Parkville City Hall will be closed on Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Regular  hours will resume on Monday, November 26, 2018, at 8:00 a.m.

New decorative lights have been installed in downtown Parkville. The streetlights are a continuation of the lighting installed along Route 9 as part of the Route 9 Downtown Entryway Project. The City of Parkville, the Parkville Old Towne Market Community Improvement District (POTMCID) and the Main Street Parkville Association (MSPA) worked together to fund the new streetlights.

In 2016, downtown merchants approached the City about improving the streetlights, primarily on Main and 1^st streets. Streetlights in these areas were a mismatch of decorative streetlights, globes attached to wooden poles and in some cases cobra head lights that were needed to provide the proper level of lighting. The goal for the new lighting was to provide a fresh look, match the new lights with the ornamental streetlights along Route 9, give downtown Parkville a more cohesive look and provide the proper illumination for traffic and pedestrian purposes.

Design for the new streetlight project was completed by TranSystems, who also assisted with the design of the Route 9 Downtown Entryway Project. The POTMCID provided $42,500 in funding for the project. The MSPA was a conduit for the design grant. The City provided funding for the remaining cost of the project including design, electrical work and sidewalk reconstruction. The streetlight poles were installed by Kansas City Power and Light. An annual differential cost for the decorative street lights will be paid to KCP&L by POTMCID.

During construction, the City recognized the opportunity to make other needed improvements, including repair of several sections of brick sidewalks on Main Street and 1^st Street. The total cost of the entire project was $102,500. The new streetlights and sidewalk repairs were completed in August.

Mayor Johnston said, “A large project like this would not be complete without the help of our partners. We thank the downtown merchants who initiated the project, the Main Street Parkville Association and the Parkville Old Towne Market Community Improvement District.

For more information about the streetlight project, contact Public Works Director Alysen Abel at (816) 741-7676.

The City of Parkville is pleased to announce its partnership with Park University to accept food donations for Pirate Pantry, the University’s response to the increased awareness of food insecurity, or lack of nutritious food, among college students. Mayor Nan Johnston attended a grand opening ceremony for Pirate Pantry on October 23, 2018.

With the price of college and living expenses, many college students have difficulty choosing between the cost of college and the essentials, such as food. In spring 2018, Park University found that 1 in 5 students reported food insecurity and 65 percent of those students reported skipping meals due to a lack of money. One study of 66 institutions and 43,000 students concluded that 36% of students were food insecure. Another study discovered that 53% reported missing a class due to food insecurity, 55% opted out of joining extracurricular activities and 25% dropped classes due to hunger. Many students said that hunger was a factor in not being able to concentrate, leading some not to complete their degree.

Pirate Pantry is open to Park University students and is operated by volunteers, primarily graduate students in the Master of Social Work program. Undergraduate social work students help by stocking shelves and taking inventory. It is funded completely by donations, including a major gift from North Kansas City Hospital. Food drives were recently conducted at the University, Parkville City Hall and Northland Baptist Church.

Donations of non-perishable food and personal hygiene items can be placed in the donation bin outside Pirate Pantry or dropped off in the pantry. Donation bins will also be available at Parkville City Hall. Bulk donations can be coordinated by e-mail to pantry@park.edu and financial donations can be made by check written to Park University with Pirate Pantry in the memo line.

Mayor Nan Johnston said, “The City is very proud of our Pirate Community. We hope that raising awareness about this issue will increase the number of donations received. We are pleased to partner with Park University on this endeavor.”

For more information about the Pirate Pantry, visit park.edu/park-pantry/.

On October 16, 2018, the Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution urging voters in Parkville and throughout Missouri to become knowledgeable on Proposition D, an issue on the November 6, 2018, ballot related to funding for improved roads, highways and bridges. The resolution urges voters to determine whether they support or oppose the funding through an increase in the motor fuel tax and to participate by voting in the November 6^th election.

The Missouri General Assembly placed an issue on the November ballot for a statutory referendum to fund Missouri law enforcement and maintenance for highways, bridges, roads and streets. If passed, Proposition D will raise the motor fuel tax by 2.5 cents per gallon annually for four years beginning July 1, 2019, and will enable the Missouri Department of Transportation to address a backlog of road projects.

It is estimated that, if passed, the measure will generate at least $288 million annually to the State Road Fund to provide for funding of Missouri state law enforcement and $123 million annually to local governments for road construction and maintenance. The impact to the City of Parkville is estimated at $87,359 and the funds would be used for road and bridge maintenance and improvements in the community.

Voters will see the following language on their November ballot: Shall Missouri law be amended to fund Missouri state law enforcement by increasing the motor fuel tax by two and one half cents per gallon annually for four years beginning July 1, 2019, exempt Special Olympic, Paralympic, and Olympic prizes from state taxes, and to establish the Emergency State Freight Bottleneck Fund?

Mayor Johnston said “Missouri ranks in the bottom two states on fuel tax, yet has the 7^th largest state highway system and the 6^th largest bridge system in the country. In addition, a portion of the fuel tax will go to municipalities to assist with funding for local road and bridge projects.”

For more information about Proposition D, visit http://www.safermo.com. To learn more about the City’s resolution, contact City Administrator Joe Parente at (816) 741-7676.

The Parkville Nature Sanctuary will host its annual Ghost Stories Night on Saturday, October 27, 2018, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Parkville Nature Sanctuary located at Highway 9 and 12^th Street. Ghost Stories Night is a fundraiser and family event for kids of all ages.

Hot dogs and chips will be served – all tickets are $5. Guests can toast marshmallows and enjoy s’mores at the campfire, hike the haunted trail, listen to scary tales and enjoy music provided by the Shortleaf Band.

To help prepare for the event, the Nature Sanctuary is looking for high school aged and older volunteers to help carve Jack-O-Lanterns at English Landing Park on Thursday, October 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cookies and cider will be provided. The pumpkins carved will be used to light the kids trail during Ghost Stories.

For more information about Ghost Stories, contact Nature Sanctuary Director Joe Ryan at (816) 741-7676.

The City of Parkville recognized a local Boy Scout for his hard work in helping to enhance the Parkville Nature Sanctuary through his Eagle Scout project. Benjamin Haddix from Boy Scout Troop 1351 was presented with a certificate of recognition from Nature Sanctuary Director Joe Ryan and Ward 4 Alderman/Nature Sanctuary Liaison Marc Sportsman at the Board of Aldermen meeting on October 2^nd.

Benjamin Haddix completed his Eagle Scout project by covering approximately 150 yards of the White Tail Trail with gravel which helps to keep the trails open year-round by avoiding muddy days that follow rains or snow melt. His crew of volunteers shoveled rock into wheelbarrows, wheeled the rock to the parts of the trail that needed it and smoothed the rock onto the trail with rakes. They also uncovered and raked the rocks into a well-defined pile that will help the next group that works with the rock.

Parkville Nature Sanctuary Director Joe Ryan said, “The Parkville Nature Sanctuary is most grateful for the work Benjamin did to improve our hiking trail through his Eagle Scout project.”

Mayor Johnston said, “The Parkville Nature Sanctuary is a 115-acre natural area with 2.8 miles of trails that is maintained almost entirely by volunteers. We thank Benjamin for his work in helping improve our community.”

For more information about the Eagle Scout project or to volunteer, contact Nature Sanctuary Director Joe Ryan at (816) 741-7676.

Parkville residents can participate in the City’s annual Fall Cleanup on Saturday, October 13th from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 6105 NW River Park Drive.

Curbside pickup is Monday, October 15th; all items must be placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m. and cannot be larger than one person can carry.

The extended yard waste drop off will begin Monday, October 15th and goes through Friday, November 30th. Residents can drop off yard waste weekdays (excluding holidays) from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 6105 NW River Park Drive.

Proof of residency is required before items will be accepted at the cleanup and drop off events.

 

Remember to “Look, Light & Lock!” and remove valuables from unattended vehicles. If you see something, say something. Look! for suspicious activity. Light! up the exterior of your home. Lock! your vehicle doors at all times.

The City of Parkville is soliciting proposals for the City’s annual audit beginning with the fiscal year ending December 31, 2018 and related audit and accounting advice services during and throughout the course of the year. It is the intent of the City to engage professional accounting services from a qualified certified public accountant firm through an evaluation and comparison of past performance, appropriate references, prior experience in other municipalities and counties and expertise related to the City’s specifications.

Request for Proposals

The City of Parkville will host a public forum on September 19^th to discuss the community’s public water distribution system for fire protection. Recent fire protection events have generated various questions from the public. The City, along with its community partners the Southern Platte Fire Protection District and the Missouri American Water Company, will participate in the forum which will give the public the opportunity to ask questions and to hear about recent fire events and the capabilities of the fire protection system.

The forum will be held in the board room at Parkville City Hall, 8880 Clark Avenue, on Wednesday, September 19, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend.