THE FOLLOWING COMMUNICATION IS FROM RAYTOWN CITY ADMINISTRATOR DAMON HODGES IN WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT A ROADWAY BLOCKED BY STORM DEBRIS.
On Saturday night around 11:30pm Raytown was hit with strong winds from a storm. Not sure of wind speed but Lees Summit had winds at airport of 74 mph. Our Police department received calls and coordinated with Public Works to address the trees down across roadways.
Two major changes are in store for bus riders in Raytown.
The City of Kansas City has decided to discontinue the route that services Raytown along Blue Ridge Cutoff.
Another change will be the elimination of the Flex Service Raytown bus riders use for transportation in and around the Raytown area.
The Flex Service will be replaced with a new alternative Transportation Service name IRIS.
IRIS will transport Raytown passengers to any location in Raytown, Kansas City, Gladstone, Riverside and Liberty, Missouri. The cost of the transportation service to riders is set at $4 and $5 (one way). Round trip costs $8 to $10.
OUR VIEW . . .
If the new IRIS program works as well as it is promised it is the best alternative for bus riders in Raytown. Raytown riders will be expected to pay a fee for using the bus service.
We wondered how our costs and figures stack up to other cities under the program. The closest city we could find that mirrors Raytown in some respects (but not all) is Liberty, Missouri.
They have opted to partake in a similar program as is being suggested for Raytown. To understand how the two cities stack up to each other, consider the following.
POPULATION / Raytown POPULATION / Liberty
SIZE OF CITY / Raytown SIZE OF CITY / Liberty
9.93
square miles 29.1
square miles
Cost per ride / Raytown City Limits Cost
per ride / Liberty City Limits
to be determined $3.00 per ride
This last part does bring some questions to mind. Even though the population of the two cities is similar, the size of the two cities is not.
Raytown is only one-third the size of Liberty. This means there are fewer miles of streets to service by the ATA. With that in mind, Raytown’s service fee for traffic limited to the City of Raytown has yet to be determined.
The Raytown Board of Aldermen is expected to discuss this contract at its next business session scheduled for Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Location and starting time of the meeting are as follows:
WHERE: Raytown City Hall, 10000 East 59th Street, Raytown, Missouri 64133
WHEN: Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Meeting begins at 7:00 p.m.
THE PUBLIC IS invited to attend. The
Public will be able to address the Board, state questions and participate in Public
Comments as the first order of business.
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"Swirl"
BY JESSIE CARGAS
Raytown's newest art sculpture has been unveiled at Colman Park.
The sculpture is located the north entrance to the park near the veterans
monument (northwest corner of of 59th and Lane Street).
The sculpture is on lease and expected to remain in place for two years.
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When will the bridge over 350 Highway
at Blue Blue Boulevard be repaired?
.png) |
| THE PAUL LIVIUS REPORT |
A number of readers have contacted us regarding the closed lane on the Blue Ridge Boulevard bridge over 350 Highway.
We received the following explanation from Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT)
MoDOT is in progress of
designing bridge repairs so that we can open Blue Ridge Blvd over MO 350 by the
end of 2024. The bridge was struck by an oversized load, and damaged
enough that we had to close one lane on the bridge. It is possible there
will be additional closures in place while we make those repairs this
summer. MoDOT is in
progress of designing bridge repairs so that we can open Blue Ridge Blvd over
MO 350 by the end of 2024.
Not the best news, but at
least we now know how long the wait will be.
Raytown Alderwoman Elected
to Hickman Mills School Board
Raytown
Alderwoman Bonnaye Mims has been elected to the Hickman Mills School Board.
Mims is currently serving her second term on the Raytown Board of Aldermen.
Holdings more than one elected position in Missouri is
allowed under State Law. So it is legal.
Not all governing bodies allow voting members of their
elected officials to hold more than one seat in public office at a time. The
current Jackson County Legislature has four members on it who were School Board
members. The County Charter does not allow for its elected officials to hold
office in while serving on the Jackson County Legislature.
Those four members had to resign their positions before
being sworn in to serve on the County Legislature.
The questions remains . . . it is a politically wise decision
to hold to publicly elected positions at one time?
Time will tell. Mims is up for re-election to her seat on
the Raytown Board of Aldermen in April of 2025.
 |
| INTRODUCTION BY GREG WALTERS |
Raytown students wanted a crackdownon violence, guns in school.Making the right changes is tricky.
Originally
published on the St. Joseph Post
By Maria Benevento
In early February, Raytown
High School sophomore Harper York crossed the street to pick up some M&Ms
from a Casey’s store before her next rehearsal. Suddenly, she turned around
from the checkout and saw a “mob fight” had broken out.
When the chaos died
down and she got over her initial shock, Harper made a break for it.
“I don’t think I’ve
ever run so fast across the parking lot in my life,” she said. “And before I
cross the street, I look back and another (fight) is starting. … I can hear
police sirens and ambulances, and people are on the ground, and people are
crying. And it’s just like: Is this who we are?”
While the gas station fight
was the biggest Harper had seen, physical altercations in or near school had
become common.
Even bystanders weren’t safe.
A few days later, junior Chase Dernier ended up near a fight that turned into a
large-scale shoving match. He got slammed into a wall, hitting his head hard
enough to make it ache for days.
 |
| RAYTOWN HIGH SCHOOL |
The last straw came
when school officials confiscated three firearms from students in a two-week
period.
Chase and Harper recruited
classmates and other district residents to call leadership, attend the February
school board meeting and sign up for public comment. They pushed for changes
such as longer suspensions for students who fight and adding metal detectors to
school.
Since that public
pressure, students say Raytown High School has made effective changes, such as
hall sweeps targeting students who aren’t in class. They’ve also seen signs
that the district is seriously considering other measures such as installing
weapons detectors.
Superintendent Penelope
Martin-Knox said fully solving the problems of frequent fights and guns
entering school requires combing through all the ideas to find what will
actually work.
Schools throughout the
country have been grappling with the ways traditional discipline and security
tactics can cause long-term harm to students who make mistakes, exacerbate
racial disparities and make school feel a little like jail.
Martin-Knox has also watched
other districts seize on solutions that fail, such as when weapons make it past
metal detectors.
“I don’t want to give people
a false sense of hope,” she said. “I just need to make sure that what we do is
going to be as effective as it possibly can be.”
Reiko Groves first appeared
in front of the school board to perform a song from Raytown High School’s
spring musical, “Six,” which reimagines Henry VIII’s wives as pop icons.
Reiko wishes she could have
focused on her performance alone.
Instead, still in costume,
the high school junior returned to the front of the audience and addressed the
board as herself: a teenager worried about guns and violence.
“I go from performing for
this great show that I was so proud of, to now I have to go speak about how,
even though I love the (school) building, I don’t feel safe in it,” she said
later. “I have to go fight for … almost my ability to perform (and) make sure
everybody’s safe while performing.”
After students’ basic
physical safety is secure, Reiko said, “we can focus on the well-being of our
students to find solutions to not only survive, but thrive in Raytown schools.”
Students say the school
climate hasn’t always been like this. But during the fall semester, violence
started to feel like an everyday thing.
Incidents reached a peak in
December, according to district data reported to the board. Students were in
school for less than three weeks that month. But during that time, there were
50 suspensions for fighting and school officials confiscated three firearms.
Harper said she started
begging her parents to let her stay home from school, even though it meant she
would miss beloved activities like theater rehearsals. Chase, normally proud of
his high attendance, was skipping school to lie in bed, feeling “mentally
drained.”
They weren’t aware of the
firearms found in December until later, but they did hear about three
additional guns found during a two-week period in late January and early
February.
The weapons weren’t fired or
brandished, Martin-Knox said. School officials found them by searching students
after suspicions were raised: a bullet found on a hallway floor, a phone call
about a social media post.
The students said they
weren’t planning to use the guns at school, Martin-Knox said.
“I heard the reasonings of,
‘You don’t know where I have to walk when I go home. You don’t know what
happens when I get off the bus. I have to go to a relative’s house in a different
community somewhere. And I just need to safeguard myself,’” she said.
But bringing a gun to school
is a “nonnegotiable” that comes with legal consequences and the student’s
permanent removal from in-person school, Martin-Knox said.
Consequences for fights can
vary, but some students have argued they should be harsher.
“They think they’re trying to
help the students,” Chase said. “But in reality, by lowering the suspension
rates, it’s not holding students accountable.”
A rumor that suspensions for
fighting have been uniformly reduced to three days from nine days isn’t true,
Martin-Knox said. But she has emphasized to principals that they have
discretion to set suspension lengths based on the circumstances.
Martin-Knox said schools also
need to figure out how to help students understand and take responsibility for
their actions when they return from suspension.
“Because otherwise,” she
said, “I’m going to send you back out there, (and) you’re going to do it
again.”
Schools nationwide are seeing
more verbal and physical aggression from students since the return to in-person
school after the pandemic, said Kenneth Trump, a school safety consultant.
Administrators face pressure
to solve those issues, he said, especially when there are high-profile
incidents involving weapons.
“It puts school leaders at
great risk of what I call ‘do something, do anything, do it now and do it fast’
type of policy and practice rather than having a comprehensive assessment done
of their safety,” he said. “We’re seeing many cases where that includes turning
to physical security measures, security hardware products and technology.”
Those solutions don’t always
work as promised, Trump said, especially when they aren’t executed perfectly.
Locally, Kansas City Public
Schools faced a lawsuit when a knife used in
a fatal stabbing made it through a metal
detector.
“Your
high school coach and a teacher’s aide and the principal working the screening
at the front doors, (who) probably got an hour of training, total, on a new
product they spent millions of dollars for in your district, is not going to be
comparable to the TSA,” he said.
And
when those staff members are pulled from other areas of the school, they lose
opportunities to interact, head off conflicts before they escalate and build
relationships with students who might be willing to tell a trusted adult about
a weapons plot.
“One of the best, strongest
security measures in a school is a visible, actively supervising adult,” he
said.
That has borne out at Raytown
High School, according to several students who credited a reduction in fights
to regular hall sweeps — where students late to class are locked out, rounded
up and warned or disciplined — and increased patrolling by security staff
and administrators.
Some of the security measures
can be double-edged swords.
Reiko says she understands
why the school no longer holds assemblies — they were leading to fights — but
is sad to miss out on the experiences.
The hallway sweeps can be
anxiety-inducing, and she’s been stopped and questioned more often while on
legitimate errands for her classes.
But she also appreciates the
reduction in fights and being able to go to the bathroom without finding all
the stalls filled by students skipping class.
“Probably the hardest part
about this is finding that balance between … making sure it is truly a safe
environment, but also not making it feel like it’s a prison or giving
punishment that’s too harsh,” she said.
Students said they’d
appreciate weapons detectors in schools despite potential drawbacks, such as
feeding into racist stereotypes and perceptions that the school is dangerous.
Martin-Knox isn’t ruling out
metal detectors in schools, but she says she needs to think through what
schools would need to make them work, such as locking and putting sensors on
additional doors and windows.
“I’m not going to invest
district money, taxpayer money, or even grant money on something just to say
I’ve done it,” she said.
The district has already
begun increasing security measures for sporting events, which can bring large
numbers of unknown people onto school grounds, Martin-Knox said.
At its March meeting, the
board approved purchase of a weapons detection system that it hopes will
streamline the security scans, spending $300,000 in Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education safety grant funding and more than $22,000 in other
district funds.
The system can be set to target dense metal shapes that might be a firearm, said Josh Hustad, director of facility operations, allowing people to pass through more quickly without taking small items out of their pockets and bags.
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Greg's Favorite Places
ZIG ZAG FALLS
Zig Zag Falls is 7/10ths
of a mile along one of the most scenic trails in Mount Hood National Park. Most
waterfalls in the Mount Hood National Park are vertical. Multnomah
Falls is the tallest waterfall at 620’ tall. Zig Zag Falls
is unique because it stretches out for 7/10ths of a mile. The fast moving water reminds one of a river or creek with rapids, but the fall is steep enough to be regarded as a true waterfall.
NEGATIVE IONS: As you walk along Zig Zag Trail you can sense the rush of air propelled by the waterfall. There is no touch, or taste, but you can feel the negative ions.
Negative Ions are generated by breaking the surface tension of the water.
Falling water does this. Inhaling these ions increases the amount of these negative ions in your brain, killing germs that cause illness, and increases serotonin levels (improving mood, mental alertness, and relieving stress).
The amount of negative ions in the forest, especially near moving water, is thousands of time greater than in your home.
No wonder waterfalls are such popular hiking destinations.
51 comments:
I would suppose that being a next door neighbor to Kansas City, which is ranked in the top 10 most dangerous cities in the US, has a negative impact on not only the Raytown school's safety, but the citizens or Raytown's safety as well.
How come you're not showing the Heart in front of the Chamber of Commerce?
Thanks for the information for the parade of hearts. I am taking my kids up to the animal rescue location later today (weather permitting) to get a photo. I agree, that is quite a tribute to our area to receive such an impressive work of art. Don't know who to thank, but I am glad who ever did what was necessary to make it happen should receive the credit they deserve.
MESSAGE FOR TOM WINTERS:
Mr. Winters. Thank you for your email. We have not posted a picture of the other Heart that was placed in Raytown because we do not have any photos of it. If you have a photo, please email it to us at gregtwalters@gmail.com and we will post it on our page.
Editor, Raytown Report
Reading the news feeds from other sources these last couple of weeks. It seems Mayor Lucas is toying with the idea of making kansas city a sanctuary city.
Everyone knows the mayor will be termed out his current term. He has been trying very hard to become a talking head on one of the big three so-called national news outlets. His main target is either CNN or MSNBC. Doubtful Fox would be very interested in him.
This is not his first attempt. Watch the news feeds from MSNBC and CNN. The often use their outlets to vet possible talent for their lead commentators. They put them on as guests and then see how they poll with the public.
Remember when he endorsed the Downtown baseball stadium? He was all over the map on that issue. He ought to check and see how other sanctuary cities are doing. Every city that comes to mind has been a disaster.
My favorite image of him was when the demonstrators/rioters on the Country Club Plaza demanded he and the KC Chief of Police "take a knee" to demonstrators on the Plaza.
Someone must have been a Game of Thrones fan. They were always "taking a knee" in that fantasy.
A friend of mine told me she recently was stopped by police in Lee's Summit for an expired tag on her car. She had quite a discussion with the Lee's Summit Police Officer. She told him it is expired but will not be for long because she is getting something fixed on the car so it will pass inspection, and she is also needs to pay her personal property tax.
The conversation turned to Raytown. She told him the other part is that she lives in Raytown and Raytown does not enforce the expired temporary tag law! The Lee's Summit officer broke out laughing -- "why not?" he wondered.
I really did not have an answer but like she told him, "it is what it is"!
He gave her a warning. She promised to get her taxes and license up to date.
Received another report of solicitors all over the intersection of Blue Ridge Cutoff and 63rd Street. Some in the street, standing on the very thin concrete median in the middle of 63rd Street with their children!!!
I know Raytown passed a law making such activity illegal. So I called up the dispatcher at the raytown police department. Happened to drive through the intersection an hour later. The solicitors were still there!!!
Are some of our laws being ignored because it is inconvenient to enforce them. I read your article on the Police Report that tells how our number police officers is increasing. It does not make a hoot of a difference if our laws are not enforcement. If anyone at city hall is reading this please see what you can do make our streets safer by enforcing this good law that bans soliciting on public streets. And for goodness sake, start enforcing the laws on driving around with expired tags.
Did I hear correctly that the city is once again working on a master plan?
I sure would like to understand what that actually means Vs. the story told at board meetings.
I should explain my concern and confusion. At the board meetings every thing is always painted as a bed of roses.
The reality is those roses were black to start with and just about dead now.
Based on the reality of observation and driving down any street or turn on any news source not tied to the Mayor and his special band of false hopes and failures, the truth is all around us.
Violation of property are everywhere and nothing is done, but our city budget shows funds for staffing and other related expenses. Real than where is the money going and do those at the top or those with special accreditations understand they could be personal held accountable. Oh, silly me these are the same folks that believe they are accountable to no one including the state or us taxpayers.
Wait don't forget how the violence and murders have increased in Raytown or are tied to a subset of those living in Raytown. We have all heard the excuses as it is the only thing that our city officials are good at.
If even only for a day those at city hall would realize they work for us and not the other way around.
Raytown would quickly once again become a family friendly community.
@6:12 pm. Blame must always be applied to the guilty party. You are describing the failures of the society in which we live.
"The questions remains . . . it is a politically wise decision to hold to publicly elected positions at one time?"
Depends on the office holder's record of achievement, we would think.
In this case? Absolutely not, in our opinion.
Interesting that a bridge damaged last fall will not start the repair work until late this fall.
I know I have concern when the state still is working on the parking lot of the building on the corner of 63rd and Blue Ridge Cut Off.
This doesn't say anything positive about the Republic Party, which is the party in control of our state. It is clear public safety for them is only a catch phase and not words they put into action.
I hope others remember this throughout our state and those of a people first NOT me first mindset are elected and our state can move forward after being held hostage for too long.
Don't forget the Republicans of MO are allowing the State Attorney General to use taxpayers dollars to defend three State Senators of their party that are being sued as individuals for verberly attacking a US ciitizen without facts.
NONE of these for men, Senators or AG, need to ever hold public office again!
Hmmm. 8:03 PM. "Blame must always be applied to the guilty party. You are describing the failures of the society in which we live."
Maybe I don't fully understand this comment. Maybe there's a nuance here that I'm not smart enough to appreciate. At face value however, assigning blame is almost never a solution. The second half of the comment, "you are describing..." might be accurate. Perhaps even more accurate if it read 'you are demonstrating...
I do understand that it was written in response to a previous comment that threw a lot of shade in a lot of directions, and that I'm not understanding it. It caused me to remember a short conversation I had with someone recently.
A person recognized me in a public place and started speaking with me. Not a friend or acquaintance, just someone who I'd run into on a past occasion. The conversation deteriorated into an "airing of grievances" about Raytown. I was trying to be polite. But in another minute this person, in an effort to support an opinion, started in with, "They think that we should," followed by the rest of it. The substance of what followed provided context, "they" was intended to mean black people, and "we" to mean white people.
Obviously, everyone can have any opinion they want to. But here's a clue; if you find yourself talking about a particular demographic as they, and your own demographic as we, it's unlikely that you are part a solution.
Trust the process. I've heard the mayor say it. There's a place in my neighborhood from which I can see 5 cars with expired paper tags. I can't blame the mayor for someone not licensing their car. But I wonder why should these people get a pass? So much other crime going on, we can't waste the manpower. That dog don't hunt! The roads are bad, the budget is small, and on and on. So why not start with the people who are telling us that they don't care about following the law. Hello! those people ARE the criminal element!
@10:03 AM
I think you read too much, assumed way too much. Generally speaking, society is messed up right now and color really does not have anything to do with it. I never knew the use of the word “we” and “they” could be misconstrued in such a way.
"Obviously, everyone can have any opinion they want to. But here's a clue; if you find yourself talking about a particular demographic as they, and your own demographic as we, it's unlikely that you are part a solution."
I "get" what you're saying. And I really do appreciate how sensibly and respectfully that you asserted your opinion.
I was just thinking about racial comments that were asserted in a Raytown city council meeting a few months back. We've noted two incidents, actually, in just a a six month or so period. By two Raytown aldermen.
Exploiting race in an open forum in an attempt to force a desired result is alarming. It was quite concerning that these aldermen, almost reflexively, felt that it was perfectly acceptable to "let it fly".
Hopefully these Raytown aldermen were sufficiently and quite generously excoriated by public comment (here) where they now understand that their behavior is on notice from here on out.
Falsely alleging racism only widens any perceived divide.
There should only be a "we". Not an "us", not a "them".
This can be a perfectly healthy, constructive discussion.
Let's just keep working on these issues around here, shall we?
Positive results are a guarantee. <3
While on a walk through our neighborhood, we observed a very long, newly installed gravel driveway, crossing two residential lots. That is a clear violation of existing standards. I reported it using the online procedure. Months later it still is there. Toothless enforcement.
RN
Hard not to agree about the racist remarks on an earlier post. A few specifics would be helpful.
First, who made the racist remarks? You mention two Aldermen. Undoubtedly they have names. All of the meetings are televised, so it would be easy to verify your accusation.
If you have a story to tell, please do so. But if your story is nothing more than innuendo it only demeans whatever it is you are trying to sell.
"Trust the process. I've heard the mayor say it."
Difficult to "trust" the "process", when apparently there is no process?
Has anyone ever actually received a timely response from the city, followed by a positive outcome when they report a code violation?
I stated that I'm not sure what to think of a previous comment that mentioned assigning blame. Regarding another person's rant about we and they, I'll stick with what I said in what I posted, "The substance of what followed provided context," and it did. No need to assume anything, it was clear. I didn't think it necessary or productive to repeat the rest of what was said.
As far as the statements that were made by the Aldermen, I don't want to paraphrase what was said. I think there's a negative consequence, in this case, of being wrong. For those of you playing at home, at least one of these statements was made in the course of discussion about whether or not to allow a convenience/liquor/smokes store at Woodson and Blue Ridge.
I also think there can be constructive discussion and that unfounded allegations of racism make all of us look bad.
If memory serves, in another incident, an individual on the council openly complained of the disparate treatment of "...someone that looks just like me...", with zero substantiation. That alderman is experienced enough where they should know by now that those type of comments are completely unacceptable, unless they're supported by facts.
This "career" individual needs to move on when their term expires, IOO, especially after the somewhat recent State complaint against them.
"For those of you playing at home, at least one of these statements was made in the course of discussion about whether or not to allow a convenience/liquor/smokes store at Woodson and Blue Ridge."
Yes. We witnessed that alderman's remarks as well. They were unsettling, as their comments were disturbingly assumptive; they unnecessarily slammed the character of the entire community.
In that second instance however, perhaps "constructive" begins with giving grace to that Alderman - they're new and perhaps felt threatened by the opinions that they received from individuals that were opposed to that convenience store. We really wouldn't have any idea of what this alderman experienced during that process. Her comments, nevertheless, were staggeringly inappropriate, in our opinion.
Are you able to provide the meeting and timestamp from the record of the meeting those events of racism took place?
I know that I sure would like to review and address to whomever based on those tapes.
Please don't say the tapes have now been altered as if they have that is a clear violation of the law and should be at a minimum reported to the DOJ for cover up of racism of elected officials, ST AG for violation of sunshine law and tampering with public information, and finally the ST Bar Association that the city attorney is allowing her client to behave in a way that is breaking state laws and covering up actions that violate federal laws.
Until than the ball or should we say proof is in your corner.
The underlying problem in Raytown is "Mayor Mike" and his administration.
Some times a problem is that simple and when it comes to Raytown all problems are tied back to the administration at city hall.
First there is no accountability to anyone, but a over appraisal at board meetings of the great job city staff is doing.
"Mayor Mike" if the city was managed as professionally as you want everyone to believe wouldn't we be able to see positive things in the community with the eyes God blessed us with.
Second there is no equal praise and promotion on Facebook of businesses in Raytown.
"Mayor Mike" if you are going to push several businesses shouldn't you do the same for all especially when you talk about shopping small businesses or Raytown first.
Third there appears no effort for the City of Raytown to shop Raytown first when they could.
"Mayor Mike" if you are going to push to the public Raytown first shouldn't your administration be leading the way or is the problem they don't understand how the bidding process works.
I am sure I could go on and on, but facts speak for themselves Raytown CAN DO BETTER and was better before your administration.
Ok... who said anything about edited tapes? 10:48 said "I know that I sure would like to review and address to whomever based on those tapes." Good! It's all there for your viewing pleasure! The same person asked "Are you able to provide the meeting and timestamp from the record of the meeting those events of racism took place?" My response would be, why would I do that? I have reason to think that I can find the meeting and timestamp, but since I attended both of the public hearings, I'm not willing to re-watch "the process" for the sake of providing someone else with a timestamp. I've spent enough of my time trying to convince the city government that another liquor store is not in the best interest of the citizens. There was no fast forward button. So, if you weren't there and would like to hear it with your own ears, that's great. What's not great is that you think it's ok to ask someone else to watch the taped meetings, so that you don't have to. And, without watching the documentation, you're ok with making up a story about a claim of edited tapes. Nobody said that. Except you. As for all of the other stuff about the DOJ, attorney generals, sunshine laws, the bar association, federal laws and cover ups...what? Nobody else said any of that.
Since you all are so offended about another liquor store being considered, why don’t you open a business? It’s easy to criticize from the cheap seats of a blog but an empty building doesn’t bring any money to the city!
You don't get it. The reason business people balk at opening shop in Raytown is because there are so many liquor stores. Not the best environment to open a mom and pop business. Wake up and look around you. Success is definitely not proven by how many liquor stores there are in a town!
Whoa! To begin with, it's not about being offended. It's about trying to do what's right. I would never attempt to censor anyone's opinion based on whether or not they run or own a business. That's something a person can choose to do or not do based on their individual circumstances. Lots of things are like that. Owning a home. Getting your car licensed. Drinking. Drinking and driving. Volunteering. Helping others. Being there for your parents or children. Being humble. Being unselfish. There are lots of things people do, sometimes with no thought of themselves, that make the city a better place to live, that have absolutely nothing to do with creating revenue. Money is not my measure of success. Given the choice between an empty building and citizens who think that it's ok to harm others as part of their own pursuit of happiness... I'll take the empty building and considerate people every time. It's a no-brainer.
9:08 pm You and all the others in Raytown who criticize "Mayor Mike" need to keep your traps shut! Not one of you got off your couch and away from your keyboards long enough to run against him. If you were that unhappy a year ago, you should have done something.
Stupid is as stupid does
Those blinded by the lights and sounds from city hall are quick to tell others about the need for them to open a business, but have no understanding of all the hoops that the city requires a new business to open. However, turn a blind eye on existing businesses that don't follow the rules.
Why would anyone want to open a business in Raytown?
The city of Raytown doesn't want small mom and pop business. The county and the Feds make it impossible to start a small business with all the taxes, liability insurance, sales tax, quarterly taxes and the list goes on and on. Most customers think that you put all the money in the cash register when you sell something; so far from the truth! Then trying to afford the employees and finding the employees that will work.
Raytown wants a start up small business to conform to all their codes. To some degree I can agree with that, but some of the codes, "in the Big Code Book" are way out of line. Some of the Aldermen have never ran a small business and come up with some of the most "stupid codes" that a small business starting up can't afford. We are not Lee's Summit! We don't have the traffic that Lee's Summit has or never will have.
You better have deep pockets to be able to start a small business in Raytown!
When is MO AG going to do something about that County Legislator who just cannot stay off TV.
All he has done is claimed how we all could get a break on our appraisals this way, and the next thing he is on the TV again with some new way to get things corrected.
The way he cannot get the answer correct I have to believe that he is the actual problem and trying to cover up the truth.
Don't forget it is the Legislators that approve funding, which is something this Legislator never talks about.
Drove by Hidden Lake Community Care Center on Woodson Road & it's closed. Finally found a mention of it in an article, next to the last paragraph,from fox 4, April 5th. What is Raytown planning on for this facility?
https://fox4kc.com/news/residents-displaced-as-kansas-city-nursing-home-forced-to-shut-down/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2EqpY-96TBibHKDDHdBnlLVI1LQvxhqgC3vtCY9g_FaXX-r9AbfCQz5q8_aem_ATWDKCNP1T4chltNYRq2VkgowuU_uf9pWg9BxohvGJrZMnsYHS26pu0khP0KqPzYX-24tEkthkr8qRe_lKrbqO17
I doubt Raytown has any plans for the Hidden Lake Nursing Home. It is a privately owned property. The city has no say.
Does anyone know why the Raytown Study Sessions of the Board of Aldermen are not broadcast? They happen right before the regular meeting. My Alderman told me the discussion in those meetings is much more enlightening than what happens at BOA meetings.
Does the city plan to offer curbside pickup of tree branches?
It's difficult to listen to the meetings that are broadcast. Most of the members talk not into the microphone but turn their head in different directions - not realizing (or maybe not caring) they can only be heard distinctly head on. Maybe they should all wear the type of microphone that is like a headset. All of the members do this. Not sure if being there in the room would make any difference.
I am disapointed that the day after many homes received extensive tree damage, I didn't see a single public works or raytown fleet vehicle anywhere. Not one. Not in my neighborhood. Not on Raytown Road. None.
I realize it was a holiday weekend, but residents had to forego their plans to clean up.
Has anyone asked about a disaster declaration? Maybe it isn't available, or the damage wasn't sever enough. But I'd like to know if it was explored or tried.
Could the city at least run a drop off site for debri if they can't assist with pickup?
I am sure the great minds at city hall are looking into another liquor store / gas station
Mr Ward,
I spoke with someone who drove several areas in Raytown the day after the storm and they made it clear the city was not properly addressing get the streets reopened in a timely manner.
They further indicate they drove down to public works and there were only two vehicles outside the building.
It was a holiday weekend, but being the storms had been forecast early a reasonable person would expect the city to do better.
Where was the Mayor and City Administrator? Great leadership starts at top and both of them should have been out and about doing a hands on inspection of the city.
Thank God it wasn't a blizzard or who knows if by this weekend would streets be open.
Well, I know personally that the city's crews were out clearing streets that night.
I only saw my damage when I woke up the next day.
Lots of big limbs. I replayed the action on my cameras and saw that the branches had fallen, mostly in the road, at about midnight. So, after a fast forward... I see a city crew arriving at 1:30 AM to clear the road and push the brush over on my yard.
Lucky for me, I have good neighbors and got plenty of help chopping up the debris and getting it hauled to Missouri Organic.
Raytown Newbie has no complaints
Watching the news and the debate between the Jackson County Legislator who believes he knows it all and the representative from the Jackson County Executives Office is so funny.
If I was the County Executive I wouldn't share communications with the Legislators either related to the Chiefs as that same Legislator cannot control himself to go to the news media.
Keep in mind he is one of the fools that brought that crazy vote forward that benefited a Billionaire owner of the Royals. Had the question be broken down with a reasonable amount for the Chiefs and short extension it would have passed.
The problem was and still is what the owner of the Royals and this County Legislator.
They both need to find new opportunities.
I have seen the rumble strips at Starlight. It looks like they work well once they are cut into the pavement. Problem is the dum dums who think it is cool to drive in circles real fast simply move on to the next wide expanse of pavement.
Starlight Theatre, and for that matter, much of Swope Park has plenty of room for idiots to drive in circles. But the limited use of rumble strips has proven to be very successful when they are cut into the streets.
This application would work well in Raytown's parks. The area that needs to be covered is not that great, and it would eliminate a hazard for those who visit Raytown parks like Kenagy and Colman.
They both have confined parking areas. Eliminate that wide flat surfaces. That would force them to go elsewhere to practice their stupidity.
Thank you to Jerome and Greg. I hope your efforts succeed in bringing more revenue to Raytown. Earmarking the funds for much needed safety projects -- i.e, traffic calming and continuing the Raytown Community Paramedic are both great ideas. Keep up the good work!
CITY ADMINISTRATOR DAMON HODGES POSTED THE FOLLOWING ON FRIDAY.
The City of Raytown is offering FREE curb-side storm debris bulk pick-up, to help dispose of any remaining damage caused by the storms. One time pick-up per household.
Expect pick-up to occur within 48-hrs of receiving your request by phone or email, weather and time permitting.
Scheduling is available Monday – Friday 8AM – 3PM
Call: 816-737-6146
Email: stormresponse@raytown.mo.us
Tree limbs must be less than 8 feet in length and 4 inches in diameter to qualify for bulk pick-up.
Only residential storm debris will be accepted.
Debris must be place at the curb (no more than 8 feet away).
Bagged and bundled debris will not be accepted.
The program is available June 10 – 21, 2024.
Don’t forget, the City offers clean-up coupons to over the cost of dropping off at Missouri Organic.
While large limbs do not qualify for curbside pick-up, you can use the clean-up coupons available at Raytown City Hall to take larger limbs directly to Missouri Organic, Monday-Saturday, 8am-5pm. For information, please visit www.raytown.mo.us/cleanupcoupons
You are so correct that we have a few county legislators that need to focus on their failures, and not that of the County Executives.
Frank may not be the best thing in Jackson County, but he is not chasing the news stations and making up things in the hope we don't notice.
We picked up our free storm damage cleanup coupons. Luckily, we got all our downed branches into two loads. Gave my Stihl chainsaw a workout. Thanks for help from our good neighbor, Ed. It was busy at Missouri Organic. Then over the weekend the last of the storm damage finally fell to earth. And just in time I was able to take advantage of the city crew coming by today and hauling it off. I know the damage for some was way beyond what the city could reasonably take care of. For me and many like me I appreciate Raytown stepping up to help out.
Raytown Newbie
I think the city did the right thing regarding the storm damage by having the curbside pickup. On the flip side, the clean-up coupons program seems way less beneficial for most folks. I'd like to hear from people who have used the coupons and if they believe it is a worthwhile benefit for the city to offer. Also, in response to a question asked in one of the previous posts, yes, I have had a positive experience with the people who manage the codes enforcement.
I agree with the person who believes we should help to change the course of those who are living a nomadic life style that abandons the very lenient rules in America under which we live. At the same time, we also have responsibility to protect the homeless who decide to take a reckless and anti-social path in their life.
The person who decided it was better to live under a bridge than to strive for a better lifestyle put himself and the community at risk.. His attempt to make a home out of used pallets on public property was not path to follow.. A fall from the precipice on which he was building his "home" was a tragedy waiting to happen.
How many of those reading this page have ever walked in their sleep? How many of us have stumbled over something on the floor causing us to lose our balance?
The story is less about the homeless and more about public safety.
I hope the city follows the course explained in the story. They should remove this unsightly and dangerous blight as quickly as possible. And, put us some sort of barricade so that it is not repeated.
I shudder to think what would happen if city hall were not to do a complete clean-up under the bridge. An adventurous teenager may decide to go have their own "look-see" of the situation. I remember when another teenager fell to his death off the 63rd Street Bridge. Anyone who falls from the platform on the east end footings of the bridge will undoubtedly face the same fate. I am glad to learn the city is stepping up and taking care of this dangerous situation.
The information on this blog is always helpful and interesting. I also like being able to give my two cents worth!
I do wonder what expectations as a citizen and taxpayer of Raytown to expectations from Raytown City Hall?
I know when at airports every so often there are announcements "If you see something suspicious report it to the nears TSA or police officer". Even the local news stations at times do those editorial announcements after a major shooting or other violent event, "If you see something suspicious call the police".
The problem is and sadly I am not alone in Raytown when you call the police about illegal fireworks you may or may not get an actual police officer to respond. I know of one individual who called the police and the fire department because illegal fireworks being shot in the park caught dead grass along fence line on fire.
Neither of them, the police or the fire department responded. Not even a follow-up to find out if the problem had been resolved. Thankfully, it was.
Boys and Girls, that is the poorest level of service especially when our elected officials run around town repeatedly telling us what great professionals we have serving the public.
Using the on-going battle with criminal activity in Raytown as an excuse for not responding is maddening to hear. Illegal shooting of fireworks in restricted areas like our city parks is important. Not having emergency situations responded to by those entrusted to maintain public safety is unacceptable.
If we cannot enforce simple laws regarding fireworks, perhaps it is time to ban the sale and shooting of them in Raytown. My gut feeling is the majority of the people in Raytown would like to see a ban.
Given the fact the City will not enforce the laws we currently have on the books, shooting of fireworks before the forth is ILLEGAL. Shooting them off on public property is ILLEGAL.
I wonder how many people share my view that we need to fix this problem before more people are hurt by the misuse of fireworks in when and where they are shot off in Raytown?
Just finished watching the last city council meeting. Only four members showed up for the meeting! Five attended via ZOOM. Come guys and gals. You get paid $500 a month salary and car allowance! That comes to $6,000 a year! All you are expected to do is show up twice a month to attend city council meetings. Get with the program. You can do much better than that.
I'm right there with you on banning fireworks. The cost outweighs the benefit, and it's not even close.
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