News Happenings Around Town
A monthly message from your Mayor and City Council
Mayor's Message
We've had a very festive month so far with two of my favorite events of the year.

First, we got to kick-off the holiday season with the lighting of the Mayor's Christmas Tree in front of City Hall. This year's celebration marked our return to City Hall after an extensive renovation and a new Christmas Tree that we look forward to watching grow over the coming years.

And on December 14, I was able to be a part of one of our City's most heartwarming traditions, Shop with a Blue Springs Cop. This wonderful program allows more than 30 children who may not have had much of a Christmas, to shop with our Blue Springs Police Officers and volunteers for their families...and they get to take some presents home for themselves, too! You can read more about these programs below.

As always, thank you for subscribing and reading my newsletter so that you can learn more about what is happening in our great City. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year during this Holiday Season!
Out and About
Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting
On Tuesday, December 3, I had the opportunity to light the 2019 Mayor's Christmas Tree at City Hall in front of a packed crowd. I was joined by emcee, Pete Grigsby of KMBC Channel 9 and choirs from William Bryant Elementary, Lucy Franklin Elementary, and Chapel Lakes Elementary. We had hotdogs, hot chocolate, cookies, Christmas crafts and Fireworks. Thank you to everyone who made this year's event possible!

Shop with a Blue Springs Cop
We had a blast at the 2019 Shop with a Blue Springs Cop program. Thirty-eight Blue Springs Police Department and Blue Springs School District Public Safety officers volunteered their time by spending it with students from Blue Springs area schools. Kids who qualified for the program were able to shop for their families with the help of an officer and our volunteers. This is the tenth year the Blue Springs Police Department and the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association have partnered to offer this program. Thank you to all of our sponsors and volunteers for making this such a great event!

Community Services League Donation
I had the honor of presenting a donation of $1,000 to the Community Services League for their annual Spirit of Caring Concert from my Mayor's Fund. This is such a wonderful organization that does amazing things for our community and I am honored to be able to contribute.
Blue Springs South High School State Champs
Congratulations to the Lady Jaguars Softball team of Blue Springs South High School on their second straight State Championship. On December 12, I had the pleasure of presenting a Mayoral Proclamation to the  Blue Springs South Jaguars  Women's Softball team in honor of their State Championship. Congrats Lady Jaguars on another amazing season!
Community News
City Election Filing for April 7, 2020 Begins December 17
The City of Blue Springs will hold an election on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, for the purpose of electing the following:
Mayor – four-year term
Councilmember – District 1 – three-year term
Councilmember – District 2 – three-year term
Councilmember – District 3 – three-year term

Declaration of Candidacy Forms and instructions for filing procedures are available for pickup beginning Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at 8:00 a.m. in the office of the City Clerk, Blue Springs City Hall, 903 W. Main Street, Blue Springs, Missouri.

Candidates may file for such office during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays) starting at 8:00 a.m., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2019, and ending at 5:00 p.m., TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020, in the office of the City Clerk, Blue Springs City Hall, 903 W. Main Street, Blue Springs, Missouri.

Blue Springs City Council Raises Vaping Age in Blue Springs
The Blue Springs City Council voted during its regular meeting on Monday, November 18, to raise the age for sale and possession of e-cigarettes from 18 to 21.

The ordinance, which went into effect immediately after the 4-3 vote for approval, amended sections 625.020 and 625.025 of the City’s Municipal Code to make it a violation to sell electronic cigarettes to any person under 21 years of age and raised the minimum age for any person to purchase electronic cigarettes from 18 to 21 years.

Violations are punishable under the general penalty section of the City’s Code, which provides for violators to be punished by a fine not to exceed $500, or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, or by both.

To view the City’s Municipal Code, go to our website at  www.bluespringsgov.com .
Jackson County named an ACT Certified Work-Ready Community
This month Jackson County Missouri announced that it has met all criteria to become a certified ACT Work Ready Community, demonstrating its commitment to developing a strong workforce pipeline, desirable to employers, economic developers and current and future citizens of the county.

The ACT Work Reach Communities (ACT WRC) initiative empowers states, regions and counties with data, processes and tools that drive economic growth by identifying skills gaps and quantifying the skill level of their workforce.  Participants leverage the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (ACT WorkKeys NCRC) to measure and close skills gaps and build common frameworks that link, align and match their workforce development efforts.

“Blue Springs has always been committed to education and economic growth and we are proud to be a part of Jackson County as a certified ACT Work Ready Community,” said Blue Springs Mayor Carson Ross. “This designation is an important indicator that our community and our county is an outstanding place to live, work and play.”

For more information on this initiative, go to  www.workreadycommunities.org  and view all of ACT’s workforce solutions at www.act.org/workforce.
City Offices Closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, Offices close at 1 p.m. on Dec. 24
City of Blue Springs offices, Municipal Court and Vesper Hall will be closed on Wednesday, December 25 in observance of Christmas Day and Wednesday, January 1 in observance of New Year’s Day. Additionally, these facilities will also close at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, December 24 in observance of Christmas Eve.

The Blue Springs Fieldhouse holiday hours will be 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 24 and Tuesday, December 31. The facility will be closed on Wednesday, December 25 and Wednesday, January 1. Vesper Hall will be open on New Year’s Eve from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and it will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.

Graham-Taormina appointed Presiding Municipal Judge
The Blue Springs City Council unanimously approved the Mayoral appointment of Judge Stephanie Graham-Taormina as Presiding Muncipal Judge during the regular session of the Dec. 2 City Council meeting. Judge Graham-Taormina has served as a Blue Springs Muncipal Judge since April 2018. With the Council’s actions on Monday, Graham-Taormina will preside over the City’s Municipal Court docket. 

Congratulations Judge Stephanie Graham-Taormina!
Resident Tips & Tricks
Holiday Shopping Tips
City of Blue Springs Snow Removal
  • When driving behind a snow plow truck, be sure you stay at least fifty feet back. Do not tailgate or try to pass.

  • Never build tunnels or snow forts near the street. The weight of the snow coming off of the snow plows can collapse the tunnels or forts and harm people playing inside.

  • Move vehicles off the street whenever possible. Parked cars can obstruct snow removal operations and leave snow packed areas after they are moved.
The Blue Springs Snow Removal Team is made up of many of the best operators in the Midwest. Both Public Works and Parks Department employees work together to serve as the City’s first responders for snow emergencies. 

The team maintains a 24-hour state of readiness for inclement weather from mid-November to mid-April. Emergency Snow crews work closely with first responders, police, fire and EMS to ensure they can respond to emergency calls. To contact the Snow Removal hotline, call 816-228-0295.

To view the City's Snow Plan or to check out our snow route maps, visit our website .
Contact Your City Councilmember:
Ross sig
Carson Ross, Mayor 
City of Blue Springs