Dealer Plates = No Property Taxes - Will Vaught Respond?

Below is a copy of an email that I sent to Councilmember Jeff Vaught earlier today.  It is interesting that a member of the council would drive a vehicle that has not had property tax paid on it, since part of that comes back to the city.

As stated in my email, there are basically two scenarios in which this is legally permissible.  See the State of Kansas info on page 12 on this web site.

I have asked Vaught if he qualifies under either of  the two legally permissible scenarios, and if so which one?  Past experience would indicate that Vaught will not respond to my email.

The email:

Good afternoon,

It has been noticed that for about two or more months you have been operating a motor vehicle that is displaying dealer plates.

When a vehicle displays dealer plates it is usually because it is for demonstration purposes.  Since it is not registered to an individual there are no personal property taxes being paid to the state and as such the corresponding percentage is not remitted to the city.  As a sitting city council member I am sure you are aware of that fact.

The State of Kansas on page 12 at this location http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/dlrhb-complete.pdf provides the information as to when it is appropriate for individuals to use these types of plates:

“Dealer plates are issued to dealers for demonstration purposes. Owners and their spouses can legally drive on dealer plates as long as the vehicle is in the dealership inventory for sale. Licensed salespersons that work 20 hours or more a week are also authorized to drive on dealer plates. Newly licensed dealers are eligible for 3 plates per plate type to begin. Their business may require more dealer plates and can be requested if sales warrant additional plates to be issued. Dealers must have 5 sales per plate type to maintain or increase their plate quantity. We will automatically decrease plates at renewal time if reported sales do not equal plate allowance. The first auto/motorcycle plate is $275.50; each additional plate is $25.50. Manufactured Home and Trailer plates are $25.50 each. K.S.A. 8-136, K.S.A. 8-2406”

As you can see there are basically two scenarios that would allow a person to use dealer plates.  Do you qualify in either of those categories? If so, which one? These are two very simple questions.  Should you respond with the answers to these two questions I will be happy to post those answers on my blog.

Thank you


DTJVSD

A Step to Insure Open Government

Last night at the council committee meeting there was an item on the agenda to insure open government.  The item was a proposed change to PS-7 which would clarify that citizens could comment on items brought forth by council members during the portion of council meetings known as "Miscellaneous Council Items"

Five council members voted to forward the item to a council meeting with a recommendation to approve the change.  These five were Dan Pflumm, Eric Jenkins, Mike Kemmling, Stephanie Meyer and Brandon Kenig.

Three of the council members voted against this item.  They were Jim Neighbor, Jeff Vaught and Mickey Sandifer.  As to be expected Vaught especially showed his true colors when it comes to open government and citizen participation.  Neighbor and Sandifer were not far behind him.  Naturally, Vaught, feeling he was immune from citizen feedback, has on numerous occasions used that portion of the meeting as his own personal bully pulpit to excoriate individuals and entities.

He did say last night that if I didn't like what was said I could always blog about it.  Well, I'll continue to do that too.


DTJVSD

Shawnee PD Looking for Suspect in Shooting

Please read the article in the Shawnee Dispatch about a shooting that took place early this morning.

Shawnee PD are looking for an individual relative to this incident.  The individual's name and physical description are in the above article.

A Fourth Fire Station? Yes, We Need It.

At the 9/8/15 council committee a list of projects was presented to the council members for prioritization.

One item that caught my eye was a new fire station (to be station 74) for western Shawnee, most likely in the northwest area.

Where the council puts it in the prioritization is yet to be determined.  Personally, I feel that this is an item that needs to be looked at sooner rather than later.  Growth in Shawnee has been phenomenal in that part of the city.

As a result, response times have become slower than what would be optimum. Minutes become important, both in saving property and in saving lives.  A fire spreads exponentially.  Basically it doubles every minute.  A fire that covers 100 sq. ft. becomes 200 sq. ft. one minute later, 400 sq. ft. the next minute etc.  With regards to individuals in need of medical care, I don't think we have to mention how important it is to get that care to them as quickly as possible. Especially for strokes, heart attacks and/or traumatic injuries, sooner is always better.

A side benefit could possibly be better ratings for home owners insurance.

Contact your council representatives.  Get more information on this item and urge them to bring it to fruition sooner rather than later.

Reminder - Third Thursday With the Mayor 9/17/15

Tomorrow is the third Thursday of September (9/17/15) and folks can meet and interact with Mayor Michelle Distler.

No previous mayor has ever undertaken a program like this.  Citizen input with elected officials is very important.

More info can be found here

Never Forget 9/11

Tomorrow is the 14th Anniversary since the carnage of 9/11.  It is a day that is now known as Patriot Day.

Please...............never forget.

New Action on Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

On this coming Wednesday, 9/9/15 the Planning Commission will hear proposals to place electric vehicle charging stations at two Wal-Mart locations.  One set at the facility near SMP and Maurer and the other set at the Neighborhood Market at Nieman and 74th Street.

Now these locations make sense, unlike the plan that was tabled back in May to place charging stations at city hall and the justice center.

Use of the charging stations at commercial locations means that people who have those types of vehicles can shop while their vehicles are being charged up.  A lot different than just sitting in the city hall parking lot, doing nothing, for possibly hours.

Whether the owners of the vehicles have to pay for the service or if Wal-Mart picks up the charges (as an advertising/customer relations activity) is immaterial.  This still makes more sense than the city (all taxpayers) paying for it at city hall/justice center as advocated by Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught.  The taxpayers of the city do not need to subsidize the "refueling" of these vehicles that in reality not everyone can even buy because of the costs. 

If a retailer and/or shopping center owner wants to absorb the costs, well, that is a business decision.  Just like when they put items in their stores on sale.  If Vaught and Neighbor (another advocate for the city to pick up costs) get smart they'll let the commercial/retail segment of the city take care of the placement of these items.

Anyway, I hope the two items on the Planning Commission agenda regarding Wal-Mart and the charging stations moves forward.

See my previous posts on this subject:

6/1/15
5/27/15
5/19/15



DTJVSD

Support Your Local PD

The recent increase in physical attacks (including homicides) on police officers across the country bothers the heck out of me.

So I ask, have you ever said thank you to a member of law enforcement?  And not just when they have done something that affects you, but just for the heck of it.  If you happen to be around and see an officer pumping gas, grabbing a snack or a meal, just go up to them and say "thank you".  It takes two seconds but you'd be surprised at what those two little words will mean to them.

Here in Shawnee we are fortunate to have a pretty gosh darned good PD.  Let them know they are appreciated

Down Town Coffee House

Ya gotta love this fairly new business in Shawnee located at 11101 Johnson Drive, in the same building as Dodge City Beef.

First, it is owned by an Army vet, Drew Thornton, who has served multiple tours over in the sand box.  Next, it is a neat place to grab a coffee, or a breakfast or a lunch.  They serve lunch every day, but Tuesdays and Thursdays are "Brats and Burgers" day.  Found that out last week when I went in for a cup of coffee, decaf Irish Cream.  Good brats.

Food was good, price is right and the atmosphere if ya decide to stay and eat there is relaxing.  They also deliver. 

Check out the wall he is setting up for locals who have served.

2d Shawnee CERT Class Completes Training

On Saturday, 8/22/15 the second Shawnee CERT Class completed its training.  The class was for 24 hours over three consecutive Saturdays.

For more information about CERT please click here.  Also, check back on the city's web site for information about future classes.

Shawnee Received Secretary of Defense Freedom Award

Fortunately I was able to watch the live video feed from DC on Friday 8/21/15 as Mayor Michelle Distler accepted the Secretary of Defense's Freedom Award on behalf of the City of Shawnee.

As quoted in an article in the Shawnee Dispatch "This prestigious award is the highest in a series of DoD employer awards that include the Patriot Award, the Above and Beyond Award and the Pro Patria Award."

Of over 3000 organizations nominated only 15 received this honor, three small businesses, eight large businesses and four from the public sector (governmental and educational organizations.

Council Chambers Remodel

I'm going to keep this short, maybe not so sweet.  The Dispatch has info on their website and you can read it by going here

The only part of the council chamber remodel that I can see as a needed item is the upgrade of the A/V system, for various reasons including future video streaming, and the ability for members of the public to be able to see documents better.  To me, the majority of the rest of the items are fluff.

Yours truly got up and mentioned that the bid by SKC for the A/V was based on a State of Kansas contract but that did not necessarily mean that it was the lowest possible price.  There are companies that can provide services/products to the state at prices lower than the contract prices and as such can get state business.  Ironically, a representative from SKC was there (and if I heard correctly he lives in Shawnee) and he even said that their portion could have probably been bid by others at 10%-15% less (you figure that out on approximately $63K).  But then he went on to say we could get hit with change orders...........hmmmm even if we keep to the philosophy of guaranteed maximum price.

Now, some council members wanted to be able to do an a la carte remodel.  Pick some items and eliminate others.  Here is the rub.  We would have had to get a new set of plans/drawings because the drawings/plans became proprietary to Turner even though we paid $23K for them.  This was because the contract was one of these "design/build" items.  Going forward rest assured I will voice opposition to any design/build projects unless we get ownership of the plans/drawings.  Our council needs to be able to select elements of projects without an all or nothing option as the only option.

The biggest voice (literally) for doing this project, so we can look nice was Jeff "The Arrogant One" Vaught.  The same arrogant, anti open government fool who has repeatedly spoken against elections to fill open council seats that occur in other than normal circumstances.  He doesn't want to spend money on letting the people choose their representatives, but he is willing to spend money on new chairs, carpeting and a ridiculous conference room that will cost a small fortune to finish (it is only going to be roughed in now),


DTJVSD

Volunteer "Victims" Needed

Shawnee will be holding its 2d CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training over a period of three Saturdays, 8/8, 8/15 and 8/22.

Part of the training includes a simulated disaster situation on 8/22/15.  Volunteer 'victims" are needed.  Some individuals will have moulage applied.  That is the makeup that makes a person look like they have been injured.  Normally we get students from a drama class to play the victims, but they will be getting ready for a return to classes.

This could be an interesting and fun time for some folks who want to volunteer.  Individuals and groups can be used.

If interested please contact Terry Kegin at TKegin@CI.Shawnee.KS.US   or at (913)742-6139

Shawnee Dispatch Comments on "Third Thursdays"

The Shawnee Dispatch has provided additional information regarding Mayor Distler's first "Third Thursday With the Mayor"

The article can be read here

I personally urge more citizens to get involved with future activities of this kind.

Mayor's Third Thursday Very Positive

This past Thursday saw Mayor Michelle Distler have her first “Thursday With the Mayor” coffee.  It is my understanding that approximately 25 people attended this event.

When queried about this event because it was a daytime meeting (9:00AM) the mayor said it was set up that way to make it easier for senior citizens who don’t attend evening meetings to be able to attend.  She indicated that there will be other meetings set up at differing times so that others could fit them into their schedules.  This is something that no other mayor has done, and should prove helpful in opening up lines of communication between the citizenry and city hall.  It was also mentioned that the mayor has been meeting with other groups to obtain first hand feedback on various items of interest.  What is nice is that this is being done now, not four years from now when the next election will be coming around.  So I’d guess it is not “an election year gimmick”.  More info on the future plans for these events can be found at this article on the Shawnee Dispatch web site

 Many times on this blog, and when speaking to the city council I have said that we are fortunate in Shawnee to have a population with diverse backgrounds, in education, business and life in general.  We as a city can benefit from these types of meetings to get differing viewpoints plugged in.  I can see future benefits for the city as a whole.

How Not to Lose Matching Funds

Recently council member Eric Jenkins has come up with a unique idea so that the city does not lose matching funds.

A little background:  In the past the city has had to delay projects because it could not produce matching funds.  What are matching funds?  The county, state or feds will periodically propose funding for a project (usually a public works type such as storm water, street etc).  The other entity will provide funding if the city can match funding.  Usually the funding is not a one to one match.  In many cases the other entity will provide two, three or more dollars for every one put up by the city. 

Example would be if a storm water project is proposed for $600,000 and the county offers a 3:1 match, that means that the county will pay $450,000 if the city comes up with $150,000.  This provides a way for the city to get back monies paid in taxes to the other entities (county, state and fed).

What Eric Jenkins has proposed, and it makes sense, is to take unspent funds from other projects that are self funded and place them in a "matching fund" account and held for when these other matching fund projects come up.  An example of this would be if there is a street project that is budgeted for $900,000, and after all is done, the final cost comes in at $865,000.  Mr. Jenkins' proposal would place the unspent $35,000 in a matching fund hold account. That would potentially reduce the possibility of having to turn down matching funds from other entities.

Reminder - Third Thursday With The Mayor

A reminder that tomorrow, 7/16/15, will be the first "Third Thursday With The Mayor"

In keeping with her commitments to provide open and accessible government, Mayor Michelle Distler is beginning to set up meetings that make it convenient for citizens of Shawnee to be able to express their views and ask questions on a face to face basis.

Tomorrow's event will be at the Shawnee Civic Center at 13817 Johnson Drive at 9AM.  Stop by, speak with the mayor and have a cup of coffee.

Further information can be found here: 

Ger Involved - CERT and CPA Classes Announced

Announcements have been posted on the city's web site regarding the next CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and CPA (Citizen's Police Academy) classes.

Two great programs that citizens who want to get involved with their city might want to consider signing up for.

For CERT info please click here

For CPA info please click here

Jenkins Gets It, Vaught and Sandifer Never Will

Apparently at this week's Council Committee meeting (7/7/15) there was some fur flying, again.

Some previously suggested budget changes/recommendations submitted by Eric Jenkins were reviewed.  And again, Jeff (The Arrogant One) Vaught accused Jenkins of micro managing the city manager and staff.  These sentiments were echoed by Mickey (The Parrot) Sandifer.

Apparently Vaught and Sandifer really don't understand what their jobs as council members are.  Providing suggestions and ideas to the city manager is part of the job.  Apparently both Vaught and Sandifer feel that the city manager should be left to her own devices and that the council should rubber stamp everything she does.  Wrong...............if that was the case we would have no need for a city council.

The last time I looked it appeared to me that the city manager was human.  As such, if she cut her wrists she would bleed blood not miniature spread sheets.  Nobody is 100% perfect.  As mentioned here many times in the past, we are fortunate to have in Shawnee individuals, both elected and members of the community with diverse backgrounds.  These individuals are highly capable of providing suggestions and recommendations for the city's operations.  Some will be good, some will not be good. But it shows people thinking.  I believe that is the message that our new mayor put out before the election about folks "thinking together", not thinking alike, but together, to come up with ideas.  Apparently Vaught and Sandifer want to abrogate their responsibilities and would give the city manager carte blanche to do anything she wants.  That is NOT what a city manager form of government is supposed to be.  Is it possible that Vaught's attitude is what caused him to not even advance past the primary in the last mayoral election?

It just becomes more obvious every week that Vaught, and Sandifer, have this need to perform osculatory functions upon the gluteus maximus of the city manager.

Sidebar:  It also appears that Vaught is taking over for former council member Dawn Kuhn as the motormouth of the council.  He just goes on and on and on.



DTJVSD

Did Ya Miss Me?

Welllllllllllll, did ya?

LOL..............took a vacation......spent time with the kids and grandkids.............
Had a great time..........the upper peninsula of Michigan is beautiful at this time of the year.  Daytime highs were mid 70's to low 80's..............nighttime lows were high 40's low 50's.  Had to wear a long sleeve shirt and fleece hoody to watch the July 4th fireworks.

Anyway, I'm baaaaaaaaack and will have some comments about some of our council members.

Stay tuned...............