BY GREG WALTERS
CITY / FIRE DISTRICT
SETTLE LAWSUITS
$147,802.25 in Legal Fees
Lawsuit(s) between the City of Raytown and the Raytown Fire Protection District racked up $147,802.25 in legal expenses over tax payments to the Raytown 350 Live TIF. 

Last November the City of Raytown and the Raytown Fire Protection District settled a dispute over tax payments ear marked to fund the Raytown Live (350 Highway) TIF Plan. The Raytown Live TIF Plan was used to fund the purchase and development of the area currently occupied by Walmart on 350 Highway.

Even though the agreement was reached last November, there had not been any public announcement of the dismissal of the law suits.

After a number of requests were ignored by officials of the City and Fire District, we made a formal Freedom of Information Request for documents relevant to the settlement.

The City of Raytown used two law firms to represent them in the dispute.  For their services the respective law firms billed:
Kapke and Willerth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . billed   $6,518.75
Williams & Campo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . billed   $71,164.50

The Raytown Fire Protection District used one law firm.
Polsnelli . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . billed    $70,119.00

For a combined total of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   $147,802.25


THE DISPUTE
Through an internal audit, the Raytown Fire Protection District came to believe they were being over-billed by the city for their share of the  payments made towards the Raytown Live (350 Highway) TIF plan.

The discovery eventually led to the Fire District withholding (at least) $20,000 in TIF payment to the City to Raytown.

In response, the City of Raytown sued the Raytown Fire District in an effort to collect the money being withheld.

The Fire District countersued the City. The District claimed they were only responsible for payments to the TIF District for participation in Project 1 of the TIF Agreement. Project 1 encompasses the land currently occupied by Walmart on 350 Highway.

The dispute never went to trial. It was officially settled on November 21, 2017. The final product is a 14 page long Mutual Release and Settlement Agreement .

By the terms of that agreement, the City would receive $20,000 in payments from the Fire District.

In turn, the Fire District is released from paying any additional payments to the TIF District.

The City also agrees to provide the District clarification regarding the $7,335,833 asset of the October 31, 2016 balance sheet.

An interesting document is the original TIF Agreement. In the document it clearly states the Raytown Fire Protection District would only participate in Section 1 of the TIF Development. Section 1 encompasses the land occupied by Walmart on 350 Highway.

The following pages are the key parts of the agreement (pages 4, 5, 6 and Exhibit 1. The entire 14 page document is a pubic document and can be obtained through Raytown City Hall or through the Raytown Fire Protection District.
PAGE 4
PAGE 5
















PAGE 6
 



Shooting at Colman Park BY PAUL LIVIUS
At about 2:00 P.M. Sunday (April 29th, 2018) Raytown Police officers responded to a reported shooting at 5900 Block of Lane Street (Colman Park).

Upon their arrival, officers discovered through the accounts of witnesses at the scene a shooting had occurred. Neither a suspect nor victim could be located. Witnesses at the scene described the shooter to be a black male, with short, "dreadlock" style braided hair. At this time, no injuries have been reported to the Raytown Police Department.

Raytown Police are monitoring local hospitals for reports of any new patients being treated for gunshot wounds since the incident.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the TIPS Hotline, 816-474-8477.

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Comments

Anonymous said…
There's been lots of criticism here of the mayor, police chief, and aldermen.

If you think you can do better, why not run for a position yourself?
April 29, 2018 at 10:34 PM
Anonymous said…
Raytown 350 Live TIF reminds me of the old AM radio station WHB and their tag line. “The Hits Just Keep Coming”
April 30, 2018 at 7:24 AM
Anonymous said…
We are not qualified to run for mayor or alderman as we are not former police officers or work for the school district
April 30, 2018 at 7:38 AM
Anonymous said…
I bet there are a lot of Raytown school teachers who thank God everyday that Jason Greene is not head of their union.
April 30, 2018 at 9:13 AM
Andy Whiteman said…
WOW! Am I understanding this correctly? $147,802.25 to settle a $20,000 dispute!!!! What a waste of taxpayers' money!!!!!! How much street resurfacing could the city's expense could have been paid for? The amount spent by the Fire District could have bought a significant amount of equipment.

Andy Whiteman
April 30, 2018 at 9:46 AM
Anonymous said…
Finally, the FD will get their hands out of the the City’s pocket
April 30, 2018 at 10:05 AM
Anonymous said…
Greg and Paul,

It would be interesting to know which of the great thinkers on the Board of Alderman decided to sue the Fire Department.

Clearly from what you have shared the city city decided to settle out of court, which to me means the suit never should have been filed.

Just one more example of poor management at city hall.
April 30, 2018 at 12:37 PM
Anonymous said…
Jason Greene the king of the tax and spend Libertarians.

Never seen a tax he didn't want to pass on to his friends.

Never could stop the impulse to spend friends money.
April 30, 2018 at 6:14 PM
Anonymous said…
The City remains poor and the fire department keeps getting richer.
April 30, 2018 at 6:34 PM
Anonymous said…

Just so that everyone is clear....

You do NOT need to be a police officer to run for city marshal.

If you win the election you would need to obtain your certification within a specified time frame (attend the police academy.)
April 30, 2018 at 7:44 PM
Anonymous said…
Talking about street repair is the Raytown Water Co ever going to repair the streets they have torn up?

What is that mess costing the city and why is the city not doing anything about it.
April 30, 2018 at 8:42 PM
Anonymous said…
You can thank Alderman Greene and Steve Meyers for putting their noses where they didn't belong. That is how such a settlement came about with the fire department. They both think they know everything.
April 30, 2018 at 9:14 PM
Anonymous said…
6:34 sounds like a management issue.
April 30, 2018 at 9:35 PM
Anonymous said…
The Fire Department is not getting richer it is just managed better. If I were you I would hope that they take the ambulance over before we no longer have one.
April 30, 2018 at 10:11 PM
Anonymous said…
Andy, how much is it worth to stop paying the TIF for the next 16 years? That’s what the settlement was over.
April 30, 2018 at 10:15 PM
Anonymous said…
The City is poor because of mismanagement and poor leadership not because of the fire department. That’s like arguing someone who cannot hold a job is poor because someone else is a good employee and has a nice home.
April 30, 2018 at 10:18 PM
Anonymous said…
The fire department ordered a new truck and didn't the funds to pay for it that is part of the reason they sued the city. THEY NEEDED MONEY
May 1, 2018 at 6:37 AM
Anonymous said…
There is no compelling argument you can make for the FD to take over the ambulance service. It doesn’t work
May 1, 2018 at 6:50 AM
Anonymous said…
No the settlement came because the City realized they had been lied to by the former administration. The mayor stated this when it became appearent the finances were not in order and the TIF payment was a boat anchor around their necks.
May 1, 2018 at 7:13 AM
Anonymous said…
Years ago the Mayor and Board of Aldermen made a very poor decision when they agreed to the disaster known as the Walmart TIF. There is only one member on the City council that was part of that decision. This new mayor and aldermen who stand with him continued by making their own poor decision. The lawsuits cost the taxpayers over $140,000. That money would have gone a long way in repairing streets in Raytown. It is become more clear each day that the current adminstration is a failure in many ways. The revolving door at city hall of department heads shows there is a hostile environment between some elected officials and employees. It is more than clear that if you ruffle the mayor's pet group, the police department, you are targeted and will not be working at city hall much longer. The tactics by some aldermen, the chief of police and mayor are that of the bully. We need clear changes in how our city is run if we want raytown's future to brighten. If those changes do not come, the city will continue in its decline.
May 1, 2018 at 7:28 AM
Anonymous said…
If we had a mayor or city council that would put the "heat" on Neil Clevenger of Raytown Water company to fix the "Worlds of Fun Roller Coaster" on 59th street and other streets they would of been fixed by now. Neil is not hurting for money. What POOR city management we have. And you think I am going to vote for new taxes? You have got to be CRAZY!!
May 1, 2018 at 8:54 AM
Anonymous said…
6:37 you best look into things before speaking as you look like a fool.

Must be an Alderman! Never able to understand FACTs!
May 1, 2018 at 9:02 AM
Anonymous said…
The fire department needs to take over EMS. Raytown EMS calls KCFD for mutual aid daily and at times only has one ambulance in service due to staffing issues. The city pays EMTs $10 an hour and paramedics $12 an hour. It's on the city's website. The fire department has both EMTs and paramedics and could staff the ambulance when short staffed. EMS is severely underfunded in Raytown and mismanaged. Fire needs to take it over.
May 1, 2018 at 10:17 AM
Anonymous said…
to 6:50 yes there is and yes it will happen probably sooner than you think.

I point to cities like Lees Summit,Gladstone,Grandview,Kansas City, Kansas City Kansas,Blue Springs,Leawood,Overland Park and just about every major city in the United Sates. Please don't tell me all those cities that have a ambulance based in a fire department are doing it wrong and Raytown and Independence are the only ones doing it correctly. If that's what you think then I feel somewhat sorry for you.
May 1, 2018 at 11:48 AM
Anonymous said…
To Anon 6:37 AM, so you actually believe the Fire Department was able to purchase not one but two new fire trucks without the means to pay for them? Nevermind the fact that this dispute had been going a full year before the fire trucks were ordered and nevermind the fact that the trucks were financed by a local lender who vetted the Fire Department before extending the credit. You need a narrative that makes the Fire Department the villain here and that absolves the City of countless violations of both the agreement and State statutes. The fact remains the Fire Department acted as a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars should and the City failed at every opportunity.
May 1, 2018 at 1:52 PM
Anonymous said…
To Anon 6:50 AM, I have to believe you are the same author who 13 minutes before made up the fantasy that the Fire Department sued the City to pay for a fire truck they could not afford. As far as your comment that there are no compelling arguments for the Fire Department running the ambulance, I can only offer this. In the entire 7 county MARC region Raytown is the last municipal-run EMS operation. Why do you think 34 other cities have decided to place EMS under the Fire Department? Before you reply with all those Fire Departments are also under the City, the truth is a large portion of the services are a District just like here in Raytown. Additionally, just last month 5 communities South of here announced they are employing moving from a City-operated Fire Department and combining to form a District like Raytown. The fact is Raytown EMS has an absurd turnover rate and struggles daily to staff the two ambulances they advertise. This is the reason Kansas City ran almost 375 ambulance calls in Raytown last year. Don't want to believe this just ask the City to provide documentation showing how often they fail to staff both ambulances. The best part of all is that the folks who actually have a KCFD ambulance respond are better off because they charge 30% less than Raytown does for the same service. After all that is said at the end of the day none of that matters, Raytown Ambulance is a trainwreck and another anchor around the City's neck. This service offers little to nothing to the community and takes almost 1.4 million dollars that could be better spent elsewhere.
May 1, 2018 at 2:09 PM
Anonymous said…
Anybody that believes that 6:37 needs to have their medication checked.
May 1, 2018 at 3:25 PM
Anonymous said…
We should be so lucky as to have the Fire Department run EMS. We moved from a city run by AMR and all I can say is you better hope you never need their service. They are a private company and they will get their money.... No matter how little you have. I don’t have any experience with the current EMS but it make sense to give the service to Fire in an effort to be effecient. There must be some reasoning behind it if all the other Cities do it.
May 1, 2018 at 3:51 PM
Anonymous said…
$140k would repair 1/2 mile of street. Raytown has 95 linear miles of streets. It’s a drop in the bucket
May 1, 2018 at 7:27 PM
Anonymous said…
So you’re saying the fire department couldn’t afford their new truck?? That’s telling
May 1, 2018 at 7:28 PM
Anonymous said…
$140k would repair 1/2 mile of street. Raytown has 95 linear miles of streets. It’s a drop in the bucket.

A classic lie. No detail at all. Concrete street? Asphalt Street? Two lanes or four lanes? Let's see. Your claim is it costs $140,000.00 to repair one-half mile of street in Raytown. Okay, that means a mile costs $240,000.00. If there are 96 linear miles of streets in Raytown, by your numbers it would cost $26,600,000.00 to repair the streets. Yes, 26.6 MILLION DOLLARS.

Even if you are correct, and I am certain you are not. I would still rather see the $140,000 used to repair our streets.

The City Council and Mayor went on a fool's errand. They ended up giving the Fire Department everything the FD asked for in their negotiations.

May 1, 2018 at 9:41 PM
Anonymous said…
Everyone seems willing to vilify the Fire District, but did it ever occur to all of you that maybe they were right? Look at the facts: everything they predicted would happen has come true, the City is on the verge of bankruptcy, the City has been forced to drastically cut services, all of the City staff resigned within 120 days of this going public and lastly the City has still not been able ro refinance those bonds. Say what you want, but in my book there are no winners here and the Fire District is certainly not the bad guy here. Raytowna Beach Bum
May 1, 2018 at 10:21 PM
Anonymous said…
The city’s doing fine. They cut the budget due to grossly erroneous projections but wait and see: there was always more money available. That will only help in the future.
May 2, 2018 at 6:12 AM
Anonymous said…
Look at city Budget the ambulance is the last anchor and will soon be either moved into fire department or disbanded all together. I will be surprised if the fire department actually wants it and if they can afford something that does not fund itself and I would bet the collections do not cover the service. So comes down to probably a vote on a tax down the road do the citizens vote to fund it or let it go? The last time I heard is that KC has been propping them up for years. everything costs money so are we willing to fund it or willing to take a chance without a service? Is it worth having a service or rely on outside services that may not be available?
May 2, 2018 at 6:14 AM
Anonymous said…
Well said. It is also important to remember the Fire District tried to open discussions with the city for quite a while. When they became tired of being ignored, they simply with-held the tax payments to the city. The city's response was to sue the Fire District. That got the ball rolling in the wrong direction. The Fire District then counter-sued the city. The only ones who came out a winner in this mess were the lawyers and the firms they work for. Which brings up another question. Kopke and Willerth are retained by the city to serve as the city attorney. Why are they billing separately for their part in the lawsuit? They already are being paid by the city for their legal advice as City Attorney.
May 2, 2018 at 8:09 AM
Anonymous said…
9:41 Interesting you came up with 26 million as it was 25 million that the city gave without question and without legal checks in place to the school district.

So much for fair market value, so my for following the law.

Sounds like the school district owes the city and the current Board of Alderman need to make things right!
May 2, 2018 at 4:28 PM
Anonymous said…
Only in Raytown:

A city hires a guy who passes the bar, but shouldn't be practicing law.
May 2, 2018 at 7:35 PM
Anonymous said…
Why not sign your name Pollyanna?

HE CITY'S DOING FINE. THEY CUT THE BUDGET DUE TO GROSSLY ERRONEOUS PROJECTIONS BUT WAIT AND SEE. THERE WAS ALWAYS MORE MONEY AVAILABLE. THAT WILL ONLY HELP IN THE FUTURE.

Such nonsense. Is that why the same city council is putting three tax increases on the ballot in August. They want to more than double the city's property tax. Create a 2.5% sales tax on anyone purchase we make on the internet, and add two cents to every gallon of gasoline we purchase.

That does not sound like there IS ALWAYS MONEY AVAILABLE.

The real problem is a Mayor and City Council who act irresponsibly and without looking at the consequences of their actions. The $147,802.25 in lawyer fees is a good example.

They spend money like sailors coming into a port town without a care about the future. Irresponsible, uninformed behavior. No wonder the city's department heads raced to the exit door to get out of town.

I would not give them one penny in additional tax revenue. They will only waste it. The real answer is change the leadership at City Hall.
May 3, 2018 at 7:17 AM
Anonymous said…
First time paying just 5 bucks. Must know more?
May 3, 2018 at 9:33 PM
Anonymous said…
These women on Raytown Unhinged just crack me up. they have the answers for everything BUT are scared to death to come to city hall to make a comment and give their address. I am shocked if they ever leave their house at night. What a bunch of scaredy cats. They talk big but that is all...
May 3, 2018 at 10:10 PM
Anonymous said…
10:10 pm

I would like for you to leave your name and address here now so we all know who you are, and whenever you post here in the future as well.

Wow.... are you serious? I guess you don't live alone. You must always have a bunch of folks at your house that can call the cops at the first sign of trouble or you have an alarm system.

It would be helpful for you to read or watch the news every now and then so you are aware of what is happening in the world and may help to avoid questionable comments in the future such as this. Try to have a good weekend and please try not to be so snarky.



May 4, 2018 at 6:40 AM
Anonymous said…
There's something wrong when the fire department is swimming in money, and the city doesn't have enough money to fix a pot hole.
May 4, 2018 at 7:22 AM
Andy Whiteman said…
When I was in High School a teacher said that investing in municipal bonds was safe because the cities had
UNLIMITED taxing power and would always pay. I couldn't believe him. Now Raytown is trying to do that! There comes a point where the people will object.

Andy Whiteman
May 4, 2018 at 10:39 AM
Anonymous said…
Andy -

That teacher either taught typing, not economics, or that class was so long ago, we didn't need as much money to get things done, i.e. a gallon of gas for 25 cents or a carpenter for $1.20 an hour.
May 4, 2018 at 5:23 PM
Anonymous said…
Not really fair to say they are swimming in money, four years ago they had to restructure or else they were going to layoff personnel. Don’t remember them screaming to double our property tax. The City is broke because the City has made horrible decisions, both operationally and financially. That’s is like blaming the person who works hard and saves their money for you being homeless.
May 4, 2018 at 8:26 PM
Anonymous said…
Yes there is something wrong, but it’s with the City not the Fire District. The City is broke because they played stupid games and won stupid prizes.
May 5, 2018 at 12:30 AM
Anonymous said…
Have to agree with the last statement. There is not a revolving door at the fire department of people being hired and then abruptly leaving. Even the city's park department head left. Did you notice there was nothing anywhere about his moving on? Normally a long time employee (Boji was here for over ten years) gives a reason for leaving. His leaving was just a short, terse message saying he had given his notice.

Makes you wonder what is going on.
May 5, 2018 at 6:24 AM
Anonymous said…

6:24 am

Do city dept managers have to sign a non-disclosure agreement? If something was amiss you would think it would be all over the news.

What is that $5.00 comment about on 5/3 at 9:33? What is $5.00 now? You can get a dozen original glazed donuts at Krispy Kreme today (5/5) for $5.00. Woo Hoo!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!!
May 5, 2018 at 7:09 AM
Anonymous said…
Hey conspiracy man. Take that up at the parks board he didn’t report to the city he reported to the parks board
May 5, 2018 at 9:46 AM
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
May 5, 2018 at 1:54 PM
Anonymous said…
Oh I do listen to the news and am very well aware of what is going on in the city and the world. You see the difference is I am not going to be afraid of my own shadow.
May 5, 2018 at 4:30 PM
Anonymous said…
I used to wonder why the Fire District was not part of the City government, now I am grateful they are not. I have lived in Raytown since 1987 and can only remember two times they have asked for a tax increase. The City and and School District seem to have their hands out every three or four years. Yes sales taxes are still taxes folks. So those of you who want to throw mud and sling conjecture, go right ahead. But, if you want to start to fix what’s wrong with the City, start by copying what others do.
May 5, 2018 at 5:59 PM
Anonymous said…
4:30 pm

If you are not afraid of your own shadow, why didn't you post your name and address here again?

Some folks here do post their names. You can too.

Pot calling the kettle black here!!!



May 5, 2018 at 6:24 PM
Anonymous said…
1:54 pm

You can join the Raytown Unleashed Facebook page. There are over 12,000 members.

Don't know what "unleashed mothers" is-- sorry.
May 5, 2018 at 7:23 PM
Anonymous said…
Hello everyone. Sorry to interrupt the conspiracy talk, but I need some help finding a baby duck. My daughter, my boyfriend and I want to enjoy watching a cute baby duck grow into a cutie that we can enjoy. I have always wanted to have a duck of my own. I think ducks are one of the most precious animals ever created!! In saying this we have search all over Independence, Blue Springs and Lee's Summit today to find one and have had no luck. Can anyone point us in the right direction please!! I'd be so grateful for help looking. I even went around to animal shelters to see if they had ducks to adopt and no luck. TIA
May 5, 2018 at 8:03 PM
Anonymous said…
The Parks and Recreation is part of the city. The members of that body are nominated for office by the Mayor. The Board of Aldermen votes whether or not to approve the appointment. Sounds like the city has quite a bit of interest there. I am just curious. Why did Mr. Boji leaves so abruptly? No conspiracy involved. Just curious. Sorry the question offends. It is not meant to.
May 5, 2018 at 8:46 PM
Anonymous said…
I knew a guy who had a couple of ducks. He said they kept the chickweed away from his yard. Ducks love to eat chickweed. Why not check on line. Try PET DUCKS, or, RAISING A PET DUCK.

Good Luck!
May 5, 2018 at 9:48 PM
Anonymous said…
School district, yes. The city has not had their hand out enough, that’s the problem
May 5, 2018 at 9:51 PM
Anonymous said…
It’s illegal to have ducks in Raytown, only chickens
May 5, 2018 at 9:54 PM
Anonymous said…
Let’s see, 2016 Car and Boat use tax, 2011 Public Safety sales tax, 2009 Sewer and parks tax, 2006 capital improvements sales tax 2006 transportation sales tax, 2005 sewer bond tax, 2002 fast forward sales tax. The City has actually ran more tax increases than any other in Raytown, facts don’t lie only politicians do
May 6, 2018 at 2:37 PM
Anonymous said…
AFLAC!!!!
May 6, 2018 at 3:15 PM
Anonymous said…
Hey guys. Raytown is already a high tax city. I think I read we are Number 2 in Jackson County with the highest sales tax. We are probably number one thanks to the school district on property tax. The problem is not enough taxes. There are plenty of them. The problem is the lack of proper management at city hall from the Mayor on down.

Oh yes. Ducks. Call your alderman and ask them to change the law if it is illegal to own a pet duck in Raytown.
May 6, 2018 at 8:33 PM
Anonymous said…
Let’s see, 2016 Car and Boat use tax, 2011 Public Safety sales tax, 2009 Sewer and parks tax, 2006 capital improvements sales tax 2006 transportation sales tax, 2005 sewer bond tax, 2002 fast forward sales tax. The City has actually ran more tax increases than any other in Raytown, facts don’t lie only politicians do
May 6, 2018 at 9:06 PM
Anonymous said…
yes..ducks... let us tackle the real issues... (kidding)

Actually the problem with our taxes is the amount, it's the apportions. It all goes to the school, basically. I think the library gets the same amount of each tax dollar as all of city hall combined.
May 6, 2018 at 11:49 PM
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