City Managers Report
The Honorable Mayor
and members of the City Council
City of Warrensburg, Missouri
Dear Mayor and Council Members:
SUBJECT: City Manager Report for the January 12, 2009 City Council Study Session
Council Letter No. 09-001
January 9, 2009
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Inspire a Shared Vision
Challenge the Process
Enable Others to Act
Encourage the Heart
Model the Way
Inspire a Shared Vision
Challenge the Process
Enable Others to Act
Encourage the Heart
Model the Way
The quotation for this City Manager Report centers on the leadership concept of
"Challenge the Process.”
City Council Meetings, Study Sessions, and Executive Sessions
Today we have scheduled a Special Council Meeting at the City Hall Annex for Friday, January 9 at 12:30 p.m. to discuss a possible amendment to a development agreement between Hawthorne and the City of Warrensburg. In addition their will be an Executive Session at 12:00 p.m. (noon) for the purposes of discussing legal and possible real estate matters.
Our next City Council Meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 12, 2009, and we plan to have an Executive Session at 6:00 p.m. at the City Hall Annex just prior to the 7:00 p.m. regular City Council Meeting.
At this time we believe that the January 12, 2009 City Council Meeting Agenda at 7:00 p.m. will include the following items:
- Resolution to Pay Bills;
- Disposal of Surplus Property;
- Request for Funds from the Stephenson Fund for Project Graduation;
- Resolution Setting Fees to be Charged for Services Provided at Sunset Hill Cemetery;
- Second Reading of an Ordinance Establishing an Arts Commission;
- Ordinance Authorizing a Contract for the Construction of the Police Building;
- Ordinance Authorizing a Contract for Web Page Design;
- Ordinance Authorizing a Contract for the Dream Community;
- Ordinance Authorizing an Amendment to the Agreement with Bucher, Willis & Ratliff;
- Approval of a Sewer Inflow Study from Archer Engineers;
The Mayor has scheduled an Executive Session at noon, Friday, January 23, 2009 to meet with the City Clerk and City Manager to review under the open meetings law identifiable personnel records, performance ratings or records pertaining to employees or applicants for employment.
At this time we anticipate that at the City Council Meeting on January 26, 2009 that the following items will on the Agenda:
- Review of the Quarterly Financial Report and Status of the 2008-2009 Budget;
- Ordinance Amending Chapter 8 Concerning Court Costs;
- First Reading of an Ordinance Establishing a City Tree Board;
- Possible Review, Discussion of the Higbee Wage and Benefit Study.
Council Communication and Projects
You have communicated to City staff, as a group or individually, requests for information on certain issues. The following are some of those items:
Financial Report and Budget Status to be Discussed January 26
We plan to have more detailed quarterly financial statements available to the City Council at the January 26 City Council meeting. In addition, we plan to go over in detail a review of the City’s quarterly budget status. All City Departments Directors have provided their proposed 10% budget reductions and we are reviewing them for implementation. Enclosed are the normal bills report and Monthly Financial Statement that provides a summary status of 2008-09 actual revenues and expenditures compared to budgeted figures.
Some good news has arrived however. First, the City received notice from our insurance broker that we received lower and better bids from another insurance company other than MOPERM and that the estimated savings from our 2008-09 budgeted amount for property and liability should equate to approximately $27,000 for the General Fund and $15,000 for the Parks Fund. Second, with the passage of the County ¼ cent sales tax for dispatch we should have an approximate savings in 2008-09 for dispatch services of $190,000.
Financial Impact of Higbee Wage and Benefit Study Under Review
City staff is calculating the cost of various scenarios suggested by Lynda Higbee in her meeting with the Wage and Benefit Committee in December. We should share this information with both the Wage and Benefit Committee in January and the City Council should discuss possible dates to be briefed by Ms Higbee. Subject to a complete review of financial information that will be shared with the City Council on January 26 it is my preliminary thoughts that any wage adjustments resulting from the study would take place in April of this year after the January, February and March sales tax revenues come in.
Legislative Activity and Missouri Municipal League Policy
I was unable to attend the swearing in ceremony of our new State Senator and State Representative but sent my regrets. As noted in Barbara Carroll’s report, the Economic Coordinating Board is planning a reception at the EnerSys large meeting room for our legislators on January 30, 2009 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. When we communicate with our legislators on legislation we generally use the Missouri Municipal League’s 2008-09 policy statement as our guide. Enclosed in your packet is a brochure with this information or you can access it on the internet at www.mocities.com/documents/PolicyStatement.pdf
City to Develop Board and Commission Polices and Outline Training for New Members
Attached is a letter to Kory Alfred, the Director of Parks and Recreation outlining that we plan to review and develop joint policies with the Parks Department and develop a training and orientation program for new board and commission members.
Retirement Reception for Public Works Director to Occur March 19
Our Public Works Director, Robert Crumb, has given an official retirement letter noting that his last day will be April 10, 2009. Barbara Carroll has informed me that we should all mark our calendars for a retirement reception for Bob Crumb, Director of Public Works, on March 19, 2009 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the White Rose Pavilion. Invitations will follow with more information in the coming months. City Council members and the general public are invited.
City Continues to Recruit New Public Works Director
The advertisement for a new Public Works Director is now ongoing and after consultation with City staff and some local community leaders a recruitment profile has been developed by Slavin Management Consultants. This profile is now available on the City’s web page. While good Public Works Directors are extremely hard to find, Slavin has communicated to me that they have already received 15 resumes. The plan is for me to receive the initial resumes that meet the profile for review on January 19.
Community Branding and Retail Recruitment Efforts
As previously communicated, the emphasis on the Chamber’s branding and marketing committee for the next year will be the development of a marketing video by the University, and concentration on web page development. The City’s web page design and development contract on this agenda will make a huge difference in marketing our community. I plan to meet with the other local administrators at a breakfast to discuss the importance of cooperation in aggressively marketing our community.
Barbara and I have been reviewing interesting data for our retail recruitment that we purchased from the ESRI firm. We plan to use this information to provide data to our indentified retail recruitments.
Business Closing Rumors Not All True
The retail market now is very tough and I will have better information at Monday night’s meeting on the rumors that Stage and Goody’s clothing stores will be leaving the community.
State of Missouri Initiates Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday
Attached is a letter from the Missouri Department of Revenue concerning Section 144.526.1 of the Missouri State Statutes that creates a "Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday." Beginning in 2009, during a seven-day period starting on April 19 and ending April 25, sales of qualifying Energy Star certified new appliances will be exempt from state sales tax. Local jurisdictions can choose to participate in the Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday. If the City Council wishes to participate we must provide a copy of an approved ordinance to the Missouri Department of Revenue no later than March 5, 2009.
Johnson County Zoning Possibly on April 2009 Ballot
Last Tuesday night the Johnson County Temporary Planning Commission, pursuant to Section 64.725, held it’s Public Hearing on the proposed Johnson County Comprehensive Plan and proposed Johnson County Zoning and Subdivision Regulations. The City provided written correspondence as follows: “In its 2008-2009 strategic plan, the City Council adopted as one of its action steps ‘to support Johnson County’s efforts to develop zoning around WAFB and promote the development of county-wide zoning.’” As indicated in the local news media, the County Planning and Zoning Task force has agreed to place Johnson County Zoning on the April, 2009 ballot.
Wildlife Management Study to Take Place
Information was provided to the City Council on wildlife and management efforts. We plan to proceed with the study budgeted and suggested in that information.
City Manager and Director of Public Works to Meet with Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) District Engineer Beth Wright
Attached is a recent letter sent to Beth Wright, MoDOT District Engineer that outlines several issues that we plan to discuss with her at an upcoming meeting next Thursday, January 15, 2009.
Recent City Manager Activities, Meetings and Events
Since our last City Council meeting, I attended a Highway 13 Corridor Group Coalition Meeting, met with Department Directors, attended a Wage and Benefit Committee Meeting to discuss the benefit findings from our wage and benefit consultant, and attended a Branding/Marketing Meeting.
In addition, I attended our monthly KOKO radio presentation, met with the City Attorney, attended a Visitor’s Advisory Committee Meeting and provided depositions on our northeast sewer condemnation case. During the Holiday season, I took some time off.
This week I spoke at the Secunda Club, met with staff on the Capital Building budget, attended the MML regional meeting in Marshall, met with Tracy Brantner, met with Dr. Orr and Bob Crumb on the Hamilton Road project, and will attend a special Council meeting today.
Upcoming City Manager Activities, Meetings and Events
Next week I plan to attend a census meeting, give a State of the City presentation at the noon Rotary, attend a Pioneer Trails Regional Planning Commission meeting, attend the Chamber of Commerce Martin Luther King recognition luncheon, meet with Darin Baldwin on the Veterans Road project, meet with the high school leadership class students, and meet the District Engineer from the Missouri Department of Transportation.
The week after I will be on holiday in Branson on Monday and Tuesday, will attend the Martin Luther King Banquet, a Johnson County Economic Development Corporation Board meeting, and a Tourism and Visitors Center meeting.
Annual Report
Attached is the Annual Report from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County.
Economic Partnership Activities
As is our custom, attached are the monthly reports from Warrensburg Main Street, Inc., and the Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. Johnson County Economic Development Corporation reports on a bi-monthly basis. The reports from these Warrensburg Economic Partners are not only being provided to keep you informed, but are also available for interested citizens.
As always, if there are any questions on any matter, or if you need additional information on this report, please contact either myself or any of the Department Heads noted in this report. You may always contact me on any subject at any time by e-mail or mobile phone or leave a voice mail message at (660) 747-9180.
CITY CLERK
Cindy Gabel
- Monday, January 12, 2009, is a regular City Council meeting at 7:00 p.m.;
- Wednesday, January 14, 2009, is the Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the White Rose Pavilion from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.;
- Thursday, January 15, 2009, Base Community Council at Mission’s End at 12:00 p.m.;
- Tuesday, January 20, 2009, is a roundtable discussion and breakfast presented by the Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and Development. The subject is to explore the possibilities of importing and exporting products and services;
- Tuesday, January 20, 2009, is the closing date for filing for the one position that will be available on the City Council in April;
- Tuesday, January 20, 2009, Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration at 6:30 p.m. at the Elliott Union 224;
- Monday, February 9, 2009, at noon is the groundbreaking for the new Police Building. A City chili feed is scheduled in the bay of Fire Station 1 and an open house is planned for the new remodeled Fire Station and offices.
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
Chris Lowe
Information Technology
Fire Department Remodeling
The computer and telephone cabling is finished in Fire Station 1 with the exception of the Conference Room and the run down to the server room. Allegiant Networks hooked up the old system on Tuesday, January 6. The Conference room, when it is finished, will have capability to run 8 computer stations directly connected to our network, giving this conference room potential for all kinds of presentations and training. This is a serious upgrade in our abilities in this regard.
Class Merchant Services Upgrade
By January 9, the switch of all merchant services from Payment Tech to U.S. Bank, our banking services provider, should be complete. The new merchant service will significantly reduce the fees we pay in processing credit card transactions city-wide.
Telecommunications
The bid committee for the new city-wide phone system is meeting January 8 to review the bids received. Eight vendors submitted proposals. We are scheduling presentations by the finalists that will be chosen by the committee the week of January 19.
Training
The Information Technology and Training Team (ITTT) participated in online, web-based training from Microsoft to test its effectiveness for city-wide usage. We explored this avenue because this training is free with our licensure fees. The team went through the training and unanimously found it unsatisfactory. It was not a product that the team felt would benefit our end users in any fashion. In addition, upon the recent completion of software courses like Excel, Word, Access and Powerpoint taken through UCM, a survey was sent out to attendees. The results were mixed. The results of the survey showed that about half of participants found it worthwhile and advantageous. The other half did not. Webinars through Incode have also been scheduled to demonstrate Report Writer to all departments. Currently, the ITT Team is working on an overall training strategy with this recent information.
New Citrix Server
Funds had been budgeted for a new SQL server to support major software programs like Incode. However, demand on the servers supporting Citrix, which support almost 100 daily users, was causing problems on the network. Therefore, a new Citrix server was purchased, which is cheaper than the SQL server, to deal with that demand and solve the problem of users being kicked off of the system. Penny Harris will be building the new server and integrating it with our other servers in the next couple of weeks. We will attempt to budget funds in the future for that SQL server that will not be purchased in this fiscal year.
Municipal Court
Full-Time Assistant Clerk position
We reviewed over 50 applications for the vacancy created by Wendi Copello’s move to the U.S. District Court in Denver. We interviewed final candidates and are happy to welcome Teresa Baumeister as a full-time City employee. Teresa has done an excellent job for the Court in her past year or so of employment and was even more impressive in her interview. We are very pleased with her ascension to this position.
Replacement Municipal Judge
Professor Miller had previously indicated an interest in serving as a back up for our appointed Municipal Judge when Judge Hall had professional or other commitments that would force him to miss a court date. However, Professor Miller has discovered an opinion by the state ethics committee that prohibits him from receiving compensation from the university and as a judge. Therefore, as he is not desirous of leaving his teaching position at this time, he was compelled to inform us that he would not be able to serve in this capacity until such time as he does not have this conflict.
Finance
The auditors will complete their information gathering process with us this week. Tracy Martens, Lonna Mayes and Rachel Denfeld have been outstanding as always in working to provide assistance and information to the auditors. The auditing process is never easy, but this year it has been much smoother than in years past. We are confident that having Tracy go through this process this year, we will do even better next year.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Barbara Carroll, Director of Community Development
December 2008 Community Development Activity Report
The Community Development Report for the month of December is attached. Please ask if you have any questions regarding this information.
Economic Coordinating Board Legislative Reception Will Occur January 30
Mark your calendars for Friday, January 30, 2009 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. for a legislative reception hosted by the Economic Coordinating Board. The reception will be held at EnerSys in their large meeting room. This will be an opportunity for Council Members and members of the boards of directors from the economic partners to meet with Senator David Pearce and Representative Denny Hoskins to discuss legislative priorities for this year’s legislative session.
New Building Division Software to Take Place
Community Development, Public Works and Information Technology staff worked in December preparing for and training on the new permit software for building permits and public works permits. Staff is currently gathering more information to submit to Incode to further refine the software for Warrensburg. A date to go live with the software has not yet been determined.
City Submits Certified Local Government Annual Report to the National Park Service
In December, Angela Eley, City Planner, prepared and submitted the City’s Certified Local Government Annual Report to the National Park Service. This is different from the annual report submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office in November. The information in both reports is similar, however.
New Harmonies Exhibit to be in Fall 2009
Attached is a letter from the Johnson County Historic Society highlighting the New Harmonies exhibit that they will host in the fall of 2009. The letter also states, the museum and library will be closed to the public in January and February to reorganize the exhibits.
Historic Preservation Training Sessions Scheduled
Two training opportunities have been scheduled in the coming months. The first is a training session to help people prepare nominations for National Register listing is scheduled for January 15, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at the City Hall Annex. Listing of a property on the National Register is required in order for a property owner to access the state and national tax credits for historic preservation. The nomination form and process can be complex and Tiffany Patterson from the State Historic Preservation Office will speak on the subject. This workshop is free for people to attend. A press release from December 29, 2008, with more information is attached.
The second opportunity is a workshop being offered by the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation. The day-long workshop will cover topics such as the National Register of Historic Places, Federal and State Historic Preservation Tax Credits, the Main Street approach to downtown revitalization, the Missouri Community Betterment program and the Certified Local Government program. This workshop is open to persons from the surrounding counties as well. The workshop fee is $50, however the first 15 Warrensburg residents to register will get in free because the City of Warrensburg is helping host the workshop. A flyer with additional information is attached.
DREAM Scoping Meetings with the State of Missouri Takes Place
On December 15, Tracy Brantner and Barbara Carroll met with Rachel Davis from the Missouri Housing Development Commission to discuss what services the agency provides for DREAM communities. The office will conduct a housing market analysis specific to the downtown and identify which funding programs can provide assistance for rehabilitation and construction. On December 18, Jeff Hancock, Barbara Carroll, Jessica Rhodes and Jason Elkins met with representatives from the Department of Economic Development, the Missouri Development Finance Board and the Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, Inc. (PGAV) DREAM consultants to negotiate the DREAM contract. The meeting went very well and the scope of services to be provided to the City is extensive. The contract has been placed on the January 12, 2009 City Council agenda for consideration.
Apply for U.S. Census Jobs
Attached is a press release issued by staff regarding the hiring of Census workers. Locally, the 2010 Census Committee is working to prepare for the 2010 census and encourages local citizens to apply for Census jobs in this community.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Phil Johnston, Fire Chief
Food Center Donations Completed by City Fire Department
We completed our food collection operations on Sunday, December 21. Citizens dropped off food at City Hall, the Warrensburg Community Center, and Fire Station 2. Although the amount of food we collected this year was less than what was collected and transported to The Food Center last year, administrators at The Food Center reported they had many donations during December. Thanks are due the City employees and others who contributed both food and money to this year’s efforts.
Fire Chief Participates on Johnson County Emergency Services Board (JCESB)
I have spent a lot of time working on various matters for and attending meetings of the Johnson County Emergency Services Board. The JCESB is the new agency that oversees the operations of the 9-1-1 dispatch center following passage of the November 4 sales tax initiative by Johnson County voters. The board members are working well together, and we have devoted many hours to ensuring an orderly transition from Johnson County to JCESB oversight. In order to avoid unwanted consequences, the JCESB and the County Commission entered into an intergovernmental agreement to ensure the 9-1-1 dispatch center personnel would remain Johnson County employees until such time as the JCESB is able to process payroll and provide other employee services and benefits. The Johnson County Commissioners have been extremely helpful throughout the transition process, and it is evident that the transition could not have been done in the short time interval between the November 4 passage and the January 1 implementation date without the support and assistance of the County Commission. Funds have been borrowed to pay the operational costs until tax revenues are received in June. The JCESB will pay the County for payroll and other costs until the full transition occurs.
Firefighter Recruitment and Testing Begins
Oral interviews are scheduled to take place January 14 and 15 for firefighter candidates who have passed the written examination and physical ability tests. We are optimistic that the employment processes will result in most of the 19 candidates passing the remaining tests and eventually being selected to fill existing student resident and part-time firefighter vacancies.
Fire Station 1 Remodeling Project
The final inspection occurred on Wednesday, January 7, and the City issued a Certificate of Occupancy. Fire and Emergency Prevention Officer Justin O’Neal was the first to relocate to the new offices. We hope all personnel will be back by January 17. An open house is likely on February 9 to coincide with the groundbreaking for the new Police Department headquarters.
City Fire Department Receives Federal Grant of $133,000
The Fire Department was awarded a $133,000 Federal FIRE Act grant on December 26, 2008. The grant funds and $7,000 of City money will be used to acquire a portable fire training unit. The unit will provide Fire Department personnel with opportunities to practice fire suppression and rescue skills in a realistic environment. The unit will be similar to portable fire training units that can be seen at http://www.firefacilities.com/mobiletrainee.asp . There are a number of companies that manufacture these types of units, and we will use the competitive bid process to select the successful vendor. The acquisition of this portable fire training unit is a huge benefit in terms of the increased training that we will be able to provide to our personnel as well as to firefighters from adjacent fire departments. The unit will be located at Station 2.
Fire Chiefs Review County Emergency Plan Segment
On Tuesday, January 6, 2009, most of the county’s Fire Chiefs and two Assistant Fire Chiefs met to review and recommend changes to Annex F of the Johnson County Local Emergency Operations Plan. Assistant Chief Sean Douglas and I represented the Warrensburg Fire Department.
Fire Department Receives New Cost Efficient Vehicles
The Fire Department has acquired four 2009 Ford Escape vehicles for use by the Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, Fire and Emergency Prevention Officer, and Administrative Officer. These units will be identical except that the unit generally assigned to the Administrative Officer will be available for use by other City staff members and therefore will not have the same decals and marking on the vehicle’s exterior surfaces. Battalion Chief Dale Parsons is installing radios, warning equipment and other components needed to place these vehicles into service. We are looking forward to significantly decreasing our fuel and operating costs with these new vehicles. The vehicles look sharp and are better suited to our purposes than the former police sedans that we have used in the past.
Fire Station 2 Parking Lot Paving Project Will Take Place
Bill Graves of the Public Works Department has completed the engineering documents for the restoration of the parking lot at Fire Station 2. The City is in the process of advertising for bids. We are excited about the anticipated improvements to the parking lot at Fire Station 2. We understand that work should begin in April or May.
Discussions of City-County Emergency Consolidation Agreement Continue
City Attorney Doug Harris has reviewed the draft agreement pertaining to the consolidation of the City’s emergency management program with the program operated by Johnson County. I am in the process of reviewing Mr. Harris’ document and will forward my comments back to him for his further review and recommendations. Mr. Harris’ review and recommendations have been very beneficial and should be of value to both the City and the County officials who will work with this consolidated emergency management agency. I hope that review and approval for this consolidation will be completed by March so that the new emergency management agency can be established by April 1, 2009.
Fire Station 2 Experience Plumbing Failure
The large hot water heater at Fire Station 2 failed recently, and the cost to repair it was almost $7,000. The unit that failed was installed when the fire station was constructed. Work is needed on the “back flow preventer” that is used to protect the municipal water system from any contaminants that could enter the system from a fire truck or other device connected through the fire station piping. The cost of this work is estimated to be about $2,300. Repairs to objects at fire stations can often be expensive.
PARKS and RECREATION
Kory Alfred, Director
Below is a summary of the December 3, 2008 Parks and Recreation Board meeting:
- Board reviewed and amended priorities for Warrensburg Parks and Recreation
- Board approved contract with Reesbeck Construction for design and construction of Nassif Aquatic Center bath house.
- Approval of a resolution authorizing application of a Land and Water Conservation grant for development of Lions Lake wetland.
- Approval of contract for services with Landplan Engineering for development of Lions Lake revitalization plan.
Lions Lake Revitalization Plan Continues
A meeting to receive public input regarding the revitalization plan for Lions Lake Park is scheduled for Thursday, January 22, 2008, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Community Center. Landplan Engineering will conduct the meeting to solicit ideas on a drop-in basis from the public concerning revitalization of Lions Lake Park.
PUBLIC WORKS
Bob Crumb, Director of Public Works
Street Department Activities
The crew was out on Saturday after Christmas to clear storm drains throughout the City. There was a drainage problem in Grover Park that Parks Department and Street Personnel worked together to clear. The main drain was clogged and caused some minor flooding in the park. When the crews left the water had receded and was flowing into the storm drain system on North Street.
Christmas Tree Disposal and Recycling Available to City Residents
The Christmas Tree Disposal site is now open and will remain open until January 19, 2009. Anyone may pick up the trees for use in farm ponds or other uses and the remaining trees are chipped. The mulch is available to anyone that wants it. The site is located on Madison Street across the street from Fire Station #1. We have been advertising this service with public service announcements in the newspaper and on the radio.
Wastewater Department
The Wastewater Collection crew has been busy working on clearing lines in several areas. They are root cutting and using the camera to spot any potential problem areas that may occur.
Larry Nichols has been on vacation most of December and the crew is one person short due to the move of personnel to the West Plant. David Penrose was moved to the West Plant to fill a vacancy. Due to the hiring freeze the position will not be filled until approved by the City Manager. This will leave only two men to maintain the collection system, Stephen Ring and Keith Johns and they have been busy keeping the collection system running.
Monthly Utility Report
See Attached
New Public Works Maintenance Building On Track to be Completed in April
Coil Construction continues to install the steel exterior panels on the building. The weather remained very favorable for building conditions during this reporting period. The substantial completion date remains January 16, 2009. Based on our assessment of the contractor’s rate of progress, it is estimated that the building will not be completed until March. Depending on weather conditions, the site work should be completed in April.
Design of Upgrade of Old Public Works Maintenance Building Begins
The Assistant Public Works Director and the Project Manager have begun a design analysis for the old Public Works Building remodel. We plan to upgrade that facility in phases once the new Public Works Building is operational. The upgrades will be energy efficient measures which include replacing the single pane windows with energy efficient windows, adding insulation and upgrading the heating units. The old building was constructed in the 1950’s and has had very little upgrade since the early 1990’s.
New Police Building Contract to be on January 12 City Council Agenda
The Police Building bids were opened December 15, 2008. Straub Construction was the apparent low bidder. George Butler Associates (GBA) has completed their review of the bids and has provided a recommendation to contract with Straub Construction. The Straub Construction bid will be presented to the City Council at the January 12 meeting for approval. The current plan for notice to proceed remains February 16, 2009. The Police Chief is setting up a ground breaking ceremony for noon on February 9.
City Hall Remodel-Fire Department
The modular walls and office furniture were installed in the new area during the middle of December. The IT department is currently working with the phone company to install the necessary cabling and hardware. A final punch list walk-through inspection was scheduled for Wednesday morning January 7. Assuming the work is accepted the Fire Department staff will be able to move in immediately. The bunk room beds and associated furniture is currently scheduled for installation in mid-January. Delay was due to the factory shutting down over the holiday season.
City Hall Remodel-Programming Phase Begins
GBA architects provided a rendering demonstrating the requested Civic Center theme showing the Police Building and City Hall in a coordinated design concept. The staff is currently evaluating the GBA rendering. The City Hall programming effort is scheduled to resume in a meeting with GBA architects on January 16, 2009. Included in the programming analysis will be an evaluation of converting the garage bay facilities of the west wing of the MGE building into long term dry storage. This option should free up considerable area in City Hall for staff work space.
Space Programming of New Animal Shelter Addition Taking Place
The Animal Shelter Director and Police Chief have met with the Project Manager and are currently developing a programming statement of specifications and space requirements. A meeting was held January 2, 2009 to walk through the existing building to establish long term potential for remodel in order to minimize the footprint requirement for the new building. The current plan includes bidding out the new building project along with the existing remodel in one bid package. Additional project requirements include bringing Missouri American Water to the site as the current facility is utilizing poor quality well water. We expect to contract with GBA within the next couple of weeks to begin the actual design effort.
Design of New Cemetery Maintenance 90% Complete
The new cemetery maintenance building design is approximately 90% complete. The building drawings were submitted for plan review late last week. We expect the bid package to be ready for advertisement by mid-January. In addition, the existing cemetery house/office received a new roof and attic insulation in December. Further upgrades are planned for the house to include Energy Star rated windows and wall insulation.
Activities and Meetings of the Director of Public Works
The Director attended the Clean Water Commission meeting in Jefferson City on Wednesday, January 7, 2009. The Commission will be reviewing the State Revolving Fund (SRF) requests, which includes our request to increase our loan from $4,611,400 to $8,550,000 for the plant expansion projects.
On Thursday, January 8, 2008 I will be presiding over the Pioneer Trails Regional Planning Commission, Transportation Advisory Council (TAC) meeting in Concordia. Beth Wright, District 4 Chief Engineer will be discussing the Economic Stimulus Package and the projects being proposed by MoDOT. On Friday, January 9, 2009, I will be attending a MoDOT follow up meeting in Lee’s Summit.
On Friday, January 9, 2009, Marvin Coleman, Assistant Director, will be attending the pre-construction meeting of the MO. 13 East Loop project in Lee’s Summit.
On Thursday, January 15, 2009, Beth Wright, District 4 Chief Engineer will be in Warrensburg to make a presentation at the Early Bird Rotary Club and then meet with the City Manager and me to discuss a variety of issues.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Bruce Howey, Chief
Beginning 2008 Police Statistics Show Service Calls Up 3.2 Percent
The Police Department is working to compile statistics for its 2008 annual report. Preliminary indications are that total calls for service are up 3.2 percent over 2007 with 587 more calls for service numbers issued.
New Police Building Bids Extremely Competitive
The bids for the new Police Building were opened on December 15. The bids came in well below estimates. A proposal will be given to the City Council at their January 12 meeting to accept the lowest and best bid contractor for this project.
Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Police Building is Set for February 9
Monday, February 9, 2009 has been set for the groundbreaking ceremony for the New Police Building. We will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at noon and then have a City chili feed in the bay of Fire Station 1.
Anonymous Citizen’s Complaint
A male caller who would not identify himself to our Police Clerk left a voicemail message complaining about a Warrensburg Police Officer picking up his daughter from morning basketball practice at the Warrensburg High School December 31. It has been standard Police Department practice to not transport a family member while on-duty except in very exceptional circumstances and not on a regular or frequent basis. Lt. Asher Snook contacted the officer and learned that this was a single instance and was to alleviate a special situation that had arisen that was out of his control. There are rare times that on-duty officers run into this and it has been our standard practice to permit it on a limited basis. It actually takes less time to handle in this manner and keep the officer in service or reduce the officer’s amount of time out of service. I have no way to contact this person for further communication as he did not leave a name or call back number on the voicemail. He indicated that he would be at the City Council meeting to complain. I would welcome City Council comment as to what we have set as our standard practice for these special situations that do arise.
Animal Shelter
Shelter Takes Animals During Cold Weather
The shelter has taken in several animals recently affected by the cold weather, and is working to educate people of the needs of animals kept outside during the winter months.
First Glance of Data Shows Animal Intake Down at Animal Shelter
The 2008 annual report for the Shelter is being compiled. It appears that the intake of animals is slightly down from 2007.
City Managers Report available in .pdf
Visitor Center Advisory Board Minutes 11/24/08