What’s wrong with this picture?

Lynn Horsley reported on the two blighted motels on 87th Street just north of the Cerner development being torn down. I’m sure the police and the community are glad to see this finally happening; but there was an interesting mix of people there for a press conference.

Apparently, Councilman Scott Taylor offered remarks as Councilman McManus looked on. This is only a little strange since both of these men represent the sixth councilmanic district and the area of the motels is in the fifth. Those council representatives didn’t seem to make the photo, so one can only conclude that they weren’t present. Could that mean they didn’t care or that no one notified them?

Another interesting person present was John Sharp, who was referred to as a “dignitary”, even though he’s a private citizen. Maybe it actually isn’t so strange that he should be there since he seems to show up at everything. Apparently he has no life so nothing better to do with his time; although, maybe he was there because he was a proponent of pushing through the Cerner TIF. It has often rightly been pointed out that the Hickman Mills School District will, over time, receive $6M from Cerner (with Cerner having a voice in how that money is spent). What is often neglected in the conversation, is that the school district will be losing $340M over the next 23 years (the life of the TIF) in school taxes that will be diverted back to the development.

Of course, he also promoted the motel area being part of the TIF area. That way, instead of paying the owners a reasonable price, Cerner could use eminent domain to gain control. All in all Cerner faired pretty well with welfare from the school district. Nice going Mr. Sharp.

Noticeably absent, other than the fifth district council people, is anyone from the actual community. That’s probably because none of the leaders were notified; though you would think as a mayoral candidate, Councilman Taylor might want to share his spotlight with some of those whose vote he would like to win. All in all, an interesting mix of people, more notable for who wasn’t there.

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Response to Murders on Local Trails

Thank you to everyone who attended the Center Planning meeting on May 30th at the Trailside Center.

I’ve attached a copy of the Ordinance councilman Kevin McManus discussed at the meeting, as well as a Resolution regarding park safety meetings.

In addition to the ordinance, Kevin told us that additional cameras are being installed on the trail in undisclosed locations.

Captain Legg encouraged us to call 911 if we hear shots or see anything unusual. When you call 911 do not hang up until you talk with the dispatcher. If you do, the police have to come to your home to find out why you called, which takes the police’s time from going directly to the potential crime area. If you would like to report suspicious activity that happened in the past or that might be related to any recent crimes, you can also call South Patrol at 816-234-5550 to report any tips or evidence, or you can also call the main tips hotline at 816-474-TIPS. Any and all tips are extremely helpful to police.

Center Planning will be supporting Ordinance 170388 that will limit the hours in parks and trails. Make your voice heard by attending the Public Safety Meeting on Wed, June 7th at 10am at City Hall on the 26th floor. There has been opposition to this in the past, so it is extremely important that you either attend and voice your support, or call Alissia Canady at 513-6521. Ms. Canady is Chair of the Committee and will submit your support at the meeting.

Carol Winterowd, President
Center Planning & Development Council

Center Planning May Meeting

Center Planning and Development Council

Trailside Center, 9901 Holmes Road
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
7:00 pm

Parking access on south side of 99th St. Additional parking on the north side of 99th St
Park with caution. Or park in Gomer’s or Holmeswood Shopping Center on west side of Holmes

AGENDA

• Jason Holsman, our Missouri State Senator, will provide the highlights of the Legislative Session.
• Our South Patrol Officer will give us the latest developments regarding the homicides on the Indian Creek Trail near 103rd Street and Wornall Road. Many of us are very concerned about the series of homicides in our area.
• Lisa Hummel, Coordinator of Keep Out The Rain KC will be present to register households who wish to be evaluated for this program.

Next Meeting

We will not be meeting in June, July, and August, and will restart again on the last Tuesday in September (the 26th). We hope everyone has an enjoyable summer. As always, if an issue comes up that requires a special meeting, we will let you know.

Southern Communities Coalition Meeting

Wednesday, May 17, 2017, 7:00 P.M.
South Kansas City Patrol Station
9701 Marion Park Drive
Kansas City, MO 64137

Guest Speakers:

• Mr. Chad Thompson, Project Manager on Blue River Road
• Mr. Mario Vasquez, Project Manager on Trolley Track Trail
• Ms. Lisa Hummel, Community Outreach Coordinator for a free City program called “Keep Out The Rain KC”

Coffee & cookies are served
This meeting is always informative on local issues
Questions: Carol McClure, Co-Chair, 816-966-0855

Meetings Notice from Center Planning

There are two very important upcoming meetings that will affect the south Kansas City area.

The first meeting is with Centerpoint, the developer of the Bannister Federal Complex. They are holding a meeting at Center High School to discuss their plans for the cleanup of the Bannister Federal Complex. The meeting is on Thursday, May 11th, at 5:30pm.

The second meeting is with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to get feedback from the public about Centerpoint’s plans for the cleanup of the Bannister Federal Complex. This is a formal public hearing. This meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 17th at 5:30pm at Center High School.

Please plan to attend both meetings, as one affects the other, and both greatly affect our community.

Good Luck Lee’s Summit

KCPT is to be commended for their occasional programs dealing with local schools. You would think that guests on these shows would be experts in their field, yet Nick Haines, for some reason, includes Dr. Dennis Carpenter, the current superintendent of the failing Hickman Mills School District. In a recent show, the guests were asked what gives them headaches, and Carpenter responded with his usual claim that the students in Hickman Mills can’t perform, educationally, as well as those in more affluent districts.

That Hickman Mills can’t get accredited by the State is such a headache for Dr. Carpenter that he decided to pursue a cure through something called AdvancedEd. It would be interesting to know how much this cost the taxpayers, especially since it really carries no weight. In the District’s press release he stated:

It’s refreshing to have the district’s processes, systems and overall programming validated. This ensures that we are on track in terms of providing a holistic education of the district’s children validated.

Hmmmm. Not only does that last sentence not make sense, but you would think if it were true, they wouldn’t remain provisionally accredited by the State.

One also has to wonder if another source of his headache is the fact that he’s trying to hide something. Recently it has come to light that an email went out to all board of education members telling them they aren’t allowed in District buildings without an administrative escort. It seems he’s gone so far as having their ID badges deactivated. The truly sad fact of this is that he, as superintendent, is literally running the district, not the board of education which employees him.

Center Planning April Meeting

Center Planning and Development Council

Trailside Center, 9901 Holmes Road
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
7:00 pm

Parking access on south side of 99th St. Additional parking on the north side of 99th St
Park with caution. Or park in Gomer’s or Holmeswood Shopping Center on west side of Holmes

AGENDA

Center School District Panel:

Kelly Wachel, public relations director for the Center School District, is excited to share a panel presentation on the new “Center Impact Project” that seeks to pair intensive volunteer experiences with high school students at Center High School. The impact team is comprised of local churches, the South Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Caring for Kids, Young Life, and others all collaborating with Center School District to help support academic achievement and attendance. We will have Dr. Sharon Nibbelink (superintendent), Mark Potter (community outreach coordinator at Colonial Presbyterian Church), and Leonard Davis (Young Life) here to explain the project and what it means for our community and our students.

Keep Out the Rain is coming to our area this summer — to the West Bannister Neighborhood, Valley View, Western Hills, Santa Fe Hills, and the Boone area. Some of you may have experienced sewer back-ups in your basement. This is a free program to help property owners find and fix connections that allow rainwater to enter the sanitary sewer system. Lisa Hummel, coordinator of the program, will be here to sign up residents and provide more details. You can also call for a sewer connection check-up by calling 513-0200. This is one part of the City’s Overflow Control Program.

Southern Communities Coalition Meeting

Wednesday, April 19, 2017, 7:00 P.M.
South Kansas City Patrol Station
9701 Marion Park Drive
Kansas City, MO 64137

Guest Speakers:

• Mr. Darrell Curls, President, Hickman Mills School District
• Introduction of the incoming Superintendent, Dr. Yolanda Cargile
• School Board members as of Tuesday, April 4th
• Mr. Keith Sanders, Chief Engineer, K.C. Area Transportation Authority
  Three Trials Station at Bannister & Blue Ridge Blvd.

Coffee & cookies are served
This meeting is always informative on local issues
Questions: Carol McClure, Co-Chair, 816-966-0855

Center Planning March Meeting

Center Planning and Development Council

Trailside Center, 9901 Holmes Road
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
7:00 pm

Parking access on south side of 99th St. Additional parking on the north side of 99th St
Park with caution. Or park in Gomer’s or Holmeswood Shopping Center on west side of Holmes

AGENDA

Major Perez or an officer from South Patrol will give us a crime report for our area, specifically about the two homicides on 99th St. In addition we will have an update on the homeless in the trail area.

Roxane Hill, Executive Director of the Wonderscope Children’s Museum will speak on the anticipated plans for the museum in the newly renovated Red Bridge Shopping Center. This will be a huge anchor and boon for the shopping center.

Jim Staley, Community Relations and Planning Director for the Mid-Continent Library will tell us about the relationship between the Red Bridge Library and the Children’s Museum. In addition he will speak on the plans for the Library in light of the property tax increase for the Library.

News Items

The community outreach program for the Center School District had to be rescheduled for our April 25th monthly meeting. Please join us then.

An application has been made for a “Change of Ownership” liquor license at 9916 Holmes for the Soul Lounge. This was the former Magnolias.

An application has been made for a “Change of Ownership” liquor license at 9922 Holmes. It will be called Jambo Cafe. The location has been vacated for over a year. The application states closing hours will be 3am, the same closing hours as previously. It will be closed Sundays.

Remember to vote, April 4th!

Southern Communities Coalition Meeting

Wednesday, March 15, 2017, 7:00 P.M.
South Kansas City Patrol Station
9701 Marion Park Drive
Kansas City, MO 64137

Guest Speakers:

• Ms. Ericka Beeler, Manager of Business Development and Ms. Jodi Fincher, RN, Interim Administration, St. Joseph Medical Center – Senior Services
• Mr. Terry Leeds, Director of K.C. Water Services
• Mr. Dan Coffey, Citizens For Responsible Government – $800 million Bond Issue

Coffee & cookies are served
This meeting is always informative on local issues
Questions: Carol McClure, Co-Chair, 816-966-0855