Indian Mound Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes from March 21, 2017

Next Meeting: Monday, April 17th, 6:00pm at North-East Branch Library (6000 Wilson Ave, KCMO 64123)

Scott Wagner, City Councilperson (1st District), General Obligation Bond on April 4th Ballot

• The General Obligation Bond will authorize KCMO to bond out $800 million over 20 years to pay for various projects
• There are 3 Questions on the bond that residents can vote for or against:
  • Question 1: $600 million to fund road, bridge and sidewalk improvements
    • Does not include building new roads, just repairing old ones
    • The City has a list of 65 “shovel-ready” projects throughout KC
    • $150 million will be devoted to sidewalk repair
    • There is currently a 3-year backlog of sidewalk repairs
    • These have historically been paid through an assessment on property owners
  • Question 2: $150 million for Flood Control infrastructure
    • Kansas City has the 3rd largest levee system in the U.S.
    • Our U.S. Representatives have secured $500 million in Federal dollars for flood control, but those funds require a 35% match in local funds
  • Question 3: $50 million in City building improvements
    • Some money will go towards complying with the 2012 consent decree with the Federal government to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements in City buildings
    • New building for the City’s animal shelter ($14 million will come from the GO Bond, the rest from private donations)
    • KC Museum improvements ($6-$7 million to help finish Corinthian Hall)
• KC City Council hopes this will be a “multigenerational” fundraising mechanism
• For the average house in KC, property taxes will rise $8 each year
• Average house in Indian Mound will see a $3-$4 increase in property taxes each year

Patrick Tuohey, The Show-Me Institute (Non-Profit policy “think tank”)

• Mr. Tuohey claims that the KCMO government has consistently neglected its responsibilities to efficiently provide services with residents’ tax dollars over the past 40 years
• Because of that, it’s hard to trust they will deliver on the promises with the GO Bond
• Important maintenance has been continually deferred
• 3 arguments against the GO Bond proposal for April 4th
  • Bond requirements vs. General Fund
    • The GO Bond (if passed) will require that that money be spent on the approved sidewalk, street, bridge, stormwater, and building improvement projects.
    • However, there is a chance that it could “free up money” in the City’s general fund to spend on less practical projects, which might encourage reckless spending
  • KCMO’s projected costs from the GO Bond is misleading
    • KCMO assumes that they will have paid off other debts during the period of this GO Bond
    • KCMO assumes that property taxes won’t be raised during the 40 years of the bond
  • Accountability through a “Report Card” is not encouraging
    • Residents won’t have an opportunity to punish politicians for a “bad” report card other than electing them out of office
    • It’s hard to expect politicians to maintain a high level of accountability and reporting on how well GO Bond funds are spent for the next 40 years
• Conversation on the GO Bond was very lively, but had to be cut short to make time for other agenda items. Residents will have the opportunity to engage further at the next Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on March 28th. Councilperson Scott Wagner can be reached at scott.wagner@kcmo.org and Patrick Tuohey can be reached at patrick.tuohey@showmeinstitute.org .

Officer Greg Smith, KCPD

• Introduced new Crime Stoppers App for smartphones
• Addressed concerns about KCPD’s approach to federal immigration issues and relationship with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
  • KCPD does not participate in ICE operations
  • KCPD does not inquire about the immigration status of people pulled over for minor traffic violations
  • ICE has the authority to mine KCPD’s database on arrests
  • Many local police departments do not have the “manpower” to enforce immigration policy
  • KCPD does not inform ICE of their plans for DUI and driver’s’ license checkpoints
  • Manny Abarca pointed out the intricacies of establishing KC as a “sanctuary city” that chooses not to use its local police force to enforce federal immigration laws
    • KCMO cannot officially label itself as a “sanctuary city” because of recent legislation passed by the Missouri legislature that would withhold funding if the city did so
• Recent shootings and homicides (*all took place during the daytime and close to either James Elementary or Gladstone Elementary)
  • Homicide at St. John and N. Drury
    • KCPD cannot comment at length because of the ongoing investigation, but can confirm that there has been one arrest and that person was charged
  • N. Chelsea shooting in January
  • Scarritt & Bellaire double shooting

Reverend Sam Mann, 1⁄8 cent sales tax proposal on April 4th Ballot

• This tax proposal was organized by community members (not a “top-down” approach imposed by politicians) and garnered the signatures required to put it on the April 4th ballot.
• It proposes a 1⁄8 cent sales tax for 10 years throughout KCMO for concentrated economic development and job training in the Eastside of KCMO
• Boundaries are 8th Street on the north, Paseo on the west, Gregory on the south, and Indiana on the east
• Projected to generate $8.5 million/year for projects/developments
• Rev. Mann emphasized the importance of re-distributing wealth from the more well-off parts of the city to the areas without the tax-base needed to invest in those communities.

Indian Mound Neighborhood Association recent events

• Saturday, March 18th, 2017
  • Bridging the Gap helped plant trees in the right-of-way for eligible houses
  • AdHoc Group Against Crime organized volunteers to canvass homes near St. John Ave & N. Drury Ave after a recent daytime shooting
• Sunday, March 19th, 2017
  • Around 15 volunteers helped clean up the Indian Mound Community Garden at 5415 St. John Ave.
  • There are still 4 raised beds available to plant in. Please contact president.IMNA@gmail.com for more information

IMNA Committees

• Donna Miller-Brown is organizing a committee to help plan three events in Indian Mound during 2017
  • IMNA recently applied for a Neighborhood Rising Fund grant through the Community Capital Fund
  • Hopefully will receive funding for three events:
    • Event in Budd Park to engage residents and St. John Ave businesses (May 2017)
    • National Night Out (Tuesday, August 8th)
    • Fall Festival in Indian Mound Park (October)
• Jenna Wilkins is organizing a committee to develop a Master Plan for parks in the Indian Mound neighborhood

Announcements

• The Independence Avenue Community Improvements District has offered IMNA 50 plastic eggs filled with Silly Puddy that can be used for Spring-time events
• Thacher Update from Manny Abarca
  • Many dumptruck-loads of salvaged brick and limestone from the Thacher Elementary School demolition are available for Northeast neighborhood projects
  • IMNA has secured up to $150,000 in PIAC funds to build neighborhood markers out of the salvaged material
  • KCPS will build a Thacher monument on the new athletic field
  • Will include an arch (reminicent of the old building’s architecture), a time capsule, and a bench
• KCPD Chief Forté will be addressing Northeast residents at the Mattie Rhodes Center (148 N. Topping Ave, KCMO 64123) on Saturday, March 25th, starting at 10:00am
  • This will be a follow-up to the Chief’s visit in the Fall of 2015
• Chalk Walk at the Concourse on April 29-30th
  • Space is available for non-profit organizations to rent booth space
• Indian Mound Neighborhood Cleanup on Saturday, May 6th, from 8am to noon