The Board of Aldermen voted October 26th to approve the issuance of  tax increment refunding revenue bonds not to exceed $2,425,000. The bonds will refund the previously issued Industrial Development Authority of Grain Valley Tax Increment Revenue Bonds from the Grain Valley Marketplace redevelopment project series 2012 bonds.
     The primary benefit of the refunding revenue bonds for the City is to remove the annual appropriation backing by the City for the Series 2012 bonds. The refunding will provide a slight reduction in interest rate, from 4.329% to 4.1%.
     The Board also approved a resolution to enter into an agreement with CFS Engineers to construct a pedestrian bridge at Blue Branch Creek. The bridge will provide pedestrian connectivity between he high school/Sni-A-Bar Elementary campus and the Sni-A-Bar Farms residential subdivisions.
     The City was awarded $119,210 in Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) funds for the construction and installation of the bridge.
Parks and Recreation Director Shannon Davies reported 315 children were able to participate in fall softball and baseball.
    “When so many communities decided not to provide programming, we were pretty happy to be able to provide something and have a successful season,” Davies said.
     Community Development Director Mark Trosen reported the street maintenance program, originally scheduled to start Tuesday, October 27th, was delayed until Friday, October 30th due to rain. Door hangers notifying affected residents will be placed prior to the start of the project.
     The next Board of Aldermen meeting will be held Monday, November 9th at 7:00pm at City Hall.
    
 

The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen voted October 12th to authorize the City Administrator to amend the 2020 budget to allocate an additional $500,000 in funding from transportation reserves for additional road improvements.   
     City Engineer Dick Tuttle presented an assessment of pavement conditions. The City contracted with IMS to survey all of the City’s streets with a laser road surface tester to determine overall street conditions.
     The pavement condition index (PCI) is a measure of the overall street condition. The City’s current PCI is a 56 with a  backlog of 11.9%. A 56 is a less than optimal rating; most cities surveyed range between 60-65. An optimal backlog is 10% but less than 15% is considered good.
     The 2020 budget allocated $342,000 for road improvements and a pavement condition assessment. The additional funding approved by the Board will allow the backlog of needed road improvements to be reduced.
     Already on the project list for this year are the following streets:
Shorthorn-Sni-A-Bar to Cross Creek
Cross Creek—Sni-A-Bar to Ryan
Brome—Sni-A-Bar to Clover
Nelson-Shorthorn to SW Cross Creek
Rockhill—SW Cross Creek to East Dead End
Abar Court—Foxtail to North Dead End
Woodbury—Buckner Tarsney to Valley Ridge
SW Cross Creek—Ryan to South Dead End
     The additional funding will allow for the following areas to be addressed:
Sni-A-Bar Blvd.—Eagles Parkway to SW Cross Creek
Meadow Road—Hwy. 40 to RD Mize
EE Kirby—Railroad to Eagles Parkway
James D. Rollo—Main Street to East Dead End
Cypress/3rd ST—Broadway to Main
     The 2020 street program will include asphalt overlay with limited deep patching, curbs and ADA compliant ramps, and stripping.
     The 2021 proposed road budget is $1,082,000, addressing Eagles Parkway from west City limits to Minter Road, as well as seven collector streets and 16 local street projects.
     In other business, the Board approved a request for a liquor license from Iron Kettle Brewing. The brewery plans a December opening.
     The Board of Aldermen will meet for a workshop on October 20th at 6:00pm. The meeting will be held at Council Chambers of City Hall.
 

     The Community Development Director for a city wears many hats. They are typically responsible for, but not limited to, Planning/Engineering, Building/Codes, Public Works, Information Technology/Geographic Information System, and Fleet Maintenance. The quality and efficiency of the work done in community development directly impacts the quality of life for the residents of a community.
     Mark Trosen has been the Community Development Director for Grain Valley since June of 2019. The Jackson County resident is a proud parent and new grandparent who was recently nominated to be featured in the Community Profile section of Grain Valley News.
     When Trosen is away from work he loves spending time with family along with being outdoors and on the water. Boating and fishing are hobbies for Trosen.
     Grain Valley City Administrator Ken Murphy works closely with Trosen and shared his thoughts on what Trosen has brought to the city in his role as Community Development Director.
     “We were really excited when we learned that Mark applied for the Community Development Director position. Over the years, I have worked with Mark in his different roles with Jackson County and gained a great deal of respect for him,” Murphy said.
     “Mark wasted no time getting to work for the city and has done a great job making sure that our difficult programs and projects have a clear direction moving forward.”
     “Mark’s ability to find solutions to problems that the department is faced with makes him the right fit to lead in such a critical time of growth.”
     Whether it’s Burger King or a medical marijuana cultivation facility, Trosen works with city staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission to facilitate the process of new businesses showing interest in Grain Valley.
     There are typically seven steps a new business will go through in trying to partner with Grain Valley in seeing if there’s a fit.
 
1. An email or telephone call by a business interested in a property.
2. A response by the city with how that property is zoned, available utilities for that site, and rules and regulations for that zoning area.
3. If the location is desirable for a business, they go through a pre-application meeting to review pressing plans and the process of filling out an application with the city.
4. The business stays in contact with the city as they work through questions and details prior to submitting their application.
5. The business files the application with the city.
6. A public hearing is held with the Planning and Zoning Commission and they make a recommendation.
7. A public hearing is held with the Board of Alderman prior to an approval vote for ordinance.
 
     “What I love most about my job is getting to work with people. We receive a lot of questions from people on how they may use their property and what type of development may occur. I get to share the vision of the city with people in regard to its comprehensive plan,” Trosen said.
     “My role also allows me to problem solve, which I enjoy. A recent item we have problem solved and planned for is the recent presentation we did before the Board of Alderman about the city street maintenance program.”
     “Back in 2018, there was a citizen survey that conveyed one of the main items residents were concerned about were street conditions in Grain Valley. When I started here last year one of the first things I did was looking at the city citizen survey and comprehensive plan.”
     “That led to a proposal in the 2020 budget that would do a pavement condition assessment for how best we could improve the street conditions in Grain Valley.”
     “The thing I enjoy the least about my job is that unfortunately, I have to tell people ‘no.’ Simply by ordinance they may not be allowed to do something based on land use or zoning. Those rules and regulations may make us say you can’t put that deck as close to your property line as you would like based on the minimum setback of city ordinance.”
     “It’s tough to tell people ‘no.’ Explaining why that ‘no’ exists usually leads to people understanding though.”
      Trosen has been complimented on more than one occasion during Board of Alderman meetings for his preparedness in providing maps, research on city ordinances, and providing answers to questions used by the Board of Alderman to make decisions.
     “Knowing where to find resources that provide accurate answers is an important part of the job. We depend a lot on the Jackson County GIS system because they keep current aerial photos for maps. One of the goals of our department is to improve the capability of our local GIS so that down the road, citizens can get on the city website and find what they need as well,” Trosen said.
     “When it comes to city ordinance, it’s both what you remember because of the day in and out of your job as well as doing research. I can recite the building setbacks of R1 zoning district right now, but if you said you wanted to have a particular use in the city, I would have to check ordinance to verify.”
     “That’s kind of our role with citizens, developer, builders, and companies looking to locate here. We try to be ambassadors for the city regarding ordinances and guide them in where they can find the information they need to have the correct answers to make a decision.”
     “We don’t want any surprises for people. We want to be up front with rules and regulations so there can be a partnership.”
     Trosen has most been fascinated with the community feel of Grain Valley. The compassion that people have for wanting to be in the best neighborhoods, fire protection districts, and school district possible impresses Trosen.
     Trosen paused for a second in reflection before giving his final interview answer as to what is the best advice he would give someone based on his professional experiences.
     “Working for local government, the only thing you truly have is your integrity and character. If that’s ever tarnished by the way you perform in a particular job, it’s reflected in how people think of you.”
     “Being upfront, transparent, and sharing accurate information is what I’m judged upon on in my opinion.”
    
     Have a nomination for a Community Profile? E-mail news@grainvalleynews.com
 

     The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen voted October 12th to authorize the City Administrator to amend the 2020 budget to allocate an additional $500,000 in funding from transportation reserves for additional road improvements.
     The 2020 budget allocated $342,000 for road improvements and a pavement condition assessment. The additional funding approved by the Board will allow the backlog of needed road improvements to be reduced.
     Further information on the roads budget and business addressed at the October 12th Board of Aldermen meeting will be published in the October 15th edition of Valley News.
     

     Grain Valley is offering residents an opportunity to safely dispose of paints, household chemicals, batteries, and other household hazardous waste during its annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event from 8:00am—Noon on Saturday, October 10th at the Jackson County Public Works facility, 34900 E. Old US 40 Highway.
     The event is free for residents of Grain Valley and other member communities of the Regional HHW Program.
     For more information, call 816-701-8226 or visit www.recyclespot.org.
 

     The Board of  Aldermen met September 28th, passing a series of ordinances, hearing a presentation from the Grain Valley Partnership regarding their economic development efforts, and passing a resolution encouraging Jackson County Health Department to reduce COVID-19 related restrictions.
     The resolution, similar to one recently passed in Blue Springs, cites  difficulties faced by businesses, schools, and organizations in Grain Valley interpreting group gathering and social distancing rules in Phase 2.5 of the County’s Recovery Plan, and states the Board’s support for “those who have been negatively affected by the often confusing rules and Orders issued by Jackson County”. 
     “In response to concerns raised by residents, business owners, and other organizations within the City, the Board of Aldermen felt it appropriate to pass a resolution in support of those who are affected during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Grain Valley Mayor Chuck Johnston said.
     Tasha Lindsey, Executive Director of the Grain Valley Partnership, presented the organization’s annual report to the board, highlighting efforts made to attract new businesses and support existing businesses, especially given the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses. Lindsey said several of the organization’s projects, including a business retention and expansion program at the top of their list of priorities, has been delayed due to COVID-19 related complications. Alderman Cleaver suggested the Partnership report to the board more than once per year; Lindsey welcomed the opportunity to update the Board more regularly on the organization’s goals and activities.
     The Board also passed a series of ordinances, including the adoption of license requirements for mobile food units, merchandising guidelines on park property, an ordinance approving the final plat approval for the Valley subdivision, and an ordinance to amend code to set requirements pertaining to construction contractors operating within City limits.
     The Board will meet October 6th at 6:00pm for a budget workshop in council chambers at City Hall.
 

    Ongoing squabbles on social media among current Mayor Chuck Johnston, former mayor Mike Todd, and Grain Valley resident and Planning and Zoning Commission member Scott Shafer over the recent mayoral campaign and community campus bond issue grew even more heated in mid-September.
     Former Mayor Todd posted criticism of Mayor Johnston to his former Mayor Facebook account, renamed “Grain Valley Community Advocate Michael Todd” on September 16th. Todd criticized Johnston for not lowering the City’s property tax rate after Johnston stated during the mayoral campaign that the tax should be lowered further than cuts made under Todd’s administration. Johnston replied to Todd’s statement with the following statement:
     “I’m sure that the former Mayor knows that the Mayor can’t reduce taxes he can only try to influence the Board of Aldermen in those decisions. It is ultimately their decision. He also fails to mention that the City’s accounting firm had made the recommendation to the BoA (Board of Aldermen) to maintain the existing tax levy which in turn would pay off the entire city debt a year earlier and create a substantial savings in interest over the remaining term of the debt.”
     Todd, Johnston, and Shafer continued to argue via Facebook, with Shafer posting a screen shot of a 2015 lawsuit filed by Diane Adams vs. Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Inc. (OOIDA) in Jackson County Circuit Court.
     Valley News was subsequently contacted by Shafer, who shared a copy of the suit filed in Jackson County Circuit Court. Shafer stated he felt compelled to visit the courthouse and request a copy of the suit after receiving emails and calls about the case from unnamed sources.
     The case was filed in October 2015 and dismissed by both parties in March 2017. The suit states the plaintiff, Ms. Adams, “was subjected to an unwelcome, hostile work environment including physical and verbal harassment by supervisor Chuck Johnston, causing PTSD, anxiety, and depression.” The suit also alleges the plaintiff registered several complaints with OOIDA President Jim Johnston, and was notified Chuck Johnston would be terminated. The suit alleges Chuck Johnston was reinstated and returned as an employee on January 7, 2015.
     Reached for comment, OOIDA shared the following statement regarding the case:
     “Diane Adams, a former employee of OOIDA, filed a lawsuit against OOIDA in 2015 alleging that she was subject to disability discrimination in connection with her employment.  OOIDA denied Ms. Adams’ allegations and vigorously defended against the lawsuit.   OOIDA and Ms. Adams agreed to resolve the lawsuit after approximately more than a year of litigation, with no admission of liability by OOIDA.  Because the matter has been resolved by the parties, OOIDA will not provide further comment on this matter.”
      Johnston declined to comment in detail regarding the suit.
     “Ms. Adams didn’t file a lawsuit against me. Her claims were against OOIDA. However, because this matter involves personnel issues relating to OOIDA and because I’m still an employee of OOIDA it would be inappropriate for me to provide any further comment on this matter,” Johnston said. 
     Reached for comment regarding the recent arguments via social media, Shafer and Todd point to unmet campaign promises and lack of communication on the part of Johnston as their source of frustration.
     “Let’s just say people that live in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks. You never know who’s going to throw it back,” Shafer said.
     “Mr. Johnston to start with ran a campaign on a lot of misleading information on the new complex. Mr. Johnston ran on a platform of better communication, better leadership, lowering taxes, cutting wasteful spending, and how he was not only going to fix more streets, but get it done at a faster rate. So far I have not seen any of this happen, in fact the city just passed the tax levy with no change. Under Mr. Johnston’s leadership, as for wasteful spending, Mr. Johnston has ran for Mayor three or four times in the past on how he was going to stop the wasteful spending. But when asked, no reply on where the city has and is wasting tax payers money,” Shafer said.
     “After asking him questions on his Mayor (Facebook) page which, he said he would reply to, I’ve not received any reply other than criticizing my spelling. I attended a City meeting, asked questions with no reply other than ‘thank you’. Whether Mr. Johnston likes me or not, I do pay taxes and should get some answers to my questions. After all, he is the one that made all these accusations and promises. I think it’s only fair he should give answers.”
     “My disagreement with him is that for years he had constant complaints about me.  He said I wasn’t a leader and just a yes man. He said that everything that happened in town would have happened regardless of me and that I didn’t have a part in any of it.  He also complained that I wasn’t on the Residents of Grain Valley Page to respond to residents and that he didn’t like the responses I gave to citizens during the citizen comment time at Alderman meetings. He ran on a platform of better communication with residents, lowering taxes, better streets happening faster, and cutting wasteful spending,” Todd said.
     “He will have been in office 100 days as of September 30 I believe, and I haven’t seen any of that. Actually, I have seen the exact opposite of that in pretty much all of those areas.  I would argue that his communication has been well below what mine was. On his Facebook page he has made very few posts since becoming Mayor and most of them are him complaining about what someone has said about what he is or isn’t doing or a conflict of interest he may or may not have.  He also is not responding on Residents of Grain Valley (a Facebook group) and is hiding behind the social media policy that is in place.” 
     “I guess the bottom line is that I spent 10 years as Mayor and Grain Valley means a lot to me.  It bothers me that he ran on all these promises and we haven’t seen action towards any of them and in most cases, we have seen actions that are direct opposites of what he said.  He first ran for Mayor 10 years ago so he had lots of time to prepare for this, so he should have hit the ground running on day one with his ideas, and that is not what we have seen at all.  I guess I call it like I see it and right now I’m not seeing anything that he sold the citizens of Grain Valley on,” Todd said.
     Public posts and comments from the trio have been quiet in recent weeks. Johnston shared he plans to discontinue responding to posts on social media to the issues raised.
     “Regarding Mr. Todd and Mr. Shafer, they are private citizens and entitled to their opinions. I have already spent too much time addressing their personal attacks on me and I will not spend any additional time responding or commenting on those issues. There are too many good things happening in Grain Valley and I intend on devoting my time and efforts towards working on those and additional improvements to our City,” Johnston said.
 

     The Board of Aldermen met September 14th, approving the tax levy for 2020 and authorizing the City Administrator to enter into an agreement to undergo a full codification review.
     The Board approved a levy of $1.5994 to fund general municipal government operations, the retirement of general obligation debt, park maintenance, and public health.
     The Board also approved a resolution allowing the City Administrator to contract with General Code to conduct a full review of the Municipal Code to identify inconsistencies and errors. City Administrator Ken Murphy explained a full recodification is recommended every 12-15 years and the current code established in 1996 has been updated over the years but in need of a full review.
     The Board also approved the first reading of an ordinance requiring food trucks to obtain a business license to sell in Grain Valley, as well as the first reading of an ordinance to provide greater detail pertaining to the sale of merchandise services on park property and who has authority to waive the park ordinance.     
     The Board meets September 17th at 6:00pm for a workshop focused on strategic planning at City Hall. The Board’s next regular meeting will be held Monday, September 28th at 7:00pm at City Hall.
 

     Grain Valley will host its annual City Wide Clean Up event on Saturday, September 26th  from 8:00am—2:00pm at the Public Works Maintenance Facility, 405 James Rollo Drive. Proof of residency in the form of a utility bill or driver’s license is required.
     Residents are asked to remain in their vehicles at all times and wear masks when face-to-face with City staff.
     Residents may dispose of unwanted items during this free event. Metal recycling will be available, and batteries (including car batteries) are accepted items. Loose items must be bagged.
     Items not accepted include paint, oil, refrigerators, household cleaners/chemicals, air conditioner units, bagged trash, yard waste or clippings.
     Senior citizens (age 65+) are eligible for curbside pickup, but must call 816-847-0091 to schedule before September 22nd. Curbside pickup will occur Thursday, September 24th and Friday, September 25th.
     For more information or for questions, call 816-847-0091 or email info@cityofgrainvalley.org.