NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
September 21, 2010
Contact:
Trisha Drape
816-347-8400
trishad@aea.net www.friendsofls.org
Friends of Lee’s Summit Supports November’s No-Tax-Increase Bonds
‘Complete Community’ Campaign Kicked Off Today
LEE’S SUMMIT, MO – During a news conference and kickoff of the “Complete Community” campaign, which took place today in front of the Lee’s Summit Police Department, the Friends of Lee’s Summit, a grassroots citizens group, announced its support for all four no-tax-increase bond questions on the November ballot for Lee’s Summit citizens. The group also launched its website, www.friendsofls.org.
On Nov. 2, area voters will be asked to consider four questions regarding the issuance of no-tax-increase bonds for the city of Lee’s Summit. The Friends of Lee’s Summit is encouraging residents to vote “Yes” on each of these questions, which would allow the city to issue approximately $37.4 million in general obligation bonds to fund public safety improvements, sidewalks and curbs, and new road construction.
According to the Friends of Lee’s Summit, these proposed projects are essential to the operations of the local police and fire departments; the continued maintenance of neighborhoods; the planned growth of the community; and the current and future economic development of the city.
“Not only does the passage of the bond mean upgrading our city’s existing emergency services radio systems for the Police and Fire departments, as well as constructing a police training facility and renovating the current detention facility, but it also will provide for sidewalk rehabilitation and road improvements throughout the city as we prepare our community for the future,” said Paula Derks, chair of the Friends of Lee’s Summit and president of the Aircraft Electronics Association, which is headquartered in Lee’s Summit.
Throughout the community, Lee’s Summit residents currently are seeing the results of past city bond issues, with improvements in streets, sidewalks, fire stations, sewers and more. The bond issues on the November ballot, Questions 1, 2, 3 and 4, are a continuation of essential citywide services and improvements that enhance the quality of life in Lee’s Summit.
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“First and foremost, there will be no tax increase. Yet, a ‘Yes’ vote on all bond questions enables Lee’s Summit, Missouri, to make much-needed improvements in police protection of public safety, updating aging neighborhoods’ curbs and sidewalks, and continued forward-thinking land use planning and development with new road construction,” said Steve White of WAGB&C Attorneys.
No-tax-increase bonds are made possible when existing bonds are paid off. The current property tax levy for the city of Lee’s Summit is $1.4926 per $100 of assessed value, of which $0.4697 is for debt service. The debt levy will not change if the four proposed questions on the November ballot are approved.
“The city has intelligently packaged a combination of issues into the current mix of bond requests without raising taxes. Included are much-needed safety updates and much-needed road improvements to help expand the economic and tax base of the city,” said Carl Chinnery of Chinnery Evans & Nail, P.C.
According to the Friends of Lee’s Summit, it is supporting Question No. 1, which would upgrade the Police and Fire departments’ communications system; build a police firearms training facility; provide training, meeting and storage space; and update the police detention facility, because:
- The city’s communications system is more than 25 years old; does not meet the FCC mandate for 2013; and some components are not public-safety rated. In addition, there are dead spots throughout the city.
- While Lee’s Summit is the sixth largest police department in the state, it is only able to conduct firearms training once a year for officers because of limited scheduling opportunities at the Sugar Creek facility, where 17 other law enforcement agencies also receive training. Best practices recommend firearms training four times a year, and the number of officers in Lee’s Summit will increase to 143 in 2011.
- Additional police department training and meeting space not only can be used for classroom firearms training, but it also can be utilized by the community for self-defense classes; Neighborhood Watch meetings; Citizen Police Academy meetings; and home owners meetings.
- Additional storage is needed because the current evidence room is at capacity, and evidence and victims’ property is being stored at an off-site location, while equipment is kept outdoors.
- The current police detention facility does not comply with national standards or state statutes, as the current design requires juveniles and females to be booked and detained in the same area as adult males.
According to the Friends of Lee’s Summit, it is supporting Question No. 2, which would provide sidewalk repairs and
- Correct vertical offsets between 1/2 and 1 inch citywide.
- Provide connectivity of the city’s sidewalk system.
- Meet ADA requirements.
- Replace rapidly deteriorating curbs and gutters throughout the city.
- Replace approximately 400,000 feet of nearly 2 million feet of curbs and gutters.
According to the Friends of Lee’s Summit, it is supporting Question No. 3, which would realign and widen Strother Road, as well as improve the View High Drive/I-470 Intersection, because:
- There is an anticipated increase in traffic from completion of the I-470/Strother interchange and future improvements to Lee’s Summit Road.
- It would provide direct access to Truman Medical Center.
- It would encourage economic development of 225 acres.
- It would provide a safer intersection at Lee’s Summit Road.
- Future economic development activity would include 300,000 square feet of office space.
- Additional turn lanes would be added to View High adjacent to and through the interchange.
According to the Friends of Lee’s Summit, it is supporting Question No. 4, which would extend Tudor Road from Douglas Street to Ward Road, because it would:
- Relieve traffic on Douglas Street and Chipman Road.
- Enhance public safety access to high-trafficked areas.
- Encourage economic development of more than 190 acres.
The No-Tax-Increase Bond Election Questions on the Nov. 2 Ballot are:
Public Safety/Emergency Services Radio System/Training Facility/Storage/Expanded Detention
Question No. 1: Shall the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $10,000,000 for the purpose of making public safety improvements, including the acquisition and installation of new emergency services radio equipment and tower, and the construction, furnishing and equipping of new police facilities for training and detention?
Infrastructure Improvements/Sidewalk Rehab/Construction Phase II/Curb Replacement
Question No. 2: Shall the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $11,860,000 for the purpose of constructing new sidewalks, rehabilitating existing sidewalks and replacing curbs?
Strother Road/View High/I-470 Improvements
Question No. 3: Shall the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $4,675,000 for the purpose of constructing road improvements and acquiring necessary rights-of-way, including improvements to Strother Road and to View High Drive and I-470?
Tudor Road Improvements
Question No. 4: Shall the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $10,870,000 for the purpose of constructing road improvements and acquiring necessary rights-of-way, including improvements to Tudor Road. |