Community Breakfast

Howdy!!

Come join me on Saturday at Grant's on CC from 8 to 10 for our monthly community breakfast.  There is sure to be some interesting conversation and there will definitely be some GREAT food!  Hope to see you there.

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Thanks and Have a Great Day!!

Melissa Wagner
417.231.1045
www.ozarkmissouri.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/melissadwagner

Monday's Meeting

Howdy!

I don't have an e-version of the packet...it got scanned in sideways, so I'll give you a brief overview of the agenda:

First Readings:
Chris Snyder is offering a bill that will change the Aldermen meetings from Mondays to Tuesdays.

Resolutions:
Eddie Campbell is offering a resolution that will allow the Mayor to execute an IRIS software license agreement.  IRIS is an emergency management system that will allow the city to reach citizens in emergency situations by phone, email, and other electronic means. 

Rick Gardner is offering a resolution that will increase membership fees to the OC by 6%.

Dennis Sparrow is offering a resolution to award a bid for pool chemicals.

Amended Bills on First Reading:
Eddie Campbell is offering an amended bill regarding photography in enclosed municipal buildings during sporting events.

Second Readings:
I am offering a bill that will require businesses within Community Improvement Districts to display a sign that discloses the additional amount of sales tax they collect.

Rick Gardner if offering a bill that will create a Community Improvement District at J and N. 17th Street. 

Chris Snyder is offering a bill that will annex into the city a lot on Liberty Ave.

Rick Gardner is offering a bill that will alter the original developers' agreement with Gunnett by removing Plazacorp from the agreement.  This was the developer's agreement that was used as incentive for the B&B movie theater.

Reports:
Employee Manual update
Old Community Building update
Status of negotiations with the special road district
Declaring surplus vehicles
Awarding bid for removal of hay of the ball field property.


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Thanks and Have a Great Day!!

Melissa Wagner
417.231.1045
www.ozarkmissouri.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/melissadwagner

MO State Auditor's Assessment of TDD's (Transportation Development Districts) from 2007

Howdy!

While researching special taxing districts in MO, I found this interesting press release from State Auditor Susan Montee's Office from 2007.  The next time you shop in a business located within a TDD, you should encourage them to post their additional sales tax in a prominent location as per state law.  The Missouri Statute  is 238.280.  You can read it here: http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C200-299/2380000280.HTM
 

http://www.auditor.mo.gov/news/20070719tdd.htm --
 

"MEDIA ADVISORY

MONTEE FINDS TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS CONTINUE TAXING MISSOURIANS WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday July 19, 2007
CONTACT: Samantha Brewer, Public Affairs Coordinator
(573) 751-5313
E-mail:  Samantha.Brewer@auditor.mo.gov

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"In their current form, Missouri's TDDs are about as close as you can get to taxation without representation," State Auditor Susan Montee said.  "The General Assembly needs to take action or Missourians will continue to pay these higher taxes with little or no input into what they are paying or how their money is spent."

 (JEFFERSON CITY, MO) –    Today, Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee released an audit of Transportation Development Districts (TDDs).  As of December 31, 2005, 98 TDDs had been established in Missouri, including 29 established in 2005.  An additional 22 were established in 2006.  While previous audit of TDDs (SAO Report No. 2006-12, issued March 2006) reported various issues in the areas of public awareness/involvement, accountability, and compliance, the 2007 General Assembly made only one change to the TDD statutes addressing issues reported in the prior audit.

TDDs are established for the construction of transportation-related projects, and governed by a board of directors with the authority to impose sales taxes within that district to pay those costs.  In 95 percent of the districts the property owner/developer petitioned for its creation.  All of the districts have additional sales tax on retail items sold within the districts' boundaries imposed by the property owner/developer. This results in higher sales tax than the retail establishments outside the district's boundaries.  The TDDs are created without public input and sales tax is increased without a public vote.

Officials or representatives of 97 of the TDDs reported total estimated transportation project costs of over $923 million, while 87 of those TDDs reported total estimated revenues of over $1 billion would be collected over the lives of the TDDs.

The current audit found issues in the areas of construction contracts and project management, professional services, budgetary matters, and financial reporting.  Competitive bids were either not solicited or appropriate bidding procedures could not be determined.  Written contracts related to the construction or construction management services were not always prepared or approved in a timely manner.  Requests for proposals for various professional services were either not properly solicited or documentation was not available to provide assurance that such proposals were solicited.

Various matters were noted related to transportation projects costs claimed for reimbursement by  developers.  For example, it appeared the costs claimed by a developer for reimbursement were included twice, overstating reimbursement requests by approximately $123,800.  In addition, in one district, customers of the major retailer in the district were incorrectly charged sales tax at a rate higher than that approved by the district for an 8-month period, resulting in an overpayment of sales taxes by the retailer to the district of approximately $60,000 for this time period."

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Thanks and Have a Great Day!!

Melissa Wagner
417.231.1045
http://www.ozarkmissouri.blogspot.com/
www.twitter.com/melissadwagner

Lunch Meeting

Howdy!

 

The council will be meeting to day at noon to discuss revisions to our Design Guideline Standars, Constructions Specifications and Standard Details Including an Application for Stormwater Detention Buy-Out.  We were going to be discussing new Park Board by-laws, but that has been pushed to our May 17th meeting.

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Thanks and Have a Great Day!!

Melissa Wagner
417.231.1045
www.ozarkmissouri.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/melissadwagner