5/12/08 (Installation of the second billboard has run into a road block) I applied for and received a Bates City business license for FarmBureauLies on October 9, 2007. Then on October 25, 2007 I applied for a sign permit to install a sign for the business. In January 2008 I attended a planning and zoning meeting at City Hall as requested. It was here that Dave Jones, the building and codes inspector voiced the concern about the bad image the sign would present to the City. One Zoning Board member, Oliver Luther, stated that he did not like the sign, or even what FarmBureauLies was doing. He also voiced his dislike for a large fireworks sign located in Bates City. Board Member Don White stated that the fireworks sign simply advertized what the business was selling. The members discussed that maybe Free Speech would be an issue. The members agreed to submit the issue to the city attorney, Brent F. Teichman for his opinion. Member Don White advised me that a decision would be made soon, and my part of the meeting ended. Not having heard anything from the city I sent a letter on February 27, 2008 asking for the status of my sign permit. On March 5, 2008 I received a letter from Brent Teichman, city attorney requesting artwork and sign specifications. On March 9,2008 I sent the requested information. On April 25 I received a letter from Dave Jones the city codes inspector requesting architect or engineer designed wind load calculations for the sign, pole, and point of attachment. It appeares to me that Bates City has decided to prevent the sign from going up by putting as many obstacles in my way as they can.
Bates City is governed by the following Bates City people.
Mayor; Diana Rickey
Alderman; Don McCarty, Don White, Gary Johnson, Doug Rickey
Planning and Zoning; David Weisemann, Oliver Luther, Rod Walter, Charles Webb, Don White,
Diana Rickey, JoAnn McCarty.
City Attorney; Brent F. Teichman
6/19/08 (Farmbureaulies.com is now officially in business as a wholeseller and retailer of Military, and Insurance salvage goods, as well as it's original function of providing information through this website to the public about Missouri Farm Bureaus' unfair and deceptive claims practices.) If you are traveling on I-70 in Missouri stop in at our sales location in Bates City. It's right at the exit #31 off ramp, watch for the big Farm Bureau Rattlesnake Banner. This East bound off ramp is one of the few in the U.S. that you can exit off, then get back on with-out a stop sign. I will soon have some sort of booklet with the basic facts about Farm Bureau's unfair claim practices to hand out to anyone interested.
6/20/08 (Bates City seems to be on the warpath over this FarmBureauLies Banner I put up in front of the store yesterday.) I went into City Hall today and paid the FarmBureauLies business license renewal. Shortly after that I received a call from Dave Jones, The Bates City codes inspector, who informed me that I would be getting a citation for attaching the FarmBureauLies Banner to the existing sign. I have ten other banners mounted at the business, will they have to go too? They seem to be hell bent on keeping FarmBureauLies from advertizing it's name in their town and tarnishing their image. We'll see what develops from this.
6/21/08 (Bates City might be better off to change this image of their city before worrying about the FarmBureauLies Banner tarnishing the towns image. I searched the internet for Bates City and got this.)
Missouri Speed Traps
Jurisdiction: Bates City, Missouri
Speed Trap Location: County Trunk Z Hwy
Nearest Reference Point: County Trunk Z Hwy off of I-70
Time of Day: Any time of day
Level of Enforcement: High
Type of Enforcement: Radar
Comments: they sit all over town and on the outer roads with their lights off and sometimes radar off until you are on them. Very expensive tickets. For such a small town it is obvious how they afford to man the police force and new vehicles they drive.
6/22/08 (Dave Jones and Bates City government officials are serious about not wanting the FarmBureauLies Banner displayed at the entrance to their town.) They are also adamantly against me putting a larger sign on an existing post in town, they are using all means availabe to deny my sign permit application for that one. They have delayed it nearly a year already. Yesterday , Mr. Cox, the Bates City Police Chief gave me a ticket for erecting a sign without a permit, Refering to the FarmBureauLies Banner, I suppose. Mr. Cox told me it was of no concern to him and the other officers, He was just doing his job. He said it was between me an Dave Jones. My trial date is July 21, 08 in Bates City Municipal Court.
7/9/08 (I delivered the blueprints and wind load calulations requested by the City of Bates City pertaining to their refusal to grant FarmBureauLies a sign permit for the second billboard.) I wonder what they will do next in their attempt to keep the big FarmBureauLies sign from going up.
7/23/08 (My court date over the ticket I got from Bates City for putting up the FarmBureauLies Banner without a permit was Monday nite .) My attorney just notified me that the Judge dismissed the case. I took down that banner today, and put up another one advertizing a hefty 20% off sale at the FarmBureauLies Surplus Store in Bates City, Mo. If you are in the area stop and shop, a portion of the proceeds will go to support this websites cause of putting out the truth about Farm Bureaus deceptive and unfair insurance claims tactics. Now all I'm waiting on from Bates City is an approval or denial of my sign permit application for the big FarmBureauLies sign that I submitted to them nine months ago.