Latest news with #NickEdwards
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Joplin council hears updates on initiatives
Joplin city officials have obligated all available grant funds from the state and federal government for numerous projects that are currently in the hands of engineers and architects for design or are already under construction. That was one of a number of updates given on the status of city initiatives and projects during a City Council work session Monday night. Reports were heard from the city manager, the finance director and the directors of most city departments. Completion of the numerous grant-funded projects in future months will likely require the city to dip into unrestricted fund reserves. That has been discussed at previous sessions regarding projects or purchases. "Just as a reminder, our budget is an operations plan," City Manager Nick Edwards said. "That is how we manage our workload. Key initiatives are those things we are planning to do during the current year and the upcoming year. (The budget) also is a communication tool" that transparently conveys how city funds are spent. The budget, he also said, will include key initiatives on what is planned this year and next. Council adoption of a budget becomes a policy document as well as the financial plan for city operations, the city manager said. Finance director Leslie Haase, in her forecast for the fiscal 2026 budget outlook, said she could sum it up in one word. "Uncertain," she said, referring to the status of federal funding beyond the collection of federal grant reimbursements expected as the final projects are carried out under the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and others. Those are expected to be completed on schedule, she said. "It's difficult to determine what will be the financial condition in 12 to 18 months," Haase said, with the federal budget not yet finalized and indications that a number of federal programs could be cut or reduced. Council member Doris Carlin asked if the city will receive all the grant funds that were applied for since the ARPA program began. Haase said she expects that to be the case, and added there has been no suspension of ARPA and the other special grants. In addition, residents may see the results of the state audit of the city later this year. Residents also will see these things occur: • The city manager and the legal department are preparing to impanel a commission to conduct a review of the city charter during the summer and fall. He also will continue to oversee the delivery of the grant-funded projects. • Two new initiatives the city manager plans to launch are to work on emergency response plans and building security for city properties. • Edwards also said that he will look for opportunities to increase economic development through annexation of land to Joplin. • The city's expanded communications and marketing team will work to evaluate needs and develop proposals for website redesign to provide city information more convenient for residents to access. • The finance department will be working, along with other city administrators, on assisting developer Woodsonia Real Estate with the start of work on Prospect Village. That is a $307 million mixed-use development planned for Geneva Avenue south of 20th Street. It will involve construction of a large indoor and outdoor sports venue for travel teams and tournaments along with retail, restaurant and hotel amenities. • With longtime vacant buildings posing issues in recent years, the city's building department will implement a new vacant and dangerous building program as an adjunct to its current dangerous building codes. Joplin's public safety departments will work on several projects. The police department plans to add more jail security measures because increasing drug use and trafficking require additional efforts to detect and enforce narcotic activity, Chief Richard Pearson said. There also is to be improved evidence and police property management. All officers are to be equipped with patrol rifles. The fire department will work on a long-term plan for maintenance of fire stations and develop a replacement plan for Fire Station No. 3, 2717 Newman Road. It is in need of replacement because of repairs needed as well as the need for more space to house firefighters and equipment. There also is to be work on updating special operations programs such as swift water, confined space and hazardous material response and rescue, fire Chief Gerald Ezell said. The department also is currently putting into place the use of new 2 1/4-inch lighter-weight hose with blitz nozzles that can supply heavier flows of water to gain control of fires more quickly. The parks and recreation department will be working to finish the the 95-acre Dover Outdoor Recreation Area bike park for cyclists of all skill levels as well as shelters and amenities for gatherings. It could be finished later this year. Among the needs of the Joplin Health Department is more capacity for housing animals. A feasibility study is to be conducted for a regional animal control facility because area animal shelters are consistently full, the council was told.
South Wales Argus
07-05-2025
- South Wales Argus
12 fantastic pictures from the South Wales Argus Camera Club
They take photos all over the five counties that make up the old Gwent region. Take a look at these 12 awesome pictures. Tintern (Image: Larry Wilkie) Carrion crow in Tredegar House and Park grounds (Image: Nick Edwards) Lighthouse at Newport Wetlands (Image: Josh Watkins) Dog walk at Wentwood Forest (Image: Gareth Dobbs) Highland cow in Ebbw Vale (Image: Matthew John Morris) Horse in Nantyglo (Image: Christopher Parry) VE Day postbox topper in Goytre (Image: Christina Dickson) Helicopter over Chepstow Castle (Image: Kate Thomas) Water gardens in Monmouth Square, Cwmbran (Image: Marie Coombes) Gosling at Cwmbran Ponds (Image: Sharon Smith) Cleaning the Civic Centre clock tower in Newport (Image: Angela Shipp) Spoonbill and Canada Goose at Goldcliff Lagoons (Image: Andrew Thomas) If you would like to have your pictures featured, search South Wales Argus Camera Club on Facebook and join the group!
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Joplin City Council to get report on projects funded with use-tax revenue
Nearly a third of the projects that are to be done with use-tax revenue have been completed by the city of Joplin. A presentation on the status of the 45 action plan programs and initiatives that are funded or partly funded by that tax will be given Monday at a work session of the City Council. Members of the Action Plan and Implementation Oversight Committee have been meeting since January 2022 after voters approved collection of the use tax in November 2021. That group, led by former Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce President Rob O'Brian and City Manager Nick Edwards, has given input into the projects, asked questions and made suggestions for them, as well as monitoring the progress. The presentation Monday will provide residents with information on how much the use tax has collected and how it has been disbursed among the various city sales tax funds so that some portion of it goes into many city projects and needs. It has even contributed to hiring of some additional positions so that there are more city workers to carry out the action plans as well as regular city functions. Since collection of the tax started in early 2022, it has brought more than $17 million into city coffers that went toward things such as hiring and equipping park rangers, adding positions and contributing to equipment purchases for police and fire departments and to neighborhood improvements. Residents will be provided with information about things such as the effort to clear deteriorated houses and the construction of replacements, a home repair program that has paid for some exterior home repairs in several income-restricted neighborhoods, and the future commitments for spending that are aimed at overall improvements across the city and its services. Future projects also will be discussed. The creation of programs and projects to bring improvements started with a listening tour conducted by the city manager in 2020, in which residents expressed concerns about declining neighborhood conditions and housing, homelessness, economic development needs, traffic congestion and quality of life. A City Council retreat later that year resulted in the council adopting a strategic plan with specific goals set. Those are to improve community appearance, address declining neighborhoods, increase economic opportunities, address homelessness, reduce crime and increase safety, and create and grow resilient revenue. Use-tax funds have helped finance work on those goals. Some city American Rescue Plan Act grant funding also has been used for those purposes, the city manager told the oversight committee at a meeting Wednesday. The council meeting starts at 5:45 p.m. Monday on the fifth floor of City Hall, 602 S. Main St.
