COUNTY READY TO CELEBRATE 175 YEARS

It’s Platte County’s dodransbicentennial and residents are ready to celebrate. In more layman’s terms, 2014 is the 175th anniversary of the creation of Platte County. The County will kick off this celebration at 11 a.m. Dec. 31 in the foyer of the Platte County Courthouse in Platte City. The event is open to the public and refreshments will be served. The new Platte County Parks and Recreation 2014 calendars, which highlight historic sites and attractions throughout the County, will be available at the kickoff. The County Commission at its regular session on Monday approved a resolution recognizing the anniversary and heard from 175th Anniversary committee chair Pat Medill, who outlined some of the events in the planning throughout 2014 to commemorate the event. In the works is a possible Civil War re-enactment, a Missouri River kayaking event and other community celebrations. The County already moved up its Parks and Recreation Outreach grant cycle to take advantage of anniversary projects that would bring to life historical events from the past. Director of Parks and Recreation Brian Nowotny also presented a professional services agreement with historical preservationist Jean Svadlenak for $23,200 to catalog, research and preserve items in the log cabin at the Green Hills of Platte Wildlife Preserve. Archeological assessments of the cabin indicate its construction dates back to the early 1800s. A French fur trading company may have built the cabin as a trapper outpost in the rugged Missouri territory. Nowotny said while the County owns the cabin and the various historical items inside it, the staff is unaware of the true history of such items and these items need professional preservation in anticipation of the creation of an exhibit at the site. Svadlenak is the former curator and president of the Kansas City Museum and owns and operates Svadlenak Museum Consulting, specializing in guiding museums in collections care and management and the creation of exhibits and long-term museum plans. Platte City area resident Janet Stark questioned the hire, asking if Svadlenak was getting paid more than $20,000 for only three months of work. Nowotny said that it was actually about four months of work. Nowotny also presented a change order for work at Platte Landing Park in Parkville, adding to the scope of work. Linaweaver Construction will receive an additional $63,690 for road stabilization work, further extension of the new boat ramp, stormwater improvements and to pave the parking lot by Grigsby Field. The increase comes in part due to a decrease in other costs, as Nowotny reported that Parkville Public Works staff will now do the seeding work. Nowotny said about $20,000 still exists in the contingency fund for the project. Director of Planning and Zoning Daniel Erickson presented a change to the County zoning order, which provides additional standards and definitions for new agri-tourism businesses. “Platte County has a significant agri-tourism business and that market is just growing,” Erickson said. “The 2000 County Land Use Plan encourages this kind of development.” The amendments will expand the definition of agri-business and help promote such businesses, which currently include wineries and you-pick and educational farms. Auditor Kevin Robinson presented the annual year-end budget adjustments and a public hearing for the 2014 budget was set for 10 a.m. Jan. 6, 2014 in the Commission meeting room. Robinson said he plans to make the budget available to the public on the County Web site on Dec. 23. Two construction contracts for work on Dye Store Road north of Weston were approved as well. Director of Public Works Greg Sager presented two bid awards to McKinley LLC totaling about $505,000 for the replacement of two bridges on the road. Sager said the project came in well under the engineer’s estimated budget and these were the lowest prices he had seen on a bridge project for several years.