Point of View

It's finally Autumn, a favorite season to many who enjoy the fun foods, festivities, & cooler weather. Western Union (WU) has 10 reasons why autumn is one of the best seasons, & why there's much to be happy about this time of year. Changing Colors. Many people love Autumn for the changing colors of leaves. Pumpkin flavors can be found everywhere & delicious desserts. Cooler weather, with warm days starting to give way to cool, crisp nights. Better fashion like jackets, sweaters, & boots. It is the ideal time of year to use Firepits. Holidays, Oktoberfests, Festivals, carnivals & parades. Trees that were once green explode into beautiful hues of gold, red, & orange.

CCPHC Order - Masks are required indoors until further notice.

Monday, 6:00 pm - City Council Meeting

Thursday, 4:00 pm - BZA - Variance Requested to separate Benton Church & Parsonage into individual properties, considering structures have minimal distance between them.

Vonda Floyd, Finance Director, joined the city on 9/28. We are excited to have her join our management team. Police dispatchers are training on their new dispatch console/software system that will go live 10/13 [FUNDING: PSST]; WHY? the last time the dispatch console was updated was 1999, a lot of advances have occurred in the last 20 years; Sara Davis has become re-certified to install car seats [FUNDING: GF] WHY? Fire Department can continue to provide assistance in the proper installation of child car seats; CVS is offering free flu shots to city employees on 10/21. City employees experienced 10% reduction in pay from 5/1- 7/31; on 9/30 all were compensated for their loss, WHY? revenue losses anticipated due to economic shutdown have not been experienced, our local economy remained strong enough to return loss wages to our employees.

City Council on Monday will proclaim October 4-10, Fire Prevention Week; consider CARES funding for Small Business Assistance (Slightly Off Broadway, Excelsior Springs Museum, & Alcoholics Anonymous); an Agreement with Vireo for Safe Streets & Sidewalk Planning for the west side of town; amendment to Trespassing Ordinances to include vehicles, aircraft or watercraft; rezoning request in Empire Heights (Homestead Street) & Clacton Estates (between Kearney & Wornall Roads east of Cherry Hills), approval of Preliminary Plat of Clacton Estates, & restoration of previously suspended council compensation.

Shirewood/H Hwy Sewer Project completed, 33 property owners notified to abandon failing private septic systems & connect to public sewer [FUNDING: CIP] WHY? CIP funded sewer expansions into three neighborhoods on private septic systems to end pollution & avoid condemnation of houses, this is 3rd neighborhood completed; ladder truck returned to Fire Station this week after extensive repairs [FUNDING: GF]; Splash Park concrete pour planned this week will start to see everything take shape [FUNDING: CIP, LWCF, Piccadilly] WHY? Amenity sought by our community; Receiving interest in Hall of Waters from PBS & area radio stations this week in response to announcements about Saving America's Treasurers Grant & designation on Nation's Endangered Property List; Building Permits spiked during September, in the last 11 months permits based on the value of construction averaged $12,617/month; during September, without the School & Miller Cabinets permits, building permits averaged $29,264 [FUNDING: GF] WHY? Permits convey construction investment occurring in the community; PZ held public hearings this week to consider two rezoning requests & preliminary plat; [FUNDING: GF] WHY? planners consider the impacts from development based on public records & policies, but need to hear comments from the public when making decisions for the expansion of development; Community Center is reaching out to doctors & insurers in the Liberty, Lawson & Kearney area to create partnerships that benefit seniors by ensuring access to affordable services offered at the Center [FUNDING: CC] WHY? Seniors can improve life enjoyment mentally & physically by the social & physical connections made at the center.

Excelsior Springs West Side, a Chamber initiative, is dedicated to bringing improvements & positive awareness to businesses located on the West Side of town. West Side is focused on improving curb appeal, events & positive awareness. West Side's beginning efforts will focus on the business area of 10 Hwy from Wal-Mart through the bend at Job Corps Hill. Members of the community are invited & encouraged, as well as business owners from all areas of town to participate in West Side's efforts to make Excelsior Springs an area we are all proud to call "home".

Email: mmcgovern@excelsiorsprings.gov
Website: cityofesmo.com
Location: Hall of Waters, 201 E. Broadway, Excelsior Springs, MO 64024
Phone: (816) 630-0752