Community Spotlight: Training & Technical Center of Cass County Exciting news coming for all of Cass County! The all-new Training and Technical Center of Cass County, located in the Southview Commerce Center (Building 4, Suite 100, 6107 E 155th Street, Belton, MO.), is anticipated to be operational this fall.
ICYMI: Restaurant & Retail Developments Belton’s prime location, housing options and recent industrial developments have put Belton on the map as a city where businesses want to be. These factors have contributed to over $2 million in commercial investment in just the first six months of 2022!
Community Spotlight: Free Family Fun Events This Summer and Fall There are many free, family fun events this summer and fall! Join us!
Eagle's Landing Hosts U.S. Kids Golf Tournaments Over 145 players and their parents, grandparents and siblings traveled from the Kansas City metro, St. Louis, Springfield, Arkansas, Iowa and Nebraska to play at Eagle’s Landing Golf Course where two U.S. Kids Golf Local Tours —a qualifying tournament on Sunday, May 22 and the tour championship on Sunday, June 5.
Public Safety Sales Tax Update “The market for firefighters and paramedics has become very competitive in recent years,” said Sapp. “The addition of the Public Safety Sales Tax has allowed us to recruit and retain the quality service providers we currently have and to maintain up-to-date and reliable vehicles and equipment.”
Infrastructure Matters Thanks to voter approval there are active infrastructure projects all around the city. Our public works department is staying very busy overseeing the design and construction of all infrastructure projects that have been made possible by: Proposition S in 2019, Street GO Bonds in 2022 and Water Revenue Bonds in 2022.
Mayor’s Task Force Solution Fixes Water Lines at No Cost to Citizens “Our goal was to find a solution that would have little to no additional cost to citizens and we did just that!” said Larkey. “Questions 2 and 3 on the April 5th ballot work together to address water line issues. If both are approved by voters, there will be no debt service rate increase for the replacement of our failing water line infrastructure.”
Unpacking the Use Tax On April 5th, Belton voters will consider four ballot questions in support of community amenities and infrastructure that you, our residents, expect and deserve. Question 4 proposes a local use tax for pavement, pathways, pets and park. projects. The Missouri Department of Revenue calculated that Belton would have received $1.9 million from a use tax in 2020.
Questions 2 & 3 Work Together To Address Water Line Issues If both Question 2: revenue bonds and Question 3: extension of the ½ cent capital improvements sales tax – are passed by voters, Belton’s aged-out water lines will be replaced in five years with no water debt service rate increase.
Successful Street Program Can Continue with Voter Approval “We want to continue the successful Street Reconstruction Project,” says Greg Rokos, public works director. “Moving forward, we have established a new four-year plan that once completed, will bring the average street rating for the entire city to satisfactory or higher.”
Employee Spotlight: Concrete & Stormwater Foreman “I enjoy making a difference in the city through my work,” says Gary Dupus, concrete/stormwater foreman for the city of Belton. “I work alongside a team that cares about their quality of work, the city and its people”
First Ever Christmas on Main The first annual Christmas on Main kicked off on Saturday, November 27th with the Mayor’s Christmas Tree lighting and the Main Street Light Spectacular, which lit up all of Main Street.
City Council’s Strategic Plan for the Future A key role of elected officials in every municipality is to plan the future of their city through actionable items. These pillars clarify City Council’s intent for the city staff. Progress can be tracked over a three to five-year period.
Upcoming Ballot Initiatives The Mayor’s Task Force and City Council have been working diligently to find creative and affordable solutions to replace aging infrastructure throughout the city, including our water lines and streets that are quickly approaching their end of life.
ICYMI: Street Reconstruction Project (Phase 3) Have you driven on some of Belton's newly reconstructed streets? Would you like to see more? We do, and we have a new plan to make that happen!
Community Spotlight: Recap of Fall Festival and Family Fest “The 2021 Belton Fall Festival was a huge success!” says Jordan Comeau, Fall Festival committee head for Downtown Belton Main Street Inc. (DBMSI). “Thank you to all of the amazing vendors who put in the hard work, making this year’s festival great. We appreciate everyone coming out, having a good time, and supporting Downtown Belton Main Street.”
New Program Encourages Redevelopment in Old Town Belton Five improvement projects kicked off just six months after the adoption of the Old Town Belton Redevelopment Plan. From fresh coats of paint to brand-new patios, the improvements underway will increase the value of the applicant’s property and Old Town Belton, as a whole.
ICYMI: Apartment Complexes (Coming Soon!) “What is being built off 163rd Street?” “What is going on behind Target?”We are glad you asked - two new apartment complexes!
Employee Spotlight: Economic Development & Communications Specialist Jordan Lea (pronounced LEE) hit the ground running when she joined the city of Belton last fall as its economic development and communications specialist. Just in the first six months she, among other things, took the city’s social profiles to a new level as another source of need-to-know information for residents and helped implement Economic Development programs.
Utility Bill Breakdown A breakdown of a mock utility bill to help you better understand the terms, fees, and calculations on your monthly utility bill which covers three services: sewer, water, and trash.
ICYMI: SVCC Expansion The expansion is a $30 million investment into our community. Building 4 will be constructed on the abandoned, blighted, and long-vacant Century Concrete plant and a neighboring 20-acre parcel. Located north of the existing business park, the 501,000-square-foot building will be identical in design to the existing SVCC buildings.
Water Saving Tips Sixty leaky drips per minute from a faucet can waste up to 259 gallons per day, 3,153 gallons per year.1 A faucet leaking 259 gallons per day would result in an extra $7.13 per day reflected on your utility bill. Shower heads also can fall into this category. Double check that you have turned the water all the way off when you are done at the kitchen and bathroom sinks or taking a bath or shower.
Community Spotlight: Academies of Belton Imagine that you are a senior in high school and you’re starting to get that feeling of uncertainty as you think, “What will I do once I graduate?”Belton High School (BHS) has implemented a model of delivering information and education to help minimize these worries and give students the confidence they need to succeed in life after high school.
A Farmer’s Perspective at the Belton Farmers Market “My best advice for picking the best produce is talk to the vendor,” says Franks, owner of French Farms. “If you want cheaper produce, I can help you. If you want top-end produce, I can help you with that too.”
Employee Spotlight: New Senior Center Coordinator Bobi Hallak’s passion and excitement is contagious. After one conversation with her you will be ready to get out and make a difference in your community! She has big plans for the Senior Center; her main goal is to make it “the place to be.”
Paving the Way to Better Quality Streets “It’s so satisfying to knowing that so many of the failing roads in our community are getting a full reconstruction, becoming a brand-new road,” said Klayton Turnbow, Belton transportation superintendent.
ICYMI: North Scott Grant This is the kind of thing that your city really gets excited about – when we learned early this year that the Mid-America Regional Council had awarded the city of Belton a nearly $2 million Surface Transportation grant that will enable us to do a complete rehabilitation of our North Scott Corridor.
New Water Meter Technology Will Help Households Monitor Use The question often is asked, “Why is my bill so high and how did I use so much water?” The city of Belton has implemented a plan to install water meter register technology with the ability to inform citizens on how much water they are using and when.
Innovative Program Launches for Old Town Belton Great news for Old Town! Main Street and the surrounding neighborhood make up the original city of Belton with the majority of structures built between 1872 and 1930. Over the past 100-plus years, much of the Old Town Belton area, as a whole, has not been properly maintained and also has some vacant or undeveloped property.
Thank you, Chief Person After more than 40 years’ service in the Belton Police Department, the last 32 as police chief, James Person is retiring. Effective April,1, 2021, Chief Person will trade his desk for a chair on the wrap-around porch, or a saddle on one of his horses, at the farm in southeastern Cass County he and his wife, Debbie, are moving to full-time.
What a Year! While the year 2020 will be marked for many of as one of hardship and loss, so much good occurred in Belton that all of its uplifting and revitalizing effects will carry on into this and many years to come.