In This Issue
Fourth of July Event
Summer Codes Tips
City Attorney Bob McDonald Retires, Nancy Yendes Appointed as New City Attorney
Smith Street Between 11th & 12th Streets Become One Way
Downtown Post Office
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 City Councilmember

District 1

 Jeff Quibell   
 
District 2  
 District 3
 Susan Culpepper 
 
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Recent Ribbon Cuttings in Blue Springs
       

Boot Barn Ribbon Cutting

1010 NE Coronado Drive

 

 

 

 Dunkin' Donuts Ribbon Cutting

1225 NW Highway 7

High Five Tour
 
Mayor Ross signing the Mustang with grandson Adonis looking on.
   

 Recently, the Wounded Warriors Family Support Mustang made a stop a Blue Springs Ford as part of the fifth annual High Five Tour 2014.   I was privileged to be able to sign the traveling Mustang and present the team with a proclamation honoring their visit to Blue Springs.  

 

The High Five Tour is an opportunity for millions of Americans to show their

support and say "thank you" to the thousands of military families who have made sacrifices for our freedom. 

Blue Springs Theatre 8
     

 A few weeks ago, I was invited to the Blue Springs Theatre 8 to film a few short videos that will play before the movies.

 

Bob Hartley interviewed me for several light-hearted segments that talk about all of the great things happening in Blue Springs.

 

The videos will be debuting soon!  We will 'see you at the movies!' 

Blue Springs Ford's 'Helping Others' Campaign
       
Every month, Blue Springs Ford will be hosting a Helping Others campaign. The purpose of this campaign is to get the community involved with a charity. They have pledged to give away $1,000 a month to the charity with the most votes.
 
Our very own Downtown Alive is competing for the month of July!  To vote for Downtown Alive, click here.
Business Innovation Award
   

 

  

 Innovative ideas emerge all the time and we know they exist in Blue Springs!


The Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce wants to help businesses take innovative ideas to the next level by offering financial help for those ideas.

  

Companies and organizations must meet certain requirements and applications must be completed and returned to the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce office by August 15, 2014.

The finalists must attend the luncheon on October 16, 2014. At that time the finalist will be introduced and the grant will be awarded. The winner shall make a presentation about their innovation to members of the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce in the fall of 2015.
 
Click here to learn more about the grant or call the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce office at (816) 229-8558.
Upcoming Parks & Recreation Events
     

   

 Car Cruise

Friday, July 11 from 6 p.m. till dusk

Downtown Blue Springs

  

Bring the family out to view the latest innovations in car restoration from over 100 exhibitors and enjoy delicious food and drinks from downtown merchants as well as concession treats and sodas.

Cruises are held the second Friday of each month, April through August. Co-sponsored by Mid-America Mustangers and Blue Springs Ford.

  

 

 

Music in the Park Concert Series

Rotary Park at Railroad Lake

  

 Sunday, July 13, 6-8 p.m.

BluzBenderz

 

Join us as the BluzBenderz (Blues) takes the stage.  Presented by the Tandem Paving.

 

Sunday, July 20, 6-8 p.m.

Southern Vixen

 

Join us as the Southern Vixen (Lady Trio Country Variety) takes the stage.  Presented by the House of Heavilin Beauty College.   

 

 

 

 

Are you over 50 and looking to get fit?  The Blue Springs Parks & Recreation Department has several classes specially designed with you in mind!

 

Fit over Fifty

 LaBlast

 Stretching Exercise

 Tai Chi

 

Most of these classes are nominal in price and spaces are still available.  For more information, call (816) 228-0181.

 Let's Move! Saturdays!

 
Dynamic Dance
1901 SW Highway 40 
July 12, 11 a.m. to noon
Join us for a morning of Technique Dancing.
 
Blue Springs Family YMCA
1300 Adams Dairy Pkwy 
July 12, noon to 3 p.m.
Join us for an afternoon open swim.

 

Club 7 Fitness
1241 SW Highway 7 
July 19, 9-11 a.m.
Join us for a morning of Kids Fit Boot Camp, fitness activities and open gym for adults.

 

Action Martial Arts
2416 S Highway 7 
July 19, 1-2 p.m.
Join us for a morning of kickboxing and cross-training, for kids ages 7-13.  This class is open to the first 25 - register at (816) 224-4105.
 
Rink Ratz
513 SW Keystone Drive 
July 19, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Join us for an afternoon of open skating.
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City of Blue SpringsNews Happenings
Around Town
 A bi-weekly message from your Blue Springs Mayor and City Council
Greetings!  
 
Hello and welcome to News Happenings Around Town, your one-stop source for City information and news updates, including those items most important to you.

 

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Fourth of July.  I want to thank those residents who were "Good Neighbors" and observed the hours that fireworks are legally allowed and disposed of the fireworks debris afterwards. 

 

I would also like to thank everyone that participated in the Community Blood Drive this week!  Thanks to your donations, we collected 31 units of blood to be used by people in our community!

 

As always, please continue sharing this timely publication and spreading the word about what's good and going on in the City of Blue Springs.

Fourth of July Event

I hope you had a great Fourth of July weekend!  This year, we had a great show thanks to Country 94.1 KFKF-FM who presented Columbia Nashville recording artist Austin Webb and 6 Degrees West.  

 

Concert guests and residents from all over Blue Springs enjoyed the fireworks display began around 9:30 p.m.  Special thanks to all of our sponsors for helping us continue this great tradition.

 

According to early reports, this was our safest Fourth of July in years!  Thank you for "Being a Good Neighbor!"

Summer Codes Tips

Codes violations often increase in the summer due to special events and increased vegetation growth.  Below are a few Summer Codes Tips.

  

 

 

 

Trash Containers

Trash for pick up should be placed no further than 5 feet from the home. Curbside pick up is prohibited. All trash must be contained at all times. 

  

 

Fence, Deck and Pool Construction

A new deck, fence or pool construction requires a City building permit. All pools holding 24 inches of water or more, including inflatable pools, must have a permit from the Codes Administration.



  

Garage Sales & Garage Sale Signs
Residents are limited to three garage sales a year and cannot sell any goods from any commercial business or enterprise on a consignment basis.  

 

Garage and yard sale signs must be placed on your own property. They may not be posted on public utility/light poles or on public rights-of-way of streets. These signs do not require a permit. Signs can be posted on premises for up to 3 days per sale.



 

Resident Lawns
Lawns should not exceed 8 inches in height. Eradicate any poison ivy on the premise of your residential property.

The City recently updated its online Municipal Code portal, click here to visit the new page.  If you have any questions about the City's Codes, call (816) 220-4565.

City Attorney Bob McDonald Retires, Nancy Yendes Appointed as New City Attorney

At at the July 7 Council Meeting, the appointment of Nancy Yendes to the position of City Attorney was confirmed and will become effective July 21, 2014. Yendes will succeed City Attorney Bob McDonald who will retire in July. 

 

McDonald served as the City Attorney for over 28 years and was the City's first in-house legal counsel. "I am proud of my service to the City of Blue Springs and I will miss the people with whom, and for whom I have served," said McDonald.

 

Nancy is held in high regard by the legal community and brings with her extensive knowledge of municipal government. We look forward to Nancy joining our community and continuing the excellence and professionalism established by Bob McDonald.  I would like to personally thank Bob for his dedication and service to Blue Springs and wish him the best in his retirement.
 
The City Attorney provides legal counsel and advice to the Mayor, City Council, Boards, Commissions, and all departments of the City of Blue Springs.

"I am very excited to be able to serve a vibrant and growing community like Blue Springs," said Yendes. "I look forward to working with the City Council and City staff and becoming involved in the community." 
 
Prior to accepting this position, Yendes served as the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Springfield, Mo. for over 20 years. She also served as a hearing officer for the Missouri State Tax Commission and as an Assistant Missouri Attorney General where she represented a variety of agencies including the prison system and the departments of elementary and secondary education and mental health. Yendes has also served as Assistant General Counsel for the Missouri Department of Social Services. 
Smith Street Between 11th & 12th Streets Become One Way 
 

Attention Motorists!  On Monday, July 7, Smith Street between 11th & 12th Streets became a one-way, east-bound only street to accommodate construction on the Howard L. Brown Public Safety Building. 


The next phase of construction requires the safety fence to be moved into the south lane of Smith Street. A major priority of the project is to reduce the impact to surrounding businesses as much as possible. Converting Smith Street into a one-way street provides traffic connectivity and maintains the Howard L. Brown Public Safety Building construction schedule.
 
This construction-related traffic flow is expected to be in place for the next 9-12 months. During this construction phase, the City will be monitoring the one-way traffic flow and reaching out to downtown businesses to consider permanently transitioning Smith Street to a one-way street.  

Part of the Howard L. Brown Public Safety Building Renovation and Expansion project scope adds 17 new parking spaces along Smith Street and can only be implemented if Smith Street becomes a one-way street due to size restrictions.
Downtown Post Office  
 

The Downtown Post Office will close on July 21 and conduct all business from the 500 SW South Avenue office.   

 

The USPS letter states:  "On July 21 , 2014 we will be closing the Main Post Office on 11th Street, and conducting all postal business from the 500 SW South Avenue office. The last time to pick up your mail from the 200 NW 11th St location will be on Saturday, July 19th, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. After that the PO Box mail will transition to the new location on South Ave. You will have new keys for the post office boxes at the South Avenue location, but you will retain the same post office box number. You can exchange your old keys for new ones starting the 21st of July. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you. We look forward to serving you at our new office."

I hope you have found this issue of News Happenings Around Town to be both informative and timely for your City information needs. Is there anything we missed? Do you have questions about any of the articles from this issue? Share your thoughts with me and the City Council by calling City Hall at (816) 228-0110. Know that we truly value your time and support for our City and hope you join us for the next issue of News Happenings. 
 
Sincerely, 
 Ross sig
Carson Ross, Mayor
City of Blue Springs
Our
Mission 
The City of Blue Springs is a unique community where families, visitors and businesses share a special quality of life and an abundant spirit of community closeness and cooperation. 

 

Our number one goal is to ensure that our residents, visitors and patrons receive quality customer service and attention with every program and service the City provides. Just as you stand by a community that strives to meet your family's needs, we promise to do our best to meet these needs and anticipate what's best for you and our community, to the best of our ability.