EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – Fiscal year 2020 was big for building permit revenue, Economic Development Director Melinda Mehaffy told the City Council. Mehaffy presented the Planning & Zoning Department’s annual report when the City Council convened March 1 in a hybrid meeting. She said the city had collected fees based on building permits valued at nearly $38.5 million, including $22,230,364 for Cornerstone Elementary School, a project still under construction. The amount is the highest since 2016, when the community center was finished, she said. “Otherwise, we go all the way back to 2006 before we get these types of numbers,” Mehaffy said. OTHER WORK Mehaffy reported the Planning & Zoning Department had issued 642 building permits in 2020 – a 26% increase over fiscal year 2019. Other highlights included… • Mehaffy said reviewing and revising the city’s zoning code was underway. With 162 pages of text to examine, she expects the project to take a year. To complete the project,…