Although you would never know it from the Kansas City media, the Kansas City Council on Thursday approved an ordinance authorizing a Nov. 8 election on a two-part, $175 million.
Although this is the biggest Kansas City issue election since voters approved the $800 million G.O. bond issue in 2017, not one of the six major local news organizations — The Star, KCUR and the four TV stations — has reported it.
The lack of coverage is almost incomprehensible, but, on the other hand, it gives me a chance to give you readers the “scoop.”
Where the 2017 bond issue came with a gradual property-tax increase, this proposal is billed as a “no-tax-increase” initiative because, to quote the ordinance, “the authorization will be used over a five-year period to match the roll off of existing general obligation debt.”
The ordinance provides for two ballot questions, each of which will require four-seventh approval by voters, or about 57 percent of those casting ballots.
This proposal mushroomed quickly — within a week — but every Council member except Brandon Ellington voted to approve it Thursday.
Barring unanticipated revelations, I plan to vote “yes” on both questions.
The smaller of the two proposals — Question 2 on the ballot — calls for borrowing $50 million for affordable housing “through the rehabilitation, renovation and construction of houses and buildings, including blight removal, to provide affordable housing for very low- to moderate-income households.”
Affordable housing and its corollary, homelessness, is our biggest social problem, and it cries out to be addressed.
The larger of the two proposals — Question 1 — calls for borrowing $125 million for a variety of projects, including many in the “deferred maintenance” category. For example, the issue would include $44 million for repairs and improvements at Bartle Hall and Municipal Auditorium and $80 million for community center improvements, swimming pools and other amenities.
Some of you know that I am president of the City of Fountains Foundation, and it’s the proposed $80 million for Park Department projects makes my blood run faster.
Very possibly, several million dollars would go toward major fountain repairs. One fountain that has not operated for several years and needs considerable work is the Garment District Fountain at Eighth and Broadway. Another major fountain that is working but needs about $2 million in repairs is the Firefighters’ Fountain on 31st Street, just west of Broadway.
Our organization, which works hand in hand with the Parks Department, is also discussing what to do about the Westside Fountain, S.W. Boulevard and Summit, which has not operated for about eight years. With the Parks Department, we have to decide whether to renovate it, build a new one at another Westside location or provide the Westside with another cultural asset, such as a major sculpture.
Our foundation’s top “new” project — as distinguished from “deferred” — is to relocate the William Volker Memorial in Theis Park. The memorial, which features Carl Milles’ St. Martin of Tours Sculpture, was in the body of the park from the time it was dedicated in 1958 until the mid-1990s, when it was moved to the southernmost extremity of the park to make way for the Brush Creek flood control and improvement program.
The memorial, very inaccessible because of its remote location, has languished for the last 25 years and needs to be back in the body of the park to get the attention it deserves and to generate more activity in that 14-acre park.
We are hoping that if voters approve the $125-million bond issue, we will have enough public and private money to finance that estimated $2 million project.
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As I said, I plan to vote “yes” on both questions, and I hope many of you will do likewise. I think both bond issues will give the city a boost and improve the quality of life here.
…Now, with any luck, The Star and the other local news organizations will snap out of their slumber and report on this significant development.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Cameras all showed up when they wanted to change the rules for the hot dog vendors back in the day.
I thought yesterday’s (Aug 18) Star editorial (6 column, top of page 8) on the subject, urging more consideration was a fair opinion. Glad for the prospect of taking care of our reputation as the City of Fountains!
Ah, the star continues its bizarre habit of editorializing on local issues not reported by the paper. I might even consider resubscribing if they traded the editorial board for actual reporters.
This is an excellent point, Bill and Vern…There was an editorial about the ordinance yesterday morning, but there was no story on what actually happened that afternoon.
The Star’s City Hall reporter, Anna Spoerre, got sucked into the debate over some landlord-tenant issue. The Star’s afternoon newsletter, today, teased that by saying, “Chaos erupted at City Hall on Thursday as Mayor Quinton Lucas shouted for his colleagues to keep voting over the chanting of KC Tenants members.”
Chaos often gets the nod over more important news with greater ramifications.
Great reporting, Fitz! Keep up the good work.
Love ya Fitz! Thanks for keeping us in the know! So so disappointed in the Star! Think you, The Beacon and KCUR might be enough for me!
Thanks, Marsha. I’m pretty surprised KCUR missed this. And The Beacon, while good, does more explanatory stories than breaking news. I guess we’re down to fires, wrecks and murders with channels 4, 5, 9 and 41.
Thank you for giving us this scoop, Jim. We know we can count on you to deliver!