
This Week at City Hall is back after a winter hiatus! If you haven’t already, be sure to fill out our readership survey. We’d love to hear your thoughts on improving this weekly blog.
The following neighborhoods will be directly impacted by topics covered in this edition.
- Westside
- Waldo Towers
- Northland
Key Terms
MBE and WBE Goals (%): MBE and WBE are often referenced during meetings at City Hall, especially when referring to outside construction or design contracts. MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) and WBE (Women Business Enterprise) refer to the City’s goal to hire contractors who are designated specifically as Minority or Women owned businesses. Most large construction projects will seek between 10-20% WBE and MBE employment.
Transportation, Infrastructure, and Operations Committee
Tuesday, January 28th at 9am
The Transportation, Infrastructure, and Operations Committee (TIO) includes Chairperson Kevin O’Neill, Vice Chair Melissa Robinson, Councilmember Lindsay French, and Councilmember Johnathan Duncan, who attended this meeting via Zoom. Councilmember Eric Bunch was not present.
Ordinance 250041 approved a $12.8 million contract with Goodwin Bros. Construction Co. for the design and construction of a new Grit Removal and Fine Screens Project at the Blue River Wastewater Treatment Plant, in Northeast Kansas City. Jeff Martin, with KC Water, Blake Anderson, the Facilities Division Manager, and Kevin White, the Senior Engineering Project Manager presented this ordinance to the committee, with representatives from both contracts, Black & Veatch and Goodwin Bros. ready to answer additional questions.
This project includes a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) goal of 14% of total contracting. According to Anderson, this project will be completed by the Fall of 2027.
This project provides several upgrades to existing grit removal facility, which was constructed in the 1960’s, according to Kevin White. The new facility will align with current standards for wastewater treatment, upgrading efficiency, lowers required materials, improves energy costs, and prolongs the life of other treatment equipment. This ordinance was reported to the council recommendation of pass.
Ordinance 250042 approved a $9.3 million contract with Beemer Construction Company for phase two for water main replacement between Southwest Boulevard to Main Street, and West 43rd Street to West Pershing Avenue, within the Westside neighborhood. Jeff Martin, with KC Water, also presented this ordinance to the committee, outlining its Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) goals of 11% of total contracting.
David Poyueir, Water Distribution Division Manager, detailed the finer details of the project. This project will be done in coordination with the public works department, who plan to resurface Southwest Boulevard while the water main is being replaced. This coordination increases efficiency and prevents waste.
The water department will host a public meeting to inform the surrounding neighborhoods about construction periods and what residents should expect. More information will be posted on KC Water’s website. The TIO committee recommended approval of this ordinance,
Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee
Tuesday, January 28th at 10:30am
The Fiance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee (FGPS) includes Chairperson Andrea Bough, Mayor Quinton Lucas, Councilmember Crispin Rea, Councilmember Darrell Curls, and Councilmember Wes Rodgers. Councilman Johnathan Duncan also attended this meeting.
Ordinance 240981 authorizes the Public Works Department to expand the City’s parking system and directs the Finance Department to create a plan for funding the expansion. Matthew Muckenthaler, Public Works Parking Division Manager, presented this ordinance to the committee.
According to Muckenthaler, this ordinance would grant the Parking Division $450,000 to begin expanding their parking enforcement operations. An expansion of enforcement provides a myriad of benefits to the neighborhoods it affects, including increased sales revenue, a reduction in cruising traffic, increased pedestrian safety, and positive environmental impacts.
Specifically, this ordinance creates positions for seven new parking enforcement officers in the downtown area on nights and weekends. Additionally, it gives more resources during rush hour, social harm reduction, and data collection efforts.
Special events will also receive more attention, including valet and shuttle services, auxiliary enforcement services, and other necessary needs. According to Muckenthaler, “special events” include parades, Convention Center events like Comic Con, and large sporting events. This ordinance also funds parking enforcement along the newly expanded streetcar line, which has begun testing.
During public testimony, Emilia Mackentier, a representative from Waldo Towers, spoke on behalf of her neighborhood. Mackentier opposes a piece of this ordinance that was removed from legislation before it was presented at Tuesday’s meeting. Specifically the piece which would expand parking enforcement further into other neighborhoods throughout the city. That previous version of the ordinance was presented to the FGPS committee on December 3rd, 2024, and covered in a previous edition of This Week at City Hall.
Kate Marshal, representing the Plaza District Council, also testified, expressing her support for the ordinance presented at Tuesday’s meeting, but reminding the council that data collection would be crucial justifying further expansion of the parking enforcement program. The committee recommended approval of this ordinance, which
Ordinance 250044 directs the City Manager to explore options for providing security to the City’s entertainment districts, specifically 18th & Vine, the Country Club Plaza, Westport and Crossroads. The ordinance proposes the use of off-duty police officers and gives the program a budget of $1 million.
Lace Kline, Director of Public Safety, Joe Williams, Public Safety Task Force Director, and Joe Green, from the City Attorney’s office, all presented this ordinance to the FGPS committee. Officers hired through this ordinance will monitor areas recommended by the multidisciplinary task force.
According to Williams, this ordinance partially seeks to stop small business burglaries that have become common in the city’s core. Structurally, officers will be assigned as neighborhood organizations, CID’s, or other community groups request. That organization will negotiate with the city on how to best maximize this ordinance’s funds, and then the city will assign an off duty officer based on those communications.
Councilwoman Robinson expressed her concern with the use of off-duty officers. According to Robinson, the 18th and Vine district has established protocols around the use of off-duty officers, especially because of “senseless deaths” that have happened involving off-duty police. Robinson suggested a substitute for the ordinance which specifically calls attention to the difference between districts, and respects them. Mayor Lucas agreed with Councilwoman Robinson, and ensured her request was enshrined in the ordinance.
Councilman Johnathan Duncan made a statement on the ordinance, “I would be remiss if I did not state my grievance that we are supplementing an already bloated police budget to employ off-duty police officers to do the job that they are supposed to be doing on duty”.
He went on to say, “I want to thank the Mayor for identifying that this is not violence prevention, this is supplementing enforcement and policing. There’s a greater need in our communities to have the ability to organize. Safe communities are connected communities. We all know the reason we are having this conversation is because our police department is not doing the job they’re supposed to. We throw money at it, but the way to address our public safety concerns is better connected communities”.
During public testimony, Doug Taylor, Vice President of Operation for Parlor, spoke, expressing his frustration with the lack of officers in general, on or off duty. “The city has failed to make the neighborhood safe and desirable. It’s not the job of business owners to make the area safe, we pay taxes for that”. Councilwoman Bough responded, clarifying that the City of Kansas City cannot hire police officers, the Police Department has to. Bough’s point was to show the way the city is limited in its ability to solve these problems, largely because of state intervention.
Emilia Mackentier also testified, sharing the security concerns of multiple neighborhoods within the Plaza-Westport area. Chole Willett, a graduate of CFN’s Cohort Neighborhood Leadership Training, testified, requesting that the city explore funding additional security equipment in the district. Taylor Jackson, Matt Abbott, Anthony Youngblood, and Shawn Akerson, also testified in support of this ordinance, but all wanted more to be done. The ordinance was recommended for approval by the committee, and
Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee
Tuesday, January 28th at 1:30pm
The Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee (NPD) includes Chairperson Ryana Parks-Shaw, Councilmember Melissa Patterson Hazley, and Councilmember Nathan Willett who attended via Zoom. Councilman Eric Bunch was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.
Ordinance 250038 accepted a $2.2 million federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for continued funding of the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPA) program.
Johnathan Andel, Housing Manager within the HIV Services Division of the Health Department, presented this ordinance to the committee. According to Andel, HOPA is the only federal program dedicated to housing the needs of people living with HIV. Furthermore, access to housing is linked to increased engagement in medical care, the suppression of HIV, prevention of transmission, and improves the overall health outcomes of people with HIV.
In total, this grant will be split between the KC Health Department, Vivent Health, Save Inc., and reStart Inc. to provide housing services. The committee unanimously agreed to recommend approval of the ordinance.
Ordinance 250046 approved a rezoning and residential development plan for 96 W Old Stagecoach Road, within the Northland. This development will include 283 single family homes directly east of the Menards located at 3701 NW 90th St. City planner Andy Clarke presented this ordinance to the committee.
Clarke highlighted how the developer’s design intentionally did not use coldesacs, which create numerous city service issues like snow plowing and trash pickup. Clarke expressed his appreciation for these changes.
Old Stagecoach Road will now also include eight unit types, from 800 square feet to almost 2,000 square feet, offering future residents a plethora of different housing options at varying price levels. The committee recommended the case for approval,
Author’s Bio
Grayson Johnston is the author of This Week at City Hall and an Urban Planning and Design Student at UMKC. He moved to Kansas City two years ago and has loved it ever since. Grayson became interested in community and neighborhoods while still in high school, when he discovered the field of Urban Planning. As he learned about the theory of walkability, transit, and strong communities, Grayson became committed to going to planning school and starting a career growing his community.
Just want to point out that a statement was made that the city has no control over PD hiring mainly due to state control. Anyone that wants to see what State Control looks like should watch the Board of Police Commissioner meetings on YouTube to stay informed.
The city controls the budget and recently approved increases in starting pay to be more competitive with surrounding agencies and jobs. This is the main way the city and the PD work together to remedy staffing issues.