MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
REGULAR MEETING
MONDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2006
PRESENT: Mayor
Carol Rudi
Mayor
Pro Tem Bill Cross
Councilman Les Smith
City Manager Kirk Davis
City Counselor David Ramsay
City Clerk Cathy Swenson
ABSENT: Councilman Wayne Beer
Councilman
Joe Evans
Mayor Carol Rudi opened the Regular February 27, 2006, City Council Meeting at 7:30 PM in the Gladstone City Council Chambers.
Item 3. on the Agenda. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
Mayor Carol Rudi led the Pledge of Allegiance, in
which all joined.
Item 4. on the Agenda. APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY 13, 2006, REGULAR CITY
COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross moved to approve the
February 13, 2006, Regular City Council Meeting Minutes as presented. Councilman Les Smith seconded the
motion.
The vote: “Aye” – Councilman Les Smith, Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross, Mayor Carol Rudi. (3-0).
Item 5. on the Agenda. CONSENT AGENDA
Following the Clerk’s reading, Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross moved to accept the Consent Agenda as presented. Councilman Les Smith seconded. The vote: All “aye” – Councilman Les Smith, Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross, Mayor Carol Rudi. (3-0).
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross moved to adopt RESOLUTION R-06-13,
authorizing an agreement between the City of
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross moved to approve a BUILDING PERMIT for construction of a brick wall to the west of the existing structure located at 7514 North Oak Trafficway. Applicant/Owner: Goens Brothers, Inc. (BP 06-10000059). Councilman Les Smith seconded. The vote: All “aye” – Councilman Les Smith, Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross, Mayor Carol Rudi. (3-0).
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross moved to approve the FINANCIAL REPORTS for January 2006. Councilman Les Smith seconded. The vote: All “aye” – Councilman Les Smith, Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross, Mayor Carol Rudi. (3-0).
Item 6. on the Agenda. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
Mayor Rudi introduced Joyce Grady, a leader of Boy
Scout Troop 247, sponsored by Gashland Presbyterian Church. With Ms. Grady were 6th and 7th
grade Boy Scouts and leaders, who introduced themselves as follows: Sam Gray, New Mark Middle School; Alex Mason,
New Mark Middle School; Timothy Mason, New Mark Middle School; Michael Mason,
New Mark Middle School; Andrew McFeeney, Northgate Middle School; Don Mason,
Boy Scout Leader; and Elizabeth Gray, Boy Scout leader.
Mayor Rudi welcomed the Troop 247 members and
leaders, and suggested if they should have any questions, to contact City
Council members or City employees. Mayor
Rudi commended the group on their interest in municipal government.
Anita Newsom, 7401 North Wabash, began by saying she was
seeking clarification as over the past couple of weeks some things have
happened that from a historical perspective, she felt needed
clarification. Ms. Newsom said it was
unfortunate that not all Council was present at this meeting, but knows her
comments will go into the record. Ms.
Newsom stated a remark was made at a meeting last Thursday that past Council
should have been dealing with economic issues in the past, as if there was
something amiss that past Councils had not addressed. Not everyone knows what past Councils did or
what they looked at during their tenure.
Ms. Newsom said a number of years ago a City Council of which she was a
member, and which also included Councilman Nodler, Councilman Norris,
Councilman Fricke, and Councilman Hammen, did a lot of prioritization and
created a wish list for the City. That
Council spent an entire day making plans as to what they would like for the
City to have and the direction for the City to go. As there was only so much money, things had
to be prioritized. A solid list of
priorities was developed. City Council has
been accused in the past of making plans, and nothing happening with those
plans. Ms. Newsom stated the plans may
not have occurred all at once, and Streetscape did not land in the middle of
North Oak Trafficway all at once, however, over the course of the years,
Streetscape and other plans suggested by past Councils have become part of the
daily part of City business, and those standards have been incorporated in
day-to-day business.
Ms. Newsom stated when she served on the City
Council it was not easy economic times, but it was not as difficult as some of
the things this Council is considering.
There may not then have been some of the hard decisions that this
Council is facing, and some of the exciting times that will probably
follow. Ms. Newsom said she wished to
clarify that during her Council tenure, there was a Council body that had to
set some priorities, and had to make some hard choices. Ms. Newsom said she very much wanted a
community center, but knew there were other things that had to come first, such
as water service, ambulance service, a second fire station, and so forth. These things had to come into place
first. Ms. Newsom stated she is glad to
see this Council continuing with those plans.
There were a lot of people involved a long time ago, and some of those
people have been on different sides of issues recently, but it appears we are
all moving together as a community for the solid purpose of where we need to
go.
Ms. Newsom continued by saying she has made a
clarification and now asks for a clarification.
Ms. Newsom said she was not at the last City Council meeting, but she
read in the “Northland” section of the “Kansas City Star” that there was
concern about an issue being proposed.
Ms. Newsom said what concerned her is that the report in the paper
seemed to give the impression that all five of the current Council members, or
the majority of the Council members, said there is no way a road will go
through (
Mayor Rudi responded that what she said at the last
City Council meeting was that there was not yet a plan in place to be able to
make a decision. The reporting was not
totally accurate.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross stated that he did not
believe there was an emphatic statement from all five of the Council members,
and he agrees with Ms. Newsom that the comments were not reported
correctly. Mayor Pro Tem Cross said he
did not believe any Council member made such a strong statement.
Mayor Rudi stated she firmly believes that Council
is not yet at a place to make a decision, because there is not yet a complete
plan. That is a long ways away.
Councilman Les Smith stated he believed he may have
been the only one who said he was not in support of building the road at this
time, knowing that an agreement was being worked on with the neighborhood. Councilman Smith said his interpretation of
the comments that followed were to say the plan is still evolving, and some
things have to be done, but maybe not right now. Councilman Smith stated as it turns out, that
is how it will happen. Councilman Smith
said he would not cast aspersions on any representative of the media, but it
was easy to interpret the comments that followed his as being supportive of
what he said, but he does not believe they were supportive of everything he
said.
Item 7. on the Agenda. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
Councilman Les
Smith stated regarding the issue Ms. Newsom brought up,
which is the 68th Street parkway, west of North Oak Trafficway, the
City has been in communication with some of the leadership of the Hamilton
Heights neighborhood, and they, at least in principle, have agreed to some
things that were offered at a recent public meeting, which may cause them to be
more supportive of the parkway being built in the future. This is a very positive step, because this is
such an exciting and important project, and an opportunity for the entire
community. Councilman Smith said there
has been a lot of give and take on both the neighborhood’s part and on the
perspective developer’s part. Councilman
Smith said a lot of work has been done by City staff to make this happen, and
he believes things will work out on this issue.
Councilman Smith said he
learned today that Senator Crowell’s Bill regarding red light cameras is going
to be heard in Committee this evening, and there will be a substitute offered
with some parameters that might allow our City to move forward on this issue.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross thanked City administration
for allowing Council members to attend the Missouri Municipal League conference
and to meet with elected officials.
Mayor Pro Tem Cross said he feels these were good meetings, and he feels
the elected officials that serve our City are in support of City issues. Mayor Pro Tem Cross said it was very
worthwhile for Council members to attend these meetings.
Mayor Pro Tem Cross thanked Carol Blanchard, Staff
Writer, for the “Sun Tribune”, for an article she wrote about him. Mayor Pro Tem Cross said Council members
appreciate Ms. Blanchard attending the City Council meetings and reporting the
City news.
Mayor Carol Rudi stated she was distressed about the comments
about past Councils, because unless one is working on an issue, they have no
idea of the process. Every Council has to
deal with issues that will not be popular with everyone in the City. Mayor Rudi offered congratulations to Ms.
Newsom for her efforts while on the City Council.
Mayor Rudi reported there would not be a City
Council meeting on the regularly scheduled date of March 13th. City Council members will be attending the
National League of Cities conference in
Item 8. on the Agenda. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CITY MANAGER.
City Manager Kirk
City Manager
City Manager
Item 9. on the Agenda. FIRST READING BILL 06-05, An Ordinance repealing
Ordinance No. 3.882 (Section 6.110.100 of the City Code) and enacting a new
Ordinance establishing Water Service Rates for the City of Gladstone, Missouri.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross moved to place Bill 06-05 on First Reading. Councilman Les Smith seconded. The vote: All “aye” – Councilman Les Smith, Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross, and Mayor Carol Rudi. (3-0). The Clerk read the Bill.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross moved to accept the First Reading of Bill 06-05, Waive the Rule and place the Bill on Second and Final Reading. Councilman Les Smith seconded. The vote: All “aye” – Councilman Les Smith, Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross, and Mayor Carol Rudi. (3-0). The Clerk read the Bill.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross moved to accept the Second and Final Reading of Bill 06-05 and enact the Bill as Ordinance 3.984. Councilman Les Smith seconded.
Roll Call Vote: All “aye” – Councilman Les Smith, Mayor Pro Tem Bill Cross, Mayor Carol Rudi. (3-0).
Item 10. on the Agenda. OTHER BUSINESS.
There was no other business.
Item 11. on the Agenda. QUESTIONS FROM THE NEWS MEDIA.
There were no questions from the News Media.
Item 13. on the Agenda. ADJOURNMENT.
There being no further business to come before the
February 27, 2006,
Respectfully submitted:
___________________________
Cathy Swenson, City Clerk
Approved
as submitted: ___
Approved
as corrected/amended: ___
______________________________
Mayor Carol A. Rudi