This week the Joplin City Council will hold two work sessions, addressing Memorial Hall, a possible stormwater sales tax renewal, and a new project in downtown Joplin. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

Tonight’s work session will focus on the future of Memorial Hall and whether the city should pay for a plan only to renovate the hall at the cost of $160,000. Or renovate and build an annex to the property that would cost the city about $300,000. The council will also consider putting a ½ cent stormwater sales tax on the ballot. If passed, the funds would go to improve various city parks, including a 5.8 million dollar update to Ewert Park that would add a Splash Park and Ice Ribbon.

On Tuesday, the council will hear from Missouri Southern President Dean VanGalen, President of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce Toby Teeter, and City Manager Nick Edwards regarding Operation Launchpad. The former site of the Joplin Library downtown would house MSSU’s Small Business Development Center and provide the university a more visitor accessible presence in central Joplin. Today and tomorrow’s meetings start at about 5:45 PM. For KRPS, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro in Webb City