Meetings at City Hall are on hold this week, with the 4th of July holiday this Friday. This edition of This Week at City Hall will instead cover the roles and responsibilities of the various Commissions, Boards, and Committees that we report on.
Cases that This Week at City Hall covers usually start with the City Plan Commission (CPC) or the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). When a property owner wants to change an aspect of their property that isn’t allowed by-right, the City requires that their plans be approved by these bodies. Both are sat upon by volunteers appointed by the Mayor. Commissioners and Board Members can be anyone from the community, but usually come from construction, architecture, economic development, or advocacy groups. Find more information on these bodies and their appointees on KCMO’s Boards and Commissions website (listed below under More Resources).
City Plan Commission
Wednesdays at 9am
The City Plan Commission (CPC) hears requests to approve the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Area Plans, as well as property owners’ requests to approve plans for private development. These can range from something as small as a garage addition to something as large as an apartment complex or retail development. The Commissioners vote to make a recommendation on these cases which then advance to the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee for their recommendation. Lastly, the cases go to the City Council for final decision. It is at these meetings which precede the City Council where public testimony is usually most effective and anticipated.
The CPC also hears cases regarding amendments to the Zoning Code, requests to rezone a particular site, and requests for Special Use Permits (SUPs). These move to the BZA for final decision, with the CPC’s recommendation.
The Commission consists of eight members appointed by the Mayor. At time of writing these are: Chairman Coby Crowl and Commissioners Tyler Enders, Forestine Beasley, Luis Padilla, Matt Hasek, Betsy Lynch, and Sean Arkin.
Board of Zoning Adjustment
Wednesdays at 9am
The Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) hears cases involving: requests for Variances, requests for Special Use Permits (SUPs), amendments to the Zoning Code, and appeals to decisions made by Code Enforcement Officers.
The BZA’s decisions are final and legally binding, unlike the CPC’s, and no other hearings are held after the BZA makes their decision on a case. The only relief an applicant may seek after the BZA rules on their case is to sue the City in court for the case to be overturned.
Some cases might require multiple approvals. An example might be a new apartment building that requires a change of zone from the BZA, but also requires approval of the development plans from the City Council. In these cases, the BZA’s ruling is still binding, but parallel approval from the other body is necessary for the project to move forward.
At time of writing, the Board Zoning Adjustment consists of Chairperson Mark Ebbitts, and Members Gonzalo Venture, Emerson ‘Jaz’ Hays, Michael Meier, Theresa Otto, Randi Mixdorf, Tom Gorenc, and Myeisha Wright.
City Council Sub-Committees
The City has a number of sub-committees that hear and advise on cases pertaining to a variety of topics. These committees are made up of City Councilmembers, appointed by the Mayor. This Week at City Hall typically covers three of the Council’s sub-committees: the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee along with, occasionally, the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Operations Committee and the Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee. After the sub-committee makes their recommendation, a case advances to the full City Council for a final vote, usually held Thursday.
Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee
Tuesdays at 1:30pm
This Committee is made up of four City Council members, and hears cases that originate with the City Plan Commission, among other bodies. It also accepts grants and oversees ordinances involving neighborhood issues. This is often the last point that robust public testimony is heard in the process of advancing a case.
At time of writing, the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee is presided over by Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw and Council Members Eric Bunch, Melissa Patterson Hazley, and Nathan Willett.
Transportation, Infrastructure, and Operations Committee
Tuesdays at 9am
This committee is made up of five City Council members. At time of writing, the Committee is presided over by City Council members Eric Bunch, Johnathan Duncan, Kevin O’Neill, Lindsay French, and Melissa Robinson. The Committee’s responsibilities include approving new maintenance and infrastructure projects like repairs and expansions to City water and sewer, roads, sidewalks, lighting, and signage. It also manages the budget for public transportation, and changes to the City’s operations.
Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee
Tuesdays at 10:30am
This committee is made up of three City Council members and the Mayor. At time of writing, the Committee is presided over by Mayor Quinton Lucas and Council members Andrea Bough, Crispin Rea, and Wes Rogers. Its roles and responsibilities include financial management, legal issues like lawsuits, and cases regarding public safety outfits like the Police and Fire Departments. Initiatives set by the Mayor begin with this committee.
Legislative Session (Full Council)
Thursdays at 2pm
This Week at City Hall also covers meetings of the full City Council. These are presided over by all twelve City Council members and the Mayor. This meeting is the final step before legislation is adopted into Kansas City’s code or development plans receive final approval. Often, these meetings contain items addressed earlier in the week in Council sub-committee. In many cases the full Council follows the recommendation of the sub-committees and approves or denies requests accordingly with little further discussion. In these cases, the blog will show the City Council’s decision at the end of the case in question.
Other Boards + Commissions
Occasionally, This Week at City Hall will cover other Commissions and Boards. Here are some that we’ve reported on in previous issues.
Historic Preservation Commission
This Commission reviews and approves exterior changes to recognized historic buildings and landmarks. Property owners in a registered historic district must obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness before doing any exterior work. The Commission also hears requests to designate, change, or remove local historic districts. This Commission is appointed by the Mayor and at time of writing is presided over by Chairperson Walter Guth and Commissioners James Bibens, Dona Boley, Sean Owens, Sarah Legg, and James Maggard.
Parks and Recreation Board of Commissioners
The Parks Board consists of five Commissioners, at least one of which must be appointed by the Mayor. At time of writing, these are President Beth Haden, Director Chris Cotten and Commissioners Pat Contreras, Michael Meier, DePrice Taylor, and Stephanie K. Smith.
The Board manages and develops all parks, parkways, and boulevards in the City’s ownership. Among the cases it hears are requests to approve appropriation of funds for Parks projects, proposals for new Parks developments, and requests to certify use of Park space for special events.
More Resources:
- Kansas City’s Clerk Website: Information about the time, location, and agenda for every public meeting at City Hall. Includes upcoming and past meetings.
- KC Videos on Demand: Video record of all City Council and committee meetings.
- City Planning and Development Department Youtube: Live and past recordings of all City Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment meetings.
- KCMO Parcel Viewer: Map tool with information about projects and development, zoning, neighborhood associations, and more.
- Kansas City’s Zoning and Development Code: The chapter of the City’s Code of Ordinances that pertains to zoning. Contains information about land uses, lot and building standards, and the administration and enforcement of these laws.
- Compass KC: Online record of all cases, permits, and staff reports written for any given project.
- Open Data KC: Datasets and reports about City operations such as crime, 311, and community health.
- Boards and Commissions: Descriptions of each body’s purpose and its members.
Ben Robinson is the author of This Week at City Hall, and an Urban Planning and Design Student at UMKC. He is a Kansas City native, having lived on both sides of the state line. From a young age, Ben has been interested in neighborhoods, communities, and the built environment, but only discovered the field of Urban Planning in college. He is now committed to a career in the profession, and is excited about using his education to support and grow the city he grew up in.
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