It’s that time of the year again. The Global Retail Real Estate Convention is being held by the International Council of Shopping Centers in little old Las Vegas.
So, who is going to represent Shawnee? Well, we can start with Andrew Nave, Executive Director of the Shawnee Economic Development Council. Then there is Doug Wesselschmidt, Development Director for the City of Shawnee. Now in my opinion, that’s where we need to stop.
But nope, two more individuals are going: City Manager Carol Gonzales and Ward III Councilmember Dawn Kuhn. Last year three local businessmen also went to represent their own interests. Not sure if any are going this year.
Will this trip prove beneficial for Shawnee? Who knows? It is my understanding that as a result of last year’s trip we got the new Burger King coming to town. Maybe this time we will get a Hardee’s.
Question: When will we, after all these years, get something to draw some bleed off from the Village West complex?
Oh, is Dawn Kuhn planning on staying a couple of extra days after the convention in Vegas like she did last year? Must be nice.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
All We Cand Do is Watch Part II
Well if you scroll down a little you will see the original post on this topic.
Now we know that the Willi Nelson FarmAid 2011 concert is coming to town. And guess where this one is going to be? At the new soccer stadium in Village West? (Side note: Soccer games are starting soon)
Will Shawnee get any bleed off from that? Do we have anything to attract those folks down the I-435 corridor?
Those guided tours of the largest landfill in the midwest are getting to sound pretty good.
Now we know that the Willi Nelson FarmAid 2011 concert is coming to town. And guess where this one is going to be? At the new soccer stadium in Village West? (Side note: Soccer games are starting soon)
Will Shawnee get any bleed off from that? Do we have anything to attract those folks down the I-435 corridor?
Those guided tours of the largest landfill in the midwest are getting to sound pretty good.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Refunds & Credits
As previously noted on this blog, funds were advanced for both airfare and meeting registration fees for Councilmember Vaught for a NLC convention which he subsequently did not attend.
Inquiries to the city manager have resulted in the following information being received:
The airfare is available for Mr. Vaught to use within a year. NLC has refunded the registration, all but a $70 change fee.
So the city got back a majority of the money for the NLC registration fee. Good.
What about the airfare?
IMHO, here are the options:
1. Use the airfare in the future, which would also mean spending additional funds for registration, hotel, meals etc.
2. Same as one above, but make sure we keep the number of participants to no more than 2 and that Mr. Vaught is one of the two.
3. Suffer the loss of the airfare without paying for any additional travel related expenses.
I still think these meetings can be beneficial. Just don't feel that we need to send a whole bunch of folks. Would recommend number 2 above.
Inquiries to the city manager have resulted in the following information being received:
The airfare is available for Mr. Vaught to use within a year. NLC has refunded the registration, all but a $70 change fee.
So the city got back a majority of the money for the NLC registration fee. Good.
What about the airfare?
IMHO, here are the options:
1. Use the airfare in the future, which would also mean spending additional funds for registration, hotel, meals etc.
2. Same as one above, but make sure we keep the number of participants to no more than 2 and that Mr. Vaught is one of the two.
3. Suffer the loss of the airfare without paying for any additional travel related expenses.
I still think these meetings can be beneficial. Just don't feel that we need to send a whole bunch of folks. Would recommend number 2 above.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
All We Can Do is Watch
Look what is going to be happening at the Kansas Speedway this summer!!
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/25/2826540/kanrocksas-music-festival-in-kck.html
Read the article above. See what all the talk is about. A two day music festival, at the speedway, drawing upwards of 100,000 people, each day.
We sit right down the road from there. And what kind of bleed off are we going to get from there? What do we have along the I-435 corridor that would draw a large number of those folks to spend money in Shawnee? While Village West continues to grow what has Shawnee done to attract any strong development along that corridor? We spent money for a study. Whoopeeee!!!
I know. We could send tour buses up to Village West and offer folks a tour of the largest landfill in the midwest. Then, after that, Dawn Kuhn could take them on a side tour to see where the new Burger King is going in.
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/25/2826540/kanrocksas-music-festival-in-kck.html
Read the article above. See what all the talk is about. A two day music festival, at the speedway, drawing upwards of 100,000 people, each day.
We sit right down the road from there. And what kind of bleed off are we going to get from there? What do we have along the I-435 corridor that would draw a large number of those folks to spend money in Shawnee? While Village West continues to grow what has Shawnee done to attract any strong development along that corridor? We spent money for a study. Whoopeeee!!!
I know. We could send tour buses up to Village West and offer folks a tour of the largest landfill in the midwest. Then, after that, Dawn Kuhn could take them on a side tour to see where the new Burger King is going in.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
Last Tuesday, 4/19/11 the council's Public Works and Safety Committee had its monthly meeting.
One of the items on the agenda concerned the policy about mowing rights of way. In some cases it is the home owner's responsibility, in other case the city's. Basically it appears that the committee was trying to make the policy uniform in nature with specific guidelines.
The above is a subject that cannot be gone into in just a few paragraphs here, and yes, I do have my thoughts on this subject. Especially with regards to some specific areas that were mentioned.
What bothered me was the committee chairperson, Dawn Kuhn just flat out lying to a member of the public over what some may consider an inconsequential matter.
An elderly gentleman got up and complained about his hearing aids being broken and that he could not hear what was being said even with the PA system that we have.
Ms. Kuhn's response to this was:
"These are not PA system microphones. They are purely recording microphones, for our minutes and our, uh, for the record of the meeting so it doesn't matter how loud we speak into them or how closely we are they will not amplify our voices."
If they aren't connected to the PA system why did the assistant city manager head to the room where the equipment is stored when this was going on? If they aren’t connected to the PA system, then how come every time I get up to speak, I tap the mike to make sure it's on and you can hear the thump?
Other examples that they are connected to the PA system:
When the council chambers are filled to capacity the proceedings can be piped into the lobby and also into the council's conference room.
My point here is that if Ms. Kuhn, a seven year veteran of the council, having served 2 years as council president and currently is the chairperson of this committee would lie to a resident about something as picayune as this, what else would she lie about?
A cup of coffee says Kuhn will try and do some kind of Tijuana Two Step on this. Oh, her quote above is not from my memory, but from a CD of the meeting.
Good starts with being honest with residents, especially senior citizens.
One of the items on the agenda concerned the policy about mowing rights of way. In some cases it is the home owner's responsibility, in other case the city's. Basically it appears that the committee was trying to make the policy uniform in nature with specific guidelines.
The above is a subject that cannot be gone into in just a few paragraphs here, and yes, I do have my thoughts on this subject. Especially with regards to some specific areas that were mentioned.
What bothered me was the committee chairperson, Dawn Kuhn just flat out lying to a member of the public over what some may consider an inconsequential matter.
An elderly gentleman got up and complained about his hearing aids being broken and that he could not hear what was being said even with the PA system that we have.
Ms. Kuhn's response to this was:
"These are not PA system microphones. They are purely recording microphones, for our minutes and our, uh, for the record of the meeting so it doesn't matter how loud we speak into them or how closely we are they will not amplify our voices."
If they aren't connected to the PA system why did the assistant city manager head to the room where the equipment is stored when this was going on? If they aren’t connected to the PA system, then how come every time I get up to speak, I tap the mike to make sure it's on and you can hear the thump?
Other examples that they are connected to the PA system:
When the council chambers are filled to capacity the proceedings can be piped into the lobby and also into the council's conference room.
My point here is that if Ms. Kuhn, a seven year veteran of the council, having served 2 years as council president and currently is the chairperson of this committee would lie to a resident about something as picayune as this, what else would she lie about?
A cup of coffee says Kuhn will try and do some kind of Tijuana Two Step on this. Oh, her quote above is not from my memory, but from a CD of the meeting.
Good starts with being honest with residents, especially senior citizens.
Saturday, April 09, 2011
The Numbers Are In
Well, the numbers are in.
The four individuals who went to the National League of Cities spent a total of $8,563.03. This does not include the little over $700 that was paid in advance for Councilmember Jaff Vaught who did not go.
I'll have to check with the city manger on that. In the last email I received from her on that subject she said "The City has requests in to the airline and to NLC to have the amounts credited. Review processes are underway for each."
Anyway the four people who went were: Mayor Meyers, Councilmembers Neighbor and Sandifer, and City Manager Gonzales. In my opinion that was two more people than was needed, especially in these tight fiscal times. As predicted in a post of mine prior to the trip, Mickey Sandifer spent the most money and stayed the most number of days in DC. He personally was responsible for $3,034.55 of the total amount spent.
Also, as mentioned in a post prior to the trip, our delegation stayed at the primary convention hotel. Sandifer was 5 nights , the other three were 3 nights each.
A more detailed breakdown is shown below:
(You can click on the image for a larger view)
As a reminder, in a post on 2/6/11 I indicated which cities were planning on sending folks to this conference. Shawnee, Olathe and Prairie Village all planned on 5. Mission planned on 4 and Roeland Park was looking at 1. The following cities were not planning on sending anybody Lenexa, Merriam, Overland Park, Leawood, Topeka and the UG of Wy Co and KCK.
The four individuals who went to the National League of Cities spent a total of $8,563.03. This does not include the little over $700 that was paid in advance for Councilmember Jaff Vaught who did not go.
I'll have to check with the city manger on that. In the last email I received from her on that subject she said "The City has requests in to the airline and to NLC to have the amounts credited. Review processes are underway for each."
Anyway the four people who went were: Mayor Meyers, Councilmembers Neighbor and Sandifer, and City Manager Gonzales. In my opinion that was two more people than was needed, especially in these tight fiscal times. As predicted in a post of mine prior to the trip, Mickey Sandifer spent the most money and stayed the most number of days in DC. He personally was responsible for $3,034.55 of the total amount spent.
Also, as mentioned in a post prior to the trip, our delegation stayed at the primary convention hotel. Sandifer was 5 nights , the other three were 3 nights each.
A more detailed breakdown is shown below:
(You can click on the image for a larger view) As a reminder, in a post on 2/6/11 I indicated which cities were planning on sending folks to this conference. Shawnee, Olathe and Prairie Village all planned on 5. Mission planned on 4 and Roeland Park was looking at 1. The following cities were not planning on sending anybody Lenexa, Merriam, Overland Park, Leawood, Topeka and the UG of Wy Co and KCK.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Thank You Mr. Mayor
In the Spring/Summer 2011 City Line newsletter (available here: http://gsh.cityofshawnee.org/pdf/events/CityLine/CityLine_Spring_11.pdf )
Mayor Jeff Meyers makes various comments about folks getting involved in city government. Among these comments are:
"It is my desire that every citizen and every business feel a part of Shawnee and its City government. Many people don't think about it, but there is no form of government that is closer to you and has more impact on your daily life than your City government."
"The impact of your City government on your everyday life is tremendous."
"It is because that impact is so significant that your engagement is so important."
These comments seem to echo many comments I've made over an extended period of time. The difference being the mayor says it so eloquently and diplomatically, where I've said that the citizens of Shawnee are disgustingly apathetic. Especially when it comes to what happens in their city. Their participation in city elections stinks. Their participation in representative government stinks. The facts confirm that.
Mayor Jeff Meyers makes various comments about folks getting involved in city government. Among these comments are:
"It is my desire that every citizen and every business feel a part of Shawnee and its City government. Many people don't think about it, but there is no form of government that is closer to you and has more impact on your daily life than your City government."
"The impact of your City government on your everyday life is tremendous."
"It is because that impact is so significant that your engagement is so important."
These comments seem to echo many comments I've made over an extended period of time. The difference being the mayor says it so eloquently and diplomatically, where I've said that the citizens of Shawnee are disgustingly apathetic. Especially when it comes to what happens in their city. Their participation in city elections stinks. Their participation in representative government stinks. The facts confirm that.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The King Is Coming
The King Is Coming.
The Burger King that is. Shawnee is getting a new Burger King restaurant at 75th Street and Nieman.
On a personal note, I’m looking forward to that. When I’m in the mood for a fast food burger I usually drive by McDonald’s and head for the Wendy’s at Wedd and 75th (and that’s in Merriam). OK burger King, we know you have one customer………….and hopefully many more.
Now, when this came up at the council meeting this past Monday we were treated to another one of Dawn “Motormouth” Kuhn’s self-aggrandizing diatribes. It’s nice that she had a hand in this, but fast food businesses are not the answer to Shawnee’s lack of commercial development. Just like the new Antique Mall in the old Hy-Vee building at 64th & Quivira is a nice touch. And, I hope they do well. But, that is not the answer to our lack of commercial development.
What we need is some strong development along the I-435 corridor (ala Zona Rosa). Look at what is happening at Village West. New soccer stadium, casino, Cerner Corp HQ and other items. The potential for getting bleed off from that area has to be enormous. Will something be done before it is too late? Mixed use………………hotels, restaurants, major shopping. And then with the proximity to I-70 what about some light manufacturing and/or corporate headquarters buildings. Technology companies with nice campuses. Now that would be exciting.
Chuckle of the night: When Councilmember Jeff Vaught questioned the requirements that were put on Burger King for appearance. He inquired as to whether or not Shawnee had a Uniform Building Code. The city’s planning director very politely had to inform him that the building code is exactly that, it has to do with various aspects of construction (electrical, plumbing etc.), not appearance. Why the chuckle? Mr. Vaught is in commercial real estate, and seldom lets a night go by where he doesn’t remind us of this. Thought he would have known that.
Sidebar: Technically the Uniform Building Code does not really exist anymore by that name. A few years ago it was consolidated with two other codes to become the International Building Code, and I’m not in commercial real estate. :-) :-)
The Burger King that is. Shawnee is getting a new Burger King restaurant at 75th Street and Nieman.
On a personal note, I’m looking forward to that. When I’m in the mood for a fast food burger I usually drive by McDonald’s and head for the Wendy’s at Wedd and 75th (and that’s in Merriam). OK burger King, we know you have one customer………….and hopefully many more.
Now, when this came up at the council meeting this past Monday we were treated to another one of Dawn “Motormouth” Kuhn’s self-aggrandizing diatribes. It’s nice that she had a hand in this, but fast food businesses are not the answer to Shawnee’s lack of commercial development. Just like the new Antique Mall in the old Hy-Vee building at 64th & Quivira is a nice touch. And, I hope they do well. But, that is not the answer to our lack of commercial development.
What we need is some strong development along the I-435 corridor (ala Zona Rosa). Look at what is happening at Village West. New soccer stadium, casino, Cerner Corp HQ and other items. The potential for getting bleed off from that area has to be enormous. Will something be done before it is too late? Mixed use………………hotels, restaurants, major shopping. And then with the proximity to I-70 what about some light manufacturing and/or corporate headquarters buildings. Technology companies with nice campuses. Now that would be exciting.
Chuckle of the night: When Councilmember Jeff Vaught questioned the requirements that were put on Burger King for appearance. He inquired as to whether or not Shawnee had a Uniform Building Code. The city’s planning director very politely had to inform him that the building code is exactly that, it has to do with various aspects of construction (electrical, plumbing etc.), not appearance. Why the chuckle? Mr. Vaught is in commercial real estate, and seldom lets a night go by where he doesn’t remind us of this. Thought he would have known that.
Sidebar: Technically the Uniform Building Code does not really exist anymore by that name. A few years ago it was consolidated with two other codes to become the International Building Code, and I’m not in commercial real estate. :-) :-)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Will We Get the Funds Back?
A few weeks ago I wrote that we were sending 5 people to the National League of Cities Conference in Washington, DC. This was in my opinion, three more than we needed to send. Scroll down to the Feb 25, 2011 post, “The Five That Are Going……….to DC”.
Based on a recent posting to the city’s web site, it was obvious that only four of the individuals went. An inquiry was sent to the city manager requesting info as to whether or not funds were expended on behalf of the non-attendee, Ward III Councilmember Jeff Vaught.
Below are the three questions (in blue) and Ms. Gonzales’ responses, (in red). I would like to sincerely thank Ms. Gonzales for her speedy reply.
1. Were any funds expended on Mr. Vaught’s behalf (hotel reservations, NLC registration and seminar fees, transportation, advances for per diem and any other items)? Two payments made in advance were for airfare and the NLC Conference Registration.
2. If yes, how much and what were they? Air fare was $ 308.39. NLC Conference Registration was $420.
3. If yes, how much is refundable to the city and how much is lost? The City has requests in to the airline and to NLC to have the amounts credited. Review processes are underway for each.
It is nice to know that action is being taken to get credits for these amounts. The only question that remains is, if the city gets the credits, will they be credits resulting in refunds or requiring the city to use the amounts for future meetings.
The latter has happened in the past.
What occurs is that the city gets a credit towards a future meeting, but to take advantage of it, additional funds have to be expended (lodging, per diem, seminar fees, etc.). Let’s hope that it is a refund and the city doesn’t get “forced” into additional expenditures. That is unless the funds are used for one of two individuals to be sent instead of 4, 5 or 6.
Watch this blog for info regarding how much was spent by the other 4 attendees to the DC conference.
Based on a recent posting to the city’s web site, it was obvious that only four of the individuals went. An inquiry was sent to the city manager requesting info as to whether or not funds were expended on behalf of the non-attendee, Ward III Councilmember Jeff Vaught.
Below are the three questions (in blue) and Ms. Gonzales’ responses, (in red). I would like to sincerely thank Ms. Gonzales for her speedy reply.
1. Were any funds expended on Mr. Vaught’s behalf (hotel reservations, NLC registration and seminar fees, transportation, advances for per diem and any other items)? Two payments made in advance were for airfare and the NLC Conference Registration.
2. If yes, how much and what were they? Air fare was $ 308.39. NLC Conference Registration was $420.
3. If yes, how much is refundable to the city and how much is lost? The City has requests in to the airline and to NLC to have the amounts credited. Review processes are underway for each.
It is nice to know that action is being taken to get credits for these amounts. The only question that remains is, if the city gets the credits, will they be credits resulting in refunds or requiring the city to use the amounts for future meetings.
The latter has happened in the past.
What occurs is that the city gets a credit towards a future meeting, but to take advantage of it, additional funds have to be expended (lodging, per diem, seminar fees, etc.). Let’s hope that it is a refund and the city doesn’t get “forced” into additional expenditures. That is unless the funds are used for one of two individuals to be sent instead of 4, 5 or 6.
Watch this blog for info regarding how much was spent by the other 4 attendees to the DC conference.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Why I've Been Quiet................
On February 28 the city council made a decision to extend the life of the Johnson County Landfill an additional 16 years until 2043. Once that was approved, the council then confirmed a new agreement with Lord Deffenbaugh regarding how much that entity would pay the city.
So why didn’t I say something at that council meeting? I wanted to. I was going to. Then I looked around and realized only one other person was going to say anything. And they didn’t (and later I found out why). Because on an issue of this magnitude the citizens of Shawnee reverted to their normal, lackluster, apathetic attitude. Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with this decision by the council, the fact that the citizens of Shawnee fail to participate in local government never ceases to amaze me. One lady showed up as folks were leaving, surprised that it was all over. Unbelievable.
I have written about this before. Almost everybody (over 80%) turns out for Presidential elections, but less than 10% turn out for local elections. And, very few, if any, ever show up at city hall to see firsthand what local government is doing. Guess the intelligent folks of Shawnee feel that the President is responsible for 90% of what affects their daily lives, not the city council.
Now let’s go back and look at the world famous Shawnee dump…….oooops, I mean landfill. The largest in the Midwest. Some folks have claimed we need more commercial development in Shawnee. The city paid a fortune for a study of the I-435 corridor. OK, who is going to build there? Who wants to build there? What kind of building do they want? The council recently approved a TIF district for a substantial amount of acreage just south of the landfill. Is anything ever going to happen there? Well, the owners of that land don’t have to tell us until they submit plans, if ever.
The Village West property in KCK is growing. A new professional soccer stadium, a casino, a major corporate complex, these are some of the things that are hapopening. Not to forget possible expansion of the speedway. The I-435 corridor would be a perfect “right down the road” area to gain some benefits from what is happening up there. Will it happen? I doubt it.
This past week, Mike Hendricks of the KC Star wrote an article about the problems surrounding the development of the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant.
The article can be accessed here,
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/14/2726135/vision-of-new-community-at-old.html
What is telling, is the cross reference to the Shawnee landfill, via these comments:
“But then there was a big sticking point: The site first had to be cleansed of the toxins and explosives residues that once had the EPA contemplating putting it on its Superfund list. The soil was heavily contaminated with arsenic, lead and mercury, among other poisons.”
“All that dirt and material in dump sites had to be scooped up and hauled off.
But then another big problem arose: According to Kise Randall, who oversees the cleanup effort for Sunflower, the original estimate put the amount of soil to be removed at 612,621 tons. That’s equal to 26,621 truckloads, with most of it going to the Johnson County Landfill.”
Oh well……….guess we can forget about commercial development in Shawnee and just continue with residential development. That is, unless the lazy apathetic citizenry of Shawnee gets off their collective butts and starts getting involved.
So why didn’t I say something at that council meeting? I wanted to. I was going to. Then I looked around and realized only one other person was going to say anything. And they didn’t (and later I found out why). Because on an issue of this magnitude the citizens of Shawnee reverted to their normal, lackluster, apathetic attitude. Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with this decision by the council, the fact that the citizens of Shawnee fail to participate in local government never ceases to amaze me. One lady showed up as folks were leaving, surprised that it was all over. Unbelievable.
I have written about this before. Almost everybody (over 80%) turns out for Presidential elections, but less than 10% turn out for local elections. And, very few, if any, ever show up at city hall to see firsthand what local government is doing. Guess the intelligent folks of Shawnee feel that the President is responsible for 90% of what affects their daily lives, not the city council.
Now let’s go back and look at the world famous Shawnee dump…….oooops, I mean landfill. The largest in the Midwest. Some folks have claimed we need more commercial development in Shawnee. The city paid a fortune for a study of the I-435 corridor. OK, who is going to build there? Who wants to build there? What kind of building do they want? The council recently approved a TIF district for a substantial amount of acreage just south of the landfill. Is anything ever going to happen there? Well, the owners of that land don’t have to tell us until they submit plans, if ever.
The Village West property in KCK is growing. A new professional soccer stadium, a casino, a major corporate complex, these are some of the things that are hapopening. Not to forget possible expansion of the speedway. The I-435 corridor would be a perfect “right down the road” area to gain some benefits from what is happening up there. Will it happen? I doubt it.
This past week, Mike Hendricks of the KC Star wrote an article about the problems surrounding the development of the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant.
The article can be accessed here,
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/14/2726135/vision-of-new-community-at-old.html
What is telling, is the cross reference to the Shawnee landfill, via these comments:
“But then there was a big sticking point: The site first had to be cleansed of the toxins and explosives residues that once had the EPA contemplating putting it on its Superfund list. The soil was heavily contaminated with arsenic, lead and mercury, among other poisons.”
“All that dirt and material in dump sites had to be scooped up and hauled off.
But then another big problem arose: According to Kise Randall, who oversees the cleanup effort for Sunflower, the original estimate put the amount of soil to be removed at 612,621 tons. That’s equal to 26,621 truckloads, with most of it going to the Johnson County Landfill.”
Oh well……….guess we can forget about commercial development in Shawnee and just continue with residential development. That is, unless the lazy apathetic citizenry of Shawnee gets off their collective butts and starts getting involved.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Extending the Life of the Landfill in Shawnee Part 2
Just a reminder.
The city council will take up the matter of wheter or not to extend the life of Shawnee's landfill.
Originally scheduled to close in 2026, the extension would take it to 2043.
If extended, will this:
1. Inhibit commercial growth, or
2. Accelerate commercial growth
If you have an opinion, Monday night, 2/28/11 at 7:30PM is your chance to voice it.
The city council will take up the matter of wheter or not to extend the life of Shawnee's landfill.
Originally scheduled to close in 2026, the extension would take it to 2043.
If extended, will this:
1. Inhibit commercial growth, or
2. Accelerate commercial growth
If you have an opinion, Monday night, 2/28/11 at 7:30PM is your chance to voice it.
Friday, February 25, 2011
The Five That Are Going................to DC
On Feb 6, 2011 (scroll down) I posted:
"And they're Off..........To Wash. DC"
Now we can tell you who the five people are that are going to Washington DC for the NLC conference 3/12-3/16:
Mayor Jeff Meyers (just went to Denver 3 mos ago)
Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Neighbor (just went to Denver 3 mos ago)
Ward 3 Councilmember Jeff Vaught (just went to Denver 3 mos ago)
Ward 4 Councilmember Mickey Sandifer (just went to Denver 3 mos ago)
City Manager Carol Gonzales (just went to Denver 3 mos ago)
In my previous post I guessed correctly about Mickey (Mr Trip Taker) Sandifer. Don't think this man has ever heard about a trip that he didn't want to go on.
Now, here we go again.......these meetings can provide useful information. But do we need to send 5 people when money is tight? My opinion: the city manager and the mayor should be sufficient. Just look at the previous post of 2/6 and see which cities aren't even sending anybody.
Also, since we are sending 5 and 4 of them are men are they going to take me up on the suggestion of doubling up in their rooms? Those rooms are going to be $242/night plus taxes. That will probably come up to the $280/$290 range per night. Heck, what is the room for? Sleeping, changing clothes and showering. So, why not douible up?
Prediction: Mickey Sandifer spends the most number of nights in DC (based on his actions on previous trips).
"And they're Off..........To Wash. DC"
Now we can tell you who the five people are that are going to Washington DC for the NLC conference 3/12-3/16:
Mayor Jeff Meyers (just went to Denver 3 mos ago)
Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Neighbor (just went to Denver 3 mos ago)
Ward 3 Councilmember Jeff Vaught (just went to Denver 3 mos ago)
Ward 4 Councilmember Mickey Sandifer (just went to Denver 3 mos ago)
City Manager Carol Gonzales (just went to Denver 3 mos ago)
In my previous post I guessed correctly about Mickey (Mr Trip Taker) Sandifer. Don't think this man has ever heard about a trip that he didn't want to go on.
Now, here we go again.......these meetings can provide useful information. But do we need to send 5 people when money is tight? My opinion: the city manager and the mayor should be sufficient. Just look at the previous post of 2/6 and see which cities aren't even sending anybody.
Also, since we are sending 5 and 4 of them are men are they going to take me up on the suggestion of doubling up in their rooms? Those rooms are going to be $242/night plus taxes. That will probably come up to the $280/$290 range per night. Heck, what is the room for? Sleeping, changing clothes and showering. So, why not douible up?
Prediction: Mickey Sandifer spends the most number of nights in DC (based on his actions on previous trips).
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Extending the Life of the Landfill in Shawnee
On Monday, 2/28 the city council will consider extending the life of the landfill here in Shawnee so that it would close in 2043 instead of 2027.
The planning commission has voted to recommend approval for this action. More info is available here:
http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2011/feb/08/planning-commission-gives-nod-16-year-landfill-ext/
It's nice to know that we are number one in something. The largest landfill in the midwest.
More info on that is here:
http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-largest-dumps-2011-2?slop=1#johnson-county-landfill-in-shawnee-ks-is-the-largest-in-the-midwest-us-at-over-1000-acres-1
Should the landfill be kept open another 16 years? Some say yes, some say no. If you live in Shawnee you might want to consider showing up Monday night and voicing your opinion.
The planning commission has voted to recommend approval for this action. More info is available here:
http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2011/feb/08/planning-commission-gives-nod-16-year-landfill-ext/
It's nice to know that we are number one in something. The largest landfill in the midwest.
More info on that is here:
http://www.businessinsider.com/worlds-largest-dumps-2011-2?slop=1#johnson-county-landfill-in-shawnee-ks-is-the-largest-in-the-midwest-us-at-over-1000-acres-1
Should the landfill be kept open another 16 years? Some say yes, some say no. If you live in Shawnee you might want to consider showing up Monday night and voicing your opinion.
Monday, February 21, 2011
City Updates Web Site
Congratulations................the city's web site now shows tomorrow's meeting as 6:00PM and at the Justice Center.
Sure happy I emailed them about it............ :-) :-)
Naturally, nobody acknowledged the email...............but they did make the change.
Sure happy I emailed them about it............ :-) :-)
Naturally, nobody acknowledged the email...............but they did make the change.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Location Change
Eventhough the Agenda info on the city's web site doesn't mention it, I just found out that the meeting Tie 2/22/11 will be held at the Justice Center
Why wasn't that info shown on the published notice?
Special City Council
AGENDA
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
And, it was not mentioned in the email that goes out to all who have signed up for email notifications of city activities. And, the original email says 7:00PM but the city's web site now says 6:00PM.
Why wasn't that info shown on the published notice?
Special City Council
AGENDA
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
And, it was not mentioned in the email that goes out to all who have signed up for email notifications of city activities. And, the original email says 7:00PM but the city's web site now says 6:00PM.
Special Council Meeting 2/22/11
A special meeting of the city council has been called for Tuesday, 2/22/11 at 6:00PM
Here is the agenda for this special meeting:
1. PRESENTATION AND GOVERNING BODY DISCUSSION: ROLE AS A POLICY MAKER.
Presented/Facilitated by John Nalbandian Ph.D.
This presentation and facilitated workshop will provide the Governing Body the opportunity to
discuss concepts and ideas regarding their role as a policy making body. PAGES 1 - 2
COMMENTS: ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. 2010 ACCOMPLISHMENTS/LOOKING TO 2011 AND BEYOND.
Facilitated by City Manager Gonzales with presentations by Management Team Members.
COMMENTS: ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
ADJOURNMENT
Here is the agenda for this special meeting:
1. PRESENTATION AND GOVERNING BODY DISCUSSION: ROLE AS A POLICY MAKER.
Presented/Facilitated by John Nalbandian Ph.D.
This presentation and facilitated workshop will provide the Governing Body the opportunity to
discuss concepts and ideas regarding their role as a policy making body. PAGES 1 - 2
COMMENTS: ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. 2010 ACCOMPLISHMENTS/LOOKING TO 2011 AND BEYOND.
Facilitated by City Manager Gonzales with presentations by Management Team Members.
COMMENTS: ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
ADJOURNMENT
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Valentine's Day at City Council
Tomorrow, 2/14/11 one of the items on the city council agenda is:
6. CONSIDER REVISIONS TO PS-7, CONDUCT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS.
DISCUSSION: At the January 18, 2011, meeting the Public Works and Safety Committee
recommended 3-1 that the Governing Body approve contracting with a third party company to
capture and record the City's public meeting audio recordings and to use software features to
create summary minutes with linked audio. At the October 19, 2010, meeting the Committee
recommended 3-1 that the Governing Body revise language in PS-7, Conduct of Public Meetings
related to summary minutes, speakers signing in at public meetings, responding to Business From
the Floor, and advanced approval of material shown on the display screen. A memo from staff
and a draft policy statement are included for review. PAGES 19 - 40
The background info is on pages 19-40 of the packet which can be read at:
http://www.cityofshawnee.org/Meetings/AGENDAS.NSF/vwNews/1EE2609988C4E11A86257833007E7DEA/$FILE/8DXTRG.pdf
Citizen input at council meetings, the methodology for keeping and reporting what transpires at these meeting should be items of interest to most folks. Hopefully folks will be there.
6. CONSIDER REVISIONS TO PS-7, CONDUCT OF PUBLIC MEETINGS.
DISCUSSION: At the January 18, 2011, meeting the Public Works and Safety Committee
recommended 3-1 that the Governing Body approve contracting with a third party company to
capture and record the City's public meeting audio recordings and to use software features to
create summary minutes with linked audio. At the October 19, 2010, meeting the Committee
recommended 3-1 that the Governing Body revise language in PS-7, Conduct of Public Meetings
related to summary minutes, speakers signing in at public meetings, responding to Business From
the Floor, and advanced approval of material shown on the display screen. A memo from staff
and a draft policy statement are included for review. PAGES 19 - 40
The background info is on pages 19-40 of the packet which can be read at:
http://www.cityofshawnee.org/Meetings/AGENDAS.NSF/vwNews/1EE2609988C4E11A86257833007E7DEA/$FILE/8DXTRG.pdf
Citizen input at council meetings, the methodology for keeping and reporting what transpires at these meeting should be items of interest to most folks. Hopefully folks will be there.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
And they're Off..........To Wash. DC
Yepper...........the annual Washington DC conference for the National League of Cities is coming up, and it will be March 12-16, 2011. That's coming just 3 1/2 months after the NLC conference in Denver.
Most folks will be staying at the designated convnetion hotel for $242 (plus taxes)/night. I doubt that there will be any doubling up of rooms to save money. Again I will say that these conferences can be beneficial. It is just how many folks do we have to send, because in addition to the hotel costs there are other costs. Among these are: registration for the meeting itself per attendee, registration for various seminars, transportation, per diem and probably other costs too. In the past some folks have stayed the entire time and others only part of the time. It will be interesting to see how many stay the the full schedule (arriving 3/11 the night before it starts and returning 3/17, the day after it ends) as that would be 6 nights of hotels and the corresponding per diem reimbursements.
Shawnee likes to compare itself to other local cities whenever a "study" is done. So, let's see where Shawnee stands relative to other cities in the area that were contacted. The list reflects the number of individuals each city is sending:
Shawnee............................................5
Olathe................................................5
Prairie Village...................................5 (see note 1 below)
Mission..............................................4 (see note 2 below)
Roeland Park....................................1
Lenexa...............................................0
Merriam............................................0
Overland Park..................................0
Leawood............................................0
Topeka...............................................0
UG WyCo & KCK..............................0
I didn't ask (not yet anyway) who is attending for Shawnee, but based on previous trips I'd bet that one of them is Mickey "Mr Trip Taker" Sandifer.
(note 1) Prairie Village indicated that their number might be reduced
(note 2) Mission indicated that one attendee will not be staying at the hotel, but with a friend
Most folks will be staying at the designated convnetion hotel for $242 (plus taxes)/night. I doubt that there will be any doubling up of rooms to save money. Again I will say that these conferences can be beneficial. It is just how many folks do we have to send, because in addition to the hotel costs there are other costs. Among these are: registration for the meeting itself per attendee, registration for various seminars, transportation, per diem and probably other costs too. In the past some folks have stayed the entire time and others only part of the time. It will be interesting to see how many stay the the full schedule (arriving 3/11 the night before it starts and returning 3/17, the day after it ends) as that would be 6 nights of hotels and the corresponding per diem reimbursements.
Shawnee likes to compare itself to other local cities whenever a "study" is done. So, let's see where Shawnee stands relative to other cities in the area that were contacted. The list reflects the number of individuals each city is sending:
Shawnee............................................5
Olathe................................................5
Prairie Village...................................5 (see note 1 below)
Mission..............................................4 (see note 2 below)
Roeland Park....................................1
Lenexa...............................................0
Merriam............................................0
Overland Park..................................0
Leawood............................................0
Topeka...............................................0
UG WyCo & KCK..............................0
I didn't ask (not yet anyway) who is attending for Shawnee, but based on previous trips I'd bet that one of them is Mickey "Mr Trip Taker" Sandifer.
(note 1) Prairie Village indicated that their number might be reduced
(note 2) Mission indicated that one attendee will not be staying at the hotel, but with a friend
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Candidate Finance Reports
Ever wonder where local candidates get the money to run their campaigns?
In the past, if you wanted to find out you could go to the JoCo election office and read the finance reports that each candidate is required to file. You could even get copies of those reports.
Now, thanks to the JoCo Election office again showing initiative, you can now read these reports from the comfort of your home. Just click here
http://www.jocoelection.org/CampaignReports/CampaignReportsDisc.html
These reports are for county and municipal elections within JoCo. Statewide and federal election reports are filed elsewhere.
In the past, if you wanted to find out you could go to the JoCo election office and read the finance reports that each candidate is required to file. You could even get copies of those reports.
Now, thanks to the JoCo Election office again showing initiative, you can now read these reports from the comfort of your home. Just click here
http://www.jocoelection.org/CampaignReports/CampaignReportsDisc.html
These reports are for county and municipal elections within JoCo. Statewide and federal election reports are filed elsewhere.
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