Board Focuses on Maintenance, Prepares for March Community Meeting

     The February 10th Board of Aldermen meeting was brief, with the Board quickly approving several resolutions related to City and Parks and Recreation transportation, streetlights, and outlining responsibilities for School Resource Officers.
     The City will purchase a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox for Parks and Recreation, a 2020 budgeted expense, and a Chevrolet Colorado work truck for use by Fleet Maintenance. The Board also authorized the Interim City Administrator to enter into an agreement with ArcGIS Enterprise Software for assistance with the installation and configuration of ArcGIS software.
     The Board also approved the installation of six new streetlights for the 9th plat of the Rosewood Hills subdivision.
     Les Boatright with Central Jackson County Emergency Management Agency (CJCEMA) provided an update on the agency’s activities in 2019, including two Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) team trainings held in 2019 and two scheduled for 2020. CJCEMA is a cooperative effort between the cities of Blue Springs, Grain Valley, and Lake Tapawingo, in conjunction with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District. CJCEMA also plans a severe weather program for residents on March 21st.
     Parks and Recreation Director Shannon Davies reported that registration has opened for spring baseball and softball leagues.
     Mayor Michael Todd raised the issue of creating a formal ordinance to assist residents who experience an unexpected hike in water bills due to an unknown issue, such as a leaking toilet. The City has previously handled issues on a case-by-case basis, adjusting bills to assist homeowners with one-time issues.
     Per Interim Deputy City Administrator Theresa Osenbaugh, the Board has yet to make any decisions regarding the hiring of the interim positions currently held by Osenbaugh and Interim City Administrator Ken Murphy.     
     Plans for a final Community Campus meeting on March 12th was also mentioned. The meeting will be held from 6:00pm – 8:00pm on March 12th at Stony Point Elementary School, 1001 E. Ryan Road. The meeting will be the last meeting prior to the April 7th municipal election, where residents will vote on the issuance of a no-tax bond increase for a community campus to include a new city hall, police department, and community center with indoor pool.
     The meeting will include a brief presentation by City staff and campus design team and stations in which residents may ask questions. Residents will be able to submit questions via mobile devices.
The Board of Aldermen will next meet on Monday, February 24th at 7:00pm at City Hall.