Poplar Bluff City Council members voted Monday to ask citizens for additional sales tax money in August.
They also gave the final approval for construction to start on a new Barron Road subdivision called Brookstone. The 14 single-family homes mark the largest number of residential construction permits issued by the city in a single year since 2010.
Residents will be asked Aug. 7 to approve a sales tax for internet purchases from out-of-state companies. The same measure failed by 12 votes in August 2017.
City officials say loss of sales tax as internet purchases increase continues to hurt the city. The tax would be the same as that assessed for purchases at brick-and-mortar stores within Poplar Bluff.
The city cannot use city funds to promote the ballot measure and will form a committee to assist with it, city manager Mark Massingham has said.
Brookstone will be located at 1637 Barron Road, west of Miller Road.
All of the city permits have been completed for construction to begin, said city planner Matt Winters.
The last subdivision to be approved in city limits was Skyson Place in 2012. Located off Wilcox Road, it had 29 lots for apartments.
Residential construction permits issued in the past 10 years have been low, according to city officials. Numbers for recent years were: 2017, five; 2016, one; 2014, 10; 2013, eight; 2012, 11; 2011, 15; 2010, 24; 2009, eight; and 2008, 20.
In other business, the council discussed making repairs to the cracks of a foundation of a maintenance building used by Municipal Utilities at 110 Johnson Drive. Bids have been received, with the lowest at $27,875 from Foundation Supportworks by Woods of Collinsville, Ill. This will be a voting item in June.