COURT REACHES DECISION REGARDING PETTIS COUNTY AND SEDALIA LAWSUIT

Johnson County Circuit Court made a verbal ruling regarding the lawsuit between the City of Sedalia and Pettis County Presiding Commissioner Bill Taylor.

The lawsuit came about when both parties disagreed about whether the county had to comply with the city’s building safety codes. The commission reportedly prohibited the Sedalia Fire Department from entering Pettis County Jail to conduct safety inspections and fire pre-plans.

Circuit Judge Stacey Lett made a verbal ruling in favor of the county on Tuesday, July 9, citing that the city failed to make a submissible case with substantial evidence before the court. This ruling affirms the County’s position and upholds the decisions made by Pettis County officials, however, the court did not accept the county’s argument that it was exempt from the city’s safety regulations.

While the court made a verbal ruling in favor of the county, City Administrator Kelvin Shaw stated that the case accomplished a lot for the city.

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Following the case, Shaw stated that Pettis County Sheriff Brad Anders gave the city permission to begin the fire and building safety inspections on all county facilities. The commission also released a written statement regarding the decision and extended an invitation to the city to meet with commissioners.

Both sides are now waiting for the written ruling to decide what the next steps in the case might be. You can view the written statements from both parties by clicking the following links.

County Statement: press-release-county-statement-city-v-bill-taylor-et-al

City Statement: 0709_2024-news-release-court-issues-order