Sunday, December 23, 2012



 
Their fans know them as TSO. Others will recognize Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s rendition of CHRISTMAS CANON

For a more up tempo version give a listen to CHRISTMAS CANON ROCK




Christmas gift suggestions: 
To your enemy, forgiveness. 
To an opponent, tolerance. 
To a friend, your heart. 
To a customer, service. 
To all, charity. 
To every child, a good example. 
To yourself, respect. 
 
Happy Christmas
to all of our readers
from
Paul Livius and Greg Walters



Greg Walters
I had written a really good editorial about the evils of so-called Emergency Ordinances -- something our City Council has become fond of doing lately.

Paul told me to keep my powder dry.

So, no editorial this week (I will save it for another day!).

After all, it is Christmas. 

To everyone who reads this . . . Merry Christmas . . . especially to our out of state readers. Hang in their buddy -- we know your heart is in Raytown and appreciate your comments.


Paul Livius
The Paul Livius Report
Raytown Board of Aldermen Meeting
December 18, 2012

The Board appointed Julio Bambini to the Raytown Park Board.  They also reappointed Michael Hanna and Aaron Smith to the Park Board.

The Board passed a resolution approving the repair services of wastewater and storm water infrastructure in the City of Raytown from Wiedenmann & Godfrey Construction, Inc. for a sewer segment replacement at 82nd Street and Hardy in an amount of $39,600.00.  Andy Noll told the Board this is a time and material contract.  Because of the improvements to the sewer system in Raytown, the sewer usage has decreased in 2012 and the fees have decreased 11%.  We are now paying less in 2012 than we were in 2005.

The Board passed a resolution approving execution of a Super Splash USA agreement with Midwest Pool Management in the amount of $276,112.  Kevin Boji told the Board the pool management reduces worker’s compensation expenses, ensures professional pool management and enhanced policy enforcement. Insurance companies typically list swimming
pools a high risk for municipalities. Pool management’s insurance provides another layer of protection for the City. Super Splash will continue to maintain its Certified Pool Operator certification required by the City’s insurance carrier.

The Board heard the first reading, suspended the rules and heard the second reading of an ordinance adopting amendment number three of the police officers retirement fund pension plan.  Chief Lynch told the Board this was incorporating IRS required provisions under the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 (“HEART Act”) that address differential pay that is paid to military members and the plan’s payment of certain disability and death benefits for such military members.  This is for police officers called to duty in the armed forces.
 
The Board heard the first reading, suspended the rules and heard the second reading of an ordinance approving an Intergovernmental agreement with the Jackson County Board of Election commissioners to utilize city hall as a polling place for precincts BR14 and BR15 in 2013.
  
The Board heard the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the City of Raytown to enter into an agreement for The Colman Park tennis court project. Kevin Boji told the Board the City intends to contract with McConnell and Associates to plan, design and renovate four tennis courts at Colman Park. By utilizing McConnell and Associates approved vendor contract, the City of Raytown can insure the most competitive contract in acquiring services and materials.

The Board then moved into closed session.

Prior to this meeting, Tom Cole gave the Board an update on the City’s economic development.  I will have that report next week. 

Merry Christmas to all our readers.


Raytown Tree of the Year Contest
Raytown Tree Board and Smith Bros. Hardware are sponsoring the 2013 Tree of the Year award. Residents are encouraged to nominate trees within the city limits of Raytown, Missouri.
  1. $50 gift certificate to Smith Brothers Hardware store
  2. Certificate of Achievement
  3. Lawn sign signifying the location of the Raytown Tree of the Year
Click for details.
 

FIT BOTTOMED GIRLS
Yummy Zucchini and Squash Runaroni Pasta! BY TISH

The following is a post sponsored by Brooks Running. For our sponsored post policy, click here. I swear the Brooks Runaroni pasta took me back to my childhood. Did your mom ever make pancakes in different fun shapes? Mine did, so seeing little running people and shoes made me squeal with delight. Fun food is the new awesome. Maybe... Continue reading

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17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I see the clock is back in DowntownRaytown. It looks like the old clock. I think it would be a good idea to put something around it like some bullards to protect it from being knocked over by another automobile.

It is very close to the street and near enough to the corner that it is in danger of being hit again.

Anonymous said...

I am surprised you guys do not have any posts about guns on this website. I found the following from a news story on the CNN website.

I found it thought provoking.

In 2007, a gunman entered New Life Church in Colorado Springs and shot and killed two girls. Jeanne Assam, a former police officer stationed as a volunteer security guard at the church, drew her firearm, shot and wounded the gunman before he could kill anyone else. The gunman then killed himself.

In 1997, high school student Luke Woodham stabbed his mother to death and then drove to Pearl High School in Pearl, Mississippi, and shot and killed two people. He then got back in his car to drive to Pearl Junior High to continue his killings, but Joel Myrick, the assistant principal, ran to his truck and grabbed his pistol, aimed it at Woodham and made him surrender.

These are but a few of many examples that the best deterrent of crime when it is occurring is effective self-defense. And the best self-defense against a gunman has proved to be a firearm.

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean. I saw the article too.

This is the part that caught my attention.

John Lott, economist and gun-rights advocate, has extensively studied mass shootings and reports that, with just one exception, the attack on U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011, every public shooting since 1950 in the U.S. in which more than three people have been killed has taken place where citizens are not allowed to carry guns. The massacres at Sandy Hook Elementary, Columbine, Virginia Tech and the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, all took place in gun-free zones.

Do you own a gun that fell under the now-expired federal weapons ban?

These murderers, while deranged and deeply disturbed, are not dumb. They shoot up schools, universities, malls and public places where their victims cannot shoot back. Perhaps "gun-free zones" would be better named "defenseless victim zones."

To illustrate the absurdity of gun-free zones, Goldberg dug up the advice that gun-free universities offer to its students should a gunman open fire on campus. West Virginia University tells students to "act with physical aggression and throw items at the active shooter." These items could include "student desks, keys, shoes, belts, books, cell phones, iPods, book bags, laptops, pens, pencils, etc." Such "higher education" would be laughable if it weren't true and funded by taxpayer dollars.

That last part scares me. Students are encouraged to throw books, pencils, etc. at someone who is shooting at them!

Unbelievable!

Paul Livius said...

Greg wanted to publish an editorial on gun control. I said we needed to keep just the Board report and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra this week. It is, after all, Christmas. We can go back to debating issues next week. Merry Christmas.

Paul

Anonymous said...

Is this report correct? The amount the city pays in sewer costs has gone down 11%? Why hasn't my sewer bill gone down? The city may be paying less today than they did in 2005 for their sewer costs, buy you and I aren't. Is that one way they plan to fund the $30,000 extra they are paying the CA?

Greg Walters said...

No, Greg did not want to do a story on gun control.

I wrote a story about the recent increase by the City Council on the abuse of declaring legislation an "emergency" and passing it through with very little public debate.

An anonymous writer sent two stories to the blog portion of the Raytown Report about gun control.

Greg Walters said...

On another topic. Paul reported that bills received by the City from the Little Blue Valley Sewer District have decreased by 11%.

The decrease of processing cost by the City of Raytown by 11% is a huge decrease in dollars. (hard to say accurately, because Andy Noll did not include it in his report.

If what he says is true the savings should be passed back to the users. The City's agreement with the Little Blue Valley Sewer District does not allow for money collected to pay off sewer bonds to be intermingled with day to day costs of operation. Bond covenants are universally very strict on that point.

If the City is holding on to that money, they are wrong in doing so.

Perhaps Mr. Noll or the City's Finance Director could expand on the subject. If they were to use real numbers instead of percentages it would be very enlightening.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know what has happened on the deal the city made with a developer of the Green Space in Downtown Raytown?

I heard the deal fell through.

Does that mean the city will be taking the property back?

Anonymous said...

Don't know where you get your info but I hear it is still a go!!!

Anonymous said...

Good to hear some good news for a change!

By the way, what exactly is "it"?

Anonymous said...

Good question. What is it? Everyone could use some good news to start off the new year. Why not share your information about how great things re in downtown raytown.

Anonymous said...

Sometime ago a local lady who owned a custom made bridal gown shop in KS with customers who come quite a distance wanted to open a bridal shop, wedding chapel on the green space. It was my understanding that the deal fell through to lack of financing.

I hope another proposal is in the works.

The city doesn't take the property back because even though they are not the brightest leaders, the are bright enough to to give title until the deal is final. Hopefully they learned from the Walmart blunder.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

There was also some talk of combined residential and business units. I didn't hear much about that.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

A WALMART NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET

Anonymous said...

Really. Pretty exciting. I had heard the Walmart deal fell apart.

Maybe an official word from City Hall would help.

We all know they visit this page frequently.

Anonymous said...

City Hall will not divulge pending deals because it may influence the deal.

The first the people will hear of it if when it comes to the board.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

Understood. But can they confirm that a deal is working or busted?

Secrets at City Hall are not kept very long or very well.