July Public Affairs Committee Report
By Heath Clarkston
Cole County Looks to Update Building Codes
The Cole County Public Works Department will be holding public meetings in the weeks ahead to provide information on updates to building codes for unincorporated Cole County. A copy of the proposed changes can be found at:
https://colecounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/14316/Title-1-2018-Code-Adoption
The meetings will be held at the Cole County Fire Protection District Administration Building located at 5206 Monticello Rd., Jefferson City MO 65109. The meeting dates are June 24th and July 8th and will start at 4 pm.
MO Transportation Commission Meets in Springfield, Approves 2027 Budget
On June 3rd, the Missouri Transportation Commission held their monthly meeting in Springfield. MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger reported another I-70 expansion project milestone. Last month, the fifth I- 70 groundbreaking ceremony, this one for the Rocheport to Columbia segment of the project, occurred in Columbia. This project is a $441 million portion of the statewide project. He noted that Missouri was the first state in the USA to put an interstate project under contract in August of 1956. And the rebuild of I-70 is now happening 70 years later.
The MoDOT Fiscal Year 2027 budget was approved by the Commissioners, contingent upon approval by the Governor, and all General Assembly designated projects funded in this budget to be vetted through the planning process. The $7.4 billion budget that was approved is 6.7 percent less than FY 2026 because of projects on I-70 that have already been worked on.
Commissioners gave their approval of the 2026 Long-Range Transportation Plan and State Freight and Rail Plan. A draft LRTP and SFRP was presented to the Commission on March 4. A public comment period was provided for the draft plans March 4 to April 3.
Through 2050, road and bridge program needs were shown. During the public comment period, MoDOT received 80 total comments, most focused on funding concerns, project specific feedback, and multimodal transportation. Other comments were on corridor specific improvements, increased frequency of River Runner passenger train service, and consideration of highway speeds and preserving infrastructure.
DNR Clear Water Fee Discussion on July 15th
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has been holding stakeholder meetings for the past eighteen months on future revisions to the clean water program permitting fee structure. As the state program is currently underfunded and facing the potential of falling out of compliance with the federal requirements, the state is looking to find additional funding to ensure our clean water laws are regulatedby the state of Missouri and not reverted to the US EPA for permitting. On July 15th, the Missouri Clean Water Commission is expected to hear a report from the DNR Clean Water Program on establishing a new fee structure to ensure the state retains administration of these regulatory functions. Currently, builders and developers are required to obtain land disturbance permits and these fees cover the cost of permitting, regulation, and enforcement.
In June, the fee concept presented by DNR proposed an annual fee structure based upon area size, the fees ranged from $550 for a 1–5-acre site to $5,000 for a 500+ acre site. The HBA continues to monitor the effort and will keep membership advised if a final plan becomes available.
STATEWIDE AUGUST BALLOT WILL HAVE FOUR QUESTIONS
The August 4th primary election will have four ballot measures to be voted statewide.
These measures include:
Amendment 1 – 10-year extension of the soil and water conservation tax
Amendment 2 – requires Jackson County Assessor to be elected
Amendment 4 – Initiative Petition Reform – must pass in all congressional districts
Amendment 5 – Phase-out of individual income tax, replace with statewide sales and use tax
To read the ballot language, you can access them via the Missouri Secretary of State’s website at:
https://www.sos.mo.gov/petitions/2026BallotMeasures
JEFFERSON CITY HALF-CENT SALES TAX ON AUGUST BALLOT
On August 4th, Jefferson City voters will be able to cast their votes for a ten-year extension of the existing ½ cent capitol improvements tax. Cole County voters approved of a similar measure in April. The HBA is in full support of the necessary sales tax that funds key and essential infrastructure projects across the city and county. Of the city’s revenue from tax, they currently allocate roughly 60% to their public works department, 10% to public safety, 10% to parks, and the remainder to contingency funds and technology. This tax is essential for the city to continue to provide necessary services to the residents and spur economic activity to our region.