point of view

A solar eclipse is the type of eclipse we will be experiencing on Monday. Solar eclipses in astrology always occur at the same time as a new moon. In astrology, the sun is the planet that represents our focus, our most personal desires, goals, & our external self. It is the planet of our personality, our self-expression, the tangible ways we interact in the world. The new moon is a time for putting our goals into tangible practice. It's a time to take the necessary steps toward what we want to create for ourselves. Therefore, the solar eclipse provokes changes that are more external, when events outside of us might get in the way of what we want & the path we must take to get it.

Tuesday, 4:30 pm - Municipal Court

Wednesday, 5pm - Historic Preservation Commission

Thursday, 9:30am - Thrive Steering Committee meeting; 11am - Redevelopment Corporation

Friday, 7:30am - City Council Special meeting & work session to follow; 5pm - Parade of Heart

Historic Preservation Commission will review administratively approved COAs for mini-split @ 415 St. Louis Ave; Commission will consider approval for various exterior alterations @ 109 E. Broadway; signage @ 113 W. Broadway & 101 Spring Street; awning @ 215-217 E. Broadway; replacement of windows @ 417 S. Thompson; & various exterior alterations @ 326 E. Broadway.

Special Council Meeting to certify results of election, give the oath of office to Stephen Spear & John McGovern; the council will accept nominations to elect a Mayor & Pro Tem for the year

City Council & give appreciation for Sonya Morgan's 12 year term on the council.

Council agenda items under development include property/casualty insurance proposals; annual presentation from DEP; Budget to actual for FY 2022 & 2023.

Celebrating work anniversaries this week - Blaine Watkins, PT Firefighter/EMT - 2 years; Virginia Kerr, Police Office Manager; & Amanda Johnson, Police Records Supervisor - 1 year.

We said good-bye to TR Kennedy this week, an unique guy who enjoyed serving the community, & is now ready to go camping.

Extending appreciation to Sonya Morgan for her service on the City Council for the last 12 years. Sonya has been a central figure in our community for many years servicing in various capacities before her role on the council & her interest will continue well into the future. Sonya has shared her love for architecture & how it has contributed to Excelsior Springs' continued attraction for historic tourism. She has a gift for making important connections for our community to prosper & to continue to be recognized nationwide. Highlighting community leaders serving on Planning & Zoning Commission - Sandy Barnes, Dustin Borchert, Bob Gerdes, Julia Goldstein, Bill Griffey III, Jake Simmons, Jason Van Till. PZ meets once a month to hear, discuss & vote on applications & plans dealing with land use or land division developments in ES. Thank you for volunteering, your contributions make us better!

• We have been in conversation with the trash company regarding the rough transition to one-day/week curb-side collection service. Because of the difficulty of providing credit to residents who have experienced disrupted services, the City & Republic agreed to offer free bulky item drop-off at the Recycling Center. Watch for announcement of dates & times.
• We have observed the dirt work @ QT site is going well, the water line is waiting on the permit; changes are happening to the old Pizza Hut site, & ground has broken for 7 building sites in the golf hill subdivision
• Community Foundation met this week & discussed various partnerships that are under development to provide youth sporting events & nutritional support for seniors & youth.
• United Healthcare provided the city $97,000 credit for good claims experience & profit-sharing.
• Conversations this week regarding the future of the old hospital site on Park Street, we are working with EPA, MoDNR & KSU TAB to explore best uses; meeting with DEP to discuss public improvements needed in downtown working with our engineers to prepare cost estimates to seek funding from CDBG & EPA.
• 20 professionals attended the RAISE project kick-off meeting to discuss the timeline & project specifics for getting started. In the coming months we will begin sharing out progress made & input needed from the public
• Sam Graves announced the City will receive $1.5M in funds to re-line sewer lines in the Wilson Acres subdivision, Lover's Lane, golf hill area & wildwood area. This will significantly reduce the amount of stormwater that is entering the sewer system, we will be working with Army Corps of Engineers to complete the project.
• We are under a comment period for the release of funds for a roadway improvement project to assist an industrial expansion project with the creation of new jobs.

I went to sleep with the distinct concept that dogs do talk if you're really paying attention. Joe Camp, screenwriter, filmmaker, creator of "Benji" franchise 1939-2024