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Liberty school district agrees to pay $1.2 million for flyover
By Angie Anaya Borgedalen
The Liberty school district has agreed to release $1.2 million to help pay for design and engineering costs for the Flintlock Flyover.
Over the last few months as Liberty and school administrators wrangled over funding for the proposed overpass, school district officials said they would pay $600,000 toward the engineering and design.
The higher amount was met with tempered relief from the City Council at its meeting May 5. The city had initially hoped to get the original $3.7 million pledged by the school district through the Shoal Creek Valley Tax Increment Funding District. The school district later reneged on that promise but agreed to honor the $600,000 commitment.
“I feel good about the $1.2 million. We’re 100 percent entitled to it under the signed contractual agreement,” said Mayor Bob Steinkamp. “It would’ve been nice if they participated in the construction like they originally said they would.”
Steinkamp said it was still up to the Kansas City Council and the Kansas City TIF Commission whether to allocate the remaining $2.5 million in payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, from the Shoal Creek TIF to construct the portion of the flyover along 76th Street in Kansas City.
Interim Superintendent Mike Brewer said it is the school district’s contention that the surplus PILOT money belongs to the district to use for educational purposes.
He said the district would send a letter to the Kansas City TIF Commission agreeing to the release of the $1.2 million to Liberty. North Kansas City Schools also agreed to go along with the request.
“We are keeping our word, but our circumstances have changed,” Brewer said. “We want as much money as possible to go to classrooms.”
After appealing to an advisory board of the Kansas City TIF Commission last month for the entire $3.7 million, city officials were not sure where the TIF funding stood.
“After going down there and talking to them, I didn’t know if we were going to get zero or $1.2 million,” said Steve Hansen, public works director for the city.
Hansen said HNTB, the city’s engineering consultants, would now continue with completion of final design and engineering on the estimated $22.5 million flyover in anticipation of going out to bid by spring of next year.
The council May 12 voted to increase HNTB’s contract from $1,071,000 to $2,269,000. The city has also set aside $1.5 million in the 2009 budget for construction of the overpass.
After acquiring a $19.2 million federal earmark for the overpass in 2005, the city agreed to manage the project after the school district promised to help pay the shortfall between the federal funds and the actual cost of the flyover. Hansen said the city was uncertain how much of the $19.2 million earmark it would get from the Missouri Department of Transportation for the project.
Hansen said the city would not know how much Flintlock Flyover would cost until bids were opened. He said the city was obligated to take the project through the bid process or face returning $940,000 to the federal government for preliminary costs for design and engineering.
Liberty Editor Angie Anaya Borgedalen can be reached at 781-4941 or aborgedalen@npgco.com.
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Over the last few months as Liberty and school administrators wrangled over funding for the proposed overpass, school district officials said they would pay $600,000 toward the engineering and design.
The higher amount was met with tempered relief from the City Council at its meeting May 5. The city had initially hoped to get the original $3.7 million pledged by the school district through the Shoal Creek Valley Tax Increment Funding District. The school district later reneged on that promise but agreed to honor the $600,000 commitment.
“I feel good about the $1.2 million. We’re 100 percent entitled to it under the signed contractual agreement,” said Mayor Bob Steinkamp. “It would’ve been nice if they participated in the construction like they originally said they would.”
Steinkamp said it was still up to the Kansas City Council and the Kansas City TIF Commission whether to allocate the remaining $2.5 million in payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, from the Shoal Creek TIF to construct the portion of the flyover along 76th Street in Kansas City.
Interim Superintendent Mike Brewer said it is the school district’s contention that the surplus PILOT money belongs to the district to use for educational purposes.
He said the district would send a letter to the Kansas City TIF Commission agreeing to the release of the $1.2 million to Liberty. North Kansas City Schools also agreed to go along with the request.
“We are keeping our word, but our circumstances have changed,” Brewer said. “We want as much money as possible to go to classrooms.”
After appealing to an advisory board of the Kansas City TIF Commission last month for the entire $3.7 million, city officials were not sure where the TIF funding stood.
“After going down there and talking to them, I didn’t know if we were going to get zero or $1.2 million,” said Steve Hansen, public works director for the city.
Hansen said HNTB, the city’s engineering consultants, would now continue with completion of final design and engineering on the estimated $22.5 million flyover in anticipation of going out to bid by spring of next year.
The council May 12 voted to increase HNTB’s contract from $1,071,000 to $2,269,000. The city has also set aside $1.5 million in the 2009 budget for construction of the overpass.
After acquiring a $19.2 million federal earmark for the overpass in 2005, the city agreed to manage the project after the school district promised to help pay the shortfall between the federal funds and the actual cost of the flyover. Hansen said the city was uncertain how much of the $19.2 million earmark it would get from the Missouri Department of Transportation for the project.
Hansen said the city would not know how much Flintlock Flyover would cost until bids were opened. He said the city was obligated to take the project through the bid process or face returning $940,000 to the federal government for preliminary costs for design and engineering.
Liberty Editor Angie Anaya Borgedalen can be reached at 781-4941 or aborgedalen@npgco.com.
Comments on "Liberty school district agrees to pay $1.2 million for flyover"
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.TAXED wrote on May 21, 2008 8:06 PM:
" At the 5-19-08 School Board meeting it was pointed out that Ferguson Properties was also paid $120,000.00 commission on the donated i.e. free land for the Kellybrook elementary school.
Is there no end what this Board will do for Ferguson?
How does anyone justify a 4% commission on donated (free)property?
Who is Ferguson's friend in the Liberty School District?
Why does he get a huge commission for real-estate transactions of the district?
It was reported that over the last 2 ½ years Ferguson has received about $500,000.00 from the School District.
What can he do to earn such a large amount of money?
Maybe there are other real-estate agents who would work for far less money.
You would think the $1,200,000.00 for the Ferguson Flyover would have been enough. "
Is there no end what this Board will do for Ferguson?
How does anyone justify a 4% commission on donated (free)property?
Who is Ferguson's friend in the Liberty School District?
Why does he get a huge commission for real-estate transactions of the district?
It was reported that over the last 2 ½ years Ferguson has received about $500,000.00 from the School District.
What can he do to earn such a large amount of money?
Maybe there are other real-estate agents who would work for far less money.
You would think the $1,200,000.00 for the Ferguson Flyover would have been enough. "
Same Taxpayer wrote on May 16, 2008 10:58 AM:
" Well I thought the Liberty School Board had come to their senses and withdrew their part in the Ferguson Flyover. I still have not heard anyone justify a school district paying for an overpass over an interstate highway.
1.2 million looks like a bit more when stated as $1,200,000.00 or as a year’s salary for about thirty (30)-beginning teachers. I wonder if the board spends their own money as freely as they spend taxpayer money.
All the latest maneuvering and threats by Ferguson and his developer shows that this was never “for the kids safety” but for his interests.
"
1.2 million looks like a bit more when stated as $1,200,000.00 or as a year’s salary for about thirty (30)-beginning teachers. I wonder if the board spends their own money as freely as they spend taxpayer money.
All the latest maneuvering and threats by Ferguson and his developer shows that this was never “for the kids safety” but for his interests.
"