Mayor Cortez joins Morning NewsWatch

Orange is officially the summer from here on out.

Joplin Mayor Keenan Cortez stopped by The Morning NewsWatch and confirmed the new update from the Joplin Public Works department will pertain to construction in and around the City of Joplin.

“We have so much going on out there,” Cortez said. “We have so many sidewalks going on, street widenings happening, infrastructure improvements of what’s underneath the ground that we all depend on every day when we hit that little handle in the bathroom,” Cortez said. “All those kinds of things are going on right now. 2025 is a huge year of deploying public works to upgrade our community.” 

One question the mayor will have for Public Works is how has the rain impacted working conditions?

“Because, you know, most of these projects are outside, and when it’s raining all the time and there’s water everywhere, it’s hard to get them done,” Cortez said. “So, I’m looking forward to that update. It’s going to give the community and the council a great look at where we’re at, on getting some of these projects completed.”

It was also noted Herrman Lumber worked out a special situation with the Joplin Sports Facility CID developer. The two came to an agreement that allowed Herrman Lumber to be removed from the CID, which will go up to the council for a vote. If other companies would like to withdraw from the special tax district, they need to go in front of the CID board, which will determine whether or not to hear your case.

The amendment of the Joplin budget will be discussed at the city council meeting. Payroll items will be discussed for seasonal workers, such as lifeguards at the pool and such.