All Elections Matter

Hello everyone.  I hope all is well.  Things at the City are moving along smoothly.  The holidays are just around the corner.  Fall is in the air.  We live in a wonderful place!

With less than two weeks remaining before the November 8^th elections, many people are focused on the candidate races and ballot issues that will be decided that day.  Rightfully so.  Many things hang in the balance with this election – I’m certainly watching it with great interest.

But the November election isn’t the only election that I’m following.  While it’s received almost no attention, the results of the April 2016 board election for the Neosho TDD are still in dispute and little has been done to resolve the issues.  What are those issues?  Well, there are two of them.

Issue one:  there is a question of how many “votes” the Neosho R-5 School District was entitled to cast in that election.  The court has previously ruled that landowners inside the TDD get to cast 1 vote per acre.  The question then becomes “How many acres does the Neosho R-5 owns inside the TDD?”  The City believes (and others have affirmed) that number is around 24 acres.  Those advising the TDD (and printing the ballots) believe it is closer to 29 acres.  29 “votes” were cast by the Neosho R-5 in the April election.  The school district voted for the two incumbent TDD board members and those two candidates were declared the winners – but both by less than 5 votes.  Said another way, getting an answer to the question of 24 vs. 29 could change the outcome of the election.

Issue two:  as part of the construction process, MoDOT took ownership of an additional 20+ acres inside the TDD between December 2015 and January 2016 – months before the April ballots were cast.  However, it is unclear whether or not those 20+ acres were deducted from the voting acreage that was used to cast “votes” in the April 2016 TDD election.  As a reminder, the courts have also ruled that land owned by MoDOT isn’t allowed to be voted.  Those votes could also change the outcome of the election. 

That brings forward the bigger question – Should election results of the Neosho TDD be subject to review?  More importantly, when irregularities such as vote counts are raised, is that something courts should act on quickly?  Don’t forget, those “elected” board members are responsible for imposing, collecting, and spending millions of dollars in taxes?  That requires oversight!

The City of Neosho City Council months ago challenged the results of the April 2016 TDD election seeking clarification on the acreage.  The TDD’s written response to the court indicates their position that the TDD election cannot be challenged or reviewed - period.  I’m no attorney, but would it ever make since that Missouri laws would NOT allow a challenge to an election if improper votes were possibly cast – especially if those very votes could change the outcome of the election?  Don’t forget – the TDD board members are the ones spending millions in taxpayer funds paid by local citizens?  Where is the oversight?  It certainly makes no sense to me!

As to November, I hope all of you will show up at the polls and cast your ballot for the candidates of your choice.  As to the April TDD election, I hope common sense prevails sooner than later.  There are many questions that need answered.  Taxpayers deserve a voice.  I’ll certainly be pushing for those answers and to protect that voice.  As more information comes to the surface, I’ll keep you posted!

Until next time:  stay the course, keep the faith, and may God continue to bless Neosho!

Data, Not Deadlines, Should Drive Decisions

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a great week!

In the past few days, the Neosho TDD has once again tried to grab the headlines.  That means they are likely once again trying to cast blame toward the Neosho City council.  The latest issue revolves around delays by the TDD to provide basic financial data followed by an artificial deadline for action.

For those that haven't followed the news, the issue at hand was very simple.  The Neosho TDD board had proposed a new project - one that had never before been discussed or presented to the public for review as part of the original TDD plan.  That project involved road work on Kodiak Dr. north of Waldo Hatler Dr.  The proposed work would widen the road between Waldo Hatler and Maple Dr. to help traffic flow in and out of the future Neosho Jr. High.

On the surface, it seems like a reasonable project.  In fact, the City has publicly supported the general idea of the project.  So what's the problem?  Well, your City's elected leaders had one simple question for the TDD:  Can you afford it?  I never dreamed finding the answer to that question would be so hard.  After all, the Neosho TDD board had already stated in court filings that the project would not impact its ability to repay its debt.  That told me they had already done the leg work.  A quick review of their financial analysis on the project should give the answer.  But not so fast!

As the city dug deeper, the information was somewhat surprising.  When asked how much the project was going to cost, the reply from the Neosho TDD was "we don't know."  When asked to provide financial data, we were first told by the TDD that our request was "unreasonable."  At that point, I knew that what should have been a somewhat simple process was once again going to be turned into a circus.

The good news is Mr. Royer ultimately received most of the data he needed to do his analysis.  (I say 'most' because the actual project cost is still only an estimate.)  Building on his expertise and experience working as a state auditor, he spent countless hours over a couple of weeks reviewing and analyzing the data.  He had planned to brief the city council last night on his finding so we could make our decision for support.  But that turned out to be unnecessary.  Why?  Because last Friday, the Neosho TDD, after blaming the city for not meeting a short and arbitrary deadline, decided the project is no longer going to be pursued.  Well, that's their decision - not ours.

For the record, I support the City's insistence to let the data, not deadlines, determine our decision for commitment and official support for this project.  We've learned the hard way when people simply say "trust us" when it comes to spending taxpayer funds.  Our view was much more objective - similar to how a bank would look at a project: let the financial data drive the decision.

In the end, only the Neosho TDD can decide whether or not to reopen the discussions on whether or not to pursue the project.  But regardless of what they do or don't do, the City's desire to review the public financials of the TDD was not only reasonable, it was responsible.  Taxpayer funds deserve a little more protection and oversight than a simple "we don't know" and "trust us".

TDD Views Failure to Provide Financials as Small "Technicality"

Hello everyone.  I hope you're having a great (dry) day.

This morning, you'll likely read or hear about the latest discussions between the Neosho TDD and the City of Neosho.  In what should have been a 10 minute meeting this past Tuesday turned into a 2-hour ambush to once again belittle the City Manager and the city council for our decision to NOT support new projects inside the Neosho TDD.

For the record, the issue at hand was one of oversight, not opposition.  For months, the city Manager and others inside the city had requested basic financial data from the NTDD to show the district could afford the new proposed project.  Unlike projects completed to date, the proposed extension of Kodiak Road north to Maple Dr. was never part of the original plan presented to the public during MoDOT's May 28, 2014 meeting at the Neosho Lampo building.

Wanting to ensure the NTDD could afford the new project, the city council unanimously voted back in March (and again in May) to request some basic financial information from the NTDD.  It should be noted that the NTDD had already stated in their court filing that "...[n]either the funding nor development of the proposed Second Additional Transportation Projects will impair the District’s ability to repay any liabilities...."  Our position was simple:  let us see the data that was compiled to make that assertion.

What was the response from the NTDD?  Nothing.  Silence.  No response.  No reply.  When asked this week why they didn't take five minutes out of their day to reply and give us the financial information, they told use they weren't required to and that our request was "unreasonable".  What?  When pressed more, one NTDD board member, Gene Schwartz, said not giving the financial data was a "little technicality."  That's not an honest answer.

When ANY taxing entity describes their own failure and refusal to provide basic financial data as "a little technicality", it should raise a number of flags.  The city's desire to review financial records before endorsing a plan to spend more taxpayer money was not only reasonable, it was a responsible act I'd expect of any elected official.

I'm disappointed the project wasn't approved, but that outcome rests solely on the shoulders of the NTDD.  A simple reply to a basic request was all that was required.  I hope the TDD will reconsider their position.  There is still time to make this happen.  But it all starts by answering the most basic of questions:  can you afford it?

MODOT

FTZ Closer to Reality

For close to three years, there has been a lot of talk about a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) being formed in the Neosho Industrial park.  Several months ago, the FTZ application hit a snag in Washington D.C. when the folks from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) weren't on board with the proposal. It appears some wrangling and arm twisting has changed that.  According to sources within the FTZ board office in D.C., NABIFI has modified the FTZ application and boundaries and removed the land associated with a proposed inter-modal facility from the FTZ site plan.  That change has allowed the CBP folks to now get on board.  FTZ Board review is now expected to happen as early as mid-July.

Below is a link to the original presentation to the Springfield Airport Board back in 2014.  While some of the information is inaccurate, it gives you an idea of what was proposed at the time.

FTZ Presentation to Springfield Airport Board - Dec 2014

The Boulevard Blog is Back!

For the past 5 years or so, I spent a few minutes every Thursday writing an article that was published each Friday in the Neosho Daily News.  After almost 6 years as mayor and over 200 articles, that routine rolled to a stop as the torch was passed to Mayor Collinsworth.  

Over that 5 year period, the column became a great communication tool for the city as well as a good exercise for me to keep my writing skills in shape.  Not wanting to lose either, I will soon be restarting my Boulevard Blog to keep those who are interested abreast of a variety of happenings in the area.

I hope you enjoy it.

- Richard

West Coast Freight Move to Midwest Isn't Without Risk

As someone that imports product from around the world, I'm very much aware of the issues surrounding freight movements and the costs associated with getting freight from the west coast to Neosho.  The proposed, but not yet approved, inter-modal facility in the Neosho Industrial Park has some great potential.  Since the beginning, I've supported the concept.   Finding ways to make that move more reliable and at a reduced cost over current rates is a sound business goal that could have significant benefits to attracting and growing our local economy.

But it's not as easy as some make it out to be.  Many things have to happen that no one in Neosho has control over.  Below is an article on the impact of the Panama Canal expansion on imports.  While it may have some bias toward supporting the west coast ports, it does highlight some issues and risks associated with moving freight to the Gulf coast.

I hope you enjoy it.  If nothing else, having more knowledge about an issue is always good in helping to make better decisions and to form opinions.

Intermodal Data

Veteran's Article from 11/11/2011

Top Shot – Kinda

Originally posted in the Neosho Daily News 11/11/2011

There are times in my life that I look back and ponder some decisions I’ve made regarding my career and education.  Those would include my decision to stay “close to home” after high school vs. “going off” to college.  They would also include my decision to NOT stay in school and pursue an advanced degree of some sort (MBA, Law Degree, etc.) after receiving my Bachelors’ degree from MSSU.  But the one I ponder the most was my decision to NOT pursue a career in the US Military and serve my country in one of the branches of service.

Now that’s not to say I didn’t consider it.  I did visit with recruiters after high school.  I also spoke to some college friends who were in college ROTC programs.  But with bad eyes (i.e. not 20/20) and knowing that my vision “issue” would preclude me from pursuing a career as a military aviator, I didn’t even consider other options.  Looking back, I wish I would have considered it a bit more. 

Yesterday, I had the privilege of presenting the local Missouri National Guard training facility at Fort Crowder with a proclamation recognizing their contributions and service to Neosho and our military.  During the event, I got to meet a number of enlisted personnel and officers who work to train our soldiers as they prepare to defend our country and our freedoms around the world.  It was both exciting – and humbling – as I (and other elected and Chamber of Commerce members) saw firsthand the technology and resources used to train our troops.  We heard about IED’s, saw a trainer for Humvee rollovers, and even experienced simulated combat using an arcade-like training simulator to fire M-16’s and other weapons at the enemy.

In the simulator, ten of us took on the task to battle armed enemy forces coming from buildings.  While the simulator didn’t tell me how many times I was shot and injured (or worse) as I defended my position, I did have the highest kill percentage of the group (my good friend and military veteran Sy Werner was right behind me.)  While I don’t know if my score was “good”, 37% of the enemies I engaged were hit.  For me, as someone who never thought I’d have the opportunity to fire a round from a military weapon, I was pleased.  But more than that, it gave me a renewed respect and admiration for all of the men and women in our military who have, are, or will work to protect the freedoms and the country that we value so much.

Thank you to everyone at Fort Crowder (especially Chief Shields) for providing me with an experience I will remember for a lifetime.  We have a great group of men and women working right her in Neosho who directly impact the lives of our soldiers all over the world.  It’s a pleasure to know them.  It’s a pleasure to honor them.  And it’s reassuring to know they and many others are there for us – 24/7 – sacrificing their lives to protect, serve and secure our country.

Happy Veterans Day!  Until next time, stay the course and God bless!

The Mayor Ran a Red Light?

Originally Published in the Neosho Daily News on 10-25-2013

I’ve certainly enjoyed the change in weather this week.  The smell of burning fireplaces brings back so many childhood memories for me.  While I hate the cold we see in December and January, the fall temps are my favorite.  But I digress.

I had my second opportunity to see the new signalized crosswalk at Neosho High School in action this week.  And like my recent experiences with the new “diverging diamond” interchange at I-44 and Rangeline Rd in Joplin, it was interesting to watch others react – some not knowing exactly how to proceed.  Honestly, I also found it to be down-right confusing at first myself.  Adding to the pressure this time was the presence of a Neosho PD officer sitting close by.  I certainly didn’t want to mess it up…and no one else did either!

Of course, when the lights came on and went from yellow to solid red, I stopped.  And when they changed from a solid red to a flashing red (and the crosswalk was empty), I looked both ways and proceeded through the intersection.  It was then that I saw several head turns in my direction with expressions of disbelief that I would do such a thing. “Complete disregard for the law” was the look from one motorist.  Did the mayor just run a red light?  Well, the answer was “no”, but I knew then that confusion still surrounds the new crosswalk and how it works.  If you’re one of those that’s still uncertain, I’ve got some simple tips to help you.

First off, the lights are only on when a pedestrian is present.  So unlike a traffic light, most of the time there is no light whatsoever.  When a pedestrian does walk up and request to cross, the signal needs to give drivers a bit of warning.  That warning starts with a few seconds of flashing yellow lights.  We all know what yellow lights mean.  We see them every day.  It’s the “hey, something’s coming and you better pay attention and be ready to stop” signal.  The flashing yellow then turns to solid yellow, and just like at a traffic light, a solid yellow means a red “Stop” is next.  That’s pretty straight forward.

It’s the red lights that seem to cause the most confusion – specifically, can I go if the lights are red?  The answer is – “it depends.”  When the solid red appears, it’s the universal “Stop – don’t move” signal.  Just like a standard traffic light, you stop and wait.  Regardless of how many are crossing or if they are already clear, if the light is “solid” red, you must stay stopped….period.  Again, pretty straight forward.  But what about the flashing red lights that follow?

Since different people walk at different speeds and since stopping on a major road for no reason can create congestion, the designers of the system gave drivers some latitude.  If people are still walking across, you must stay stopped.  But if the crosswalk is empty, the flashing red lights give you the ability to start moving again and proceed.  Just like when a traffic light is broken and all directions are flashing red, you pull up, stop, check for traffic and then proceed.  The same goes for drivers behind you.  They must also stop, but can proceed if the crosswalk is empty.

With anything new, it can be confusing.  And even though I knew the answer, I went back and watched a MoDOT video as I wrote this.  After a few times, it will become second nature, but until then remember these key points:

                Solid Red – stop, stay stopped, don’t proceed – period

                Flashing Red – stop, check for pedestrians, and if it’s clear, head on down the road

I’ll finish today with one more bit of info about those lights.  They are officially known as “HAWK” lights:  High intensity, Activated cross WalK.  The design was imported from Europe and adapted for crosswalk use in America.  The first was installed in Tuscon, AZ in 2000.  It was, until December 2009, categorized as “experimental” in the US.  

Until next time:  stay the course, keep the faith, and may God bless Neosho!

Highway Costs are Taxing

Below is my weekly column published 5/16/2014

It’s been almost a year since I wrote about the demise of a proposed sales tax to support Missouri’s highways.  But unlike last year, it now appears a sales tax option will be coming to the voters of our state no later than November.  While some have already spun this as a tax increase, I’d rather call it a tax option – after all, we the people will make the final decision – our legislators simply made the choice available.  I’m glad we get the chance to weigh in on the matter.

I stand by my principled view that overall, I’d like to see a smaller government and lower taxes for everyone.  But as you learn in life (and as I had reinforced by my college economics professor) – there are no free lunches.  Roads don’t get build for free.  Roads and bridges don’t last forever.  It takes money to keep our road infrastructure functioning.  The sales tax – if approved - will generate around $550 million a year with a 10-year sunset.  5% of that comes back to both counties and cities for local projects.

Personally, I felt a fuel tax would be the “fairest” tax – meaning that those who use the roads more (and therefore buy more gas) pay more in taxes, but that’s not what we got.  The concern I heard was such a tax would equate to as much as $0.20-$0.25 per gallon at the pump to generate the needed revenue.   That’s over a 5% increase in gasoline prices – adding $5 or more to the average fill-up. 

 The sales tax (which we get to vote on) is the other option for a quasi-consumption tax – the difference being that those who buy more (of everything) will pay more taxes.  (As a side note, you don’t pay sales tax on gasoline.)  The downside is the proposed ¾-cent tax hits everyone – regardless of how far or how much we drive.  The legislature has lessened that blow by exempting items such as food and prescription drugs.  Given that most goods we buy in stores today are delivered there by trucks (that drive our highways), some will say that taxing all goods is fair since it helps pay for the roads that allowed the goods to deliver.  While it’s not a strict tax on road use, I do see some connection.

 At the end of the day, the funding issues at MoDOT aren’t going away.  With more money, they will build more.  Without more money, they won’t.  I applaud MoDOT on the cost-cutting measure already put in place.  They've cut a lot of staff and closed a number of offices (the one on 32nd in Joplin is one I notice the most.) It does appear they have tried to do their part. And when you lose almost half a billion in funding vs past years, you have no choice but to stop building and change your focus to little else other than maintenance and snow removal.

 We should know in the next few weeks if November is truly the date to decide this issue.  But until then, unlike last year, at least voters will get the chance to decide on MoDOT’s funding for the future – and ultimately decide on an option to support the future of our Missouri highways for the next 10 years.

 I want to give a quick compliment to our folks in the Neosho Parks Dept.  With most of the flowers now planted and spring rains bringing life back to our parks, they are looking beautiful.  I took a stroll around Big Spring Park this week – what a jewel we have in our downtown!  Sales tax revenues continue to come in strong.  Business growth is picking up as well.  We certainly have a lot to be proud of.

 Until next time:  Stay the course, keep the faith, and may God bless Neosho.

Laws Need Consequences (from May 31, 2013 NDN Column)

It’s that time of year again when the Missouri General Assembly has wrapped up its session and bills passed by both chambers are sitting on the governor’s desk awaiting a signature or a veto.  As an elected official looking out for Neosho’s best interests, I made a point to speak with our folks in Jefferson City as they crafted some of these bills – especially when those bills seemed to take away “local control” of how we govern.  (I prefer fewer laws vs. more of them and I don’t agree the one-size-fits-all laws are often in our best interests locally.)  While those bills I didn’t support ultimately passed and are awaiting action by Gov. Nixon, it’s worth discussing at least one of them.

HB307 is one that has drawn the attention of both municipalities and the Missouri Municipal League (MML).  The MML went as far as saying “This bill, based on anecdotal and unsubstantiated information, is an intrusion into local personnel matters.”  As I read it, the bill, among other things, attempts to put a legislative fix in place to prevent a chief of police from being terminated for the wrong reasons (i.e. political ones.)  In doing so, the state lays out the six (6) ways (and only six ways) a chief may be fired.  I’ll admit on the surface, it sounds like a reasonable idea!  But there are some issues with how the bill is written and how it goes about it that concern me.  Also, the bill was written in response to isolated abuses in other parts of the state, but puts a burden on ALL of us because of those few bad apples.

Here are some questions/comments I passed on to those in Jefferson City watching out for our part of the state.  In no particular order:  Why just the police chief?  Could the same political issue not happen with the city prosecutor (who goes after the “wrong” person) or the city judge (who didn’t side with the “right” person?)  If a city manager (in our case) was firing someone for “political” reasons, wouldn’t there be a high likelihood that the governing board overseeing the manager’s actions could be the ones actually driving the termination?  What’s the penalty?

It’s important to know that I made a point to both call and discuss in person these comments with our current police chief.  Chief McCracken and I both have a tremendous amount of respect for each other and he knows my questions weren’t indicative of my lack of support for him or his job.  Both of us understood the pros and cons of the issue.  Ultimately, I simply don’t believe the bill solves the problem (and given his long tenure with our city through many councils and managers, I’m not sure there even is a problem.)

If there is one thing I’ve learn over the past year or so is that some state laws seem to be more “feel good” in nature and turn out to be hollow when it comes to enforcement.  Just last month, we saw the consequences of what happens when you “knowingly” break state election laws.  Despite finding out forms weren’t completed, monies were sent out of state with no accounting of their ultimate use, ads were paid for by 3^rd parties and labeled “Paid for by candidate”, not much happened.  In essence, the laws designed to protect the very election process that sits at the core of our democracy were trampled, spat on, completely ignored – KNOWINGLY – and what’s the penalty? Pay $300 and don’t do it again.

If the same slap-on-the-hand penalties exist for firing a police chief, why bother writing the law?  My compromise was simple – instead of laying out a process that adds burdens to the local municipalities, why not make these “political” actions a  felony punishable by fines and jail such that anyone performing acts out of political revenge are punished?  Until then, I’m not sure much will change.   The last twelve months certainly show that laws with little or no penalty won’t prevent an action from happening. But I certainly think laws that include a proper penalty will do more than any board or extra layer of appeal would ever do.

School is out and another school year is behind us.  For me, this one is bitter-sweet.  This year marks the end of an era for a very special lady in the Neosho R-5 district.  Mrs. Alma Stipp, our current Neosho R-5 superintendent of schools, is retiring.  I got to know Alma as a principal at Central school during my early days on the Neosho school board.  She certainly impressed me and stood our as one who deeply cared about students and learning.  In 2006, when an Asst. Supt. Position came open in Neosho, I commented to then-Supt. Dr. Richard Page, “It’s not the board’s job to tell you who to hire and I’ll support whoever you choose, but if you don’t hire Alma to fill that job, you’re crazy!” She soon took over that position and filled in this past year in the top spot after Dr. Page left the district.  So here’s a quick “thank you” to my favorite superintendent” Alma Stipp -  You’ll be missed!

Until next time:  stay the course, keep the faith, and may God bless Neosho!