Sunday, June 13, 2010

In This Week's Raytown Report

Raytown Street Maintenance by Greg Walters
Making Sense of  the Dollars and Cents
To Your Health: Sushi, The Raw Deal by Jenn Walters
Water District Reverses Decision
Charter in the City's Future?
Summerfest, A Steamy/Soggy Success
Last Week's Poll Results

Every Picture Tells a Story 
Because of limited access, most visitors to the Grand Canyon see that natural wonder from the South Rim. The picture at right was taken from the North Rim of Canyon. 

The north rim of the canyon is 3,000 feet higher in elevation than the south rim. Therefore, the temperature on the north rim averages in the 70 degree range during the summer. The south rim is typically in the 90's. 

The north rim also receives large amounts of snowfall each winter. It is not unusual to see last winter's snow drifts still in place as late as August. The air is especially clear on the North Rim of the canyon.The mountains viewed in the picture above are over 50 miles away.
Breaking News

Prompted by a call from relatives, the Raytown Police found a dead woman at a residence at 67th Terrace and Elm Street. The deceased has been identified as Latoya Hopkins. Police believe the death to be a homicide.

Police are looking for a 26 year old (black) male named Tawanda Kunoga for questioning. He is 5 feet, 10 inches, approximately 160 pounds and may be driving a blue Plymouth Neon. Authorities ask that you contact the police if you know where he can be found.

For more information about the homicide use this link KCTV 5 NEWS STORY



NEWS AND VIEWS
by Greg Walters

Raytown Street Maintenance – 2010

The Raytown Public Works Department has released its street maintenance plans for the summer of 2010. The map (see below) shows in detail which streets will be treated this summer. The program is divided into four parts:
2010 ARA OVERLAY: This is actually stimulus money from the economic recovery act from Washington, DC. The money will be spent on putting a new surface on Woodson Road on the eastern boundary of the city.

2010 OVERLAY: This traditional overlay program will be used on Raytown Road, Blue Ridge Boulevard and 53rd Street.
2010 STREET RECLAMATION: These are streets in which the road surface is considered failed. The asphalt on them will be ground up and then used as a base for a new layer of 3” of asphalt on the surface.
2010 L.W.A. SEAL: Most readers will equate this surface treatment to that of a slurry seal. A thin coating of a mixture of water, oil and sand is applied to the asphalt surface of a street. The coating seals cracks on the roadway surface. The finished product should look like a new street surface.

The L.W.A. (Light Weight Aggregate) Seal is an improved version of what most people will recognize as a slurry seal. The process is expected to add seven years to the life of a street.

Making Sense of the Dollars and Cents . . .

Raytown’s street maintenance program is funded by a half cent Transportation Sales Tax. Part of the revenue from that tax is already committed to pay for debt retirement of the Walmart TIF on 250 Highway. The remainder of the tax revenue pays for costs of the ATA bus service to Raytown and also funds the street maintenance program.

The Woodson Road street overlay portion of the project is being funded by federal (stimulus) tax dollars. It is a one-time event and not funded by the local sales tax dollars.

The miles of street being affected by the street maintenance program has been greatly increased by the use of L.W.A. seal in place of street overlay.

The Public Works Department has established a four year plan for expenditures on street maintenance. The amounts posted on the city website indicate that dollars spent will remain static for the next four years. Those amounts are more than previous amounts spent on street maintenance.

In that regard, it is a very welcome step in the right direction.

However, if you take into account inflation and petroleum cost increases the amount is less than that spent on street overlay five years ago.

The situation will probably remain unchanged until City Hall can find a way to pay off the debt incurred by the Walmart TIF project.




TO YOUR HEALTH by Jenn Walters

Sushi: The Raw Deal
When I first tried sushi in college, I wasn’t a fan. The rolls were filled with gummy, tasteless rice, and the sashimi was, well, fishy. As someone who was pretty adventurous in the food departmentat a young age, I felt like I was a loser. Even in 2002, sushi was hip, and me not wanting to partake took my coolness down a notch, at least in my eyes.
In my wise post-college years , I’ve learned two things: bad sushi sucks and it may take a time or two to “get” sushi. But once you do, oh my, can it be enjoyable. (And if you never do, it’s still cool because you’re much less likely to come down with a variety of nasty bugs and parasites by forgoing raw fish.) It may be expensive, but it’s worth it to go to the nicest or at least the cleanest place in town. And if the thought of digesting rare octopus freaks you out (or you’re preggers), stick to the rolls, which are far less scary your first go-round. My “first time” involved A LOT of rare yellowtail and eel, if that tells you anything.
Once you develop a love for it (and if you like seafood, I think you can), sushi can be a fabulously healthy meal if you stick to the right fare. As a general rule, the authentic stuff is the best. If it sounds like a frat boy named it (think: Santa Maria’s Suicide Roll, The Blur Roll or Acid Drops–all real names from real restaurants, mind you), you should probably stay away from it as they usually include more American ingredients such as mayo, cream cheese or something fried.

Sushi Game Plan
Appetizer. Go hog wild by ordering not one, but two appetizers. Edamame is my first choice because it’s really good for you, and it’s fun to eat. (127 cals, 6 grams of good fat and 4 grams of fiber in a 1/2 c. of shelled edamame). Miso soup is a close second with a yummy flavor and only about 50 cals per 1 cup.
Rolls. My faves involve spicy tuna rolls, cucumber rolls and any type with salmon (omega-3s, woo-hoo!). Most of these contain about 200-300 calories per roll, and cucumber rolls clock in at only 130 calories per roll. In addition, many sushi joints have brown rice available, upping the nutritional quality of your meal, and most restaurants are happy to decrease the amount of rice used, you just have to ask. If you’re tempted to get the higher-cal stuff, go ahead, but pick one or two rolls to splurge on and split it with a couple of pals. (I’m a total sucker for spider rolls, so if you’re going to indulge, I suggest those!)
Sashimi. Since sashimi is just rare fish over rice, ask what the freshest fish is and go with that. Fattier fish like salmon will have more calories and fat, but it’s all good stuff, so don’t worry about it; just keep your portion sizes in check. Yellowfin tuna sashimi is only listed at about 100 calories for three pieces.
Sake/Dessert. When dining out, I usually pick either sake or dessert. Some days, a good house sake does the trick and others days mochi ice cream is all I can think about. Just an ounce of sake has about 40 cals and mochi ice cream (golf-ball sized mixtures of rice starch and ice milk) has about 100 calories per ball. So, pick your splurge and savor it.
Do you like sushi? What’s your favorite fare? And, when it comes to sake vs. dessert what do you say: Sake it to me or mo mochi, please?

Water District Reverses Decision
In a split decision, the Board of Directors of Jackson County (Raytown) Water Supply District No. 2 has reversed a decision concerning the eligibility of its Manager, Mr. Pat Ertz, from running for re-election to the Raytown City Council. The decision was reached at its June 9th meeting.
During the April, 2010 election, candidates for the Water District Board of Directors had said that the District’s Manager that Mr. Ertz was prohibited in his contract from seeking public office. The Water District is a public entity, as is the City of Raytown. The situation can lead to conflicts of interest between the two public entities.
Mr. Ertz is currently serving his first term on the Raytown Board of Aldermen. He represents Ward 4. The geographic boundaries of Ward 4 fall within the boundaries of Public Water Supply District No. 2.
Mr. Ertz has had to abstain from votes on the City Council on issues that affect the Public Water Supply District.
Board of Director Jerry Briggs expressed concern about how the issue was brought before the Water District Board of Directors.
“There was nothing on the agenda about this public vote,” said Briggs. “Pat (Ertz) added it as an afterthought at the end of the meeting. Within five minutes the majority of the Board had hammered the item through.”
Briggs said that on the Raytown City Council ALL items of public interest are posted on the agenda so that the public has a chance to become informed on the issue.
“The last minute addition takes away the public’s right to know”, said Briggs.
Ertz had told Board members that he had not decided to whether or not he would run for re-election to the City Council, but wanted to know where they stood on the matter before he made his decision.
How they voted . . . on allowing the Manager of the Public Water Supply District to run for the Raytown City Council.
How they voted:
YES: Gary Gillihand, George Baker, George Yocum, Raymond O’Dwyer
NO: Jerry Briggs

Charter in the City’s Future?
Word has reached the Raytown Report that some city officials are bemoaning the fact that the City of Raytown is not a charter city. The area most affected are those in property maintenance code enforcement. Coincidentally, the amount of traffic on the blog portion of the Raytown Report has increased as well.
So it is probably not a surprise that this week’s poll question re-visits the charter issue.
As they say in Chicago, “vote early and often”.
Summerfest a Steamy / Soggy Success
Raytowners showed up in good numbers to celebrate the Second Annual Summerfest held in Downtown Raytown this past weekend. Friday night was warm and steamy, but a steady breeze kept helped keep the walkways crowded with people enjoying the evening.
Heavy rainfall thinned out the crowd on Saturday but the sun did come out late in the afternoon with cooler temperatures for an evening of entertainment that was pleasant and enjoyable.
Last Week’s Poll Results

Who do you support in the race for the First District at Large seat on the Jackson County Legislature?

Teresa Garza-Ruiz . . . . . . 50%
Ray Salva, Jr. . . . . . . . . . 50%

44 comments:

Andy Whiteman said...

I am very happy that we are going to have much needed street repairs and maintenance. It is about time.

I wonder where these repairs/maintenance will take place? Greg, your map is smaller than the city's but I understand the space limitation to your page. I looked at the city website a few weeks ago and their map, also, was too small to read the street names. Is it possible to obtain a listing of affected streets rather than guessing from an unreadable map?

So far, I have heard only one comment in favor of the Walmart TIF. A Westlake employee told me that their business has actually increased since with the Walmart opening. That is because Walmart only stocks high volume items. Since Walmart doesn't have a complete selection of Hardware, Walmart customers come to Westlake. I will also remind you that Westlake is full service where you can actually ask a person where something is or how to do a project.

I was at Wally's World last night for Red Dogg's treats and also did some shopping/price checks. Stragely some of the frozen food was priced lower (but not all). I actually found Gorton's frozen fish priced higher than Hy-Vee. Wise shoppers should check prices of what they buy.

Andy Whiteman

Greg Walters said...

Andy,

I copied the image and placed it in word. From there I was able to make it larger, but since I have converted it to a jpeg for use on this page, the type did not become any clearer.

Send me your address and I can send you a PDF of the file. It is very readable.

The point I am trying to make about the Walmar TIF is that if the city did not have to pay off that debt their would be a lot more money available for street improvements.

As it is, it appears that the Public Works is doing he best it can with what it has.

Andy Whiteman said...

Greg,

I agree with your point on the TIF. It is asinine that the taxpayers have to pay and to sacrifice for 20 years so that one business may open a store. This business is big enough to fund itself. In my opinion, TIFs should go to small businesses in need of funding. My comment was in general to those who have stated Wallmart is running businesses out of town.

I was looking for the road improvement map again on the city's web site and was unable to find it. Just for comparison, I checked both the water map and the street map. I was unable to read the street names on any of these maps. The names were blurred. The city needs a better system. When I worked for AT&T we had a Sun Systems software showing street maps that were readable along with cable overlays for locating underground cable. I will send you my email address.

I took a look at the city water company map and noticed that WD 2 and Raytown Water Company overlap in several areas. I wonder if they both use the same mains? I bet we all get the same water at different prices. Wouldn't it be logical for Raytown Water Company to take over the whole area since they have lower rates?

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

This how your street overlay tax is used.
First it went, as we all know to Wal-Mart.
But this will show you just what your city elected people think of you.
The chamber needed a smooth street to put their carnival and vendors on so 62nd St. got new paving. So far you have paid for projects
with your tax dollars that actually cost the city
money. No income from Wal-Mart for twenty three years and every year the summer fest costs the city
your tax dollars. The chamber is the only one making money. All the police and maintenance is paid for
by you the taxpayer.

Pat Casady said...

I have a question for the city and the chamber.
I would also like to say I have nothing against the
Summerfest. In fact I look forward to it.
However, for at least the last three years it has rained
making a mess of the event.
My question is, why can't it be moved to later in the summer
after the spring rainy season?
When we had the Round-Up days in late September it hardly
ever rained. I'm sure it rained some time but not every year.
It may even be a little cooler in September.

Andy Whiteman said...

I think there may be some competition having Summer Fest around the same time as other cities.

I really wonder why Summer Fest can't be held at the old Thriftway or old Hy-Vee/Walmart where there are large, paved lots with NO mud? Maybe it could be held at the new Walmart. They have a large lot. Let them support the community.

Andy Whiteman

Robbie Tubbs said...

Andy,
I think having the Summer Fest at the old Walmart parking lot is a wonderful idea. There were only a dozen or so booths, so they don’t need a lot of room. There would be plenty of space for the BBQ folks to set up in the old Hy-Vee area, the carnival could set up in front of the Walmart, and the booths could set up between both events. Not only would there be no mud, but the grass wouldn’t have to be replaced every year. It seems like a win-win situation for everyone.

Anonymous said...

This weeks poll question is do we need a charter. YES we do. If people would understand it is not to get rid of anyone but to truly better the city and what it can do as far as making codes more effective and having a full time city administratior to run the city. Look Mayor Bower is a fine man I am sure and has good intentions, but he is out of the city ALOT. For example I left a message in December for him to call me and I even spoke to him and ask for a phone call and now here it is six months later and I am still waiting for a call. Another example is the Chief of Police. He answers to no one. The safety sales tax that was passed and we were to get more police officers and a crime analyist. Where are they? Crime is on the rise and he answers to no one. If appointed he would have to answer questions and be held accountable. I think this is the problem no one wants to accountable they all want to do their own thing and we the citizens and the city suffer. Let's get a charter and put the city on the map for something other than being known as a slum city.

Anonymous said...

I see the Gary Knabe swamp is FULL of water after last night's rain. When is Bower going to quit protecting his cronies, like Knabe and fine this man to the maximum like he should be?

Andy Whiteman said...

Robbie, Ever since I was a kid I have seen carnival rides set up in shopping center parking lots. I have even seen them at Bannister mall. I thought a mud free and grass free area is a great place.

A few years ago a Police Officer told me the intent is to bring people downtown. Why? 95% of the businesses are closed weekends and evenings, so what is accomplished?

3PM, You might try emailing or snail mailing those who don't return calls. Some people prefer written communication for a record of the communication. Also there is an issue with returning calls. We in the telecom business call it "person delay." You see if your line is busy or you aren't home, a call can't be returned. In the case of someone like me who sleeps days it is almost impossible for a day person to call me. Likewise if you work days, a day person can't call you either. I disagree with your comments about the Mayor and Chief of Police because they BOTH answer to me.

I agree that we need a Charter to get out of the Mayberry RFD type category. The only difference is we have a town marshall and a very qualified police force rather than a sheriff, one deputy, and a town drunk. I think many people are afraid that it won't be handled in an ethical manner.

Raytown needs to come out of the 1800s. This is a modern city now!

Andy Whiteman

Andy Whiteman said...

Sometimes it seems as if people give up in Raytown as a lost cause. The county has a health department to deal with issues such as Swamp Knabe.

There are also problem solvers on the TV news, but they don't want to hear from you until you have made attempts on your own to resolve the issue. There is also the Watch Dog in the Red Star.

I will tell you that if I lived near Swamp Knabe, this issue would have been resolved long ago.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

City Charter=Big Brother=More Government.

We really do not need this. There are those that will lead you to believe that Raytown really needs it, but look at other cities with charters and the problems that are created by them;KCMO, Independence, KCKS, etc.

I have had enough of forced regulations upon myself and my family. Apparently some want to feed the 'buraucratic monster'. I don't want any part of it!

Pat Casady said...

I have been hunting for a true explanation of Raytown's
form of government. Is it a Strong-Mayor form? Is it a
Weak-Mayor form or is it a Mayor-council form of government?
when I read the definitions of each it seems Raytown is a little
of all three.
When you read the definition of a charter form of government
T would make sense that it would be the way to go.
I think some of us are remembering the fight for a charter a few years
ago. There was a lot of miss-information and down right lies put out by opponents of that charter. I'm really not sure why but, I got the impression that the powers that were in charge didn't want it because the cities government would have to be more open and they would have to
answer to the people. What we have now is a form of dictatorship.
I don't mean that in a totally bad way but, our elected officials don't have to answer to anyone. In fact as we have seen many times, if they choose not to listen or talk to you, your out of luck. They even put time
limits on how long you can stand before them.
The following is what I found as a definition of a charter form of
government:
"A charter city is a city in which the governing system is defined by the city's own charter document rather than by state, provincial, regional or national laws. In locations where city charters are allowed by law, a city can adopt or modify its organizing charter by a majority vote of its resident citizens. A charter gives a city's residents the flexibility to choose any kind of government structure allowed by law."

As you can see this puts more into the hands of the people rather than to elected officials. So please don't believe the lies brought up by opponents of a charter. Just believe your own eyes and ears if a charter
ever comes up again.

Anonymous said...

To City Charter=Big Brother=More Government. Seems to me like you have not done your home work to see now a charter could very much improve the city and make it a more viable place for business and families to want to come to. You haven't had regulations forced upon you in this city.

Anonymous said...

Apparently many of you don't know much about a charter. The bottom line it gives more power to the citizens and gives less to the government officials, that's why Sue Frank, Barb Schlapia and the other cronies at city hall didn't want it. It actually allows the people to petition their city government to OVERTURN things that the city is trying to impose upon the taxpayers. Better do your homework on charters before you go commenting too much about how bad they are.

Anonymous said...

Strong mayor, weak mayor. Depends on the person. How about mayor who turns over everything to out of town department heads and rarely shows himself at city hall?

A charter would be a great improvement. A charter has petition powers. A fourth class city does not. A charter has recall. A forth class city does not.


Charter gives more power to the people. The writer who explained how Frank, Schlapia and company did not want the charter and why hit it nail right on the head.

Pat Casady said...

Actually, Strong-Mayor, Weak-Mayor and
Mayor-council are true types of city government.
They don't have anything to do with the person who is
the Mayor. It is how the city is governed.
However if you look these three types of government
Raytown doesn't seem to fit any one single definition.

Anonymous said...

Well - here's another one -

KMBC-TV
RAYTOWN, Mo. - KMBC.com

Police are investigating after a 33-year-old woman was found dead in her home near 67th and Elm streets Tuesday morning.

Investigators said they were contacted by relatives to check on the woman.

Officers were able to get into the woman's house through a basement window and found the woman dead. Her death is described as suspicious.

KMBC's Peggy Breit is following this developing story.

Anonymous said...

What is Chief Lynch doing about all this crime that is filtering into Raytown? It appears NOTHING. What happened to this "so called" public safety tax? Same old story, we are paying more taxes and getting less services. Your elected officials are "taking you to the cleaners" and the people that vote in city elections are allowing them to do it. Next April, I say vote ALL incumbents out at city hall.

Anonymous said...

Just on TV5 news.

Several individuals decided to comment at city hall about how unsafe our city is.

I would say the timing could be better with the new coverage already in Raytown.

I hope the news media to include the blog stays on the city to start addressing the crime in our city.

I know to many that have first hand knowlegde that our police department could be doing more, but leadership has decided not to do all they could to provide for our safty.

It is time we go after anyone with an outstandng warrent know to live or visit any address in our city.

It is time the slightest traffic violation means a stop and a ticket.

It is time that reports are caught up in the patrol cars that are parked in the higher crime areas.

It is past time to give the city back to those that pay the taxes!

Andy Whiteman said...

7:16PM, My question is if we vote out ALL incumbents, who will replace them? I think you have put the card ahead of the horse.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

Just because you could petition and other things like that does not necessarily make a charter a better thing.

There are a lot of blowhards that get on here tooting their horns about 'We need a charter'.

Sorry, that is one thing that we can do without. You can try to sugar coat it all you want to, but in the end lies are still lies.

And, truth be known, we do have enough rules imposed upon us know, lord knows that we sure don't need any more government in our lives.

I used to live in KCMO. Why do you think that I moved away from there in the first place. Government run rampant! You people really want that garbage? I will guarantee you that Raytown will be even worse than it is now if a charter gets passed. It got stopped twice now, obviously for a good reason!

Apparently a few of you could use a little education on different governmental forms, then maybe you will understand a bit better from someone with first hand experience.

Get a new mayor, get rid of the City Administrator's position, and any Aldermen that are not doing their jobs. Make them WORK for their money! If they don't realize that it is more than a title, then they have no business running for the position, period!

Pat Casady said...

I'm not defending Chief Lynch but, what would you have him do? I'm sure he wouldbe open to suggestions.
The police department can't post an officer outside
every door in Raytown.
Times are changing for this town and good or bad
we have to live with it. We can only hope things will get better.
You know as well as everybody that when property values go down it invites some pretty bad people.
That's why our codes department is so important.
It needs to keep rundown property owners in line or
you invite trouble. Raytown needs changes. We need people
To run this town that use the rules that are in place. In other
words do the job they were hired or elected to do.
You can blame Chief Lynch but, the real blame goes
to our elected officials and City Hall. It was their decisions
that has caused Raytown's problems.
Higher taxes, running businesses out of town and turning our
downtown into a blighted area sits squarely on the shoulders
of our elected officials. Both past and present.

Anonymous said...

Andy

Have you really seen any results from talking (emailing) either the mayor or chief?

Yes, they might by some act of God respond, but they tend to never follow through.

Just think of the number of complaints to have a pro-active codes department. Yet, we still don't have one. Surprise what we do have is an aditional murder, but no shocker. When you don't address code violations and you don't enforce the law then the criminals move in along with their ways of dealing with life.

We should be so proud to have the leadership in our police department and city hall that is moving us forward into the ghetto. Maybe one of these days city hall and will decide to act like leaders and actually lead our city down a clear and productive path. Until then I am sure we will only see more crime including murders.

I sure miss my Raytown of yesturday!

Anonymous said...

I think you are confused get rid of a mayor who is never in town to take care of city business and keep the city administrator who really cares about the city and works for the people. What we have is a part time mayor who if you listened to the boa meeting last night still doesn't have a clue about how to get a handle on the crime is this city, plus I believe a police chief who is scared of his own shadow.

Anonymous said...

Raytown used to have a reputation. Some thought it was not a good one, but it really was. Don’t speed in Raytown. The police will pull you over and give you a ticket. Don’t damage other people’s property. The police will hunt you down and put you in jail. Don’t assault anyone. Don’t steal. Same thing.

What happened? When I moved to Raytown more than 10 years ago, it was a quiet, blue-collar town. Now, there are drugs, murders, and assaults. According to the Star, last week, there were 5 assaults, 6 burglaries, 3 drug arrests, 16 cases of property damage, and 7 cases of stealing. That’s just in one week. The police are spending all their time responding to crimes, instead of having the time to prevent them.

Do we have fewer police officers on the streets? Why are people no longer safe in their own homes? Drive around Raytown and see how many people have felt the need to install alarm systems in their homes. It’s no long safe to allow our children to play in the front yard. How do we take back our town?

Anonymous said...

I listened to Mayor Bower give his answers to the crime problems we are having last night at the boa meeting. I have a few answers of my own. They are as follows #1 Set up a police sub station at the Utopia apartments, #2 These kids don't need lunch fixed for them and a Bible story read to them by the Inner Faith Alliance, they need to be punished make them do community work, spend some time in jail, The schools can't control them during the school year so how can they do it in the summer? #3 HIRE more policemen if you find Chiel Lynch to do so. These are THUGS and should be punished as that, THUGS!!! I certainly didn't feel any better after listening to the mayor last night if anything I felt we are out there to fight this battle ourselves.

Anonymous said...

We have a curfew in Raytown!! Here is a novel thought try enforcing it. Or is it like ALL the other laws and codes we have, write them, pass them and then DON"T enforce them

Andy Whiteman said...

Maybe this one didn't come through:

7:23AM, As far as my contacts with the Mayor and Police Chief, I have always had a response from the Chief and most of the time from the Mayor.

Sometimes the Mayor has his own agenda, which differs from mine, and that either produces no response or I feel the issue is not addressed. The no response could also be caused by the Mayor dealing with more important issues. These communications are considered to be private by both parties.

The last incident (an unethical door to door salesman of alarms) went to the Mayor, Police Chief, and City Clerk. Teresa Newton, our highly competant City Clerk, addressed the issue to my satisfaction. The copies to the Mayor and Police Chief were mainly an FYI to advise them of the situation.

Re: Law ewnforcement in Raytown"

I previously dispatched a sheriff's department with usually 3 (and sometimes 2 deputies) on a shift covering close to 1000 sq. miles. Needless to say responses to emergencies could be extremely delayed due to distance.

I lived in KCMO and a 911 call for a prowler HERE NOW took 6 minutes to answer (by counting the rings as I always do) and another 30 minutes for a response after a debate with the dispatcher if there was really a prowler or not.

A response in Downtown Denver to an apparent armed robbery was 37 minutes with a question from the officer, "Why did it take you so long to call?" I then notified the officer he had a 37 minute response which he verified with dispatch.

I called RPD for a business door ajar at night and had 6 officers there within 3 minutes.

Each time I call the police in Raytown, I have received a prompt response. I have even received prompt responses to calls where I, as a sheriff's dispatcher, would have written a report rather than dispatching a deputy.

I agree that traffic violations should bring a stop because sometimes they result in more than a traffic offence. But other people would complaint of racial profiling and that Raytown is a speed trap like Lake Lottawana.

I am satisfied that Raytown has a professional, highly qualified Police Department. Unfortunately there have been murders as well as other serious incidents. This activity is probably moving from KCMO but can happen in even small towns or villages.

The only way to have a better degree of safety is to fence the city with gated access. Even that won't work because there have been car thefts from a gated community in CA. No one can understand how the thief accessed the area or got out with the car.

Andy Whiteman
June 16, 2010 12:04 PM

Anonymous said...

We have laws on the books we just need a chief to ensure they are enforced and we sure will never get that out of Lynch.

We also have the issue with our mayor. The only thing he is ever been good at is looking the other way or telling those at city hall they are doing a good job when they are doing nothing, but take our tax dollars.

Until these two are gone Raytown will keep having issues.

It is time the news media start to keep an eye on Lynch and what he is doing with his time. The public will be in shock, but it will explain at least the problem with the police department.

As for the mayor based on special praise at city hall one can quickly draw an image of what is going on there and I sure hope like many other politicans someone can get the proof to end the nightmare he is forcing upon us.

Anonymous said...

I totally disagree with the woman who said at the boa meeting that the city needs to find a place for these thugs to hang out. No the mother needs to finds ways to keep her son busy and out of trouble. It is not up to the city to find a place for them to hang out to cause more trouble. It does not take a village to raise a child. It takes good parents!!!!!

Anonymous said...

When is this police chief going to institute a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY AND STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHERE THE CITY IS GOING TO BE SUED. He and those in power at city had better start worrying about the citizens of this town who are getting tried of being afraid. We aren't even safe in our own homes. One of my neighbors home was broken into 2 weeks ago in the middle of the afternoon. It was a good thing she had just left but what if she had been there it could have been even worse than what was stolen because she would have not have been meek and quite. A good part of the problem in our neighborhood is Southwood Park and Kengy Park.

This city's citizen just past the renewal of the saftey tax again about a year ago and what are we getting out of it? I don't mind paying my taxes but I do expect something for it and a lot more than what we are getting now in all departments of city hall.

I know that, Mr. Walters does not like it when someone on this blog has anything to say disparaging toward the powers that be at city hall especially the Police Chief but come on Greg you can't beleive he is doing a good job. My friend has just received a letter that they are done looking for the person who broke into her home any longer. Her responce was why am I not suprised. Did the police ever find the person who killed your neighbor across the street from you?

The hold police force has had their hands tied with that agreement with the NAACP the city signed. I was at the meeting that night and could not beleive that the city was so afraid of being sued they was would that to the officers.

I recently heard that our mayor is going to run again and probably so will the chief but why would we want either one of them because nothing is getting better in anyway in Raytown. We did not have these problems When Beller(not sure on that spelling) was police cheif.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Raytown Citizens, but the direction the City is taking has already been set. City hall, the Police, nor anyone else can control the influx of new citizens into our neighborhoods that we are experiencing. The previous bloggers are correct, our neighborhoods, our very homes are no longer safe to be in. Property values along with clean, quiet neighborhoods continue to decline. Raytown was once a clean, affordable place to live. Now it is polutted with rental homes, foreclosures, section 8, empty business, streets and sidewalks in decade and the very same criminal elements that make east KC what it is today. What does the City do? They close their eyes to the messes they have made, give the out-of-town department heads big paychecks to only see them drive away to their save homes in their safe neigherhoods, at least until a better job offer comes onlong.

Anonymous said...

You would think that if these kids are from ward 5 that that would be insentive enough for the mayor and 2 alderman from that ward to be throwing a fit until it was cleaned up. The problem is it's not their houses or their families that are having to deal with these kids. That just goes to show that we need to clean house at city hall totally. If it was them can bet things would change.

I agree with the person who said she/he disagreed with the person who said the city should find a place for the kids. It begins with the parents and should end only with the city if they have to be jailed. The problem is the parents aren't home most of the time or just don't care what the kids are doing. If the parents don't know or don't care then those parents should be prosicuted just the same as the kids and jailed time as well. Maybe then things would Raytown finally means business so they will move out of Raytown. We have to do something or Raytown will become another KC,MO or KS,KS where all they do is kill each other and whoever gets in the way.

Anonymous said...

I think most of our police are doing a pretty good job. I do hear complaints about dispatchers. They have always been helpful whenever I have called.

If the policy at city hall is to be lax in enforcement of warrants and property crimes that needs to be changed.

Raytown needs a no nonsense policy towards misbehavior by minors. Anything less will encourage a criminal element to come here.

Andy Whiteman said...

As I said at the BOA, the parents should be held accountable for the actions of their children.

Several speakers mentioned getting concealed carry. I hope it doesn't dome to the point of shooting someone. Remember these kids could return fire!

I am required to keep my dog on my property or on leash. Why are children allowed to be at large at 2AM or 3AM? This is discrimination!

I have submitted my suggestions to Mayor Bower. Maybe everyone should so likewise.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

concealed carry is the answer! Sure they can return fire, but not if you are faster and quicker than they are!

Anonymous said...

Wow it has been 6 months since the public safety sales tax, and yet the police department has yet to hirer a single new officer. I know several of the police and i respect them all, but come on mayor get off your duff and get us some help in ward five. If I hear of one more award the city gets I am going to be sick, Mr. Mayor it is time to spend some of our money to hirer some cops to make us safe......

Andy Whiteman said...

7:04AM, Then City Attorney Nancy Thompson has stated about every sales tax or TIF that there is a lag time from enactment to when collection starts, to when the actual funds are received from the state. The question is when will the funds actually be received? Certainly you can't expect a new hire or new eqipment in 6 months! Remember we are dealing with beauracracy of several levels.

One Alderperson stated to me that me/she opposed Section 8 housing. I totally agree with him/her but there is a Federal Law requarding non-discrimination in housing. The plain fact is if a property owner or home owner wants to go Section 8 (slumlord) all they have to do is meet the section 8 housing requirements.

I don't think it can be said that these rogue children are from Ward 5 or even Raytown. Unfortunately children have vehicles and may roam at large like a pack of dogs. The parents should be held accountable.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

Thanks to city hall and our thoughtless officials ... Thanks to city hall and our thoughtless officials
Raytown has a great crime training store.
Read the new Raytown Times paper, every week there is
at least six crimes at 10300 block of 350hwy.
Sometimes more, rarely less.
It's no wonder property values are going down and crime rates
are going up.
It seems that people just can't learn. Doesn't anybody
remember what happened to south Kansas City after
Bannister Mall opened, along with that W-M Hyper Mart.
You got it. Crime went up and property values went down and
neighborhoods became unsafe.
The only way to protect the good people of Raytown is to
enforce the laws and codes. Why doesn't city hall see this?

Andy Whiteman said...

FYI: I accidentally clicked on the photo of the Grand Canyon and it went to a beautiful screen sized image. I tried it on the map. It works on the photo but not the map.

12:08PM, I can't disagree with you about what happens at Walmart. Walmart is an attractive nuisance for criminals but as far as I know, Walmart has had to comply with all codes the same as any other business. There is no code to bar being an attractive nuisance. Maybe Walmart could be shut down as a nuisance but the taxpayers will be paying for the next 23 years.

Actually, is 6 shopliftings a week a crime wave compared to Raytown as a whole? Look at reality and compare this to the overall robberies, thefts, fraud, and murders. I think it reasonable to conclude that Walmart attracts many undesirable persons, but so could any number of other factors. What or who is responsible for the wild packs of children roaming part of Raytown like packs of at large dogs? I think the parents need to assume responsibility and charged along with the child for any crimes the child commits plus assessory to the crime, endangering the welfare of a minor, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Maybe these types of charges would put a stop to this activity once and for all.

Hypermart across from Bannister Mall had a KCMO PD substation where the public could interact with officers. I suggested a Raytown PD substation, but this never happened. I do notice Sheriff's deputies as security. Wouldn't it be logical to have an RPD substation in Walmart? It may be a deterrent towards crime and also provide a walk in point of contact for the general public who wants to speak with an officer to ask a question or report a crime or suspicious activity.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

A police substation at walmart is not a bad idea. They could probably use one at all of their stores.

Walmart should have to pay for it. Don't look of them to do that any time soon!

Andy Whiteman said...

I don't know what Raytown PD does, but when I lived in Douglas County,CO; sheriffs deputies, and State Patrol frequently took their breaks at area restaurants. Seeing a squad car and an officer(s) may or may not be a deterent. In one case, a non-paying customer walked past a deputy on his way out. The deputy got up from his lunch, followed the perp out the door and made an arrest. This guy gets my dumb crook of the year award.

A visual presence is very helpful.

Andy Whiteman

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