Friday, August 7, 2009

PTI-The Golden Arches

Pardon the Interruption, I'll continue the BOA Minutes tomorrow. Last night's Entrance Advisory Committee (EAC) meeting offered up some insights worth blogging. I was unable to attend, but one of my legion of field reporters gave me Cliff Notes for your information. First, the time line the Committee has adopted:

  • Sketches of 3 design offerings available @ WL 50th celebration, August 16th @ CC, 2 to 4PM.
  • Open House @ CC August 25th, 6:30 to 8:30.
  • EAC meeting 24 September, decision on design to be recommended to BOA.
  • 13 Oct, BOA to consider recommendation at monthly meeting.
A question on many folks minds is "how much?". Depending on design, projections are:
  • 2 major monuments (Eastside and Potomac) $80,000 each
  • 2 monuments, $50,000 each
  • 4 monuments, $40,000 each.
  • Total $420,000
  • KCMO owes WL $50,000 for removal of old monuments on Barry Road, payment has not been received, once received will leave a projected balance of $370,000 to be raised by donations.
There is an elaborate fund raising plan to feature a "Jewel of the Northland" theme. Various levels will be bestowed based on a donation that can be spread over a three year period, top level @ $50,000.

Mayor Bos believes the statutory limits of the WL Park Board (PB), in his words, could be "stretched" to accommodate using Park Board funds for one or both of the major entrance monuments. He feels this stretching has already happened by the PB contributions to the Fireworks Fund. Justification for PB involvement could be an expansive design on the City Hall/Eastside entrance which would include a shuffleboard and bocce area, as Jerry puts it, "games for old people". He suggested the Potomac entrance could also be incorporated in the already existing PB facilities there.
Stay tuned.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have to put food on the table and pay my house payment. This is while taking a 20% cut in pay. Right now I don't give a d**n about parks or the upper echelon crowd at Weatherby Lake pushing elaborate signs down our throats so they can look good to the outside world. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!!! LIFE IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL DURING THESE TRYING TIMES!!!

Anonymous said...

It is a sad testament to our community to even consider spending $400,000, I don't care who pays, for such self adoration. Isn't anybody a bit embarrassed? It just confirms in some people's minds our image...an uppity, keep up with Riss Lake, wanna be. Jewel? How about Cubic Zirconia.

Anonymous said...

I have it from a reliable source that the Park Board was neither aware nor promoting Mayor Bos' idea to "stretch" anything regarding the Park Board or that the Park Board has ever agreed to be part of the committee for entranceways. If the truth be known I do not think the Mayor has even once contacted either the President or Vice-President of the Park Board on this issue. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Again, this is CITY GOVERMENT Mr.Mayor, not CORPORATE! I remind him of what "stretching" the rules to get what he wants resulted in while CFO of Dairy farmers of America and the consequences. I've always wondered why that remained such a quiet topic here at the lake.
The city has so many issues to address with roads and sewers being on the top of the list. Also heard that WLIC will probably have to slap a pretty big bill on us for C-Point.
$400,000.....really!!

Anonymous said...

Like everyone I got my bill for the latest WLIC property purchase and will go on the payment plan. I felt obligated to contribute to the fireworks fund. I love Weatherby Lake but, like 11:31, times are tough. I feel we're being hit up all over the place for money by people who have no concept of the real world. And that is just Weatherby Lake. Not to mention outside hits like increase health insurance rates. (I've decide to drop our dental insurance to make up the difference.) Or employer stop matching 401K.

Why do we have to have fancy signs? Why can't we have a vote on different sign options.

Anonymous said...

I would like to see the entrance signs say:

Go Away

Former Home of Donna & Paul Gross

Enter at your own risk

I don't want people being inticed to come to WL ! ! !

Anonymous said...

How about taking a vote of ALL the residents of the lake instead of just 'the group'. The teenagers have it right....Here's your sign'...

Anonymous said...

It is simple folks. If you don't have the money to contribute, then don't. And don't feel you have to. Let the people at Weatherby Lake who have no problem with the signs pay for them. Let's hope they let people come forward to contribute and leave the ones who can't - left alone with dignity.

Anonymous said...

Too bad we cant do the same for Federal Government spending and taxes .

If we cannot or dont want to pay we can have someone else pay for the rest of us

Anonymous said...

Some of the people supporting the signs don't have the money. They just like to spend other people's money.

Anonymous said...

I have an idea. Let "the group" pay for the signs. Many of them own "adjacent lots" at WL, and these lots are exempt from paying WLIC assessments. Let them buy the signs with the money they've saved.

Anonymous said...

It would be interesting to know if the signs were put to a vote, how much support is out there. Doesn't it work out to be a cost of approx $500 per household?

Anonymous said...

Sketches of 3 design offerings available @ WL 50th celebration, August 16th @ CC, 2 to 4PM.

Open House @ CC August 25th, 6:30 to 8:30.

EAC meeting 24 September, decision on design to be recommended to BOA.

13 Oct, BOA to consider recommendation at monthly meeting.

ALL GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO VOICE YOUR OPINION. THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO KNOCK SOME SENSE INTO THE POWERS THAT BE.

Anonymous said...

Opinion or not, people will have their say when $370,000 is not rolling in. Will take some high dollar contributors to make it happen. Whatever happened to Lance Welch?

Anonymous said...

It make it happen:

37 WL people contributing $10,000 each or
370 WL people contributing $1,000 each or
740 WL people contributing $500 each or
1480 WL people contributing $250 each . . . .

Maybe the sign committee has something up their sleeve like a hidden pot of gold. Sure seems far fetched.

Anonymous said...

I do not believe the figures presented in your blog, Mike, are correct. I think Alan misunderstood. We will see when the final figures are available. AS I understand it, there were concepts presented but no dollar amount for each was known or given...perhaps guestimated at best.

Anonymous said...

Two signs at $80,000? That's like buying a house!

Anonymous said...

Would the existing signs be considered 'historical landmarks'? I certainly like them the way they are. They have been greeting me on the way home for years.

Anonymous said...

Feel the same way 3:06.