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. :-) :-)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
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.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Mile High Madness Part II
Previously I wrote and indicated what our council members spent while in Denver. Now, it's time to break down some of those expenses.
Let's look at hotel costs. This is one area that definitely needs to be looked at much closer. As previously pointed out, the rooms are primarily for sleeping, showering and changing clothes. Most of the folks' time is taken up eating, attending seminars and socializing with individuals from other cities.
Our people stayed at the Hyatt Regency. That is the hotel directly across from the Denver Convention Center. The discounted group rate was $240/night. Now if we take the mayor and city manager out of the equation we had 4 council members who between them had 16 nights at the hotel. At $240/night (including taxes) that becomes $3,840.
Now, the folks who went from Lenexa got a group rate of $137/night (including taxes) at the Crowne Plaza. Granted that was a block or so away. Golly, they had to walk a little. If our council reps had stayed there, they could have saved $1,648. And how much could those four have saved if they doubled up? Allowing for a $30 surcharge for 2 in a room they would have paid approximately $1,336 or a savings of approximately $2,500.
How much would have been saved if the mayor and the city manager had also stayed at the lower priced hotel? Naturally in separate rooms, I’m still estimating another $500 could have been saved.
The Crowne Plaza is not exactly a notel motel………it would have served the primary functionality.
The next question is how much more could have been saved if we didn't have a six person delegation? Reduced per diem charges, reduced transportation charges, reduced registration charges for the conference and reduced charges for the number of people attending the various paid seminars. That could have been in the thousands.
This becomes important for another reason. In less than two months, the National League of Cities "biggie" is going to be in Washington, DC. And, considering the time line, arrangements are probably being made right now. Will we be sending another oversized delegation? Will they be staying in the most expensive of all the convention hotels, in individual rooms?
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Representation at these conferences is good. We just don't need to send an army. And, they can walk a little and stay at a better priced hotel.
Let's look at hotel costs. This is one area that definitely needs to be looked at much closer. As previously pointed out, the rooms are primarily for sleeping, showering and changing clothes. Most of the folks' time is taken up eating, attending seminars and socializing with individuals from other cities.
Our people stayed at the Hyatt Regency. That is the hotel directly across from the Denver Convention Center. The discounted group rate was $240/night. Now if we take the mayor and city manager out of the equation we had 4 council members who between them had 16 nights at the hotel. At $240/night (including taxes) that becomes $3,840.
Now, the folks who went from Lenexa got a group rate of $137/night (including taxes) at the Crowne Plaza. Granted that was a block or so away. Golly, they had to walk a little. If our council reps had stayed there, they could have saved $1,648. And how much could those four have saved if they doubled up? Allowing for a $30 surcharge for 2 in a room they would have paid approximately $1,336 or a savings of approximately $2,500.
How much would have been saved if the mayor and the city manager had also stayed at the lower priced hotel? Naturally in separate rooms, I’m still estimating another $500 could have been saved.
The Crowne Plaza is not exactly a notel motel………it would have served the primary functionality.
The next question is how much more could have been saved if we didn't have a six person delegation? Reduced per diem charges, reduced transportation charges, reduced registration charges for the conference and reduced charges for the number of people attending the various paid seminars. That could have been in the thousands.
This becomes important for another reason. In less than two months, the National League of Cities "biggie" is going to be in Washington, DC. And, considering the time line, arrangements are probably being made right now. Will we be sending another oversized delegation? Will they be staying in the most expensive of all the convention hotels, in individual rooms?
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Representation at these conferences is good. We just don't need to send an army. And, they can walk a little and stay at a better priced hotel.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Letter to Council 1/20/11
Below is a copy of an email I sent earlier today to all members of the City Council, the Mayor and the City Manager. If any of them decide to respond I'll be happy to post the response(s) here, without editing it(them).
This email is being sent to the City Council, Mayor and City Manager
Just prior to the end of the recent PW & Safety Committee meeting, Messrs. Sandifer & Vaught thought to mention the importance of the NLC conference with regards to info about audio capture of meetings.
Immediately following their comments, the committee Chair, Ms Kuhn, advised that there would be no comments about any items that were not on the agenda. What I wanted to say at that time would have been relevant, but decided not to push it.
The record needs to be set straight. Or, shall I say a reminder.
At the 11/8/10 City Council meeting these same items (method of preserving and communicating meeting minutes) came up after previously being reviewed by the PW&S committee.
Various items were then presented at that council meeting, to include the use of audio similar to the way Fairway was doing it. And, yes, it was me that brought that up. At that time, because of that and other info, Mr Neighbor moved that the item be tabled until staff had reviewed the additional info. This can be confirmed with the item in the Shawnee Dispatch from 11/10/2010 at:
http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2010/nov/10/council-delays-vote-cutting-minutes/
I bring this up, because the use of audio was brought up well in advance of the NLC conference. Naturally, I wouldn't expect either Messr. Sandifer or Vaught to mention that. Especially considering who brought it up. I will concede that the info from the NLC conference did show other methods of audio capture which could be better than the one currently employed by Fairway. The question is: If the item had not been tabled because of citizen input would the city even have looked at the audio concepts at the NLC conference? And if yes, to what extent?
Ray Erlichman
This email is being sent to the City Council, Mayor and City Manager
Just prior to the end of the recent PW & Safety Committee meeting, Messrs. Sandifer & Vaught thought to mention the importance of the NLC conference with regards to info about audio capture of meetings.
Immediately following their comments, the committee Chair, Ms Kuhn, advised that there would be no comments about any items that were not on the agenda. What I wanted to say at that time would have been relevant, but decided not to push it.
The record needs to be set straight. Or, shall I say a reminder.
At the 11/8/10 City Council meeting these same items (method of preserving and communicating meeting minutes) came up after previously being reviewed by the PW&S committee.
Various items were then presented at that council meeting, to include the use of audio similar to the way Fairway was doing it. And, yes, it was me that brought that up. At that time, because of that and other info, Mr Neighbor moved that the item be tabled until staff had reviewed the additional info. This can be confirmed with the item in the Shawnee Dispatch from 11/10/2010 at:
http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2010/nov/10/council-delays-vote-cutting-minutes/
I bring this up, because the use of audio was brought up well in advance of the NLC conference. Naturally, I wouldn't expect either Messr. Sandifer or Vaught to mention that. Especially considering who brought it up. I will concede that the info from the NLC conference did show other methods of audio capture which could be better than the one currently employed by Fairway. The question is: If the item had not been tabled because of citizen input would the city even have looked at the audio concepts at the NLC conference? And if yes, to what extent?
Ray Erlichman
Monday, January 17, 2011
Don't Forget Tuesday 1/18/11 Meeting
Don't forget the Public Works and Safety Committee meeting at city hall Tuesday 1/18/11 at 7PM.
Changes in how the minutes of city council and council committee meetings are kept will be voted on. Transparency must be kept.
Be there.
For info on exactly what is going to be on the agenda see the post with the link below.
Changes in how the minutes of city council and council committee meetings are kept will be voted on. Transparency must be kept.
Be there.
For info on exactly what is going to be on the agenda see the post with the link below.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Important Meeting - Council Transparency 1/18/11 Tuesday
There will be a meeting of the Public Works and Safety Committee on Tuesday 1/18/11 at 7:00PM.
Agenda and packet information is available at
http://www.cityofshawnee.org/WEB/ShawneeCMS.nsf/vwContent/Agendas?OpenDocument
Item 2 on the agenda would appear to be very important with regards to council transparency. This is where they will be discussing the format that the minutes of meetings will be taking. Minutes are the primary memorialization of what goes on at these meetings. Disclosure to the public is keeping within our framework of democracy. One item also includes the possibility of online audio availability.
Another part of item 2 (eventhough it doesn't show on the agenda, it is in the packet for that item) are rules for public participation in meetings. You would think that one short sentence about that could have been included in the agenda. Guess there wasn't enough room to mention that.
It is important to maintain maximum tranparency about what goes on in these meetings. It is also important to preserve citizen rights.
It would be nice to see a good public turnout for this meeting.
Agenda and packet information is available at
http://www.cityofshawnee.org/WEB/ShawneeCMS.nsf/vwContent/Agendas?OpenDocument
Item 2 on the agenda would appear to be very important with regards to council transparency. This is where they will be discussing the format that the minutes of meetings will be taking. Minutes are the primary memorialization of what goes on at these meetings. Disclosure to the public is keeping within our framework of democracy. One item also includes the possibility of online audio availability.
Another part of item 2 (eventhough it doesn't show on the agenda, it is in the packet for that item) are rules for public participation in meetings. You would think that one short sentence about that could have been included in the agenda. Guess there wasn't enough room to mention that.
It is important to maintain maximum tranparency about what goes on in these meetings. It is also important to preserve citizen rights.
It would be nice to see a good public turnout for this meeting.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
I Hated To Do It................But...............
............because of Vaught's letter to the editor of the Shawnee Dispatch of 12/22, I just had to respond there. http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2011/jan/12/letters-word-play/
His original letter is at http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2010/dec/22/letter-witness-or-see-wording-question-affects-res/
Back in 1974 at the Academy Awards a streaker ran across the stage. David Niven, a very gifted British actor, handled the situation with much aplomb and said “The only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping ... and showing his shortcomings.”
So, why did Vaught want to show off his vocabulary shortcomings to the world?
His original letter is at http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2010/dec/22/letter-witness-or-see-wording-question-affects-res/
Back in 1974 at the Academy Awards a streaker ran across the stage. David Niven, a very gifted British actor, handled the situation with much aplomb and said “The only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping ... and showing his shortcomings.”
So, why did Vaught want to show off his vocabulary shortcomings to the world?
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Mile High Madness
In previous posts it was mentioned that 6 individuals were going to represent Shawnee at the recent National League of Cities conferenec in Denver.
First, let's see how Shawnee compared to some other communities in the area with regards to number of individuals sent. In the past, listening to various presentations, there seems to be a trend to compare our city with some of the others. So why not this one? OK, so, how many folks represented each city?
Olathe...........................8
Lenexa..........................7
Shawnee.......................6
Mission.........................3
Merriam.......................3
Prairie Village..............3
Overland Park..............1
Roeland Park................1
Leawood........................0
Topeka..........................0
UG WyCo&KCK.............0
Now, what did this cost the citizens of Shawnee?
Jim Neighbor, Ward 1................................$2,711.60 5 nights
Mickey Sandifer, Ward 4..........................$2,677.60 5 nights
Jeff Vaught, Ward 3..................................$1,544.52 3 nights
Jeff Meyers, Mayor....................................$1,459.52 3 nights
Carol Gonzales, City Mgr.........................$1,254.57 3 nights
Neal Sawyer, Ward 2...............................$1,044.52 3 nights
=======
Total......................................................$10,692.33
I've always felt that conferences of this kind can be useful. The big question is, in these tough times how many folks do we need to send? I said it before the conference and I'll say it again, my opinion is that two would have been enough, 3 for this one since Mr Sawyer's registration was covered by a previous conference that he couldn't attend.
Note that 2 reps (33% of the city's delegation) accounted for over 50% of the expenses. This is not the first conference where Mickey Sandifer's expenses were near the top of the group's.
Another interesting note is the cost of the hotel rooms. At $240/night why couldn't the four council reps have done what private comapnies have gone to? Doubling up. Neighbor and Sandifer were there for 5 nights, they could have doubled up. Sawyer and Vaught were there for 3 nights. They could have doubled up. Even if there was a surcharge over the $240 for a second person, in most hotels that would not be anywhere near the cost of a separate room. Also, at a conference like this what is the need for separate rooms? One gets up, showers, has breakfast, goes to meetings, has lunch, goes to meetings, has dinner, socializes, then hits the sack. Unless the rooms are being used for mini-conferences/lectures what's the need?
My original comments, months ago suggested that just the mayor, city manager and Councilmember Sawyer should go. Look at the numbers above............the city could have saved approximately $7,000.
In March there will be another National League of Cities conference in Washington DC. It will be interesting to see how many of our city officials go to that one, and what the cost factor will be.
First, let's see how Shawnee compared to some other communities in the area with regards to number of individuals sent. In the past, listening to various presentations, there seems to be a trend to compare our city with some of the others. So why not this one? OK, so, how many folks represented each city?
Olathe...........................8
Lenexa..........................7
Shawnee.......................6
Mission.........................3
Merriam.......................3
Prairie Village..............3
Overland Park..............1
Roeland Park................1
Leawood........................0
Topeka..........................0
UG WyCo&KCK.............0
Now, what did this cost the citizens of Shawnee?
Jim Neighbor, Ward 1................................$2,711.60 5 nights
Mickey Sandifer, Ward 4..........................$2,677.60 5 nights
Jeff Vaught, Ward 3..................................$1,544.52 3 nights
Jeff Meyers, Mayor....................................$1,459.52 3 nights
Carol Gonzales, City Mgr.........................$1,254.57 3 nights
Neal Sawyer, Ward 2...............................$1,044.52 3 nights
=======
Total......................................................$10,692.33
I've always felt that conferences of this kind can be useful. The big question is, in these tough times how many folks do we need to send? I said it before the conference and I'll say it again, my opinion is that two would have been enough, 3 for this one since Mr Sawyer's registration was covered by a previous conference that he couldn't attend.
Note that 2 reps (33% of the city's delegation) accounted for over 50% of the expenses. This is not the first conference where Mickey Sandifer's expenses were near the top of the group's.
Another interesting note is the cost of the hotel rooms. At $240/night why couldn't the four council reps have done what private comapnies have gone to? Doubling up. Neighbor and Sandifer were there for 5 nights, they could have doubled up. Sawyer and Vaught were there for 3 nights. They could have doubled up. Even if there was a surcharge over the $240 for a second person, in most hotels that would not be anywhere near the cost of a separate room. Also, at a conference like this what is the need for separate rooms? One gets up, showers, has breakfast, goes to meetings, has lunch, goes to meetings, has dinner, socializes, then hits the sack. Unless the rooms are being used for mini-conferences/lectures what's the need?
My original comments, months ago suggested that just the mayor, city manager and Councilmember Sawyer should go. Look at the numbers above............the city could have saved approximately $7,000.
In March there will be another National League of Cities conference in Washington DC. It will be interesting to see how many of our city officials go to that one, and what the cost factor will be.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Vaught Answers But...May Need an English Lesson
I'm happy to see that Jeff Vaught finally answered my question, with a letter to the editor of the Shawnee Dispatch. The letter is shown below. Eventhough he didn't respond to me directly I thought in all fairness his response should appear here also.
But, before you read it, keep in mind that Mr Vaught may need an English lesson. Read what he says about the words "witness" and "seen" then read one of the definitions for "witness" from Webster's on line.
From Webster's:
to have personal or direct cognizance of : see for oneself
But, before you read it, keep in mind that Mr Vaught may need an English lesson. Read what he says about the words "witness" and "seen" then read one of the definitions for "witness" from Webster's on line.
From Webster's:
to have personal or direct cognizance of : see for oneself
Now, here's Vaught's letter to the editor. Now, even after seeing that, he still wasn't concerned about safety? Oh well:
To the editor,
Shawnee resident Ray Erlichman recently asked me at a city council meeting “have you ever ‘SEEN’ a gas explosion.” My answer was simply “yes.”
A few days later Mr. Erlichman sent me an e-mail with the following line: “…I asked you if you had ever ‘WITNESSED’ a gas ‘PIPELINE’ explosion.” He then went on to ask me when and where that was in an attempt to imply that I was lying, and is now trying really hard to make an issue of it.
Adding a word and switching a word totally changes the question. There is a vast difference between the word ‘witness’ and ‘seen.’
I think Mr. Erlichman needs to review the recording. I would be more than happy to send it to him.
And by the way, I have witnessed a gas explosion, the Gates City Glass Company explosion, July 2, 1990, at 126 W. 5th St. in Kansas City, Mo. I was in my loft across a parking lot less than 300 feet away. I have not witnessed a gas pipeline explosion though, but I have seen one or two.
Jeff Vaught
Member, Shawnee City Council – Ward III
Link is
http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2010/dec/22/letter-witness-or-see-wording-question-affects-res/
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