City of Sedalia Council and Staff Working on Annual Budget

The Sedalia City Council and City Staff are working on the Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Budget. The City Council will be holding several work sessions to hear reports on some of the more expensive items. One work session was held on the proposed fire station and fire truck. On January 30^th another will be held on the now closed Washington Street Bridge. On February 6^th the Council will hear a report on the soon-to-be completed pay plan study. If implemented in whole or part, the plan will cost money in order to bring the city in-line with municipalities of similar size. On February 18^th a Saturday morning strategy session will be held by Council and staff to prioritize the large projects. Sedalia’s fiscal year begins April 1^st.

On January 30^th the City Council will hear a report from Olsson and Associates engineers on the Washington Street Bridge. At the recommendation of Olsson, the 100 year old bridge was recently closed to all traffic because of its unsafe condition. The report will provide cost estimates for repairing the bridge and building a new bridge. Mayor Horn and staff members have recently been looking at bridge funding options through MoDOT and the Federal Government. The January 30^th report will provide the Council with information needed to prioritize the major projects for FY 2013.

Mayor and Staff Members Speak Before State Legislative Committee

At the invitation of Senator Mike Parson, Mayor Elaine Horn and Fire Chief Mike Ditzfeld addressed the Senate Standing Committee, General Laws, on January 24^th in Jefferson City. The Committee is taking up legislation that would provide long-term access to property on which the Westside fire station is located. The land is owned by the Missouri National Guard and is the proposed site for a new fire station. The old station, if approved by the City Council, would be torn down and replaced with the larger facility. Consequently, a larger amount of Missouri National Guard land is needed, which requires state legislative approval. Mayor Horn said she and Chief Ditzfeld received a warm welcome by the committee. Mayor Horn and Public Works Director Bill Beck and City Administrator Gary Edwards are in Jefferson City today, January 25^th to meet with Representatives Stanley Cox and Denny Hoskins as well as Senators David Pearce and Mike Parson about potential state/federal funding for the Washington Street Bridge.