Mayor John Josendale holds second town hall meeting with St. Joseph residents

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Mayoral incumbent John Josendale hosted a town hall meeting Tuesday evening at Hazel's Coffee.

This is the second town hall meeting Josendale has hosted. Residents had the chance to speak with Josendale directly, ask questions and raise concerns about the city.

Josendale said many people at the town hall asked what the city is doing about economic development, road construction and how it plans to continue communicating with the public.

"The survey will go out again, so we keep track of what the people are really interested in. A lot of people just really like to see what we're doing in the parks, but they want updates about when we're going to get the convention center, when are the parks going to be done, which bridges are going to be done. A lot of it is how you are trying to fix it," he said.

Josendale said town halls are a way to get as much information out to the public.

"That people do to hear us one on one. I think what I've gotten out of these town halls is that people do want to come out," he said. "We make it to where it's available for them to come, and we'll work with people to try to be able to get it out there more."

Josendale said he loves St. Joseph, and he wants people to have that same feeling about St. Joseph.

"Whatever we do, it's all about people. It's the people you live with, it's the people you work with and how do we make it better for everybody," he said. "Being able to feel like they can communicate and that it matters because for all the people, the one thing I will say over and over again, your vote does matter, it does count. That's your way to express yourself, so don't be afraid to do that and don't be afraid to come out and tell us what you think."

Josendale said anyone who cannot attend the town hall meetings can email, call or leave a message for him at City Hall.

"I will call people back. I've had a number of people since we started doing the town hall meetings. I've had people who would call with a question, and then when I call them back, kind of surprised that I'm calling them. Don't be afraid to holler," he said.

The next town hall meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on March 31 at Moony's Coffee.