Jul. 26—Joplin's new neighborhood services office is open with additional staff members in that department to help residents.
Remodeling was completed last month on the northwest corner of the first floor in Joplin's City Hall at 602 S. Main St. where additional neighborhood improvement staff members will work.
Assistant City Manager Tony Robyn said workers have moved into the office. City officials reworked the first-floor space to provide easier public access to neighborhood services.
Six of seven new staff members for the building department, neighborhood services division and planning department are now on board. The new positions include a lead building inspector to assure consistency in the application of inspections, and an additional building inspector and an administrative assistant for the building department to handle the workload. One additional neighborhood improvement officer has been hired as well as a supervisor. Another officer is to be hired. A project coordinator for the department also has been hired.
Those positions expand the staff of neighborhood officers from three to five. The new employees are undergoing training as well as learning the city's recently adopted new property maintenance code.
Neighborhood improvement officers conduct routine inspections to encourage compliance with nuisance and property maintenance codes. They respond to complaints and provide information to the public about appropriate property upkeep. They also work with neighborhood groups, churches and businesses on improvement projects and coordinate the use of city equipment and workers to do infrastructure improvements.
Troy Bolander, the city's planning, development and neighborhood services director, said, "Joplin is over 40 square miles, and additional staff was needed to be more effective in monitoring properties throughout the city as well as working with neighborhood communities in a collaborative effort."
A focus on repairing neighborhoods is occurring as the result of a listening tour and survey conducted by City Manager Nick Edwards, who talked to residents and business leaders about Joplin's strengths and needs.
"During the survey process, residents stated their concern about cleaning up neighborhoods, neglected properties and dilapidated structures scattered throughout Joplin," Bolander said.
The City Council then devised a strategic plan with six goals targeted at the survey and listening tour conclusions. One of those is cleaning up and repairing declining neighborhoods.