RAYTOWN'S LEADING NEWS SOURCE

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Interim City Administrator 

Mark Loughry Resigns

Raytown, MO ─ On Friday afternoon November 18, 2016, Mark Loughry – Interim City Administrator and City Finance Director, submitted his resignation effective December 22, 2016.

Mr. Loughry has accepted a position equivalent to that of County Administrator for Leavenworth, Kansas. In a letter to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, Loughry wrote he had accepted the position in Leavenworth County because it was closer to his home and afforded him more time to spend with his family.

In December 2006 the newly built National World War I Museum opened to international acclaim. Ten years and more than 2 million visitors later, the Museum celebrates the 10-year anniversary. One of the world’s great museums, this Kansas City-area funded and national icon is saying “Thank you.”

Between Tuesday, Dec. 6 – Sunday, Dec. 11 the Museum offers free admission to the general public and an array of activities. To learn more about the programs offered during this unique week of celebration use the following link.
WORLD WAR 1 MUSEUM

BY GREG WALTERS

Qui, moi! (who, me!)

Using the words of my wife’s ancestral tongue sprang to mind when I read Joe Creamer’s latest letter to the editor in the Raytown Times.

His ramblings have become a staple of the Times. The editorial page has now contains the combined thoughts of Randy Battagler at the top of the page, his out of town writer, Bob Phillips, filling in the central section of the paper, and now, finally, Joe Creamer blasting away in the letters to the editor column.

In last week’s column he wrote “I have asked friends and readers to quit reading that blog because it upsets them know the accusations are not true”.

Since the Raytown Report is the only blog in Raytown that publishes on a continual basis, it did not take long for Paul and I to figure out our little news blog was the target of Joe Creamer’s attack.

Creamer’s state is one we at the Raytown Report believe to be unfounded, unfair and untrue.

I wondered if there was any way in which Creamer’s dismissive language and tone held any truth. So I went back to Paul and my editorials last week. Here is what I found.

Paul and I co-wrote an editorial A short column by Paul informing the public that the Board of Aldermen meeting had been moved from Tuesday to Monday night.

A short column by Paul telling how Raytown’s Public Information Officer, Tom Cole, is asking for Thanksgiving stories for the city’s website.

An article I wrote reviewing the election results of this year’s extraordinary Presidential race.

I also wrote a column of “shorts” which included:

A story about street overlay being postponed until next Spring.

A story recognizing Alderman Jason Greene for his position that the City Administrator should be required to live in Raytown.

A story about the proper disposal of leaves in our neighborhoods.

And, a story about Joe Creamer’s accusations of waste in the police department.

I do not think any of the above is depressing. We at the Raytown Report call it “news”.

As Paul told me after reading over this week’s column (he edits all of my work before it is published) . . . he said, “Don’t take these attacks too personally, consider the source”.

Mr. Creamer has certainly shown he can talk the talk. Perhaps it is time he walked the walk.

Creamer has brought up some controversial topics in his letters. The one thing missing is any substantive proof of what he says.

Yes, I am aware Creamer spoke at Board of Aldermen meeting in which he waived around a copy of a letter he received through the Freedom of Information Act to show the proof of his accusations. I guess that counts as good showmanship. But I do not think he shared the letter with anyone.

Another suggestion would be to quit painting with such a broad brush. If you have specifics of corruption at Raytown City Hall, step up, show the proof in a professional and public manner. Then, and only then, do you have something worth talking about. The best way for you to make your point is to show publicly what is wrong at City Hall.

It was once said, “the devil is in the details”. That is where you need to go if you want people to believe you.

The Paul Livius Report

Raytown Board of Aldermen Meeting

November 14, 2016

The Board passed an ordinance amending the benefit program of covered city of Raytown employees participating in the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System (lagers). Currently the City provides a pension benefit for all employees through the state-run LAGERS program. The current plan is funded 100% by the City and provides a benefit roughly equivalent to 1.25% of the average annual wage over the last five years in the system times the number of years of service. This plan is near the bottom level of programs offered and is not competitive in the metro area. After reviewing the other options in the LAGERS program the Employee Benefit Committee asked LAGERS to perform an actuary comparison between the current plan and the L-12, L-14 and L-6 programs assuming mandatory participation. Based on the current budget the cost of each proposal compared to the current plan is detailed below. After further review and feedback provided during the discussion in the department meetings, the Benefit Committee is recommending the City change the current LAGERS program. In reviewing the increased cost to the City and understanding that there will likely be a system wide increase for the City, the Finance Director is recommending a change to L-12 participatory. This will require all employees to participate in their retirement program and significantly increase both future and current earned benefits without a significant increase to the City. This is the second reading of the ordinance which is occurring after there has been a 45-day review process.

The Board passed an ordinance approving the final plat of Cassell Homestead.  Raytown Church of Christ, located at 6000 Blue Ridge Blvd, and Wanda Mullins, 5902 Blue Ridge Blvd, are seeking approval of a final plat for three lots located at 6000 Blue Ridge Blvd (Lot 3), 5914 Blue Ridge Blvd (Lot 2), and 5902 Blue Ridge Blvd (Lot 1). The final plat proposes to separate the property at 5914 Blue Ridge into a separate lot, which is currently a part of the lot at 6000 Blue Ridge Blvd. Ms. Mullins is seeking to privately own the house at 5914 Blue Ridge. The sanitary sewer line that serves the house at Lot 2 runs under the parking lot of the church at Lot 3, and connects to the City main to the west of the church. As such, the final plat indicates the dedication of a blanket access easement on Lot 3 for repair of the sewer line that serves Lot 2, should it ever be necessary. Furthermore, during plat review it came to the City’s attention that the public Right-of-Way for the property at 5902 Blue Ridge Blvd (Lot 1) had never been dedicated to the City when it was originally platted; the property line extended out into the streets at both Blue Ridge Blvd and 59th St; in order to correct this, the final plat will dedicate that public right-of-way back to the City. It is this dedication of public improvements that requires a final plat, otherwise this application would have only required a lot split through staff review.

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