Happy Black History Month! February is Black History Month! Independence has a rich history of many famous African Americans, including Vietta Garr. Granddaughter of Emily Fisher, Vietta is known for her service to Harry and Bess Truman and her community. She worked as a cook and housekeeper for the Truman's for nearly 40 years. Vietta also helped raise Margaret, Truman's daughter. The two shared a strong bond that lasted into Margaret's adulthood, with Vietta accompanying her on many outings. Once Truman took office as President, Vietta was known around the White House for her meals of steam fried chicken, baked Virginia ham, sweet potatoes and Harry favorite -- angel food cake. Outside of her work, Vietta was well known throughout the African American community for her involvement in the Second Baptist Church and Daughters of the Tabor, a society for African Americans that aimed to spread Christianity and education. She was on of few guests invited to Harry Truman's funeral, and Bess Truman would make one of her last public appearances to Vietta's funeral.
Congratulations to our I-Star award recipient Tauvasa Faletagoai, a Property Maintenance Officer in our Community Development Department, is the February I-Star award recipient. Thank you for all you do, Tauvasa!
Council Overview - February 7, 2023 Please find below an overview of some of the key items discussed and voted on during the February 7th City Council Meeting. You can watch this meeting here. Monument marker for Noland Road The Council approved a resolution to authorize the City Manager to execute a license agreement on the behalf of the Noland Road Community Improvement District with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for a monument. The Noland Road Community Improvement District (NRCID) will be responsible for all costs associated with the enhancements, the City merely approved this agreement on their behalf. The monument will be located along the eastbound ramp of Interstate 70 at Noland Road. It will feature branding consistent with the NRCID. City Hall Programming and Master Plan Study The Council approved a resolution to direct the City Manager to issue RFPs for architectural and engineering services to assist with an evaluation of City Hall. The plan will evaluate the condition of City Hall, future space needs, preserving the core functions of governance on the Independence Square and how to best utilize City real estate for maximum economic impact. Construction on Independence City Hall began in 1978 and was completed over a four year period. In November 2020, Renaissance Infrastructure Consulting completed a structural analysis of City Hall. The report identified structural creep that has lead to distress/cracking in the building's glazing. Creep was cited again in a November 2023, as were minimal or lack of sufficient control joints where cracked brick veneer had taken place. World Cup prep The Council approved a resolution expanding the Independence FIFA World Cup Advisory Committee. The committee will consist of no more than 21 members and include representatives from the City, the Independence
Chamber of Commerce, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum members of the local hospitality industry. The application process will be available soon. The Kansas City metro will host six total World Cup matches in June of 2026 -- four in the group stage, one in the round of 32 and one quarterfinal. Curious about the rest of the agenda? You can find the full agenda, including links to the items above and other items discussed, here. Upcoming meetings The City Council will meet on Monday, February 19, 2024, for a regular Council Meeting. You can find the agendas for this and past meetings here.
Want more? You can also find past editions, press releases, the CityScene newsletter and more in the newsroom at indep.us/newsroom
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