“I think it’s looking very good,” said Shields. The last time Shields checked, polling results more than 70 percent of the people were in support of the amendment. “That’s a very good place to be!”

“We need to do everything we can to balance that playing field,” said David Frantze, in reference to Kansas’ efforts on life sciences. “I don’t think it’s a question of them vs us. Let’s have the same opportunities on both sides, and let people then decide where they want to go.”

Shields believes that the stem cell initiative is a good place to start. As she noted, Stowers has made a massive investment in Jackson County, and the county is hopeful that Stowers will make more still. “How do you ask them to do that,” said Shields, “when every year, there is legislation introduced to the state of Missouri to prohibit their type of research?”

Jackson County, Brien Starner observed, has been  “extremely fortunate” in the level of corporate philanthropy bestowed on the county, among the most generous in the nation and easily the most dominant in the metro. The challenge now is to get the state legislature and the universities involved.

One step that Missouri has taken, Mark Dawson commented, is the passage of legislation that allows for local optional sales tax for economic development. “If Jackson County really thinks life sciences are important,” said Dawson, “what if we did a county-wide sales tax for life sciences.” This tax might possibly be used to subsidize the rent for life science start-ups. “It would be creating jobs, wealth and a future,” said Dawson. “It’s a different view.”

Eminent Domain

After the break, Mike Deggendorf asked how potential new eminent domain legislation would affect the county.

Matt Levi did not believe that eminent domain has been misused at this end of the state as it has elsewhere. Jerry Riffel likewise contended that the abuse that took place in St. Louis County has not occurred in Jackson County. Still, he was of the opinion that the recent eminent domain bill “was a pretty good bill.”  

One result of the changed environment, as Mark Dawson sees it, is that developers will need “to build more consensus” on a project now than they would have had to a few years ago because of the political issues. 

“That’s the bottom line of the deal,” concurred David Frantze. To avoid messing with condemnation, development lawyers will expect to offer as much as 130 percent of a property’s appraised value. “You’re going to pay more money to avoid the hassle,” he noted.

Mike Deggendorf wondered whether the new legislation would correct any abuses that may have taken place. According to Frantze, the legislation will, in fact, stop the transfer of property from one private owner to another without a blight finding. The process will just take longer and cost more.