Yours Truly 2012
Annual Report Page 1
2012 Annual Report Table of Contents Message to the Residents..........3-4 Mayor and City Council.............5 Public Safety.............6 Community & Economic Development..........7-8 Community Connections.............9 Public Works & Water Utilities...........10 Parks & Recreation......11-12 Administration & Workforce...........13 Financial Overview...........14 Departmental & Division Highlights......15-17
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Message to Residents From the Mayor and City Manager Dear Lee’s Summit Residents, This year was one of “discovery”, “prioritization” and continued “excellence” for the City of Lee’s Summit, as we worked together as a team of elected officials, employees, neighbors, partners and friends to showcase the spirit of community that sets us apart from others. In 2012, some people experienced a discovery process of really understanding our community as our new brand campaign strategy anchored by the tagline ‘Yours Truly’ was approved. For many of us, it was really a rediscovery of all the wonderful strengths and opportunities that Lee’s Summit has to offer residents, businesses, and visitors. We all know what a great place Lee’s Summit is, but sometimes it takes a fresh view, some hard research, and a moment of reflection to help crystallize in our minds why we are all so fortunate to call this community home.
Mayor Randy Rhoads and City Manager Stephen Arbo reviewing planning reports.
For Lee’s Summit that means friendliness, helping one another, working together, making a difference whenever possible, holding high standards, and always looking to the future to make sure that what we do today is the best possible course of action for the next generation. That is the message behind ‘Yours Truly,’ and we live it and see it every day. It is what sets us apart and makes us special. As an organization, we also have begun a discovery process through the creation of our first-ever business plan through our Performance Excellence initiative. Although it will be completed in 2013, the initial steps of the process led Management Team and staff to examine organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to better understand ourselves and our path for the future. The Mayor and City Council completed a “visioning” process that began in late 2012 through a series of working sessions. These discovery processes helped to clarify where we are headed and to prioritize our path for the future. Through important collaborations between staff, elected officials and community stakeholders, a Sustainability Action Plan, a Strategic Plan for the Lee’s Summit Water Utilities Department, and other departmental project studies were completed in 2012. As we looked to and planned for the future, we also continued our strong dedication to excellence in performance. This Page 3
pursuit is demonstrated in our ambition to excel and become distinctive. This attitude has earned us much deserved recognitions in 2012. Lee’s Summit became a Bicycle Friendly Community because of steps to make bicycle riding safer and more comfortable for all residents of the City. Our City is the only community within approximately 500 miles to have received both Bike Friendly and Walk Friendly designations. The Lee’s Summit Police Department’s work to reduce the number of accidents on a stretch of the corridor along 50 Highway earned the City a Safety Champion Award from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Improving traffic conditions for vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle and bus traffic around our schools led to our City receiving the Midwestern Institute of Transportation Engineers’ Transportation Achievement – Safety Award. And the City’s Sustainability Action Plan was recognized for contributing to the creation of sustainable places in the greater Kansas City region by Mid-America Regional Council. This commitment to continuous improvement can be seen throughout all levels of the organization. We are all dedicated to providing the best quality municipal services to residents from public safety services to snow removal to sidewalk, street and curb repairs to administering a program for a first-time home buyer to realize the American dream. In 2012, the men and women of the Lee’s Summit Fire Department responded to more than 9,000 calls for service, maintaining an average response time of just over five minutes. The men and women of the Lee’s Summit Police Department continued to experience a decrease in crime categories. Both fire response times and police crime statistics data continue to be better than the national average for communities our size. Our environmental programs resulted in more than two tons of trash and debris diverted from lakes, streams and the landfill. Despite the challenging economic conditions, Lee’s Summit continues to work toward longterm financial stability. As we celebrate the accomplishments of 2012 highlighted in this report, together we look forward to continuing this level of service excellence in 2013 and beyond. Yours Truly,
Mayor Randy Rhoads
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City Manager Stephen Arbo
Mayor & City Council
(L-R Seated) Councilmember Dave Mosby; Mayor Randall Rhoads; and Councilmember Ed Cockrell (L-R Standing) Councilmember Robert Binney; Councilmember & Mayor Pro Tempore Allan Gray II; Councilmember Brian Whitley; Councilmember Bob Johnson; Councilmember Kathy Hofmann; and Councilmember Derek Holland
220 SE Green Street | Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 | P: 816.969.1000 | cityofLS.net | yourstrulyLS.com
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Public Safety Fire
Police
Ensuring an environment where everyone feels safe and secure! Ready to Respond to all Hazards The Lee’s Summit Fire Department strives to make our community safer by reducing the risk from all types of hazards through life safety education and pro-active fire code enforcement, and by preparing its staff to respond to all types of emergencies through continued education and the use of new technology and procedures. The department utilized LSTV to broadcast departmentally produced public service announcements about fire safety, including fireworks and smoke alarm detectors. Additionally, the department broadcast on LSTV and provided a link on the website to the award-winning “Disaster and Preparedness” videos produced by Mid-America Regional Council to promote safety preparedness. Fire Protection Review The Insurance Services Office (ISO) completed a review of fire protection for the City, including Greenwood and Unity Village. The review looks at available water for fire protection and distribution systems; how calls are dispatched; and fire department staffing, equipment, training, and distribution of fire stations. The department’s overall rating improved and we remained a Public Protection Classification (PPC) of 3. The PPC is used by several insurance underwriting groups to establish property insurance premiums. New Procedures and Technology Saves Lives In 2012, the cardiac arrest save rate in Lee’s Summit was 26%, compared to the national average of 6-10%. In addition to the change in protocol, an automated CPR device was added to one of the command vehicles used to respond to cardiac arrests. The new equipment is capable of providing consistent “hands-free” chest compressions (CPR) throughout a patient care event.
Crime Reduction Team Program During 2012, the Lee’s Summit Police Department developed a new program aimed at reducing crime by forming partnerships and developing long-term solutions. The program, known as C.R.T. (Crime Reduction Team) is made up of three officers and a sergeant. Once an area is identified, the team members work closely with neighbors, landlords and business owners to identify crime in the area and develop strategies for long-term crime reduction. In 2012, the team was deployed at a local apartment complex and through their efforts, the officers were able to work with the complex management to remove problem tenants and form a tenants association so that tenants and management could continue to work together once the officers relocated to a new area. The program has been very successful at reducing crime in the targeted area. Police Department Headquarters Expansion In addition to crime reduction programs, the Lee’s Summit Police Department is working on the final phases of a large scale construction project at Police Headquarters. Once completed, the Police Department will have an updated and remodeled detention facility as well as an on-site training facility with a firing range and classroom/community room. Construction is set to begin in April 2013 and to be completed the same year. This project was made possible by the voter-approved 2010 no-tax increase bond election.
Rendering of Police Headquarters Expansion
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2 Community & Economic Development
Creating an atmosphere for community and economic development success community-wide! Community and economic development continue to be among the priorities for the City. Communities with programs in place to support businesses, encourages investment, builds a vibrant economy and strengths a City’s livability and quality of life. In 2012, a total of 218,641 square feet of non-residential building space was permitted in Lee’s Summit. This is a 10.5% increase from 2011. The Department of Planning and Development heads a multi-departmental development team made up of individuals from Administration, Public Works Engineering, Traffic Engineering, Codes Administration, Water Utilities, Fire and Police. This Development Review Committee (DRC) team meets with applicants on various sized projects and performs development reviews to assist community development. The City’s achievements in 2012 included support of development applications for the following projects: Commercial Projects: • Stanley Event Center expansion • Unity Village annexation • Dave Cross Auto Dealership • Walgreens at 150 Highway and Ward Road • Police Department radio system upgrade • Police Department building addition • Todd George Retail Center anchored by Ball’s Price Chopper food store at Todd George and NW Blue Parkway • Chick-fil-A • Jack in the Box • Arvest Bank • Chipman Road Animal Clinic
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HyVee East C-Store CVS on 3rd St. and Blue Parkway Roberts Chevrolet Licata’s Flowers & Accessories Saint Luke’s Hospital campus expansion Wal-Mart at M-150 and Market Street
Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) updates in 2012: • Downtown Designs Standards – UDO Article 7 Design Standards These new regulations for Downtown were a product of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street Inc. (DTLSMS), and the City in an effort to preserve and enhance the historical attributes and character associated with this National Register property. • Mobile Food Vending – UDO Article 11 Special Events These regulations allow for the hours of operation, location on public and private property and health and safety guidelines. Regulations for food carts, such as hot dog vendors, are included in this amendment. • M-150 Corridor Development Overlay – UDO Articles 5 and 6, Zoning Districts and Overlay Districts respectively, including the sustainability point system These regulations began with a visual preference survey of property owners and residents along this stretch of state highway. The purpose was to establish design standards to enhance the look of this developing corridor and require sustainable features to be incorporated into all development.
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Digital Billboards – UDO Article 15 NonConforming Uses New regulations were approved allowing digital billboards to be placed on existing non-conforming structures. Conditions of approval require two existing billboard faces to be removed for every one digital billboard face erected.
as an “ombudsman” for small businesses considering locating or developing within Lee’s Summit. The ombudsman is a non-City staff member that assists the small business owner through the development review process asking questions that a small business owner may not know how or what to ask, explaining the City’s processes and what to expect, and assisting with any issues or concerns that may surface. The ombudsman partners with the small business owner and may be called upon to assist with engaging design professionals, coordinating and communicating with all parties involved in an attempt to ensure that the small business owner is fully aware of City regulations, requirements and processes and ensuring the process is one that does not create confusion and frustration on the part of the small business owner.
Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) In September 2012, the City Council approved the recommendation of the Lee’s Summit Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority (LCRA) to expand an existing Urban Renewal Area within the downtown business district. The expansion of this Urban Renewal Area was recommended as a proactive approach to assist with attracting redevelopment and reinvestment in the downtown Lee’s Summit area. Soon after creating the expanded Urban Renewal Area, the Stanley Event Center redevelopment project was approved at 308 SE Douglas Street (redevelopment of a private surface parking lot). The Stanley Event Center redevelopment project is a two-story mixed use structure containing office/retail/banquet and meeting space with a rooftop patio area. The City Council approved 100% real property tax abatement for a period of five years on the incremental increase in value for the project. Small Business Development Ombudsman As a result of a business development audit conducted in December of 2011 by the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce, in 2012 the City engaged a local business person to serve
Licata’s Flowers & Accessories
Saint Luke’s Hospital Campus Expansion
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Community Connections Shaping the direction of our community by working together!
‘Yours Truly’ Community Brand In August 2012, the Lee’s Summit City Council was presented the final report and recommendations from a year-long brand study conducted by North Star Destination Strategies, Inc. The brand study was commissioned in response to several goals in the community-wide long-range strategic plan, LS360°: Charting Tomorrow that recognized the need for a community brand to help entice and retain businesses, attract tourism and promote civic pride. The brand study was the culmination of several years of work by the LS360° Community Branding Committee. The tagline ‘Yours Truly’ was adopted along with a brand platform that recognizes the small town friendliness of Lee’s Summit as well as its strong community involvement in civic matters as the competitive advantage of our City. In October 2012, the City Council approved funding of $80,000 to begin implementation of the brand. The initial step was the hiring of a professional brand manager to oversee the project. Jim McKenna, who contracted with the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce beginning in November, began working immediately to introduce a cohesive and consistent look, feel, and messaging that emphasized the empowerment that is inherent in a community that belongs to and is the result of those that live and work in it. The community was introduced to the brand during the holidays with a ‘Happy Holidays’ billboard at 350 Highway & Third Street and Interstate 470 and Colbern Road – both seen by more than 40,000 motorists daily. The brand manager’s work continues into 2013 with a fresh new advertising campaign to connect the soul of the Lee’s Summit brand to the hearts of consumers both within and outside of the City organization.
Sustainability Action Plan The community came together to work on a plan to bring Lee’s Summit’s sustainability efforts together under one vision statement and to leverage those initiatives for future opportunities. The development of the Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) began in 2011 with the help of City staff, the community and AECOM, the consultant team engaged to develop the plan. The SAP represents a body of work that emerged from meetings with the Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC) that was appointed by the mayor, oneon-one interviews with key community stakeholders as well as a day-long workshop with citizens, stakeholders and City staff. The SAP outlines a course of action to meet the City’s goals to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste, and reduce costs for the City, residents and the business community in the following focus areas: • Energy Use and Efficiency • Transportation and Mobility • Land Use and Community Design • Water Conservation and Stormwater Management • Education, Advocacy and Outreach There are strategies and action steps tied to each focus area that when implemented could result in numerous community benefits. In May, the City Council accepted the SAP. The plan is an option to continue the City’s leadership on sustainability issues and actions. The SAP was funded entirely through the City’s federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant allocation from the U.S. Department of Energy. Learn more about the Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) by visiting lslandfill.net and selecting “Sustainability.”
Freedom... We never really get over the thrill of flying. It allows us to look up in the sky and imagine all that is possible. Just minutes away from historic downtown, Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport provides outstanding customer service featuring two runways, 23 buildings & tie-down space for 172 aircraft. Come spread your wings with us.
Yours Truly,
Sustainability Action Plan Page 9
Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport
Join us on May 18 for the Public Works Equipment Show and Airport Open House. Come visit your Municipal Airport and participate in the activities from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A pancake breakfast will be hosted by the local Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 91 from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
4Public Works & Water Utilities Ensuring the integrity of the City’s infrastructure above and below ground! Re-accreditation On July 6, 2012, the Lee’s Summit Public Works Department received its second national re-accreditation from the American Public Works Association (APWA) for continued compliance with industry-wide best management practices and procedures. The department achieved additional recognition by having seven practices identified as “model practices,” that are exceeding industry standards. The Lee’s Summit Public Works department originally received accreditation in 2004 and was the 16th agency in the nation, second in the state, and the first in the Kansas City metropolitan area to receive this recognition. Curb and Sidewalk Replacement The department replaced 429,500 linear feet of the worst curbs on residential streets citywide. This represents 107% of the original curb replacement goal utilizing 85% of the budget. The department replaced more than 880 ramps non-compliant with Americans with Disabilities (ADA) standards. Sidewalk work also included the replacement of 2,700 vertical offsets in sidewalks using a process that slices concrete to provide a smooth joint, saving the cost of the removal and replacement of the entire sidewalk panel. These projects were funded by general obligation bonds approved by voters in 2010. Centralized Customer Service Throughout 2012, the Lee’s Summit Public Works Department has renewed its commitment to providing the citizens of Lee’s Summit with outstanding customer service. The department has centralized their customer call taking process and improved their information and service request tracking system. These efforts are consistent with the goals outlined in the department’s 2011 Strategic Plan and their mission statement and reflect the department’s ongoing dedication to serving the Lee’s Summit community.
Water Utilities Strategic Plan The Strategic Plan for the Lee’s Summit Water Utilities Department was the result of a comprehensive assessment and strategic planning process. It specifically addresses a need to improve customer understanding, develop a program for the renewal of aged infrastructure, establish appropriate policies to address financial challenges, and to proactively address long-term needs to ensure a sustainable utility. In 2012, a financial plan to meet the ongoing operating and capital needs was adopted and the Water Utilities Advisory Board was established to provide customer input on the direction of the utility. Additionally, new billing software was implemented which allows customers to pay bills online and provides more in-depth information about each month’s usage. New positions were also created to focus on community relations and in-house engineering. The plan will position the Utility to be responsive to the impact of regulatory and economic factors that are affecting the Utility today and in the foreseeable future. Water Restrictions Because of the hot and dry weather conditions in the summer of 2012, increased water demand, decreasing storage levels and failure of a major Kansas City water supply line, the City of Lee’s Summit required customers to cease the irrigation of lawns with sprinklers and/or soaker hoses on July 4, 2012. Through a variety of public outreach and education methods from the Utility – including media coverage, door-to-door customer education, and the use of the City’s website and social media – customer cooperation with the restrictions was obtained. On August 15, 2012, the City lifted the outdoor watering restrictions due to the decline in water demand, the stabilization of stored water volumes and a reduction in the temperatures. The City appreciates the cooperation of its customers, as it ensured there was enough water to meet domestic and commercial needs and helped maintain storage levels for emergency operations during that time.
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Parks & Recreation
Continuing access to award-winning parks and recreational services and programs! Lea McKeighan Park Renovation Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation (LSPR) Board and staff are excited about the new concept being implemented for the first phase of the Lea McKeighan Park renovation. It will include recreational features for all ages including walking trails, open play field space, a water feature, park shelter, and other site amenities. Plans also include a unique adventure playground that will be a signature element in the Lee’s Summit Park system and for the region. The park will be a model of environmental sustainability through the use of innovative stormwater management practices, native landscaping, and energy efficient lighting. The new park concept will also bring attention to the history of the park with an interpretive area commemorating its very early history to its uses as a youth baseball, football and soccer venue. Demolition of the site was completed in 2012 with renovations scheduled to begin in spring 2013. The predesign cost estimates for the south side of the park was approximately $1.8 million and there was an additional $100,000 for the demolition of the previous structures on the site. A $60,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) helped to offset demolition costs.
donated by Polytainers, Inc.’s parent company, represents a savings of $223,000 to the citizens of Lee’s Summit. The land transfer agreement should be completed during the 2014 fiscal year and work on the City’s newest dog park will soon begin. Cultural Facilities Master Plan One of the most recent roles of the Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation Department Board is oversight of the City’s Arts Council, an active and dynamic group of volunteers who have significantly advanced the course of the arts in Lee’s Summit. Webb Management Services Inc. was commissioned by the group to develop a Cultural Facilities Master Plan. That plan was presented to the Lee’s Summit City Council and approved in February 2012. Webb completed extensive research which included an inventory of facilities throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area, numerous surveys, and extensive one-on-one interviews with local stakeholders. The recommendations made by Webb included a multi-year, multi-phased approach to address the facility needs of the cultural arts community. Recommendations included the addition of a stage and support facilities to the Legacy Park Amphitheater, a 300-seat performing arts center, downtown outdoor festival space, decentralized programming space, and someday a 1,000-seat performance venue in the community. Mayor Rhoads appointed a Cultural Arts Facility Task Force in 2012 to continue the progress of the work started by Webb Management. In April 2013, a notax increase bond election was passed by an overwhelming majority to add the stage and support facilities for the Legacy Park Amphitheater, develop a festival area in downtown and renovate the old city hall for use as a museum.
Land Acquisitions Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation purchased approximately 50 acres of land on Sampson Road in the southwest quadrant of the City to hold for future development. The land was obtained through a real estate contract where 32% of the appraised value for the land was paid for and the remaining 68% of the appraised value was donated to the department by the property owner. This donation of land represents a savings of $475,000 to the citizens of Lee’s Summit. In 2012, the department began the process of obtaining approximately five acres of land on Victoria Drive for a second dog park in the community. The property,
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RevUP Community wellness is a concern for us all. That’s why LSPR developed a community wellness program called RevUP, a 12-week program focused on healthy lifestyle and behavior changes that are simple, realistic and empower long-term success. Working with the City and our new sponsors, Lee’s Summit Medical Center and Centerpoint Medical Center, Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation was able to begin the program focused on improving wellness. The first city employee group, comprised of 18 participants, made several changes in their health. The group had an overall weight loss of 203 pounds, an average of 3.34% body fat lost per individual, and a total drop in cholesterol of 687 points. A group of 15 employees from Lee’s Summit Medical Center had an average weight
reduction per person of 4.23 pounds and 2.23% of body fat loss. The year concluded with 66 participants in RevUP. In an effort to help participants maintain their fitness and wellness success, the “RevUP Reload” program was developed and offered to RevUP participants. Through added corporate contacts, community involvement and sponsors, the number of participants in RevUp are expected to increase. The goal for the upcoming fiscal year is to have more than 1,000 citizens complete this program.
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6 Administration & Workforce Emphasizing customer service and workplace excellence to audiences internally and externally!
Performance Excellence Initiative The City adopted the Baldrige criteria as part of a five-year internal Performance Excellence Business Plan which is being developed as a foundation for organizational management and improvement. This business plan sets the strategic direction for internal operations and incorporated feedback from employees, citizens, the business community, and developers, in order to determine the best ways to continue to improve customer service and manage data for effective forward thinking business decisions.
Evolution C3 From managing City assets such as sidewalk and curb inventories to coordinating the implementation and administration of the new Enterprise Resource Planning System, Information Technology Services (ITS) continues to partner with departments to promote efficient processes and provide value added information. One of the largest projects completed by the department in 2012 was an upgrade to the City’s computer software systems for Water Utilities, Finance, Procurement, Human Resources/Payroll and Budgeting known as Evolution C3.
Performance Excellence began with a dozen employee assessors in 2010 who conducted initial research into our organizational processes with additional input and feedback from employees across the organization.
The phased-approach implementation of Evolution C3 was utilized and involved a number of activities and processes managed effectively by both internal and external resources.
In 2012, this effort evolved into a team of more than 50 employees working in five separate teams to execute our City’s first business plan. The business plan will outline a strategy to advance the City in the following areas: • Customer Focus • Organizational Communications • Delivery of Services • Fiscal Responsibility • Workforce
Several project milestones were reached in 2012. The Water Utilities Department’s enhanced billing system featuring new and improved water utility bill features and online capabilities for water and sanitary sewer customers debuted in February. On the heels of this implementation, the new Finance and Procurement system went live on July 1, 2012. Among the benefits of the enterprise resource planning system for finance and procurement are the elimination of unnecessary procedures and duplication, implementation of real-time processing, and greater flexibility in accessing financial and purchasing data.
Each focus area has goals, objectives, strategies and action steps. Performance measures will be attached to each goal to provide departmental staff and management critical operation information, key decision-making information for resource allocation and process improvements. The implementation of the business plan goals will begin in July 2013.
The City’s budgeting module, known as Lawson Budget & Planning (LBP), became operational in November. The features of the software are the ability to easily view, navigate and drill around in departmental fund budgets across multiple years. The new Human Resources Payroll system to improve business processes in the department was implemented in late December and included new automated methods to administer HR programs, payroll and time and attendance.
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Financial Overview
Using foresight and proactive strategic planning to make sound financial decisions! The City’s FY 2012-13 combined funds budget of more than $177 million provided improvements to infrastructure, maintenance of streets and technological advancements. Of this combined amount, the City’s General Fund budget of $59 million supported the City’s day-to-day operating expenses such as police and fire protection and general administration of the City. These activities are supported primarily from property taxes, sales taxes, utility taxes, and motor vehicle taxes. The budget became effective July 1, 2012.
Summary of All Funds Expenditures $177.9M General Fund Expenditures by Type FY13: $59.4M
Summary of All Funds Revenues: $165.7
General Fund Expenditures by Department
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8 Departmental and Division Highlights
Administration: • Transparency will remain a priority as the City increases efforts to communicate to residents. Equally important is information received by the City from resident. Obtaining this information helps staff and officials understand the needs of residents as well as measure how well the City is doing and where to improve. An online civic engagement site, EngageLS, was introduced to the public in 2012 focused on these communications needs. Residents utilized the site to make comments and ask questions about the projects considered for the 2013 no-tax increase bond initiative. Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport: • The City Council approved spending $538,405 to Swallowtail, LLC for wetland mitigation to various locations disturbed as a part of the Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport south runway expansion.
Animal Control: • An estimated 45,000 dogs and cats are kept as pets within Lee’s Summit. Although the compliance rate with pet licensing requirements has increased annually, the percentage of pets licensed is only about 15 percent. In an effort to increase pet license compliance, a City ordinance was revised to allow veterinary clinics to act as a point of sale for City pet licenses. The pilot program will be launched in spring 2013 at a local veterinary clinic, with the entire program set to launch on November 1 with the beginning of the 2014 City pet license season. Central Building Services: • In November 2010, the Police Department received voter approval to incorporate a training center and indoor tactical firing range, along with renovation of the Detention Center into the existing facility located at the intersection of NE Tudor Rd. and Douglas St. The City’s architect provides oversight
for all aspects of the project from design phase through the construction phase. This includes coordination with the Development Review Committee to ensure compliance with the City’s Unified Development Ordinance. The City Council voted to award the construction contract to the lowest and best bidder on February 28, 2013. The contractor began construction on April 8, 2013. The construction phase is scheduled for completion by April, 2014.
City Clerk’s Office: • With the election of municipal officials in April 2012, the City Clerk’s office held pre- and post-election meetings with candidates to prepare them for the position of councilmember. These sessions are a key to assisting elected officials in successfully serving the City and citizens. From January to April, staff administered the second Citizens Leadership Academy, with 25 participants. This year, the ‘City of Mock’ was created along with an election for councilmembers who held a Mock City Council meeting during a session of the academy. Codes Administration: • In 2012, the department unveiled a new video on LSTV to educate residents about proper usage and placement of signage in the community. Finance: • The new general ledger and procurement modules of the City’s new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system went live on July 1 with significant guidance and oversight of the Finance Department. The implementation was the culmination of several years of research, planning and development and required significant resources for proper execution. In September, the City Council approved the fiscal year 2012-13 budget recommendation to return the tax levy rates back to the statutory ceiling. This follows the
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voluntary reduction taken the previous year after a steep drop in commercial assessed values. The recently approved combined City tax rate is $1.554 per $100 of assessed value on residential and commercial property. The decision by the City Council ensures the City will receive approximately the same amount of property taxes as that of the 2011 year net of any new construction. Fire: • The Lee’s Summit Fire Department provided personnel and a medical unit (a.k.a. the gator) for the All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade on the Plaza and personnel to staff Kansas City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during the week of events for the 2012 MLB All-Star Game events. The department was a part of the combined departmental approach to provide basic crime and fire protection tips at the Police Department’s Neighborhood Watch meetings. In 2012, a contract was approved for the department to provide fire and ambulance dispatch services for the Pleasant Hill Fire Protection District. The Center will begin dispatching for Pleasant Hill in April 2013. This is the eighth fire department that the Lee’s Summit Fire Department Communications Center provides service to. Fleet: • The department implemented several processes to improve customer service, including an online vehicle status report to track the location of vehicles and a re-arrangement of the fleet shop by the type of equipment and repair to ensure better work flow for technicians. Human Resources: • Human Resources participated in union negotiations which culminated in contracts for the firefighters and laborers. As part of daily operations, payroll was processed, benefits were administered, and hiring continued to go well. Annually, the department hosts a Safety and Wellness Fair for employees to receive their annual safety training as well as participate in wellness activities. Evaluating opportunities to save on personnel costs citywide to include changes to existing health insurance plans; as well as monitoring of legislative changes were ongoing in 2012. Information Technology Services (ITS): • The infrastructure team improved the performance of the mobile computing environment for field personnel while also adding support for new, lower cost options including iPhones and iPads. The City’s government access channel or LSTV and City website, cityofls.net, continued to deliver best of class information and have been updated to reflect the new City branding effort and to also add a large range of multimedia
information including informational and educational video programming. The Support Services unit has implemented Windows 7 and has experienced increasing internal customer support requests as a result of new software applications as well as ongoing education on maximizing the features of existing technology. Law: • There was a re-organization of the Law Department to concentrate resources in the most effective and efficient areas without the need for additional full-time equivalent (FTEs) employees. This included the hiring of the City’s first Police legal advisor to assist in the review of police policies, drafting of ordinances, review of contracts, and training of officers. A property and liability risk manager was hired to work on the City’s insurance program organizationally and a part-time prosecutor was hired to assist the Prosecutor’s Office with court day dockets. In addition, the assistant city attorney has been cross-trained to fill in as a prosecutor when needed. Municipal Court: • The court administrator audited court procedures to ensure that the Municipal Court is compliant with Missouri State statutes and Supreme Court Rules and that best court practices are being followed. The court hired individuals for positions as deputy court clerk, warrant clerk and probation officer. In 2013, there will be an assessment of the court software program and an examination of other available court software programs. The Municipal Court Probation Program will also be evaluated to determine whether or not it effectively and consistently provides probationers with the tools to be productive, law abiding citizens. Parks & Recreation: • Special events are the department’s most popular and far reaching endeavors. Events of note in 2012 included the Night Flight 5K Run/Walk with 421 participants, Tour de Lakes with 748 participants and the summer concert series (Rock the Green, Jamaican Jam, and Blues & Jazz Fest) with more than 5,000 total attendees. Legacy Park Amphitheater also provided opportunities for family fun including a Movie in the Park with 1,350 attending to see, “The Lorax movie.” Two musical events, Samantha Fish and Cherry Bomb brought another 531 individuals to Legacy Park Amphitheater. Legacy Blast, our community’s Independence Day celebration, proved to be another successful event with more than 18,000 attending to enjoy the spectacular fireworks and fun. • The department manages three year-round facilities: Legacy Park Community Center, Gamber Center and Harris Park
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Community Center and one seasonal facility - Summit Waves. In 2012, these facilities had over 510,500 patrons walk through their doors. • The department provides planning, development and construction management for new parks, trails and facilities, and the ongoing repair and maintenance of the 27 existing parks in the community which total approximately 1,120 acres. The department is operated on a 16 cent property tax levy that has been in place since 1970. Today, it generates $2.8 million dollars annually but a majority of the operating funds (around $5 million) come from fees, charges and donations.
Solid Waste: • The Lee’s Summit Municipal Landfill received a perfect record on Missouri Department of Natural Resources inspections. Each of the 67 critical areas inspected achieved a satisfactory rating during all four site visits. Several recycling events were held throughout the year, including Athletic Shoe, Electronics and for the first time Bicycle Recycling. One hundred and fiftyseven bikes were collected at two events for refurbishment and eventually distribution to children in the metropolitan area. Two paper shredding events resulted in collecting 24,000 pounds of papers.
Planning & Development: • The department administered the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for the First Time Home Buyer Program as well as fund allocation and monitoring for subrecipients of CDBG funding.
Procurement: • There were a total of 95 electronic solicitations conducted by the Procurement staff on behalf of City departments which netted cost avoidance/savings of $2,164,602.36. Additionally, there were 9,653 Purchasing Card transactions which provided a soft cost savings of $675,710.00 by not producing a purchase order. We completed the migration from a paper based bidding process to 100% paperless electronic solicitations which will have a substantial impact on the amount of paper provided to the City by the supplier community. The division completed the training and implementation of Requisition-to-pay and the Purchasing Card modules of the Lawson Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP).
Police: • Both the City’s Police and Fire Departments completed the federally mandated “narrow banding” of public safety radio frequencies and upgraded radio equipment to public safety standards. This project was funded by the 2010 no-tax increase bond initiative. Public Works: • The department is comprised of four divisions: Engineering, the Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport, Solid Waste and Operations. In 2012, the Engineering Division managed projects that installed street lights on Tudor Road from Douglas St. to M-291 Highway; Woods Chapel Road from Independence Ave. to Lee’s Summit Road and Ward Road south of Third Street and Persels Road between Ward Road and M-291 Highway. The department held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the bus shelter, landscaping, new fencing and monument signage improvements to the Lee’s Summit Commuter Lot located at 50 Highway and NW Chipman Road. The department also sponsored two stream team events, where two tons of trash and debris were collected by nearly 185 volunteers. The Operations Division provided oversight for the annual Pavement Management program, which completed 20 miles of overlay, 25 miles of micro-surfacing, 32 miles of crack sealing, and replaced 12.5 miles of curb and 142 sidewalk ramps to comply with current ADA standards.
Water Utilities: • As a major step toward improving aged infrastructure as outlined in the Strategic Plan, the department began the $3.6 million Neighborhood Water Main Replacement Program to replace six miles of water main in areas most prone to breaks and interruptions in service. In 2012, the department replaced 21,000 feet of water main in areas citywide including in Raintree, on Bayview Drive in Lakewood and along Independence Avenue with longer lasting and more durable PVC piping. The project resumed in the spring of 2013 where an additional 12,000 feet will be installed.
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Yours Truly 2012
Annual Report 220 SE Green Street | Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 | P: 816.969.1000 | cityofLS.net | yourstrulyLS.com