RAYTOWN'S LEADING NEWS SOURCE
Yes. We know we are a day late with this week’s
publication of the Raytown Report.
Blame it on the weather gods!
The 70 mile winds that blew through Raytown Saturday
night must have unhinged some electrical wires somewhere, because at 10:30 that
evening the power went out and it was not until late the next day before it would
return.
Please accept this abbreviated version of the Raytown
Report.
Look for us next week with a more robust edition.
 |
| BY GREG WALTERS |
“Urban Legend” . . . circulating an untrue story . . . a
bizarre untrue story that circulates in a society through being presented as
something that actually happened . . . usually on a topic to which most people
can relate.
Two weeks ago in his Raytown Report, Paul Livius wrote,
"Janice Masters told the Board she wanted the ordinance amended or revised. She said the city’s animal control unit told her they can only perform welfare checks on animals.
According to Animal Control personnel, they do not have the authority to remove abused or neglected animals. Based on that information, Ms. Masters believes the city should amend or revise the ordinance to protect animals."
"Janice Masters told the Board she wanted the ordinance amended or revised. She said the city’s animal control unit told her they can only perform welfare checks on animals.
According to Animal Control personnel, they do not have the authority to remove abused or neglected animals. Based on that information, Ms. Masters believes the city should amend or revise the ordinance to protect animals."
We wondered about the veracity of the comments, so we
checked with those folks who manage the Animal Control Department to get the
inside skinny on the story. Here is the reply:
The Animal Control
question. "Our officers absolutely have the ability to remove an animal
from a property if it appears to be abused or neglected. I am not
familiar with the specific case the individual spoke about in public
comments.
A few weeks ago, an individual called about two dogs who were “grossly neglected, dying in the heat and without food and water.”
Animal Control visited the home, checked on the dogs and did not find any of the issues suggested by the complainant. More and more individuals called with the same concerns as they had apparently been made aware of the allegations online.
I went to the residence in question and asked to see the dogs. I played with them for about ten minutes, they were extremely cool to the touch and had access to plenty of shade, food and water. The dogs were cooler than I was from driving over there.
After the visit, I called the complainant and asked if I could stop by her home to share what I had seen…she said she had not been home all day. I’m not certain how someone can be incredibly concerned about animals they have not seen…but so be it.”
A few weeks ago, an individual called about two dogs who were “grossly neglected, dying in the heat and without food and water.”
Animal Control visited the home, checked on the dogs and did not find any of the issues suggested by the complainant. More and more individuals called with the same concerns as they had apparently been made aware of the allegations online.
I went to the residence in question and asked to see the dogs. I played with them for about ten minutes, they were extremely cool to the touch and had access to plenty of shade, food and water. The dogs were cooler than I was from driving over there.
After the visit, I called the complainant and asked if I could stop by her home to share what I had seen…she said she had not been home all day. I’m not certain how someone can be incredibly concerned about animals they have not seen…but so be it.”
Raytown Board of Aldermen Meeting
July 17, 2017
John Ivy told the Board he is treasurer with the Citizens
for Progress. He urged KCMO residents to
vote for the Transportation Tax. He said
some of the money could be used for the Rock Island Trail.
The Board heard the first and second readings of an
ordinance granting a conditional use permit
to allow advertising signs to be placed at 10000 East US 350 Highway and
10019 West US 350 Highway (IHOP and Freddy’s) located in the highway corridor
commercial district. This was submitted by Greg Waldo on behalf of Freddy’s
Land, LLC.
The Board tabled several resolutions concerning
amendments to the Raytown Personnel Manual relating to working hours, violence
in the workplace, substance abuse, city
employee on call policy, police department on call policy, take home city owned
vehicles policy, time clock policy, and
tuition reimbursement policy.
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Comments
A search of the Jackson County records shows he lives in a 180K house in Grain Valley.
Something wrong here folks.
If you work for KCMO... you will live there. We should require the same.
The POINT is.... he should live and pay taxes here in Raytown.
Further... I wonder if as battalion chief gets to take his vehicle home?
You sound like his friend or co-worker so maybe you can answer that question.
How about you post your name and we will see how much your house is worth, maybe your behind on taxes or your yard needs a good mowing. Maybe you are just the neighbor nobody wants to be around.
I have my ideas but you continue to be a anonymous keyboard warrior.
Dean Johnson
Before you start worrying about members of the Raytown Fire Department maybe you need to look at things in general.
Do you know that none of the department heads at city hall live in Raytown?
However, the fire chief lives in Raytown.
Do you know that the city has an ordinance on the books that the city administrator live in the city?
However, the city breaks it's own laws by allowing this to be over looked.
Do you know that being Raytown is a forth class city that we must elect a city marshal unless the alderman put before the voters to make the position appointed?
Do you know that to be elected you must live within the area you represent?
However, the Board of Alderman like to over look this for their own and has historically been an issue at city hall.
Do you know that the members of the last Charter Commission were told there are only about 5 of the 60 plus officers that live in the city.
Do you know that one has since retired, two others are just buying time because of their age and a fourth has no interest in management?
What will our Board of Alderman do to fix this issue, wait until it is to late to go before the voters and make it appointed?
However, No employee city employee is required to live in the city.
What about the school district being they have 10 times the number of employees the city has?
However, some of the schools are in other cities so where should they be required to live.
Seem odd your focus is only on the fire department, which from all indications on this blog and the Raytown Times is financially sound.
However, from both news sources can that same be said about the city.
Is not KCMO the only city in the metro that requires city employees to live within the city?
However, Raytown Fire Department is not a city.
You have at least shown you do not have the ability to comprehend the difference between a city and a fire department.
I have stated to the BOA long ago that All city employees should be required to live in the city but was told that if it was a job requirement, the city would be unable to fill many positions.
Andy Whiteman
I would ask if you found something wrong with the way Chief Helphrey performed his duties this morning or if you have had a negative experience with Chief Helphrey, because if you have I would like you to contact me at(816) 737-6034 so I can address that specifically. Beyond that I cannot understand what would motivate someone to look up the value of someone's home and judge them by the amount it's worth and the city it resides. Signed Matt Mace, Fire Chief if the Raytown Fire Protection District
It sounds like some folks on here like to do detective work.
How about learning about the real detectives at the Raytown Police Dept?
The Citizen's Police Academy is coming up soon!! See the RPD FB page for how to sign up. They have lots of different ways to sign up.
If you don't sign up I guess I'll have to continue to post here. So if you want me to stop posting, SIGN UP FOR THE CPA MY PEOPLE!!!!!!!
It is going to be fun!
I take issue with some of your less than factual comments:
First off, it’s not a Fire Department. It is a Fire District. There’s a difference. Look it up.
“Do you know that the city has an ordinance on the books that the city administrator live in the city? However, the city breaks it's own laws by allowing this to be over looked.” The fact is that in November, 2016, the BOA passed an ordinance stating the Board can waive the residency requirements with a majority vote. The law is not being overlooked. It was changed and is being followed as the law is written. If you don’t like it, go to a BOA meeting and ask the law be changed. Yeah, I know. It’s easier to post here than go there.
“Do you know that the members of the last Charter Commission were told there are only about 5 of the 60 plus officers that live in the city? Do you know that one has since retired, two others are just buying time because of their age, and a fourth has no interest in management?” You need to pony up and show proof. Having “proof” in Joe Creamer’s garage doesn’t count.
“What will our Board of Alderman do to fix this issue, wait until it is too late to go before the voters and make it appointed?” I’m guessing you mean appointed Chief of Police. When David Bower was mayor, the Board brought up that subject. All h*ll broke loose. There were 30 or more citizens demanding that their right to vote be protected. They came for two straight meetings. The Board had to finally announce they were dropping the idea so they could move on to other city business. If you try to take away our right to vote, we WILL come back.
“What about the school district being they have 10 times the number of employees the city has? However, some of the schools are in other cities so where should they be required to live.” I guess no one told you that the Mayor, BOA, or city staff does not give direction to the Raytown Schools. The School District has their own elected officials. If you don’t like the way the schools are run, call them.
I think you should get your facts straight before you start posting here.
6:53 sure is pushing it tonight.
They want all the readers to believe 5:05 doesn't have their facts, but it was 6:53 that said the city administrator is not required to live here since the passage of a Nov 2016 ordinance.
You might call us country folks slow, but that sure sounds like up until that time anyone in the position of city administrator was to have been living here under city ordinance.
Makes 5:05 is a fine carpenter and who hit that nail head on.
City election were this past April by my math that means anyone re-elected or those not up for election were as 5:05 stated breaking the city ordinance. My understand that a city ordinance is the city law. I guess 5:05 is two for two on that breaking the law issue.
Am I moving too fast for you city slickers, I mean on the farm you got to be fast or you will be at something all day and get nothing done.
Sequel like a pig all you want, but all you did was provide the deliverance that 5:05 actual knows there facts even though they are a little behind the times.
M Young
Did you move in from one of those 4/20 friendly states?
We don't grow that stuff in MO it mess with ones head and thought process.
I never commented on any Battalion Chief I was responding to 6:53.
Raytown has a very nice Library and maybe one of the nice employees can read it to you or should I say explain it to those who were deprived a proper education.
Maybe I need to move back to the farm as the animals are much smarter and kind than many of the city folks like yourself.
I am glad I picked Raytown it has that small town feeling and just like a small town everyone in Raytown has a love so great for their neighbor that if the neighbor was to soddenly stop they would be joined and not at the hip.
Happiness is what you make of life was one of the first things I learned on the farm and it is something missing from so many in the city.
Maybe if you had to care for as many farm animals as I did growing up you would learn compassion for other, and the ability to understand, but again look at the number of shootings here in the metro compared to those in Norther MO, which is something I don't understand.
M Young
BUT this aint Mayberry. This is Raytown.
I see the last comment writer fell to the last defense of those who are making a losing argument. Name calling. What was he wrote? Oh yes. He called those who disagree with him "fools".
I read what Mr. Thompson wrote and it had the ring of truth. The piece absolutely did not impress me as "ramblings" as an earlier poster characterized it.
Thank you for your corroboration of his take on this ugly mess. I am sure you will be castigated for your opinion.