By Debby Woodin

dwoodin@joplinglobe.com

A proposal to create a public-use area at Grand Falls will be heard by the Joplin City Council at its meeting today.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has offered to build a boardwalk and deck overlooking the falls for public viewing and perhaps fishing. Adjacent landowners Mark and Jean Matlock have offered to donate land next to the falls for public parking.

According to city memos, the Joplin Parks and Recreation Department could manage the area as part of the parks system. The Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center has expressed interest in helping develop a system of trails connecting Wildcat Park with McIndoe Park and the falls. The nature center could use the falls area to provide educational programming on water-quality issues, according to the memo.

The effort also would involve Missouri American Water Co., which owns the falls as part of the Joplin water system.

Grand Falls is listed as the most substantial waterfall on a continuously flowing stream in the state.

The presentation will be made at the council’s 5:15 p.m. informal meeting in the conference room next to council chambers. The regular meeting starts at 6 p.m.

In other business, ordinances that would establish new staff positions previously discussed with the council by the city staff will be up for formal action.

The council will be asked to approve on an emergency basis four new jobs in the city jail. The city plans to take over jail operations next year rather than pay the contracted operator, GRW Inc., to staff and manage the operation. The jail contract with the Brentwood, Tenn., company expires Oct. 31.

City Finance Director Leslie Jones told the council in August that the city could save about $452,000 over five years on jail operations by hiring the workers and managing the jail rather than paying GRW.

The cost to hire GRW would range from $791,000 next year to $890,000 in 2013. The city likely could house prisoners for $715,000 next year up to $800,000 in five years, Jones told the council.

There is risk of a liability claim with the jail, but the city has insurance that would cost about $4,000 a year that could limit its losses, Jones told the council.

Police Chief Lane Roberts said at the August meeting that he would prefer that the city not have the liability associated with operating a jail. But, he said, there has to be a place for detentions, and for the cost savings, he was in favor of the city taking over the jail rather than paying increased cost to an outside operator.

The council also will be asked to act on requests for three new classifications of jobs in the Public Works Department and two new classifications within the Police Department.