CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MINUTES
MONDAY, FEBUARY 14, 2005
I.
CALL TO ORDER
A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of
Liberty, Missouri was held in the Council Chambers at City Hall on February 14, 2005 with Mayor Stephen P. Hawkins presiding. Mayor Hawkins called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m.
II. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The invocation was given by Council Member Juarenne
Hester who then led the pledge of allegiance.
III. ROLL CALL
Roll call was answered by Mayor Stephen P. Hawkins; Ed
Collins and Coni Hadden, Ward I; LeRoy Coe and Anna Marie Martin, Ward II;
Lyndell Brenton and Juarenne Hester, Ward III; and Bill Parker, Ward IV. Also in attendance were Patty Gentrup, City
Administrator; Cynthia Boecker, Assistant City Administrator; Brian Hess, City
Engineer; Steve Anderson, Planning & Development Director; Craig Knouse,
Police Chief; Gary Birch, Fire Chief; Chris Deal, Parks & Recreation
Director; Donna Kay Taylor, Community Center Manager; Linda Tyree, Finance
Director; Mary Towse, Human Resources Director; Sara Cooke, Public Relations
Coordinator; Lyndsay Heal, Management Assistant; Jane Sharon, Deputy City
Clerk; Elizabeth Suh, Kansas City Star; Angie Borgedalen, Liberty Tribune; Joe
Cook, Sun News and six members of the public.
IV. APPROVE MINUTES AND SUMMARIES
A.
REGULAR SESSION
MINUTES OF JANUARY 24, 2005
Council Member Hadden moved to approve the minutes as
distributed. Council Member Coe seconded
the motion, which carried unanimously.
B.
STUDY SESSION
MEETING SUMMARY OF FEBRUARY 7, 2005
Council Member Martin moved to approve the meeting
summary as distributed. Council Member
Hester seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
C.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 7, 2005
Council Member Coe moved to approve the minutes as
distributed. Council Member Brenton
seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
V. CITIZENS’ PARTICIPATION
Ken
Robinson, 1108 N. Ridge, stated that the residents along Gallatin remain opposed to commercial vehicles being parked in
residential neighborhoods. He said they
had believed the situation was well in hand when Council chose not to amend the
Code, but the other party continues not to be in complete compliance. He stated
the neighbors would continue to express dissatisfaction with tow trucks parked
in the neighborhood. Mr. Robinson stated
he was certain the council members would not want these trucks in front of
their houses. He said L-L Towing
continues to park tow trucks in the neighborhood and he was present to ask the
assistance of Council in finding a resolution to the problem. He stated the residents in the neighborhood
are steadfast in their opposition and Mr. Lemons is not fostering a harmonious
relationship with his neighbors. Mr.
Robinson stated that Mr. Lemons is wriggling around the observance of the City
Code. He asked what enforcement the City
uses when a vehicle continues to be moved from one street to another. He said one vehicle is parked in the drive
and there are still two or three parked on the street at times. He asked the City to investigate and
emphasized he prefers resolution to acrimony, but Mr. Lemons has shown no
willingness to compromise.
Richard
Boose, 307 N. Gallatin, stated that when he was at the last Council meeting,
he thought it was agreed that only one truck per residence was allowed. Council Member Collins said that referred to
vehicles on the property. Mr. Boose
stated the tow truck operator owns nine vehicles and three have been parking in
the neighborhood. He stated they have
Jake-brakes on them, which are very loud and most cities don’t allow them. He asked the City to consider restricting use
of Jake-brakes. He said he doesn’t
believe the parking ticket fines are sufficient to get Mr. Lemons to comply and
it isn’t good that the City has left it to the residents. He said they need help in getting this
situation resolved.
Charles
Lee, 316 N. Gallatin, stated that he agrees with what has already been
said. He said these homes are where they
live, in the older part of town. He said
he knew Council wouldn’t want this in their neighborhoods. Mr. Lee said Mr. Lemons has gotten away with
this for years. He said he is not trying
to keep the man from running his business, but he has a tow lot. He noted the contract with the City states a
post office box, not the tow lot address.
He said Mr. Lemons should be towing vehicles to his tow lot and asked
where vehicles picked up by Lemons are towed.
Police Chief Craig Knouse said private vehicles are towed to the
locations requested by the vehicle owner or to the tow lot on Brown Street. Mr. Lee
stated that Mr. Lemons operates his business from his home, yet he is not
charged the 32% assessment for doing so.
He stated the tow trucks can be parked at the Georgetown Furniture lot,
or at the tow lot which is less than five minutes from Lemon’s house. He said a tow truck is not an emergency
vehicle, like an ambulance and can easily make it to an accident scene within
thirty minutes.
City
Administrator Patty Gentrup stated that there had been a lot of activity since
this issue was last addressed at a Council meeting in January. She asked the police chief to provide an
update.
Chief
Knouse stated that parking has always been a complaint-driven issue and the
primary role of City staff is to settle the issues causing the problem. He used the example of parking on the square,
noting there are two warnings issued before the actual citation and this
rotates every six months. He said this
reflects the philosophy of the City.
Chief Knouse stated that, before the January meeting, there had been no
complaints about parking on Gallatin. After the January meeting, there was a higher
visibility of tow trucks in the area. He
said that his staff had talked to the neighbors as well as Mr. Lemons and no
common ground could be found. He has
told his officers to monitor the parking along Gallatin and there have been seven complaints since February
1. Chief Knouse said one and sometimes
two tow trucks have legally parked on the street under the two hour limit. The trucks are removed and then return for
another two hours. He said this goes on
until about 10
pm, then the trucks are
parked at the parking lot on Mill Street. He said the
business owner is highly aware of the requirements and the only action not
taken by the City is posting an officer on Gallatin for two hours to monitor the parking.
Chief
Knouse said the key question is whether the law should be changed and he does
not recommend any changes due to this neighborhood dispute. He said the law was established to allow
commercial vehicles into residential neighborhoods to conduct business. If the law were to change, it would have to
include all commercial vehicles and would then put the City in the position of
having to determine what exceptions would be allowed.
Chief
Knouse reviewed the existing contract between the City and L-L Towing. He clarified this contract is for tow
services pertaining to City vehicles only.
In 2004, the contract was worth to $1,800 for the contractor. In order to be included on the rotation list,
the tow truck operator must be able to respond when called and must maintain a
tow lot. There is no contract for towing
of personal vehicles. Mayor Hawkins asked
if an accident included a fatality if the private vehicle might be towed under
the City’s contract. Chief Knouse said
that was likely, given the vehicle would be considered evidence.
Council
Member Martin asked how often the City uses Lemons’ services under the
contract. Chief Knouse said it could be
one or two times a week, because the contract includes services such as
charging a dead battery and tire changes.
Mrs. Gentrup said additional information would be provided.
Council
Member Collins asked if the City had the authority to require a street address,
rather than a post office box for a license.
Mrs. Gentrup stated that the City doesn’t license tow trucks per state
statute. Mayor Hawkins asked if there
are any home-based business issues with dispatching from residential
property. Planning & Development
Director Steve Anderson said the home-based business standards would apply, in
terms of traffic, but not in terms of dispatching.
Council
Member Hester asked if the trucks moved at night to the Mill Street parking lot have permission to be there at night, why
they couldn’t also be parked there during the day. Chief Knouse said he assumes the parking lot
owner is aware of the tow trucks parking there and they have been there during
the day as well. Mrs. Hester said it
appears this is a difference between the spirit of the law and the letter of
the law, to prohibit commercial vehicles from parking for long periods but
allow business to be conducted. She said
the two don’t seem to be reconciled.
Chief Knouse said the parameters are that the vehicle must completely
vacate the spot, and then re-park to be within the law. Mrs. Gentrup stated they must look at the
entire City and allow service trucks to respond in residential
neighborhoods. She stated police staff has
met with the tow truck owner and suggested options. Chief Knouse said the owner has left the
impression that he will continue to park within the two-hour limit. Mrs. Gentrup asked if he has looked at other
parking options. Chief Knouse said the
Code could be changed to restrict parking on a particular stretch of Gallatin,
but the tow operator has moved his truck over one street and parked on Main
Street; that’s probably what would occur if the Code was changed, so the police
would have to continually determine how far to set the restricted area.
Council
Member Hadden said she is trying to figure out the limitations associated with
this issue. She believes businesses
should be able to conduct business, but questions whether the tow truck
operator is conducting business at the time he is parking vehicles along Gallatin Street. She asked, if
all three trucks are parked on the street at the same time, how could they say business
is being conducted using all three.
Chief Knouse stated that, while this has occurred, it is rare that three
trucks have been parked at this location at the same time. He stated there are two people living in
close proximity to one another, both of whom operate tow trucks, but it is
unusual that two trucks are on the street and one in the driveway. Mrs. Hadden asked if the trucks are not
engaged in towing, how can it be said they are doing business. Chief Knouse said he has been told the
ordinance was originally crafted so that owners of large trucks would be able
to drive their trucks home for lunch.
Council
Member Collins said he understands the frustration between the spirit of the
law and the letter of the law, but the City can only enforce the letter of the
law and that is what is being followed, in this situation.
Mayor
Hawkins stated that a similar situation existed with individuals parking on the
square and moving their vehicles from one space to another. That was addressed by expanding the area in
which parking was allowed for the limited time.
But that is why the City employs a parking officer, whose full-time job
is to monitor parking around the square and enter data to track
violations. By changing the ordinance,
he said, an additional officer would be required for enforcement. Chief Knouse added that one officer on the
street is counted as 25% of the on-duty force.
Council
Member Martin asked about Jake brakes.
Chief Knouse said the City does not have an ordinance in place for
these.
Council
Member Hester asked if home owners’ associations can have their own regulations
regarding parking. Chief Knouse said
they can. Mrs. Hester suggested that
might be an option for the neighbors.
Mayor Hawkins said it would likely be very challenging for the neighbors
and might require unanimous agreement of all residents. Council Member Hadden said, if a home owners’
association was put in place in an established neighborhood, certain existing
situations might be grandfathered in anyway.
Mayor Hawkins asked if there was any practicality to
extending the area of parking enforcement, such as what is done on the
square. Chief Knouse said it wasn’t
really practical from an enforcement standpoint. Council Member Hester asked about the
possibility of increasing the fines.
Chief Knouse said they are not graduated now and each violation is
$10. Changing that would require an
amendment to City Code. Mrs. Hester
asked what other options there were besides adding an officer to monitor the
parking. Chief Knouse said he had spoken
with the City’s legal counsel and with the City Prosecutor. The prosecutor said, if a citizen filed a
formal complaint and was willing to testify in court, the prosecutor would
start a file and, if endorsed, the person against whom the complaint was lodged
would be cited into Municipal Court.
Mrs. Hester asked if the citizen complaint would be directed to the court. Chief Knouse said it would go to the
prosecutor.
Council Member Brenton said he has heard the Jake brakes
discharged along Liberty
Drive and
the sound is horrible. He said it
appears they are being used in this neighborhood as a result of the antagonism
that exists. He recommended the Council
consider restricting the use of Jake brakes in the City and redraft the
existing ordinance to address the residents’ concerns. He said it is his understanding the business
owner’s attorney has counseled him in this behavior and the City needs to put
some teeth in the ordinance. Mrs.
Gentrup asked for clarification of what he would recommend. Mr. Brenton said the fine could be increased
or imprisonment could be added as a penalty if that is what it takes to turn
around the attitude of a persistent violator.
Mayor Hawkins noted that, as a practical matter, increasing the penalty
would be applied to all violators. Mrs.
Gentrup clarified it would be for all commercial vehicles. Mayor Hawkins stated that this could be
defined in the ordinance and changed easily.
But there would also have to be increased enforcement. Mrs. Gentrup reminded Council that, in the
last three weeks, the letter of the law hasn’t been violated by the tow truck
operator.
Mayor
Hawkins said this is not just about penalties and enforcement. It is a snowballing situation which could
force the individual into more gamesmanship than exists at this point. He questioned whether there was a place in
the neighborhood where the tow truck operator could rent a spot. Chief Knouse said officers have talked with
the business owner about his options and he and his staff will continue to
contact both the business owner and the neighbors, while still addressing the
complaints. He said they shouldn’t quit
trying and will continue to work with the parties to reach a resolution. Mayor Hawkins said if the neighbors abandon
this approach and police enforcement is increased they won’t like that
solution. He said it is wiser to
continue seeking a compromise. He added
that if the tow truck operator wants to find a way to mock the ordinance, he
can. To avoid that possibility, it is
best not to exacerbate the problem.
Council
Member Hester asked what would be involved in the prosecution. Chief Knouse said if the officers are not
seeing a truck parked at the same spot for longer than two hours, a citizen can
document and file a complaint. That
person must also be willing to come to court and testify. The prosecutor then makes a determination
and, if charges are filed, a summons would be issued. He noted that some citizens have taken
measures to document the parking of the tow trucks, but the police could not
verify what was being reported.
Mayor
Hawkins said it is appropriate for Council to express to Mr. Lemons the need to
compromise. If amendments are wanted,
Council needs to direct staff accordingly.
Council
Member Collins suggested perhaps the City could allow the trucks to park behind
the Fire Station in the City lot. Chief
Knouse said if that was permitted, other businesses would want to park their
vehicles there also, because it would be closer to their homes. Mayor Hawkins said it would be better if that
type of arrangement were left to private persons or institutions and the
business owners.
Charles
Lee again asked why the tow truck operator can’t park his vehicles at his
business location instead of at his home.
He said this wouldn’t be an issue if the tow truck operator was parking
in Blueberry Hills.
Sam
Houston said the operator has no business parking his truck where he lives and
he is taking advantage of the old part of town.
He said this fight has been going on for 15 years and nothing is being
done about it because of the area where this is a problem.
Mayor
Hawkins said he has used a tow service recently and the tow truck responded
within 15 - 20 minutes. He said he asked
the driver where he parks his tow truck and the driver responded that he parks
it at his apartment complex, where he lives.
Mayor Hawkins said the driver has lived at that location for two years
and told the mayor he is not aware of any complaints. Mayor Hawkins again said that any changes to
the ordinance have to be for all, not just a particular tow truck operator.
Richard
Boose asked if an apartment parking lot is considered a commercial lot and, if
so, it isn’t the same situation. He
asked how long the tow trucks are. Chief
Knouse said one was about 30 ft. Mr.
Boose suggested the ordinance be changed to state if the operator is not on
call, the truck has to be parked in a commercial lot. He said the operator can park in the Mill Street lot and be there in five minutes.
Ken
Robinson said this has escalated and, if some want it adjudicated, so be
it. But the essence is the tow truck
operator is not compromising and living harmoniously. He said the residents are appealing to
justice, fairness and morality. He asked
for respect and courtesy to be shown to the residents by the business
owner. He added that the residents don’t
have the money to form a home owners’ association or hire an attorney, but they
remain steadfast in their opposition to commercial vehicles being parked in
residential areas.
Mayor
Hawkins said the best solution is voluntary, before the City raises fines and
changes ordinances.
Chief
Knouse said his staff will continue to work with the parties to find a
solution.
Council
Member Brenton said if common ground can be found, that would be terrific, but
penalties and fines are there to discourage behavior and, if they are not doing
so, they should be removed from the books.
He said he was appreciative of the efforts being made and agreed it
would be best for an amicable solution to be achieved.
Council
Member Collins said he hoped this issue could be resolved. It is one person and one place that is
causing the difficulty, but changing the ordinance for the entire city is using
a canon where a flyswatter is needed.
Mayor
Hawkins said there may be a need to raise fines but the City shouldn’t become
an actor in this drama and should only assist in the resolution. He said it doesn’t seem unreasonable to
believe there is a solution that will leave laws and enforcement of them in
place that are not subject to challenge.
He said it is important to give community policing a chance to work.
Mrs.
Gentrup said staff will reengage the tow truck operator and will take
information of violations from citizens willing to testify in court. Council Member Hester asked for a timeframe
for these steps. Mrs. Gentrup said the
operator would be contacted tomorrow and the enforcement is ongoing. Mrs. Hester asked when Council would
reexamine the issue. Mrs. Gentrup said
staff would provide updates and more information should be available within a
couple of weeks.
VI. MEETING SCHEDULE
Mrs. Gentrup stated City Hall would be closed Monday,
February 21, for the President’s Day holiday and there would be a Council study
session on Tuesday, February 22, 2005.
A.
APPOINTMENTS
Planning
& Zoning Commission
Appoint
Detlef Lehnardt to a term expiring January 1, 2008.
Historic
District Review Commission
Appoint
Matt Grundy to a term expiring July 1, 2007.
Council
Member Coe moved to approve the appointments.
Council Member Hadden seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
VIII. PUBLIC HEARINGS – None.
A.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
OF VENDOR PAYMENTS FROM JANUARY 21, 2005 THROUGH FEBRUARY 11, 2005 – ORDINANCE
Document No. 6317 was read. Council Member Martin moved to approve the
ordinance. Council Member Brenton
seconded the motion.
Vote on the motion was as follows: Council Member Collins – yes; Council Member
Martin – yes; Council Member Hester – yes; Council Member Parker – yes; Council
Member Hadden – yes; Council Member Coe – yes; Council Member Brenton –
yes. The motion carried unanimously; it
was approved by the Chair and inscribed in Ordinance No. 8777.
XI.
MISCELLANEOUS
MATTERS FROM CITY ADMINISTRATOR
Mrs. Gentrup noted that future land use has been
discussed and there will be an opportunity to discuss this timely topic over
the next three to four months. She
stated the City contracted with HNTB Corporation in 2002 to engineer phase one
of the parkway. HNTB also has developed
a traffic model, a detailed review of market conditions and an analysis of the
future land use designations throughout the corridor. Last summer, the City contracted with HNTB
for conceptual design/alignment and an economic analysis of phase two of the
parkway. A charrette in September
resulted in two conceptual alignments. On
March
7, 2005, a joint study
session of City Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission would allow
review and discussion of the two alignments to determine a preferred alignment
for the parkway as it extends from Withers to 291 Hwy.
Later in March a Community Housing Assessment Team
(CHAT) is slated to conduct a survey of
housing in conjunction with Aquila and the Partnership for Community Growth, which may
be used in regard to future land use designations.
A community forum in April will allow the community at
large as well as stakeholders to participate in a discussion about the South Liberty corridor and how the Blueprint for Liberty and Unified Development Ordinance are related. The forum will include a mini-charrette where
participants break out in groups to evaluate proposed land use throughout the
corridor. Each group will present its
findings for questions and discussion by the larger group. The final outcomes of these activities will
be back before Council for consideration, possibly in May.
Council Member Hadden said this seemed to be focused
on the South Liberty corridor. Mrs.
Gentrup stated that, historically, land use has been reviewed through the use
of section studies and that is the process recommended here. Mrs. Hadden asked if there will be a report
available about what land uses are available in the rest of the community. Mrs. Gentrup said the CHAT would help provide
a lot of that information. Mrs. Hadden
stated she would be out of town all three days of the CHAT and believed the
information should be made available before definitive decisions are made by
Council.
Mayor Hawkins said that most of the Council had
expressed concern that the process would take place before any further
applications came forward so the Council would not be faced again with amending
the plan and looking at a rezoning application at the same time. Mrs. Gentrup stated no new applications have
come forward at this time.
Council Member Brenton requested staff be very
proactive and aggressive in engaging key stakeholders. Mrs. Gentrup said that is part of the plan.
Council Member Hester asked about the times for the downtown
charrette to be held February 23 – 26.
Mrs. Gentrup said the times listed are for particular groups that are
invited, but the community is encouraged to attend anytime throughout the three
day period. Council Member Hadden stated
that additional stakeholders have been identified for specific groups. She said while some may receive an invitation
as a member of a specific group, all are encouraged to participate. Mr. Anderson stated that a new schedule would
be distributed soon.
XII. MISCELLANEOUS
MATTERS FROM MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Council Member Brenton said he was sure staff was already
aware of the numerous roads around the City where potholes need to be filled.
XIII. ADJOURNMENT
The
meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.
__________________________________
Mayor
Attest:
_____________________________________
Deputy City Clerk