MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
GLADSTONE,
MISSOURI
REGULAR
MEETING
MONDAY, May
12, 2003
PRESENT: Mayor Les Smith
Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer
Councilman Bill Cross
Councilman Carol Rudi
Councilman Joe Evans
City Manager
Kirk Davis
Assistant City
Manager Scott Wingerson
City Counselor
David Ramsay
City Clerk Cathy
Swenson
Mayor Les Smith opened the Regular May 12, 2003 City
Council Meeting at 7:30 PM in the Gladstone City Council Chambers.
Item
3. on the Agenda. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
Mayor Les Smith led the Pledge of Allegiance, in which all joined.
Item 4. on the Agenda. APPROVAL OF THE REGULAR APRIL 28, 2003, CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
Councilman Bill Cross moved to approve the Regular April 28, 2003, City Council
Meeting Minutes as presented. Mayor
Pro Tem Wayne Beer seconded the motion.
The vote: All “aye” Councilman Joe Evans, Councilman Carol Rudi,
Councilman Bill Cross, Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer, Mayor Les Smith. (5-0)
Item 4a. on
the Agenda. Mayor Les Smith read a PROCLAMATION
recognizing the 40th anniversary of Antioch Middle School in Gladstone, Missouri. Antioch Middle School Principal Bob Russell
was on hand to accept the proclamation.
Mayor Smith invited Mr. Russell to say a few words.
Mr. Bob Russell stated that Antioch Middle School appreciates the recognition and he
realized that many people present attended Antioch Middle School or are the
parents of students who have attended the school. Mr. Russell remarked that the school is very proud of its
affiliation with the City of Gladstone,
and Gladstone Public Safety is one of the school’s long standing business
partners. The City of Gladstone
sponsors at least one of the school’s Business and Education Expectation
programs (BE2). Mr. Russell
stated he is very proud of Antioch Middle School and would welcome visits from
the community. The school feels very
much a part of the community as witnessed by the many students who return to
school in the evenings to participate in Gladstone Parks and Recreation
programs. Mr. Russell continued by
saying that the school is very thankful to the voters in Gladstone who passed a
bond issue for the North Kansas City School District that allows air conditioning
to be installed in the entire Antioch Middle School building. This is a nice 40th anniversary
gift. Mr. Russell invited everyone to
visit in September, when the air conditioning project will be completed. On behalf of the Antioch Middle School
staff, parents and students, Mr. Russell thanked Mayor Smith, City Council, and
the City for honoring Antioch Middle School on their 40th
anniversary.
Item 4b. on the Agenda. Mayor Smith read a PROCLAMATION designating the month of
May, 2003, as “Lyme Disease Awareness
Month” in Gladstone, Missouri. This
proclamation was sponsored by the Lyme Association of Greater Kansas City, Inc.
Item 5. on the Agenda. CONSENT AGENDA
Following the Clerk’s
reading, Councilman Bill Cross moved to approve the Consent Agenda as read.
Councilman Carol Rudi seconded. The
vote: All “aye” - Councilman Joe Evans,
Councilman Carol Rudi, Councilman Bill Cross, Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer, Mayor
Les Smith. (5-0)
Councilman Bill Cross moved
to adopt RESOLUTION NO. R-03-34, authorizing
Change Order Number 1 for the 2003 Curb and Sidewalk Program in the amount of
$65,399.00 and authorizing the appropriation of additional funds in such amount
from the Transportation Sales Tax Fund. Councilman Carol Rudi seconded. The vote:
All “aye” - Councilman Joe Evans, Councilman Carol Rudi, Councilman Bill
Cross, Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer, Mayor Les Smith. (5-0)
Councilman Bill Cross moved
to adopt RESOLUTION NO. R-03-35, accepting
a Temporary Easement from property owners in conjunction with the Rock Creek
Channel Improvements, Brooktree to Gladstone Lane; (Project #0123). Councilman Carol Rudi seconded. The vote:
All “aye” - Councilman Joe Evans, Councilman Carol Rudi, Councilman Bill
Cross, Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer, Mayor Les Smith. (5-0)
Councilman Bill Cross moved
to approve Park Festival Use Permits for
the 7th Annual Gladstone
Summertime Bluesfest in Oak Grove Park, 76th and North Troost,
Friday and Saturday, June 20-21, 2003, and the 24th Annual Gladfest Celebration on Friday, Saturday and
Sunday, October 3-5, in Gladstone Central Park, 69th and North
Holmes under the sponsorship of the Gladstone Area Chamber of Commerce and the
City of Gladstone. Councilman Carol
Rudi seconded. The vote: All “aye” - Councilman Joe Evans, Councilman
Carol Rudi, Councilman Bill Cross, Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer, Mayor Les
Smith. (5-0)
Councilman Bill Cross moved
to approve a Beer License for the Gladstone Summertime Bluesfest in Oak
Grove Park, 76th and North Troost, (2-day license), June 20-21,
2003, Managing Officer: James Shevling;
and for the Gladfest Celebration in
Gladstone’s Central Park, 69th and North Holmes, (3-day license),
October 3-5, 2003. Managing
Officer: James Shevling. Councilman Carol Rudi seconded. The vote:
All “aye” - Councilman Joe Evans, Councilman Carol Rudi, Councilman Bill
Cross, Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer, Mayor Les Smith. (5-0)
REGULAR AGENDA
Item 6. on
the Agenda. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
Mr. Clem
Chirpich, 6316 North Camelot, stated that he lives in the area that was struck
by a tornado on Sunday, May 4th.
Mr. Chirpich thanked the Gladstone Police and Fire Divisions for
responding as quickly as they did, and for the additional support from them and
other City employees, as residents tried to recover. Mr. Chirpich thanked Mayor Les Smith, Councilman Bill Cross, and
all City Council members for moving to restore electricity as quickly as
possible on Tuesday when electricity was turned off, after being turned back on
only two and one half hours, in the Camelot and Monroe area. Mr. Chirpich also expressed his thanks to
Provco, the tree trimming firm who offered their services in the aftermath of
the storm, and Mr. Chirpich suggested that if they are offering additional
services, the City contract with them to trim additional trees.
Mr. Chirpich stated that on Monday, after the storm,
the Gas Company and Kansas City Power and Light disconnected service to
severely damaged homes. On Tuesday,
Kansas City Power and Light visited each home, pulled the meters from severely
damaged homes, and asked remaining residents to turn their main circuit
breakers off to avoid power surges. Mr.
Chirpich continued by saying by 5:00 PM the power was restored to the houses
Kansas City Power and Light felt were safe to have power. Mr. Chirpich reported that at 7:30 PM,
Kansas City Power and Light was contacted by the City of Gladstone, who
requested them to turn off the power, because the area was unsafe. The rumor was the reason for requesting the
power turned off was to encourage the residents to vacate the area. Mr. Chirpich explained this was very
disappointing to him as a resident as he had been without power for 48 hours,
and it was nice to have the power back on to do the things that needed to be
done.
In his area, Mr. Chirpich said, “Do Not Enter” signs
were posted that indicated some of the residences were unsafe to occupy. Mr. Chirpich stated that such a notice was
put on his house, Tuesday, yet no City employee had entered his house or talked
to him. Mr. Chirpich found City
employees and asked them about the sign, and the answer was that it was not
because of the physical condition of the house, but because another storm was
approaching and there was debris in the area that could compromise the safety
of people.
Mr. Chirpich, along with his brother, walked into
other areas, where there were no signs posted, yet there was debris on their
streets, their roofs were damaged, and they had electrical power. Mr. Chirpich continued by saying the signs
were not specific as to who had ordered them, there was no telephone number, or
a reason for posting the signs. Mr.
Chirpich felt that if such signage is used, they should be signed, there should
be a telephone number, and there should be a reason as to why the building is
unsafe to occupy. Mr. Chirpich said he
was sorry to bring this up at this time.
He does appreciate the assistance of the Police and Fire people, as well
as City Council members, and appreciates the help in recovery.
Mayor Smith asked Assistant City Manager Scott
Wingerson to address the concerns of Mr. Chirpich.
Mr. Wingerson thanked Mr. Chirpich for his comments,
and thanked Mayor Smith and City Council members for an opportunity to address
Mr. Chirpich’s concerns. Mr. Wingerson
stated that the small sign that Mr. Chirpich mentioned was first utilized
Sunday night, right after the storm, between the hours of 8:00 PM and 1:00 AM,
in an effort to identify areas of damage in a broad perimeter sweep in the area
of Carriage Hill including North Camelot and North Monroe. In terms of the electricity, Mr. Wingerson
continued, Mr. Chirpich is correct. The
very next day, Wednesday, several teams of inspectors from other cities and
Burns and McDonnell inspected the exterior and electric service of homes like
Mr. Chirpich’s, and authorized the Kansas City Power and Light to restore
service immediately. The decision to
disconnect power was made for the protection of the residents in Carriage
Hill. It was known the power in the
general area was to be restored shortly, and the risk could not be taken of
providing electric service to homes that should not or could not accept
electric service, and create an additional hazard on top of significant hazard
that already existed.
Mr. Wingerson apologized to Mr. Chirpich and about
six other residents who had a very similar concern, but City staff acted very
quickly the very next day, and power was restored that day or the following
morning. Mr. Wingerson thanked Mr.
Chirpich for his input, and stated his comments are appreciated.
Mayor Smith thanked Mr. Chirpich for his patience,
and stated that the City had planned for such an emergency and he felt the City
did a very thorough job of doing visual inspections of structures in order to
protect the safety of the residents.
Ann Alexander,
6767 North Askew Circle, stated she was blessed to be seven blocks away from the tornado, but
wanted to commend the City for blocking off the Carriage Hill area so
quickly. Ms. Alexander remarked she was
sure that in the long run it saved residences from a lot more damage and
injuries. Ms. Alexander thanked the
City and stated City staff did a good job.
Galen Neill,
6010 North Wyandotte, asked how roofing permits are issued.
He has witnessed a roof being taken off very slowly, and he is concerned
that if there is rain, the consumer will not be protected. Mr. Neill asked if when a contractor applies
for a permit, is he required to prove to the City that he has insurance, and is
the contractor required to have a license with the City.
Assistant City Manager Scott Wingerson thanked Mr.
Neill for his question, and stated that roof permits are required in the City
of Gladstone for consumer protection against two things; one is to ensure the
structure is not overloaded with weight, and the other is contractor licensing. A roofing contractor is required to obtain a
City business license, show proof of liability and workers’ compensation
insurance, and receive several inspections throughout the roofing process. Mr. Wingerson continued by saying that the
time in which a contractor completes a project is not something which the City
regulates, but if Mr. Neill would provide the necessary information, City staff
will investigate this specific case.
Item 7. on the Agenda. COMMUNICATIONS FROM
THE CITY COUNCIL.
Councilman Joe
Evans
thanked the Public Safety and Public Works personnel for all their work
this past week and their assistance to citizens in
all damaged areas of Gladstone.
Councilman
Carol Rudi
thanked City staff, and stated she knows many have worked long hours with
little sleep, and have done all they can to make this tornado clean-up go
smoothly for everyone. Councilman Rudi
asked the audience if they know of anyone who is having problems to call the
City, because the City is here to help residents get through this difficult
time. Councilman Rudi extended her
sympathy to anyone who has suffered in this storm, and hopes they get through
this very quickly. She was fortunate
not to have damage and feels very fortunate.
Councilman
Bill Cross
stated he wished to reinforce what his two colleagues have said, and stated he
appreciates all the work that City staff has done.
Mayor Pro Tem
Wayne Beer agreed
with his fellow Council members, and stated that after the storm had abated, he
went to City Hall to lend what help he could.
He was with members of Public Safety and the Leadership Team until
approximately 10:00 PM that night, and came back the following day and was with
them until about 10:00 PM that night.
Councilman Beer was happy to see the leadership and professionalism
displayed. The Leadership Team, Public
Works and Public Safety employees were exemplary, as were all City
employees. Councilman Beer was very
proud of the efforts of City employees in the aftermath of the storm, and the
way the City came together to abate as much as possible the storm
aftermath. The night of the storm
Councilman Beer was with Public Safety when rain and hail had resumed. Public Safety personnel were in the rain and
hail securing the storm damaged areas.
This past Sunday, Councilman Beer was part of an approximately 200
volunteer effort to assist in storm clean-up.
The volunteers were citizens, and people from other cities who
volunteered to provide help.
Mayor Les
Smith agreed
with fellow Council members and stated that there may have been some things
that could be improved upon, but in talking with Dick Davis recently, the last
time a tornado hit Gladstone was when Dick Davis was Mayor, which would have
been about 1971. The fact of the matter
is there is an emergency operation plan in place for the City. The City has experienced an ice storm,
flooding, and now a tornado. Mayor
Smith continued by saying that first and foremost our hearts and prayers go out
to those people who are affected; the storm started on the west side of town
and ended three miles to the east in Carriage Hill. Mayor Smith remarked that City staff began arriving at City Hall
before he was sure it was safe to leave their homes, and by midnight the
Carriage Hill area was secured. People
were safe, with folks out of their homes that needed to be, and recovery
efforts were underway, which was due to the foresight of the people that we pay
to deal with these issues. They had the
foresight to put together a plan in calmer times and the plan worked.
Mayor Smith commented that he could not be more
proud of the City government. In Mayor
Smith’s opinion government is there to do for people those things that they
cannot do for themselves, and that has been proven over the last week. It has been a very long and hectic week,
with some people working 18 to 20 hour days.
Mayor Smith stated it struck him that City staff was not doing it to
earn a paycheck, but rather because they epitomize public service. Mayor Smith addressed City Manager Kirk
Davis by saying that he is certain that accolades will soon be coming in as
people get their lives together.
Mayor Smith stated that in many parts of the City,
before people talk about what they have lost, they express their gratitude for
what the City has done for them. There
are people who did not shed a tear until they began talking about how the City
government has helped them. Mayor Smith
remarked that we, as people, should be very proud, and City Manager Davis
should feel very proud. Mayor Smith
hopes City Manager Davis will pass this on to all City employees. In regard to volunteers, Mayor Smith stated
the Gladstone Church of Christ, who cooked lunch Saturday, fed 400 people, with
some of them from Provco, the company Mr. Chirpich mentioned, and some were
from other cities. Those people deserve
a lot of credit. Mayor Smith concluded
by saying this is a great place to live, we do good things for people and we do
them right.
Item 7a. on the Agenda. Board and Commission Appointments.
Mayor Smith made the following recommendations for appointments to Boards and Commission vacancies:
Sister Cities Commission
Charles Carmack
Scott Archuletta, Student member (as recommended by the Sister Cities Commission)
Cable TV Advisory Board
Tim Robertson
Planning Commission
Dick Davis
Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer
moved to ratify the appointments as listed.
Councilman Joe Evans seconded.
The vote: All “aye” - Councilman
Joe Evans, Councilman Carol Rudi, Councilman Bill Cross, Mayor Pro Tem Wayne
Beer, Mayor Les Smith. (5-0)
Item 8. on the Agenda. COMMUNICATIONS
FROM THE CITY MANAGER.
City Manager Kirk Davis reported that the Park Watch Program meeting for Oak
Grove Park will be tomorrow night, May 13th, at 6:30 PM at Oak Grove
Park, and the Municipal Pool begins its 25th season on May 24th.
City Manager Davis thanked
City Council members for their comments, and stated he was very proud of City
staff’s response to the recent storm.
Mr. Davis stated that there will be a wrap-up report in the near future. However, for now, a lot of work needs to be
done. Mr. Davis said that City staff
tried to err on the side of safety and hopes everyone is understanding of that. It was not always convenient for the
residents for a couple of days, but overall the residents’ comments to Staff
have been very positive, which is appreciated.
According to FEMA (Federal
Emergency Management Agency), Mr. Davis reported, 389 homes were damaged in
Gladstone, with approximately $30 million in damages. An Emergency Operation Center (EOC) was initiated at about 6:00
PM, on Sunday, May 4th, the day of the storm. The EOC still exists today, with daily
briefings. Mr. Davis explained that in
responding to a storm of this magnitude, the response is very complex. City staff was dealing not only with
utilities and insurance, but also with unknown safety issues. Mr. Davis continued by saying the winds went
through the City at over 200 miles per hour.
Search and rescue efforts were taking place in the dark of night to
determine if there were casualties; fortunately there were none, but there were
five cases of injuries. Considering the
damage to the City, that is unbelievable.
Mr. Davis stated that following the storm it was necessary to secure the
severely damaged areas, provide medical services, and conduct structural
inspections.
The City’s Emergency
Operation Plan is very complex, but it worked.
Mr. Davis stated it worked not only because a plan was in place, but
because of dedicated City employees. Mr.
Davis expressed his appreciation to the Leadership Team members who gathered
resources within minutes, and began applying those resources according to the
direction and plan of the EOC. Mr.
Davis said he is convinced that a better response could not have been achieved
than was achieved by the City of Gladstone.
The City is working with residents and insurance companies with
demolitions, as well as maintaining security in damaged areas. The City is trying to get neighborhoods back
to normalcy as quickly as possible. Mr.
Davis expressed his appreciation to Mr. Chirpich for his comments, and
apologized for any inconvenience. Mr.
Davis thanked the City Council and the City’s Leadership Team for their
support. Many City Council members were
at the EOC the night of the storm. Mr.
Davis stated it may have seemed chaotic, but it was organized chaos. Mr. Davis concluded by saying that City
staff will continue their efforts until the work is finished.
Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer
commented that while those in the position of making decisions the night of the
storm may have felt there was chaos, his observation was things were under
control. Councilman Beer stated he has
been in the position of having to make similar types of decisions, and he
understands. Some mitigating factors
Sunday evening were the City was without power, and many phones were not
working. Councilman Beer continued by
saying there were emergency generators at City Hall, but calls could not be
made to other people in the city, so there was no communication by
telephone. The cell towers sustained
damage and the cell phone system was overloaded, and no one could make cell
phone calls. Councilman Beer said
communication was horrible the night of the storm and that was a critical
factor. The Police and Fire radios also
sustained damage. Even so, Councilman
Beer remarked, things went extremely well, and City Manager Davis and all City
employees are to be applauded for a job well done.
Following applause from the audience, Mayor Smith
stated that Gladstone Neighbors Helping Neighbors is organizing a volunteer
effort this Saturday, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. For more information, please call City Hall at 436-2200. Mayor Smith concluded by saying that
Carriage Hill is not the only area affected by the storm. There was damage to the west City limits,
and there is still work to be done.
Item 9. on
the Agenda. PUBLIC HEARING FOR BLIGHT DETERMINATION OF GLADSTONE PLAZA.
Item 12. on the Agenda. OTHER
BUSINESS
There was no other business.
Item 13. on the Agenda. QUESTIONS
FROM THE NEWS MEDIA
There were no questions from the News Media.
Item 14. on the Agenda. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer moved to adjourn the
meeting. Councilman Carol Rudi
seconded. The vote: All “aye”
Councilman Joe Evans, Councilman Carol Rudi, Councilman Bill Cross,
Mayor Pro Tem Wayne Beer, Mayor Les Smith.
(5-0)
Respectfully submitted:
__________________________
Cathy Swenson, City Clerk
______________________________
Mayor Les Smith