2023 Fall Blue Springs Magazine

Hello Blue Springs,

I hope everyone is staying cool this summer with these very hot temperatures that we are presently encountering as of late.

We will hear from our Community partners, the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Alive, Blue Springs Police Department and a new business that has recently relocated to Downtown Blue Springs that is really making it's way.

We have some great Fall events coming up in the Downtown area. The Chamber of Commerce has really worked hard on Fall Fun Festival so make sure you get out there and enjoy the food, entertainment and the parade. Also don't forget about Trick or Treat Main Street in October which the children really enjoy and National Night Out.

Additionally, I know everyone will be happy about "Football Season" being right around the corner. Spending time with friends, family, BBQ's, good times and much cooler weather. Don't forget to cheer for our hometown Kansas City Chiefs as they go for back to back Super Bowls.

Mayor Carson Ross

Gratefully

CITY

Carson Ross, Mayor

DISTRICT 1

Galen Ericson 816-210-8293

City of Blue Springs 903 W. Main Street Blue Springs, MO 64015 816-228-0110

www.bluespringsgov.com

David Watson, editor dawatson@bluespringsgov.com

Jerry Kaylor 816-220-0599

DISTRICT 2

Kent Edmondson 816-215-8175

Chris Lievsay 816-674-5108

DISTRICT 3

Susan Culpepper 816-916-5696

Ron Fowler 816-228-1568

Motor Vehicle Titling & Registration and Property Tax

You can pay your property tax online at https://www.jacksongov.org. The City of Blue Springs does not accept payments on behalf of Jackson County.

You can renew your motor vehicle registration, license plates and drivers license at the Blue Springs License Office located at 2402 MO-7, Blue Springs. Mon - Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am12pm.

2023 COMMUNITY ISSUE: DEVELOPMENT

No matter where you are in Blue Springs, there is some type of development going on. We keep moving forward here at the City of Blue Springs. Development is crucial to a city for a multitude of reasons, as it plays a significant role in shaping its overall growth, functionality, and quality of life for its residents. Economic Growth, Infrastructure Improvement, Quality of life, Community Development and more!

Recent development here in the City of Blue Springs has seen the likes of a new Dollar General on Highway Route 7, Chipolte on Highway 40 and Road Improvements: Median Replacement from RD Mize to Vesper on Highway 7 and Moreland School Rd.

As we find out more about the upcoming development and road projects in the future, we will be sure to let you know.

Your Utility Bill

The City of Blue Springs offers various utility bill payment options:

1. Online Bill Payment: Visit www.bluespringsgov.com, or follow the QR code below and use the “REGISTER MY ACCOUNT” to set up e-billing, view invoices, make payments, and establish AutoPay using credit cards (MC, VISA, DISCOVER) or checking account.

2. Phone Payment: Call 816-228-0220 to pay your bill using MC, VISA, DISCOVER, or checking account. Follow the prompts and provide your customer account number.

3. In-Person: Pay at City Hall (903 W. Main Street, Blue Springs, MO 64015) during business hours. Acceptable payment methods include cash, check, money order, MC, VISA, and DISCOVER.

4. Pay by Mail: Send a personal check or money order along with the bottom portion of your water billing statement to the address listed on the invoice.

5. Drop Box: Use the drop box located near the main entrance of City Hall for after-hours payments.

These options provide flexibility for convenient utility bill payments.

QR CODE

One of the many new ways to pay your bill is by implementing a QR Code that will take you directly to the Payment Portal. It's fast, easy and it saves time. If you have any questions please feel free to call our Department customer service at (816) 622-4444

COMMUNITY ISSUE: BLUE SPRINGS CHAMBER

TAKe A WALK ON THE WILDSIDE

“

Are you ready for a Timmy burger, root beer or a turkey leg cooked to perfection? "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" at the 54th Annual Blue Springs Fall Fun Festival presented by the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce and Saint Luke's East Hospital on September 15-17, 2023. Admission to the Blue Springs Fall Fun Festival is FREE and all are welcome!

The Fall Fun Fest is an annual event held in Downtown Blue Springs. It takes place each September and is organized by the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce. The festival is a celebration of the community and offers a wide range of activities and entertainment for people of all ages.

The Fall Fun Festival attracts more than 100,000 attendees and contributes over $500k in economic impact in Blue Springs. The three day event will include more than 200 vendor

“Fall Fun Festival is a fun community event and also has a positive economic impact for Blue Springs. It attracts visitors who spend money boosting the local economy both on and off the festival site

This Festival brought to us by our amazing Chamber of Commerce with full city support and wonderful volunteer staff make a huge impact on what Blue Springs is about. A lovely cit y supporting each other. ”

- Carman Booker, SVP Retail Operations/Business Development BSA Bank 21

booths, food trucks, parade, beer garden, live music & entertainment on two stages, cornhole tournament, car show and more!

The Main Stage will feature funk, groove and classics band Right on Red, and country singer Travis Gibson on Friday, September 15. Country band Midnight Rodeo and tribute band Superstar Mafia will perform on the Main Stage on Saturday, September 16.

This year's festival will also feature its first ever Youth Entrepreneur Market sponsored by Lighthouse Legal. Young business owners ages 10-18 will be showcasing their products and services.

The parade is on Saturday morning starting at 10 am. Make sure you arrive early so you can get a great spot. More information, including vendor, parade and car show applications, can be found at https://www.bluespringsfallfestival.com

. ”

– Lara Vermillion, Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce, President

IN THE WAKE OF PROGRESS

In April of 2021, voters approved the renewal of the Parks Sales Tax, paving the way for construction of a new Blue Springs Waterpark, Blue Surf Bay. Construction began in fall of 2022, and it is scheduled to open in spring of 2024

Blue Surf Bay will be a brand new state-ofthe-art indoor/outdoor facility constructed as an expansion to the Blue Springs Fieldhouse. Construction has been underway since Nov. 2022 and construction crews are making their way.

Update as of August 21, 2023

* Indoor slide tower staircase has been installed.

* Drywall for the meeting rooms and many of the rest room areas are up.

* Zero depth entry pad was poured with walls being formed.

* Steel structures for the observation deck and overhangs for the guard office have been installed

* Main drain for the deep end of the lap pool has been installed.

One of the most pressing questions that has been asked since construction began is

"HOW MUCH WILL THIS COST ME?"

Staff and City Council are developing a fee structure. Rates will be released in the first quarter of 2024 . "

-Dennis Dovel, Director of Park and Recreation

National Night Out was developed as a crime prevention program that emphasizes building a partnership between the police and the community. Community involvement in crime prevention is generated through a multitude of local events, such as block parties, cookouts, parades, contests, youth activities, and seminars.

So how did this all get started? National Night Out was established by Matt Peskin in the western suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and has been held annually since 1984. In the United States, the event is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch.

This year's National Night event will be held on October 3rd, Downtown Blue Springs from 5:30p.m. - 8:00p.m. This FREE event will feature food, prizes, demonstrations, vendors and more! This will be the Blue Springs Police Departments 23rd year holding this event and as time goes on, efforts are being made by Police Staff to enhance the event every year.

This is an annual event that is taking place in communities all across America. National Night Out is designed to raise community awareness and inform citizens on ways we can all work together to fight crime in our community. I'm sure you realize the importance of raising awareness to fight crime and promote personal safety. We would like to invite you to participate in this special annual community event to educate the community on how your business plays a role in crime prevention.

Many businesses in the City of Blue Springs and surrounding areas will be in attendance with displays to provide free information and give-away items. This year we anticipate an even larger response from the public due to increased awareness of this event.

In our past events, businesses have participated voluntarily by donating gifts or gift certificates for services to be given away to those community residents in attendance. Donated items will be raffled at no charge to those in attendance. Hope to see you there !

SPRINGS

JON BURKE, NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DOWNTOWN ALIVE

Dr. Jon Burke, a longtime area educator, will assume the role of Executive Director of Downtown Alive! on July 5, 2023. The Burkes have lived in Blue Springs for 20 years, and Jon has been active in our community in a variety of roles, including youth coach (soccer, baseball and basketball), Boy Scout Chaplain (Troop 138), Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Blue Springs Family YMCA Community Board, Board of Adjustment, Stand-Up Blue Springs and LEADership Blue Springs. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Parks Commission and Co-chair of the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce Legislative Task Force. Dr. Burke is a parishioner at St. John LaLande Church.

As Executive Director, Dr. Burke will manage day-today operations of Downtown Alive!.

“I look forward to continuing the work of forwardthinking community leaders in Blue Springs. Much has been accomplished on and around Main Street, with the addition of new businesses, investment by the city, renovations, events, community art, the downtown gateways and more. Downtown Blue Springs has a cool vibe and additional growth is underway. Downtown is Alive; I’ll see you on Main Street!”

He recently retired as Dean of Student Services at Metropolitan Community College - Blue River, where he has helped grow the campus and supported student success for the past 22 years. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Armstrong State College, Master’s Degree in Higher Education from Florida State University and a Doctor of Education Degree from the University of Georgia. He has worked in administrative positions in colleges in several states for 35 years. Welcome aboard Dr. Burke !

Sara and Tony O’Bryan had dreamed of opening their own café for more than twenty years. Sara spent several years gaining knowledge in different areas of the industry which contributes to the success of Bean Counter Café. Managing The Roasterie in Kansas City taught her a lot about the coffee business, and a dozen years of experience as a GM and Catering at Atlanta Bread Company and Noodles and Company gave her the time to perfect her recipes.  Tony spent his free time between work, music and college learning how to use the vegetables they grew in their organic gardens. He makes the pickles served with every sandwich, the famous sauerkraut for their Reuben, uses all of our compost for our home composting, while helping limit their footprint by recycling.

In 2011, Sara received a call from friends Jim and Judy who were frequent customers of Bean Counter Café and long-time friends from Atlanta Bread Co. Janet Frasier, the owner at that time, was looking for an interested buyer. Sara jumped at the opportunity as the location was only a few minutes from her home and she felt she could finally begin to achieve her dream. For six and a half years, Sara and Tony turned the café into a great success by building strong relationships with their many return customers. Bean Counter Café made a point to support local and organic as much as possible within their menu. Many of the café’s ingredients came straight from their home garden such as tomatoes, peppers, herbs, lettuces, potatoes, and much more. They also use local jams (Berry Nutty Farms), local meat products, local coffee (from Broadway Cafe) and other local selections throughout the menu.

Due to inadequate space Sara and her team found themselves forced to turn down catering opportunities because they lacked the refrigeration space and time. In 2016, Colonial Gardens approached Sara and Tony personally with the ambition of building a café inside their newly renovated location. After spending 3 years at Colonial Gardens, Sara and Tony felt it was time to move on and they have relocated to 1101 W Main St, and have not missed a beat since leaving Colonial Gardens, and the residents of Blue Springs have embraced them with open arms. As of September 1st, the Bean Counter will be accepting online orders. Bean Counter video.

www.bluespringsgov.com/calendar

*All Events and Programs listed in the Fall 2023 Blue Springs Magazine/Play Naturally Activity Guide are subject to change. Follow us on social media and bluespringsgov.com for updated program/event information.

Fall Fun Fest - Walk on the Wild Side

Sept. 15, 16 & 17 - Downtown Blue Springs

Sponsored by the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Skateboard Competition

Sept. 23, 10 a.m.

Old Mill Park

Blue Springs Night Ride

Oct. 7, - 8 p.m. Registration & Activities on site

9 p.m. Start Time

Spooky Springs

Saturday October 28th, 6-8p.m.

Wilbur Young Park

Fieldhouse Frenzy Pickleball

Nov. 4, 7 a.m. Check in. , 8 a.m. Start time

Blue Springs Fieldhouse

TEEN DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT

November 5, 5 - 8 p.m.

Blue Springs Fieldhouse

Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting

Dec. 5, 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Blue Springs City Hall

Winter Solstice Retreat

Dec. 9, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Blue Springs Fieldhouse

ALL (816) AREA CODES