A cost share agreement between the city and the Missouri Highway Transportation Commission and another with the Platte County Special Road District regarding improvements on the Highway 92/Interstate 29 exit 18 project was approved during a special meeting of the Platte City board of aldermen on Tuesday, Aug. 21.
The agreement with the Missouri Highway Transportation Commission calls for an equal split of the $8.09 million project, which is scheduled for the second half of 2020.
The original contract was contingent on the city’s approval a separate agreement to accept ownership and maintenance responsibility of 3,000 linear feet of Route HH, east of Interstate 29.
Since that contract was created, the Missouri Highway Transportation Commission changed it and asked the city to take over Roanridge, which is a dead-end road near the Windmill Creek construction.
The project will improved 2,200 linear feet of Highway 92 from the intersection with Prairie View/Running Horse, across the exit 18 flyover to the end of the project near the Bank of Weston.
A tight diamond interchange near the west end of the ramp will be installed, along with a pedestrian/bike lane to the flyover and construction of a divided four-lane urban highway — 1,000 linear feet — east of the exit ramps.
The city is responsible for project costs of more than $8,096,853. MoDOT’s contribution will not exceed $4,048,427.
MoDOT will be responsible for project design, bidding, contraction, construction and inspection.
The other agreement calls for the city to reimburse the Platte City Special Road District $125,00, divided up in three payments, starting in February 2022 in exchange for cash flow assistance of $250,000 in 2020 for the construction bidding project.
Pay raises
City employees in Platte City will see a bump in their pay checks after the board of aldermen approved a two percent cost of living adjustment.
Each department head will then get an additional two percent to allocate for merit-based increases.
Last year, the COLA was one percent.
The lengthy discussion took most of the hour-long meeting, which was ran by mayor pro tem Tony Paolillo.
New pool?
Progress seems to be going forward with the former Rising Star Elementary School property the city purchased in 2016. The plan is to demolish it and possibly turn it into a new pool for the city or a new civic center/community gymnasium.
Demolition on the property would start after the homecoming parade on Sept. 21.
The city reviewed proposals for near-term and long-term recreation use on the property and invited four to an interview and evaluation by the park committee.
The group headed to town includes Vireo Consulting/Larkin Aquatics; Snyder and Associates/Water Edge Design; OHH/Water Edge Design and SFS Architects/Water Edge Design.
The presentations and interviews will be held Sept. 10 at the next park board meeting.
Water woes
An agreement was passed regarding water shutoff with the Public Water Supply District No. 4.
The agreement applies to utility customers within the city limits, south of Highway 92 and east of Interstate 29, served by PWSD 4.
The city provides sanitary sewer and solid waste collection to those residents, but an agreement is needed for shutting off water service for non-payment of sanitary sewer services.
Someone could pay their water bill only and not the sewer/solid waste bill and still have services.
This agreement mails a notice 15 days after payment due date and allows an additional 15 days for payment. A second notice with seven days to pay would then be sent, informing customers legal action may be taken without a payment. Then, a letter from a wastewater service attorney would be sent.
No service can be terminated until 30 days after the city sends a certified mail notice is sent information of termination.
Park donation
The Platte County Memorial Park Association board voted to donate its remaining fund balance, at not less than $35,000 and not more than $50,000, to the city on the condition that the funds be used for the purpose of the development and construction of a community center or if a community center is not constructed by 2025, for any other civic and recreation approved by the board of aldermen, so long as the funds aren’t transferred to the general fund.
The Platte County Memorial Park Association organized on April 4, 1949. It was created by Platte County residents who had served in the military and wished to continue their service by the purchase and development of a Platte County Memorial Park.
The park has never been developed and with the mix of retirement or death of the original members, the current board wished to dissolve the board and donate the money to the city.
In other news
The city will purchase a 2019 Ford utility patrol vehicle for the cost of $32,040, which was in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The city needed to place the order for the vehicle by Sept. 21 to avoid a price increase of more than $3,600 by Ford. The estimated build time is between 12 and 16 weeks and should be delivered by late November or mid-December. The vehicle that is being replaced is a 2015 Ford Explorer with more than 80,000 miles.
An update from police chief Carl Mitchell shows there has been 246 service calls, down 14 percent from last July and traffic stops were down 37 percent, 102 compared to 163. Ten cases were submitted to the prosecutor’s office last month for charges and seven others were closed due to lack of suspect information.
The Platte City Police Department reached full staffing on July 15 when Rob Knapp joined as a full-time officer after serving as a reserve office.
The Pedal for Platte event is slated for 8 a.m. on Sept. 15 at Platte City Middle School. The free event, sponsored by the city and the Platte Area Chamber of Commerce, will feature a 5-, 13- and 30-mile bike ride, as well as a 1-mile family fun ride. Donations are encouraged, and it will benefit the Platte County R-3 Treasure Chest. Registration is open at pattecitymo.com.
Volunteers interested in assisting can contact the city (858-5627) or the chamber (858-5270).
A special ordinance establishing the tax levy was $1.0758 per $100 in assessed valuation, starting on Nov. 1 and running until Oct. 31, 2019.