point of view

On January 20, 2025, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday will mark the 30th anniversary as a National Day of Service. This day was established to honor the life & legacy of Dr. King, & to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

Monday - Martin Luther King Holiday - City Offices are Closed

Tuesday, 6pm - City Council Meeting

City Council will consider Conservation Easement Agreement on the Hall of Waters with MO Historic Preservation Office, a condition of accepting the Saving America's Treasures Grant; & consider Engineering Agreement with GB Associates for Dry Fork Greenway Project Amendment #1 [Funding Source - ARPA $71,100].

• Celebrating work anniversaries this week - Anna Tucker, Lifeguard - 3 years.
• Appreciation was given to Public Works for snow removal plan & execution; also to School Resource Officers; presentation Excelsior Springs Hospital gave to Clay County Children's Fund for grant given to support Behavior Health Clinic.
• Chamber of Commerce, DEP & City Economic Development are working on the Connecting Entrepreneur's Community Conference & presentation on Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.
• Police Department is looking to start a Beat Cop Program in downtown
• DEP received a $15,000 grant to increase funds available for their Wayfinding Signage planned
• Block Party Challenge will kickoff in April & is seeking 50 neighborhoods to hold an event between Easter & Halloween. Connected neighbors are one of the greatet assets to any community. They provide support in times of need. Connected neighbors lead to neighborhoods that are Safe, Clean, & Friendly! Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy says that loneliness is a subjective feeling -- that the connections that we need in our life are greater than the connections we actually have. "It also turns out that if we can invest in social connections, & building our relationships with one another, that can help us be healthy in the long run & can also make us feel good in the short term."

• Dry Fork kickoff meeting with MEGA KC, expecting Notice to Proceed issued mid-February
• Cemetery records digitized, provided to Funeral Homes with picture of headstones
• Measurements underway for this coming construction street improvements
• 430 water meter nodes ordered for our routine meter reading replacements
• Refuse started their new 5-day route schedule but has been hampered by snow, followed with collecting 2 weeks of trash filling the trucks before the route was done. Hoping this coming week lets the service get back to normal.
• Fire Department provided mutual aid to Excelsior Estates trailer fire this week
• Repairs to fire truck & pumpers are underway
• Park Foundation pre-sold all tickets for Piccadilly this week.
• Bid opening for Boundless Backyard parking lot & driveway ranging between $59-88,000
• The Community Center is busy with New Year Resolutions
• CAP student has started & will be planning the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner
• Meeting with downtown property owners to discuss use of property fronting on Hall of Waters circle drive, many good ideas & need for functions such as trash location, chronic nuisances.

A huge thank you to Dari-B Drive-in for being a beloved tradition in ES! Your delicious ice cream, friendly service, & nostalgic charm have made it the go-to spot for families year after year. We appreciate all the joy & sweet memories you've brought to our community! Read it on Chamber Member Shoutout