It makes them scratch their heads, raise their voices and ask repetitive, inane questions.
It makes their blood pressure go up.
It is in reference to Platte County’s dedicated parks/stormwater and roads sales taxes and them refers to some County Republicans who have made a recent habit out of bringing County Commission meetings to a grinding halt by drilling County officials about parks and recreation budgets and projects and asking the same questions over and over — and over — again.
The most recent example of this silly agenda came during Monday’s Commission meeting in Platte City and you can read about in our front page story by Assistant Editor Jason Lawrence. As I write this, I am still pondering pulling the story off the front page because what these folks are doing is meaningless and a colossal waste of time.
Anyway, it never ceases to amaze me how some County conservatives just cannot seem to grasp this indisputable fact: the County’s parks/stormwater one-half cents sales tax and three-eighths cent roads tax were each approved by County voters not once — but twice. By comfortable margins both times, I might add.
And no matter how many times these folks complain about it, or show up at Commission meetings with their human-rain-delay tactics, they cannot rewrite history.
That history shows that the majority of Platte Countians want nice parks and recreational amenities and they want nice roads — and they are willing to pay a little extra in sales tax to get those things.
My memo to these denialists: accept it and find something else to gripe about.
And yes, the front page story stands. Unlike these tax foes, I think everyone who has an opinion about public matters should be heard (like all those who voted for the parks and roads taxes), especially by elected officials. But their act is growing weary fast and I’m sharpening my editor’s cutting knife.
play nice?
Apparently not in Ferrelview.
In the continuing saga of an issue I first touched on last week, the Ferrelview Board of Trustees held a special meeting Monday night to levy a formal complaint against Trustee Geri Bryan, who serves as the Village’s street commissioner. The complaint would presumably have been a first step toward removing her from her post.
The complaint stated that Bryan exceeded her purchasing authority of up to $150 when she allegedly committed the Village to more than $900 of repairs without Board approval.
But apparently, the Board rethought the matter because they voted to withdraw the complaint against Bryan. Maybe it was because they did not have quorum or maybe, still, it was because they did not have a good case against Bryan.
Bryan, who said last week that the repairs were needed to address an emergency situation, told me Monday that some of the Board members have been trying to find a way to oust her ever since she won a run-off election against former Trustee Tom Pesco in April.
“There are three of them who have harassed me ever since I won,” Bryan said.
Board of Trustees Chairman Scott Plowman declined to comment.
Stay tuned.
PROPOSED CREMATORY GOES DOWN IN FLAMES
Lost in all the hubbub of last week’s County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting’s main event — the opposition and eventual denial of the proposed southern-County Chapel Ridge development — was another zoning issue that had drawn some attention in northern Platte County.
A request by a property owner along Farmer’s Lane east of Platte City for a special use permit for a cemetery and crematory in an RE (Rural Estates) zoning district was heard by the Commission — albeit during the midnight hour due to the four-hour afore-mentioned Chapel Ridge hearing.
The applicant — Vickie Pike — wanted the permit so she could build a cemetery and crematory on a little less than eight acres of her property. Naturally, the many adjacent homeowners in the area did not think too much of the idea. Neither did the P&Z Commission, which heeded the recommendation of the County P&Z staff and denied the request.
In its recommendation, the County staff said if granted the cemetery/crematory would “cause substantial injury to the value of property in the area” and “would visually dominate an area that is rural residential and agricultural in nature.”
Look, the dead have to be buried somewhere, but normally housing goes in around an existing cemetery, not the other way around. I don’t blame those citizens for opposing the proposal.
As for Chapel Ridge... well, that’s another story altogether. Methinks it’s a classic case of “not in my back yard” and we have not heard the end of it.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS INVITED TO EDITORIALIZE ABOUT TEXTING WHILE DRIVING
In next week’s issue, The Citizen will offer details about a contest we will sponsor in conjunction with the Missouri Press Foundation.
The contest will invite high school students to write editorial pieces about the dangers of texting and driving and submit them to The Citizen staff. We will then identify local winners and send them on to the Missouri Press Association for judging. The grand prize winner will win $500 and other fabulous prizes.
Check next week’s issue for all the details or shoot me an e-mail if you can’t wait until then.
Thanks for reading.