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| BY GREG WALTERS |
Recommendations Sent
to the Raytown Park Board
The following is a synopsis of
recommendations and conclusions from the Raytown Park Improvement Committee
(PIC).
The Committee, which held its
first meeting on July 11, 2019, wrapped up its last meeting with a list of
three recommendations to the Raytown Park Board. Alderman Greg Walters, serving
as Chairman of the Committee, will present the findings of the PIC Committee to
the Park Board on August 19th.
The following is a summary of
all meeting discussions.
There was follow up on some
of the ideas discussed at previous meetings of the committee. Research was
presented on:
·
Rock
barriers or bollards.
·
Amplified
music or sound restrictions in the park.
· The use of private security to enforce park curfews.
· The addition of Solar Powered LED lights in Raytown parks.
· Solutions used by other public and private parks to enforce curfews.
· The use of gates to close entrances to vehicular traffic during curfew hours.
Park Board Director Dave
Turner had previously suggested a heavy chain across a single lane entrance to
Park Headquarters at 59th Street would be sufficient to deter
entrance at that location.
A discussion was held on the legality of gates at Colman Park. Chairman Walters shared a memo from City Attorney Jennifer Baird affirming the city had the legal authority to construct gates at the north and south entrances of the Park.
A discussion was held over
the cost of manually locked vs. automatically locked gates. A report by
Alderman Derek Ward placed the cost of automatic gates at approximately $50,000.
Alderman Greg Walters placed
the cost of manually controlled gates at approximately $2,000.00 since the
gates could be constructed in house by Park employees.
Both cost figures included
installation.
A discussion was held over
the use of a private security firm to enforce curfews in all of Raytown Parks.
It was suggested by Park Board Director Dave Turner to use private security for
a two or three month period and then evaluate its effectiveness. The firm could
also be asked to join the discussion at a later date regarding the use of gates at certain
parks. Colman Park and Kenagy Park were mentioned as locations where curfew
violations and vagrancy were both areas of concern.
Alderman Walters said the PIC Committee had
accomplished goals in three important areas:
1. Clarification
on the legality of the city closing off a public street for safety measures.
City attorney Jennifer Baird’s research showed the City can close a public street
to enforce curfews at parks.
2. Acceptance
of the plan by the Raytown Fire Department and Raytown Ambulance Service was
attested to by Fire Chief Matt Mace.
3. Acceptance
of the plan by the Raytown Police Department. Captain Michelle Rogers, speaking
on behalf of the Raytown Police Department, said the Police Department would adapt to the
use of private security, the use of gates, or a combination of both methods in managing
Raytown Parks.
Alderman Greg Walters said he
supported the use of private security but believe it was a half-measure in the deterrence
to curfew violations.
Fire Chief Matt Mace made a
motion to recommend the following to the Raytown Park Board: Alderman Mary Jane VanBuskirk seconded the
motion. Chief Mace’s motion was broken into three parts.
(1) Hire private security immediately to address
the problems of curfew violations and vagrancy at all Raytown City Parks.
(2) Installation of bollards, large
(decorative) rocks or a combination of both to block entrance through the
grassy expanse on the north side of Colman Park along 59th Street. A private firm has offered to provide labor and material in construction and installation of needed materials.
(3) Work with the Park Department to develop a
Memorandum of Understanding regarding the use of gates at selected city parks
as a way to enforce curfews within Raytown City Parks.
The three items were voted
independent of each other. The vote was as follows;
(1) Use of private
security.
YES: Greg Walters NO:
none ABSTAIN: none
Jane Loulos
Dave
Turner
Matt
Mace
Michelle
Rogers
Mindy
McDaniel
Mary
Jane VanBuskirk
Bill
VanBuskirk
Loretha
Hayden
(2) Use of
permanent barricades along 59th Street.
YES: Greg Walters NO:
none ABSTAIN: Michelle Rogers
Jane Loulos
Jane Loulos
Dave Turner
Matt Mace
Mindy McDaniel
Mary Jane VanBuskirk
Bill VanBuskirk
Loretha Hayden
(3) Creation
of MOU with Park Department on the use of gates.
YES: Greg Walters NO:
none ABSTAIN: Michelle Rogers
Jane Loulos
Jane Loulos
Dave Turner
Matt Mace
Mindy McDaniel
Mary Jane VanBuskirk
Bill VanBuskirk
Loretha Hayden
Alderman Walters said the
Committee could re-evaluate the need of gates at the end of the trial period, possibly
helping in the creation of the Memorandum of Understanding.
The meeting was adjourned.
14 comments:
When will the pRk board know about these? Is there a time we can go anf hear them talk about it? Great job coming up with solutions by the way.
".....not a blog full of anonymous tripe,"
Wasn't "anonymous" recently discussed on this blog? With someone opining that anonymity could be essential to protect those with opinions from retribution and "drive bys" from certain city officials?
"Tripe". This, from both the pot and the kettle. That's precious.
The park board is well aware of what has been transpiring at the Park Improvement Committee meetings. They have had at least one member of the Park Board in attendance. They have also been emailed a copy of the Raytown Report with what amounts to the minutes of the Park Improvement Committee's discussions, etc. There has also been a City Council member, Ward 5 Alderman Derek Ward, on hand at every meeting of the Park Board since the PIC Committee began meeting. Mr. Ward is the city's liaison with the Park Board. Finally, Mr. Crhis Rathbone, the President of the Raytown Park Board, has been in attendance at two of the PIC meetings. All of the PIC meetings have been publicly announced as required by the Missouri State Sunhine Law on the city's website.
So you see, the Park Board has been kept abreast of what is being discussed. they have been very well informed.
At tonight's Park Board meeting, which starts at 7:00 p.m. at the Park Board headquarters the Chairman of the Park Improvement Committee will give a report of recommendations from the PIC Committee.
It is a public meeting and being such, the public is allowed to attend.
I thought the Park committee was supposed to be for all the parks. This only talks about Coleman park. I live near Kenagy and we have a lot of problems too. What about us?
"Recommendations Sent to the Raytown Park Board":
Well-ordered, timely, succinct and effective solutions.
And there you have it.
Thank you, Alderman Walters and Committee.
Someone obvioulsy did not read the story! The recommendation is for private security to be used at all the parks. The story also mentions Kenagy Park as one park that has had problems similar to Colman Park. This is one committee that did some good. They went right to work. They identified the problems. They came up with solutions. And yet some still whine about it!
Re the "T" comment....all well and good, but the concern lies with an elected official very unwisely making a subjective value judgement against one entity that they may disagree with, DESPITE the overall content contained (i.e. analysis, editorial ability) within that blog.
When a public official posts under the CAPACITY of their elected office to degrade one source while recommending ANOTHER source of information that has already demonstrated the capacity to be just as or even more biased? That's completely unacceptable and measures should be put in place to discipline the official.
We tire of the blatant and behind the scenes barnyard behavior. It's a distraction and only serves to further compromise everyone's efforts.
It's even more concerning that this elected official doesn't appear to even comprehend in the first place WHY their remarks are inappropriate.
Your comment is well written. Don't know what you are trying to say! It is as if you are slowly dancing around a topic you dare not name.
Does that Raytown Facebook page allow everyone to splash their personal family business all over the place? Can I post pictures of my Aunt Mary's last picnic? Or is that privilege reserved for Raytown's top politician? Hey buddy, Facebook isn't your scrapbook. Not interested in your personal family business. Use some discretion. Confine your frequent posts to City issues. Please and Thanks.
August 21, 2019 at 12:49 AM
Instead of being hateful, you can just scroll on by any posts you aren't interested in.
Life is way too short to get your panties in a wad over a family picnic. SMH
"Instead of being hateful, you can just scroll on by any posts you aren't interested in."
Agreed. "Take what you want and leave the rest", as they say.
It's Facebook. Expect it.
12:49 AM, Exactly what I do here and on Facebook. I have long wondered why others didn't do the same?
Andy Whiteman
Does that mean just murders and rapes then?
No, that Facebook group censors all THOSE posts. Murders and rapes are bad for the city's "image". They're trying to keep the news stations off our trail. Silence is golden. Ignorance is bliss.
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