Platte City alderman George McClintock likely surprised many in a packed house at city hall Tuesday evening with a motion that delays a decision on whether to place proposed annexation issues on the November election ballot.

McClintock made the motion to suspend discussion on the annexation topics and scheduled a special aldermen annexation meeting for Monday, Aug. 28, at 5:30 p.m. at city hall.

“Since the public hearing (last week), we have had issues come up regarding the public utilities in the annexation areas,” McClintock said. “I move that we postpone discussion on the four annexation issues tonight and resume the discussion at a special annexation meeting.”

Next Monday is a significant day because the deadline for placing issues on the November ballot is next Tuesday.

Later in Tuesday's meeting, Mayor Dave Brooks made a special effort to alleviate the public’s concern that the board of aldermen and its attorney were using gamesmanship with Tuesday’s scheduling in order to discourage public comment about the city’s proposed involuntary annexation.

“I hope everyone understands the changes we had to make in the meeting this evening. We had to make sure all the aldermen had time to get here. We’re doing the things the way we’re supposed to be doing them and keeping everyone’s feelings in mind,” Brooks said.

The Platte City aldermen’s normal schedule had already been deviated from on Tuesday. The aldermen, who normally begin their bi-weekly meetings at 5:30 p.m., had a vastly different agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.

First on Tuesday’s schedule was a public hearing on the city’s annual tax rate. There were no public comments.

Then the aldermen, their annexation consultant, Rich Caplan, and their annexation attorney, Chris Williams, adjourned into closed executive session to engage in “confidential or privileged communications between the board of aldermen and its attorney.”

The meeting agenda had this note: “The executive session is estimated to last one hour. The board will not reconvene to continue their regular scheduled meeting until 6:45 p.m.”

At about 6:55 p.m., the aldermen reconvened in public session and McClintock made his motion.

The aldermen then discussed the remaining four action items after the annexation items had been removed from the agenda on McClintock’s motion, which the aldermen agreed to by a 6-0 vote.

In discussion, action and business, the aldermen:
•Heard a reminder from Brooks that this Saturday, Aug. 26, the city will sweep all Platte City streets. No one should park any vehicles on any streets beginning in the very early morning hours on Saturday. All cars should be removed from the street. The street sweeping is in preparation for the Harley-Davidson Rally scheduled Sept. 8-9.
•Voted 6-0 to authorize the city’s purchase of a new rear-loading trash truck.
•Voted 6-0 to approve an ordinance setting the city’s annual tax rate levy.
•Voted 6-0 to approve an amended 2006 city budget which increases the city’s surplus by $214,000, said city manager Keith Moody.
•Voted 6-0 to approve an ordinance writing city service charges into the Platte City municipal code.