Top Five
Things to Know About St. Charles County This Month

1. Exclusive Sneak Peek: What’s New, Ahead for County Parks

• Bangert Island – The Parks and Highway departments are working together to add a new 11-space parking lot off Old South River Road by summer.
  
  
• Flatwoods Park – This new, 3-acre park located next to Route Y along the Cuivre River in unincorporated county is scheduled to open by fall. The park will serve as a river access point for kayak and canoe enthusiasts.
  
  
• Indian Camp Creek Park – Eight new campsites opened in early May, and the first phase of a multi-use trail along the back loop of the park will open in the fall.
  
  
• Matson Hill Park – The park’s historic Hays Home will open to the public for tours this fall. The former residence of Daniel Boone’s grandson will feature an exhibit about life in the Femme Osage Valley in the mid-19^th century.
  
  
• The Park at New Melle Lakes – The home on the property will be converted into a reservable, ADA-accessible meeting facility with a large outdoor patio overlooking the lake by late 2019.
  
  
• Riverside Landing – Once flood waters recede, construction will begin on a campground, boat launch, picnic area, kayak launch area, fishing areas, and restrooms. Completion date is to be determined.
  
  
• Veterans Tribute Park – Contractors broke ground (pictured above) on the Veterans Memorial on May 13. The memorial, overlooking the lake, will feature waterfalls and engraved stone panels of the names of St. Charles County soldiers who died in the line of duty. The memorial is scheduled to open on Veterans Day. Additionally, construction crews are in the process of connecting neighboring subdivision trails from Robert Ridge Drive and Timothy Ridge Drive with park trails by early summer.
  
  
• Youth Activity Park – A BMX pump track next to the skate park area will be completed by late summer/early fall. Members of the Gateway Off-Road Cyclists served on a committee with park staff to design an initial layout of the track.

2.  How Real Estate Assessments Work for You

Your home is a huge investment and source of pride. You want to see it retain or increase in value, and you want to pay a fair share of property taxes on it to have quality roads, schools, and other public services. The real estate assessment process helps make both these things happen. It helps ensure the value of your home reflects current economic conditions and that property taxes are distributed fairly by taxing jurisdictions, also known as political subdivisions.

Missouri law requires re-evaluation of property as of Jan. 1 on odd-numbered years. The Assessor's office conducts this evaluation through a mass appraisal process. Real estate assessment notices for 2019 were recently mailed to local property owners.

“There is a lot of information that is used to prepare the assessments,” says Assessor Scott Shipman. “Starting in July the year prior, we gather data concerning all facets of real estate value. This mass appraisal process includes measurements of all buildings, land descriptions, building permits, market information, and land sales and depreciation studies. Appraisers also conduct exterior reviews of properties to observe any differences not listed in the property data. All this information is entered and managed in our database, and we conduct statistical analysis tests as a final step before market values and assessments are produced.”

Some of the biggest misconceptions about real estate assessments are that the Assessor’s office creates values and sets tax rates.

“We do not make the market,” Shipman explains. “We measure it. If sales go up in an area, market values and assessments will increase. Political subdivisions determine the tax rate by simply dividing the total value of the properties in their boundaries by their budgetary needs. These rates are sent to the Collector of Revenue by the end of October to calculate and issue tax bills.

“We encourage property owners to research and confirm our data by either coming into our office or viewing it online,” Shipman adds. “This is a transparent process, and we are here to answer any questions.”

3. Residents Urged to Dispose of Medications Safely

4. County’s Job Center Offers Professional, No-Cost Support 

Laid off from work? Stuck in a couple of dead-end jobs? Not getting replies to applications? Finding a new job can be frustrating and extremely stressful, but free, professional help is nearby at the Missouri Job Center of St. Charles County.

The Missouri Job Center is operated by the St. Charles County Department of Workforce & Business Development and offers numerous programs, workshops and classes to help residents find employment. The Center has assisted job seekers on every level of opportunity: from chief financial officers to clerical workers, and from nursing to manufacturing.

Free services available through the Missouri Job Center include:

• Career and vocational counseling
• Resume writing assistance
• Interview preparation
• Job leads and referrals
• Job fairs and recruitment events
• Job seeker materials and workshops
• Jobs.Mo.Gov online job database
• Public access to Wi-Fi, computers, printers, copiers, phones and fax machines

The Missouri Job Center has plenty of success stories to share and here’s just one:

Phil (not his real name) is a 57-year-old IT worker with an associate degree and outdated skills who was laid off from a $60,000-a-year job. Through the Dislocated Worker Program, he qualified for training assistance, so he studied hard and successfully completed certifications in CompTia Security + Boot Camp and Security Essentials (CISSP). After working with Missouri Job Center staff, Phil landed a new IT job making $100,000 annually.

Take a tip from Phil: Visit the Missouri Job Center of St. Charles County to see how their services can help you realize your career dreams!

5. GGL Spotlight: Keeping You Moving During Major Events

The County’s decision to invest in the Gateway Green Light (GGL) program has proven to be extremely beneficial for St. Charles County residents – especially during the spring and summer, when major events could easily cause traffic jams and long delays. Here are some examples of how the program works:

• GGL operators monitored and adjusted traffic signal timing for the approximately 60,000 visitors heading into and out of Cottleville for the St. Patrick’s Day Run and Parade on March 16. Prior to parade day, the GGL team developed special signal timing plans for Mid Rivers Mall Drive based upon previous experience with traffic at the event. Once these timing plans were implemented and the event began, the ability to monitor traffic patterns and congestion levels in real time on Route N and other roads in the parade area allowed operators to make further adjustments. The GGL team did this by using traffic cameras and other data collection equipment that comprise GGL’s Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS).
  
  
• A similar process is being used to plan for and manage 17 graduations at the Family Arena, St. Charles Riverfest in July, and the Festival of the Little Hills in August. The ATMS allows for efficient development and adjustment of signal timings to fit the unique traffic at each event. Extra attention is placed on keeping traffic moving from the Arena and downtown St. Charles to I-70 and Route 364. 

The GGL program, a cooperative traffic control initiative between St. Charles County Government, local municipalities, and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), coordinates and synchronizes more than 300 traffic signals and other traffic control devices throughout the county. GGL operators monitor traffic conditions, identify problems, and implement changes when necessary to improve traffic flow. GGL is funded by the voter-approved half-percent Transportation Sales Tax. Visit the GGL website for more information.

On SCCMO-TV in May...

Click on the images below, visit the SCCMO-TV YouTube channel, tv.sccmo.org, or download our Roku Channel (search for SCCMO-TV) to watch recent County Council meetings, hear the latest local news and helpful information on County News Updates, see what's happening in County Parks, and more. This month, go behind the scenes at a mass casualty incident training for local first responders, including the St. Charles County Police Department and St. Charles County Ambulance District.

To view agendas and minutes from Council meetings, visit sccmo.org.

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