Building Permits
Cole County Public Works Department issues building permits on behalf of the City of Russellville. The City’s Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) is responsible for reviewing all building permit applications for compliance. Upon completion of the Commission’s review, a recommendation will be made to the Board of Aldermen (BOA) for their approval or denial of the application.
The Cole County Public Works Department has established a new online permitting portal to streamline the permitting process. To begin your application, please access the portal at countyofcolemo.portal.opengov.com. A username and password will need to be established to log in. After a permit application is submitted, the program will flag any project that is within the Russellville city limits. At that time, the City Clerk receives notification that action is required on a permit application. For those projects requiring PZC reviews and approvals, including construction of a new home or commercial building, shop/garage, addition to the existing structure, inground pool, or other permanent structure, the City Clerk will send a message through the portal outlining the requirements and the date of the next PZC meeting. You must contact the City Clerk to be placed on the next scheduled PZC agenda relating to your building permit application. Either you or your engineer must meet with the PZC in person to discuss your project. The PZC requests you provide a map and/or drawing of your project, identifying the type of structure, size of the structure, location of the structure/changes on your property to determine appropriate setbacks, proposed utility connections/extensions, and any additional information that would be helpful to the city’s plan review engineer in his review. You can upload plat maps, building plans, and other documents to the permit application through the portal. It is helpful and will save time if this information can be provided at least one week before the meeting. Permits are not required for fencing, decks, or portable buildings.
Subdivision development projects (including lot splits) require plat maps, civil site plans, and engineered drawings. The city’s plan review engineer is responsible for the review of the submitted plans for compliance with Russellville Subdivision Code Chapter 405. Please note the city has adopted the Cole County Public Works codes for the following:
- 2000 International Building Code
- 2000 International Residential Code
- 2000 International Plumbing Code
- 2002 National Electrical Code
Extensive remodels (residential and commercial) that include new electrical and plumbing must be permitted through the online portal process, but do not require review by the PZC unless changes are made to the structure requiring engineering review.
Please note that for complex projects, such as new subdivision developments or commercial development, multiple meetings should be expected to address platting, civil site plans, and infrastructure (water, sewer, streets, stormwater) plans.
Upon the recommendation of the city’s review engineer, the Commission will vote to move your project approval forward to the Board of Aldermen, to be placed on the agenda of the next Board meeting, and recommend final approval. Upon final approval by the Board of Aldermen, the City Clerk will send a message through the online portal that all requirements have been met and the building permit application process can proceed.
Help Keep Our Streets Clean
Spring brings warmer temps and the grass starts to grow! We appreciate our residents taking pride in their property and their efforts to keep their yards mowed, raked, and generally cleaned up. We want to put our best foot forward, not only for ourselves but for visitors and those who may be considering Russellville as their future home.
It is the City’s job to keep streets clean and the city’s right-of-way stormwater drainage systems (pipes/ditches) clear and open to direct and control the flow of stormwater. We ask for your help by not mowing/blowing grass clippings into the street or raking leaves into streets or along curbs and gutters, in accordance with City Ordinance No. 2016.8.
As yard waste debris collects on the streets, it clogs the stormwater drainage systems, which could result in uncontrolled flows backing up into yards or basements. Safety is also an important issue for motorcyclists and bicyclists as accumulated leaves and grass clippings become slick and pose a potential hazard. Please collect grass clippings and leaves in the street and dispose of them properly. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen thank you and appreciate your cooperation and your efforts that help us keep our community looking its best at all times!
Yard Waste Disposal Site
The City’s free Yard Waste Disposal Site off Jefferson Road (at the old MoDOT Site just past the high school) has been very popular since its opening in 2017. We heard from many of you that a local yard waste disposal site would be useful. The site is generally open on weekdays for your use. For after-hour disposal, evenings and weekends, please call James at 573-338-4001 to make arrangements. We welcome your disposal of tree trimmings, yard waste, brush, grass clippings, and leaves. No stumps, landscaping timbers, building materials, yard waste in plastic bags, trash, white goods, tires, etc. will be accepted, and no commercial dumping is allowed.
The site will be monitored by the Public Works staff for compliance. Arrangements can be made for special disposals and for those needing assistance. Dates will be announced for special times and events such as Christmas Tree disposal and in response to storm damage events.
Annual Yard Sale and Clean-Up Day
It has become an annual event to hold city-wide garage and yard sales in the spring and fall, typically a Friday and Saturday. Notices of the date will be published here. A flyer is prepared for each Sale – please contact City Hall by the week before the event to have your address listed on the flyer. Flyers will be available to pick up at City Hall on Thursday before the event begins on Friday.
Republic Services offers a free Spring Clean-Up Day each year for their residential customers. A list of ineligible items for pickup can be printed from the City’s website.