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by Cole Arndorfer
The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen met on Monday, March 11 for a lengthy meeting consisting of a proclamation, six new resolutions, and three ordinances. Mayor Mike Todd read a proclamation officially making the month of March Arts in Our Schools Month. The first resolution the board discussed was over the updated employee handbook. There are three sections where updates have been made. The updates come from human resources, department heads, and the Workplace Improvement Committee. Following discussion of this resolution, Alderman Skinner made a motion to amend maternity/paternity leave to six weeks and family leave to four weeks. The motion for the amendment passed, as did the resolution as a whole. The next resolution the board passed was allocate $14,333 from the city’s emergency management contribution to the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District. This was passed unanimously. Next up, the board passed a resolution allowing the city to purchase patrol rifles from Sionics Weapons Systems. Police Chief Ed Turner said that currently the department uses surplus weapons from a government agency that are pretty aged and this would give the department a much-needed update. Next, the board passed a resolution to establish the need to amend the 2024 budget to allocate funds from the park reserve funds to design and engineer the SW Eagles Parkway trail. Parks and Recreation Director Shannon Davies said that originally the department had allocated $55,000 for the project but they have since changed engineering firms and the cost is now $78,225. The next resolution the board passed allows the city to execute a contract with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly, Inc. for the design and engineering of the SW Eagles Parkway trail. This was passed unanimously. The final resolution the board passed allows the city to sign a tow agreement with Hookers Tow LLC. This agreement will provide towing service for the police department and will run from March 12, 2024 to March 12, 2027. This resolution was passed by a vote of 4-2. Following resolutions, the board moved into ordinances. The first bill the board passed was the second reading of a bill amending the sections of city code regarding Board of Aldermen meeting procedures. With the passage of this bill, Board of Aldermen meeting times will be moved to 6:30pm and the board would have the ability to discuss if they want to cancel or reschedule a meeting that is scheduled to occur on a holiday. The next bill the board passed was the second reading of a bill to amend the sections of city code regarding alcohol-related traffic offenses to include regulations for operating motor vehicles without an ignition interlock device. This was passed unanimously. The final bill the board discussed came from earlier in the meeting where the board passed a resolution establishing the need to amend the 2024 budget to allocate funding from the park reserve fund for the design and engineering of the SW Eagles Parkway trail. This bill officially allows the city to allocate these funds. The first read of this bill was approved and it was brought back for its second read by title only and was passed unanimously. Mayor Todd discussed the new playground project at Armstrong Park. Todd asked Davies if the Parks and Recreation Department had an idea of when the project would be completed. Davies said that much of the project relies on weather and vendor availability, but they are currently looking at April for a completion date and are also making plans for a ribbon cutting ceremony. The next Board of Aldermen meeting will take place at City Hall on March 25th at 6:30pm.
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by Cole Arndorfer
The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen met on Monday, February 26, for their second meeting in the month of February. This meeting included a presentation from Grain Valley Schools Superintendent, Dr. Brad Welle, over the district’s tax levy ballot measure, one new resolution, and two ordinances. Welle said that the district is asking for a 25-cent increase to the overall tax levy in order to improve pay for teachers and staff, as well as positions such as a new school resource officer and paraprofessionals. Welle explained that in the ballot language, voters will see that they are voting on whether or not to increase the districts’ operating levy by 65-cents. He said that the district is in a position currently where it can decrease its debt service levy by 40-cents in order to get to that 25-cent total increase. One of the main reasons, Welle explained, the district is asking for this levy increase is due to a drop in applicant numbers. He said that applicants for teaching positions across all subjects are half of where they were just four years ago. The impact of this new levy on a household with a home worth $250,000 would be about $119 per year. Even with this increase, Welle said that Grain Valley would still have one of the three lowest school tax levy rates in Jackson County. After Dr. Welle’s presentation, the board moved onto resolutions. This resolution allows the city to engage with Crawford, Murphy and Tilly Inc. to design intersection improvements at Eagles Parkway and Kirby Road. Some improvements would include adding turn lanes at the intersection and new trail/sidewalk construction. This resolution was approved. Next, the board moved to ordinances. The first bill was the second reading of a bill to amend city code in order to update the Board of Aldermen meeting procedures. Alderman Arnold noted a provision in the bill that would automatically cancel meetings that fall on observed holidays and made a motion to postpone any action on the bill until the board gets more information regarding how many meetings this would affect and the protocol regarding that. Alderman Arnold’s motion was approved and action on this bill was postponed until the next meeting. The second and final bill discussed was the first read of a bill that would amend the city code in order to include vehicles without ignition interlock devices in the city’s alcohol-related traffic offenses. Chief Turner said that the state recognizes this practice and other local agencies already participate in it as well, this would be mirroring their practices. The board passed the first read and it will be brought back for its second read at the next meeting. The board then moved into city staff reports. First, Parks and Recreation Director Shannon Davies, gave an update on construction at Armstrong Park. The work on the all-inclusive playground has started and is ongoing. The new playground will be named “Kiki’s Playground” in memory of Christina “Kiki” Claphan, who worked for the parks department for over ten years and Grain Valley Schools for nearly ten years before passing away unexpectedly in February of 2020. The next Board of Aldermen meeting will be held at 7:00pm on March 11 in City Hall. by Cole Arndorfer
The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen met on Monday, February 12, for their first meeting in February. The meeting included a proclamation, three new resolutions, and the first reading of one ordinance. To start the meeting, Mayor Mike Todd read a proclamation declaring February 11-17 National FBLA Week in the City of Grain Valley to honor the Grain Valley High School’s Future Business Leaders of America program. Following the proclamation, the board moved into resolutions. The board approved the first resolution, adopting the updated social media policy. This is the first update to the social media policy since 2018. The main changes include when the city can remove social media comments, such as those posted by bots or that include profanity. The board approved the second resolution, allowing the purchase of eight security cameras to be placed in Monkey Mountain Park. City Administrator Ken Murphy said that these cameras will be a major improvement compared to the troublesome nature of the old cameras currently in the park. The board also approved the last resolution, allowing the city to enter into a contract with the company Flock to install automatic license plate readers within the city. After resolutions, the board heard the first reading of one ordinance. The bill would amend the city code surrounding meeting procedures. These amendments would include changing the regular meeting time for Board of Aldermen meetings from 7 pm to 6:30 pm, and adding language to allow for virtual meetings, should one be necessary. Concerns around this bill were brought up by Jan Brill in the public comment section of the meeting. Brill stated that moving the meeting time up may give off the impression that the board is trying to hide something and does not want the public to be involved in its meetings. The first reading was passed by the board and will be brought back for its second read at the next meeting. In the mayor’s report, Todd noted his meeting with downtown businesses about plans for First Friday’s this summer. Todd said that they are going to be getting information put together to present to the board in the near future. Following the mayor’s report, the board adjourned into executive session. The next board meeting for the month of February will be held at 7:00pm on Monday, February 26th at City Hall. Grain Valley Parks and Recreation is hosting a Mad Science Spring Break program March 18-21 from 10:00am - 12:00pm at the Grain Valley Community Center. During this 4 day course for students in Kindergarten - 6th grade, students will participate in a wide range of safe and engaging hands-on activities led by an instructor with a flair for science. The cost for the program is $120 per participant.
Daily sessions will cover content from 8 different topics: Harnessing Heat, Lights Color Action, Magnetic Magic (ICW& ASP), Mission Nutrition, Optical Illusions, Sonic Sounds, Tantalizing Taste and Watts-Up. See program flyer for content details: 2024 Spring Break Science (cityofgrainvalley.org) To register, visit Youth Programs - City of Grain Valley, Missouri. by Cole Arndorfer
The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen met Monday, January 22nd for the second regularly scheduled meeting in January. City Clerk Jamie Logan administered the oath of office for police officer Derek King. King was joined by his family in celebration of his joining the GVPD. Following the oath, the board moved into the resolution portion of the meeting. First, the board approved a resolution allowing the city to enter into an agreement with Earthworks Excavation to demolish and clear the former Sni-A-Bar farm structures at 600 SW Buckner Tarsney Road. This will remove all the structures on the property besides the park maintenance facility. It will also remove all the concrete around the pool area to provide a level property for further development. This was approved 4-1 with Alderman Arnold being the lone dissenting vote, and Alderman Bray absent. The second resolution approved by the board allows the city to renew the software maintenance and support agreement with Brightly Software. The city has used Brightly Software for six years and this is just a renewal to their current agreement. The resolution was approved unanimously. The final resolution unanimously approved allows the city to makes upgrades to eight sets of bleachers at Monkey Mountain Park, providing a better and safer seating area for spectators at the baseball/softball fields. Next, the board heard the second reading of a bill to amend the section in the city code regarding court costs. This is essentially just an update to the codes, keeping up with state laws on the subject. This bill was passed 5-0. The second bill the board took action on was the second reading of a bill to amend the section in the city code regarding rental rates and fees for the community center and pool. This must be done in order to reflect what is shown in the 2024 city budget. This bill was also approved 5-0. Following this, the board moved into the City Administrator’s report. Ken Murphy used his brief report to thank the city workers who worked tirelessly in the snow and ice to clear roads and keep people safe, and to welcome Officer King to the team. In Alderman Cleaver’s comments, he brought up the desire to move meetings to an earlier time. Alderman Arnold noted that a reason the meetings start at 7:00pm is to allow those who work outside of Grain Valley to come home and eat dinner without being rushed. In order to make a change to meeting times, the board would have to approve a change in the city code. After some discussion, the board agreed on 6:30pm and will prepare a bill for a future meeting including the time change and a clause that allows for virtual meetings in cases of inclement weather. Mayor Todd shared that he met with the homeowners association from Woodbury Estates to gather information on the situation regarding a loan due on a neighborhood pool. Using this information, the board will hold a workshop to find some possible solutions for the homeowners association and present them their findings. The next Board of Aldermen’s meeting will take place at 7:00pm on February 12 at City Hall. by Cole Arndorfer
The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen met on Monday, January 8, for their first meeting of 2024. In the meeting, the board passed eight new resolutions and heard first readings of two ordinances. With no proclamations, previous or new business, presentations, or public hearings, the board jumped straight into resolutions. First, the board approved a resolution allowing the city to enter into an agreement with the Mid-America Regional Council Solid Waste District. This agreement provides residents the ability to dispose of household hazardous waste properly. Second, the board approved a resolution allowing the city to purchase new water meters, in accordance with the 2024 Meter Replacement Program. The city has replaced a number of meters yearly since 2010. This year, the city will replace 400 old water meters. The next resolution the board approved allows the city to make an agreement with ClearSpan. This agreement will cover the materials and labor to repair the canopy on the salt storage building. Next, the board approved a resolution that allows the city to purchase computer equipment. Funds from the Computer Equipment Replacement Program will be used to purchase new desktops, laptops, monitors, and other equipment as needed. The fifth resolution the board approved allows the city to purchase new access control card readers for city buildings. These new readers will replace the existing readers at City Hall, Public Works Maintenance, and the Community Center. Next, after a brief discussion, the board approved a resolution that allows the city to purchase a new dump truck and accessories for the public works division. This will be the replacement for the first dump truck the city purchased a number of years ago. The board approved the next resolution that allows the city to sign an agreement with the Blue Springs Police Department for the confinement of prisoners in their detention unit. This is an extension to an agreement that the departments have had for several years. The final resolution the board approved a resolution allowing the city to execute an agreement with the Grain Valley School District for school resource officer services. Alderman Arnold discussed some concerns to be looked at in the future such as the district being responsible for more of the officer’s salaries and the viability of the district’s own security force. Following this, the board moved into ordinances. The board approved the first read of a bill that would allow the city to amend a section of the city code relating to court costs. This will be done in order to stay up to date with the latest case law. This bill will be brought back for its second read at the next regularly scheduled meeting. The board approved the first read of the final ordinance that would allow the city to amend the section of the city code that spells out the Community Center rental rates and Community Pool fees. This bill will also be brought back for its second read at the next regularly scheduled meeting. In her staff report, City Clerk, Jamie Logan, provided an update on candidate filing for April’s upcoming election. Six residents have filed for candidacy. Aldermen Knox and Skinner will run unopposed for Wards II and III. Former mayor Chuck Johnston and Kyle Sole have filed to run for Alderman Arnold’s Ward I seat. Arnold has filed to run for mayor against current mayor Mike Todd. For his report, Alderman Skinner discussed the Woodbury Estates Homeowner’s Association situation and the need to have an executive session meeting to discuss options the city may have. Skinner expressed his desire to get advice from the city attorney and find facts in the matter. The next Board of Aldermen meeting will take place at City Hall on January 22, at 7:00pm. Candidate filing has closed for the April 2024 election, with contested elections for both City of Grain Valley and Board of Education seats.
Four candidates have filed for two open seats on the Grain Valley Board of Education. Current board members Jared English and Eddie Saffell have filed for re-election. Aaron Scully and Paul Trusler have also filed. Mayor Mike Todd has filed for re-election, with current alderman Dale Arnold filing to challenge Todd for the position of mayor. In Ward I, former mayor Chuck Johnston has filed for the seat currently occupied by Arnold. Kyle Sole has also filed to run for the Ward I seat. In Ward II, current alderman Rick Knox will run unopposed, as will current Ward III alderman Ryan Skinner. The municipal election will be held April 2, 2024. The deadline to register to vote in the April election is March 6, 2024. For more information on registering to vote, visit Registration | Jackson County Missouri Election Board (jcebmo.org). by Cole Arndorfer
The Grain Valley Board of Aldermen met on December 11th. This meeting included an oath of office for police officer Justin Pereria, recognition for three members of the VIPS program, three new resolutions, one ordinance, and city staff and mayor’s reports. Grain Valley VIPS (Volunteers in Public Service) James Garcia, Wayne Morey, and Kelli Schuette were recognized by Police Chief Ed Turner and Judge Susan Watkins. The VIPS program allows citizens to get involved with the police department and the community by volunteering their time for different projects and events within the community. Watkins said that Garcia, Morey, and Schuette are among the most active in the program and they could not do the work they do without their help. Each of them was presented with a plaque to recognize their service. After the recognitions, the board moved into resolutions. First, the board approved a resolution to write off outstanding balances from utility accounts deemed uncollectable. This particular set of balances equals about $12,000 and is from 2019. Next, the board approved a resolution to amend the 2023 budget. This was the final amendment of the 2023 budget and is done yearly in order to accurately reflect the actual expenditures and revenue of the city throughout the year. Finally, the board approved the final resolution, allowing the city to enter into an agreement with Andrews Technology. This agreement will provide a web-based attendance system for city employees. Under ordinances, the board passed the only bill on the agenda. This bill went along with the second resolution and confirms amending the 2023 budget. The vote was unanimous at 6-0. City staff reports started with Parks and Recreation Director Shannon Davies. Davies said that the department will be offering their tree disposal site again this year. Citizens can drop off their real trees from December 26-January 11 at Armstrong Park, next to the baseball fields. Davies also said that the 2–5-year-old playground at Armstrong Park has recently been removed in order for the new all-inclusive playground to be put in early next year. Police Chief Ed Turner reported the department will be doing their yearly Shop with a Cop event on December 20. Turner said that the event offers a great opportunity for the department to engage with the community and that 25 children are signed up to participate. Filing began this week for the April 2, 2024 municipal election, with at least one candidate filing for each open position.
One alderman seat in each of the three wards is open and the current mayoral term for Mayor Mike Todd expires in April. Todd has filed for re-election as has incumbents Ward II Alderman Rick Knox, and Ward III Alderman Ryan Skinner. In Ward I, current alderman Dale Arnold has not filed for reelection, but new candidate Kyle Sole has thrown his hat in the ring in Ward I. Two seats are up on the Grain Valley School Board this April, and both incumbents for these positions, Jared English and Eddie Saffell, have filed as of December 6th. Filing concludes at 5:00pm on December 26, 2023. UPDATE 11/30/2023 10:30am: The City of Grain Valley has announced the Holiday Festival is canceled due to anticipated inclement weather.
A festive evening awaits attendees at the City of Grain Valley's Holiday Festival and Mayor's Christmas Tree lighting on Thursday, November 30th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at Armstrong Park. There is no cost to attend and all are welcome. Grain Valley School District's Fifth Grade Choir will entertain guests with Christmas carols, and complimentary hot cocoa and cookies will be available. Following the Mayor's Christmas Tree lighting and a visit from Santa Claus, the Grinch will be on hand for a special outdoor screening of The Grinch. The North Pole Mailbox will also be set up along the Armstrong Park Holiday Trail. Santa will write letters back to children in Grain Valley, so letter writers should be sure to include your child's name, mailing address, and wish lists on the letter. The North Pole Mailbox will be open through December 10th. |
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