Aldermen
work through power outage at meeting
Conditional
use permit approved for restaurant/lounge
The Platte City Board of Aldermen was in the dark during
Tuesday night's city council meeting after a storm knocked
out power to much of the city.
But the aldermen continued the meeting with emergency
lighting and approved a conditional use permit at 200
Marshall, agreed to look into amending the business license
ordinance and approved new guidelines for preparing the
2003 budget.
The conditional use permit was approved for Lona Webb,
who plans to convert an existing house into a restaurant
and lounge similar to "Strouds." The house is
currently being used as a law office. The board addressed
two concerns of residents bordering the proposed restaurant
about signage and parking.
"I am concerned about the parking lot," Alderman
Gary Brown said. "It will be a new hard surface and
there will be runoff from it."
City Administrator Keith Moody referred to a staff report
showing approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The report supported parking and storm water compliance
with current city standards and that signage will be similar
to current signage on the property.
Webb said the restaurant would operate from 11 a.m. until
9 p.m., similar to current surrounding businesses.
While approving the special use ordinance, the board
questioned parking by customer on Marshall or in adjoining
business lots. Webb said she did not have any control
over where people parked, but could build a parking lot
that could accommodate approximately 18 cars. Further
parking could be built, but Webb said she was concerned
with the elevation and stairs that customers would have
to climb.
The staff report recommended Webb should submit a sit
and engineering plan for adequate parking.
A Farmer's Market could start June 29 and operate until
Oct. 26 on Saturdays, if the aldermen approve an ordinance
change on business licenses. The Farmer's Market would
be held in the parking lot of Paxton School, operating
at 6:30 a.m. and would be similar to Farmer's Markets
in Smithville and Leavenworth.
Mary Ann Brooks, co-chair of the Platte City Area Development
Association, asked the board to consider an "umbrella"
business license the association could use for vendors.
"At present we cannot have an umbrella business
license," Brooks said. "People who want to participate
do not feel they can afford a business license."
Brooks said that most of the vendors would be from out
of town and felt they could not buy a license to sell
for one day.
Moody told the board that the current ordinance covered
various business needs and that license feeds could be
pro-rated through the year.
Brooks said the association would not collect sales taxes,
but would leave that accounting responsibility to the
vendors. Brooks said the market would allow area growers
to sell produce, flowers, and home crafted products.
"I have had several messages left on my answering
machine concerning the opening of the market," Brooks
said. "There is a lot of interest in it out there."
The aldermen also approved a new mission and vision statement
to help guide the 2003 FY budget preparation. The statement
is a step-by-step schedule for department heads to submit
budget needs and refine department objectives.
The first meeting for Wednesday, June 12 is planned as
a preliminary budget meeting with department heads to
review budget preparation procedures. A special meeting
is slated for Sept. 3 for adoption of the 2003 FY budget.
In other business, the aldermen considered:
•Interviews for a new police chief will start Friday,
June 14. Approximately five candidates will be interviewed.
Police Chief Bill Massock will accept a position with
the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms in Washington
D.C. Massock's new position will be in Special Operations.
•A replacement for city police officer. No date
on when the search will begin.
•Park and Recreation Director Dannie Stamper told
the board that the Missouri Department of Transportation
(MoDOT) would use their funds to correct erosion at the
northeast corner of the ball field, south of 92 Highway.
The project will include riprap and grouting. Stamper
said it will not relieve the problem of water on the field.
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