Monthly Archives: August 2013

Your Money Flushed Away at the KCMO Water Department

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Last week the Kansas City Star reported that the Kansas City MO Water Department awarded a two year,  $12 million dollar no-bid contract to West Monroe Partners.  Yes, you read that right.  $12 million dollars–which breaks down to $500,000 per month — being paid to this Chicago company.

For this exhorbitant fee,  West Monroe Partners will address problems with the department’s phone system, information technology, call center training (they have a call center?  The water department doesn’t even have a published direct customer service phone number!) and billing issues.  Where does the KCMO water department get $12 million dollars to throw at a consulting firm?

The horrible customer service and billing problems at this utility are well known.  What has  current management been doing to fix the problems?  Why does an outside company, at very hefty fees, have to be hired?  Shouldn’t these issues be addressed by current management?  Isn’t that what they are paid to do?  What is the job description of the head of the department?  And since we’ve had these same problems for years, wouldn’t a better solution be to hire management who knows how to run a water department efficiently and effectively?  Why not fire those that can’t get the job done? Where is the accountability???

Just last year, KCTV reported that the water department  hired a consultant, who was being paid $250 per hour, to deal with water service bills and poor customer service.  What happened to that consultant’s recommendations? How much did that cost us?  Did management implement any of the suggested changes?

And why was this a no-bid contract?  There is a foul smell to this entire story. Why did the City Council approve this contract?

We’ve had huge increases in our water bills to pay for the federally mandated upgrade of our sewer system.  These increases will continue for the next several years.  Apparently the water department has included a fat budget line item for consulting  firms with the higher rates so they can outsource the job they are supposed to be doing…while current KCMO water  personnel  collect generous salaries and pension benefits for not doing the jobs they were hired to do.

Armour Hills Home Sales Stats – July 2013

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Armour Hills in Brookside

Armour Hills Homes in Brookside

Sometimes I wonder if  readers are getting tired of me reporting every month that home sales are UP in Brookside!  Oh, not really,….it’s even good news for buyers.  Yes, you may be paying a bit more than two years ago but as a homeowner, you want to feel confident you are making a good investment!

For Armour Hills, the average sales price is way up for the month of July.  Here are the details:

In July 2013, nine homes sold.  Average list price was $296,517 and average sales price was $292,000.  Average days on market was 20.  

In July 2012,  nine  homes sold at an average price of $224,111  and 53 days on the market.

Wow, that is quite a jump in the average sales price!  Almost $72,000!  Here’s why:  in July, three sales closed with sales prices over $300,000, including one $410,000 sale. Prices way over $300K are not the average for our neighborhood.  It’s good to see the average days on market way down–less than three weeks from list to contract!

Now let’s compare to year-to-date figures:

From Jan-July 2013, 49  homes have sold  at an average price of $263,011 and 66 days on market.

From Jan-July 2012, 44  homes sold at an average price of $220,406 and 89 days on market.

As of this writing, there are 22 homes for sale in Armour Hills, with an average list price of $252,361 and 60 days on market.

Sales prices are up, number of units sold is up, and days on market is lower than  last year. This has been a consistent trend since the beginning of the year. Armour Hills should finish up 2013 as the strongest  for home sales in the past  few years!

(All figures taken from Heartland MLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed).

Brookside Area Home for Sale

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First time buyers often want a home with ‘good bones’ as the saying goes:  newer HVAC, roof, windows, as those items are expensive to replace.  I have a listing in the Brookside area with ‘good bones’ — lots of space for the price, just needs a new owner to add decor!

Brookside Area Home for Sale

Brookside Area Home for Sale

This home has new windows, new HVAC, new hot water heater, new 100 amp electrical service and new bracing on the basement walls.  It’s a Tudor style home, with a living room, dining room, enclosed side porch, kitchen and cozy breakfast room, plus a bedroom and full bath on the first floor.  The second floor has two bedrooms, another full bath and  a large dormer for storage. There is a private driveway and fenced backyard. Built in 1935, it has many charming details: crown molding, fireplace, brick exterior, built-ins…and all appliances stay!

Conveniently located near a bus route, this home is within a couple of miles of UMKC, the Country Club Plaza, Stowers Institute, and the Brookside/Waldo shops and restaurants.

It’s a great deal priced at $119,000.  If you are currently renting, your payment could be lower than your monthly rent!  The address is 715 E 72nd St, just east of Holmes.

For more information on this home, contact me.  It will be a fine house for the next owner.

Waldo’s 75th St Brewery Celebrates 20 Year Anniversary

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For twenty years now, the 75th Street Brewery  (520 W 75th St, just west of Wornall) has been serving locally brewed beer and tasty made-from-scratch foods to Waldo and Brookside residents.  This Saturday they are kicking off a week-long celebration of their anniversary, with daily food and drink specials.

I’ve been a fan of this place for a long time..even though I’m not a beer drinker, we eat there often because the food and service are good, and they welcomed our kids for dining when they were smaller.  I appreciate their 600 calories or less menu selections, the tasty sweet potato fries and the pizzas are delicious!

With so many beer pubs popping up in the metro area, it’s important to note  the 75th Street Brewery started it all as they claim to be KC’s first brewpub.  Although Saturday’s  Summer Beer Fest is sold out , you can still stop by at 3pm and meet the original brewmaster, Tom Richer and try the 20th anniversary beer, Imperial Stout.  On Monday August 19, the menu will feature throwback pricing to 1993, and on Thursday you can buy 75 cent pints of any of their flagship brews.  For other specials during the week–check out their Facebook page, as unfortunately, there is no mention of the big anniversary celebration on their website (as of this writing).

The 75th Street Brewery is part of the KC Hopps restaurant chain, locally owned and operated. Other restaurants in the group include The Blue Moose, 810 Zone and Barley’s Brewhaus.  Happy Anniversary to the 75th Street Brewery.. one of Waldo’s best casual restaurants!

Want $5 To Spend in Waldo?

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I know you like to spend your hard earned money supporting Waldo (and Brookside) businesses!  The Waldo Area Business Association has a  promotion through August 31, called the “Waldo Summer Passport”…and they make it very easy to earn $5 to spend in Waldo!

Waldo Passport

Waldo Passport

Here’s how it works:  Pick up a ‘passport’ at any of the participating businesses.  Get it stamped at ten Waldo businesses.  Turn in the completed passport at the Becky Beck Agency or Family Bicycles.  You’ll get $5 in Waldo Bucks and be entered into a drawing for $100 Waldo Bucks.  Pretty easy..and there’s no purchase necessary.  But hey, how often do you stop at Euston’s Waldo Hardware or The Well or Coffee Girls  or Waldo Pizza in a month?? Just keep the passport in your pocket for reference and in no time you’ll have the ten stamps..and a free $5!

Here’s a list of the participating businesses.  Thank you for supporting Waldo!

Almar Printing, 7735 Wornall Rd  – Center of Life Chiropractic, 336 W 75th St  – Coffee Girls, 7440 Washington St  – Cottman Transmission, 8401 Wornall Rd  – Euston’s Waldo Hardware, 126 W 75th St.  – Family Bicycles, 7410 Wornall Rd  – Jerry Singer Automotive, 311 W 74th St. – Kansas City Veterinary Care, 7240 Wornall Rd –  Lew’s, 7539 Wornall Rd  – One More Cup, 7408 Wornall Rd –  Pampered Paws Grooming Salon, 7719 Wornall Rd  – Papparico’s Mexican Restaurant and Catering, 8314 Wornall Rd  – Patricks Bar and No Grill, 8251 Wornall Rd –  Pistachios Monograms & Gifts, 205 E Gregory Blvd  – Planet Sub, 115 W 75th St  – Studio 213, 213 E Gregory Blvd –  Swyden Cleaners, 329 E Gregory Blvd  – The Well, 7421 Wornall Rd –  Waldo Grain, 7801 Wornall Rd  – Waldo Pizza, 7433 Broadway St  – Walgreens, 7500 Wornall Rd.  Here’s the website for more info:  www.waldokc.org

Stoplight Changes at Two Brookside Intersections

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signal signDriving around Brookside last week, you may have noticed this sign at two  key intersections: Gregory Blvd at Main St and Meyer at Oak.  The stop signs will be removed, and the stop lights will be reactived and in use as of August 7.

Last October, KCMO abruptly turned off stop lights at several key intersections around the city, including at these cross streets in Brookside (plus Main at Meyer and Wornall at 59th St.)

Residents howled at the changes, because they were not informed of the plans and several of these intersections are near schools.  KCMO says it is too costly to operate  these outdated signals and doesn’t have the money to replace them.  Stop signs, they say, will cause traffic to slow down and stop accordingly, plus  save money.  

So now we see the posted signs saying ‘we listened’ and the lights are coming back on.  I’m in favor of the change back to working signals.  The intersection of Main and Gregory gets backed up during rush hour and the Meyer/Oak intersection is a major crosswalk for children attending St Peter’s School.  Meyer and Main, an intersection I cross several times a day, seems to be working OK with the stop signs.

But what about the inactive light at 59th and Wornall?  This one should be turned back on too.  The lights have been covered  with fabric, and there is not even a  stop sign on Wornall.  This intersection is very difficult to cross (east-west) without a working light, especially during rush hour.  I have called the KCMO Public Works department twice and left messages to find out their plans–no call back yet.  (As a side note, have you noticed there are no published phone numbers on the website for the various city departments?  Most of the pages list the Action Center number.  Good luck trying to reach a human if you don’t have his/her specific direct line!).  This light was turned off several months ago,  and something needs to be done–either reinstate the signal or install  a four way stop.  I prefer the signal.  A four way stop would cause lengthy car backups along Wornall.  

The good news is we are getting the two working signals back in Brookside, although the City has ‘no money’ to keep them operating. They are ‘outdated’ and expensive to replace.   As a resident, I am weary of hearing how the city has ‘no money’ to do something as basic as public safety regarding traffic lights.  Besides the usual taxes, we pay an extra 1% earnings tax.  Where does the  money go?  (I think I  know…but won’t say here!) .  I am  grateful the lights  will be turned back on, and I’m assuming someone found the money to keep them operating for now.

Now, please let us know what’s happening with the light at 59th and Wornall.  I’ll keep leaving messages for an answer…