KANSAS CITY, Mo — The proposed landfill project in South Kansas City continues to face strong opposition. Several community members took the podium at at widely-anticipated public meeting held by the City of Raymore last Thursday.
Many of them cited concerns around safety, property values and quality of life.
“This is a fight that we’ve got to continue and we will fix it,” said Representative Mike Haffner who proposed House Bill 909 to lengthen the buffer zone between a community and a landfill from half a mile to a mile. “Will we need a landfill in the future? Yes. Is it today? No. Is it five years from now? No."
Since the meeting on Thursday night, the Missouri House Committee on local government has advanced Haffner’s bill.
Also in the last week, attorneys for residents in the Creekmoor neighborhood in Raymore have filed a 15-page letter that notifies all in connection with the development, ownership and operation of the landfill of potential legal liability.
“The developer said on record on Tuesday that this would be a regional solution to a regional problem. However, she’s opposed to a bill that would allow for regional input in say. That tells me all I need to know about her amazing plan,” said one of the community members at the public meeting.
During that testimony before a Missouri House Committee, one of the owners of the land,Jenny Monheiser, pleaded with lawmakers to not change the rules mid-game.
“My heart is not to hurt anybody, it’s always to help people which is why we’re proposing this solution for the region,” said Monheiser.
Haffner says the city should continue to follow the regional plan.
"The regional plan is set — let’s follow the regional plan instead of affecting the property, the livelihoods, and literally the lives of all these hundreds of people that are sitting behind me, ” Haffner stated.
The next hearing for HB 909 has been scheduled for Monday Feb. 27 at 4:30 p.m. with the Rules-Administrative Oversight Committee in the Missouri State Capitol.
