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MINUTES CITY COUNCIL MEETING Mayor Dan Bishop called the Regular November 13, 2000 City Council Meeting to order in the City Council Chambers at 7:30 p.m. PRESENT: City Manager Kirk Davis Item 3. on the Agenda. Pledge of Allegiance. Scout Troop 357 from St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag in which all joined. Mayor Bishop also recognized Scouts from Troop 247, Gashland Presbyterian Church who were in attendance. Item 4. on the Agenda.. Approval of Minutes. Councilman Anita Newsom moved to approve the Regular October 23, 2000 City Council Meeting Minutes as submitted. Councilman Nodler seconded. The vote: All “aye” - Smith, Nodler, Newsom, Cross, Bishop. (5-0) Item 4a. on the Agenda. Mayor Dan Bishop read a PROCLAMATION encouraging Gladstone residents to recycle as part of “America Recycles Day” on November 15, 2000. . Mr. Jim Groves accepted the Proclamation on behalf of the Gladstone Solid Waste and Recycling Committee. Item 4b. on the Agenda. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS. Mayor Dan Bishop presented KEYS TO THE CITY to former Gladstone Mayors Bernie Jezak (April 1975/76) and Jack McCausland (April 1974/75, April 1976/77). Mayor Bishop advised that Keys to the City were presented to six former mayors in September. At that time, Mr. Bernie Jezak and Mr. Jack McCausland had prior commitments so we are happy to present their Keys this evening. Mr. Bernie Jezak thanked the City Council and said that it had been a great honor to serve on the Council for nine years, and he felt there were quite a few things accomplished at that time. He commended the Council for their service to the City and its residents. Mr. Jack McCausland thanked the Council for the Key to the City. He said he had served two terms on the City Council and was involved in other elections as well and it was a pleasure to be back this evening. Earlier he and the City Clerk were looking at and old photo in the Community Development Department of North Oak Trafficway and 72nd Street when they were both two lane roads and he was reminded that during his tenure on the Council, they spent many evenings making decisions on the widening of North Oak. PRESENTATION OF BOARD AND COMMISSION APPRECIATION PLAQUES Mayor Bishop stated that in addition to those who have served on the Council, we have many civic-minded citizens who serve without salary on the nine Boards and Commissions to which Council can make appointments. Those appointments are filled by people who are truly committed to this community and they spend many hours to make our City a better place to live. The Council recognizes those members who are leaving their position on a Board or Commission and this evening we will recognize three members. Former Councilman Mr. Mike Reinsch has served on the Planning Commission from October 1999-2000. Mr. Reinsch is not present tonight, but we appreciate his service on the Planning Commission. Mr. J.C. Sanders from the Planning Commission has relocated outside of Gladstone. He served from January 1998 to October 2000. Mr. Sanders thanked the Council for the plaque. Mr. Mark Tankesley, also from the Planning Commission, served from October 1996 to October 2000. Item 5. on the Agenda. Consent Agenda Following the Clerk’s reading, Councilman Bill Cross moved to approve the Consent Agenda as listed. Councilman Anita Newsom seconded. The vote: All “Aye” - Smith, Nodler, Newsom, Cross, Bishop. (5-0) Councilman Bill Cross moved for approval of RESOLUTION NO. R-00-88, adopting REVISED WATER AND SEWER UTILITY REGULATIONS for the City of Gladstone, Missouri. Councilman Anita Newsom seconded. The vote: All “Aye” - Smith, Nodler, Newsom, Cross, Bishop. (5-0) Councilman Bill Cross moved to adopt RESOLUTION NO. R-00-90, accepting Temporary and Permanent Easements from property owners in conjunction with the Claymont Drainage Improvement Project. (Project #0020). Councilman Anita Newsom seconded. The vote: All “Aye” - Smith, Nodler, Newsom, Cross, Bishop. (5-0) Councilman Bill Cross moved to adopt RESOLUTION NO. R-00-91, accepting Temporary and Permanent Easements from a property owner in conjunction with the Brooktree Circle Drainage Construction. (Project 9942). Councilman Anita Newsom seconded. The vote: All “Aye” - Smith, Nodler, Newsom, Cross, Bishop. (5-0) Councilman Bill Cross moved to adopt RESOLUTION NO. R-00-92, authorizing execution of a contract with Reddi Services, Inc. in the amount of $49,500.00 from the Combined Water & Sanitary Sewer Fund for the 2000 Sanitary Sewer Cleaning and Televising Project. (Project 0105). Councilman Anita Newsom seconded. The vote: All “Aye” - Smith, Nodler, Newsom, Cross, Bishop. (5-0) REGULAR AGENDA Item 6. on the Agenda. RESOLUTION NO. R-00-87, amending Section 1500.3 of the Gladstone Personnel Manual relating to the Employment of Relatives. (Continued from 10/23/00).. Councilman Shirley Smith stated that at the last meeting on October 23rd, when this resolution was discussed, Councilman Newsom brought up many questions that she felt needed to be answered. The City Manager was to research and supply Council with the answers to these questions. She said she believes the City Manager has indicated that more time is needed and therefore she moves that Council postpone this Resolution to an indefinite time until the City Manager finds time to provide us with these answers. Councilman Cross seconded the motion. Discussion. Mayor Pro Tem Cross stated that it is his impression that this will be dropped indefinitely and that everything stands just the way it is and it may at a later date be brought back up, one, two, five, ten years from now, but at this time it is closed. He asked if he can get verification on that from our City Attorney. City Counselor Nancy Thompson stated that on a motion to postpone indefinitely, this specific Agenda Item labeled as R-00-87 would not be brought back before the Council. It does not mean that something identical cannot be brought back under a separate resolution number; but this specific item, if postponed indefinitely, would not be brought back up before the City Council. Councilman Newsom said so in essence it kills the resolution. Ms. Thompson stated yes. Ms. Newsom asked for clarification from Counselor Thompson of the benefit of postponing it indefinitely as opposed to just voting it down and killing it and getting it out of the way. To what benefit does that serve us. Counselor Thompson stated that she does not know if it serves a benefit one way or the other, she is just explaining the end result of postponing it indefinitely. If it were to be reconsidered, it would have to be brought back in a separate form. Ms. Newsom asked if it would have to be posted with all due notice on the Agenda as it was previously. It could not just be reentered into the Agenda at some point later in time without posting the notice? Ms. Thompson agreed it would have to be posted with due notice and would come back up under a separate resolution number, it would be separate item. It would be a new item of business, not as unfinished business or old business. Councilman Newsom stated her concern is about the spirit of the resolution as it came forward before. She would hate for any of the staff members to perceive that this is still out there hanging over their heads and could be brought back up at another date in a stealth move. Ms. Thompson pointed out that each session of the City Council is considered to be a separate session which means you can reconsider any particular item, whether it is voted favorably, voted against, or postponed. She does not believe that postponing indefinitely versus voting it down will have any different effect on Council’s ability to do that. Councilman Newsom clarified that this would not be brought forward again without posting it on the Agenda 48 hours before the Council Meeting. Ms. Thompson replied that was correct. Any item that comes before the City Council, unless it is an emergency action, has to be posted at least 48 hours before the meeting. Ms. Newsom stated that she just wanted that on the record. Mayor Bishop commented that there were a number of questions raised specifically. Councilman Newsom raised some questions and he too raised some questions. It is his understanding that more time is needed to address those questions and sift through some of the issues that came forth at the last meeting. It is therefore impossible to make a determination on this issue tonight since we do not have that information, and he does not think we have any choice but to continue this until such time as we do have the answers to the questions that were raised at the last meeting, and then evaluate the issue on its merits. So, he will vote in favor of the motion. Councilman Nodler said it seems to him that he has heard something different from some of the Council members. Mayor Bishop is talking as though we might have some information that would bring this back in a few weeks, Mr. Cross is talking about a few years. He is not sure that he understands the discrepancy in the time frame that we are talking about. Mayor Bishop stated that there are questions on the record that were raised at the last Council meeting and he has not heard anything different. He still wants answers to the questions and cannot make a determination on how to proceed until he has information and assumes it would be some kind of a reasonable time frame. Councilman Newsom asked Mayor Bishop what his interpretation is of a “reasonable” time frame. He replied that he did not know. Ms. Newsom asked if this is a few weeks, few months, how long. The Mayor said he really does not know. Ms. Newsom said as has been stated, she was on board when the current Personnel Manual was approved. That was a long, couple year process of pulling information together, working together with the committees, staff, then legal review. So it was a lengthy process. Mayor Bishop stated that he would think that in the next six months he would like to see some answers to the questions that he and Councilman Newsom raised at the last Council meeting. Councilman Cross told Councilman Nodler that the way he interprets it, as far as the Resolution is concerned it is over now and there will not be any more discussion on it unless someone would bring it back up again. At this time, he does not foresee that at all. The vote on the motion to indefinitely table Resolution R-00-87: All “Aye” - Councilman Smith, Councilman Nodler, Councilman Newsom, Councilman Cross, Mayor Bishop. Item 7. on the Agenda. Communications from the Audience. Linda Wilson, 4925 N. Washington, stated that she is here tonight with a neighbor, Deborah Doss because they heard about the Council’s consideration to amend the Personnel Manual section that relates to the employment of relatives that you just voted on. One husband and wife who are both police officers in the Gladstone Public Safety Department were “grandfathered” many years ago and allowed to both continue working as police officers in Gladstone. We are here to speak with first-hand experience of the importance of this couple in Gladstone’s law enforcement. Corporal David Smith and D.A.R.E. Officer LeAnn Smith. Corporal Smith’s seventeen years of experience on the Gladstone force impressed our Neighborhood Watch when we gathered together to learn more from Corporal Smith about the program. In subsequent monthly meetings with our Neighborhood Watch Program , he helped provide training on a number of different subjects in this very room.. Officer LeAnn Smith has helped come to different individual homes to help them turn areas that need special attention to protect against burglaries. Many children in the neighborhood know LeAnn Smith from her visits in the schools on behalf of the DARE program. These two police officers have represented well the caring, concerned, community that we know as Gladstone. This past August, when the hostage situation along Old Pike Road made our neighborhood feel as if we were under siege, the preliminary work already done by these two particular officers in working with our neighborhoods, helped our homeowners remain calm and to be trusting of the police efforts. When adults and children alike recognize police officers as friends, every situation requiring law enforcement is enhanced to its best possible solution. The trust and caring that these two officers have brought into Gladstone cannot be measured. To lose even one or both of these officers would be a tremendous loss to Gladstone. How could we replace the experience they have in knowing and understanding our community. Their wisdom of how to act quickly and resolutely based on this knowledge. She presented a letter to the Council from their neighborhood with 29 signatures. They are asking to consider any future action to be ill-advised that would affect these two wonderful people to be able to continue their work here in Gladstone. Mayor Bishop thanked Ms. Wilson for her comments. Lee Bussinger, 3031 NE 73rd Terrace, asked the City Council to hold a Public Hearing should Item 6 on the Agenda, (Resolution 00-87, dealing with amendment to the Gladstone Personnel Manual) be brought up again. As a Councilmember for fifteen years, he never dealt with personnel issues from the Council table, that was to be handled by the City Manager and he wanted to make that point. He told the Council they are running it, but he does think it is unwise to deal with personnel, that’s what you hire the City Manager to do. Anne Alexander, 6767 N. Askew Circle, advised that she had been privileged to serve on a couple of different committee groups in Gladstone and wanted to complement the Gladstone City staff. She has never seen a City Staff that gave so much of their time on weekends, evenings, etc. She told the Council they are doing a great job, but so is the Staff.. Item 8. on the Agenda. Communications from the City Council. Councilman Shirley Smith welcomed Master Benjamin Paul Bishop into the world. Benjamin is the newborn son of Mayor Dan Bishop and his wife Leslie and was born on Thursday, November 9, 2000. Councilman George Nodler thanked the former Gladstone Mayors present tonight for their past service as well as the former Planning Commission members we recognized this evening. Councilman Newsom echoed Councilman Nodler’s comments. We have had a very prestigious group of people who have preceded us at this table. Each time she meets a former Mayor/Councilmember and hears more about the history of the city, it makes her even prouder to be a part of it. She thanks them for their time and service. Ms. Newsom asked Mayor Bishop if he had been notified of the nine-month rule and explained that the first nine months his wife Leslie has looked after their baby, and the next nine months are his. The middle of the night crying, whatever it is, the next nine months are his. Councilman Newsom advised that it has now become public knowledge that City Counselor Nancy Thompson has made the decision to leave our employ and stay at home with her family. Family is important to all of us, and she compliments Nancy in making a tough decision to put her career on pause to spend time with her family. She wants to thank her publicly for her service to the City, not only as City Counselor, but also a strong community member, and as a leadership member on any committee or staff situation on which she has served. In her work with the Chamber Nancy pitches in and will do whatever it takes and we truly appreciate it. Ms. Newsom told Counselor Thompson that she and her husband Randall and their boys have been a great addition to our community. She told Ms. Thompson that she knows of some real good volunteer causes when she has some extra time. There will be a process to fill the vacancy because the City Counselor plays an important part in our City. Ms. Newsom told City Counselor Nancy Thompson that she will definitely be missed. Councilman Bill Cross said he concurs with Councilman Newsom’s comments and told Counselor Thompson that as an educator he can assure her that the schools would certainly welcome her as a volunteer. Mr. Cross referred to the road projects former Mayor Jack McCausland’s recalled during his tenure on the City Council, and said that we certainly have a lot of projects underway at this time in Gladstone but we need good weather to see them to completion. Mayor Dan Bishop had no communications at this time. Item 9. on the Agenda. Communications from the City Manager. City Manager Kirk announced that the City is closed Thanksgiving Day and the day after. He also congratulated Mayor Bishop on the new addition to his family. Mr. Davis also advised that former Gladstone Management Assistant Bryan Richison who accepted a position in the Denver, Colorado area this past summer has announced his engagement and we congratulate him. The Manager also reported that we had approximately 1500 customers at the brush disposal last weekend, and announced that the Mayor’s Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held at Bank Midwest at 65th & N Oak on Wednesday, November 30th. Mayor Dan Bishop thanked the City Manager for his mention of the Mayor’s Holiday Lighting Ceremony which will be held at 6:00 PM on November 30th. It is being moved to a North Oak location this year and will have good visibility at the entrance to Gladstone Plaza by Bank Midwest. Antioch Middle School Choir will perform and Bryan Busby will emcee this event which will include a special appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus. . In the tradition established by Mayor Art Hammen last year, the proceeds will be split between the Northland Christmas Store and the Gladstone Neighbors Helping Neighbors organization. Every living former Mayor of the City of Gladstone is acting as an honorary co-chair of this year’s event which is a first, and will be a lot of fun. Mayor Bishop encouraged everyone to attend this event. Item 10. on the Agenda. RESOLUTION NO. R-00-89, adopting a MISSION STATEMENT AND GOALS for the City of Gladstone, Missouri for 2000-2001. Councilman Anita Newsom moved to adopt the 2000-2001 Mission Statement and Goals for the City of Gladstone. Councilman Bill Cross seconded. Discussion. Councilman Newsom said we have gone through this goal setting process for a number of years and she does think it is a good process. Some times it is more difficult but it is one of those contemplative times that we don’t always take the time to do in our busy day to day lives where we get too look at where we need to go as a city and where our goals are in the future. It gives us a focus on the big issues like the millions of dollars of capital improvements we work through, and it gives us a chance to hear from department heads one on one, and it is an excellent process for the Council and she hopes it will continue after she has left the Council. Mayor Bishop said it was a rather long day but was very productive and harmonious, and there really was no disagreement about the objectives that we talked about and we will be reaffirming the goals twice established. So it was a good day and a worthwhile process and we have some pretty significant objectives underlying these goals and a lot of work cut out for us over the next twelve month period, so he will be voting in favor of adopting this mission statement and goals. Mayor ProTem Cross asked the two former Mayors present if they spent a whole day twenty give years ago trying to decide what to accomplish and whether we had the money to do it. Jack McCausland agreed that many days and nights were spent on such decision making. The vote: All “aye” - Smith, Nodler, Newsom, Cross, Bishop. Item 11. On the Agenda. Other Business. Referencing Agenda Item 6. (Resolution 00-87), Ms. Newsom said she was contemplating when the voice vote was called for and said nothing aloud, but understands it will be recorded as “aye”. She said she still would feel more comfortable if we had just voted the resolution down and cleared it off the books, but does support postponing it indefinitely, like forever, until the whole policy is reviewed and worked through the proper process. Ms. Newsom also wished everyone a happy and blessed Thanksgiving with their families and friends. It is one of her favorite holidays and she encourages all to take time to do something besides eat and watch football, like hug your family. City Manager Kirk Davis said he was remiss in not introducing our new Human Resources Administrator, Charlene Leslie, who is present in the audience. The Mayor and Council welcomed Ms. Leslie to the city. * * * There were no communications from the News Media or further business to come before the November 13, 2000 Gladstone City Council Meeting, and Mayor Dan Bishop adjourned the Regular Meeting. Councilman Anita Newsom moved to adjourn to Closed Executive Session in the City Manager’s Office pursuant to Missouri Open Meeting Act Exemption 610.021 for Privileged Communications & Litigation Discussion; 610.021(2) for Real Estate; and 610.021 (3) for Personnel Discussion as posted. Councilman Cross seconded. The vote: All “aye” - Smith, Nodler, Newsom, Cross, Bishop. (5-0) Respectfully submitted: Marilyn F. Ahnefeld, City Clerk |