Page 3 Desire to Learn About Community Led to Appointment WINTER continued from page 1 A desire to have his “finger on the pulse of the community” led newly appointed alderman Shea Bass to begin attending Board of Alderman meetings. “As a resident and parent in the City, I began attending the meetings to learn more about the community. There are not many people who attend the meetings, but what happens in these meetings affects everyone,” Bass said. Bass works in construction management and lives in Ward 3 with his wife and two young children. Former Ward 3 Alderman and current Missouri State Representative Jeff Coleman vacated his seat in December. Bass credits Coleman for
giving him helpful advice when he was considering running for a seat on the board. Bass is focused on learning about his role and the needs of his constituents. “I am compiling a list of concerns I have heard from residents so far. Road maintenance and snow removal are popular topics, as is the increase in residential construction on the north end of town,” Bass said. Mayor Todd appointed Bass on February 11th to fill Coleman’s open seat until the April election. Bass is running unopposed in Ward 3. The General Municipal Election will be held April 2, 2019.
Shea Bass was sworn in as Ward 3 Alderman during the February 11th board meeting. Photo credit: City of Grain Valley
Friday, February 15th. Linda Henderson, age 74, from Platte City, MO, died as a result of the accident. Henderson’s husband, James Henderson, age 75, remains at Centerpoint Medical Center recovering from injuries sustained in the accident. In a statement, the family expressed their appreciation for the support and prayers received from concerned residents and asked for privacy as James Henderson recovers. A Go Fund Me account has been established to help the family and can be found at http://www.gofundme.com/ james-and-linda-henderson.
Absentee Voting Begins February 19th for April 2nd Election Absentee voting began February 19th in Jackson County for the April 2nd Election. Absentee voters may vote in person Monday—Friday, 8:30am—5:00pm at the Jackson County Board of Election Commissioners office at 215 N. Liberty, Independence, MO 64050. The office will also be open Saturday, March 24th, and Saturday, March 31st from 8:30am— 12:30pm.
In order to receive an absentee ballot by mail, voters must send in a written request, with the following exceptions: A parent may request a ballot be mailed to their child or vice versa but the request is required to be made in person at the Election Board office; A person may request a ballot be mailed to their spouse, but the request is required to be made in person at the
Election Board office. Requests for an absentee ballot by mail must be received in our office no later than 5:00 pm on the second Wednesday prior to the election in order to mail out a ballot. Requests for an absentee ballot by mail must be received in the Election Board office no later than 5:00pm on the second Wednesday prior to the election.
Requests for the April 2, 2019 General Municipal Election must be received on or before Wednesday, March 20, 2019. For more information on absentee voting and to download an application, visit https://www.jcebmo.org/voterinformation/absentee-voting/. Voters must be registered by March 6, 2019 to vote in the April 2nd election.
Downtown Jackson County Courthouse Reopens County staff and community members were welcomed back to the downtown Jackson County Courthouse, 415 E. 12th Street, on February 19th with breakfast pastries and coffee as the facility reopened for business as scheduled. “It was great to see everyone come back through the doors excited and happy to be back,” Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. said. “This has been a very difficult process for everyone, but I am proud of the tremendous display of teamwork to keep the County moving forward. Today was our small way of saying thank you.” The building has been closed since January 31 when a large underground water line outside of the downtown courthouse burst causing significant flooding in the basement. On February 4, a secondary water line break occurred inside of the courthouse, resulting in significant cosmetic damage to multiple floors on the east side of the building. Over the past two weeks, county staff and contractors have been working around the clock to dry out the affected areas and begin the restoration process. Work included repairing or replacing water-damaged ceilings, walls, carpets and furniture. Additionally, a qualified environmental testing firm conducted tests to ensure that the environment was safe prior to county associates
return to work. Some areas of the courthouse remain under construction and closed to the public. Those areas are the five damaged courtrooms and offices on the east side of the fourth, fifth and sixth floors, as well as the Court Administration area on the third floor. Crews will remain on site and will continue to work for several months to restore the building and necessary spaces. “We must invest in this courthouse if we plan to continue to use it, but we must also understand that regardless of the improvements we make, this will still be a nearly 90-year-old building,” White said. “We are working with an architect to ensure we’re doing all we can to preserve the integrity of the historic building as we put together a long-term plan to ensure it remains functional for generations to come.” Due to ongoing construction, citizens are advised to arrive early to conduct county business. Additionally, the offices of the Clerk of the County Legislature and Legislative Auditor will operate from 201 W. Lexington Avenue, Suite 201, in Independence for the remainder of this week. Information regarding the location of trials and hearings can be found on the 16th Circuit Court’s website at www.16thCircuit.org.
Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. welcomed Jackson County Courthouse staff and community members back to the downtown courthouse on February 19th. The building has been closed since January 31st due to flooding from two water line breaks. Executive’’s Office Photo credit: Jackson County Executive
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