[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6283014,"mediaKeyId","2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37","parentId",2591172,"title","City moves to accept ownership of Stonewood Drive low-pressure sewer main if homeowners donate easements","audioSeconds",305,"startMs",4228000,"endMs",4533000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37&start=4228&end=4533","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37/thumbnail_4228000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6283014/Lees-Summit/Jackson-County/Missouri/City-moves-to-accept-ownership-of-Stonewood-Drive-low-pressure-sewer-main-if-homeowners-donate-easements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283014-f2ba9d3b79611f5405f080a13454c817/orig.mp4?Expires=1770416029&Signature=m8Usx7ESjhD7MbMYGdgqW0-qdB1C4WcxVkH-QYnyPV-T~IUdOORm23oJuSqbrgO6-LLflFEHeA~R3DF4OErCd52PapO2GqCEPWNEMcadZHsEzPI57Uu9usknAJe1zjBo4ofuco~VXrULUK2pGdu5~~O~hSSTqGs8nfPr7sXSORBia1N3AMNvyaCAHzi5ZwLwubGjdpUNNvolfS0-DM3rKdOreqa93R4VctNXm1lVXfhd131kADUEq5-Dg40L-ekmOLQUma5zHad1-LyBYvc9NObqMX3fEPMGehHiUA6XUhUp0LAEe-SNIAVYfOyw0CEeZX0hM8cCnsgOQMgnd07EIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Lee's Summit, MO","date","2025-02-10T00:00:00Z","article","Deputy Director Jeff Thorne told the Public Works Committee on Feb. 10 that staff will pursue homeowner-signed easements and donation of the common low-pressure sewer main on Stonewood Drive so the city can accept and maintain the main.

Thorne said the system, built in 1993, serves 23 houses and is governed by covenants that historically placed maintenance responsibility on the property owners unless an HOA or other agreement existed. \"For that to happen, we need to have a system that is intact. We the city doesn't take on broken systems. They have to be repaired and functioning. The systems have to be donated to the city. We're not paying for them,\" he told the committee.

Staff completed an inspection and found the main to be in generally usable condition. Thorne said residents led by Seth Donaldson have petitioned for city adoption and that the department has drafted easement language and ownership documents. If a majority of property owners sign the required documents and donate easements, the city will record the easements, accept ownership of the common main and then perform routine maintenance and future repairs as needed.

Thorne emphasized limits: the city is not taking on individual private pumping equipment or service lines from houses to the main, and it will not purchase the utility. If a small number of property owners decline to sign, Thorne said the city could pursue a cost-split arrangement with the non-signing owners or adjust plans accordingly.

Committee members said homeowners have long wanted clarity and relief; Thorne said staff expects to schedule an evening meeting within weeks to gather signatures, with filing and transfer following assumption of a majority signature set.

No formal council action was required at the Feb. 10 committee meeting; staff requested direction to proceed with homeowner meetings and documentation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Works Meeting (2/10/25) | LEE'S SUMMIT, MO","oneSentenceSummary","Lee's Summit staff told the committee they will seek donated easements and majority homeowner approval to accept the 1993 low-pressure sewer main serving 23 houses on Stonewood Drive; the city will not pay to repair or purchase the system but will take ownership after the system is repaired, donated and easements are recorded.","taxTitle","Lee's Summit, Jackson County, Missouri","taxId",2583,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6283019,"Little Blue River study outlines major regional costs, local impacts and proposed dry basins",908,3010000,3918000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37&start=3010&end=3918","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37/thumbnail_3010000.jpg","/articles/6283019/Lees-Summit/Jackson-County/Missouri/Little-Blue-River-study-outlines-major-regional-costs-local-impacts-and-proposed-dry-basins","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283019-8c7d203eefa54f164b71fb124d7fdf03/orig.mp4?Expires=1770416029&Signature=DiUb3WHc-9dM4jWjaZtKJxhbPMMnq~te-FWDf9Ypmzd7Dk3hzKW23uzGGqEG3L9kwnn4ikzjBSb6FehVMo1eTvaX87aJJcIHpHjiVgJdAlVUGBwRD4HeH92FLJew46nya5r9beZTzVM3uNSd0mABqOa9lfFBThboqH0~MtTu8m9PiTJu5voOADg8uVfjs3LuRfCPx4QuBl~tUDsaNqpL5nE4eW5IKBVAxf8bWy0zkWUvhA0ne8ZkxNNHqGfO5fC7odObrszyRnXQ~jQ4aq2M70Rs1o691m7f7A78vdsCFOgsdmpiS0QUpxdCAtqtJzmHY0oVTvhUQBLdq5kTaizhvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","George Binger, city engineer, briefed the Public Works Committee on Feb. 10 on the Little Blue River flood risk mitigation and ecosystem restoration study being coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and multiple jurisdictions.

Binger said the Corps' updated modeling shows the channel has lost roughly one-third of its conveyance capacity since the original study in the 1970s, raising water-surface elevations by about two feet in portions of the watershed. \"The channel has lost about a third of the capacity over time,\" he told the committee, and that rise in water surface can bring floodwaters into low-lying buildings in the Oak Ridge Meadows area during a 1% (100-year) event.

The Corps' tentatively selected plan favors a combination of measures, Binger said, including dry detention basins (one of which, called Basin 3, would lie in Lee's Summit), channel realignment or meanders to restore conveyance, and ecosystem actions such as native tree planting along Mouse Creek. He said some large structural options the Corps considered — taller levees and flood walls — performed poorly on federal cost-benefit metrics and were not recommended.

Binger reported the Corps' initial benefit-cost analysis showed a future-without-project damage estimate approaching $47 million per year across the entire watershed. Construction-cost estimates presented in the briefing were substantial: the flood-risk components were in the hundreds of millions, producing a local match obligation on the order of $175 million across participating agencies based on current formulas.

\"That's a big number,\" Binger said. He explained the study's next steps: public presentations of the tentatively selected plan (expected in spring), a Corps dam-safety analysis for proposed basins, finalization of the Chief's Report by 2027 and potential congressional funding consideration in 2028 with construction aimed around 2029 if federal authorization and appropriations are secured.

Binger noted the Corps' ecosystem measures (tree plantings and wetland or prairie options) found native tree plantings most favorable due to cost and resident preferences. He said the dry basins would hold stormwater briefly (about 24 hours) and that Basin 3's footprint overlaps low-lying private property that may require some buyouts.

Committee members asked about assembling multi-jurisdictional cost shares and political support. Binger said local agencies have cooperated on the study but discussions about the significant local match and long-term maintenance costs will be necessary; he suggested exploring federal waivers and regional funding mechanisms.","A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-led study identified reduced channel capacity and rising flood risk in the Little Blue watershed. Tentatively selected plans include dry detention basins and stream restoration; estimated construction costs are large and would require multi-jurisdictional local cost-sharing or congressional action.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6283023,"City details sidewalk gap progress; phase 2 costlier and engineering-intensive",686,1724000,2410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37&start=1724&end=2410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37/thumbnail_1724000.jpg","/articles/6283023/Lees-Summit/Jackson-County/Missouri/City-details-sidewalk-gap-progress-phase-2-costlier-and-engineering-intensive","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283023-f25a150acd10cf290982792feb9dba46/orig.mp4?Expires=1770416029&Signature=FCjHPUpU8Nrh7uqaqVllFqU-wrWa-cKE9f0-f4Cmg-v9jdiLq6qmzYmnyui6~J7PooSOOquAZZsW1UJEIDT0q4tCmhquIhEOdKLtmlLzcaU7fa8B2-8zeapC0D9ahWMw0-dCkChXdggNM66ih0VbU3ObhOlaZQvATOvukuoRu7Eq5z6egLsbPfhYOyLdlQswqtmDL6K2RFBSeLMc6ofLSMGjY3fkfjmrzZ41gA40z7-RdS-Re7-~8-EAl~GtpvPMEgq~pfGa66co9pBq5u4tXYSaMp4Muwp7DzR3LPPFbX7vqL~Gy146zSiXL3IDxskcKrD6vuLSelr8kfT4SZGjSg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Erin Rolovo, senior staff engineer, told the Public Works Committee on Feb. 10 that Lee's Summit installed roughly 3.18 miles (20,137 linear feet) of new sidewalk in phase 1 of the sidewalk gap program and completed an estimated 94 ADA curb ramps at a total project cost slightly above $2.2 million.

\"Phase 1 addressed low-hanging fruit sidewalks,\" Rolovo said, noting the work improved safe routes to schools and parks in several neighborhoods. Rolovo said the city identified roughly 244 miles of sidewalk gaps in an original 2016 inventory and that the inventory was updated in 2021; some additional gaps may exist based on public reports.

Rolovo said the capital improvement plan (CIP) initially included $500,000 per year for five years (from a 2017 sales tax renewal) and a $5 million no-tax-increase bond in 2023. She warned that more than $100 million in existing gaps remain and that phase 2 will be smaller in mileage but more expensive because it involves steeper terrain, additional grading, driveway transitions and larger retaining walls. She provided an estimated cost for phase 2 of more than $3.5 million compared with phase 1's final cost of about $2.3 million.

Committee members pressed for details about sidewalks near Voy Spears Elementary and Westview areas, asking whether the school district partners with the city on pedestrian safety. Rolovo said the city is not aware of direct partnerships with the school district on sidewalk construction and that some gaps leading to schools will likely be addressed in phase 3 (fiscal years 2027-28), depending on engineering needs and funding.

Rolovo described how priorities were set: one side of arterials and both sides of collectors, with highest priority for areas within a quarter-mile of a school or park. She said the phase 2 scope focuses on locations with more complex topography and utility conflicts that require better upfront engineering to avoid costly field fixes.

The committee received project-status updates on other funded sidewalk-related projects, including designs for Orchard and Olive streets, Douglas Street improvements and Ward Road work tied to Westview Elementary. Rolovo said some new subdivision and developer practices have reduced the number of missed sidewalk installs, though older plats and historical waivers leave legacy gaps that the city must address.","City staff reported that phase 1 of Lee's Summit's sidewalk gap program added about 3.18 miles of sidewalk; phase 2 will address more difficult segments and is estimated at $3.5 million-plus due to grading and retaining walls.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6283027,"Water Utilities to pilot repairs for failed sanitary laterals under city pavement",402,1089000,1491000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37&start=1089&end=1491","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37/thumbnail_1089000.jpg","/articles/6283027/Lees-Summit/Jackson-County/Missouri/Water-Utilities-to-pilot-repairs-for-failed-sanitary-laterals-under-city-pavement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283027-5055d71a35538c874d5c2611d023d55c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770416029&Signature=Yh6gPd1r3kPvv4wZ7qbTerzlhAG8RDZKxwauKqhVvo4KmdvO75FfX5CEH0WTPvny-RvOj6aKy66ch1eMFzrF9Y~GOm3WLet4VyPoNmWH8MMPI1VMdfhJAG1NuM~7q2xwgv14Pei6X10wj5F5xarpxYxF3n4EdmpJNMF5bNEbupw4chj~9ORvqi~ErKRztuJJL8xt3awEqzVVvV5QobPnTQaotjhQE4ZSX1tXB2jcdYQdD0pwEaJqH9LkN9xaclnA4UEdqjRYuGE5WApLnlBtajaCkTIPMuY8wiJ-F6qAW~LdMMdi~kWS9WVqstP3hCpKykXBPws3-g6eKS~fLDDj6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lee's Summit Deputy Director of Water Utilities Jeff Thorne told the Public Works Committee on Feb. 10 that his department will begin a pilot policy to repair sanitary sewer laterals that have structurally failed beneath city pavement and right of way for owner-occupied single-family houses.

Thorne said the change is an internal policy and does not require a change to city ordinance. \"This is not a change to ordinance as it requires no vote of council or any of those kinds of things. It's just a policy change that we're making internally to our group,\" he said.

Under current city code, Thorne said, homeowners own their sewer lateral from the public main to the house. The utility's new policy will accept applications and supporting documentation — typically a plumber's video showing a structural collapse — for failures that require excavation in the street. If staff confirm the defect and the location is within the right of way, Water Utilities will excavate during regular business hours, repair the main lateral and restore pavement. Thorne said the program focuses on single-family owner-occupied homes and will not cover investment or commercial properties.

Thorne told the committee the department will exclude routine obstructions or maintenance issues such as root intrusion, grease, or wipes; the policy is limited to structural failures that require excavation. He also said the utility will continue to encourage homeowners to obtain private service-line insurance for incidents that do not fall under the pilot.

On funding, Thorne said staff estimated the initial budget based on prior right-of-way permit activity and calls for sewer backup; he said the first-year budget was developed from that estimate and that staff budgeted \"out to 120,000\" for initial costs. The department will track actual expenditures during the first year and revisit the program.

Councilmembers asked about out-reach and how residents would apply. Thorne said staff will publish program materials and an online application, and they may include a bill insert and other public communications to raise awareness.

Because the policy is internal to Water Utilities, no committee vote was required. Thorne described the plan as a pilot with staff reporting back after one year.","Lee's Summit Water Utilities will pilot a policy to repair owner-occupied single-family sanitary sewer laterals when a structural failure requires excavation under city streets; homeowners must apply and provide video evidence of a structural collapse.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6283031,"Public Works Committee approves agenda and January action letter",72,989000,1061000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37&start=989&end=1061","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2591172-7894a7971a4946f9f55501c876c55d37/thumbnail_989000.jpg","/articles/6283031/Lees-Summit/Jackson-County/Missouri/Public-Works-Committee-approves-agenda-and-January-action-letter","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6283031-4aeea1e632e601397423f967e6e78de5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770416029&Signature=GqcCTJTbi-Eepy5LIp~5VIEwDYRt3NgRrQMxiCjwzlsOkMS-inF2AwImdZo-hmSrBA-iFlWdeXp09i1zyIglOPhCfMAm3eQ-teIe9QQGzIlQFcCQ4~kmgYHphmkyVHuxGtD0Wzx86qg7H9Lc3X~~TMP3d3nIWEYQIkWn2kaNWMecUPcRtTBO~ygIeULnccaHXKXGsZdB5oTdMBPwuDhTNce9qRpcpdqd3bZ7GLYEm16Y2dG~yPrkMEIzspPzOzNLUJuP9nONAFhayeYWCeYcf5Z6miN~01wR58e-TrCD8zR804m43V522AE9QUcZT02arimVkYqm3tenW1cKmqAYpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lee's Summit Public Works Committee voted unanimously to approve its meeting agenda and the committee's Jan. 13 action letter at the start of its Feb. 10, 2025 session.

Chair Pryor called for approval of the agenda. Councilmember Rader moved to approve and the motion received a second; the roll call recorded Chair Pryor, Councilmember Rader and Councilmember Carlisle voting \"aye.\" Later in the meeting, Councilmember Rader moved to approve the Jan. 13, 2025 Public Works Committee action letter; the motion passed by the same recorded roll call.

Both approvals were procedural and recorded by roll call; no additional debate or amendments were shown in the meeting transcript.

The remainder of the committee meeting was devoted to departmental presentations on sewer lateral repairs, the sidewalk gap program, a Little Blue River flood risk study and a request to adopt a low-pressure sewer main on Stonewood Drive.

No formal votes on ordinances, contracts or budget appropriations were taken during the presentations.

Committee business will continue in future meetings as staff return with follow-up information from the presentations.","The Lee's Summit Public Works Committee unanimously approved its Feb. 10 meeting agenda and the Jan. 13 action letter during a roll call vote; the remainder of the meeting consisted of informational presentations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City moves to accept ownership of Stonewood Drive low-pressure sewer main if homeowners donate easements

Little Blue River study outlines major regional costs, local impacts and proposed dry basins

City details sidewalk gap progress; phase 2 costlier and engineering-intensive

Water Utilities to pilot repairs for failed sanitary laterals under city pavement

Public Works Committee approves agenda and January action letter