Funk's Front Porch31 August 2007
Dear Folks,
This week’s city business:
The Economic Development and Incentive Task Force wrapped up their work on Wednesday. They have come up with a TIF policy that will guide the Council and EDC in making decisions regarding our City’s future. This is a monumental step in the right direction for the City. There have been concerted efforts to develop such a policy over the years, once by Councilmen Evert Asjes and Ed Ford, but their hard fought efforts fell by the wayside. Now the new Council has a chance to enact a policy that reflects the values within the community. The policy will come up for council vote in September.
There continues to be issue with the appointment of Frances Semler to the Parks Board because of her membership in the Minutemen, a national organization that deals with illegal immigration issues. Some members of the Hispanic community feel Mrs. Semler’s membership with the Minutemen is grounds for her removal from the Parks Board. Now La Raza, a Hispanic rights group, is threatening to pull their 2009 convention out of Kansas City to show their disapproval. Funk maintains that if anyone, including Mrs. Semler, exhibits racial tendencies while serving on one of his boards that he will immediately ask for their resignation. So far, the feedback on Mrs. Semler’s service on the board has been complimentary.
Funk is trying to move past this. He continues to meet monthly with Hispanic leaders in an effort to find solutions to improve conditions within their community. And he continues to strive for diversity within his boards. This City has been horribly divided for a long time, but Funk is doing his level best to help remedy that. Of course it is human nature to second-guess leaders, but in time I believe we will see evidence of Funk’s effort in uniting us. The key, I think, is increasing citizen satisfaction with city services. In the end, we all want the same things: a responsive government, clean streets and sidewalks, safe neighborhoods and a thriving economy.
On a more personal note:
This has been a slow week as Funk is in Portland, Oregon, partaking in college orientation activities with our son Andrew. I am not with them as my son witnessed my goodbye to his sister three years ago and didn’t think he could cope with his own jittery nerves and his mother’s tears at the same time. I am hoping that Funk and I can take the train to visit him next month after he is all settled in.
I have been working on a surprise for Funk ever since he left Kansas City on Tuesday. Believe it or not, but we’ve never unpacked his boxes since moving them up here on May 1st. There simply hasn’t been time. We just put the boxes in the corner and took off running full tilt. Needless to say, organizing his surroundings was long overdue. I cannot wait to see the look on his face when he glimpses his “new” office later today. I know he’s going to love it. It’s so beautiful and peaceful with all of his own belongings tucked in there now.
Until next week,
In faith,
Gloria & Mark
You can respond to this newsletter at funksfrontporch@gmail.com.
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The Mayor’s top ten priorities:
1. Establishing a good working relationship with the Council
2. Getting the City’s finances in order
3. Making downtown work
4. Tending to our neighborhoods
5. Implementing the Housing Policy task force recommendations
6. Improving the perception and the reality of public education in Kansas City
7. Reducing Crime
8. Repairing our sewer systems
9. Establishing an excellent regional transit system, which includes light rail
10. Improving citizen satisfaction with City services.
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