppel, did you have something? Not at this time. Well, hold on just a second. Yeah, I do. Um would Mr. Williams being is it says a self-employed slash works with Joplin Expo. Would that not count as a attraction person? Yeah. Well, I was actually saying Jeremy Morris, the director of sales of the Joplin Expo as in an area attraction. Jason Williams, I would throw him in the at-large category. If it says he works for Joplin Expo, would would that not make him an attraction person? Yeah, you could slice bread that way.