Annexation
effort dropped
By
unanimous vote, aldermen abandon proposal to take 1,500
acres
by Shana
Haines
Landmark reporter
Without detailed explanation as to why,
the Platte City Board of Aldermen Tuesday night unanimously
voted to abandon its controversial proposal to involuntarily
annex 1,500 acres south of the city.
A crowd of around 70 residents in the
proposed annexation area had packed into city hall for
the meeting. They left happy with the action, giving
the board a round of applause after it killed the proposal.
Only two months ago residents had poured
into city hall on the night the board voted to begin
steps to proceed with the involuntary annexation. At
that time, residents were turned away from asking questions
about the annexation, as city officials told them to
submit questions in writing. Those questions, city officials
said, would be answered at a public hearing set for
July 22.
Later, aldermen voted to postpone that
July 22 hearing to give the issue more study. That quietly-called
closed session came on a Friday night and the decision
to postpone wasn't publicly announced until 36 hours
before the hearing would begin.
On Tuesday night, tension broke in the
room when residents applauded the board's decision to
drop the involuntary annexation of the 1,500 acres that
would include Broken Bridge, Oak Creek No. 1, Summit
Way and Misty Springs subdivisions.
"It's done," Platte City Mayor
Dave Brooks said following the board's vote.
Tuesday's vote came during the public
portion of the meeting. The mayor and aldermen had held
a one-hour closed session with City Attorney Keith Hicklin
prior to the open meeting.
Prior to the vote to abandon the issue,
Brooks told the standing room only crowd that they would
be given the opportunity to have a spokesperson from
each subdivision come to the front and ask questions.
"We are here to be friends with you
all. We are not here to not be friends with you,"
Brooks said.
Brooks also told the group that the questions
they submitted to the city were answered and written
copies of the questions and answers would be handed
out when they left.
Bob Shaw, attorney, was the only resident
who spoke to the board.
"This is an involuntary annexation.
Involuntary means we don't want it," Shaw said.
"Because of that, we have chosen to oppose the
process. I don't think that feeling is going to change
any time in the future."
Shaw also told the board that if the involuntary
annexation proceeded by the city, legal action would
be taken, causing the city to incur more expense.
"I know the city is operating on
a tight budget. There are other areas that money could
be useful to the city." Shaw said.
"You can choose to terminate the
issue and peace and harmony can be restored in our community.
I think it is a simple choice."
If the city chose to continue the process,
Shaw said legal action would be "extensive and
expensive."
Shaw added that the involuntary annexation proposal
has caused turmoil during the past few months.
"That is turmoil we don't need. It has been a very
difficult couple of months," Shaw added.
Following Shaw's comments, Brooks asked
the crowd if there was anyone else who wanted to come
forward and speak. When no one came forward, Brooks
asked the crowd if Shaw represented the feelings of
everybody. The crowd replied unanimously that he did.
"After all the consideration, my
recommendation to the board is that we abandon the issue,"
Brooks said at that time.
Alderman George McClintock admitted that
the board could have handled the annexation better.
"I admit we did not do it (the annexation)
very well," McClintock said. "But we needed
to know where you were coming from," he told the
crowd.
McClintock moved to abandon the effort.
Multiple aldermen spoke up simultaneously to second
the motion.
Several residents shook aldermen's hands,
offered thanks and applauded the decision.
