BY GREG WALTERS

HOW IMPORTANT CAN ONE VOTE BE?

Mayor Reverses Ban

on Pole Signs

POLE SIGN . . . A long pole, permanently set into the ground at its base, with an advertising sign attached to the top of the pole used to advertise a retail outlet.

MONUMENT SIGN 
A sign placed upon or supported by the ground independently of any structure or supports used to advertise a retail outlet.

Seventeen years ago a group of Raytown citizens organized themselves under the banner of Raytown Quality Places. It was a giant step forward. The group partnered with the Mid America Regional Council (MARC) and the Truman Heartland Foundation. The number of active members was just under 100 members. One of their goals was to change the commercial landscape of Raytown by eliminating pole signs.

Their argument was buttressed by a recommendation from the Missouri State Highway Department to eliminate pole signs along major highways in urban and suburban areas.

The Highway Department viewed the clutter and lack of visibility as a traffic hazard on high speed highways that cut through urban and suburban communities. It was not long before ALL of the communities in the metropolitan area had changed their city codes to ban the construction of new pole signs.

Fast forward to last Tuesday night’s Board of Aldermen meeting.

At its last meeting the Board of Aldermen finished a lengthy re-writing of the city’s ordinances regarding signage.  

Pole signs were a hot button topic. Following are the recommendations to City Hall regarding pole signs:

• The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously endorsed continuing the ban.
• City staff at Raytown City Hall endorsed continuing the ban.
• One half of the Board of Aldermen voted to maintain the program.

When the votes were cast by the Board of Aldermen there was 5 to 5 split. 

This created a five to five tie from the Board. The decision was left in the hands of Mayor Michael McDonough. He cast his tie-breaking vote to eliminate the ban on pole signs along 350 Highway.  

Ward 2 Alderman Jim Aziere summed it up best after the meeting: “We had eliminated 103 pole signs in Raytown. Commercial areas were beginning to shape up with the development following uniform guidelines set by the city. It is a shame to lose all of that momentum and good will because of one vote.”

It is fair to say that his single vote swept away years of forward progress cleaning up Raytown’s image.

Some wonder why the Mayor took the position he did. It is a very good question.

Next time you see him . . .  ask him.

HOW THEY VOTED:

Those voting to continue the ban on pole signs in Raytown:

Jim Aziere, Greg Walters, Ryan Myers, Frank Hunt, Bonnaye Mims

Those voting to allow pole signs in Raytown:

Derek Ward, Bill VanBuskirk, Mary Jane VanBuskirk, Jason Greene, Janet Emerson.

RAYTOWN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

Park Department 
Applies for State
Grant for Tennis
Court Repair

The Raytown Parks and Recreation Department has  applied for a matching grant of $175,000.00 for renovation of four tennis courts in Kenagy Park.

The grant is funded by the National Park Service and administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

According to Dave Turner, Director of Raytown Parks Department, the matching grant obligates the Park Board to spend $187,500.00 in matching funds for a total $375,000.00 in improvements.

The plans are for a complete rebuild of the playing surface, net posts and nets. The surface will be anchored by re-enforced tensioning cables encased in concrete with a residual compressive stress of 126 psi. The concrete surface will be coated with two coats of Acrylic Resurfacer at a rate of .06 gallons per square yard per coat.

The expected life of the new courts is 45 years.

Turner told the Board one of the courts will also have inner stripes for junior tennis play. As well as one court marked with inner stripes for Pickle Ball.

Michael Hanna Resigns

Park Board Position

Former Raytown Municipal Judge Michael Hanna has resigned his seat on the Raytown Park Board.

Sources within the Park Board did not elaborate on Judge Hanna’s resignation other than to say he did so for personal reasons.

The resignation leaves an opening on the Park Board. Anyone interested in the position can apply by using the following form:

USE THIS LINK: Application for Seat on Park Board

BY PAUL LIVIUS

Paul's Rant!

1980’s Style Advertising is
not a good look for Raytown

Last week the City of Raytown took what can only be described as a “A Great Leap Backward” when Mayor McDonough cast a tie breaking vote to reverse a prohibition on pole signs in Raytown.

Trust me on this one. The ugly pole signs piercing the skyline of Raytown along 350 Highway are not the retro look Raytown needs to succeed.

By casting one vote the Mayor broke the tie vote of a dead-locked Board of Aldermen. Greg has assured me those votes on the Board are not going to change. This leaves only one way to undo the mistake of discontinuing one of Raytown’s successful programs that was making a difference.

Mayor McDonough erred when he voted to eliminate the ban on monument signs. His single vote reverses years of effort Raytown Quality Places. 

He still has one option open to him.

The Mayor cast his vote with the prevailing side. This means he can ask the Board to reconsider the vote. By so doing the question can be called back and re-voted. If the votes are re-cast, and none of the Board members change their vote, there would not be enough votes left to pass the amendment removing the ban on monument signs. He would then have an opportunity to reverse his decision from last Tuesday.*

All of the cities in the metropolitan area are competing hard to earn sales tax dollars. The forward looking members of Raytown Quality Places knew this when they took the challenge of implementing the ban on pole signs.

Their action slowly set the momentum of how Raytown should be viewed by those who visit and pass through Raytown. Our city needs to create a more friendly and inviting area for the 60,000 commuters who drive through Raytown five days a week.

Stop trying to clean up the area and those 60,000 commuters will just keep on driving down the road.

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