Ya gotta love it. At the council meeting last week that delayed any action on electric vehicle charging stations on city property Jeff Vaught again showed a lack of common sense.
This is what is appearing in the most recent article in the Shawnee Dispatch byJeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught:
Vaught was entirely in favor of installing the charging stations on city property because of the opportunities it opened up for the city to eventually purchase electric vehicles for staff.
"Do we want to be a froward-thinking city or the last ones on the block?" Vaught asked the council. "The reality is we could probably have electric vehicles in our fleet pretty quickly.
"Forward thinking starts right here, its starts with our government."
Electric vehicles in our fleet pretty quickly? Who is he kidding? Let's look at the department that uses the most sedans and small SUVs, the PD. Do we want a fleet of vehicles in that department that only get 80 miles on a full charge? That require eight hours to fully charge? That would have to stop every couple of hours for an electric "top off", for what, an hour? Now, with all of the electrical/electronic equipment in these vehicles (radar, computers, radios, etc) they would never last 80 miles on a full charge. You are not going to see all electric vehicles in public works, parks or the FD anytime soon. Those large vehicles would never make it. The only place that I can see electric vehicles would be maybe two or three for codes administration, and even then we would probably be better off with hybrids (let the gas part of the engine recharge the electrical system). Then he has the temerity to put his fellow council members down for not being forward thinking.
In the same article, Stephanie Meyer is quoted as saying:
"If I have the option of charging while I go watch a movie or at City Hall, I know which one people would rather choose," said Council member Stephanie Meyer.
Now that is common sense. Put the units in business areas so folks can shop and create dollar flow.
Maybe Vaught does need a lesson in economic development.
See my two previous posts on this subject:
5/27/15
5/19/15
DTJVSD
Monday, June 01, 2015
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Shawnee CERT Training Exercise 5/30/15
On Saturday, 5/30/15 6 members of the Shawnee CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and our emergency management coordinator joined members of four other teams in responding to a simulated tornado damage incident.
A soon to be demolished church on Midland Drive was the site selected for the exercise. Prior to the exercise the emergency management coordinator had various simulated situations placed around both interior and exterior locations of the building. In some cases dummies were used and in some cases volunteers playing the part of a victim were used.
This exercise allowed the members of the CERT team (all volunteers) to practice various skills that they have been taught. Like all exercises, it gave the team valuable information and feedback on their skills. It also emphasized how important it would be to attract more volunteers to the Shawnee CERT. We currently have approximately 25 members, but in a real life situation only about 25% would be able to show (what we had yesterday).
Needless to say, I personally am happy to be part of this team.
Two important links:
More info with pix of the exercise at Operation100 Facebook page Cick on any of the pix to start the slide show with captions. Or here to see the photo stream.
More info on Shawnee CERT by clicking here Check periodically to see when the next volunteer training class will be held.
A soon to be demolished church on Midland Drive was the site selected for the exercise. Prior to the exercise the emergency management coordinator had various simulated situations placed around both interior and exterior locations of the building. In some cases dummies were used and in some cases volunteers playing the part of a victim were used.
This exercise allowed the members of the CERT team (all volunteers) to practice various skills that they have been taught. Like all exercises, it gave the team valuable information and feedback on their skills. It also emphasized how important it would be to attract more volunteers to the Shawnee CERT. We currently have approximately 25 members, but in a real life situation only about 25% would be able to show (what we had yesterday).
Needless to say, I personally am happy to be part of this team.
Two important links:
More info with pix of the exercise at Operation100 Facebook page Cick on any of the pix to start the slide show with captions. Or here to see the photo stream.
More info on Shawnee CERT by clicking here Check periodically to see when the next volunteer training class will be held.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Electric Charging Stations Put on the Back Burner, Good
Well, the council meeting last night was, to say the least, somewhat interesting. And, one item in particular.
First, to understand this post, take a quick peek at this post about electric vehicle charging stations from last week (5/19/15).
Last night the idea of installing charging stations for electric vehicles came before the council. Fortunately, clear thinking heads prevailed, even over the belligerent, denigrating, condescending attitude of, yep, you guessed it, Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught.
KCP&L wanted to install 10 electric car charging stations (old technology already) on city property and the city was supposed to pay $200-$400 per station for two years. Vaught kept putting down his fellow council members for not agreeing with him. He still was pushing the idea that the city would wind up with electric vehicles in its fleet. That besides the fact that most electric cars get about 80 miles on a full charge and it takes, with the old technology, about 8 hours to fully charge on one of these things but used primarily to "top off".
Throughout Johnson County there are some of these charging stations on various pieces of government land. But there are also some that are on business property. And that is what some of the clearer heads on the Shawnee City Council would like to see here. Virtually all of the other council members saw the logic to that, especially Stephanie Meyer and Mickey Sandifer. The locations that KCP&L wanted to use would mean that basically someone would come up, plug their vehicle in and wait for it to charge. With no place to go.
Those locations in JoCo that are on business properties give the vehicle owners the ability to plug in and then go shopping (two examples being the Hy-Vee at 95th & Antioch and the Hen House on 87th Street in Lenexa) And there are various other locations including shopping centers.
We have various locations that would be perfect for these stations. How about 10 Quivira, or Shawnee Parkway Plaza or the Hy-Vee in Shawnee. Plus, these locations would either have the vehicle owners or the businesses paying the electric charges...........NOT the taxpayers of Shawnee.
But Vaught, for all his chest thumping about Eco Development and his constant reminders that he is in commercial real estate, apparently cannot understand the benefits of this arrangement.
Curious, will he have to refund to KCP&L the donation they made to his failed mayoral campaign?
:-) :-)
BTW, go here and there is an interactive map of electric vehicle charging stations, nationwide and you can drill down to any community.
DTJVSD
First, to understand this post, take a quick peek at this post about electric vehicle charging stations from last week (5/19/15).
Last night the idea of installing charging stations for electric vehicles came before the council. Fortunately, clear thinking heads prevailed, even over the belligerent, denigrating, condescending attitude of, yep, you guessed it, Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught.
KCP&L wanted to install 10 electric car charging stations (old technology already) on city property and the city was supposed to pay $200-$400 per station for two years. Vaught kept putting down his fellow council members for not agreeing with him. He still was pushing the idea that the city would wind up with electric vehicles in its fleet. That besides the fact that most electric cars get about 80 miles on a full charge and it takes, with the old technology, about 8 hours to fully charge on one of these things but used primarily to "top off".
Throughout Johnson County there are some of these charging stations on various pieces of government land. But there are also some that are on business property. And that is what some of the clearer heads on the Shawnee City Council would like to see here. Virtually all of the other council members saw the logic to that, especially Stephanie Meyer and Mickey Sandifer. The locations that KCP&L wanted to use would mean that basically someone would come up, plug their vehicle in and wait for it to charge. With no place to go.
Those locations in JoCo that are on business properties give the vehicle owners the ability to plug in and then go shopping (two examples being the Hy-Vee at 95th & Antioch and the Hen House on 87th Street in Lenexa) And there are various other locations including shopping centers.
We have various locations that would be perfect for these stations. How about 10 Quivira, or Shawnee Parkway Plaza or the Hy-Vee in Shawnee. Plus, these locations would either have the vehicle owners or the businesses paying the electric charges...........NOT the taxpayers of Shawnee.
But Vaught, for all his chest thumping about Eco Development and his constant reminders that he is in commercial real estate, apparently cannot understand the benefits of this arrangement.
Curious, will he have to refund to KCP&L the donation they made to his failed mayoral campaign?
:-) :-)
BTW, go here and there is an interactive map of electric vehicle charging stations, nationwide and you can drill down to any community.
DTJVSD
Friday, May 22, 2015
New Municipal Election Procedures
OK, I am not a lawyer, and many times even lawyers disagree on interpretation of laws (evidence various lawsuits).
The legislature passed the new election laws yesterday and the governor will probably be signing the bill into law soon.
Here is how I interpret the new law, as it affects city elections in Shawnee:
1. We will keep our odd year elections.
2. We have the option of keeping them non-partisan.
3. General elections for city positions will move from April to November, primaries if needed would be in August.
4. Winners in November, would take office in January
5. Those currently serving whose terms currently expire April 2017/2019 would have their terms extended.
6. Charter Ordinance 40 would need to be amended (or repealed and a new one issued) to reflect those cycle changes.
7. It appears that it would still be up to the city to determine the methodology of filling vacant seats on the governing body caused by resignation, death, election to another office, etc.
8. By keeping the elections in odd years local elections would not be affected by "top of the ballot" offices such as president, governor, congress, senate (US) etc.
Please do not take the above as being the final/accurate interpretation of the new law, but I'd bet it's real close.
The legislature passed the new election laws yesterday and the governor will probably be signing the bill into law soon.
Here is how I interpret the new law, as it affects city elections in Shawnee:
1. We will keep our odd year elections.
2. We have the option of keeping them non-partisan.
3. General elections for city positions will move from April to November, primaries if needed would be in August.
4. Winners in November, would take office in January
5. Those currently serving whose terms currently expire April 2017/2019 would have their terms extended.
6. Charter Ordinance 40 would need to be amended (or repealed and a new one issued) to reflect those cycle changes.
7. It appears that it would still be up to the city to determine the methodology of filling vacant seats on the governing body caused by resignation, death, election to another office, etc.
8. By keeping the elections in odd years local elections would not be affected by "top of the ballot" offices such as president, governor, congress, senate (US) etc.
Please do not take the above as being the final/accurate interpretation of the new law, but I'd bet it's real close.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Memorial Day Monday 5/25/15
Please remember, it's not just about BBQs and a day off from work. It is about why we can have those BBQs and a day off from work.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Shawnee
At last month's council committee meeting a proposal from KCP&L to install electric charging stations was moved forward for the council to consider. More info is at this article in the Shawnee Dispatch.
The agreement calls for KCP&L to install ten of these chargers, for use with electric vehicles, on city property. The costs of the installation to be absorbed by KCP&L. The kicker that comes into play is that the city would pay for the electricity used for two years. The current estimate for that is $400 per station per year.
Jeff Vaught questioned as to why more of these stations were not planned for western Shawnee. In his statements he intimated but didn't say that it would be folks in that part of town that were more likely to spend the money for an electric vehicle. The KCP&L representative said that since Westar Energy handled most of western Shawnee, that that would be up to them. Hmmmm, doesn't he know who his electric provider is?
Anyway, another comment by Vaught was interesting. From the article: "Vaught said putting the charging stations at public facilities also gives the city the option of purchasing some electric vehicles in the future." Since most of these vehicles only get 60-80 miles on a full charge I'm wondering how many vehicles the city would obtain? How effective are they? My question is why, if the cost of these vehicles is such that there are a limited number of folks who can afford them, should the city absorb the first two years of the charging station costs?
My thoughts: If ya can afford one of these cars, you can afford to pay for the electricity and you need to be happy that more charging stations are being installed. The council IMHO should approve the installation of these units, but not absorb two years worth of electrical costs.
DTJVSD
The agreement calls for KCP&L to install ten of these chargers, for use with electric vehicles, on city property. The costs of the installation to be absorbed by KCP&L. The kicker that comes into play is that the city would pay for the electricity used for two years. The current estimate for that is $400 per station per year.
Jeff Vaught questioned as to why more of these stations were not planned for western Shawnee. In his statements he intimated but didn't say that it would be folks in that part of town that were more likely to spend the money for an electric vehicle. The KCP&L representative said that since Westar Energy handled most of western Shawnee, that that would be up to them. Hmmmm, doesn't he know who his electric provider is?
Anyway, another comment by Vaught was interesting. From the article: "Vaught said putting the charging stations at public facilities also gives the city the option of purchasing some electric vehicles in the future." Since most of these vehicles only get 60-80 miles on a full charge I'm wondering how many vehicles the city would obtain? How effective are they? My question is why, if the cost of these vehicles is such that there are a limited number of folks who can afford them, should the city absorb the first two years of the charging station costs?
My thoughts: If ya can afford one of these cars, you can afford to pay for the electricity and you need to be happy that more charging stations are being installed. The council IMHO should approve the installation of these units, but not absorb two years worth of electrical costs.
DTJVSD
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
New Ward IV Council Member Selected
At the special council meeting last night Brandon Kenig was selected as the Ward IV council member to serve the unexpired seat of newly elected mayor Michelle Distler. The position will come up for election April 2017.
His background is in information technology and he has served on the city's planning commission.
There is now a position open on the city's planning commission. To apply for the position submit a letter of interest, with a resumé, indicating that you are interested in the open planning commission position, to:
Mayor’s Office - Shawnee City Hall
11110 Johnson Drive
Shawnee, KS 66203
His background is in information technology and he has served on the city's planning commission.
There is now a position open on the city's planning commission. To apply for the position submit a letter of interest, with a resumé, indicating that you are interested in the open planning commission position, to:
Mayor’s Office - Shawnee City Hall
11110 Johnson Drive
Shawnee, KS 66203
Friday, May 08, 2015
Date & Time for Special Council Meeting-Ward IV Vacancy
The special council meeting will be Monday, 5/11/15 at 6:30PM at City Hall
Copies of the resumés for the individuals who have applied for the position are available on line by clicking here
Copies of the resumés for the individuals who have applied for the position are available on line by clicking here
Wednesday, May 06, 2015
Filling the Ward IV Vacancy
On Monday My 11, 2015 the City Council will hold a special meeting prior to the regular meeting to choose an individual to fill the vacant Ward IV position.
The agenda for that meeting will be posted on the city's web site on Thursday 5/7/15 usually at the end of the day at http://www.cityofshawnee.org Please check that posting for the meeting time.
Rather than wait until tomorrow to read the resumés for free, I've been paying for the copies as they were filed as I wanted to review them as soon as possible. As a Ward IV resident I have a particular interest in this appointment.
So, what did I learn? I leaned that five individuals showed an interest in serving and filed for the position. I commend them for that.
Now, let's cut to the chase. Of the five applicants, the one that stands out most in my mind as being the best suited for the position, IMHO, is Douglas Hill. He has been employed by GM for over 30 years and has had increasing positions of responsibility during that period of time. Currently he is responsible for an element of their business with a $110 million annual budget, a three shift operation, and has had administrative responsibility for local and national collective bargaining agreements. He would be my first choice.
When the information is posted tomorrow you will be able to view all the resumés.
The agenda for that meeting will be posted on the city's web site on Thursday 5/7/15 usually at the end of the day at http://www.cityofshawnee.org Please check that posting for the meeting time.
Rather than wait until tomorrow to read the resumés for free, I've been paying for the copies as they were filed as I wanted to review them as soon as possible. As a Ward IV resident I have a particular interest in this appointment.
So, what did I learn? I leaned that five individuals showed an interest in serving and filed for the position. I commend them for that.
Now, let's cut to the chase. Of the five applicants, the one that stands out most in my mind as being the best suited for the position, IMHO, is Douglas Hill. He has been employed by GM for over 30 years and has had increasing positions of responsibility during that period of time. Currently he is responsible for an element of their business with a $110 million annual budget, a three shift operation, and has had administrative responsibility for local and national collective bargaining agreements. He would be my first choice.
When the information is posted tomorrow you will be able to view all the resumés.
Friday, May 01, 2015
Where is Your Money Going?
Over the years I have heard many folks ask "Why is the city spending money on xyz?" or "Why doesn't the city spend money on abc?"
Then I ask those folks "have you ever attended a council budget session?" And they look at me like I was being ridiculous. The "city's money" is really your money. Why not sit in on some of these sessions and see and hear what is happening with your money. You have a right to do that. Heck, you have an obligation to do that. You also have a right to contact your council members and voice your opinion(s). Do it!!!!!
This year the first budget session will be Tuesday, 5/5/15 at the council committee meeting, scheduled for 7PM, which is following a special call meeting of the city council at 6:30PM the same night.
For a complete schedule of the budget meetings this year please click here.
Then I ask those folks "have you ever attended a council budget session?" And they look at me like I was being ridiculous. The "city's money" is really your money. Why not sit in on some of these sessions and see and hear what is happening with your money. You have a right to do that. Heck, you have an obligation to do that. You also have a right to contact your council members and voice your opinion(s). Do it!!!!!
This year the first budget session will be Tuesday, 5/5/15 at the council committee meeting, scheduled for 7PM, which is following a special call meeting of the city council at 6:30PM the same night.
For a complete schedule of the budget meetings this year please click here.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Vaught Proves Again He Does NOT Believe in Open Government
Council member Jeff Vaught once again has proven he doesn't rreally believe in open government.
At the 4/13/15 council meeting an item came up and he recused himself from the discussion and then abstained from voting. That happens, and it's usually when a member has an interest (usually financial) in the outcome.
So, based on that I sent him an email:
At the 4/13/15 council meeting an item came up and he recused himself from the discussion and then abstained from voting. That happens, and it's usually when a member has an interest (usually financial) in the outcome.
So, based on that I sent him an email:
At the recent council meeting when that item came up you
recused yourself from the discussion and then abstained from voting.
Those are the proper actions to take when one has a personal
interest in the item being discussed/voted on.
Please provide me with the nature of the interest that you
have that required your recusal and then abstention.
Thank you
Needless to say he doesn't answer. So, guess he doesn't believe in full disclosure, nor in responding to citizen inquiries.
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Sidebar: At this evening's council session I came up with a proposal regarding the Deffenbaugh Impact fees and road repairs. Used my 5 minutes. Guess what happened? Instead of questioning my reasoning at that time, which would have allowed me an additional 5 minutes to respond, Vaught waited until the end of the meeting during miscellaneous council items to voice his comments. Knowing full well that I could not, under meeting policy, get up to answer. When I was in the military (something he never did) we'd call that a chicken s*^t move.
DTJVSD
DTJVSD
Friday, April 24, 2015
Another Applicant for the Open Ward IV Council Seat
Another individual has applied to fill the open council seat in Ward IV.
Douglas Hill
6935 Bell Road
Shawnee, KS 66217
(913) 248-0401
The final day for filing is Wed, 5/6/15. The council will interview the applicants at a special meeting to be held prior to the regular council meeting on Monday 5/11/15.
For more info go here.
Douglas Hill
6935 Bell Road
Shawnee, KS 66217
(913) 248-0401
The final day for filing is Wed, 5/6/15. The council will interview the applicants at a special meeting to be held prior to the regular council meeting on Monday 5/11/15.
For more info go here.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Ward IV Vacancy - Need More Applicants
So far only two folks have applied for the open position in Ward IV created when Michelle Distler was elected mayor.
The city's web site lists these two individuals as having applied and provides info on how to apply: click here to view
The city's web site lists these two individuals as having applied and provides info on how to apply: click here to view
- Christine "Chris" Loomis-Nay
6745 Vahalla Ct.
Shawnee, KS 66217
(913) 962-9119
Brandon Kenig
13502 W 72nd St.
Shawnee, KS 66216
(913) 548-3297 66216
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Ward IV Vacancy - Applications Being Accepted
With the election of Michelle Distler as mayor there is now a vacancy in Ward IV for a member of the council.
Applications are being accepted up until 5/6/15. There will be a special council meeting, prior to the regular council meeting on 5/11/15 to make the selection. For information on what documentation is required please visit the city's web site at this location http://www.cityofshawnee.org/WEB/ShawneeCMS.nsf/vwNews/779CD50C9E2AA8CA86257BD400666DE0?OpenDocument
If a selection is not made within 60 days of the vacancy occurring then the matter goes to a special election.
Applications are being accepted up until 5/6/15. There will be a special council meeting, prior to the regular council meeting on 5/11/15 to make the selection. For information on what documentation is required please visit the city's web site at this location http://www.cityofshawnee.org/WEB/ShawneeCMS.nsf/vwNews/779CD50C9E2AA8CA86257BD400666DE0?OpenDocument
If a selection is not made within 60 days of the vacancy occurring then the matter goes to a special election.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Ward III - Most Apathetic in Shawnee
Well, it looks like Ward III in Shawnee is the most apathetic in the city when it comes to participating in local elections. Now, I'm sure this statement of mine will ruffle some feathers. Too bad. The election results prove it.
First let us look at Shawnee overall in the most recent election:
Registered voters 40,682 Voted 5,780 14.21% (overall this is not good)
Now we will break it down by ward. The first figure is the number of registered voters, the second figure is the number who voted and then the percentage.
Ward I 10,718 1,821 16.99%
Ward II 9,518 1,446 15.19%
Ward III 10,499 1,241 11.82%
Ward IV 9,947 1,272 12.79%
Did you notice another interesting item? Both Wards II & IV have fewer registered voters than Ward III. But, not only did they have higher percentage turnouts, they also had higher actual turnouts.
First let us look at Shawnee overall in the most recent election:
Registered voters 40,682 Voted 5,780 14.21% (overall this is not good)
Now we will break it down by ward. The first figure is the number of registered voters, the second figure is the number who voted and then the percentage.
Ward I 10,718 1,821 16.99%
Ward II 9,518 1,446 15.19%
Ward III 10,499 1,241 11.82%
Ward IV 9,947 1,272 12.79%
Did you notice another interesting item? Both Wards II & IV have fewer registered voters than Ward III. But, not only did they have higher percentage turnouts, they also had higher actual turnouts.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Michelle Distler's Swearing In- Vid Clip
Last night Michelle Distler took the oath of office as Shawnee's first female mayor. A new era is beginning at Shawnee's city hall.
We witnessed a subtle, but very important change last night. In the past when an item came up before the council a motion would be made and seconded to approve. Then discussion and input from the public and council would be asked for. After that, the motion would either be changed or voted on. Mayor Distler now asks for comments from the public and the council before entertaining any motions on an item. This should give the council opportunities to hear various points on an item prior to making any motions.
We witnessed a subtle, but very important change last night. In the past when an item came up before the council a motion would be made and seconded to approve. Then discussion and input from the public and council would be asked for. After that, the motion would either be changed or voted on. Mayor Distler now asks for comments from the public and the council before entertaining any motions on an item. This should give the council opportunities to hear various points on an item prior to making any motions.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
The New City Council
After Monday's swearing in ceremony the Shawnee City Council will be short one person as our soon to be new mayor, Michelle Distler will be vacating her Ward IV council seat.
Look for the announcement to be made as to the procedure for filing to fill the seat and how the appointment will be handled.
One qualification that is mandatory is that the individual has to live within the boundaries of Ward IV. A map of the city's wards and then each ward individually can be found here: https://gis.cityofshawnee.org/GISImages/PDF_Maps/WARDS.pdf
Look for the announcement to be made as to the procedure for filing to fill the seat and how the appointment will be handled.
One qualification that is mandatory is that the individual has to live within the boundaries of Ward IV. A map of the city's wards and then each ward individually can be found here: https://gis.cityofshawnee.org/GISImages/PDF_Maps/WARDS.pdf
Friday, April 10, 2015
Come See History Being Made
History will be made Monday evening 4/13/15 when Michelle Distler takes the oath of office as Mayor of Shawnee, the first female mayor in the city's long history.
The meeting starts at 7:30PM at City Hall 11110 Johnson Drive (Johnson & Nieman). Newly elected Council Member Eric Jenkins will also be sworn in along with returning Council Members Stephanie Meyer, Jim Neighbor and Mickey Sandifer.
Come witness history being made.
The meeting starts at 7:30PM at City Hall 11110 Johnson Drive (Johnson & Nieman). Newly elected Council Member Eric Jenkins will also be sworn in along with returning Council Members Stephanie Meyer, Jim Neighbor and Mickey Sandifer.
Come witness history being made.
Tuesday, April 07, 2015
Shawnee Has A New Mayor
The unofficial final results are in and it looks like Michelle Distler will be Shawnee's new mayor. And, she will also become the first woman to be elected to that position.
After the primary election many people commented on the high road that both Michelle Distler and her opponent Dan Pflumm took towards each other.This will prove beneficial to the city as Dan Pflumm still retains his council seat. They both deserve to be congratulated for their hard work in getting their messages out, and in the manner that they conducted their campaigns
In Ward I Jim Neighbor was able to hold on to his seat and fend off first time challenger Ben Terrill. Don't count Ben out. Look for him to be involved in city happenings going forward.
In Ward II Eric Jenkins defeated the incumbent Neal Sawyer. Eric will bring some well deserved freshness to the council.
Stephanie Meyer, running unopposed in Ward III will be serving a full term, and Mickey Sandifer, also running unopposed, in Ward IV will be returned to his seat. But, there were 34 write-in votes in Ward IV :-) :-)
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
After the primary election many people commented on the high road that both Michelle Distler and her opponent Dan Pflumm took towards each other.This will prove beneficial to the city as Dan Pflumm still retains his council seat. They both deserve to be congratulated for their hard work in getting their messages out, and in the manner that they conducted their campaigns
In Ward I Jim Neighbor was able to hold on to his seat and fend off first time challenger Ben Terrill. Don't count Ben out. Look for him to be involved in city happenings going forward.
In Ward II Eric Jenkins defeated the incumbent Neal Sawyer. Eric will bring some well deserved freshness to the council.
Stephanie Meyer, running unopposed in Ward III will be serving a full term, and Mickey Sandifer, also running unopposed, in Ward IV will be returned to his seat. But, there were 34 write-in votes in Ward IV :-) :-)
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
His Ego Won't Let Go
Like a scorned lover, it would appear that Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught can't seem to accept that he was bounced out of the primary election for mayor on March 3, 2015. Today it is five weeks since the voters told him he was out of contention for mayor.
Why do I say he can't accept it? Easy, his "Mayor" Facebook page is still up, even though he has another one as a council member. His "Mayor" web site is still up, even though he has another one as a council member. His monument sign on Nieman Road has not been changed out, back to a commercial one, and I have been told (unverified) that he still has some yard signs out there, particularly in Ward III.
It's time to let go.............you lost...........
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
Why do I say he can't accept it? Easy, his "Mayor" Facebook page is still up, even though he has another one as a council member. His "Mayor" web site is still up, even though he has another one as a council member. His monument sign on Nieman Road has not been changed out, back to a commercial one, and I have been told (unverified) that he still has some yard signs out there, particularly in Ward III.
It's time to let go.............you lost...........
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Sidebar: A big thank you to all those who have been visiting this blog from outside of Kansas. I hope you have found it interesting and will continue to check it out. A particular thank you to whoever has been visiting from Mansfield, Massachusetts. Our form of government out here is different than your Selectmen/Town Manager/Town Moderator style :-) :-)
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
DTJVSD
Sunday, April 05, 2015
Two Days to Go
Two days to go before the election.
Let's keep it simple:
For Mayor: Michelle Distler
Ward I Councilmember: Ben Terrill
Ward II Councilmember: Eric Jenkins
Ward IV Councilmember: Write in my name, your name, the name of any resident of Ward IV as a statement to Mickey Sandifer
I have been asked why the sudden move for a write-in campaign against Mickey Sandifer. Scroll down (posted 3/19/15) and you'll see my comments about the recent NLC conference in Washington DC. Apparently the city manager thought the highlight was sitting seven rows back to hear Obama. When challenged about this, by email, Mickey Sandifer replied:
"I would say a highlight was when we received some very good information about the quiet zones in western Shawnee from the Senators and it appeared that they were going to help up us try to achieve that goal. And their were many other ideas of cost saving things that I was able to listen to from other Cities around the country."
When asked to be more specific about the cost savings ideas, he wanted to talk about it. He was asked to put that info in writing. He wouldn't. Typical. By talking he could deny that he said certain things or that the listener misunderstood. By putting the items in writing he could be held accountable. He was also asked to provide that info before he had time to have someone else write it for him.
I realize a write-in won't stop him from getting reelected, as he is running unopposed. But, whatever number of people do write-in, it might make a statement.
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
Let's keep it simple:
For Mayor: Michelle Distler
Ward I Councilmember: Ben Terrill
Ward II Councilmember: Eric Jenkins
Ward IV Councilmember: Write in my name, your name, the name of any resident of Ward IV as a statement to Mickey Sandifer
******************************
I have been asked why the sudden move for a write-in campaign against Mickey Sandifer. Scroll down (posted 3/19/15) and you'll see my comments about the recent NLC conference in Washington DC. Apparently the city manager thought the highlight was sitting seven rows back to hear Obama. When challenged about this, by email, Mickey Sandifer replied:
"I would say a highlight was when we received some very good information about the quiet zones in western Shawnee from the Senators and it appeared that they were going to help up us try to achieve that goal. And their were many other ideas of cost saving things that I was able to listen to from other Cities around the country."
When asked to be more specific about the cost savings ideas, he wanted to talk about it. He was asked to put that info in writing. He wouldn't. Typical. By talking he could deny that he said certain things or that the listener misunderstood. By putting the items in writing he could be held accountable. He was also asked to provide that info before he had time to have someone else write it for him.
I realize a write-in won't stop him from getting reelected, as he is running unopposed. But, whatever number of people do write-in, it might make a statement.
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
Mayor Meyers Fails to Properly Inform
Unbelievable. In his third rant about the proposed change in dates of city elections, even Mayor Jeff Meyers holds back on important info.
On the city's web site and in an email sent out to the city's listserv addresses the mayor fails to mention that the current proposal calls for city offices to be listed at the top of the ballot. That would be ahead of any "biggies", like president, governor, etc. Gee, will his latest also show up in the Shawnee Dispatch?
Why is the mayor so vehemently opposed to November elections? Spring elections for city offices usually only draw about 10% of registered voters. Fall elections usually draw 50%-70%. Don't we want more participation in city elections?
But I guess city officials don't disseminate bad or misleading information, only bloggers do that. Right?
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
On the city's web site and in an email sent out to the city's listserv addresses the mayor fails to mention that the current proposal calls for city offices to be listed at the top of the ballot. That would be ahead of any "biggies", like president, governor, etc. Gee, will his latest also show up in the Shawnee Dispatch?
Why is the mayor so vehemently opposed to November elections? Spring elections for city offices usually only draw about 10% of registered voters. Fall elections usually draw 50%-70%. Don't we want more participation in city elections?
But I guess city officials don't disseminate bad or misleading information, only bloggers do that. Right?
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
A Week To Go
The two candidates running for mayor in Shawnee came out of a 4 person primary. Both are good people. My personal preference would be Michelle Distler.
In Ward II, I feel that Eric Jenkins needs to be elected. It's time for Neal Sawyer to retire from the council.
In Ward I Ben Terrill needs to replace Jim Neighbor.
And lastly, in Ward IV Mickey Sandifer has refused to state, in writing what he learned at the recent NLC event in DC. That's typical of him. He always wants to talk about it, so he can't be held to his statements. This is not the first time. So, let's start a write-in campaign. Write-in my name, your name or the name of anybody else who lives in Ward IV
In Ward II, I feel that Eric Jenkins needs to be elected. It's time for Neal Sawyer to retire from the council.
In Ward I Ben Terrill needs to replace Jim Neighbor.
And lastly, in Ward IV Mickey Sandifer has refused to state, in writing what he learned at the recent NLC event in DC. That's typical of him. He always wants to talk about it, so he can't be held to his statements. This is not the first time. So, let's start a write-in campaign. Write-in my name, your name or the name of anybody else who lives in Ward IV
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Jim Neighbor Cites Old and Bad Info
At the candidate forum last Thursday night, council member Jim Neighbor cited some erroneous information.
The question came up about the potential changes for city elections. Neighbor was claiming that if the city elections were moved to the fall, that city elections would suffer, because they would be listed on the bottom of a long ballot, and there would be a "voter fall off".
Well, whoever is supplying Mr. Neighbor with his information is not staying up to date on what is happening in the legislature. I wonder who that could be? wink wink
The most current update to the bill (Mar 19, 2015, a full week before the forum) to change municipal elections, provides for two very important items:
1. Municipal elections would remain non-partisan, unless the municipality changed that
2. Municipal elections would be on the top of the ballot, ahead of the "biggies" (governor, president, congress,etc) Try this for verification.
I do wish that elected officials would get their info straight.
Another reason to get somebody new and fresh to represent Ward I in the upcoming election.
Elect Ben Terrill to the city council. His background indicates he will stay up to date on his research
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
The question came up about the potential changes for city elections. Neighbor was claiming that if the city elections were moved to the fall, that city elections would suffer, because they would be listed on the bottom of a long ballot, and there would be a "voter fall off".
Well, whoever is supplying Mr. Neighbor with his information is not staying up to date on what is happening in the legislature. I wonder who that could be? wink wink
The most current update to the bill (Mar 19, 2015, a full week before the forum) to change municipal elections, provides for two very important items:
1. Municipal elections would remain non-partisan, unless the municipality changed that
2. Municipal elections would be on the top of the ballot, ahead of the "biggies" (governor, president, congress,etc) Try this for verification.
I do wish that elected officials would get their info straight.
Another reason to get somebody new and fresh to represent Ward I in the upcoming election.
Elect Ben Terrill to the city council. His background indicates he will stay up to date on his research
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Sandifer.....Clueless
Ahhh, Mickey Sandifer never ceases ti amaze me.
At Monday's council meeting there was an item to approve a resolution that a developer had submitted an application for housing tax credits. This was strictly to confirm that the application was filed. Nothing more.
In his "wisdom" Sandifer commented on how he has been against construction that was based on housing tax credits since he felt those types of housing units brought high crime with them. In this case he felt the location was ok since the police were already in that neighborhood (DDACTS enforcement??).
Here's the kicker. If he had read and understood the application it was for senior housing. That's right, not family housing but senior housing. Elderly, old, most likely retired. I didn't realize that seniors living in housing that received tax credits were considered to have a penchant to be criminals.
When Sandifer says things like this I believe he is showing how clueless he can be. And that is much of the time. I really feel bad that he is running for reelection unopposed.
Hey, I've got an idea. Write-in candidates. I'm gonna write-in my name. If you live in Ward IV do the same. Write-in your name, my name or the name of anybody else in Ward IV. It won't be enough to beat him, but it might make a statement.
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
At Monday's council meeting there was an item to approve a resolution that a developer had submitted an application for housing tax credits. This was strictly to confirm that the application was filed. Nothing more.
In his "wisdom" Sandifer commented on how he has been against construction that was based on housing tax credits since he felt those types of housing units brought high crime with them. In this case he felt the location was ok since the police were already in that neighborhood (DDACTS enforcement??).
Here's the kicker. If he had read and understood the application it was for senior housing. That's right, not family housing but senior housing. Elderly, old, most likely retired. I didn't realize that seniors living in housing that received tax credits were considered to have a penchant to be criminals.
When Sandifer says things like this I believe he is showing how clueless he can be. And that is much of the time. I really feel bad that he is running for reelection unopposed.
Hey, I've got an idea. Write-in candidates. I'm gonna write-in my name. If you live in Ward IV do the same. Write-in your name, my name or the name of anybody else in Ward IV. It won't be enough to beat him, but it might make a statement.
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Jim Neighbor Supports Cronyism & Nepotism, Needs To Go
Jim Neighbor who is running for reelection as Ward I city council member has shown, by his voting, that he supports cronyism and nepotism.
First, Neighbor was one of the council members that voted to appoint Alan "The Mayor's Uncle by Marriage" to the city council to fill the seat of David Morris who had resigned. Remember, Willoughby's appointment resulted in a KOMA violation investigation by the JoCo District Attorney, who subsequently issued a strong letter of rebuke.
Now let's fast forward to December of 2012. Keep in mind that when Willoughby ran for a full term on the council he was soundly defeated by Mike Kemmling. Then when Dawn Kuhn resigned from the council that created a vacancy on the planning commission. Willoughby applied for the position (on the last day of the application period).
Neighbor then voted to appoint Willoughby to the planning commission. He was one of four council members that did this, forcing the mayor to cast the tie breaker, which put Willoughby on the commission. If Neighbor had had any intestinal fortitude he would not have voted for Willoughby. Instead he went along with the cronyism/nepotism that was so obvious.
Now, what is really wild is Neighbor's reason for casting that vote. He claimed it would bring "stability" to the planning commission. Read more about that here.
Ward I deserves better than that. They need Ben Terrill to represent them.
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
First, Neighbor was one of the council members that voted to appoint Alan "The Mayor's Uncle by Marriage" to the city council to fill the seat of David Morris who had resigned. Remember, Willoughby's appointment resulted in a KOMA violation investigation by the JoCo District Attorney, who subsequently issued a strong letter of rebuke.
Now let's fast forward to December of 2012. Keep in mind that when Willoughby ran for a full term on the council he was soundly defeated by Mike Kemmling. Then when Dawn Kuhn resigned from the council that created a vacancy on the planning commission. Willoughby applied for the position (on the last day of the application period).
Neighbor then voted to appoint Willoughby to the planning commission. He was one of four council members that did this, forcing the mayor to cast the tie breaker, which put Willoughby on the commission. If Neighbor had had any intestinal fortitude he would not have voted for Willoughby. Instead he went along with the cronyism/nepotism that was so obvious.
Now, what is really wild is Neighbor's reason for casting that vote. He claimed it would bring "stability" to the planning commission. Read more about that here.
Ward I deserves better than that. They need Ben Terrill to represent them.
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Shawnee Candidate forum - Thiursday 3/26/15
This is info from the Shawnee Dispatch
The Johnson County League of Women Voters is holding another Shawnee candidate forum on Mar. 26.
The event will feature the candidates for Shawnee Mayor, Michelle Distler and Dan Pflumm, and the candidates for the Ward I city council seat, Jim Neighbor and Ben Terrill.
The event begins at 7 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 5325 Nieman Road. The forum is open to the public.
The Johnson County League of Women Voters is holding another Shawnee candidate forum on Mar. 26.
The event will feature the candidates for Shawnee Mayor, Michelle Distler and Dan Pflumm, and the candidates for the Ward I city council seat, Jim Neighbor and Ben Terrill.
The event begins at 7 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 5325 Nieman Road. The forum is open to the public.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
National League of Cities - March 2015
Any long term reader of this blog knows how I feel when it comes to the National League of Cities (NLC) and the Kansas League of Municipalities (KLM).
I feel that attendance at their conventions can be positive. Those who go can quite possibly bring back useful information to their cities. My complaints have been that there were many times when the city sent, IMHO, too many people to these conventions. The suggestion was to send four people, the mayor, two council members and the city manager. They could then report back to the governing body about what they learned at the various seminars that could be useful to our city.
At the convention of the NLC that was recently held in DC, we sent only three people. That's good. We sent Mayor Meyers, Council Member Sandifer and City Manager Gonzales. I do question the mayor's participation on this trip since in about 3 weeks he will no longer be mayor. Based on open records requests for similar trips a safe guess is that we spent $5K-$6K for this trip.
So, what kind of report of useful information was given to the governing body?
Below is the info as obtained via an open records request. The info is in an email from the city manager to the governing body (council). This is all that was mentioned in that email about the trip.
National League of Cities. We had a very good experience at the NLC Conference, with the highlight being 7th row back to hear President Obama speak in person to the membership. It was very cool. We also had good visits with Senator Roberts, Senator Moran and Representative Yoder's staff person. They provided us with some current information on efforts being made in regard to trains and quiet zones; and were intrigued with the "active handicapped access" symbol. We will follow up with them.
Golly, can you imagine the excitement that would have been expressed if they had been sitting in the third row?
I feel that attendance at their conventions can be positive. Those who go can quite possibly bring back useful information to their cities. My complaints have been that there were many times when the city sent, IMHO, too many people to these conventions. The suggestion was to send four people, the mayor, two council members and the city manager. They could then report back to the governing body about what they learned at the various seminars that could be useful to our city.
At the convention of the NLC that was recently held in DC, we sent only three people. That's good. We sent Mayor Meyers, Council Member Sandifer and City Manager Gonzales. I do question the mayor's participation on this trip since in about 3 weeks he will no longer be mayor. Based on open records requests for similar trips a safe guess is that we spent $5K-$6K for this trip.
So, what kind of report of useful information was given to the governing body?
Below is the info as obtained via an open records request. The info is in an email from the city manager to the governing body (council). This is all that was mentioned in that email about the trip.
National League of Cities. We had a very good experience at the NLC Conference, with the highlight being 7th row back to hear President Obama speak in person to the membership. It was very cool. We also had good visits with Senator Roberts, Senator Moran and Representative Yoder's staff person. They provided us with some current information on efforts being made in regard to trains and quiet zones; and were intrigued with the "active handicapped access" symbol. We will follow up with them.
Golly, can you imagine the excitement that would have been expressed if they had been sitting in the third row?
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Elect Eric Jenkins in Ward II - Say Sayonara to Neal Sawyer
It's time for a change Shawnee. Eric Jenkins (website) needs to be elected as the council member in Ward II and Neal Sawyer needs to say sayonara.
On a personal basis, Neal is a nice guy and likable. But, IMHO and that of many others, he has erred on many votes. Some of which will be brought out on future posts here. In his last election he only won by eleven votes. That was real close. What it means is that virtually half of his ward did not want him back in office. He has also lost his election for precinct committeeman. This has to tell you something.
Now, let's talk for a moment about Neal's actions on the council. He has a habit of playing the teeter totter game. If you go up to him and talk about an item (particularly spending) that may have been contentious, and that you do/did not favor he'll tell you "remember I spoke out against it". Which is usually the truth. But did he vote against it? What he does is he speaks against an item in debate. Then when it comes time to vote he makes a statement about his vote, beforehand, and will usually say something like "I am against this or don't agree with it but feel I have to vote for it because.......". On the other hand, if you liked the item, he'll tell you he voted for it, but not that he spoke against it. Hence, teeter totter.
Just search the minutes of council meetings (except for that period of time when we did not have full minutes which he had voted to do away with and leave only audio). So, what is he doing? He's playing both ends against the middle. He is another person who, IMHO, has abrogated his responsibilities to bureaucratic control.
Eric Jenkins would bring a welcome change to the council. Eric has a strong background and would bring some new perspectives to the council. Visit Eric's website
On a personal basis, Neal is a nice guy and likable. But, IMHO and that of many others, he has erred on many votes. Some of which will be brought out on future posts here. In his last election he only won by eleven votes. That was real close. What it means is that virtually half of his ward did not want him back in office. He has also lost his election for precinct committeeman. This has to tell you something.
Now, let's talk for a moment about Neal's actions on the council. He has a habit of playing the teeter totter game. If you go up to him and talk about an item (particularly spending) that may have been contentious, and that you do/did not favor he'll tell you "remember I spoke out against it". Which is usually the truth. But did he vote against it? What he does is he speaks against an item in debate. Then when it comes time to vote he makes a statement about his vote, beforehand, and will usually say something like "I am against this or don't agree with it but feel I have to vote for it because.......". On the other hand, if you liked the item, he'll tell you he voted for it, but not that he spoke against it. Hence, teeter totter.
Just search the minutes of council meetings (except for that period of time when we did not have full minutes which he had voted to do away with and leave only audio). So, what is he doing? He's playing both ends against the middle. He is another person who, IMHO, has abrogated his responsibilities to bureaucratic control.
Eric Jenkins would bring a welcome change to the council. Eric has a strong background and would bring some new perspectives to the council. Visit Eric's website
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Volunteers at Shawnee St. Pat's Day Parade
Great parade. First time in years that we had decent temperature and no rain.
Guess who was spotted, but not really in the parade. Seems that Michelle Distler, candidate for mayor was working as a PD volunteer to assist with traffic control at key intersections. She is a graduate of the 2011 Citizens Police Academy. As such, when the request went out for CPA graduates to volunteer to help out she gladly said she would. This was not her first volunteer tour of duty, as over the years she has accumulated many, many hours as a volunteer.
Guess who was spotted, but not really in the parade. Seems that Michelle Distler, candidate for mayor was working as a PD volunteer to assist with traffic control at key intersections. She is a graduate of the 2011 Citizens Police Academy. As such, when the request went out for CPA graduates to volunteer to help out she gladly said she would. This was not her first volunteer tour of duty, as over the years she has accumulated many, many hours as a volunteer.
Friday, March 13, 2015
It's Important to Support Good COWs
What's a COW? I mentioned this a few years ago. It's council member from other ward.
A voter can only vote for council members in their own ward. But anybody, from any ward, can help support somebody who is running in any ward. What kind of help? Donations, help with delivery of literature, and various other things.
So, even if you don't live in Ward I you can help to support Ben Terrill http://www.benterrill.net/
And, even if you don't live in Ward II you can help to support Eric Jenkins http://www.ericjenkinsforshawnee.com/
Shawnee needs these two individuals on the city council. It's time to replace Neighbor (I) and Sawyer (II)
A voter can only vote for council members in their own ward. But anybody, from any ward, can help support somebody who is running in any ward. What kind of help? Donations, help with delivery of literature, and various other things.
So, even if you don't live in Ward I you can help to support Ben Terrill http://www.benterrill.net/
And, even if you don't live in Ward II you can help to support Eric Jenkins http://www.ericjenkinsforshawnee.com/
Shawnee needs these two individuals on the city council. It's time to replace Neighbor (I) and Sawyer (II)
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Ward I Needs Ben Terrill - Say Goodbye to Jim Neighbor
The general election is coming up on Tuesday, April 7, 2015.
IMHO, the voters of Ward I need to elect Ben Terrill, and not reelect Jim Neighbor.
On numerous occasions Neighbor has shown that he cannot or will not respond to some basic, simple inquiries. He runs from answering questions. This blog has documented various instances of that and there are more.
He has shown to be one of the council members who have forgotten that they represent the people and that the city manager works for the council. He has abrogated his responsibilities.
Ben Terrill will give Ward I a true representative of the people and not a pawn for a bureaucrat. Ben enters this election with his only allegiance being to the people of Ward I and ultimately the City of Shawnee.
For more info about Ben go to http://www.benterrill.net/
IMHO, the voters of Ward I need to elect Ben Terrill, and not reelect Jim Neighbor.
On numerous occasions Neighbor has shown that he cannot or will not respond to some basic, simple inquiries. He runs from answering questions. This blog has documented various instances of that and there are more.
He has shown to be one of the council members who have forgotten that they represent the people and that the city manager works for the council. He has abrogated his responsibilities.
Ben Terrill will give Ward I a true representative of the people and not a pawn for a bureaucrat. Ben enters this election with his only allegiance being to the people of Ward I and ultimately the City of Shawnee.
For more info about Ben go to http://www.benterrill.net/
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Money Talk Financial Foundations
A friend of mine has recently started a non-profit. Information about this can be found at the Facebook page
and at its web site www.moneytalkff.org
If you shop on Amazon you can also help by using this link for your shopping
http://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-3216486 with no additional cost to you a portion of what you spend will be directed to the non-profit.
Sunday, March 08, 2015
Vaught is in La La Land
Well it seems that Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught still thinks he is a player in Shawnee politics.
On his campaign Facebook page he posted this little gem Saturday morning attempting to cast aspersions on the individuals who beat him, handily, in the primary:
I'm at another Legislative Breakfast this morning. Of course, neither of the two Shawnee mayoral candidates are here. What the legislature does directly impacts our city.
Well, one of the victors in the primary, Michelle Distler, had this to say and posted it as a comment on that FB page:
I apologize I cannot be everywhere at once Mr. Vaught. I was at the League of Women voters forum with Representative Rooker, Dr. Jim Hinson, and Dr. Berry listening to them discuss the local budget option and other things in regards to our schools. What the legislature does indeed directly impact us and fortunately since I can get that information from other sources the school discussion had to take priority with me yesterday
Sidebar: What is truly ironic is that Vaught has claimed to know what the schools need. Remember, he misused an email list from the Riverview PTA to state how great he is. So, why wasn't he at the forum on the schools? Maybe he'd rather use the legislative breakfast for potential photo ops?
Some misguided folks have called him a leader. A leader of what? Well, he did lead in contributions collected for his campaign. As a matter of fact based on current filings he collected almost as much as Pflumm and Distler combined. He had the backing of a very prestigious campaign committee including some influential members of the Shawnee Chamber.
Maybe real people found him to be a leader of bovine scatology?
That nose just grows and grows.
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
On his campaign Facebook page he posted this little gem Saturday morning attempting to cast aspersions on the individuals who beat him, handily, in the primary:
I'm at another Legislative Breakfast this morning. Of course, neither of the two Shawnee mayoral candidates are here. What the legislature does directly impacts our city.
Well, one of the victors in the primary, Michelle Distler, had this to say and posted it as a comment on that FB page:
I apologize I cannot be everywhere at once Mr. Vaught. I was at the League of Women voters forum with Representative Rooker, Dr. Jim Hinson, and Dr. Berry listening to them discuss the local budget option and other things in regards to our schools. What the legislature does indeed directly impact us and fortunately since I can get that information from other sources the school discussion had to take priority with me yesterday
Sidebar: What is truly ironic is that Vaught has claimed to know what the schools need. Remember, he misused an email list from the Riverview PTA to state how great he is. So, why wasn't he at the forum on the schools? Maybe he'd rather use the legislative breakfast for potential photo ops?
Some misguided folks have called him a leader. A leader of what? Well, he did lead in contributions collected for his campaign. As a matter of fact based on current filings he collected almost as much as Pflumm and Distler combined. He had the backing of a very prestigious campaign committee including some influential members of the Shawnee Chamber.
Maybe real people found him to be a leader of bovine scatology?
That nose just grows and grows.
WARNING!!!!!! The City Manager of Shawnee has determined that local bloggers post items that may contain bad or misinformation. Please read these posts with care and determine for yourself whether the information is valid.
Saturday, March 07, 2015
Shawnee Council President
While we now concentrate on the upcoming general election (April 7, 2015), we may lose sight of what happens after that event.
Shawnee will elect a new mayor for the first time in many years, and there are two council seats that could see changes (hopefully) in Wards I & II.
But, what else happens that can have an affect on the city? The council elects a council president. What are the functions of the council president? The council president serves as the chairman of the council committee. The council president also presides over the council when the mayor is absent, attends official functions in the absence of the mayor, and, if something happens where the mayor is no longer able to serve, the council president becomes mayor.
Let's consider the fact that we have two long serving council members vying for the mayor's seat. These are individuals that have both been returned to their seats by the voters in their wards, multiple times.
The results of the primary election indicate that a majority of Shawnee's voters would be willing to have either one of them serve as mayor. Between the two of them, they garnered 58.32% of the votes cast, in a 4 way race. In the general election, the individual that does not become mayor will retain their council seat. As such, it only makes sense that that person becomes council president.
The choice of the council president is up to the rest of the council. I can only hope that they see the logic of my comments above.
Shawnee will elect a new mayor for the first time in many years, and there are two council seats that could see changes (hopefully) in Wards I & II.
But, what else happens that can have an affect on the city? The council elects a council president. What are the functions of the council president? The council president serves as the chairman of the council committee. The council president also presides over the council when the mayor is absent, attends official functions in the absence of the mayor, and, if something happens where the mayor is no longer able to serve, the council president becomes mayor.
Let's consider the fact that we have two long serving council members vying for the mayor's seat. These are individuals that have both been returned to their seats by the voters in their wards, multiple times.
The results of the primary election indicate that a majority of Shawnee's voters would be willing to have either one of them serve as mayor. Between the two of them, they garnered 58.32% of the votes cast, in a 4 way race. In the general election, the individual that does not become mayor will retain their council seat. As such, it only makes sense that that person becomes council president.
The choice of the council president is up to the rest of the council. I can only hope that they see the logic of my comments above.
Thursday, March 05, 2015
Jeff Vaught is Not a Mensch
What's a mensch? It's a stand-up guy. Click here for the explanation of the term and how it has become a loanword to the English language.
Why do I say this? Easy. A mensch would have called or at least emailed Distler and Pflumm directly and personally with congratulations, Tuesday night when the results were obvious. Instead he resorted to a nondescript congratulatory statement on his campaign Facebook page, the next day.
Also he was the only candidate that did not return a call to the Dispatch in request for a comment.
Guess his feelings were hurt that the voters of Shawnee didn't agree with him about how great he thinks he is.
Why do I say this? Easy. A mensch would have called or at least emailed Distler and Pflumm directly and personally with congratulations, Tuesday night when the results were obvious. Instead he resorted to a nondescript congratulatory statement on his campaign Facebook page, the next day.
Also he was the only candidate that did not return a call to the Dispatch in request for a comment.
Guess his feelings were hurt that the voters of Shawnee didn't agree with him about how great he thinks he is.
Wednesday, March 04, 2015
School Daze
On Tuesday, 3/3/15 the day of the primary election at approximately 5:00 PM the principal of Riverview Elementary School and the PTA president jointly sent an email to the parents of the children in that school. Here is that email:
Sidebar:
1. John Segale, the 4th candidate, sent emails congratulating both Distler & Pflumm. Vaught did not.
2. Vaught never responded for a comment request to Shawnee Dispatch
3. Hmmm, who had the most signs placed in areas restricted by code?
Dear Riverview Families,
We are thankful to have the support of our Parent/Teacher
Association to help make Riverview the wonderful school that it is today.
The PTA supports a number of activities throughout the year for our students
and teachers.
The PTA also provides a parent directory as a convenience for our families to assist with PTA/school related activities and communication among parents. This directory is Opt-In (parent choice) and is not intended for solicitations or marketing purposes. While the PTA and the school cannot control how others may choose to use the directory, we ask for your discretion in keeping the directory solely for its intended purpose.
Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Beth Mildren, Principal
Paula Wharff, Riverview PTA President
The PTA also provides a parent directory as a convenience for our families to assist with PTA/school related activities and communication among parents. This directory is Opt-In (parent choice) and is not intended for solicitations or marketing purposes. While the PTA and the school cannot control how others may choose to use the directory, we ask for your discretion in keeping the directory solely for its intended purpose.
Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Beth Mildren, Principal
Paula Wharff, Riverview PTA President
Why did they send that email? Could it be because a parent complained about receiving a political solicitation? Now, it would appear that if that was the case, no laws were broken. But it would seem to be a lapse in ethics. Could it be that the parent based their claim on the below email? Note the date and time it was sent. Late afternoon the day before the election. Was this done so that any complaints would basically come too late? Click to see full size.
Sidebar:
1. John Segale, the 4th candidate, sent emails congratulating both Distler & Pflumm. Vaught did not.
2. Vaught never responded for a comment request to Shawnee Dispatch
3. Hmmm, who had the most signs placed in areas restricted by code?
Tuesday, March 03, 2015
Distler & Pflumm - Advance------Vaught & Segale are out
OK, the primary results for mayor in Shawnee are in....................
Dan Pflumm 1259
Michelle Distler 1161
Jeff Vaught 965
John Segale 764
The people have spoken, and the good thing is that they have kicked The Arrogant One to the curb. The ironic part about that is that he had lots of big $$$ backing him and a high powered campaign committee, But more about that in a future post.
The general election is going to be April 7th. My personal preference would be Distler.
I am so happy, .......................
Dan Pflumm 1259
Michelle Distler 1161
Jeff Vaught 965
John Segale 764
The people have spoken, and the good thing is that they have kicked The Arrogant One to the curb. The ironic part about that is that he had lots of big $$$ backing him and a high powered campaign committee, But more about that in a future post.
The general election is going to be April 7th. My personal preference would be Distler.
I am so happy, .......................
Monday, March 02, 2015
In Any Language, It's The Same................
No matter what language is used, Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught is still arrogant.
The below is compliments of google translate if anybody wants to check it for themselves.
Spanish - El arrogante
Itanlian - L'arrogante
French - L'arrogant
Greek - Η έπαρση
Hebrew - היהיר אחד
German - Der arrogante ein
Russian - Высокомерный
Latin - Et cadet superbus,
Irish - An ceann sotalach
Welsh - Yr un drahaus
The below is compliments of google translate if anybody wants to check it for themselves.
Spanish - El arrogante
Itanlian - L'arrogante
French - L'arrogant
Greek - Η έπαρση
Hebrew - היהיר אחד
German - Der arrogante ein
Russian - Высокомерный
Latin - Et cadet superbus,
Irish - An ceann sotalach
Welsh - Yr un drahaus
Tomorrow's Mayoral Primary 3/3/15
OK, tomorrow is the big day to narrow the four person field down to two.
In my opinion, one person that needs to advance is Michelle Distler.............
Why Michelle? Because unlike a certain other individual she not only talks the talk, she walks the walk. Her record shows that she truly does support:
+ Transparency & Open Government
+ Responsiveness To Citizens
+ Community Involvement
+ Quality Development & Responsible Growth
+ Police, Fire & Infrastructure (Streets)
Additionally she knows how to make sure her campaign signs are legally placed to meet code requirements: (click to see full size)
Unlike this opponent: (click to see full size)
In my opinion, one person that needs to advance is Michelle Distler.............
Why Michelle? Because unlike a certain other individual she not only talks the talk, she walks the walk. Her record shows that she truly does support:
+ Transparency & Open Government
+ Responsiveness To Citizens
+ Community Involvement
+ Quality Development & Responsible Growth
+ Police, Fire & Infrastructure (Streets)
Additionally she knows how to make sure her campaign signs are legally placed to meet code requirements: (click to see full size)
Unlike this opponent: (click to see full size)
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Stupid Is..........as Vaught Does
Very few of Shawnee's citizens go to council meetings, read the minutes or listen to the audio (either streaming or after the fact). Because of that very few people get to see Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught in action. They miss out on his bullying tactics, insults to fellow members of the council and the public, lack of knowledge and a variety of other negatives. He says he has proven leadership. Of what? Leading in being obnoxious maybe.
Anyway, there are many instances of him thinking he knows what is happening, because he says so. Here are just three incidents where he is totally clueless, but attempted to come across as if he was the "expert"
First, let's look at what happened when the new ordinance came up regarding emergency management, and specifically who in the city should declare an emergency. Even after Eric Jenkins, a 30 year FEMA official and, in many cases, FEMA's lead on site, tried to explain it to him (mayor, governor, president), He claimed it should be the city manager, like (according to him) in other cities. The fire chief had to set his arrogance straight. You can read more on this item in the Shawnee Dispatch, here
Another time he didn't even understand his job the one time he was council president. A member of the council wanted an item on the agenda. Apparently his royal egomaniac thought that council members had to go through him to do that. Wrong! The chain of events here are funny as the city manager needed to clarify that Vaught did not have that power. Read the email exchanges here
We'll give you one more, but there are many, many examples of him trying to claim he knows the law, ordinances or whatever, just because he says so.
This one is good. It involves basically two items. In one he tried to claim that the KSRA was trying to buy an election. Dumb thing to say Vaught. Does that mean that the contractors and developers that have contributed to his campaign are trying to buy the election for him? Then certain elements of the city tried passing an ordinance that was contrary to state law. Vaught in all his wisdom said it wasn't because he read it and it was ok. Wrong! And yes the city attorney even had to go along with the fact that it was wrong Want more info? Click here
There are so many more instances of him trying to make it sound like he knows what he is doing. We don't have the space today.
Anyway, there are many instances of him thinking he knows what is happening, because he says so. Here are just three incidents where he is totally clueless, but attempted to come across as if he was the "expert"
First, let's look at what happened when the new ordinance came up regarding emergency management, and specifically who in the city should declare an emergency. Even after Eric Jenkins, a 30 year FEMA official and, in many cases, FEMA's lead on site, tried to explain it to him (mayor, governor, president), He claimed it should be the city manager, like (according to him) in other cities. The fire chief had to set his arrogance straight. You can read more on this item in the Shawnee Dispatch, here
Another time he didn't even understand his job the one time he was council president. A member of the council wanted an item on the agenda. Apparently his royal egomaniac thought that council members had to go through him to do that. Wrong! The chain of events here are funny as the city manager needed to clarify that Vaught did not have that power. Read the email exchanges here
We'll give you one more, but there are many, many examples of him trying to claim he knows the law, ordinances or whatever, just because he says so.
This one is good. It involves basically two items. In one he tried to claim that the KSRA was trying to buy an election. Dumb thing to say Vaught. Does that mean that the contractors and developers that have contributed to his campaign are trying to buy the election for him? Then certain elements of the city tried passing an ordinance that was contrary to state law. Vaught in all his wisdom said it wasn't because he read it and it was ok. Wrong! And yes the city attorney even had to go along with the fact that it was wrong Want more info? Click here
There are so many more instances of him trying to make it sound like he knows what he is doing. We don't have the space today.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Lesser of the Evils
Over the years many of us have periodically become
conflicted about who to vote for in a particular election.
Many times we are not sure, for a variety of reasons.
So we wind up voting for the “lesser of the evils”
Well, in that case then the current mayoral candidate who
best fits that description is Michelle Distler. She would be the least
divisive among the candidates and therefore the one who would most likely be
able to build consensus on the council when it matters
.
She definitely would not use bully tactics like one
individual in particular, and also, unlike that individual, would not be
insulting to others on the governing body or to citizens.
So, vote for Michelle Distler, “The Lesser of the Evils”
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
When Your Next Door Neighbor Openly Opposes You
The house on the left belongs to Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught. The house on the right is his next door neighbor.
What does it say about a candidate to have his next door neighbor openly oppose him? He's not a good neighbor. That right there epitomizes Jeff Vaught.
You can click on the image to see full size.
What does it say about a candidate to have his next door neighbor openly oppose him? He's not a good neighbor. That right there epitomizes Jeff Vaught.
You can click on the image to see full size.
Monday, February 23, 2015
The Pinocchio Effect - Part III
Let's talk about the Pinocchio Effect Part III
Wild, and Vaught continually interrupts and belittles people.
We all pretty much remember how the appointment of Alan "The Mayor's Uncle by Marriage" Willoughby resulted in a KOMA investigation and the JoCo DA's ultimate decision. We also remember the involvement of Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught's participation in that charade, as one of the four who voted for Willoughby.
What some folks may not remember is what happened at the appointment meeting, when Vaught explained to Mike Kemmling (who had recently lost to Neal Sawyer for a council seat by only 11 votes) why he, Vaught could not support Kemmling. His bovine scatological reasoning is shown in the video below, which was originally posted on this blog on 7/30/2012
Wild, and Vaught continually interrupts and belittles people.
After the fact: This is a kicker. When Willoughby ran for an election on his own, Kemmling won. Then Dawn Kuhn resigned from the council which created an opening. When Stephanie Meyer was appointed to fill that spot, it created an opening on the Planning Commission. So, what happened? Mayor Jeff Meyers submitted his uncle's name to be a commissioner (again).
The council split 4/4 on this one, with Vaught (who else?), Neighbor, Sawyer and Sandifer voting for Willoughby. So what happend? The mayor voted the tie breaker and Uncle Alan was on the Planning Commission. I'm going to love seeing who has been financially supporting Vaught's candidacy. Hi Pinocchio......
Saturday, February 21, 2015
The Pinocchio Effect - Part II
Guess what I got in the mail? Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught's campaign postcard.
It's wonderful that he sent it out. He makes it sooooo easy to show why he is not qualified to be the mayor of Shawnee.
From the postcard: "...we must forego the devisive politics and rhetoric that only attempt to separate us"
My comment: Who belittles his fellow councilmen if they don't agree with him? Who belittles members of the community when they voice opinions opposite of his? So, who really is the divisive (note the proper spelling) one?
From the postcard: "...Our next mayor requires the vision and proven leadership......."
My comment: Well what proven leadership does he have? Nada
From the postcard: "Jeff is a Proven Leader"
My comment: Of what?
From the postcard: He indicates that he is a small business owner in downtown Shawnee and that he is President of the Vaught Group.
My comment: He makes it sound like as president of his company he is a corporate executive. Or, runs a substantially sized company. Not true. Ask him how many employees he has, other than a receptionist/admin person. Real small business, but when convenient he tries the other approach.
Ahhhh, the Pinocchio factor keeps growing. Pretty soon a larger pic will be needed.
Noticed this at Nieman and 65th St, NW corner
My questions:
1. Was this subliminal advertising?
2. Was this a Freudian Slip?
3. Was this a prophecy?
4. How much?
It's wonderful that he sent it out. He makes it sooooo easy to show why he is not qualified to be the mayor of Shawnee.
From the postcard: "...we must forego the devisive politics and rhetoric that only attempt to separate us"
My comment: Who belittles his fellow councilmen if they don't agree with him? Who belittles members of the community when they voice opinions opposite of his? So, who really is the divisive (note the proper spelling) one?
From the postcard: "...Our next mayor requires the vision and proven leadership......."
My comment: Well what proven leadership does he have? Nada
From the postcard: "Jeff is a Proven Leader"
My comment: Of what?
From the postcard: He indicates that he is a small business owner in downtown Shawnee and that he is President of the Vaught Group.
My comment: He makes it sound like as president of his company he is a corporate executive. Or, runs a substantially sized company. Not true. Ask him how many employees he has, other than a receptionist/admin person. Real small business, but when convenient he tries the other approach.
Ahhhh, the Pinocchio factor keeps growing. Pretty soon a larger pic will be needed.
Noticed this at Nieman and 65th St, NW corner
My questions:
1. Was this subliminal advertising?
2. Was this a Freudian Slip?
3. Was this a prophecy?
4. How much?
Friday, February 20, 2015
The Pinocchio Effect or "As the Nose Grows"
Looking back at some of the items that have been posted here about Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught it just totally ticks me off that he lies, belittles members of the public and fellow council members and claims to stand for things that he really doesn't. He pulls the wool over people's eyes because they don't go to council meetings and do not see the "The Arrogant One" in action., and his speaking style, well like I've said before he can sell a junk vehicle as a custom classic.
We will have more examples of his nonsense over the next few days.
Until then: The Nose Grows
We will have more examples of his nonsense over the next few days.
Until then: The Nose Grows
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Changes Needed in Wards I & II
IMHO, we definitely need changes in both Wards I & II in the Shawnee City Council races
In Ward II Eric Jenkins needs to be elected to replace Neal Sawyer
In Ward I Ben Terrill needs to be elected to replace Jim Neighbor
In the next few days I will be more specific as to why I am making these statements.
In Ward II Eric Jenkins needs to be elected to replace Neal Sawyer
In Ward I Ben Terrill needs to be elected to replace Jim Neighbor
In the next few days I will be more specific as to why I am making these statements.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Words to Regurgitate By - Update
Three days ago on 2/13/15 I posted an item below about how Jeff Vaught is against open government. I also mentioned that there was a media clip that I would provide, pertaining to why he wanted an allowance for a laptop as opposed to a city provided one.
This originally appeared on this blog on July 9, 2013
Here it is again:
One thing about Vaught. A person does not have to make up reasons not to want him to be mayor. He provides enough reasons himself.
This originally appeared on this blog on July 9, 2013
Here it is again:
One thing about Vaught. A person does not have to make up reasons not to want him to be mayor. He provides enough reasons himself.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Raffle for the benefit of Becky Bieker at She's A Pistol
There will be a four gun raffle with all proceeds to benefit Becky Bieker at She's A Pistol
Click on the image below to see all the info
Click on the image below to see all the info
Friday, February 13, 2015
Words to Regurgitate By
Every time I hear Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught mention how he supports more open government I have to reach for something to prevent my lunch from coming back up.
1. When we lost the ability to have full minutes of council meetings who was the "leader" in pushing to eliminate them?
2. When action was taken to restore full meeting minutes who was the "leader" in trying to stop that at the committee and when it came to the full council he eventually voted yest, but not willingly.
3. When the policy statement was being reviewed who was the "leader" who wanted to eliminate public input at committee meetings? Because those were work sessions. What better place for public input, before it goes to council. Fortunately his "leadership" didn't hold on this one, and neither did it when he tried to limit the number of times a citizen could speak (twice on the same subject).
Since many folks don't go to council and/or committee meetings or research the minutes they may have a tendency to believe this silver tongued snake oil peddler.
He has consistently pushed for less open government, less citizen input and then has the gall to say the opposite while running for mayor.
When the topic of providing council members with laptops or an allowance to provide their own, he openly stated he wanted to provide his own, otherwise citizens (under KORA) could request a review of the contents of a city owned device. That media clip has played on this blog and will be resurrected to play again.
1. When we lost the ability to have full minutes of council meetings who was the "leader" in pushing to eliminate them?
2. When action was taken to restore full meeting minutes who was the "leader" in trying to stop that at the committee and when it came to the full council he eventually voted yest, but not willingly.
3. When the policy statement was being reviewed who was the "leader" who wanted to eliminate public input at committee meetings? Because those were work sessions. What better place for public input, before it goes to council. Fortunately his "leadership" didn't hold on this one, and neither did it when he tried to limit the number of times a citizen could speak (twice on the same subject).
Since many folks don't go to council and/or committee meetings or research the minutes they may have a tendency to believe this silver tongued snake oil peddler.
He has consistently pushed for less open government, less citizen input and then has the gall to say the opposite while running for mayor.
When the topic of providing council members with laptops or an allowance to provide their own, he openly stated he wanted to provide his own, otherwise citizens (under KORA) could request a review of the contents of a city owned device. That media clip has played on this blog and will be resurrected to play again.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Leader or Bully
Jeff Vaught claims to have proven leadership. My opinion, he has proven bullyship.
The below media file is from the 2/3/15 Council Committee meeting. You will hear Vaught on one of his tirades. You will hear Jim Neighbor, the elected council president and therefore the chairman of the committee:
1. Count to 3 to get Vaught to stop
2. Vaught telling Neighbor to "hold on"
3. Neighbor gaveling Vaught down (so loud that some thought the gavel would break)
How can Vaught claim proven leadership when he insults not only another member of the council but then ignores the admonishment of a duly elected committee chair? This is not the first time he has done something like this. Leader? nahhhh Bully? Yehhhhhh
The below media file is from the 2/3/15 Council Committee meeting. You will hear Vaught on one of his tirades. You will hear Jim Neighbor, the elected council president and therefore the chairman of the committee:
1. Count to 3 to get Vaught to stop
2. Vaught telling Neighbor to "hold on"
3. Neighbor gaveling Vaught down (so loud that some thought the gavel would break)
How can Vaught claim proven leadership when he insults not only another member of the council but then ignores the admonishment of a duly elected committee chair? This is not the first time he has done something like this. Leader? nahhhh Bully? Yehhhhhh
Sunday, February 08, 2015
Mayoral Candidate Forum
From the League of Women Voters web site
Shawnee Mayor Candidate Forum
Shawnee Library
13811 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66216, USA SHOW ON MAP
Feb 12 7:45pm to 9:00pm
Friday, February 06, 2015
Jeff Vaught Ignores Municipal Code Part II
I have been informed that the sign involved in the post below meets size requirements because it is a "monument" sign. Business property owners may replace business signage with poliitical signage in monument signs up to 50 square feet (70 if bordering a street with a 55 mph posted limit).
Even so, the municipal code was not initially complied with, as a permit to change the signage is required ($75 in this case). The permit fee was not paid until after the inquiry into the sign's validity. Specifically, it was paid I believe yesterday.
So, Vaught did not comply with code by not obtaining a permit ahead of time. And, unless a complaint had been filed he may have gotten away without paying the fee. Should the signage change back to business from political another permit will be required.
Sidebar: The business signage that was removed was not advertising his business, but rather that of his tenant, Nalia School of Dance. Nice way to show support for a downtown small business. Which comes first, Vaught's ego or a small business?
Even so, the municipal code was not initially complied with, as a permit to change the signage is required ($75 in this case). The permit fee was not paid until after the inquiry into the sign's validity. Specifically, it was paid I believe yesterday.
So, Vaught did not comply with code by not obtaining a permit ahead of time. And, unless a complaint had been filed he may have gotten away without paying the fee. Should the signage change back to business from political another permit will be required.
Sidebar: The business signage that was removed was not advertising his business, but rather that of his tenant, Nalia School of Dance. Nice way to show support for a downtown small business. Which comes first, Vaught's ego or a small business?
Wednesday, February 04, 2015
Jeff Vaught Ignores Municipal Code
You would think that an individual who has twice run for city council and is now running for mayor would both know, and comply with the sign code regarding political signs. Well, most folks would, unless they are Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught.
Here is the info from Info on Political Signs in Shawnee
What it says is: The City of Shawnee regulates the placement and size of political signs. Political signs may not be placed in street or highway rights-of-way. On streets with a sidewalk the sign must be placed behind the sidewalk. On streets or on the side of the street without a sidewalk, signs must be placed at least ten feet behind the curb with some exceptions as noted. On K-7 Highway, I-435 and Shawnee Mission Parkway, signs shall be placed behind the Frontage Road or fence line. On Blackfish Parkway, the right-of-way on the north side of the street west of Park Street is approximately twenty feet in width.
Signs may not be placed on City-owned property (parks, Shawnee Town 1929, fire stations).
The maximum size sign placed on residentially zoned property and agriculturally zoned property with a residence shall be six (6) square feet. The maximum size on commercial, industrial, office zoned property, as well as agriculturally zoned property without a residence is twenty (20) square feet, or thirty-two (32) square feet if the property is adjacent to a street with a posted speed limit of 55 m.p.h. or greater.
The candidate must have permission from the property owner to place their sign on private property. Property owners may remove signs placed on their property without permission
Proven Leadership? Ha! Folks who want to lead a city don't violate the municipal code.
Here is the info from Info on Political Signs in Shawnee
What it says is: The City of Shawnee regulates the placement and size of political signs. Political signs may not be placed in street or highway rights-of-way. On streets with a sidewalk the sign must be placed behind the sidewalk. On streets or on the side of the street without a sidewalk, signs must be placed at least ten feet behind the curb with some exceptions as noted. On K-7 Highway, I-435 and Shawnee Mission Parkway, signs shall be placed behind the Frontage Road or fence line. On Blackfish Parkway, the right-of-way on the north side of the street west of Park Street is approximately twenty feet in width.
Signs may not be placed on City-owned property (parks, Shawnee Town 1929, fire stations).
The maximum size sign placed on residentially zoned property and agriculturally zoned property with a residence shall be six (6) square feet. The maximum size on commercial, industrial, office zoned property, as well as agriculturally zoned property without a residence is twenty (20) square feet, or thirty-two (32) square feet if the property is adjacent to a street with a posted speed limit of 55 m.p.h. or greater.
The candidate must have permission from the property owner to place their sign on private property. Property owners may remove signs placed on their property without permission
Here is a picture of Vaught's sign, clearly over 20 square feet (closer to 32) and not adjacent to a street that is posted at 55 m.p.h.
Click on image to see full size.
Another touch of irony is that Vaught has repeatedly reminded folks at council and committee meetings that he is in commercial real estate. So, couple that with his political status you'd think he'd know the rules about political signs on commercial property. Or, was he willing to "chance it" knowing that if he got caught it could possibly take up to 30 days before he would be forced to remove it?
Another touch of irony is that Vaught has repeatedly reminded folks at council and committee meetings that he is in commercial real estate. So, couple that with his political status you'd think he'd know the rules about political signs on commercial property. Or, was he willing to "chance it" knowing that if he got caught it could possibly take up to 30 days before he would be forced to remove it?
Proven Leadership? Ha! Folks who want to lead a city don't violate the municipal code.
Nice going, but, ya got caught Vaught.
Tuesday, February 03, 2015
Terrill Challenging Neighbor in Ward I
Ben Terrill has filed to challenge Jim Neighbor in the Ward I council seat.
Neighbor, who has been shown on this blog to avoid direct answers to specific questions needs to go.
Visit Ben's web site http://www.benterrill.net/index.html
Neighbor, who has been shown on this blog to avoid direct answers to specific questions needs to go.
Visit Ben's web site http://www.benterrill.net/index.html
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