Changes Are Coming
Changes to the Downtown Raytown landscape and changes in how the city conducts one of its more popular programs are soon to become reality.
The first is in the area of Recycling. The Board of Aldermen will address the issue this week when it makes a final vote on recommendations forwarded to them by the Recycling Committee.
NEW RECYCLING CENTER:
The Committee has recommended moving the location of the Recycling Center to the Public Works Garage located at 6417 Railroad Street. The garage area is undergoing renovations and will be ready for the move by early July. The new Center will have lighting and be fenced. The police department re-fuels their police cars at the same location. The extra security along with the police presence is expected to eliminate the illegal dumping that has plagued the location on 350 Highway.
The Recycling Committee has also recommended changes in the operation that is expected to net the city a minimum of $10,500 annually. This can be accomplished by changing the service provider who removes the recycled material at a fee of $550 per month to one that will pay the city for the recycled material.
The Committee’s next step is to come forward with a plan to bring curbside recycling to Raytown. State law requires that a two-year notification be given before a curbside program can be initiated. The Committee has its work cut out for it. The two year notification process requires the support of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
OLD FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH:
The Old First Baptist Church is another area of interest. A federal grant is in the process of being obtained for removal of the building. The city allowed the building to go into disrepair. It quickly became Raytown’s largest eyesore. If nothing else it proved once again that municipal governments make very poor landlords
In hindsight, the plan to purchase the building was a monumental error that has cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, as my grandmother used to say, “there is no way to unspill the milk”. The best course of action at this point is to remove the blight.
The federal grant is limited to demolition of the building. This means that when it is gone, all that will be left will be an empty lot. Some have suggested that a city park be built on the old footprint and parking lot. It would make more economic sense to try to market the property for development.
This would give the City a chance to create a blend of the old and new in Downtown Raytown.
Comments
5. Never attack the person. Always challenge the action, the idea, the tactics, the attitude. As Christians we are taught that no one is beyond redemption.
4. Forcing the reader to read things twice to grasp your meaning is okay. Like 'Civil Civil'. Understand that few readers will actually do this.
3. Distinguish at all times between Subjective and Objective Reality, and attempt to nudge the former toward the latter. Accept the fact that this is often a lost cause.
2. Never use four letter words. Misspellings can assist compliance with this one.
1. The Graduit says that you should never refer to yourself in the third person. It's pompous and annoying, and it seems to piz people off.
0. Refuse to be constrained by arbitrary boundaries.
-1. Always admit when you're wrong. hahaha, I'm kidding of course. Sometimes I crack myself up.
B. Learn the difference between their, they're, and there, to and too, your and you're, and loose and lose. It gives your post greater credibility. Spellcheck will not help you.
C. Always leave extra room at the bottom of lists in case you think of something else.
Q. Have a nice day.
the church deal. If any of you had ever talked to Curt Wenson
for any length of time you would know he could look at you
straight faced and lie without blinking. He could make you believe
the sun would not come up the next day......well most people.
I don't claim to be smarter than anybody else but I saw through this
fifteen minutes after I met him.
Sue Frank and the Board were just guilty of wanting Raytown to be a
better place. Curt was clearly trying to make a name for himself to move on to higher paying cities and I thank heaven he's gone.
I just wish those that were on the board then and still, would forget the way this man ran the city. It didn't work then it won't work now.
You have to treat people with the respect to get respect.
He didn't know the word nor it's meaning. He ruined this town as we
knew it. We are a less friendly town due to mistrusting the leaders.
Elections are swayed by groups he started and there is hardly any
downtown business that will ever trust the Board again.
Curt cost this town, as we will find out, millions of taxpayer dollars be it state, federal or city.
Wenson and Miller have shown us one important thing. Raytown doesn't need a City Administrator.
Small town government should look out for it's people and businesses.
It should create an atmosphere of working together instead of against
each other.
The downtown redevelopment could have been a great thing for this town if it weren't for all the secret meetings, back stabbing, lies and making the downtown business owners the enemy.
I was mad as Hell at this city government for believing in this man and letting him talk them into anything he saw fit.
The past administration ( maybe the present administration too) is guilty of one thing and that's not thinking before they move. I think it was easier for them to think he was right and they need not question his reasoning.
Elected officials should be leaders not followers. Most importantly they should think for themselves.
Raytown still needs to redevelop it's downtown and I hope it happens.
However, if they start out like in the past. There will be
yet another fight and nobody will win.
Everyone needs to work together for a common goal.
I had a conversation with Wenson and he didn't convence me of anything other than the fact he was an idiot. Hopefully he moved to a lower paying city.
Andy Whiteman
The City seems to be promoting Blue Ridge Blvd between 59th &
63rd as downtown. This area consists of gas stations, a high school, a funeral home and a coffee shop.
63rd St should be more of a 'downtown". After appropriate redevelopment you could park, walk, shop and visit the new pocket park.
Anon, you forgot to mention the Old Baptist church and the auto repair/used car dealer on Blue Ridge Blvd. If the city wants to consider Blue Ridge from 63rd to 59th as downtown, some homeowners just hit a gold mine. Maybe the "Quality" School District could sell Raytown HS for offices or shops now that it is downtown. After selling the HS, they could cut our taxes!
Are we speaking of Downtown or Central Business District. The last map I saw for the CBD was fragmented and took in portions of 63rd down to Blue Ridge Cutoff.
Andy Whiteman
Downtown Raytown was made up of the area which included the Railroad Street area to the south which included Smith Bros Concrete, Shamrock Cabinets, Raytown Seed & Feed, Henrys Auto Repair, and other businesses including the Rock Island Depot.
It also included businesses on 63rd street from about Elm east to Willow including Clevenger's Car Wash, Doctors offices and Clinics, small office buildings, Missouri Public Service's Garage, The old fire Station turned museum, Clark's Appliances, Smith Brothers Hardware and Plumbing, Wendys, several gas stations, Sears(yes there used to be one here) Raytown Water Company, The old City hall aka former grade school where UMB Bank is now, Foxes Drug store, Jewelry store, Franks Insurance Office, Bank Of America, Raytown Cleaners, east to the old and new post offices.
A segment of the area is also located on Raytown Road(Leroy Cox Drive) running north from Railroad Street or the old wooden bridge to about 61st street with several businesses, and on Cedar/Blue Ridge from that intersection north to 59th and Blue Ridge, numerous churches, businesses, gas stations, offices, lawnmower shop, Raytown Plaza. That is what made up the old downtown Raytown area mostly because it was the center of the town before more land was annexed further south in later years.
It is really interesting to see how the area is today as compared to how busy it was many years ago.
Enough of the history lesson as a lot of newcomers really don't care about history or memories of days gone by. It does upset me to see this town dying a slow death as it is where I grew up, it is like losing a family member. Life goes on, maybe not for the better.
I mean, what is the petition about?
I did not sign the petition but wonder what is going on.
There is no one street that has a row of buildings we could turn
into retail stores or eateries.
Though I praise Mr. Scott Walz for starting the "Main Street" group
they have nothing to work with to call "Downtown". The two truly shopping areas Raytown has are a quarter mile apart, the Center 63 and the Raytown
Park Plaza with a big eyesore and a railroad track separating them.
However Raytown has a much bigger problem when it comes to the downtown
and trying to sell it to prospective retail shops. First is the city and the way it
runs off prospective business owners. Then the big one.......Wal-Mart!
With this small town killer opening on 350hwy. it could and probably will
be the end of small business as we know it in Raytown.
Losing our favorite grocery stores is only the beginning of Raytown's demise.
Wal-Mart wants to go into the banking business too. It won't be long until
they start selling insurance, carpet, having in store restaurants, doctors,
barber shops, spas, beauty shops etc.
Who do we owe all this prosperity to? The Raytown City Hall and all of our elected officials, past and present. I say we give them all a big fickle finger of thanks!
By the way, I had a friend came in yesterday. He was upset about
how much his real estate taxes went up on his current bill. Almost seven hundred dollars a year. I told him I hated to be the bearer of bad news but,
the new increase (just passed) hasn't even been applied yet.
Oh my gosh! That's what happened at Raytown City Hall -- still no audit.
Why not?
That ought to sell some papers.
YMMV.
Andy Whiteman
Adding a tax to your retirement is simply another way of saying to the American people, you're so darn stupid that we're going to keep doing this until we drain every cent from you. That's what the Speaker of the House is saying. Read below...............
Nancy Pelosi wants a Windfall Tax on Retirement Income. In other words tax what you have made by investing toward your retirement. This woman is a nut case! You aren't going to believe this.
Madam speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to put a Windfall Tax on all stock market profits (including Retirement fund, 401K and Mutual Funds! Alas , it i s true - all to help the 12 Million Illegal Immigrants and other unemployed Minorities!
This woman is frightening.
She quotes...' We need to work toward the goal of equalizing income, (didn't Marx say something like this), in our country and at the same time limiting the amount the rich can invest.' ( I am not rich, are you)
When asked how these new tax dollars would be spent, she replied:
'We need to raise the standard of living of our poor, unemployed and minorities. For example, we have an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in our country who need our help along with millions of unemployed minorities. Stock market windfall profits taxes could go a long way to guarantee these people the standard of living they would like to have as 'Americans'.' (Read that quote again and again and let it sink in. Lower your retirement, give it to others who have not worked as you have for it.
Yes, the Republicans are grasping at straws, anything that can create a controversy, and anything that hopefully can save votes for their pathetic excuse for a party. All that it is is a scare tactic, like lets bring up the there gonna take our guns, or the they are gonna tax us to death. If people are that shallow to be swayed because of one issue as to how they should vote then they are as stupid as we really think that they are!
Sorry for the tardyness of this comment but my computer has been in the computer hospital for a while.
Thanks again Greg and All if his committee!!!
You are correct that there has been much worse said on this blog. But that does not mean that the past is going to set the rules for the present or the future.
Class up your act.
Name calling is childish. It does not help sell a point of view. It only serves to degrade the target.
You can say as much without hitting below the belt and still get your message across.
In my opinion, name calling detracts from the content of the post that I tend not to read the post or totally disregard it as not making a point. It is not necessary to call some one an idiot since it should be obvious to all that he/she is an idiot.
For example the "Quality" school election proved that the average voter is an idiot. That doesn't need to be said for most people to realize.
One friend told me that for example calling an alderman an idiot is also calling those who voted for him/her an idiot and may give those people a negative feeling.
Andy Whiteman
http://www.auditor.mo.gov/local/petition.htm
What is a petition audit?
Under Missouri law, the state auditor may be called on to audit any political subdivision of the state (such as cities, school districts, water districts, etc.) if enough qualified voters of that political subdivision request her to audit. Here is what the law, Section 29.230.2, RSMo, says:
The state auditor shall audit any political subdivision of the state . . . if requested to do so by a petition signed by the requisite percent of the qualified voters of the political subdivision.... The political subdivision shall pay the actual cost of audit. The petition that requests an audit of a political subdivision shall state on its face the estimated cost of the audit and that it will be paid by the political subdivision being audited.... No political subdivision shall be audited by petition more than once in any three calendar or fiscal years.
How many signatures are required?
The law establishes a "sliding scale" based on the size of the last election for governor. A minimum number of signatures are required per category. The required number of signatures can be determined from the table below:
No. of Votes in Last
Election for Governor The Greater of
% Minimum
Below 1,000 25% of registered voters -----
1,000 to 4,999 15% of actual votes 200
5,000 to 49,999 10% of actual votes 750
50,000 or more 5% of actual votes 5,000
Who can sign the petition?
A signer must be a resident of the political subdivision and a registered voter at the time they sign the petition.
Does the petition have to be submitted on a special form?
State law requires the auditor to provide an estimate of the cost of the audit to be stated on the face of the petition. Such information is provided on a standard petition form to ensure compliance and provide consistency. We encourage all requests to be submitted on the standard petition forms to avoid problems and non-compliance with state law. All completed petition forms are to be sent to our office.e with state law.
The law says the petition must state the estimated cost of the audit. What does an average audit cost?
There is really no such thing as an average audit and it is difficult to estimate the cost of a particular audit until we are well underway with the audit. The estimated range of costs stated on the face of the petition is based on historical experience with political subdivisions of a similar size.
How are actual costs determined, and who has to pay the bill?
Actual audit costs billed are based on two factors-audit staff work-hours and expenses. The auditors working on a petition audit track the hours spent on that audit.
The cost of those hours plus any direct expenses make up the audit bill. The law says the political subdivision being audited must pay the cost of the audit.
What happens when the state auditor receives a petition calling for an audit?
We contact the local election authority, most often the county clerk, and ask for the number of votes cast for the office of governor in the last election. If it appears there are enough signatures on the petition, we send a copy of it to the election authority to verify the signatures are of registered, resident voters. If there are a sufficient number of signatures of registered, resident voters, the governing body of the political subdivision and the petitioners are notified and the petition goes on the list of audits the state auditor will perform. If the number of signatures is less than required by law, the petition is returned for additional signatures.
What happens if people change their minds and want their names taken off a petition?
The state auditor will provide forms for people who have changed their minds or they may write us a letter. The letter should state that the person no longer desires to be considered a petitioner for an audit of the political subdivision involved, include the person's signature and address, and be notarized. The form or letter should be mailed to the Missouri State Auditor's Office, P. O. Box 869, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102, or delivered to the office located in Room 121 of the State Capitol. Names will not be removed after the State Auditor has taken some action in reliance on such signatures which were submitted.
What about political subdivisions that already have had an audit done?
It is not unusual for the state auditor to be asked to audit a political subdivision that an independent certified public accountant has audited, especially in the case of school districts. When that is the case, the state auditor's office will review the independent audit to avoid any duplication of effort.
Once a petition is on the list of audits to be performed, how long before work will begin?
Work begins on petition audits as soon as staff members are available.
What happens once the actual petition audit has begun?
Before beginning the audit work, the State Auditor's Office will meet with petitioners to hear their concerns. We also meet with the governing body to explain the audit process and answer questions. We then start the "fieldwork" phase of the audit, gathering information and studying records. After we prepare the report, it is reviewed on several levels. We then meet with officials to discuss the report and obtain their responses to the findings. Those responses are included in the final audit report.
How will the public be informed about the results of the audit?
At the conclusion of some petition audits, a public meeting is held in the political subdivision. When a public meeting is not held, a press release will be issued and will include information on how the public can obtain copies of the final report.
What happens if the auditor uncovers something serious, like a large amount of money missing or possible fraud?
If information is uncovered that indicates ongoing criminal activity or fraud, the state auditor's office informs the proper authorities as soon as possible. In less serious cases, the audit report will note the problem and recommend that the proper authorities correct the situation.
How does the state auditor enforce the recommendations made in her audit reports?
Typically the implementation of audit report recommendations is left to local authorities in the case of petition audits, and to county and state officials in the case of county and state audits.
The auditor will point out areas where improvements need to be made. The state auditor is most interested in seeing that problems get solved.
To initiate the petition process, please contact the State Auditor's Office at:
P. O. Box 869
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-4213
Toll Free: 1-800-347-8597
or moaudit@.auditor.mo.gov
Greg once the recycling gets straightened out why not move toward another recyling problem, one I've bitched about for years.
And that is to contract with a LOCAL tree company to set up a chipper once a month (or even four times a year) in the vacant mud pit behind City Hall and the Police Dept.
Let the public bring their tree limb debris and have it chipped into mulch to help that site.
Economically friendly, environmentally friendly.
Charge a few bucks or just do it as a service to the citizens. Previously we could call city hall to pick up our limbs for $25 for a dump truck load.
Bring the bags of leaves also and you're even "greener."
Another option would be to check with the local mulch guy on 350 HWY and see if he has an interest in chipping up the local limbs which he could resell.
Lee
I support recycling, including the concept of curbside recycling, not because I am an environmentalist, I most definitely am not. I support it because it absolutely is fiscally responsible.
Of course, 3:55 is entitled to his/her opinion, and I know the Recycling Committee will be glad to hear from him/her in the near future.
Greg, thanks for the crack down on name calling. There is just no place for that kind of thing in a civil discussion.
Lee, I like your ideas about yard waste. We absolutely will look at yard waste in future discussions, and I hope you will visit with us when we do.
And while I am at it, enviromental nut cases is a name also. Is that going to be censored as well? What about Liberals, Conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians? Where does it(censorship) end Greg? Get real. It wasn't even a cuss word. I can see that being objectionable but this takes the cake!
Mark aren't you close with Will, our state rep?
Why not try to see what he, too, can do.
I'm not one of these seek state/fed money people (because we shouldn't have sent it to them in the first place, but since we have,they may as well kick it back for the betterment of the community and environment).
Let me know, Mark, when and what input you need regards yard waste. But I'm not a "meeting person." (Anymore -smile)
And to whomever is all excited about "environmental nut cases," you're half right. In San Francisco they had a curbside recycling program and found out the trash hauler was just mixing it all together after all.
On the other hand, if we don't start taking care of "our cave" it's not going to be worth living in.
Right-wingers are just as much "nut cases" as those of us who are looking to find practical solutions to problems and being creative enough to find "benefits" environmentally and economically. Sorry if that's name calling, but just repeating what was written above.
A Current TV program the other day showed an American teacher in South Korea and that country's recycling program. It was a "no big deal effort" with positive results.
Times have changed. I wouldn't consider myself an environmentalist...but I'm big on not "wasting" because that's money in my pocket...and better for my children's future.
Why all the hatefulness in a civil discussion about the issue, Mr. "Nut Case?"
Jeeezeeee. Lee
As Greg's grandmother said, you can't unspill the milk. But you can be more careful next time.
not get carried away with our feelings about it. It is only a place and a way
to responsibly eliminate refuse.
This town is already too divided over other more important issues and
we still have a huge need to make Raytown a place where business and people
want to be.
It seems there is too much wasted time going off in all directions.
Redevelopment of downtown, the School Board wasting money,
City Hall doing the same and nothing ever gets done.
The only common factor's are, taxpayer money gets spent without
results and the town gets divided by a wider margin daily.
We have groups that blindly follow the whims of both without question
and on the other side we have people that don't get out and vote their feelings. This last election only a little less than seven thousand people
turned out to vote, out of close to thirty thousand. This is no way to make changes in Raytown.
The spenders will keep spending and your, our, taxes will keep going up
and nothing will ever get done.
If this town spent the money they have wasted on developers, the downtown
area could have been dressed up a bit and helped those that have invested
millions like the gentleman redoing the Raytown Plaza. This man will have
a beautiful shopping area in the middle of an eyesore.
In other words what is so inviting about Raytown? Why should anybody
invest in Raytown if Raytown hasn't invested in itself. There have been millions
of taxpayer dollars wasted and nobody, I mean, nobody has had to explain why.
1) How does one transport the limbs to the location? Many people don't own a truck.
2) Shouldn't the chipper company do it at no charge because they are going to resell the chips as mulch? The city is now going to receive income from recycleable materials rather than paying over $500 a month.
I appreciate the work of the recycle committee. I am one of the wackos who you like curbside recycling. The land fills are being filled with non-biodegradeable junk. Besides that I will use fewer trash bags saving me money and not leaving so many plastic bags in the landfills.
Andy Whiteman
With Enron, you would have $16.50 left of the original $1,000.
With WorldCom, you would have less than $5.00 left.
If you had purchased $1,000 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left.
And, if you had purchased United Airlines stock, you would have nothing left.
But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year aog, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling refund you would have $214.00!
Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily, and then recycle.
We call this the 401-Keg Plan.
Raytown as well as other areas would be cleaner if there was a deposit on the cans and bottles. Especially the paper containers from fast food places which are tossed out onto the street!
Andy Whiteman
they say something against the city or the school board. The last two subjects I have asked some questions about the spending of taxpayer money and my questions have been ignored.
I thought surly the people that criticized some of us would have the answers to my questions.
Again who is responsible for spending taxpayer money when it is wasted.
Both the school board and the city are guilty of this but nobody has taken the time to explain why.
It can't be that hard for those that criticize and seem to have all the answers.
Surly there are some city officials and school board members that read
this Blog that have the answers. They are the people that are spending the taxpayer money.
Why did they buy the old church? (actually I know this one)
Why did they spend millions on an intersection that had to be redone in less than a year?
Why did they have to repair the old wooden bridge in less than an a year?
Who OK'd the contracts on these, that apparently had on warranty with it.
Who hired the two developers that took over sixty thousand taxpayer dollars and did nothing for it?
Who OK'd the Wal-Mart deal that cost Raytown over twenty percent of the total income for twenty three years?
Why are the expensive "Gateway" monuments so important and the streets aren't?
Why did the school board buy that expensive property without having it inspected first?
Why is it policy to try and run small business out of town and not welcome new small business?
Why? Why? Why no answers?
What I don't understand is that the Library protested the Hy-Vee TIF and the "Quality" School District and library didn't protest Walmart. Now our school taxes are going up thanks to Walmart and the voters who voted for it. Bob's editorial stated that 5% of the homes in Raytown are for sale. I wonder why? Will this percentage have to go to 10%, 20% or even 50% before City and "Quality" School officials take notice?
Andy Whiteman
Andy Whiteman