The City of Parkville will host a groundbreaking ceremony with the U.S. Corps of Engineers for the Section 1135 wetlands project in Platte Landing Park. The event will be held on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. and the public is invited to attend.

The City partnered with the U.S. Corps of Engineers to develop a Section 1135 project in the Parkville Bottoms located in Platte Landing Park. Platte County conveyed the park to the City in 2018. The Parkville Bottoms is a cornerstone project that will significantly improve habitats for a variety of wildlife. It aligns with recommendations from the Parks Master Plan and will complement recreational features in the riverfront parks, enhance the existing trail system, restore two wetland areas and the riparian corridor along Rush Creek, and improve the aesthetic value of the parks and downtown Parkville. All the areas will be planted with native vegetation that will help protect the source area for water supply wells and add floodplain storage space along the Missouri River. The overall restoration is approximately 23 acres of emergent wetlands, 14 acres of wet mesic bottomland prairie and 4.5 acres of riparian corridor.

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

Parkville City Hall will be closed Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 for Thanksgiving. Regular hours will resume Monday, December 2 at 8 a.m.

On November 8, 2019, Parkville residents were mailed a letter from the City of Parkville concerning an initiative for a petition audit of the City. The letter explained to residents that the City has prepared information for residents to provide a greater understanding of its responsible practices as they pertain to finances, transparency, accountability, economic development and compliance with laws and ethics policies. This information is provided in a Fact Sheet found on the City’s web site at parkvillemo.gov/auditpetitioninfo. Residents are encouraged to review the Fact Sheet prior to considering signing the petition. The letter also alerted residents that if the audit is performed, the city, and its taxpayers, would be responsible for the cost of the audit. If the audit is performed, the City will fully cooperate.

The City of Parkville communicates with its residents in an open and transparent manner. The letter and the Fact Sheet are part of our effort to keep our citizens informed. For more information, residents are encouraged to visit the website or contact the City Administrator or one of their elected officials.

The City of Parkville is pleased to announce that Royals Charities will donate funds to help improve the ball fields in English Landing Park following the floods that occurred this spring and summer.

As part of the Royalty Fields Program, Royals Charities and Price Chopper will donate $25,000 for ball field improvements to Grigsby Field and Ball Field #3. The money will be used for new dugouts at Field #3 and a new bullpen at Grigsby Field, along with upgrades and repairs to the current scoreboard.

In 2018 prior to the flooding, Engaged Companies, a Parkville-based company, provided $18,000 worth of improvements to Grigsby Field. The work included improvements to the infield, rebuilding the pitching mound, adding infield material and improving the transition to the outfield with new sod.

Mayor Johnston said, “We truly appreciate the support of our community to improve our ball fields after the two devastating floods this year. We are fortunate to have organizations such as the Royals Charities and Engaged Companies and thank them for their commitment to the community.”

An event is scheduled for Friday, November 8, 2019, at 12:30 p.m. at Grigsby Field. A grand opening event will be held next spring to unveil the improvements.

For more information about the donation, contact the Royals Publicity Department at (816) 921-8000.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) announced that the City of Parkville received the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the City’s 2019 annual budget. This is the fourth straight year the City has received the award for its annual budget. The Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting.

In order to receive the budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as:

• a policy document
• a financial plan
• an operations guide
• a communications device

To receive the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, a budget document must rate proficient in all four categories, as well as rate proficient in the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories. This is the fourth year that the City of Parkville achieved this award. The first award was received in 2016.

City Administrator Joe Parente said that “Parkville’s budget document clearly articulates to the public how the City proposes to spend their tax dollars. It is a user-friendly document and promotes enhanced transparency in government. I am proud of the commitment of the governing body and City staff to meet the highest principles of governmental budgeting.”

The Government Finance Officers Association is a major professional association servicing the needs of approximately 20,500 appointed and elected local, state, and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners. The GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting with over 1,600 participants. The award will be formally presented at the regular Board of Aldermen meeting on November 5, 2019.

To view a copy of Parkville’s 2019 Budget Document visit http://parkvillemo.gov/government/ financialdocuments/. For more information, contact City Administrator Joe Parente at (816) 741-7676.

The Parkville Nature Sanctuary will host its annual Ghost Stories Night on Saturday, October 26, 2019, 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 24 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. Avery Doggett from Boy Scout Troop 314 was presented with a certificate of recognition from Nature Sanctuary Director Joe Ryan and Nature Sanctuary liaison Marc Sportsman at the Board of Aldermen meeting on October 15^th.

Avery completed his Eagle Scout project on August 31, 2019. He and his crew hauled and spread gravel on a portion of the White Tail Trail. The former dirt path now offers cleaner travel for nature sanctuary visitors in wet weather.

Parkville Nature Sanctuary Director Joe Ryan said, “The Parkville Nature Sanctuary is grateful for the work Avery did to improve the White Tail Trail at the Parkville Nature Sanctuary. Our staff and the hikers appreciate his efforts.”

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 Avery 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.

The City of Parkville is pleased to announce that Police Chief Kevin Chrisman received the Clarence M. Kelly Award from the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission at its annual luncheon on October 2, 2019.

Clarence Kelly was highly respected for his leadership and integrity as Chief of Police with Kansas City, Missouri and as the second director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Each year since 1980, the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission presents the award to an outstanding law enforcement administrator in the Kansas City metro. The award was created to recognize an active law enforcement administrator who is an excellent administrator, proactive in their approach and dedicated to improving the criminal justice system. It is awarded to one who continues Mr. Kelley’s legacy by providing exemplary performance, which is influential in raising the standards of leadership.

Chief Chrisman worked for the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department for 34 years and retired as a major. He was hired as the Police Chief for the City in 2009. As Police Chief, he started the Police Community Assistance Fund, which includes the annual Shop with A Cop, back to school backpack program, a senior holiday luncheon and Halloween candy for bags that are delivered to kids in the community.

Chief Chrisman continually balances new technologies with traditional policing practices. By maintaining “old school values,” he maintains a policy for the Police Department to always try to go the extra mile to help people that need assistance. The Department focuses on providing the same level of police service that has been expected for decades. Chief Chrisman promotes officer participation in all events and through community outreach to give residents the opportunity to interact with the Police. Under his supervision, the Police Department cohosts an annual Northland Law Enforcement Appreciation Day to recognize law enforcement entities from the Northland.

Mayor Johnston said, “We are very proud of Chief Chrisman and feel fortunate to have his professional leadership of public safety in Parkville. His department culture encourages engagement with our citizens on a daily basis, and not only when a criminal incident occurs. High visibility and active community participation by our officers are the key reasons that Parkville is one of the safest cities in Missouri.”

For more information about the award, contact the Kansas City Crime Commission at (816) 960-6800.

On September 26, 2019, Mayor Nan Johnston participated in a mayor’s panel discussion hosted by the Kansas City Metro Chapter of the American Public Works Association and WTS-KC held at the Matt Ross Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas. The panel focused on transportation issues from a political perspective.

Mayor Johnston shared the experiences that prepared her for the position of mayor and her motivation to become a government leader. She talked about the challenges the City faces with infrastructure improvements and on-going maintenance, current projects including the Route 9 Corridor, and lack of sufficient federal and state funding.

Mayor Johnston said, “Insufficient transportation infrastructure funding in Missouri for over a decade will have long-term consequences. It will be very difficult to play catch-up with the amount of deferred maintenance of our bridges and highway systems. Local governments are being asked to fund an ever-increasing share of the state’s highway system, which leaves less available to provide basic services to residents.”

Mayor Johnston acknowledged that every city faces the same challenges and encouraged cooperative partnerships among cities. She wrapped up by discussing future planning in Parkville and the consideration of technology in that planning.

TJ Berry, former Missouri State Representative and current Clay County Economic Development Director, facilitated the panel discussion. Other panelist included Mayor Peggy Dunn of Leawood, Kansas, and Mayor Eileen Weir of Independence, Missouri.

The City of Parkville has issued a final notice of abatement and demolition order for a fire-damaged property at 202 East Street in downtown Parkville. The owner of the property has until September 22, 2019, to abate the violations on the property. If the violations are not abated, the City intends to have the structure demolished beginning on September 23.

In October 2018, a fire at 202 East Street severely damaged a single-family home on the property and resulted in fire damage to adjacent properties. Since this time, the cleanup of the property was delayed while a fire investigation was performed by the Southern Platte Fire Protection District, and then by a claim review by the property owner’s insurance carrier. While this was occurring, the Community Development Department issued notices of violation to the Parkville Property Maintenance Code and worked with the owner to install temporary safeguard fencing around the property in order to protect the public.

Because of the slow progress in cleaning up the property, the City issued a violation notice and worked under state law to declare the property a dangerous building detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Parkville. Following a mandated dangerous building hearing on July 3, the City’s legal counsel prepared evidence and an abatement order to vacate the structure and commence demolition. Per state law, the owner has to be provided a reasonable timeframe to comply with the order before the City can step in and cleanup the property. If the violations on the property are not abated by September 22, the City will have a local demolition contractor cleanup the property beginning on September 23. All costs associated with the City’s expenses will be reimbursed via a special tax bill and a lien against the property.