RAYTOWN REPORT

Thanksgiving Day may be behind us, but events, local and far away, on this 2008 version of our Thanksgiving Holiday reminded me of how much we have to be thankful for in Raytown and as Americans. The events in Mumbai, India reminded me of how thankful I am for living in a country where political differences are not settled at the end of a gun. I am thankful for living in a country where freedom of speech is more than just a thought, but a practice. I am thankful that Raytown’s major eyesore, the old First Baptist Church in Downtown Raytown, will soon be an image of the past. I am thankful for the two young men who have taken the bold step of trying to breath life back into the Raytown Post. Print media is the barometer by which the health of a community can be gauged. A community without a local newspaper to bind it together is less than healthy. I am thankful for living in a community where two of our local high school teams have excelled in the area of sports. Recognition is des...

The company hired by Walmart to clear land for their new store on 350 Highway has been dumping the debris one mile east of the new location on Westridge Road. The dump can be viewed from Westridge Road between East and West bound Highway 350. You will not need directions to find it once you are there. The dump is made up of earth, concrete, asphalt and rock from the new Walmart location. The debris is easily whipped up by the dry fall winds common to the Midwest at this time of year. The result is a fine film of dust which settles on nearby homes, businesses and cars. The city requires that large construction projects (such as the Walmart development) submit a plan as to what they will do with debris from a construction site. So it is not a surprise to city officials that the landfill dump has been created. But what has happened has far surpassed the guidelines set out in the plan. A local businessman brought the complaint forward at the Board of Aldermen’s last meeting. Mayor Bower...

One of the more important functions of an elected official is to act as a liaison to those he represents. The ability to cut through red tape and, simply put, “get things done”, is of prime importance. I take my job seriously on the City Council and find a lot of satisfaction in cutting the “red tape” for constituent requests. Most requests are reasonable and, with the cooperation of the city hall personnel, solutions are often found quickly. Last week I received a request for repair of sidewalks near the Bowen Apartments serving the Downtown Raytown area. Residents of Bowen, most of whom are senior citizens, use the sidewalks to access the Public Library, Fox’s Drugs, United Missouri Bank and Coddington’s Thriftway. Many of them need assistance in walking, be it a cane or a walker. The large cracks and broken pavement literally force them to use the street in order to avoid the crumbling sidewalks. A quick check at City Hall showed that not only is the city aware of the problem, it...

One of the more common complaints I hear from those who watch Raytown Board of Aldermen meetings on television is that the meetings are difficult to follow. With very little public discussion on many of the items, be they resolutions or ordinances, the headings that are publicly read leave much to be desired to those watching from home. Easily 80% of what the Board votes on in meetings are housekeeping business items. Since the items are public business, the Board must follow statutory requirements in its decision making process. In other words, the public’s business must be conducted in public. Still, the public has a right to know how its tax dollars are spent. At the last meeting of the Board, I addressed that need. Part of the problem is the stilted language used in the headings of resolutions and ordinances read before each vote. For instance, last Tuesday night, three resolutions were read awarding contracts to three different firms. Two of the resolutions were worded exactly ...

This Wednesday evening the Raytown Board of Aldermen will consider adoption of a contract with interim City Administrator Mahesh Sharma. The contract will install Sharma as the permanent City Administrator. Highlights of the contract include: SALARY AND BENEFITS: $99,857 annual salary. Automobile allowance of $400 monthly ($4,800 annually), health insurance as provided for all other city employees, and an annual contribution equivalent to 5% of the City Administrator’s base salary towards a pension fund (approximately $5,000 annually). WAIVER OF RESIDENCY: City ordinances require that the City Administrator live within the city limits. The contract waives that requirement for Sharma for a three year period. At the end of the period, the city MAY (emphasis added) require Sharma to move to Raytown. At that point, he has 12 months to make the relocation. Costs involved in the move are to be paid by the City of Raytown. RETRO-ACTIVE PAY: The contract sets the term of Sharma’s servic...