Resident urges independent audit after council votes on North Cast Parkway project

Steven Vaka, founder of the Native Prairie Veterans Foundation, told the Belton City Council during public comment that city staff omitted material information about the North Cast Parkway extension and asked the council to order an independent audit.

"When were you informed that the staff removed the $4.5 million developer obligation and did you authorize it?" Vaka asked the mayor and council, citing emails he said were sent to city staff and a written timeline he provided to the city clerk. He also said a posted permit bore the number "M O-r0000000000," which he said is not a valid Missouri Department of Natural Resources permit number, and that he had contacted Missouri DNR, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and EPA Region 7.

Vaka recounted a sequence he said shows changes to developer obligations: an email on March 25, 2025 from Wilson and Company to assistant city manager Greg Ro warning that a proposed North Cast bridge would expand the 100-year floodplain; an April 22, 2026 message from Scandal Properties asking about incentives and labeling a $4.5 million road requirement a "deal killer;" and, he said, the $4.5 million requirement disappearing from staff's materials five days later with no public vote. He said $4.8 million later appeared in the 2027 budget for the road under the transportation development district.

Vaka asked the council to pull the item appointing Mr. Ekki to the South View Commerce Center CID board from the consent agenda and to direct an independent audit of North Cast Parkway decisions, the Mullen Road waiver, and the completeness of information provided to the council in Resolution 2026-1.

Council members did not respond with immediate commitments to Vaka's audit request during the public comment period; the council proceeded with its agenda. The council did not vote on an audit motion during the meeting.

The council packet, staff reports and any corresponding resolutions or change logs are the appropriate records for verifying Vaka's timeline and the city's official rationale; Vaka said he submitted an evidence timeline to the clerk for inclusion in the official minutes.