Lindsey Constance - Bad for Shawnee

 Well looks like council member Lindsey Constance is again showing a lack of common sense and fiscal responsibility.

Let's make it easy.  The city wound up with $2.3 million that needed to be spent.  Not gonna go into detail right now how that happened.  Anyway, the not so illustrious Ward 4 council member was pushing to have sidewalks put in on Johnson Drive, from Barker to Lackman.  See the map below, and click on it if you want to see it larger.

Yes, that monstrosity at the top left quadrant is the land fill.  Johnson Drive is right above the extended yellow arrow, Barker on the left, then going east to the area of Lackman on the right.  The structure right below the center of the landfill is the Shawnee Public Works complex and just to the east of I-435 is the PD, Municipal Court and Fire Station 72.  If anybody is interested the structures south of the arrow and public works is that residence that belonged to the late Ron Deffenbaugh and is on the market for I believe approximately $13 million.

Anyway, what was Constance thinking?  First, if you want to spend the money on sidewalks what about the areas on the east side that don't have any.  You know, the areas where kids have to walk in the street to go to school.  One would think that as a teacher that would be a concern of hers.  Apparently not.  And yes, those are areas where there are drainage ditches for runoff as opposed to storm water pipes.

Now speaking of storm water pipes, it has already been discussed numerous times that ours are in sorry shape.  Multi millions of dollars in projected replacement costs that are scheduled to take many years to complete.  And, we are constantly having failures that require spending funds on an emergency basis.

That $2.3 million would surely help in that regard.  That is a much needed infrastructure improvement as opposed to sidewalks with little or no foot traffic. Fortunately, folks with common sense have directed staff to look at using the funds for storm water repairs. 

But what would one come to expect from a council member who pushed for a $38 million dollar community center ($54 million with interest, and projected to run in the red)?  Oh, and we can't forget that she was one of the council members who voted to give our city manager a 25% raise (approximately $40K) at the beginning of the pandemic economic negative situation.  BTW, did anybody else get a 25% raise.  Bet the city employees who do the day to day work to keep our city going would have loved that.  What did they get?  Should we even mention that she pushed for that five story monstrosity on the old Wonderscope property?  Fortunately that didn't fly.

Question:  Who got to Constance for her to push for those sidewalks?  Inquiring minds want to know. 

She is up for reelection this November.  If she chooses to run, folks need to take a good hard look at herrecord, particularly when it comes to financial matters.