City Election Results - 2019

Why did I wait almost two days to post my thoughts?  It's been a long election season...........needed some down time.

Ward 1 - Tammy Thomas defeated the incumbent Jim Neighbor. Probably one of the best things that could happen to Shawnee overall and to Ward I specifically. 

Ward 2 - Eric Jenkins, the incumbent here defeated challenger Andy Rondon.  Very good move by the people in Ward 2.

Ward 3 - (Full Term) Seat was up for grabs.  No incumbent running.  Kurt Knappen defeated Dawn Rattan.  Real smart move by the folks in Ward 3.  Really surprised that Rattan got the support she did in view of the situation with her residential property taxes.

Ward 3 - (Unexpired Term)  Lisa Larson-Bunnell (appointed temporarily) held off challenger Kevin Straub in a close race.  Seat will be up for a full term in two years.  Interesting to see how this shakes out when it comes up again.

Ward 4 - Seat was up for grabs.  No incumbent running.  Jill Chalfie defeated Kris Durbin.  Since this is the ward I live in rest assured Ms. Chalfie will be under the microscope.

Mayor - Michelle Distler romped to a double digit victory over Stephanie Meyer.  My prediction was right.  Meyer cannot win an election when she is running against a live opponent.  My concern:  based on some of the things that I have heard already we may have created our own local version of Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Will Meyer blame everybody and everything for her loss, rather than she did not have her fingers on the pulse of the community?  Stay tuned.

Rattan - Wrong for Shawnee

Dawn Rattan is, IMHO, just plain wrong for Shawnee and unfit to represent the citizens of Ward 3 on the city council.

Why?

1.   A review of public records indicates that on 7/11/2019 property taxes for her residence were paid for 2018, 2016 & 2015.  Or that on 2/26/16 property taxes for 2014, 2013 and the 2d half of 2012 were paid.  Should she be sitting on a council that makes decisions regarding taxes? 

2.  Game playing.  Remember the $1000 In Kind contribution she got from Glam Sham for make-up for photos?  (Must have been a heck of a make-up job).  That was mentioned on this blog as to how it was in violation of Kansas campaign finance laws.  She then posted that it had been corrected, but never stated how it had been corrected.

Governmental Ethics Commission correspondence between that office and candidates becomes public record.  So we looked into it.  The GEC told her it was in violation and they then suggested she refund to Glam Sham the $500 overage amount, notify them that it had been done, and then report the refund on the general election filing.

Her campaign treasurer then emailed the GEC and said this:

Dear Ms. Schneider,

Thank you for returning my call this morning regarding the aforementioned campaign finance report. Per your instructions, we have returned $500 to Smash Glam to be in compliance with the limit of donations from a single entity for the primary election. Smash Glam has turned around and donated that to Dawn Rattan’s general election, which will be filed by October 28, 2019.

Thank you so much for your assistance.
Best regards,
Anh-Nguyet Nguyen
Treasurer for Dawn Rattan

So, $500 was returned on an In-Kind contribution (no money donated, just services) and then that entity turns around and sends the $500 back in the form of a donation for the general election.  Perfectly legal.  In the army we used to call things like that Mickey Mouse plays.

Previous posts about her candidacy can be found on this blog at:

https://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2019/09/is-rattan-for-real.html

http://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2019/08/dawn-rattan-1000-campaign-contribution.html

My opinion.......a big mistake to elect this person to the council.......big mistake.
Kurt Knappen would better serve the folks in Ward 3

 

Ward 3 Resident Calls Stephanie Meyer Out

Mayoral candidate Stephanie Meyer has been highly critical of the fact that commercial properties only make up about 25% of the city's property tax base.  And naturally, she has been critical of the incumbent mayor, Michelle Distler.

Well, the topic of the tax base came up on her FB page and then one resident (of Ward 3) jumped in.
Here is what he said.....(and it makes sense):

Michael Moore

 

 

Pardon my intrusion, but following on to

questions above from Alisha Ali Vincent, your website has the following:

"Currently, only about 25% of the city’s revenue comes from

commercial taxes, putting much of the cost of government on
the shoulders of our residents. This is an unsustainable model
and will be further exacerbated as our vast infrastructure continues to age."

And this:

"Shawnee has largely avoided regional conversations on

economic development, and that means when potential
employers look at the metro, we’re not on their minds."
 
I don't mean to point out the Elephant in the Room, but
haven't you been on the city council for some 5 or 6 years
now? The Mayor is only 1 member of the council. If YOU as a
long-time council member haven't been successful in moving
the city in the direction your campaign is advocating, why
should voters believe you will be any more effective as
Mayor?

As a follow up to the above...If I recall correctly, you as a

council member, were a driving force in the recent passage of
the LGBTQ non-discrimination ordinance. What would lead
voters like me to believe as Mayor your agenda wouldn't
include a plethora of similar needless actions while Shawnee
continues to languish with high residential property taxes andno business base?

One thing that I would add to Mr. Moore's comments is that Ms. Meyer seems to also lead the charge when it comes to incentives, literally giving away the farm, which in turn deprives Shawnee of tax income.  Incentives are sometimes needed, but why not the north 40 instead of the whole farm?

Ward 4 - Shawnee Needs Kris Durbin

The Ward 4 council race could be very critical for the future of Shawnee.
On one side we have Kris Durbin who has an 18 year record in the design build engineering and construction industry. As a Project Controls Manager he is responsible for managing infrastructure projects that are in the multi-million to billion dollar range. See my previous comments for additional info at https://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2019/10/kris-durbin-for-shawnee-city-council.html

His opponent, Jill Chalfie presents herself as the "community service candidate". While her years of volunteerism are to be commended, she does not possess the background to work with staff on projects such as Nieman Now.

Kris Durbin on the other hand does have those skills, and as we move forward his background will prove useful in working to make sure we do not have another situation like Nieman Now. He knows what to look for when it comes to infrastructure projects and can utilize his experience, knowledge and training for the benefit of all of Shawnee.

I urge the voters of Ward 4 to vote for Kris Durbin to be your council rep.

Stephanie Meyer Throws City Staff Under the Bus

In my post just prior to this one it was mentioned how Stephanie Meyer was critical of those who spoke negatively about city staff.

Well apparently Meyer must have some strong muscles attached to her jawbone because she appears to be able to talk out of both sides of her mouth. Or are they ligaments or tendons?
At the Shawnee Mission Post forum for mayoral candidates prior to the August primary Meyer seemed to throw the blame on a city engineer as the reason why Menard's did not locate in Shawnee. I blogged about it at the time and you can read about that by following this linkhttps://shawneeray.blogspot.com/2019/07/why-does-stephanie-meyer-lie-about.html

But, if you don't believe me, or want additional verification you can hear it in her own words. That's right, you can see and hear her on video. The comments are at approximately the 42:05 mark of the video. You will need to go here, https://www.facebook.com/pg/shawneemissionpost/videos/?ref=page_internal and then scroll down until you get to the video for the Shawnee Mayor's forum from July 9, 2019.


This individual will say whatever she needs to, to try and get elected. Hopefully, the rest of the city will see what the folks in her own ward saw when she took a whooping in her own ward in the primary. The results of the primary in Ward 3 were:
Distler 1004 51.38%
Meyer 639 32.70%
Tubbesing 277 14.18%
Sood 34 1.74%

Citywide, Meyer only got 26% while the incumbent Mayor, Michelle Distler got 57%.

What else will Meyer lie or be two faced about? Stay tuned as the election is just a little over a week away.

Stephanie Meyer - Enemy of Free Speech

In a recent post to the blog on her campaign web site, Stephanie Meyer had this to say:

"The incumbent has routinely allowed staff to be publicly attacked by extremists."
What Ms. Meyer fails to acknowledge is that it is not up to the mayor to allow or disallow comments, pro or con, by anyone. That would be censorship. And that would not only be in violation of the First Amendment to the US Constitution but also to Section 3 of the Bill of rights of the Kansas State Constitution. I have posted that section here before, and brought it up at various council meetings. This is what it says (the underlining is by me)


§ 3. Right of peaceable assembly; petition. The people have the right to assemble, in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to petition the government, or any department thereof, for the redress of grievances.

So, if elected would Meyer attempt to censor free speech, or, faced with a constitutional dilemma (both federal and state) allow those comments? Thereby proving once again that she talks out of both sides of her mouth.

Stephanie Meyer would not be good for Shawnee and I would strongly urge the citizens of this city to reject her candidacy for mayor.

I Was Wrong on 10/11/19

Whoops, you won't see that headline too often.  Unlike some folks, I can admit it, even though it doesn't happen too often......LOL

OK, let's split this post into two parts:

Part 1:  My comments on 10/11/19 that the proposed Charter Ordinance 46 was a virtual blank check were wrong.  It was not.  And with some last minute verbiage adjustments by Council Member Jenkins and City Attorney Rainey the item became very acceptable to all concerned.

Part 2:  I still stand by my comments that it was abhorrent for a Charter Ordinance to be placed on an agenda for a city council meeting without first going through the committee process.  The item showed up late Thursday 10/10 for inclusion at the meeting of 10/14.  Let's get this straight, Shawnee and other cities in Kansas function on charter ordinances.  Other cities in other states function on charters and States function on constitutions.  A charter ordinance is the basic building block for other actions of the city.  It is not like an ordinance for how many pets you can have, property set backs or any of that stuff.  It is how the city is to be run and governed.  And, if folks can't see that then they are blind.  Charter ordinances, by their very nature need to go to committee first for a thorough hashing out and vetting.  Not, place on an agenda for action 4 days (two of which are the weekend) later.

Kris Durbin for Shawnee City Council - Ward 4

Kris Durbin would be the logical choice to represent the citizens of Ward 4 on the Shawnee City Council.

In these times when Shawnee is facing the potential of over $140 million in stormwater repairs, tens of millions of dollars in street repairs and other infrastructure work, Kris' background is sorely needed on the council.

He is employed in the design-build engineering and construction industry. The better part of his 18 year career in this industry has been as a Project Controls Manager. As such, Kris is responsible for combining the technical and commercial aspects of managing large multi-million dollar infrastructure projects, to enable project leadership and stakeholders to understand state of progress, the financial health, and the overall risks and opportunities of the initiative.

He has experience and exposure on projects valued up to $5.5 billion. His experience with contracts and projects with high amounts of risk and cost exposure will be a tremendous value to the governing body.

While his opponent appears to be a very nice and likeable individual she has avoided discussing the many financial issues affecting the city. Very candidly, since her experience has been mostly in the volunteer arena her comments tend to be fluffy feel good without getting down to the nitty gritty of what is facing Shawnee. We are also facing the potential loss of millions of dollars in property tax revenue based on current court rulings concerning big box retailers. Kris Durbin is well qualified to work towards positive solutions for these items.

On the personal side, he and his wife of 9 years Jacque are proud to call Shawnee their home where they are raising their daughter Makyla.

Kurt Knappen for Shawnee City Council Ward 3 (Full Term)

Kurt Knappen's business and community involvement background puts him head and shoulders, IMHO, above his opponent for the Shawnee City Council.

He has spent the past 21 years working for just two companies to get better care for individuals suffering from type 2 Diabetes.  For the past 15 years he has served as a District Business Manager for his company which involves managing, leading and coaching a team of 9-11 individuals.
 

This experience includes hiring, performance management, setting the tone and vision, inspiring, coaching, budgeting and HR issues related to the team.  Including salaries and expenditures, he effectively manage a budget well over $1.5 million annually.  Importantly, he manages his team remotely, spending approximately 2 days per month with each.  This is important as it will help him in his dealings working with City Staff in a remote manner (via phone and email to a large extent).  He successfully deals with conflict first hand, manages out low performers, routinely gains consensus among a broad group of individuals and leads with innovative ideas while addressing tough issues.

 

Additionally, he has previously served as Treasurer of the J.C. Republican Party and as an elected Republican Precinct Committeeman.  Finally, he was appointed to the Lenexa Parks and Rec Board and received 2 “keys to the city” for his work on behalf of the community.

In Shawnee, he has served as a youth boys  head football coach (6 seasons), both boys and girls soccer coach (20+ seasons) and wrestling coach (5 seasons) in addition to serving at Westside Family Church and in various other volunteer capacities.

 

Additionally Kurt makes it a point to pay his property taxes on time.  His opponent, on multiple occasions, had to play catch up on 2-3 years worth at one time.  Not good for someone who is going to have to make decisions on items which concern taxes in Shawnee.

 

Proposed Charter Ordinance 46 - A Virtual Blank Check

There is no other way to put this.  There is an item on Monday's (10/14) City Council Agenda to pass a Charter Ordinance 46 to replace Charter Ordinance 43.  This item if passed would give the council (and not just this one) a virtual blank check to issue general obligation bonds for just about anything they want.  Yes, they could even jam a community center down the city's throat even though 72% of our citizens said no to this.

It is imperative that the citizens of Shawnee rise up against this abuse of power by certain members of the council, and show up at the meeting on 10/14 and express their displeasure concerning this proposed charter ordinance.

Link to the agenda for 10/14/19.

Copy of the memo and the proposed new Charter Ordinance 46.

Briefly, the agenda says:

The proposed Charter Ordinance broadens the types of improvements set out in Charter Ordinance No. 43 that may be debt financed by general obligation bonds to include streetlights, and any other improvement or equipment, whether owned by the City, another government entity, or a private party, when the Governing Body finds that such improvement serves a public purpose

Kevin Straub for Shawnee City Council Ward 3 (Unexpired term)

Kevin Straub would be my choice for the unexpired Ward 3 Shawnee City Council position. Kevin's background and positions makes him eminently qualified for the job.

After leaving the US Navy Kevin became a Realtor for the past 28 years and a Real Estate Broker for 24 years. He has been a past president of the Clear Creek Subdivision HOA. He assisted in the development of Town & Country Villas a one level living community in Shawnee. He is respected in the business world as a member of the Agent Leadership Council at Keller Williams Key Partners.

As a former member of the Shawnee city council he brought recycling containers to all of the Shawnee parks and consistently voted against tax increases in our city.
He feels that most members of the Shawnee City Council have proven they are out of touch with the real priorities of the people they are supposed to represent. This was proven in the case of the community center, where they ignored the results of their own survey which showed that even though folks wanted a new community center a majority said they did not want to pay an increase in property taxes to do it.

Then, just last month they decided to wade into divisive social issues which split our community in two and are still working their way through the courts around the country.　 Yet, up until recently we couldn't get honest communication about projects like Nieman Now. He feels we still need a sensible policy regarding tax incentives that doesn't give the farm away for any developer with their hand out. We have many members of the council who say one thing (we need more commercial development) then give it all away so we don't get anything from it when it happens.

Kevin will put needs first (storm water, street improvements etc.) ahead of frills. We are facing the possibility of some heavy infrastructure problems that need to be taken care of. Kevin will stay focused on that.

Eric Jenkins for Shawnee City Council Ward 2

Eric Jenkins is, IMHO, deserving of being re-elected to the Shawnee City Council to represent Ward 2..

Eric has spent most of his adult life serving both his community and his countryj. On the community side he has been a Shawnee City Counci member and served 21 years on the Shawnee Planning Commission. He has been a member of the Shawnee Downtown Partnership Committee and the Shawnee Economic Development Council. He has served as the SMNW Advisor to the SM School Board .

He is a retired U. S. Army Colonel having served both on active duty and in the reserves. He is a veteran of the Iraq & Afghanistan War and a graduate of the very prestigious Army War College. Among his diverse military assignments. He served as commander of ODA-114 (Operational Detachment Alpha-more commonly known as Special Forces A-Team, and as Battalion Commander of the 159th Military Police Battalion. At Ft. Leavenworth he led highly skilled senior officer and civilians in lessons learned collections missions into Iraq and Afghanistan.

His history with FEMA as a senior manager provided him with the opportunity to be involved in many multi state functions to include being a Federal Coordinating Officer. That translates into being the individual responsible for making sure that entire communities were rebuilt after a major disaster hit.

As a council member he stood up for the taxpayers of the city. He was a vocal force against the splurging of $54 million for a community center. He has long advocated that the council has to look at needs not wants, like the fact that we are looking at the possibility of over $140 million in stormwater repairs. A strong proponent of citizen rights, he led the initiative to allow citizen groupds to give full presentations at council meetings, not just insiders. He has been a long time advocate of promoting small business and he is opposed to over use of corporate welfare in the form of incentives.

Eric knows how to battle for the citizens of Ward 2 and it is felt that they need to return him to office.

Citizens For A Better Shawnee

Remember the group that spearheaded the drive against the proposed community center?  The group that showed the truth about the costs!  The group that showed how much pertinent information was being held back! (the term for that is lying by omission).  The group that helped to point out high dollar needs that the city has facing it, as opposed to wants!

Well that group has now morphed into Citizens For A Better Shawnee.  It will be taking an active roll in getting more citizens involved with the process of running the city.

You can read more about it here:  https://www.citizensforabettershawnee.org/

Tammy Thomas for Ward 1 Shawnee City Council

Tammy Thomas would be an excellent choice for Ward 1 Shawnee City Councilmember.

IMHO ward 1 has been under represented for many years by Jim Neighbor. Neighbor's favorite comment at meetings on various subjects has been "I'd like to echo what so and so said". It's time that Ward 1 had a councilmember who would truly get engaged in items of concern for the city.
Tammy would bring a background of exceptional service and knowledge to city government. First, she has been a member of the De Soto USD 232 school board. From 2012-2019 she served as a Statewide Long Tern Care Liaison within the The Department for Children and Families. She was able to work and bring together State Agencies such as　 DCF, KDADS, KDHE, along with Long Term Care Facility Administrators to support elder Kansas families to work the maze of gaining needed support.　 The maze of elder Medicaid was very difficult and  many life long Kansas citizens were struggling to navigate it. She brought the right agencies to the table to engage in open dialogue with Long Term Care providers....face to face.　　

She then went on to be the Kansas City Regional Director for the The Department of Children and Families. In that capacity she was responsible for five counties with full service centers (Atchison, Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Johnson and Douglas).

She currently is serving with a non-profit organization, Safe Families for Children. 

She has shown to be a compassionate individual who is willing to speak for those who are unable to speak for themselves. This is a skill that is sorely needed in a Ward 1 councilmember.

It is sincerely hoped that the citizens of Ward 1 will elect Tammy Thomas to represent them on the Shawnee City Council.

Stephanie Meyer - Hot Air Blowing in From The West

Ahh yes, Stephanie Meyer has posted some items on the blog portion of her campaign web site that IMHO generate a large quantity of hot air.  Hmmmm, maybe as the temperature drops she'll go up to cars in the city hall parking lot, blow on the windshields, and get rid of any ice build up there.

Let's see, where do I start?  Let's try this one:".....incumbent empowered a small group of angry naysayers who are actively working to hold our city back and constantly undermine staff."  What a joke.  First, what is a naysayer?  That is someone who disagrees with you.  And, using it as a negative means that the person doing so thinks that their opinions are the only right ones.  Whooops, we now have a new "arrogant one" in Ward 3.  Small group?  Ha......she's just upset that she couldn't get the city to swallow the lines of BS that she was throwing  out about the proposed community center.  Kinda sounds like Hillary Clinton.

Or how about this?:  "The incumbent has appointed, or attempted to appoint, individuals who do not support growth onto our planning commission, individuals who do not support economic development onto the economic development council, and as a council member, actively lobbied for the appointment of a council member who has been an obstructionist on many issues facing our city during his time in office"  You will kindly note that she does not mention names, not does she give specifics.  Just hot air.  Or are we supposed to take her at her word?  Stephanie Meyer is an individual who has many times played footloose and fancy free with the truth.  As previously posted on this blog she couldn't even be successful in her own ward in the recent primary election. Those folks must be telling the rest of the city something.  Heck, just scroll down to the post about the campaign contributions.  She blew that one.  Big time.

And last, but not least, (for today anyway):  What about this?   I think having an open and honest dialogue – one in which you’re hearing directly from me – is always the best and most productive course of action. Stephanie Meyer promoting open and honest dialogue?  Now that is one for Comedy Central.  Isn't that why as council president she ramrodded the NDO from committee to council in less than 2 weeks?  She saw what happened to the community center when the city gets time to think  Bet she didn't want those thought processes to take root on this item.

She is so full of hot air I truly expect to see her floating above the dais at a council meeting.

Shawnee City Council Races - 2019

As the 2019 election gets closer just thought I'd mention my choices.  In the very near future I will be listing each race separately with specifics.

Ward 1:  Tammy Thomas over Jim Neighbor

Ward 2:  Eric Jenkins over Andy Rondon

Ward 3 (full term):  Kurt Knappen over Dawn Rattan

Ward 3 (unexpired term):  Kevin Straub over Lisa Larson-Bunnell

Ward 4: Kris Durbin over Jill Chalfie

"Agendas" and "Special Interests" - Revisited...........Again!!!!!!

Any long term reader of this blog (or anybody who wants to use the search tool) will realize that I have addressed the use of the above two phrases numerous times.

Any individual, who claims that a political candidate is not qualified because they have an "agenda" or are backed by "special interests" is an idiot for saying that.  Huh?   Yepper.  They are probably the two most abused comments in any political contest.

Agenda:  What is an agenda?  It's an action plan.  It's what a candidate wants to accomplish if elected.  If a candidate does not have an agenda then they are dumb.  If they don't have an agenda how does a voter know what they stand for?  All candidates need to have an agenda so voters can choose which ones have similar thoughts on issues that they, the voters do.  The only "bad" agenda, is if it does not agree with your views. 

Special interests;  Another misused term.  Every candidate is backed by special interests.  Try this, candidate A wants to paint traffic stripes purple.  Folks that agree with that will support that candidate to include donations.  Candidate B wants to paint traffic stripes brown.  Folks that agree with that will support that candidate to include donations.  See, supporters of a candidate's position(s) then become "special interests".  Again, like with an agenda, the only bad special interests are those that do not have similar thoughts that you do.  Good special interests agree with your point of view.  Very misused and abused terminology.  Already had to take candidate Stephanie Meyer to task for using that term against the incumbent Mayor Distler.  The reverse would be true if someone reviewed her financial statements.  Bet I could pick out a bunch of special interests.

Is Rattan for Real?

Dawn Rattan, candidate for City Council in Ward 3 posted the info below on social media.  My guess is that it had something to do with my blog post about an in kind contribution to her campaign.  That blog post can be read by clicking here.

Anyway, here is what she posted:  (if you click on it, it should pop up larger)

Anyway, it's interesting that she claims that being a newbie was the reason for the mistake.  Quite possible.  Newbies do make mistakes.  Then again, some newbies go out of their way to read the rules completely so as not to make mistakes.  Of, absent that, they consult with an attorney.  Oh, forgot, she's married to one. 

Now, it's nice that she says the problem was corrected with the government Ethics Commission.  Only problem is she didn't say how it was corrected.  Did they give her a slap  on the wrist and call her a naughty candidate?  Did they issue a fine?  Did they direct a refund of the overage amount?  Usually the GEC issues a letter on things like this, with the resolution.  Haven't seen it at JoCo Election web site, yet.

Is she really fit to be a member of the city council?  A review of public records indicates that on 7/11/2019 property taxes for her residence were paid for 2018, 2016 & 2015.  Was that a newbie mistake?  Or that on 2/26/16 property taxes for 2014, 2013 and the 2d half of 2012 were paid.
Should she be sitting on a council that makes decisions regarding taxes?  Guess that's for the voters of Ward 3 to decide.

Stephanie Meyer - Liar Extraordinaire

In a recent blog post on her candidate web site Stephanie Meyer posted this:

"Join me to say that a candidate, like me, who receives much of her funding from individual donors and residents, rather than from a small handful of large and special-interest donors........."

Well Stephanie, apparently is incapable of reading campaign finance reports.  That is why the statement above is a bunch of malarkey.  Nahhh, it's BS.  Let's look at the donations, by amounts for the two mayoral candidates.............Michelle Distler and Stephanie Meyer:

Contribution amount                              Distler                         Meyer

$500 (maximum)                                        9                                  13
$250-$499                                                  2                                   10
$100-$249                                                 17                                  26
$51-$99                                                     0                                      1
$1 - $50                                                     28                                  19

Hmmmm, which candidate has relied on "big money donors"?  Also, Meyer has used the expression "special-interest donors" as if that is bad.  Heck, she has special interest donors.  All candidates get donations from special interest persons.  Apparently Meyer has not read my various posts about that term.  Take any subject where two candidates disagree.  Their donors are "special interests" if they support them.  Both sides.  Let's take the subject of abortion.  If you are against it, you will be supported by special interests who think like you.  If you are in favor of it you will be supported by special interests who think like you.  To use that term as a negative is unscrupulous to say the least, and highly misleading.  But then Stephanie Meyer has a habit of misleading. Is that why the voters of her ward, ward 3, rejected her in the recent primary?

And now she again regales us with her impoverished upbringing.  But she forgets that there are still folks that are in that situation in Shawnee. But that didn't stop her from trying to push the proposed community center down their throats. Check this out.   Or this one.

So, if you want someone who has a history of misleading folks as your mayor then maybe you should vote for Meyer.  I know I don't.

Remembering 9/11/2001

Today is Patriot Day.

There is only one thing I can say, and it has been said by many others...................never forget.

Ward 3 Rejected Stephanie Meyer

In my post yesterday I briefly touched on how Stephanie Meyer could not even carry her council ward in her bid to become Shawnee's mayor.  OK, she got creamed in the primary.  She did come in second which allows her to go into the general election.  But, wow, she got her tail end kicked.

Picture this, a 4 way primary, current mayor, Michelle Distler racks up 57% of the vote citywide.  Stephanie Meyer shows up with a weak second place finish at approximately 26% citywide.  Over the years I have witnessed various primary elections.  Usually, when it is a 4 way race, the top dog winds up with a figure in the high 30's % to low 40's %, but 57% is unheard of.

But, let's get back to the topic at hand.  Stephanie Meyer is a current Ward 3 representative and president of the city council.  One would think that she would persevere in Ward 3.  Wrong!!!!
She literally got her butt kicked.  Don't believe me?  Here are the figures and you can double check them yourself at http://www.jocoelection.org.

Ward 3 Results Mayoral Primary 2019

Distler         1004      51.38%
Meyer           639       32.70%
Tubbesing     277       14.18%
 Sood               34         1.74%

Why would the voters in a council rep's own ward reject them for mayor?  The reasons can be numerous.  Maybe they don't trust her?  Maybe they don't think she is truthful?  Maybe they think she hides things?

I asked it yesterday and I'll ask it again: are the citizens of Ward 3 trying to tell the rest of the city something?   BTW, she (Meyer) really got hammered in the other three wards.

Shawnee does not need, not can it afford to have someone like Meyer as its Mayor.

Stephanie Meyer - Bad for Shawnee

My personal belief is that if this individual is elected mayor of Shawnee it would be a terrible mistake.  A train wreck waiting to happen.

She was the major driving force and cheerleader to get the council to pass the recent NDO, (Non Discrimination Ordinance).  Here is the ironic thing about that.  The item was on the Council Committee agenda 8/13/19 and then moved to the Council 8/26/19.  In all the years that I have been following the council I cannot remember any time that an item went from committee to council in 2 weeks.

So, I got to thinking as to why that may have happened.  This is strictly a theory, but in many ways it makes sense.  It goes back to the proposed community center vote.  You may remember that Meyer (currently Ward 3 rep and council president) was also the lead cheerleader for that one.  You may also remember that the same council members who supported the NDO also marched in lockstep with her on the community center.  You may also remember that there were many reasons not to vote yes for that center.  Reasons which she and her acolytes failed to mention and kept hidden.  (More on her acolytes on the council and what needs to be done at the upcoming election regarding them in a future post).

So what happened?  A citizen group was formed and got the truth out there (contrary to Councilmember Sandifer's rant that that group lied).  The measure failed at the ballot box 72%-28%.  So, my thoughts are that Meyer pushed this item through quickly so that the citizens of Shawnee could not mount a well organized and justifiable opposition to the proposed NDO.  She does not respect citizen input.  During the community center debacle she kept mentioning how many folks wanted it. She and her acolytes failed to mention that the same survey that showed that, also showed a majority of Shawnee citizens did not want an increase in property taxes to pay for it.  So, that is why I think this NDO was ramrodded through the process.

Now here are some interesting facts.  In the recent mayoral primary Stephanie Meyer only got 25% of the vote.  In Ward 3, her ward as a council person, she lost her own ward.  Take it a step further, she lost the precinct (her neighborhood) where she lives in that ward.  That has to be a message to the rest of the city.  Her own ward rejected her.  Her own precinct rejected her.  Are the people that she represents trying to tell the rest of the city something?  Are they saying don't be deceived by her dolce voce, rather that she is no good for the city.  Now, for those folks who are wondering how she got to be a council rep, be advised, she never was truly elected to the position.  She was appointed to fill an unexpired term and then when she ran for the office she ran unopposed.  She has a problem when running against an opponent.  In a previous election she lost 2-1 against Charles Macheers.

I implore you.  Do not sit out this election.  Vote, and reelect the current mayor, Michelle Distler.

Who Is Don Cawby?

Until a few weeks ago he was the city manager in Osawatomie Kansas.  It's been all over Miami County that he is moving north to become finance director here in Shawnee.

Wonder when the official announcement will be made?  Oh well.  Mr. Cawby has a pretty impressive resumé, which can be viewed on Linked In

He will be replacing Maureen Rogers who retired after 7 years with Shawnee.  That does bring up some questions.  While Ms. Rogers was with Shawnee the city received various awards and accolades for its financial reports, departmental audits etc.  Her retirement seemed to come rather suddenly without much notice.  Usually a department director gives a substantial amount of notice.  Also, it does not appear that the usual retirement party was held at city hall.  What happened here?  Was Ms. Rogers forced into an early retirement?  It all seems strange, again, in view of the various positive reports and items of recognition the department received while she was here.  Maybe someday we'll find out.



 

Potential Property Tax Problems With Big Box Retailers

Below is an email I sent to the governing body of Shawnee today.  The actions (or inactions) of the city manager are IMHO, inexcusable.

Good afternoon,

Some of you may recall that I addressed the council in July about this problem.  At the time it was learned that Wal Mart had won an appeal of their property tax based on what they contended was an erroneous method of calculating their taxes by JoCo

It was indicated that if their appeal is upheld it could have severe consequences on taxes received by the city and county by not just Wal Mart but other retailers that were taxed the same way (Lowes, Home Depot, Walgreens etc.)  This could also involve the refunding of substantial sums of money to these businesses.  For those that are not aware of what this entailed, apparently JoCo had been basing property taxes on sales as opposed to actual property valuations.

The more I have thought about this issue, the more upset I have become with staff, particularly the city manager.  When queried, he responded that the situation was being watched closely.

 The situation has been ongoing apparently for quite some time.  So, that now begs answers to the following questions:

1.  Why weren’t the citizens of Shawnee told of this situation prior to the vote on the community center?  Was it because that would have been just one more reason for the voters not to approve it?

2.  Why wasn’t the information presented in the open council budget sessions so that the public could know about it.  Presentations about this item were made to the council in OP.  Presentation about this item was made to the BOCC in open session.

 This low key approach and not keeping the citizens informed of this item, is IMHO an act of misfeasance on the part of the city manager.  Now, before anybody on the council starts to declare that “we have the greatest staff in the metro”, realize that by doing so you would be condoning the withholding of this information from the public.  This is outrageous.

I proposed in July some actions that it was felt were necessary to keep the citizens of Shawnee properly informed on this matter.  I will reiterate those proposals at this time:

1.  The city council must, in open session, direct the city manager to provide in January after the beginning of the new council session and at the beginning of the budget process an outline of the current status of the item as what the courts have decided up to that time.

2.  Utilizing the same time line as above the city manager needs to prepare various “what if” scenarios.  Even though specific dollar amounts are not currently available, there should be enough raw data available to project various possibilities.  It is done for other items all the time.  Heck, the budget is one big “what if” scenario.

3.  The council needs to admonish the city manager that keeping this info from the citizens is not good government, nor is it transparent government.

 

Dawn Rattan - $1000 Campaign Contribution - For Make Up

I've seen some strange listings on campaign finance reports, but this one takes the cake.  Or is that pancake makeup?

We are talking about Dawn Rattan, candidate for the Ward 3 full term council seat.  In her financial report filed 7/29/19 she listed an in kind contribution from Smash Glam at 3941 Troost Ave KCMO for $1000 for "makeup for pictures".  That must have been some makeup job.

Anyway, let's talk about the legalities of in kind contributions.  According to Kansas state law the maximum amount of an in kind contribution for a candidate in a Shawnee city council race is $500 per reporting period (primary/general)  Same as an actual cash contribution.  Also, if a party gives both an in kind and an actual cash contribution during a reporting period the total cannot exceed the $500 maximum (example $200 in kind and $300 cash).  Additionally, according to State law a candidate cannot take an overage contribution in one period and split it over multiple reporting periods.  That means that the $1000 in kind from Smash glam cannot be split $500/primary and $500/general.  Now, the state Government Ethics Commission reviews these filings.  Wonder what they are going to do?  Will she have to refund $500 to the contributor?  Will she have to wash off the make up?  Which begs the question:  How long does a $1000 make up job stay on one's face?  How much did her appearance need changing?

Sign Sign Everywhere a Sign - Stephanie Meyer Pick Up Your Signs

Well, the primaries are over.

With regards to the mayoral candidates:

Mayor Michelle Signs - Signs have been removed
Dawn Tubbesing - Signs have been removed
Ajay Sood - Signs have been removed

Stephanie Meyer - Still has a bunch sitting in various rights of way.  Hmmmm, why haven't they been picked up?  Is Miss "I'm Entitled to Everything" waiting for city employees to pull them for code violations, bring them to a central location and then she (or someone) can pick them up all at once?  Misuse of city personnel.

Hope the city manager doesn't let this happen

Non-Discrimination Ordinance Discussion

The Council Committee will discuss the possibility of a Non-Discrimination Ordinance (sometimes referred to as Sexual Orientation Sexual Identity) at it next meeting Tuesday August 13, 2019 at 7:00PM.  The meeting is held in the council chambers at city hall at 11110 Johnson Drive, Shawnee Kansas 66203    Map info here

City staff will be presenting various options for the committee to review.  To read exactly what is being presented please click here

There is quite a bit of conversation going on not only here in Johnson County but all across the country.  Some cities have enacted NDOs, others have opted not to saying it is the responsibility of state and federal governments. Some of the enacted ordinances have been challenged in the courts and are still going through the process, quite possibly all the way to SCOTUS.

This is one of those topics that regardless of the outcome there will be folks who ask how did this happen (or not happen).  Simple, folks did not attend the various meetings of the various governing bodies.

My personal opinion:  This is something that is covered by current state and federal statutes.  And if those statutes do need tweaking, it is the responsibility of the state and federal governments to do the tweaking.  We do not need a mishmash checkerboard layout of differing city laws.  Also, enough cases are in the court systems that it becomes, IMHO a situation where the final outcome of those cases becomes known before Shawnee proceeds any further.

Primary Election Unofficial Results - 8/6/19

For those that haven't heard, here are the results for the Shawnee primary election yesterday.  Commentary to follow in the next day or two.

Mayor:
Michelle Distler – 3,847 or 57.22%
Stephanie Meyer – 1,736 or 25.82%
Dawn Tubbesing – 1,010 or 15.02%
Ajay Sood – 130 or 1.93%

One overvote and 71 undervotes for a total vote of 6,795.

Ward 3:
Kurt Knappen – 911 or 47.37%
Dawn Rattan – 690 or 35.88%
Nick Reed – 322 or 16.74%

39 undervotes for a total vote of 1,962

Ward 3 – Special Election:
Kevin Straub – 879 or 46.36%
Lisa Larson-Bunnell – 825 or 43.51%
Greg Sitzmann – 192 or 10.13%

66 undervotes for a total vote of 1,962

Ward 4:
Jill Chalfie – 848 or 50.45%
Kris Durbin – 527 or 31.35%
Matt Shaw – 306 or 18.20%

59 undervotes for a total vote of 1,740

The top two in each race will now go on to the general election November 5, 2019

Stephanie Meyer-Talking Out of Both Sides of Her Mouth-Again

Stephanie Meyer, candidate for mayor in Shawnee is again talking out of both sides of her mouth.  She's a cute piece of work, that definitely does not deserve to be mayor of Shawnee.

Don't believe me?  Try these statements concerning the consideration of an NDO (non-discrimination ordinance) for Shawnee.  OK, I will not comment at this point on the pros or cons of such a thing.  Just want to point out how Meyer plays both sides.

From the questionnaire she answered for the Citizens for a Better Shawnee:

Q4 Are there areas you feel the city government should not be involved with?
I believe that government should play as limited a role as possible in our residents' lives, while providing for their safety, welfare, and the overall stability of our community. Regarding city government, this includes many social issues that are most appropriately dealt with at the state or federal levels.
From a recent article in the Shawnee Mission Post:

As policy makers, it is our job to be sure that our actions and decisions follow legal precedent, statute, and authority. Often times, in local government, that means waiting on clarification from a higher jurisdiction. What cannot be lost in that process, however, is the more important question of "Is this the right thing to do?"

Many months in the making, I’m happy to announce that at our August 13 Council Committee meeting, we will take up the discussion of a non-discrimination ordinance. We cannot continue to wait for others to act.

I have a question for her:  Don/t your jaws hurt when you talk out of both sides of your mouth?

Citizens For A Better Shawnee

The former "Vote NO" committee has transitioned to the "Citizens For A Better Shawnee".
They are on the web at https://www.citizensforabettershawnee.org/

Who are they?  From their web site on the about page:

"Citizens for a Better Shawnee is a non-partisan, citizen-run committee founded by the members of the "Vote No - There's a Better Way" Committee that opposed the 2019 Mail Ballot question that would have raised the property tax rate to fund a proposed community center in Shawnee. 

Our efforts were successful, as the measure failed by a decisive margin, with 72% voting against it in a high-turnout election.

Members of that committee, in response to many requests to remain engaged in city government, including city elections, decided to form "Citizens for a Better Shawnee" with the purpose of focusing on fiscal responsibility, common-sense policy, and good government in Shawnee, Kansas."

 

If you click on their endorsements tab you will see their endorsements for the upcoming primary election and info on the questionnaires they sent out to the candidates.  Interesting to note is which candidates failed to return the questionnaire.

Primary Election - Tuesday 8/6/19 - My Choices

OK.............this is going to be a short post.

These are my choices for the four Shawnee primary election contests next Tuesday, 8/6/19

Mayor:  Michelle Distler

Council Ward 3 Full Term:  Kurt Knappen

Council Ward 3 Unexpired Term:  Kevin Straub

Council Ward 4:  Kris Durbin

Why Does Stephanie Meyer Lie About Menard's?

Unbeknownst to me that it would happen, another member of the community addressed the council this past Monday regarding Stephanie Meyer's misrepresentation of why Menard's did not build in Shawnee.  Instead Menard's went to KCK.

I was already looking into this because at the recent mayoral candidate's forum Stephanie Meyer stated that Menard's didn't build here because a city engineer couldn't go out to the site when they wanted him.  Sounds to me like a slap in the face to staff.  Ironically she jumps on anybody who says anything that could be construed as a negative about staff.  Do I see a little two faced action on her part?

Anyway, at one of the "Third Thursdays With the Mayor" former City Manager Gonzales had stated when asked that Menard's was not building in Shawnee because utilities were not available at the location.

An inquiry to the current city manager did produce the following:

I am in a little bit of a difficult spot to speculate on the conversation between Carol and Menard's representatives as well as a conversation Stephanie may have had with Menard's representatives.  However, the information that was shared at Third Thursday's is what I am aware of in regards to the Kansas City, Kansas location being more "shovel-ready" in regards to a quicker project.  I believe sewer access was a concern-

So, KCK had land that was more shovel ready.  Hmmmm, yet it is my understanding that Meyer still is telling folks the "engineer" story.  Stephanie Meyer, a natural born liar, IMHO. 

Stay tuned for more on her phoniness.

Side bar question:  City Managers are not supposed to get involved in the political process.  But, why hasn't the current city manager defended his staff against Ms. Meyer's comment.

The Irrelevant Arrogant One

I have received various text messages from individuals on the west side of town.

Apparently his royal arrogance (Jeff Vaught) is causing quite a stir on Next Door.  He even went so far as to single out other folks' association with me.  Gotta love it.

OK, I can’t post on the west side Next Door but I can supply info  below for anyone who chooses to use it

Let’s look at his royal arrogance (Jeff Vaught).  The first thing we will mention is that he is NOT a fan of transparency in government.  That can be verified from when the council, with his prodding changed the method of delivering council minutes from full to summary.  Only problem with that is that the former city manager chose to ignore the written directive of the council and gave the city action minutes.  Those are even more abbreviated.  Long story short, the council voted to bring back full minutes, with no help from Mr. I Know Everything.

He constantly belittled other council members and members of the public.  One of his favorite comments is “I don’t remember seeing you at any council meetings”.  That is how he attempts to shut down critics.  What a jacka$$  Very few folks go to these meetings (personally I wish more did).  But, they can listen to the audio and read the minutes

So, what happens?  He runs for mayor in 2015.  There was a 4 person primary.  He didn’t make it out of the primary (only the top 2 do)

What was the final result of the mayoral primary/

Michelle Distler   28.08%

Dan Pflumm         30.40%
John Segale          18.32%
Jeff Vaught          23.19%

More telling is how did the mayoral primary vote go in Ward 3?  The ward he represented on the council.
Michelle Distler  26.29%
Dan Pflumm         24.80%
John Segale          16.65%
Jeff Vaught          32.26%

Translation……….67.74%  (2/3) of the Ward 3 voters said they wanted anybody but Jeff Vaught as their mayor.  Apparently they learned their lesson from having him represent them on the council.

But, Vaught still thought he was relevant.  Not realizing that after winning his first term and then one reelection to the council , that the voters in Ward 3 were getting tired of his bombastic bullying buffoonery which combined to create a highly arrogant atmosphere about him.  And it created a toxic atmosphere on the council.

So, in 2017 there was a three way primary for council in Ward 3.

What happened?

Justin Adrian  38.94%

Dave Myres   39.82%
Jeff Vaught    21.24%

So now the voters of Ward 3 (78.76%, roughly 8 out of 10) made it real clear that they did not want an arrogant buffoon to represent them on the council.

And yet, he still thinks that what he says about city elections has relevancy.  It does not.  Witness his strong comments of being in favor of the proposed  Shawnee Community Center.  His bullying approach and inability to read the electorate was almost laughable.  And, like Hillary Clinton, he apparently cannot accept defeat.  He has come up with more excuses as to why the measure was defeated.  Instead of looking to see what was wrong with the plan he’d rather blame the folks who put out the effort to get the truth about the project in front of the voters.  Such arrogance.

Again, he hasn’t learned that his commentary is irrelevant.  Or maybe it is reverse relevant?  Maybe it makes folks go the opposite way of his stand on an item?  Hmmmm, remember, he supports Stephanie Meyer for mayor and Nick Reed for Ward 3 council rep. 

Has Stephanie Meyer Gone Totally Bonkers?

IMHO, the answer to that question is yes.  Big time.  The current council president and mayoral candidate posted this on her FB page at https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemeyerforshawnee/

This is what she posted:

As policy makers, it is our job to be sure that our actions and decisions follow legal precedent, statute, and authority. Often times, in local government, that means waiting on clarification from a higher jurisdiction. What cannot be lost in that process, however, is the more important question of “Is this the right thing to do?”

Many months in the making, I’m happy to announce that at our August 13 Council Committee meeting, we will take up the discussion of a non-discrimination ordinance. We cannot continue to wait for others to act.

In my experience, the residents of Shawnee are warm, welcoming, and compassionate people, and we should want that spirit to echo through all that we do. I hope you’ll participate in this important conversation.

This push for cities in Kansas to adopt non-discriminatory ordinances is absolutely ridiculous.  How many of them are still being challenged in the courts?

Laws against discrimination belong at the state and/or federal level.  For various reasons.  A hodgepodge  of these ordinances means that folks traveling from city to city would need a book of ordinances for all cities.  But, even more important are cities really the best entities to judge and evaluate what some may or may not perceive as discrimination?  Do cities have the resources?  Do cities have the funding?

This is a "feel good" act looking for a problem. 

Now, let's take a look at state law.  K.S.A 44-1009 has a pretty good handle on this subject, and if it needs amending, expanding or anything along those lines then encourage the state legislature to make those changes.  Keep it uniform across the whole State of Kansas.  Keep it uniform so that violations of the statute can be handled in a judicious manner.  Not in a helter skelter willy nilly fashion.  Keep in mind that this item is being championed by the same cheerleader who wanted to saddle Shawnee residents with an enormous tax burden to finance a community center. 

The council committee will be discussing this item at its meeting on Tuesday Aug 13, 2019 at 7PM at Shawnee City Hall, 11110 Johnson Drive.  Let her and any other members of the council that support this know that this is an item best left to the State of Kansas.

Stephanie Meyer and the Gang of Six Have No Confidence in Shawnee Citizens

Wow, that is a heck of a headline, isn't it?

So, are you asking why I say that?  Actually, it is pretty easy to explain.  First let's define the "Gang of Six".  That includes Meyer, and Councilmembers Zimmerman, Neighbor, Larson-Bunnell, Sandifer and Constance.

Now for what happened.  It is a matter of record.  At the last Council Committee meeting members Jenkins and Kemmling brought forth some proposals regarding the budget process.  One of these was to establish a citizen task force to review the budgets going forward and if needed recommend adjustments by looking for ways to possibly reduce or move allocations.  The task force would consist of 2 members appointed by each councilmember and two from the council itself.

The "Gang of Six" did everything they could to shoot down that idea, and unfortunately they succeeded.  Among the reasons given were the high quality of our staff and the fact that we use priority based budgeting. 

We probably do have a very high quality staff.  But, they are human.  And sometimes humans can make mistakes, errors, or not see certain things etc. etc. etc.  They are not perfect.  A task force as proposed by Jenkins and Kemmling would utilize the other advantage we have here in Shawnee.  To wit, a very diverse, intelligent community with folks from all career backgrounds.  The task force would not be decision making but advising.  Folks outside of the budget process might just see some things that could prove to be beneficial.  So, what is the gang of six afraid of?

We have boards and commissions made up of citizens already.  And some of them are in a position where they virtually do make the decision (Board of Zoning Appeals, Planning Commission).

So again, why would the "Gang of Six" be against utilizing the wealth of experience and knowledge that our residents could bring to the table?  I have my opinions, you can formulate your own

Happy Birthday USA

Happy birthday to the USA.

A special note to those who are objecting to President Trump's inclusion of the military in a special July 4th celebration, get over it!  It was the military that secured our independence, and it has been the military that has insured that independence, and it is the military that will continue to make sure that we remain a free and independent nation by protecting all of us from aggressive enemies.

To include a military display in the 4th of July celebration is right, justified, and fitting.  God bless the USA.

Kevin Straub - Ward III Special Election

Kevin Straub has tossed his hat into the ring for the Ward III special election (primary) to fill the unexpired 2 years of the term by former council member Justin Adrian.

Kevin will be facing Lisa Larson-Bunnell who was appointed to temporarily fill the position until this election and Greg Sitzman.  The top two vote getters in this election on August 6th will move on to the  general election November 5th.

You might want to visit Kevin's web site at  Kevin Straub for Shawnee City Council | Ward 3 Special Election  

Kevin will help to get the city council set on going down the right road for Shawnee's future.  Vote for Kevin.

Jenkins/Kemmling Proposal for Storm Water Pipes

The condition of Shawnee's storm water pipes has been a subject of discussion since the recent presentation that pipe failures could cost as much as $140 million over the next 10 years.

Councilmembers Eric Jenkins and Mike Kemmling have prepared a proposal and resolution to address this item. It can be read at https://cityofshawnee.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/24449?preview=24451

This item is going to be discussed at the Council Committee meeting on Tuesday June 18, 2019 at city hall beginning at 7:00PM

The proposal makes sense.  Citizens are encouraged to attend the meeting and to support this important concept.

Stephanie Meyer - Talks From Both Sides of Her Mouth

Well it looks like I missed some fun and games at city hall Monday night.  Not gonna get into much of what was said.  I do want to discuss procedures.

Seems like some citizens had a few things to say and then Councilmember Mickey Sandifer decided to wait until "Miscellaneous Council Items" to get real down and dirty with a member of the public.  Based on eyewitness accounts and audio files this is basically what happened next.

A citizen got up to rebut what he was saying.  Stephanie Meyer and Mickey Sandifer shouted out you can't do that it is not allowed.  City manager Nolan Sunderman whispered into the mayor's ear with what was probably an interpretation of the council procedures and the mayor said that the citizen couldn't say anything.  It was not allowed.  Former Councilmember Jeff Vaught yelled out to that citizen to sit down and that it was not allowed for them to speak during that part of the meeting.

Well, that was bad information.  On Oct 26, 2015 Policy Statement 7 was modified in Section IV(D)(2) to give citizens the right to speak during miscellaneous council items.  And if anybody is interested the Shawnee Dispatch had a nice article about that change and it is still available on line at http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2015/oct/29/council-approves-additional-public-comment-meeting/

What is really interesting is Stephanie Meyer's quote in the above referenced article.  "Anytime we can increase public participation at meetings, I'm for it."  Looks like she became a little two faced on that subject.  Guess citizen participation is only good if she feels the same as they do.  And this individual, who apparently now wants to restrict citizen input after saying how great it was, wants to be mayor of our city.  Which side of her mouth will she be talking from tomorrow?  She'll say just about anything to get elected. 

Now as for Vaught.....what gives him the right to tell another citizen to sit down?  What gives him the right to say it is not allowed for them to speak at that time?  Go back to various on line articles and previous meetings before Oct 26, 2015.  Jeff The Bully Vaught was the major impetus for getting that part of the policy statement changed.  He had a nasty habit of using Miscellaneous Council items to say some negative things about citizens and they couldn't, until the change, rebut what he said.

As for the City Manager, Nolan Sunderman, if he did in fact advise the mayor that citizen input was not allowed at that time he was way off base. 

 

We Steal a Good One From Lenexa

I think it has finally happened.  Last week Hayward's Pit BBQ relocated to 10901 W. 75th St in Shawnee (two blocks east of Nieman).  That is the building that has seen a revolving door effect with restaurants.

Well, it looks like we finally have a winner in that building.  Went there Friday night.  Wait time was about 45 minutes.  They were jammed.  Parking lot was full.  Fantastic.  Friend of mine told me that parking lot was also jammed at lunch.

Enjoyed dinner.  Food was good.  Wait staff was friendly, upbeat and checked back which, considering how crowded they were could have  taken a hit.  Kudos to the wait staff.  Kudos to the kitchen staff. 

Even with all the previous owners it had been a long time since the interior was remodeled.  It finally happened now. 

Looks like we finally have a keeper at that location.

The Longest Day

In 1962 the film "The Longest Day" was released.  It was a portrayal of the Normandy landings on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of that momentous occasion.  Below is the theme song from that movie with lyrics.  Listen to the lyrics, please.  And if you get a chance, watch the movie. 

Who Is Running?

Today was the last day to file and/or withdraw from the local city elections.

So, what is happening now:

Primary Election:  August 6, 2019.  The top two finishers in each contest will advance to the General Election November 5, 2019

Mayor

Michelle Distler (Incumbent)
Dawn Tubbesing
Ajay Sood
Stephanie Meyer

Council Member Ward 3 Full Term Four Years

Kurt Knappen
Nick Reed
Dawn Rattan

Council Member Ward 3 Unexpired Two Year Term

Kevin Straub
Lisa Larson-Bunnell (Incumbent)
Greg Sitzmann

Council Member Ward 4 Full Term Four Years

Kris Durbin
Matthew Shaw
Jill Chalfie

General Election:  November 5, 2019  These individuals will run in November as they do not have any primary challengers in August

Council Member Ward 1 Full Term Four Years

Tammy Thomas
Jim Neighbor (Incumbent)

Council Member Ward 2 Full Term Four Years

Eric Jenkins (Incumbent)
Andy Rondon

Does Stephanie Meyer Really Care?

Below is a screen capture from her FB page.  The sentiments are really nice.  I would even agree with them.  But, does she mean them?

 

 

 

Why do I ask if she really means what she wrote?  Easy.  Apparently, prior to the council meeting a citizen had done some research and discovered the names of five Shawnee folks who gave their lives in Vietnam.  While Mayor Distler read those names aloud for as a tribute, Ms. Meyer could be seen pecking away on her cell phone.  Gosh Stephanie, couldn't those texts have waited just a few minutes so you could really pay tribute.  Or are you all lip service?  Maybe.  Do you ever pay attention to what is happening at any council meeting or are you always pecking away on your cell phone?  

 

 

 

Mayoral and Ward 3 Primary

With everything going on recently about that proposed community center there were same changes in the upcoming primary election to be held August 6, 2019.  Will cover the non-primary elections in a separate post as they are to be held November 5, 2019.

Mayor's Primary: 

Michelle Distler has filed for reelection
Ajay Sood has filed
Dawn Tubbesing (served on council as Kuhn) has filed
Stephanie Meyer has filed - withdrew from running for her Ward 3 council seat to run for mayor

Ward 3 Council Seat:

Dawn Rattan has filed
Kurt Knappen withdrew from the 2 year unexpired seat to run for the full four year seat
Nick Reed has filed

Interesting item.  Nick Reed apparently filed for the Ward 3 seat at about the same time that Stephanie Meyer switched over to running for mayor.  Hmmmmm, was he her hand picked "replacement"?  If so, the only thing I can say is that he might want to visit Gall's at 9200 Marshall Drive, yes, in Lenexa.  They have a full range of LEO gear.  He might want to pay particular attention to the items listed at https://www.galls.com/stab-armor#products_scroll as these items could protect against being stabbed in the back.  Just a thought.