Excelsior Springs City Manager Molly McGovern has released her 2024 Annual Review, highlighting strides made in alignment with the City Council’s priorities. The city advanced initiatives focused on fiscal responsibility, historic preservation, community engagement, and balanced growth.
2024 Progress Toward City Council Priorities
Excelsior Springs City Council strives to empower, inspire and unite city employees, volunteers and community members to create a stronger future. We accomplished so much together this year! Thank you for your partnership and to build upon the work that started in 2023, our values are –
Transparent, efficient use of funds through proper planning (Is it fiscally responsible?)
- Secured $32M to improve mobility and safety on the westside of town. City hired Transystems as City’s Design Criteria Consultant to provide complete streets, trails, sidewalks, intersection improvements and elimination of barriers. This is a multi-year project. (Partners: West Side CID, Chamber, Excelsior Citizen) City share is 9% of cost
- Secured $4.9M to complete Dry Fork Greenway flood control project, bids awarded to MEGA, KC construction work to begin in January 2025 (Partners: DNR) City share is 7.6% of cost
- Lead Service Line Inventory completed by federal mandate in October, no lead found, some galvanized steel has been identified. Utilized staff resources to build inventory, no penalties assessed for compliance.
- Rep. Sam Graves announced the city will receive $1.5M in WRDA funds to re-line sewer lines in the Wilson Acres subdivision, Lover’s Lane, Golf Hill area and Wildwood area. City share is 25% of cost
- Secured $1.58M to replace Garland Bridge, design is nearing completion. City share is 13% of cost
- Using Pavement Condition Index to select street improvement treatments, completed base repairs and UBAS overlays in Madison Park, Vintage, Rockbridge Parkway subdivisions and base repairs in preparation for chip/seal in 2025 for Liberty, Richmond, Murray, S. Kent, Melwood, Line, Berton, Garland, Highland, Ellsworth, Homestead, Owen, Prospect, Divide, Ridge, Grand, Hyder, Salem, Summit, Divide, Bates, Kansas, Cannon, Osage, N. Kent, Bell, Holmes, Elvira, N. Francis, Centralia, York, Cherry, Hazel, Ash, Bates, Bluff and Folk streets. Base repairs in preparation for 2025 UBAS overlay in West Springs and Golf Hill neighborhoods. MARC grant received to pave Grand Ave. Repaired Dunbar railroad crossing. (Partner: CPKC – No cost to city)
- Fire Training Facility located behind the Fire Station is nearing completion. Firehouse Subs awards grant to replace struts and rams in pumper 2. New cardiac monitors purchased with grant funds for ambulances (Partner: MHHSS/ARPA) – No cost to city
- Police Parking lot resurfacing underway – No cost to city
- Trash contract with Allied extended for additional 3 years, routes to return to 5-day service 1/6/25, route map www.cityofesmo.com
- Replaced boiler at Hall of Waters, Police station plumbing and Fueling system upgrade
- Completion of Outdoor pool and dome, ready for full use. Funding secured by re-financing community center bonds to obtain lower interest rate, no change to bond maturity schedule
- Community Center seeks arrangements to lease pool time as revenue source, secured agreement with KMO.
- Golf Equipment for course maintenance replaced
Seeking $20M grant to complete downtown streetscape with water, sewer, pavement, upgrade, planting areas with trees, flood control projects north of N. Main Bridge and in Hitch Lot, improvements to Hall of Waters tower, windows, doors, Mezzanine Level, Work Force Development Curriculum to rehab downtown commercial buildings and residential buildings in nearby neighborhoods and for locals to work local – No cost to City
Balance small town feel with business investments and growth (Will our action be good for the future?)
- Hired Olsson Design Studios to lead the City’s Comprehensive Planning process – No cost to City
- New stormwater policies under development for metro area, focus on more nature based solutions
- Contracts awarded to undertake Minor Home Repair services with Northland Neighbors and Rebuilding Together KC. Seeking bids for abatement of hazardous materials at old Wyman School (Partner: DNR, EPA)
- Golf Hill subdivision broke ground for 7 building sites; generating property taxes to retire Golf Clubhouse debt. Marrocco Estates Subdivision development completed
- Short Term Rental uses allowed by special use permit outside of tourist district
- Conversations regarding future of old hospital site on Park Street (Partner: EPA, KSU TAP)
- QT completed construction and opened for business (Partner: Westside CID)
- Development on Tracy @ Hwy 69 – Flats at Coach Crossing, a senior independent living apartment
- Construction Plans under review for Walmart, new VA Clinic, office/restaurant @ 1500 Kearney Road, Masonic Lodge maintenance building, and Salty Swine downtown; Construction on the old Pizza Hut site; KC Machine expansion awarded Enhanced Enterprise Zone property tax abatement for expansion
Protect our unique history (Will our action respect our heritage?)
- Chuck Anderson celebrates 50 years in business
- Celebration of life for former Fire Chief Bill Stewart
- Excelsior Springs named Most Neighborly City in Missouri (Partner: MU Extension)
- Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference announced to be offered next year in Excelsior Springs (Partner: DEP, Chamber, Excelsior Citizen, MU Extension)
- DEP offers Lyrics on the Lawn to bring people downtown. Chamber offers trolley on the Wine Trail. ARPA Grant funds awarded to Chamber to purchase trolley, create Revolving Loan Fund from loan payments
- Paul Bruhn Grant awarded to Colonial on Broadway and Salty Swine on Thompson to improve their buildings. Other Trails and Ray’s Lunch both receive grant from American Express to make building improvements.
- Job Corps donated labor to repair Crystal Lithia Spring Pagoda @ Benton and Saratoga
- Chapter 353 Property Tax abatement to invest in improvements and eliminate blight issued for 13 properties on South KC Ave, Isley, Elms Blvd., South street, S. Thompson, St. Louis Ave, N. Main Street, Broadway and W. Excelsior Street.
- Cemetery Geometry to link GIS location of each cemetery burial plat to a searchable online database – Crownhill is complete, working on Hillcrest
Support the Community, be present (Is our action forward thinking?)
- New Siloam Springs Neighborhood Park Ribbon Cutting, located near Benton and Temple (Partners: McElwee Family, ESSD, Park Foundation)
- New park Boundless Backyard opened, located on Milwaukee, working on parking lot (Partners: McElwee Family, Park Foundation)
- AYSO Tigers N Training soccer program to provide certified coaches and curriculum
- Community Center agreement to offer home school PE class
- Designate USBR 51 Bike Route through ES
- DEP Annual Report on Downtown Business Development and Tourism Attraction
- Meals on Wheels America has approved ES application for recognition, we are developing business plan to begin deliveries in March 2025
- Fire department forms Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to educate volunteers about disaster preparedness
- Construction of new Lewis Elementary School completed
- License Plate Readers installed to assist ESPD address criminal behavior
Do Good, Be Fair (Is our rationale defensible?)
- Communities for All Ages Progress Report for improving our community for all ages.
- Communities of Excellence announced 10 community awards including a Silver for Thrive Excelsior based on maturity of the community’s progress.
- Received Baldrige Foundation 2024 Leadership Excellence Awards
- City awarded $30,000 in Community grants to local groups.
- Parade of Hearts Art project located on Elms Blvd.
- Recognizing the positive work School Resource Officers do in the schools
- Strengthening Family Skills Initiative
- Kids in the Kitchen offered at Community Center
- High School Internship Program to introduce students to local careers
- SAFE convened meeting to consider the best use of Opioid Settlement Funds awarded to City
- Hands Free Driving laws take effect
- Social Media Policy updated to comply with Sunshine Laws
- Revised Code to allow backyard chickens in residential areas under certain conditions
This excerpt was previously published in City Manager Molly McGovern’s weekly newsletter. To read each week, visit her newsletter page.
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