The Sedalia City Council approved a budget for Fiscal Year 2019, with six yes votes and one no vote.

The lone no vote came from Fourth Ward Councilwoman Megan Page, who said that she voted against the adoption of the budget due to concerns with cost of living raises.

“I would like to have seen more. I would like to see the police department get more cars,” Page said after the meeting. “So those are the main factors.”

She added that overall she was pleased with the rest of the budget, there were just a few things that I would rather have seen different,” Page said.

Bonita Nash was absent from Monday night's meeting.

City Administrator Kelvin Shaw commented that he likes working on the annual budget.

“It's a great review, it's a good planning when you lay out the strategic plan for the whole year. It becomes a very important document as far as the direction for the City. The Council has put a lot of work in on it, as well as the staff,” Shaw noted.

Shaw added that the budget is a living, breathing document. “Council has the opportunity to amend it as we go through the year. As plans change, the budget needs to change,” Shaw commented.

He added that his department reports to Council monthly as far as the expenditures are concerned. “We can catch anything, like if we're over-spending or if revenues aren't coming in (as projected), we can make adjustments on the fly.”

A public hearing preceded the special Council meeting at the Municipal Building. Time was reserved to allow public comment on the annexation of properties owned by Pettis County and Nucor Steel Sedalia, LLC. No one came forward to speak on the matter, pro or con, and the public hearing was then closed.

Council will now proceed with annexation at a special April 9 meeting.

The proposed zoning for the two tracts of property is M-2 Heavy Industrial District.

Council also accepted a subrecipient agreement by and between the City of Sedalia and Missouri Preservation for the 2018 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference, scheduled for May 2-4.

Technically speaking, the grant recipient will pass through to the subrecipient an amount not to exceed $30,500 in HPFG funds for eligible incurred costs and expenses for the project according to the budget.

Council also accepted a contract amendment to a supervised work release program by and between the City of Sedalia and Missouri Department of Corrections, Division of Adult Institutions, Tipton Correctional Center.

The Tipton Correctional Center will provide up to 15 worker offenders per day per work week for up to one year to assist the City in maintaining its cemetery, airport and streets to allow the offenders to gain work skills.

The Council later ajourned to closed-door session.

Randy Kirby
Randy Kirby
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