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Record of Proceedings

Joplin City Council Meeting - June 15, 2026: Homelessness Response, Fiber Updates, Oversight Reports, and Storm Debris Pickup

City Council — Monday, June 15, 2026
BodyJoplin, Missouri
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, June 15, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

We'll call this uh June 15th meeting of the council to order.

0:06

Madam Clerk, the invocation, please.

0:09

Eternal God, as we begin another meeting of the Joplin City Council, we ask that you invest in this body your strength and wisdom to fortify us and guide us so that we may enhance the prosperity of our community and improve the quality of life for those we serve.

0:22

Amen.

0:23

Amen.

0:24

Councilmember Cows, the pledge, please.

0:27

Join me in signing the pledge of Regence.

0:35

And to the remote, the Republic for which it stands.

0:38

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice.

0:54

Presentations.

0:56

Roll call.

0:57

Roll call.

0:57

I'm sorry, roll call.

0:58

Sorry.

0:59

I'm so anxious to get to the presentations.

1:02

No, we jumped ahead.

1:03

Roll call.

1:03

Mr.

1:04

Bard.

1:05

Present.

1:05

Mr.

1:05

Coppel.

1:06

Present.

1:06

Mr.

1:07

Cortez.

1:08

Present.

1:08

Mr.

1:08

Cals.

1:09

Present.

1:09

Mr.

1:10

DITAR.

1:10

Present.

1:11

Mr.

1:11

Jackson.

1:12

Present.

1:12

Mr.

1:13

Moran.

1:13

Present.

1:14

Ms.

1:14

Price.

1:15

Present.

1:15

Mayor O'Brien.

1:17

Present.

1:19

Presentations.

1:20

Introduction of Wayne Burgess, Director of Homelessness Response.

1:31

Thank you, Mayor.

1:32

Council.

1:33

So tonight we've got uh with us Dwayne Dryling, Chair of the Regional Commission on Homelessness, and Lane Burgess, Director of Homelessness Response, to discuss some next steps and a brief introduction.

1:44

So for some of the new council members that are here, I just want to give a little context, maybe not familiar with the full process, but the city funded the development of the 2024 community plan to address homelessness.

1:57

The intention was to identify ways to collaborate and work upstream on homelessness homelessness issues.

2:04

And the recommended priorities of that plan were the founding of the commission.

2:09

So the commission and partners adopted the plan and its recommendations as the guiding document for the work.

2:15

So the commission, just to clarify because this comes up, the commission is an independent of the city 501c3 nonprofit.

2:23

It's composed of community leaders.

2:25

The city serves along these community leaders, uh, including Joplin and Webb City Schools, the two hospitals, county commissioners, law enforcement, business leaders, and other service leaders of the commission.

2:36

I serve on the commission as the city's rep, Councilman Bo Bard serves as the council uh liaison appointed.

2:43

The intention is to influence outcomes with resources and collaborate with the homeless coalition service providers and other partners.

2:51

The commission identifies the needs, and the coalition provides the services.

2:55

Uh the director of homelessness response connects both the commission and the coalition together to identify the needs and apply those resources to the coalition prior uh priorities.

3:05

Uh another priority of the commission and of course the plan was creating a director level position to coordinate the plan objectives to align the resources and ensure collaboration among the partners and the work groups.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████████19%
Procedural██████████████████18%
Public Engagement███████████11%
Homelessness████████8%
Parks and Recreation███████7%
Grant Management███████7%
Technology and Innovation██████6%
Community Engagement██████6%
Personnel Matters██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Joplin City Council Meeting - June 15, 2026

The Joplin City Council met on June 15, 2026, at 12:00 PM UTC (evening session). The meeting covered introductions of new staff, progress updates on city infrastructure projects, reports on tax-funded initiatives, approval of several resolutions and ordinances, and a discussion on providing curbside limb pickup following a recent storm. Key actions included hiring six firefighters via a federal grant, advancing street and sewer projects, renewing a stadium lease, and appointing members to various boards and commissions.

Presentations

  • Introduction of Wayne Burgess, Director of Homelessness Response: Councilmember Bo Bard provided context, noting the city funded the 2024 community plan to address homelessness. Dwayne Dryling, Chair of the Regional Commission on Homelessness, introduced Lane Burgess, the new director. Burgess stated the community has strong care and he will facilitate collaboration between the commission and service providers. Councilmember Cortez expressed full support and encouraged Burgess to return with needs.
  • Allo Fiber Construction Update: Brandon and Melanie Marcour reported that four fiber "ponds" (fiberhoods) are live, with a fifth going live next week. Construction is ongoing citywide, with microtrenching testing on pond 117. Issues include longer-than-expected timelines due to rocky ground and utility hits. Councilmember Cortez asked about overall completion; they estimated 1–2 years for full coverage. Melanie noted 187 pre-sales, 50 residential and 3 business installations to date.
  • Semi-Annual Oversight Committee Report: Staff presented status of special sales tax projects (parks/stormwater, capital improvements, public safety, pension). Projects in phase two are mostly complete; phase three includes Ewert Park splash pad/ice ribbon, security lighting, turf replacements, and ARPA-funded street projects. Oversight Committee Chair Nathan Mordecai reported taxes are collected at or above projections, noting over $40.9 million in alternate funds have been collected for projects. The closed pension plan is funded at about 105% (target 120%). Councilmember Cows asked if the city still contributes 17% to the pension; staff clarified the sales tax fully funds it.
  • Grant Project Status Update: Leslie provided an update on over $97 million in projects. $13,055,109 of the direct ARPA award ($13.779 million) has been spent, with $724,630 remaining (mostly for broadband and community revitalization). Key ongoing grants include Main Street Streetscape (HUD), stormwater infrastructure (state ARPA), 20th Street (county ARPA), and Zora (governor's grant). Completed projects include Justice Center, drinking water, MoSON, fire/EMS equipment, cybersecurity, air traffic control tower, and MSSU Innovation Center. Two new grants were not awarded (PWEAA and Swiffer).

Resolutions

  • Resolution 2026-0112 (SAFER Grant for Firefighters): Authorized application for a federal grant to hire six firefighters, covering 75% salary/benefits for two years, 35% for the third year. Approved 9-0.
  • Resolution 2026-013 (Hope Valley CID Board Appointments): Appointed Brandon Davis, Brian Christmas, Larry Warren, Susan Hickham, and John Stoffer to the board. After discussion on appointment process, approved 7-1-1 (one opposed, one abstention).

Ordinances (First Reading)

  • Council Bill 2026-129 (North Perimeter Road Reconstruction): Contract with Emory Sapp and Sons for $1,209,187.74, funded 95% federal. Approved and advanced to second/third reading 9-0.
  • Council Bill 2026-130 (Main Street Streetscape, 8th to 15th): Contract with Sprouse Construction for $5,345,425.65, with budget amendment. Approved and advanced 9-0. Councilmember D'Atar expressed excitement about the project tying downtown together. Councilmember Copel confirmed Silva Cells will be used for tree boxes to improve root growth.
  • Council Bill 2026-132 (Construction Management for North Perimeter Road): Contract with Crawford Murphy and Tilly for $179,186.03. Approved and advanced 9-0.
  • Council Bill 2026-133 (32nd & Quail Sewer Extension): Contract with Signature Dirt Works for $141,335 to extend gravity sewer. Approved and advanced 9-0.
  • Council Bill 2026-615 (Joe Becker Stadium Lease): Three-year lease with Heart of America Tournaments LLC starting Jan 1, 2027 (lease payments: $55,000, $56,375, $57,705 annually) plus utility charges up to $25,000/year. City will maintain fields and provide on-site supervisor. Approved and advanced 9-0.

Ordinances (Second and Third Reading)

  • Council Bill 2026-007 (Harassment Ordinance Amendment): Amended city code section on harassment. Passed 8-1.

New Business

  • Curbside Limb Pickup: City Manager Nick Edwards proposed a one-pass curbside limb pickup following recent storms. Council discussed starting in the north/east areas, using a contractor (as in 2024 when cost was ~$150,000) vs. in-house. Consensus favored a hybrid approach. Edwards committed to announcing the pickup tomorrow and proceeding with planning.

Boards and Commissions Appointments

After debate on residency preferences, the council voted to reappoint all listed candidates (6-3). Then individual appointments were made for vacant seats:

  • ADA Accessibility Committee: Michelle Kramer appointed.
  • Building Board of Appeals: Whitney Wood appointed.
  • CVB Board (retail seat): Charlie Brown appointed (after Trevor Freer nomination withdrawn due to non-residency).
  • Housing Authority (resident seat): Carol Humbard appointed.
  • Housing Authority (second seat): Peyton Lane appointed.
  • Joplin Sports Authority: Ted Easley appointed.
  • Library Board: Brooke Gibson appointed.
  • Planning and Zoning Commission: Randy Skinsdale appointed.
  • Police and Fire Pension Board: David Niever appointed.
  • Traffic Commission (3 seats): Elaine Liu, Brian Thompson, and Tony Beadatori appointed (after multiple rounds of voting).

Key Outcomes

  • The council approved the SAFER grant application for six firefighters.
  • Contracts were authorized for North Perimeter Road reconstruction, Main Street Streetscape, sewer extension, and stadium lease.
  • The harassment ordinance was amended.
  • A curbside limb pickup program was committed to, with details to be finalized.
  • Several board appointments were made, with a precedent noted to prioritize city residents when qualified applicants exist.
  • The meeting adjourned to closed session for legal matters.

Meeting Transcript

We'll call this uh June 15th meeting of the council to order. Madam Clerk, the invocation, please. Eternal God, as we begin another meeting of the Joplin City Council, we ask that you invest in this body your strength and wisdom to fortify us and guide us so that we may enhance the prosperity of our community and improve the quality of life for those we serve. Amen. Amen. Councilmember Cows, the pledge, please. Join me in signing the pledge of Regence. And to the remote, the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice. Presentations. Roll call. Roll call. I'm sorry, roll call. Sorry. I'm so anxious to get to the presentations. No, we jumped ahead. Roll call. Mr. Bard. Present. Mr. Coppel. Present. Mr. Cortez. Present. Mr. Cals. Present. Mr. DITAR. Present. Mr. Jackson. Present. Mr. Moran. Present. Ms. Price. Present. Mayor O'Brien. Present. Presentations. Introduction of Wayne Burgess, Director of Homelessness Response. Thank you, Mayor. Council. So tonight we've got uh with us Dwayne Dryling, Chair of the Regional Commission on Homelessness, and Lane Burgess, Director of Homelessness Response, to discuss some next steps and a brief introduction. So for some of the new council members that are here, I just want to give a little context, maybe not familiar with the full process, but the city funded the development of the 2024 community plan to address homelessness. The intention was to identify ways to collaborate and work upstream on homelessness homelessness issues.

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