KC Light Rail: Promote It, And They Will Come

By Brent Toellner The Kansas City Post Last week, Airick Leonard West wrote an editorial about criteria he believes should be considered when determining a route for light rail. His first criterion was - moving people to where they need to be (required transit). There isn't a ton of demand for required transit in this city - certainly not enough of it to justify an expensive light rail system. In fact, Kansas Citians LOVE their cars, and we have more highway miles per capita than any other major city in the US. It's great for evacuation plans, but doesn't build a strong case for light rail. Mr. West is correct in his assertion that Kansas City desperately needs to improve public transit for those without a car so they can have access to decent-paying jobs and other services throughout the metro. Unfortunately, in order for light rail to be successful, we must attract more riders than the roughly 2.5 million passengers that use our current bus service each year. We must first attract more riders to the service, prove the viability of light rail to the city, and then expand the lines once there is more traffic/demand to justify it. Attracting new passengers isn't rocket science. All you have to do is ask yourself (assuming you're one of the 98% of the population that uses an automobile) - when would I, personally use light rail? There are four man things that would entice a car person to experiment with light rail: 1) You want to drink at the bars, and don't want to drive home drunk 2) You want to avoid crowds/expensive parking at a concert event or game 3) You're someplace new and a light rail system can get you where you need to go easier than renting a car and finding your own way around 4) Avoid heavy traffic This is why the Airport/River/Crown/Plaza/Brookside route seems like an ideal route for a starter line for KC Light Rail. It reaches the airport, and most major tourist destinations that would attract out of town travelers and conventioneers. It hits most major bar districts where young people gather, and would at least reach a good portion of major events at the new Sprint Center/Entertainment District. It also connects the people who live in the Northland with downtown - the only real traffic flow problem in KC is getting across the Missouri River. St. Louis has a model example with their Metro Link that connects pretty much every major site in the city: Airport, Forrest Park, The Loop, Union Station, Savis Center, Busch Stadium, Edward Jones Dome, the Landing - and a commuter route to East St. Louis/the Riverboat Casinos. Last September, the Metro Link drew almost as many riders in a month (2 million) as the Kansas City Bus system attracted all last year (2.5 million). In order for other routes to happen, you must get people to experiment with public transportation. In order to get them to experiment with it, you have to give them special event opportunities to use it. Once people in this city get used to using light rail, other lines will be requested and used - which will benefit everyone. You can't rely just on "necessary transit" because there isn't enough of it to support a system. Build a light rail system, and offer a free outside concert in the River Market area with free light rail service. You'll have many more loyal riders in no time. Then quickly expand the lines to other important parts of the city - West to the Legends, Southwest down the I-35 corridor, and East past 18th and Vine to the Truman Sports Complex. Use the bus system to link this for the "necessary transit" and you'll have success. Let's start now.

Note To Sheep: Stand Clear Of Track

By Airick Leonard West The Kansas City Post Thus far, the conversation around light rail in Kansas City has been like sheep following the sheep. Think about it: how often in our history has there been both thoughtful debate and near-unanimous agreement? Exactly. So why then, does it now seem we have a unanimous agreement on running the starter line (technology) through the River-Crown-Plaza corridor (routing)? Exactly. Decision Criteria The most predictable outcomes of any track-based transit system are increases in both population density and property value. Collectively, these can be harnessed to increase urban redevelopment -- the most important criteria in designing a track-based system. The remaining four criteria I suggest are: - Moving people to where they need to be (required transit) - The existence of significant public investments - Moving people to where they want to be (elective transit) - Funding strategy Any track-based transit system that is built on this hierarchy of priority will largely ensure that -- if it fails-- that failure will be a function of system operation, not system design (a conversation around operations and the ATA is worthy of its own writing). Urban Redevelopment When taking advantage of increasing density and value is at the forefront of a system design conversation, the questions of routing and technology become simpler. On the technology front, any track-based system that can run along existing under-developed corridors is a winner. And any system that can do so without requiring that tracks be isolated from the communities through which they run is a major winner. Concerning routing, the strategy becomes ranking under-developed corridors, the redevelopment of which would be a significant gain for the city. Required Transit Core usership is fueled by people using the system daily for required travel. There is ample existing data from the ATA to identify transit bus usership patterns for KCMO and it should be used to inform where track is planted. These users are generally trying to get from where within KCMO they live to where within KCMO they work. Any successful municipal transit of the central municipality in an MSA is likely to evolve into regional transit over time. But since KCMO must be the first mover, the first set of riders whose needs need to be considered are those that are moving around within KCMO. Public Investments If a transit system is built with public dollars, it makes sense that it connects to other public investments. When the first two criteria are taken into consideration, it will narrow a seemingly infinite set of questions around technology and routing down to a manageable few. This criteria, then, can be used to further eliminate infeasible options. Elective Transit There are occasions when people will engage in elective travel -- going somewhere because they want to, not because they need to. And while this set of desires can't possibly sustain a transit system, it should be included. This is a peripheral but nevertheless important concern. We need to connect major shopping centers (particularly since so many of ours seem inextricably connected to mama public via the city hall umbilical). Funding Strategy The trump card in choosing between whichever options remain is funding strategy. In this arena, there are two immutable realities: the municipality will go it alone for the first route and a coalition of governments will be necessary to subsidize future routes. We already know that the second and subsequent routes will need to be routes that are eligible for federal transportation grants. Because of this, it makes sense for our first route to be one that fulfills the above criteria but that is unlikely to be eligible. When we remove sheepishness from the track-transit dialog, new thinking concerning technologies and routes becomes possible. Applying these criteria in order, which technologies might you utilize? Which route would be your first?

Sidewalk Talk

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post Willie's opened at 15th and Grand last September. A sports bar with panoramic views of downtown and the Sprint Center, it's one of my favorite places to watch the Royals games. It's fun to pretend I'm watching a major league team, at least for one inning. (Ba dump bump) Recently I was chatting with the owners of Willie's asking about their plans for the future. I asked about the potential of a roof top deck and if they had any plans for sidewalk seating to get a little activity out on the street. They were excited about the prospect of creating sidewalk cafe seating on the generously wide sidewalks. I'm no stranger to the sidewalk cafe license issue so I offered my opinions and told them what I thought they could expect. Boy was I dead wrong. I had forgotten that Grand is a boulevard which in Kansas City means abutting property falls under the jurisdiction of the Parks Department. Willie's was told that sidewalk repairs are their financial responsibility. This is true, unless you're a really big developer with a wad of TIF. Parks said they could fix the sidewalks and bill Willie's, or the business could hire their own contractor and have them fixed to City specifications. Willie's figured going with a private contractor was probably more cost-effective and had the sidewalks fronting Grand re-done. Willie's ownership thought it would be a great idea to fence off part of the sidewalk for outdoor seating, leaving the required 5 ft for pedestrian traffic. They proceeded to apply for the proper permits for a sidewalk café permit which costs $250/yr. This they were willing to pay, even though I personally feel the amount is a bit punitive for a business trying to bring some vibrancy to the urban core. Unfortunately for Willie's they were told that if they want to seat people on their sidewalk abutting Grand Boulevard, they will have to pay a $10/sq ft fee per year to Parks and Recreation. Their desired seating area is 210 sq ft so Willie's is looking at $2100/yr. Willie's isn't looking for a handout, they just want a fair shake like the Cordish's and AEG's of the world are getting. Says co-owner Steve Bessenbacher "What we don't understand is that when we were asking about the sidewalks, they were "ours" and our responsibility to fix. However, now we want to seat people on "our" sidewalk we have to pay a $10/sq ft fee to the Parks and Rec division. We knew there would be a cafe license fee for this space, but we find it hard to believe we need to pay an (additional) fee to use our sidewalks." This is exactly the kind of situation I expect our new mayor and council to address. It's not big and glamorous like a new arena, or lucrative like tax incentives for Briarcliff, but it's one of the little things that can make our city more vibrant. We have to make our processes and policies more friendly to small business. We're willing to spend millions of dollars a year on the gamble that paying local businesses to stay downtown will create a vibrant core. Shouldn't we be willing to enact policies so a small business can thrive?

Funkhouser Launches Boards & Committees Application Process

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post True to a promise made through the comments section of this publication, mayor-elect Funkhouser has launched a website giving aspiring citizen volunteers a chance to offer their services on one of the many boards and commissions that help govern our city. Nowhere to be seen is the "nomination" aspect first put forth by commenter kc sponge. Early reviews also pan the "Provide References" section as too intrusive. "I don't want someone calling my employer" and "I'm afraid my boss will think I'm looking for a new job" were a couple of the comments I've received. Communications Director Joe Miller assures me it's a "work in progress" although he also says the two references section was requested by the mayor-elect and his Chief of Staff, Ed Wolf. I know at least one or two people from the mayor-elect's staff read this publication, so feel free to review the idea in the Comments section. Likes? Dislikes? I personally would forego the references in favor of a large text box allowing the applicant/nominator to state their case for why they think they'd be a good fit. How about the ability to attach a resume or cover letter? Here's the form and the press release. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APRIL 18 Funkhouser Offers Online Application Process for Boards and Commissions At the request of Mayor-Elect Mark Funkhouser, city staff has created an online application form for Kansas Citians who would like to be considered for appointment to one of the city's boards and commission.The application form can be found here. Kansas City has more than 75 boards and commissions which help shape policy for everything from air quality to youth issues. Funkhouser requested the creation of the online application in an effort to bring new voices and perspectives to these public bodies. The online application form will collect applicants' names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, employer info and contact information for two references. Applicants may scroll through a complete list of boards and commissions and select two top choices. The data will be stored in a secure server at City Hall, and applicants may be contacted at any point over the next four years, as board positions frequently become vacant. The application page also offers links to more information about each board and commission. ### 30 ### For Additional Information Contact the Mayor-Elect's Office Funkhouser for Kansas City, 1800 Summit, Kansas City, Missouri 64108 816.283.3535 (Joe Miller 550-7486) funkhouserformayor@gmail.com www.markfunkhouser.com Paid for by Funkhouser for Kansas City, Evert Asjes, III, Treasurer

Grow Your Own Hometown Industry for $250,000

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post Update: Someone has contacted me with "interest" in this idea. Maybe it will take off, maybe it won't. Stay tuned... A long, long time ago in a King Radio engineering lab not too far away, my first manager gave me words of wisdom which I continue to use to this day. "A good engineer knows how to design things. A great engineer knows how to find things." That's a paraphrase of course. His actual words were closer to "incorporate (steal) whatever designs you can," "never reinvent the wheel," "why start from scratch if somebody else already has?" The latest target of my shameless thievery? Boston, Mass. In one of the many news feeds I receive on a daily basis, the following headline caught my eye. It details a competition for startup entrepreneurs in the alternative energy industry. REMAINING 10 FINALISTS ADVANCE TO FINAL STAGE OF COMPETITION 10 Finalists Selected from a Pool of 61 Teams to Compete in the Final Round of the Competition for $250,000 in Cash, Products, and Services Business, government and academia have collaborated in Boston to create their own startup industries. By holding a contest every year, they give aspiring eco-entrepreneurs a chance to realize their dreams and for a relatively small investment, Boston gets the opportunity to be home to to what could be the next big thing. Even if it's just the next little thing it's still new. Can anybody say "job creation?" Not just moving a retail sales clerk position from once part of the city to another. The actual creation of a job where before none existed. Imagine a dramatic, nerve-racking competition. Chosen from an initial round of written applications, thirty semifinalists present business plans to a volunteer panel of judges containing business leaders, venture capitalists and academics. The thirty are whittled down to ten. Those semifinalists are given fifteen minutes to make a presentation to convince a different set of judges that their business plan and technology is the best investment opportunity. Each team receives feedback from the panel on their business plan, and ways to improve their pitches. In the Boston competition, after a few days of deliberation, the winning team or individual receives the following. $25,000 cash; 3 months PR services from a local firm (value: $40,000); $15,000 legal services from a sponsoring law firm; one year of office space (value: $25,000) or incubator space and support at Boston's Applied Technology and Manufacturing Center; and scholarship for up to three team members for the Advanced Invention 2 Venture to be held by the NCIIA August 1 -4 (value: $6,000) The second and third place finishers are awarded lesser packages for a competition total of $250,000 in cash and services. I picture the Kauffman Foundation as an ideal sponsor for such an event. It wouldn't even have to be alternative energy (although it would if I were in charge). I'm told Kansas City has a couple of PR firms, some lawyers, and plenty of empty commercial space. Lining up sponsors for such an event would not be that difficult. Barkley Evergreen are you listening? What about Shook Hardy & Bacon? Colliers International? EDC? The list goes on. Imagine being set up with some of Kansas City's finest firms, in some trendy digs with a chance to make it big. Instead of repeating the mantra of "we must compete with Johnson County" I think the new mantra should be "we must compete with ourselves" and strive to do better. We have all the components, we just need a way to put them together.

KC Trade Shows & Conventions are a Promotional Opportunity

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post Conventions and Trade Shows happen every day throughout the United States. Some are massive affairs like the Consumer Electronics Convention that occurs every year in Las Vegas. Some are tiny gatherings, consisting of ten to twenty people convening in a conference space at a hotel. Kansas City's Convention and Visitors Bureau does a fine job of bringing in all types of conventions to Kansas City. But as with most things, I'm sure even the leadership at the bureau would agree that we can always do better. No convention is too small to pursue. Large groups like Walmart have a quantifiable economic impact. That's important. But small groups can pay dividends down the road. Sometimes a small convention grows every year to enormous proportions. Read the histories of some of these trade shows or conventions. A great deal of them share the same story. They started small. A few people with similar interests or businesses meeting for a half a day. The next year maybe a few more, perhaps some that traveled from out of town. Soon the half day meeting grew to two, then three days. The attendees grew from less than ten to greater than one hundred. An even greater byproduct of some of these smaller conventions is they give Kansas City a chance to market itself as a home for industry. Any one convention could have a decision maker looking to start, or relocate a business. What better way to pursue these opportunities than by having those decision makers spend a few days in Kansas City in the relaxed environment of a convention? Kansas City should pursue a "Grow Your Own" strategy. Working with the Convention and Visitors Bureau our mayor and council must attempt to identify fledgling conventions and trade shows and lure them to Kansas City. Something as simple as a phone call or a handwritten letter from a City Councilman may be enough to lure dozens of new opportunities to our city. People go where they are wanted, and our leaders need to let as many conventioneers as possible know that they are wanted in Kansas City. Finally, the sales job doesn't end with just getting the conventions to come. Once our guests have arrived, elected officials need to use the opportunity to stalk the hallways, shake some hands, make some new friends. Even make themselves available as guest speakers where appropriate. Every visitor to Kansas City is a sales opportunity. Our leaders need to learn to love to sell, and get across the impression that they love their product. Let's all work together to not only bring conventions here, but keep them here.

Beyond Petroleum

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post Some of my favorite classes in grad school dealt with planning for the future. "You have to plan 5, 10 and 20 years in the future for technology that doesn't even exist." That was the main gist of Technology Management. "Don't focus yourself into obsolescence." You're not a "car company" you're in the "personal transportation industry." You're not a "telephone company" you're in the "communications business." In 1997 we had a guest lecturer from Sprint. He was the Chief Technology Officer. The person responsible for plotting the future of the company. That was right about the time that cell phones were becoming ubiquitous and I even had a couple of friends who did not have land lines. I asked the lecturer if hypothetically our communications infrastructure was completely destroyed, would he start building wireless towers or start digging trenches and rebuilding Sprint's optic fiber network. "Lay fiber" was his immediate answer. "Wireless technology will never have the bandwidth to support communications needs. We're going to run fiber to every home in America. We'll always depend on optic fiber." He's no longer Sprint's CTO and I haven't seen a commercial touting Sprint's long-distance "pin drop" fiber network in years. A couple of years back I noticed BP filling stations popping up around town. I began to see commercials saying "BP. Beyond Petroleum." BP of course is/was British Petroleum. The "Beyond Petroleum" ad campaign really struck a chord with me. Here was a company that perhaps was acknowledging that maybe we won't always be taking fossil fuels out of the ground and setting them on fire. Perhaps there are other forms of energy to be explored. Cleaner. Cheaper. Better. Some state governments are getting into the act. Rather than wait for energy companies to divert course and begin to move to other forms of energy, some progressive states are passing legislation to encourage them to do so. Recently the state of Maryland amended its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) which requires the state's utilities to produce 1,500 megawatts of solar energy by 2022. The bill will require 0.005% of the state's electricity supply to be generated from solar starting in 2008 - increased incrementally each year until reaching the required 2% by 2022. Is it any coincidence that the corporate headquarters of BP Solar is located in Maryland? I know our current governor's brother is heavily invested in the ethanol industry. Coupled with the powerful agricultural lobby it seems Missouri will remain singularly focused on ethanol. I am not convinced that trading one volatile price fuel source for another is the way to go. Oil prices swing with the whims and wars in the Middle East. Ethanol prices swing with the whims of the weather. We cannot continue to have tunnel vision when it comes to planning our energy future. Maybe ethanol will be a success (I don't think so) but should that preclude exploring other sources of energy? Missouri has sunlight. Missouri has wind. Missouri has flowing water. Missouri could have hydrogen. Diversification is the key. Hopefully our leaders in Jefferson City will have some vision and encourage multiple forms of alternative energy. After all, it's cheaper to get sunshine than moonshine.

Now accepting applications?

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post We have close to 90 citizen boards and commissions in Kansas City. Chances are you have some experience or expertise that will apply to at least one of these groups. Have you ever been asked to serve on one? Probably not! Some boards are highly prized like the Public Infrastructure Advisory Committee (PIAC), Planning Commission, or the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Commission. They are powerful groups that make a lot of important decisions affecting the daily lives of Kansas Citians. For that reason many of these boards and commissions are populated with political insiders and influential campaign donors. I heard through the grapevine that mayor-elect Funkhouser's people are putting out feelers, looking for individuals of certain backgrounds and experience to serve on some of these bodies. While this is certainly a step forward from the way previous administrations have done things, I believe the new mayor can do better than just a few low-key solicitations from "people who might know people." Much was said in this last campaign about "transparency." I think the mayor-elect could go a long way towards showing that kind of open government by throwing the doors wide open to the process. Starting with his campaign website. It should be in full transition mode right now. No need for "Election Info" and "Yardsign" links. Turn the site into an information portal letting the citizens know what is going on as he prepares to take office. Front and center should be a listing of boards and commissions, the members' names and expiration dates of their terms. A simple web form should let anyone express an interest in serving for upcoming vacancies. The whole process should be transparent and once appointed, every commission member should have a web page bio so we can all know more about the people making recommendations that affect our City. Instead of making these groups rewards for loyal political supporters, we can make them opportunities for new ideas. It shouldn't be that hard to volunteer your time to help your community. You shouldn't have to have the mayor on speed dial. I know there is a tremendous amount of collective knowledge in this city and there's plenty of people willing to share, if only they were given the opportunity.

Fighting global warming... The easy way.

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post We're blessed with a temperate climate here in Kansas City. Granted we have our stretches of brutal cold in the winter, and blistering heat in the summer, but we have enough of a growing season to have beautiful lawns, ornamental trees and a variety of native flowers and grasses. With all these natural amenities it seems ironic that so much of our public land is underutilized. Consider our highway medians. For the most part they're planted with what I call pasture grass. Thick bladed and full of weeds, this ground cover serves no other purpose than to reduce soil erosion. Consequently, it must be mowed frequently during the growing season. Basically we have large stretches of land that serve no other purpose than to separate roadways and require constant maintenance with pollution producing mowing equipment. Many states have programs that encourage the planting of trees in their highway medians and other public land. Requiring little if any maintenance, these more progressive governments have embraced the idea of urban forestry as environmental stewardship as well as practical fiscal responsibility. From an environmental standpoint, there is no real downside to planting a tree. According to the USDA, over a 50-year lifetime, one tree generates $31,250 worth of oxygen, provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control, recycles $37,500 worth of water, and controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion. From a fiscal view, the reduced amount of maintenance, sound absorption qualities and cooling effects have real impact on our urban trafficways. As Arbor Day approaches I think we should all take time to consider our options when it comes to public land. As the old saying goes, the best time to plant a tree is twenty five years ago. The next best time is today.

Let the sun shine in

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post Solar energy has made dramatic advances in the last five years. Photo-voltaic (PV) cells have become more efficient, battery technology has improved, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have increased in luminosity and economies of scale have brought the price of components down significantly. Just yesterday I purchased four solar-powered garden lights for $15. Five years ago just a single light like these would have cost $30. Now for half the price I get four times as many and they're brighter and last longer. Kansas City has already begun to embrace some of these technologies. The next time you're sitting at a stoplight, look closely at the lighted signal. Is it one solid light or does it appear to be made up of many small dots of light? Those little dots are LED's. Much more efficient and cost effective than incandescent lights, eventually all stoplights will be made up of LED's. Keep an eye out for cross-walk lights or yellow flashing school zone lights. If the light has been installed recently you will probably notice a solar panel mounted on the pole. In many small ways even our oft criticized Public Works Department is slowly embracing green technology. With the possibility of another MAX route running down Troost Avenue, I think it is important that the ATA consider all the new technologies available to them. Many companies are offering standalone bus shelters that operate completely on solar power, even during the dark and dreary winter months. The advantages are many. No digging or trenching to install power lines, less maintenance and increased durability to resist vandalism. Even without greening our bus shelters, there are other ways to improve transit with little added cost. Consider the solar bus stop. Rather than a small blue sign that says "Metro" tacked to a telephone pole, the fixture to the left is a completely self-sufficient solar bus stop. It has on demand buttons that either light the schedule or activate a call light to alert the driver that someone is waiting. This has been proven to significantly reduce buses passing by stops and leaving would-be passengers behind. Once again the advantages are no digging for new power lines. In most cases the installation of one of these simple posts takes about thirty minutes. Alternative energy is here to stay. Its popularity grows on a daily basis. Its technology continues to improve. Kansas City needs to stay on the forefront and show the rest of the state, and even the country that everything is indeed up to date in Kansas City.

Nothing to say

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post I've been blocked for quite a few days now. Pretty much all I seem to be able to focus on is alternative energy. Electric cars. Hydrogen power. Solar. Wind. Even ethanol (which I still think is a huge boondoggle) Look for this page to become one big green rant for the next few days. Maybe I should change the name to The Kansas City "Com"Post! Since transit seemed to be a very hot topic, look for something tomorrow having to do with that. Could be buses, could be light rail, could be something else. Who knows? (Not even me at this point!) Tune in tomorrow. Same bat time. Same bat station.

Kansas City Should Promote Zero Emissions Vehicles

By Mark Forsythe The Kansas City Post The country has gone crazy over ethanol. It seems like we're replacing one bad idea (oil) with another. The only people I hear extolling the virtues of growing corn to produce ethanol are the corn growers and investors in ethanol production facilities. Aside from the poor efficiency of corn-to-alcohol-to-fuel, people seem to forget that corn requires a lot of water to grow. In the 70's it was easy to get farmers to switch from corn to the more drought resistant soybean. Now we're switching back? Where is all this irrigation water going to come from? A newly elected mayor in Richmond, CA has the right idea. With a pledge to ask the Richmond City Council to create a Department of Environment within 4 years, Mayor Gayle McLaughlin has committed to turning Richmond into a leader in sustainability and environmental issues. Part of that pledge is a partnership with a California electric car company called ZAP. ZAP produces a three-wheeled electric vehicle called the Xebra. It also comes in a truck version. Some may argue that the Xebra is nothing more than a glorified golf cart. Perhaps it is, but with speeds up to 40 MPH, air-conditioning, leather seats and premium stereo this street-legal vehicle is no toy. "As the first fleet in the country to incorporate all-electric city-trucks we are proud to promote zero emissions vehicles," said Richmond Mayor McLaughlin. "We're signaling a direction. Our legacy for the young people of Richmond is lower green house gas emissions, cleaner air, less pollution and a greater commitment to make Richmond vibrant and sustainable." We cannot depend on Jefferson City to show any sort of leadership as long as the ethanol lobbyists are working the halls of the capital. We cannot depend on our state government to do an about-face and suddenly begin directing more attention to the western side of the state. Kansas City will long be known as Missouri's "other" city. It is up to us to forge our own way. Put ourselves in front as leaders. Let Jefferson City and the rest of the state turn to us for leadership. Mayor-elect Funkhouser has said that he's going to "shake things up" at City Hall. I hope part of that "shaking" will be a message to our young people that we will make Kansas City a sustainable community. Rather than worry about outpacing Merriam or Prairie Village, we should be keeping up with, and outpacing the Richmond, California's of the world. A three-wheeled electric truck or two in our City fleet is not going to propel Kansas City to the forefront of alternative energy/environmental leadership, but it's a start. 4/4/07 Update: I should have known. If anyone employed by the City would be on the leading edge of alternative fuel vehicles it would be friend and neighbor Sam Swearngin. Today The Pitch reports that Sam has already purchased one of the ZAP trucks for the Water Department fleet. Kudos to Sam and the Water Department. I hope to see our city's first zero-emission vehicle very soon!

Working Hard to Be the Very Last

By Joe Medley The Kansas City Post Two weeks ago, I attended my first city council committee meeting, the Finance and Audit Committee. Acting City Auditor Gary White introduced a Performance Audit on City Cleanliness. According to the audit, only 30 percent of survey respondents reported that they are "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the cleanliness of Kansas City's streets and public areas. It should be no surprise to anyone that this puts Kansas City near the bottom among both comparable cities nationwide and nearby suburbs. Percent of Respondents Rating Cleanliness of Streets and Public Areas as “Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” Comparable Cities Minneapolis, 64% Denver, 52% Dallas, 34% St. Louis, 39% Kansas City, 30% Metro Cities Overland Park, 81% Olathe, 75% Lee's Summit, 71% Independence, 51% Kansas City, 30% The low point of the meeting was when Chuck Eddy, 6th district, said, "We've got to get up to 50 percent." Mr. Eddy, I respectfully disagree. 50 percent still leaves us in last place metro wide. It also leaves us 25 points behind Olathe and 31 points behind Overland Park. Over the last few decades the population has generally been sliding slowly and steadily downward. If we want to reverse that trend, cleanliness is one of the areas in which we need to be competitive. The report was short on solutions, but not for lack of effort. The City Auditor's Office looked at other cities and tried to find a correlation between specific public works programs and city cleanliness. Unfortunately, none could be found. The reasonable conclusion was to recommend that the city manager set goals and report on progress. To me, that is no solution at all. Goals are pointless if we have no idea how to pursue them. I wonder if it occurred to any of them that cleanliness might correlate to something that is not part of public works? Perhaps instead of looking outward to compare ourselves with other communities and then looking inward for solutions the best thing to do would be to find out what those municipalities are doing right, and emulate their success.