No meeting again

The Blue Springs Planning Commission failed to meet for the second consecutive time Monday night, delaying votes on final plans for an apartment complex and site plans for both Lowe’s and Target in the Adams Dairy Landing project.

The cancellation was made mid-afternoon Monday after three commission members – Susan Culpepper, Keith Sullivan and George Abbott – notified City Hall that they would not be attending. They are three of 11 members on the commission. Three other positions are vacant. Six members are needed for a quorum.

Both Culpepper and Sullivan, whose seats expired in April, were two of five people newly elected Mayor Carson Ross attempted to appoint last Monday during the City Council meeting. That vote ended in a 3-3 tie when three council members expressed reservations about one of the appointees, and thus all five appointments were stalled, at least for the moment.

Although their terms are expired, Blue Springs City Attorney Bob McDonald said Culpepper and Sullivan can still serve on the board as voting members until they are either re-appointed or  replaced.

“As far as they city’s concerned, Susan and Keith are still members of the Planning Commission,” McDonald said.

Scott Allen, director of Community Development, said it was his understanding as well that Culpepper and Sullivan are still active members until they are either re-appointed or replaced.

Sullivan, however, said he does not plan to attend any more Planning Commission members until he is officially re-appointed by the City Council. He said he was “unsure” whether he was still a member of the commission and that he would wait until notified.

“Until I’m approved by the City Council,” he said, “I don’t plan to attend any commission meeting.”

Culpepper could not be reached Monday afternoon. Sullivan, though, said he feels the council is “playing politics” with the nominees, specifically Ted Anderson. Sullivan said he told the city he would not be attending because of last week’s vote.

Council members Sissy Reed, Jeanie Lauer and Kent Edmondson had concerns that Anderson was not the right candidate for the seat.

Reed and Lauer said Anderson possesses conflicts of interest. Lauer expressed her concern over Anderson’s role as chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Fogel-Anderson Construction Company, while Reed said she had concerns regarding Anderson’s affiliation with a Web site named “Citizens for Fair and Open Government,” which has editorialized on city government.

Edmondson said he was also concerned about Anderson’s role in the Web site, and said he wished that Ross had recommended each appointee separetely and not in one group, as is his choice, according to Bob McDonald, the city’s attorney.

Thus the vote was split 3-3 when remaining council members Lyle Shaver, Sheila Solon and Ron Fowler agreed to appoint Anderson, Lynn Banks and James May, along with reappointing Sullivan and Culpepper. By rule, on appointments, Ross was unable to cast a tiebreaking vote.

Anderson has said he is no longer associated with the Web site.

Sullivan said Anderson’s experience makes him more than qualified for the position.

“(Ted Anderson) served on the county’s planning commission board, and no one felt there was any conflict there,” Sullivan said. “It’s kind of a ridiculous situation.”

Two projects scheduled for Monday’s meeting included site plans for both Target and Lowe’s, two anchor stores for the Adams Dairy Landing project, which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2009. Allen could not say if Monday’s meeting cancellation would affect their time lines.

“I don’t know,” he said, admitting concern over the situation.

Ross can nominate the candidates again at next week’s coucil meeting, either as a group or individually. Ross did not return phone calls Monday afternoon for comment, but he told the media last week that he would not change his recommendations and that those council members voting against his decisions were letting personal feelings get in the way of city business.