Aldermen Sworn In, Municipal Judge Appointed At April 22nd Meeting

​     Newly elected members of the Board of Aldermen were sworn in and a departing member was recognized during the April 22nd board meeting at City Hall.
     Ward 1 Alderman Tom Cleaver, Ward 2 Alderman Nancy Totton, and Ward 3 Alderman Shea Bass took the oath of office on April 22nd. Mayor Todd recognized former Alderman Chris Bamman for his service to Ward 1. Bamman served from 2017 – 2019.
     Mayor Mike Todd and the Board approved the appointment of Judge Susan Watkins to preside over the Grain Valley Municipal Court.  Lauber Municipal Law has also been retained by Mayor Todd and the Board of Aldermen to provide the City of Grain Valley with a dedicated City Prosecutor as well as a City Attorney from within their firm. 
     Judge Watkins began practicing law over 30 years ago and has served as municipal judge in Independence for 24 years. Watkins is also the Executive Director of both the Independence and Eastern Jackson County Youth Courts.  Youth Court is a peer court system in which juveniles accused of minor offenses are tried, judged, defended, and convicted or exonerated by a court made up of other juveniles. 
     The Grain Valley Municipal Court decides cases including all traffic and City ordinance violations written by the Grain Valley Police Department, Animal Control and Code Enforcement Division. 
     The Board also approved resolutions defining codes of conduct for both the Board of Aldermen in their roles as representatives of the City and for the public during Board of Aldermen meetings. 
     “The purpose of the Elected Officials Guidelines is to define the roles of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen in their everyday interactions with the community and City staff. It serves as a set of guidelines regarding everyday situations that members may encounter. The Guidelines for Citizens Participation help alleviate confusion citizens may have when approaching the Board of Aldermen for the first time during a public meeting and helps make sure the meetings operate as efficiently as possible,” Assistant City Administrator Theresa Osenbaugh said.
     In other business, the Board also approved a resolution to authorize the City Administrator to enter into an agreement with McCown Gordon Construction LLC to provide construction management services at the proposed municipal complex at the former Sni-A-Bar Farm site.
     Two firms, JE Dunn and McCown Gordon Construction submitted responses to the City’s Request for Proposal (RFP). McCown Gordon Construction has completed a number of municipal projects similar to the project proposed at Sni-A-Bar and has recently worked on the Grain Valley High School expansion.  
     City inspection staff who have worked with McCown Gordon on that project reported positive interactions with the company, and several municipalities, including Overland Park, Shawnee, and Olathe submitted positive referrals. The budgeted cost for pre-construction services is $122,500.
 

Assistant City Administrator Theresa Osenbaugh administers the oath of office to three newly elected board members on April 22nd. Pictured left to right: Ward 1 Alderman Tom Cleaver, Ward 2 Alderman Nancy Totton, and Ward 3 Alderman Shea Bass. Photo credit: City of Grain Valley