Independence City Council action, Julu 7. 2008

The Independence City Council meets regularly the first and third Mondays of the month, with study sessions on the second and fourth Mondays. The council met Monday, July 7, 2008. All council members were present. All votes were 7-0 unless otherwise stated. All dollar figures have been rounded off.

Opening action

The council:

Approved minutes from meeting May 5, 2008.

Presented Larry Alumbaugh as Employee of the Month.

Held public hearing on Eastland Center rezoning, case 08-100-06 (Bill No. 08-122 )

Held public hearing on Ferguson Group (Voorheis Vale), rezoning, case 08-125-02 (Bill No. 08-123)

Held public hearing on Just A Lot of Cars’ rezoning.

Held public hearing on Schwerdt Design Group (AT&T), rezoning, case 08-200-06 (Bill No. 08-124)

Held public hearing on city street name change, case 08-750-02 (Bill No. 08-125)

Held public hearing on Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus (Harmony East), preliminary development plan, case 08-810-01 (Bill No. 08-130)

Consent agenda

The council approves items in the consent agenda, including other reports and resolutions, with one motion and vote. The council:

Approved purchase order to Archer Engineers in the amount of $45,200 for engineering design services for Stream Bank Stabilization in the 18200 block of East 25th Terrace for the Water Pollution Control Department, Sewer Maintenance Division, to secure electric and sanitary sewer utilities.

Approved a price agreement (335-08) with Areva T&D, to supply up to three 69 KV power circuit breakers to Independence Power & Light for a period of one year, with options to renew in each of the following four years.

Approved the City Council’s designation of Assistant City Counselor Dayla Bishop Schwartz as acting City Clerk and Assistant City Manager Larry C. Kaufman as an additional acting city clerk, if needed, during any time the city clerk is absent from the office.

Approved a price agreement (208-08) with Mainline Supply Company for fire hydrants for the period of Aug. 1, 2008, through July 31, 2009, for the Water Department.

Approved a price agreement (112-08) with TCI Tire Centers, for tire repair/service for various city departments for the period of July 8, 2008, through June 30, 2009.

Resolutions

Postponed until Aug. 18 a resolution approving a preliminary tract of Freedom Landing, a 15-lot mixed use subdivision north of R. D. Mize Road between Necessary Road and the future Little Blue Parkway.

Approved recognizing Lary Alumbaugh, Construction Inspector in the Public Works Department, as the Employee of the Month for July.

Approved a preliminary tract of land for Saddle Ridge, fifth plat, a 27-lot subdivision north of East 39th Street, south of R.D. Mize Road and west of Crenshaw Road.

Approved reappointing George A. Coulas to the Board of Adjustment.

Approved reappointing Christine Ann Hughes to the Board of Ethics.

Approved reappointing Ron Adams and Kendra Brockman to the Personnel Board.

Approved reappointing Patrick A. Campbell and appointing Lori Harp to the Planning Commission.

Approved reappointing Charles (Gene) E. McClellan and Blair Wildermuth to the Public Utilities Advisory Board.

Approved reappointing Ron Bruch and Vaughn Cornish and appointing the Rev. Bob Spradling to the Tax Increment Financing Commission.  

Ordinances

Postponed a zoning map amendment to change the zoning classification from R-1b and R-1b-SU to R-3-PUD, CR-P-1, and C-P-2 and approving a preliminary development plan for the property generally northwest and west of Necessary Road and south and east of the future Little Blue Parkway. Delayed from 6-16-08 meeting. A legal protest was submitted, forcing another postponment until Aug. 18.

Approved finding, determining and declaring the necessity of acquiring temporary construction and grading easements for the construction, operation and maintenance of a public sanitary sewer designated as the 17th & Menown Sanitary Sewer improvements.

Approved finding, determining and declaring the necessity of acquiring general utility easements and temporary construction and grading easements for the construction, operation and maintenance of a public storm sewer designated as the Jones and Liberty Drainage improvements.

Approved finding, determining and declaring the necessity of acquiring general utility easements and temporary construction and grading easements for the construction, operation and maintenance of a public sanitary sewer designated as the Sinnott Circle Sanitary Sewer improvements.

Approved creating Section 8.06.008 of the City Code, and renumbering sections of Article 6 of Chapter 8 to authorize the city manager to accept grants up to $25,000, and reporting the action to the City Council.

Vacated a portion of former Jackson Drive located north and south of East 24th Terrace South, west of South Ponca Avenue, south of East Holke Road and east of South Viking Drive. 

First readings

Ordinances require two readings before the council passes them. The following ordinances have been read once and will be on the July 21, 2008, agenda for a vote.

Amending the zoning classification from CR-P-1 (Planned Limited Commercial and Residential) to C-P-2 (Planned General Commercial) for the property south of Adair Creek, west of the proposed private drive and north of Valley View Parkway.

Amending a zoning map amendment by changing the zoning classification from R-1b (Single-Family Residential to R-1b-PUD (Single-Family Residential – Planned Unit Development) with an amended final development plan for the property at the southeast corner of South Norfleet Road and East 47th Street South.

Changing the zoning classification from R-1b (Single-Family Residential) to R-1b-SU (Single-Family Residential with a Special Use Permit for a utility building) for the property at the northwest corner of East Bundschu Road and North Jackson Drive.

Changing the name of ‘East 13th Street North,’ north of Bundschu Road and west of North Holland Drive, in the Timber Creek Ranch subdivision, to ‘East 12th Terrace North.’

Adopting the Tenth Amended Eastland Center Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment Agreement to modify Articles III and V and Exhibits 1 and 3.

Authorizing an agreement with Cleo Custis for the purchase of property at 108 N. Hawthorne and the removal of special assessments on the property if certain conditions are met.

Authorizing an “Amendment of Joint Funding Agreement for Water Resources Investigations” between the city and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Approving a zoning map amendment by changing the zoning classification from C-2 (General Commercial) to C-2-SU (General Commercial with a Special Use Permit for used car sales) for property on the east side of South Noland Road, at 3237 S. Noland Road.

Approving an amended preliminary development plan of Harmony East, Case No. 08-810-01, a Planned Unit Development south of Bundschu Road, east of Crenshaw Road, north of Strode Road and west of Missouri 7.

Authorizing a funding agreement with the NorthWest Communities Development Corporation under the terms of the HOME Investments Partnership Act; making available $87,866 for affordable housing development in northwest Independence.

Authorizing a contract with Musselman and Hall Contractors for the Independence Square Streetscape Project, Phase I, in the amount of $78,864, with an allowance for change orders not to exceed $7,886 and/or time extensions.

Emergency ordinances

The council can read emergency ordinances twice and pass them in one meeting with five votes. The council approved:           

The Final Plat of Evergreen Crossing, a subdivision north of East U.S. 24 and west of North Missouri 291. Case No. 08-320-10.

The final tract of Crackerneck Center – First Plat, a commercial subdivision located west of South Cochise Court, north of East 46th Terrace South and east of Bass Pro Drive. Case No. 08-320-13. The city manager requested deferring the item to July 21 for plat corrections.

Acceptance of a one-year grant award from the Missouri Department of Public Safety to continue funding for a Victim Advocate in the amount of $41,008, allowing certain future change orders, and authorizing necessary appropriations.

Accepting a memorandum of understanding with the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force for funding in the amount of $54,617 from the Platte County Sheriff’s Office, for reimbursement of one police officer’s salary and benefits while assigned to the FBI’s Regional Criminal Forensics Lab as a forensic examiner.

Authorizing the city manager and the Power & Light director to accept a $900,000 grant from the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency’s Hazardous Mitigation Grant Program to convert approximately 1,000 overhead electric services from overhead to underground, providing $300,000 matching funds from the Power & Light budget, and making necessary appropriations.

Authorizing the city manager to execute a Distribution Pole Attachment Agreement with Kentucky Data Link, Inc., regarding fiber optic service for the Fort Osage School District.

Information only

The council:

Met in executive session at prior to the council meeting on matters of litigation.

Learned that an emergency purchase order 125777, in the amount of $65,820.00, was issued to MidStates Excavating for immediate road extension and repairs around the fly ash containment pond at the Blue Valley Power & Light location.

Learned an emergency purchase order 125935 was issued to Siemens Power Generation in the amount of $50,000 for technical services and labor to inspect and test generator internals and turbine blading as accessible for the Power & Light Department.

Learned an emergency change order 38765, in the amount of $125,000, was added to PO 125603 issued to City of Springfield Utilities to cover the additional cost of contracting Springfield’s electric line crews to work for the city of Independence, following the severe storm that occurred on Friday,     May 2.

Learned from city staff provided notification to City Council of two emergency change orders to purchase order 125478 with Kleinfelder, in the amounts of $8,190 and $4,500 (total $12,690), for additional soil boring and analysis for the planned Events Center. The new purchase order total is $42,690.

Learned of the need to change “2,9622.1 square feet” to “29,622.1 square feet” within a legal description for Parcel No. 3 for the acquisition ordinance for 37th Terrace Extension, Jackson Drive to Little Blue Parkway, Ord. 16865 (11/19/07).

Citizen requests

Daniel Nesbit spoke to the City Council to object to the new no-parking zone being installed at the intersection of 25th Terrace and 25th Terrace Court, in front of five houses.

Steve Zevecke spoke to the City Council regarding a blind intersection at Ash and Winner Road; location of the old Fire Station 3.

Council member comments

District 3 Council Member Myron Paris lauded the progress of work at 28th Street and Lee’s Summit Road.

Distrcit 4 Council Member Jim Page said July 4 was a “good holiday.”

Council Member At Large Lucy Young encouraged citizens to register to vote for the upcoming elections in August and November.

– Toriano L. Porter