After Much Debate, Motion Fails

The Overland City Council meeting on Monday broke out into heated debated over approving the minutes of a prior meeting. Ward 3 Council Member Ken Owensby requested that the reference to him being reduced to tears be removed from the minutes. In that prior meeting, Owensby displayed odd behavior including threatening various cities employees, interrupting proceedings and, eventually, actual crying.

The motion to make the changes to the minutes was defeated by a 4-3 vote. May, O'Connell, Corcoran and Schneider voted to keep the outburst in the minutes. Knode, Owensby, and a recently awakened Sellers voted to remove the passage.

Ward 4 Council Member Glenn Corcoran explained his vote. "Owensby is always making motions regarding the minutes to make sure they include every last piece of minutia. Well, 'always' until it makes him look bad. Now his obnoxious behavior is part of the public record."

ORT Group Hopes to Make This an Annual Event


The Overland Recovery Team, or ORT, has announced their first annual Hubris Fest. The family-fun event will be held on September 31 at Norman Meyers Park.

As part of the event, the ORT is looking to pass a city ordinance to rename the park after the current mayor. "This is all about honoring someone who is trying to do what is best for the citizens of this city," stated Ward 3 Council member Ken Owensby, who sponsored the legislation. "No mayor before, or probably in the future, will bring as much publicity and attention to our city as Ann Purzner."

Ward 2 Council member Tom Sellers concurred. "Huh, what? Oh yes, I agree."

If this ordinance passes, a ceremony to unveil the new Purzner Piazza signage is scheduled for 2:30 that afternoon. Those expected to not attend include County Executive Charlie Dooley, County Prosecutor Bob McCullough, and most of the citizenry of Overland.

Other highlights of the event include:

• Milk and Cookie garden
• ORT Recognition Ceremony
• Music by the Blow our Own Horns band
  

"This will be a wonderful event," proclaimed long-time ORT member Donna Dill. "Both individually and as a group we have done so much for the City of Overland. It's time that was celebrated."

Norman Meyers Park is located at the intersection of Lackland and Midland near I-170.

New Trash Plan Comes With Many New Rules and Procedures

The City of Overland announced today the restoration of free trash service for all city residents. Mayor Ann Purzner announced the new plan, including the many changes, in a Friday press conference.

"My biggest campaign promise has been fulfilled," stated an excited Purzner. "Despite the fact that we will have no emergency funds or money to repair roads, I felt that it was necessary for the city to pick up the tab on this one."

The new trash plan comes with many changes and new regulations:

• No recycling services or yard waste
• No blue colored trash on the first week of the month
• All trash must be in specially marked bags
• Large item pickup has been discontinued
  

The specially marked bags, with the wording "Overland Free Trash" and depciting a smiling Mayor Purzner, are available from City Hall or directly from the printer at 9415 Page. The city is picking up the cost of the bags and their printing. Trash will not be picked up in any bags except these specially marked bags.

"Forget free, these stipulations make this worthless," stated Ward 2 Council Member Jeff O'Connell, who opposed the new trash plan. "Eliminating road repair, snow removal and using the city's savings is not the trade-off the citizens wanted."

Mayor Purzner defended the plan. "People have told us that free trash is important. They did not make any stipulations. Just free. But, this isn't a big deal. I mean instead of calling Allied Waste or City Hall, they can just call Goodwill or the Salvation Army to donate their large items. And we have a special plan for the yard waste." The city's new yard waste plan was detailed in another Overland Picayune article.

When pressed about the odd stipulations such as the special bags and the ban on blue trash during the first week of the month, Purzner explained. "I'm the mayor. I thought it would be fun to have us thinking about the trash. I believe that when people see my face on the bags or pick out any blue item they will think of me and my free trash benevolence."

"I've gotten many calls of complaints from the residents," Ward 1 Council Member Jerry May stated. "Just wait until January and some big snowstorm hits the area. Free trash will be irrelevant if the trash trucks can't get down to your house because the streets are not plowed."

The new trash service, policies, and procedures as previously detailed, does not include pickup of recycling or yard waste. Mayor Ann Purzner has initiated a bold, new plan to handle yard waste for the residents of Overland .

The City has purchased property as the intersection of Lackland/Flora/Northfield. This will be used as a drop-off for all residential yard waste which will either be used for mulch or to feed a new herd of goats also purchased by the city. These goats will be kept at this property. "It will be just like when I first moved to Overland," stated Purzner. "Bring back the goats!"

Donna Dill, the city's new purchasing agent, explained the benefits of the plan. "It's a win-win for the city. The goats will eat our yard waste. And the city can earn revenue from the selling of goat milk and goat milk products."

Ninety-year-old resident Dorothy Johnson explains the burden the changes will place on the residents. "I don’t have a car. Am I supposed to phone Call-A-Ride every time my leaves are raked?"

In response to citizen complaints regarding drivers not proceeding on green lights, Overland Police will install green light camera technology.

Capt. Raymond J. Thurmond, Overland Police Spokesperson, explained how the new technology would work at a Wednesday press conference. "If an inattentive driver sits at a green light for longer than 5 seconds, traffic cameras will take a time-stamped picture of the car, driver and license plate. A ticket will then be mailed to the owner or record of the automobile." Fines will range from $45 -$150.

Overland resident, Ralph Schmidt applauded this effort. "I don't know how many times I have been at the Woodson and Lackland light and some Granny is just sitting there. And the light's been green FOREVER! The bam, it turns yellow, she finally wakes up and is the only one to make it through! And it's always when I am trying to get to the Post Office."

New driver, Kirsten MacAtee doesn't see this as a positive development. "You know, like, I will be on the phone with my friend, Tiffany, here," gestured the 17-year-old to her companion. "And, like, she'll be telling me all about Jake and how he might be thinking I'm all that and 'honk, honk'. As if, they can'tt wait to get home to their boring lives. Hello--he might like me! But, like, this camera thing is so, what's the word, Big Daddy."

"Don't you mean, Big Brother?" Kirsten's friend Tiffany inquired.

"Hello, Tiffany, you know I don't have any brothers, duh" replied Ms. MacAtee.

Reduced noise disturbances in residential areas near traffic lights are the main benefit according to Overland Police Chief Jim Herron. "We receive a lot of complaints about car horns from citizens near these intersections. This is not only a traffic safety issue, but a quality of life issue."

This is a zero-cost deal for the city. Green Means Go Technologies supplies the monitoring equipment and associated work with issuing all traffic summons related to the camera monitoring. In return, the company receives a percentage of each ticket issued.