Board of Aldermen meeting recap

      The Board of Aldermen met briefly Monday, November 28th for a regularly scheduled meeting. 
     A public hearing scheduled to consider a voluntary annexation of land at 4112 and 4108 S Buckner Tarsney Road was deemed moot after one of the landowners requested his request be canceled. 
     The Board approved the second reading of an ordinance approving the 2023 budget and fee schedule and approved a resolution to sign a contract with McCown Gordon Construction, LLC for construction management services for the new police station.
     City Administrator Ken Murphy reported construction costs are estimated at $12.2 million and construction is scheduled to begin March 2023.
     In other business, the Board approved the second reading of an ordinance to grant an easement for the sewer main that will serve the Grain Valley branch of Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL) being built on property sold to MCPL by the City. 
      City Attorney Joe Lauber reviewed just a few of the issues the City will need to consider now that recreational marijuana has been approved in Missouri. Among those is a recommendation that the Board consider adding a ballot question to the April 2023 municipal election to add a 3% sales tax on recreational marijuana sales.
     Election filing begins Tuesday, December 6th for the April 2023 municipal election. Candidates will be listed in order filed.
      Murphy updated the Board on the police chief search. Over 20 applications were received for the position. Candidates will be pared down to no more than six candidates to move forward for testing through five different exercises to ultimately identify 2-3 candidates for final review.