[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6132340,"mediaKeyId","5722886-1922e9ae65000022c7c7a490e89b9021","parentId",5722886,"title","Votes at a glance: Jefferson City Council passes tax rate, infrastructure, transit and community project measures","audioSeconds",5844,"startMs",1767000,"endMs",7611000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5722886-1922e9ae65000022c7c7a490e89b9021&start=1767&end=7611","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5722886-1922e9ae65000022c7c7a490e89b9021/thumbnail_1767000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6132340/Missouri/Votes-at-a-glance-Jefferson-City-Council-passes-tax-rate-infrastructure-transit-and-community-project-measures","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6132340-bb39379d8457da781fb668f7fd99aed1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204411&Signature=gy1OZh~alOV0XozR1ru~a8b7yjJa5nkGvmD5Jcin3CmSy0V~HWnsMDPdiA7uP1E1X5vjVAo2ja~Ltb9EdBR2qHVPhQ3GaQv1Ai7TxyyNoI5N5ogORD~0D7Mo3QGA8zQClD5E47eAKeAuK-gMWuTEROab~bLCBOFeFwehv-K6M9apbNFleBgccgzB4VfvG3qWususYS895VIfJncr9JhtfMWLxO0m9iusc59~BRGvXxzIc8zJ-Fe1jPc7EK2tKOavOGVM0esfklNfWkhF~bMTmAbfUlwWeJPHe3URnFtnpTy0OPknQ5sJG47nsMSdafm5-673UcJJYls5LgHjNOSBNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Jefferson, Missouri","date","2025-08-19T14:25:57Z","article","Jefferson City Council adopted a number of ordinances and resolutions at its Aug. 7 meeting. Below are the principal formal actions and outcomes recorded on the meeting transcript.

- Property tax levy (Bill 2025-028): Council adopted the FY26 property tax rate unchanged. Staff said the rate is 0.46 for the general fund and 0.0961 for the firemen’s retirement fund for a total rate of 0.5561. Roll-call recorded all votes in favor; the bill passed.

- Crack-seal contract (Bill 2025-031): Council authorized a contract with Sweet and Sealing Services LLC for $178,754.72 to perform preventive crack sealing on recently overlaid streets. Staff said the project will treat roughly 20 miles of pavement to extend useful life; committee reported the treatment can extend pavement life by at least five years. The council approved the contract by roll call.

- Stream-bank stabilization (Bill 2025-026): Council approved a $259,931 contract with Schneiders Excavating Company for stream-bank stabilization to protect exposed sewer lines along a Grays Creek tributary. The contract passed on roll call.

- MoDOT transit operating assistance (Bill 2025-027): Council accepted a MoDOT operating assistance grant that supports the city’s transit service; the council approved acceptance on roll call.

- Transit grant preservation (Resolution 2025-19): Council authorized applying for grant funds to preserve previous small-grant allocations for future bus purchases so the funds do not lapse; resolution adopted unanimously.

- Capital City Athletic Club funding (Resolution 2025-21): Council approved a funding agreement of $100,000 from non-ARPA city funds for the Capital City Athletic Club under terms similar to prior economic development agreements.

- Lobbying contract (Resolution 2025-22): After a competitive process, council approved a five-year contract with Clarkson Nelson LLC for state legislative consultant services.

- CDBG / LIHTC project support (Resolutions 2025-23 and 2025-24): Council approved resolutions of support for two housing proposals: Morro Valley (new construction, 48 units, mixed affordability) and Cedar Ridge (rehabilitation plus new construction). Staff said Morro Valley will include eight units set aside at 30% AMI and the majority of units at 60% AMI.

Votes were recorded in roll call for each item in the transcript; where the roll call recorded names the transcript line is cited below each action. For most items, council voted in the affirmative; a small number of resolutions (notably the parking operator resolution) carried with recorded minority votes noted in the meeting record.

The meeting also included first-reading introduction of an ordinance (Chapter 2 amendment) that would create an explicit duty to preserve confidentiality for elected officials; the council debated that measure and asked for amended language before a final vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Jefferson - City Council Meeting 08.18.2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its Aug. 7 meeting the council approved the city's property tax rate for FY26, awarded street maintenance and infrastructure contracts, accepted transit operating funds, and approved several resolutions including funding for local athletic facilities and lobbying services.","taxTitle","Jefferson City, Cole County, Missouri","taxId",65810,"location","Missouri","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6132345,"Council authorizes conference-center incentive work and approves parking operator; residents press for access to redacted market study",9495,1365000,10860000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5722886-1922e9ae65000022c7c7a490e89b9021&start=1365&end=10860","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5722886-1922e9ae65000022c7c7a490e89b9021/thumbnail_1365000.jpg","/articles/6132345/Missouri/Council-authorizes-conference-center-incentive-work-and-approves-parking-operator-residents-press-for-access-to-redacted-market-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6132345-c0271f4e82e38045b657ebd12a393d33/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204411&Signature=fPTNRFPLP-PTMcoxkWK1TkTanJImwhM1ixSLRiG6ndgoFLXTgcO8bJP62dxsVDcx9ICS0OufCT2edaV55Kxv2drZwXUij3tYOH6xSv-wbeokT2e7UvoJ5EBcsh9LPj1VRKO8WBIvgYFYZzHKGNLlEjo4RpziuyUt7Kdewdgp-cVirbj3t5zWsW6grldR5FkegT2AQhbCDzBpVrOo23XL-1LMXqy3mJZhHlvqey0RgCfVOQDdhEOha3hIbuVfibs~GNi0xpJuABQhEzymkMbsHbRuV177fZ2ztM~DDScI8oIMgARCzvlZ~G24QWeecTuQciQYt2l4H~8vjTkvwdxgeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jefferson City Council voted to authorize staff to begin implementation of incentive programs intended to support the proposed downtown conference center and, separately, approved a contract with PCI Municipal Services to operate the city’s parking program.

During public comment, residents expressed concern about redacted material in the market study that supports the conference center. Scott Randolph said pages 35–56 of the market study were redacted under a cited Sunshine Law provision and urged that council members be allowed to see the proprietary data paid for with public money. “You have a right to it. You paid for it. The taxpayers paid for it,” Randolph said.

At the meeting Paul Sampson of the Jefferson City Regional Economic Partnership summarized the financing timeline for the conference-center project and said the schedule prepared by the city’s bond counsel, Gilmore & Bell, anticipates putting incentive programs in place “over the next several months” and having them established by early 2026, before bonds would be issued. Sampson said the incentive work will include mandatory public hearings and statutory steps for each program.

City staff told council Gilmore & Bell estimated fees to pursue those incentives at roughly $25,000–$50,000 over the coming months; the firm will perform most of the legal work required to form and document incentive districts. Council adopted the resolution directing staff and consultants to begin that process; final ordinances and approvals were described as required and will return to council.

Separately, council approved a contract with PCI Municipal Services to manage parking operations downtown and provide a displacement plan to relocate customers before demolition tied to the conference-center site begins. PCI’s proposal is cost-plus, described in the contractor’s presentation as maintaining city policy control while providing vendor expertise on operations, signage, enforcement technology and revenue modeling. PCI President Brian Kern said the company will provide recommendations and implement policy changes only after council approval.

Councilmembers said the parking operator will be needed both to prepare for temporary parking displacement during demolition and to advise the design team on how to maximize use of existing parking assets so the new garage could require fewer spaces. Paul Sampson said that operator input will be used in bond modeling to estimate future parking revenues for the conference-center financing.

The incentives-resolution and the PCI contract passed in separate roll-call votes. The council discussion also included questions about council access to proprietary study material and whether existing code sections or the pending confidentiality ordinance should be used to limit or permit member access. Staff said that existing city code provisions and statutory rules for proprietary material guide how and when information may be shared, and that the city will follow the legal process for any requests to see redacted material.","Council adopted a resolution directing staff to begin putting incentive programs in place for the proposed conference center and approved PCI Municipal Services as the downtown parking operator. Public commenters asked that council members be granted access to redacted market-study pages supporting the conference center plan.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6132350,"Jefferson City council introduces duty-to-preserve-confidentiality ordinance; public and members debate transparency and legal protections",5389,2084000,7473000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5722886-1922e9ae65000022c7c7a490e89b9021&start=2084&end=7473","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5722886-1922e9ae65000022c7c7a490e89b9021/thumbnail_2084000.jpg","/articles/6132350/Missouri/Jefferson-City-council-introduces-duty-to-preserve-confidentiality-ordinance-public-and-members-debate-transparency-and-legal-protections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6132350-aa2fcffc1c4ad29e46b40e62307c4ba7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771204411&Signature=aqMeKTRJsWgHdiUIQKLACSva9p6zFmrZ1NhjShZbNdmUllMRx9smDLSKzvcxu7AXCHhYEe4XIuMgLAUROgqQ5sKHFjnnfmfDBJoXJXnD81G3evnWL9OLBr6coHdInHDKlIaBmrXM7SjD~gKUuOFZqkAr8iXWRPm8bE-jPGyfPvehlA5fWgL~MUvBF~kGoMfRV5i1ZqNHC8aNq~AfXXfQKQYMC8EJw9cOWujVGPJ-LaNcGd~hLTpT4yw6M81Mr0I-fYvj~xLjwxZCaot24jB8KDtZheKdqGBSjgDfVO48~poT73gw-XE7rbtNYb6EebnhwVzVjxV5q0XVIXVyVTrDnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jefferson City Council introduced on first reading an ordinance to add a duty for elected officials, board and commission members to preserve the confidentiality of records and discussions held in closed session under the Missouri Sunshine Law.

The measure was presented by Councilmember Paulson and discussed at length by council members and the city attorney during the meeting. City Attorney Ryan Mollman told the council the proposed code section would apply only to records discussed or produced in closed sessions and explained the disciplinary route would be a trial before council for alleged breaches. Mollman said advice from the city attorney provides certain protections for officials under the Sunshine Law that are not available if an elected official consults only with a private attorney.

The ordinance prompted substantial public comment and council questioning. Two residents who spoke during public comment urged caution. Steve Sokoloff, a Ward 5 resident and president of Capital City United for Good Government, urged defeat of the bill and warned against broad prior restraints on elected officials’ speech, invoking the Sunshine Law’s policy that meetings and records “be open to the public unless otherwise provided by law.” He warned against doing harm where no need exists, saying lawmakers should follow the axiom “first, do no harm.”

Resident Scott Randolph pressed the council on access to information used to support the proposed conference center, saying pages 35–56 of a paid market study had been redacted on the public record and that elected officials who paid for the study should be able to review the underlying material. “You have a right to it. You paid for it. The taxpayers paid for it,” Randolph said, adding that the Sunshine Law contains protections for proprietary material.

Council members asked detailed legal and practical questions. Councilmember Allen asked whether confidentiality is implied by the oath of office; Mollman replied that the city code and state law do not currently create an automatic, enforceable duty of confidentiality and that the proposed ordinance would add an explicit duty. Members also questioned how enforcement would work, whether censure or removal would be an option, and whether an elected official could seek outside counsel in some circumstances. Several council members said they wanted clearer exceptions spelled out — for example, permitting an official with a personal, paid attorney-client relationship to consult private counsel — and asked the sponsor to draft specific language.

No final vote was taken on the ordinance; it was introduced and read at first reading. Councilmembers asked staff to return with draft amendment language to clarify whether and when a councilmember may obtain private counsel and to tighten definitions of prohibited conduct and disciplinary procedures. The ordinance will return to council for further consideration.","Councilmember Paulson introduced a first-reading ordinance to add a duty to preserve confidentiality for elected officials and board members; city attorney and several council members debated enforcement, outside counsel exceptions and transparency after residents raised concerns about redacted conference-center market study pages.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Jefferson City Council passes tax rate, infrastructure, transit and community project measures

Council authorizes conference-center incentive work and approves parking operator; residents press for access to redacted market study

Jefferson City council introduces duty-to-preserve-confidentiality ordinance; public and members debate transparency and legal protections