Point of View

Identify what's important by asking, "What is the best use of my time right now?" then set priorities & use your intuition to get started, writes Sara Caputo. "The next time you are faced with a pile on your desk, and you find yourself saying that it's all important, remember these eight tiny words: If everything is important, then nothing is important!" she writes.

CDC recommends > age 5+ get vaccinated.

We accomplished so much together this year! Thank you for your partnership.

I - HEALTHY OUTCOMES contributes to the work of Communities of Excellence to reduce chronic disease in 64024 through increased physical activity, access to healthy food & access to care.

• Idea exchange with partner school districts & cities, VA Hospital, ESH to improve community center programs for therapy health/wellness & better serve our members.
• Formed Community Health Partnership between Parks/Rec, Community Center, ES Hospital, deliverables - Community Health & Wellness Calendar, ESFD’s weekly free blood pressure screening @ ESCC, & ESH based one day/week @ ESCC for Lunch & Learn.
• IRS granted ES Community Foundation 501c3 status, effective 8/30/2019.
• Employee Wellness Program Agreements executed with ES Hospital & School District providing Center memberships to employees.
• Added Parkinson class to manage symptoms; Alzheimer Support Group to provide fitness to patients & respite for care givers; Tri-County Mental Health uses center to provide needed support; Senior Center Fitness classes & Senior Congregate Meals returned.
• Restaurant partnerships to feature their healthy menu items (Wabash, Ventana, Willow Springs).
• CCPHC & Clay County cities joined forces to set up mass vaccination site on NKC Cerner Campus & ESH created vaccination clinic in ES. Operation Safe @ Cerner gave 3,162 shots to 64024 residents & ESH gave over 4,000 shots.

II - FINANCIAL RESILIENCY to build & maintain adequate cash reserves & long-range Capital Improvements to guide & plan major expenditures.

• Updating 5-year water model to evaluate water quality conditions, potential causes of impairment, environmental changes due to future growth, climate change & resulting impact to water source, created Fixed Asset Replacement Schedule.
• Communities of All Ages Gold Level recognition rewards awareness for well-planned communities that meet needs of all residents, specifically older residents.
  
• Planning/Zoning Development Code review focused on addressing conflicting language, clarify areas of ambiguity, & modernize regulatory steps.
• Parks/Rec Community Survey updates 5-year Strategic Plan > 77% use trails, 55% -playgrounds, 23% - dog park. Most visited park - Century, 2nd Rainbow Trail, 3rd Siloam Mountain/downtown trails, 4th Sunnyside. Citizens want more trails, amphitheater, movies in the park.
• Bond Refi received A+ credit rating from S&P resulted in Community Center Bonds saving $4M, & Golf Clubhouse Bonds saving $200K; includes new issue $6.5M to fund improvements at CC.
• Community Center Phase II Study & Business Plan following bond refi considers outdoor pool concepts & energy plan to manage operating costs; consensus for competition pool with 8 lanes, expanded parking, drive locations & storm drainage in Century Park. Will need a Phase III to build all desired improvements.
• ARPA funds will improve recovery from the effects of Covid, replace revenue losses & support water or sewer projects; priorities were developed for potential investments.
• Early discussion for state funds to make improvements to Hall of Waters & address flooding downtown. The city begins to update prior flood studies to confirm potential solutions.

III - MARKETABILITY focus' attention on community attractiveness. Priorities include Connectivity (implement path system, connecting schools, improve access to parks, outdoor exercise), conceive Y Shopping Center area node as a unified district with improved lighting & landscaping, cooperative marketing, Implementing Character (create design guidelines & financial assistance for enhancements). Renovation of Hall of Waters, re-use of vacant lots, remove blight & improve bank building, & curb appeal (encourage reinvestment in real property to improve image, grow tax base).

• Westside Safe Streets & Sidewalks citizen engagement reached over 600 survey respondents to confirm visual preferences & project priority > 97% in favor of initiative, ranked priority to address > Wornall Road 96%, Westside Business District 89%, 69 Pedestrian Crossing 88%, Wornall/McCleary Intersection 79%. Planning completed to reconstruct 2 miles of existing streets with open ditch shoulders adding curb, gutter, storm drainage & sidewalks; addition of 2.4 miles of sidewalk along existing streets, 2.5 miles of trail, improvements to 8 intersections to protect pedestrians, & pedestrian overpass over 69. Next steps to shore up funding.
• Supporting private/public investment: Clactin Estates residential development, Cornerstone Elementary, Scooters, ES Animal Clinic, Edward Jones, Medical Marijuana, NAPA, Price Chopper remodel, Westview Early Childhood Center & High School upgrades; Elms Lobby & refresh guest rooms, Casa de Vite, IOOF Building, Other Trails Coffee Shop, New Age Skincare expanded, Wine & Shine Tasting Room, Ventana repairs. Miller Cabinets private investment & job creation qualified for $900K grants for roadway improvements.
• Hall of Waters awarded $500K grant to address structural repairs in Water Bar & sub-basement. Planning for next phase of work.
• Responded to emergency partial demolition of Royal Hotel when building began to collapse.
• Neighborhood Specialist addressing property maintenance & assistance to resolve code violations & cause; formed Urban Redevelopment Corporation to remove blight, review 353 projects in Elms & downtown areas, conversations on redevelopment plans in downtown buildings & new builds with announcements coming; Career Center returned to work on bank with limited access during Covid shutdown.

IV - PROTECT CAPITAL ASSETS attention on need for continuous improvements (buildings, grounds, water, sewer, storm water & streets). Neglect leads to deterioration, costs more in future & damages other improvements.

• Sewer Digester - $1,433,800 constructed with CDBG, Bond, CIP funding
• Jesse James & Dunbar overlay funded with CIP, TT, R/B
• Splash Park completed with LWCF grant, Foundation donations, CIP
• Scrap Tire Grant awarded to install tables in park shelters made with scrap tires
• Upgrade of Fire radio system to 800 mgHz
• Sewer repairs on Collette & replaced sewer camera
• Cleaning Wells #11, 14 & redesign SCADA system at Water Treatment Plant
• Purchase 4 police cars, Animal Control Vehicle & ambulance - PSST funds

V - COMPETITIVE SALARY & BENEFITS to recruit & retain quality workforce. Salaries ideally are based on what the competition is paying. The competition usually consists of neighboring local governments that recruit in the same market for the same skills & experience.

• Selected McGrath Consulting to conduct a Market Salary & Benefit Plan, surveying other communities in our recruitment market, recommendations to be reported soon.
• Approved Collective Bargaining Agreement with Local 42 as ratified by ESFD Bargaining Unit.
• Joe Maddick, 27-year veteran of the ES Fire Department promoted to fill the Fire Chief opening & Greg Dull, 30-year career with KCPD selected to fill Police Chief position. Thankful to Bill Stewart who came out of retirement to serve as interim Fire Chief & Chris Weber's service as interim Police Chief during the transition.
• Combined Community Center & Parks/Recreation department management

VI - CONSISTENT LEVEL OF SERVICE & CUSTOMER SERVICE. Working to streamline internal processes, improve problem solving & customer experience.

• Transitioned golf course management to Orion Management Solutions of Leawood, a Golf Specialty firm; year-end highlights an increase in tournament play, revenues up 13% over prior year, membership sales increased to 500, 1st profit realized in decade, 27,000 rounds played compared to 18,000 in 2018, increased marketing effort, great course conditions, offers best value in area.
  
• Cemetery maintenance up righted & leveled 64 headstones from settling.
  
• Fire Station designated American Heart Association training site for CPR classes
  
• Created IT position to manage the city's reliance on technology
• Fire executed MOU with MIMH for leave behind Narcan kits & MOU with CCPHC for homebound Covid vaccinations, renewed agreement with Eastern Clay County Ambulance District to provide EMS response & updated Emergency Operations Plan.
• Tri-County Mental Health partnership with ESPD assigned a mental health professional one day/week.
• Court is undergoing transition to Show Me Court system, a uniform record keeping system for the circuit court; includes new information kiosk in police station lobby where public can access court related information.
• Ameren & ENEL working to manage large energy users during peak usage, such as our water & sewer treatment plants to switch plants to generator power so we have a standard practice of moving the plant off the power grid when needed
• Cemetery GIS database is now on-line & accessible to public
• Volunteers led effort to clean up & refresh landscaping in downtown. Volunteer Appreciation Dinner held at the Hall of Waters to recognize the work volunteers provide.
  

Celebrating Work Anniversaries are: Police Captain Robert Warner - 13 years; Police Sergeant Jeremiah Renne - 11 years; Police 911 Communications Officer Jae Juarez & Executive Assistant Susan Conyers - 5 years; Assistant Utility Foreman Kody Gaines & Police Corporal Marcus Champion - 3 years; Fitness Attendant Kristi Schottel & Neighborhood Specialist Laura Mize - 2 years; Code Enforcement Officer Brandon Carty - 1 year.

KC Wine Road was created to help residents & visitors of the KC area discover the hidden wine region hiding in their own backyards. With 7 itineraries, we selected the NE Wine Road - All 4 stops have great outdoor patios & sitting areas with scenic vineyard views. Begin driving through historic ES to get to your 1st destination, Van Till Family Farm Winery, then make your way to the beautiful Four Horses & a Dog Winery, take in the views as you continue on to Fence Stile Winery, then end your day at Belvoir Winery which also houses an Inn if you feel the need to stay all night! Read it on kcwineroad.com

Email: mmcgovern@excelsiorsprings.gov
Website: cityofesmo.com
Location: Hall of Waters, 201 E. Broadway, 64024
Phone: (816) 630-0752