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Tuesday, January 4, 2005
Story last updated at 11:46 AM on Tuesday, January 4, 2005
Independence City Council
The Independence City Council meets regularly the first and third Mondays of the month, with study sessions on the second and fourth Mondays. The council met Monday, Jan. 3, 2005, to conduct its regular business. Council Members Jason White and Will Swoffer were absent. All votes were 5-0 unless otherwise stated. All dollar figures have been rounded off.
Opening action
The council:
- Named Khristina Eades, administrative specialist with the Water Pollution Control Department, Employee of the Month for January.
Consent agenda
The council approves items in the consent agenda, including resolutions, with one motion and vote. The council:
- Approved a price agreement with Aerotek Energy Services to provide short-term plant operations support personnel for the Power and Light Department for one year.
- Approved a $33,037 purchase order to Altec Industries for a hydraulic aerial device for the Power and Light Department.
- Delayed consideration of a bill for gas pumps and a convenience store at HyVee, 1525 E. 23rd St., until July 18, 2005, at the request of the applicant.
Resolutions
- Created an 11-member oversight committee, called the Independence Regional Medical Center Tax Increment Financing Plan Advisory Committee, and defined its purpose to oversee the $12 million rehabilitation fund for Independence Regional Health Center and Medical Center of Independence.
Ordinances
- Authorized a funding agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey for a five-year program to study stream water quality in Independence. The agreement includes a commitment for the USGS to invest $465,000, and a city commitment of $879,400.
- Declared the necessity of acquiring temporary construction and grading easements, not to exceed $10,040, for the construction, operation and maintenance of the Noland Road Bridge replacement over K.C. Southern Railroad.
- Approved a rezoning request to include a special use permit for religious activities at East Side Baptist Church, 19901 E. M-78. The ordinance was necessary for the church to expand.
- Extended an agreement with Lawrence Hackman to Dec. 31, 2006, increasing his hourly rate to $75, and appropriating $35,000 from the tourism fund for expenses. Hackman is heading a study to revamp the National Frontier Trails Museum.
- Approved an $11,380 damage claim to Turf Management, for payment for mowing services on behalf of the Parks and Recreation Department.
First readings
Ordinances require two readings before the council passes them. The following ordinances have been read once and will be on the Jan. 18 agenda for a vote.
- An ordinance authorizing a $9,194 increase to the contract with Joshua Investments for the 16621 Crackerneck storm sewer project.
- An ordinance authorizing an increase of $8,128 to the contract with Midwest Remediation, for the Spring Branch detention basin project.
- An ordinance authorizing an agreement with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for the U.S. 24 project between 291 Highway and Davis Road.
- An ordinance authorizing a contract with Clay County Sanitary and Ditching for the 35th and Cottage storm sewer project, not to exceed $436,870.
- An ordinance authorizing a one-year $50,540 grant from the Assistance to Firefighter's Grant Program, Federal Emergency Agency, Department of Homeland Security for fire operations and firefighter safety, with a city match of $21,660.
- An ordinance accepting a $13,950 State Emergency Management Agency grant for the Independence Fire Department emergency preparedness budget to support the Independence Citizen Corps.
Emergency ordinances
The council can read emergency ordinances twice and pass them in one meeting with five votes. The council:
- Approved a five-year work agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 53, retroactive to Nov. 1, 2004. The agreement includes minimum wage increases of 3 percent each of the five years.
- Accepted a one-year grant for $54,000 from the Missouri Department of Public Safety for $54,000, to continue the Independence STOP Violence program.
- Moved to suspend the rules for committee members who are automatically dismissed for missing three meetings. The council is making a special case for Public Utilities Advisory Board member Marvin Sturgeon, who hasn't been able to attend meetings because of a health issue, but who wishes to return and serve his term.
- Moved to reinstate Al McGinnis to the Planning Commission. McGinnis had left Independence for a brief time to take a position out east, but he returned and city officials wished for him to keep serving.
Citizen requests
- Steve Chasteen, a parent of two children attending Ready, Set, Go! day care provided by Independence Regional Health Center and Medical Center of Independence, spoke against HCA Midwest's decision to terminate the daycare by Jan. 28. Chasteen asked for an extension so the parents can make alternate plans or lease the building and hire back the staff on their own.
Next meeting
- The Council is expected to vote on a management group for the city's proposed aquatics center at the next study session, 6 p.m., Monday.
Member comments
- Council Member Jim Schultz suggested the City Council rethink its process for public speakers. The council will discuss several rule changes.
One of the proposed changes is to eliminate the cut in time, from five minutes to three minutes, for people who have spoken on a specific topic more than once in a six-month period.
Schultz would like to see all speakers get five minutes.
"If a citizen is going to take the time to come up and visit with us, two extra minutes is not a lot of time to listen to what they have to say," Schultz said.
- Council Member Jim Page said his heart and soul goes out to the suffering people in south Asia, who were hit with disastrous tsunami waves on Christmas weekend.
"They need our prayer and support," he said.
Mayor Ron Stewart asked for city officials and citizens to pull together and find a way to help the victims and their families.
"I think we should do more ... Something we should do to collect something for those folks over there," Stewart said. The city will consider setting up a help line for donations.
- Stewart also mentioned a garage sale to benefit students from Fort Osage High School wishing to have a safe party on graduation night, free of drugs and alcohol.
The auction is Jan. 29 at Fort Osage High School. The contact person is Linda Morgan, (816) 650-5216.
Compiled by David Tanner
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