35 acre Skyline Commercial Park near Hwy MM, James River Frwy. advances

Republic City Council took more subdivision action and made budget adjustments at its Oct. 6 meeting. 
 
 
Skyline Commercial Park gets early green light
Council members also approved a preliminary plat for the Skyline Commercial Park, covering nearly 35 acres at the northeast corner of South Hwy. MM and James River Expressway. The land in question is bordered on the west by Hwy. MM and Hwy. 60 to the south. Plans call for building an east-west street, Skyline Drive, with access to Hwy. MM including a new traffic signal, already approved by the Missouri Department of Transportation. A new north-south street, Acme Avenue, will be added from the west end of Skyline, approximately one-third of the distance into the generally rectangular acreage. 
Further east on Acme Avenue, maps identified two large sinkholes and another near Hwy. MM. No specific plans were detailed for the eastern two-thirds of the property Details on the new streets would be finalized in the final plat, Haynes told council members. 
The developer, PS & Company Property, planned to develop the land for general commercial use, breaking it into four lots of varying sizes. The property already has access to water and sewer service. Rather than PS & Company proposing a central stormwater detention basin, Haynes indicated the buyer of each lot would be responsible for the upkeep and repair of a basin in each separate lot. A detention basin for stormwater running into the public streets would be built in lot no. 1, channeling water southwest into the MoDOT right-of-way. 
In response to council member Eric Gerke’s question about the sinkholes, Haynes said the developer plans to submit infrastructure plans on how to mitigate the sinkholes in the buildable area. She said the city’s procedures for stabilizing sinkholes will involve hiring a third party and should address the issue. Haynes did not consider failing to stabilize the sinkhole as an option. 
The proposal passed without objection from council members. 
 
Harper Ridge phase 5 plat approved
Undertaking single-reading resolutions, council members approved a preliminary plat for phase 5 of the Harper Ridge subdivision, covering 1.34 acres in the 1200 block of North Harper Drive. According to Karen Haynes, community development director, Bester Properties originally proposed the Emerald Valley subdivision for 145 lots in October 2021. This fifth part, tucked between parts of phase 4 on the south side of Harper Drive near the city limits, would hold five residential lots, two more than originally planned, zoned for medium-density single-family homes. The property would “be in harmony with the area in which it is located.” 
Haynes noted new flood maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reduced the floodplain, creating new buildable area. 
With the Planning and Zoning Commission approving the plan unanimously, the council followed suit and approved the plat. This provided a green light for the developer to submit a final plat for the proposed housing project. 
 
Budget action
A major financial resolution came up for discussion six months after passage of budget amendment No. 1. Jake Jones from the city’s finance office reported the $43.9 million capital budget resulted in a deficit of $1.4 million. Combining the operating and capital budgets, however, left a net consolidated surplus of more than $5.5 million. The issue had been discussed at length in a budget workshop prior to the meeting, leaving only cursory descriptions for the public session. 
Since the passage of budget amendment No. 2 in May, spending on capital improvements was reduced by $545,000. This resulted from postponing $1.1 million on the wastewater expansion project for another year, reducing street-related projects by $860,000, pushing demolition of the old wastewater treatment plant into the following year, delaying that $1.6 million expense. In addition, the city had to spend an unexpected $2.5 million on damage from the April 29 hailstorm. Ford noted insurance proceeds and internal transfers adjusted cash flow to pay for the storm damage. 
Spending on general operations remained the same. This includes almost $2 million in revenue coming from the sale of city property downtown that followed construction of the BUILDS building and the new city hall. 
As a result of these changes, Jones explained that the budget for capital improvements would still end up with a deficit of $765,354. However, when combined with a nearly $7 million surplus from the operating surplus, the deficit would disappear, leaving a consolidated net surplus of nearly $6.2 million. 
The resolution passed without additional discussion. 
 
Proclamations
Mayor Eric Franklin issued two proclamations for the month. The first acknowledged 11 city employees who completed the Raising the LID leadership program, promoted by a national organization incorporating the principles of author John Maxwell’s “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.” Franklin noted “learning was enriched by presentations and discussions led by the program’s hosts, participants, and multiple city leaders, who generously shared their knowledge, experiences, and insight” on topics that included “mission, vision, and values, the Trust Edge, organizational culture, conflict resolution, administrative fundamentals, mental health, team confidence, technology, risk tolerance and external engagement.” 
Franklin also acknowledged the efforts of the city’s animal control division in declaring October to be Animal Control Appreciation Month. 
 
Staff reports
In staff reports, Lisa Addington, chief of staff, spoke more about the Raising the LID program, which she felt would help establish Republic as a regional leader. She further noted that Fire Chief Duane Compton had inspected the fire department’s new aerial apparatus in South Dakota and expected it to be delivered in February. The new truck will replace a 1991 ladder truck. 
Council member Justin Neal commented on the recent MoDOT meeting hosted by the city discussing widening Hwy. 60. He felt the improvements would assist access to the intermediate school and improve traffic flow. 
Mayor Franklin reported Pumpkin Daze had exceptional attendance, thanks in part to favorable weather and the variety of available activities. According to David Burton, Franklin said Republic was leading its population category in the Most Neighborly City initiative.