New public safety software, the potential ban of flavored nicotine products, and the expansion of the city’s Parking Enforcement Program.
The following neighborhoods will be directly impacted by topics covered in this edition.
- Martin City
- Gashland
- Crossroads
- River Market
Transportation, Infrastructure, and Operations Committee
Tuesday, October 22nd at 9am
The Transportation, Infrastructure, and Operations Committee (TIO) includes Chairperson Kevin O’Neill, Councilmember Johnathan Duncan, Councilmember Lindsay French, and Councilmember Eric Bunch. Vice Chair Melissa Robinson did not attend this meeting.
Ordinance 240911 approved a contract with Shedigs It LLC, the city’s emergency repair contractors. Brent Herring from KC Water presented this ordinance to the committee. Having an emergency repair contractor is particularly important in the winter months, when water main breaks are more likely. The committee unanimously recommended approval of this ordinance. The full city council passed this ordinance on Thursday.
Ordinance 240913 approved an amendment to a KC Water contract. This project was required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who are requiring cities to inventory all city water utilities in the coming years. Alex Miller and Janet Strickland, with AECOM, presented this ordinance and the project to the committee on Tuesday.
So far AECOM Technical Services has surveyed over 180,000 records, finding 127,000 non-lead water pipes in Kansas City. AECOM has found no lead pipes throughout the city. As a part of FEMA requirements, the project also involves informing all residents of the quality of their water main connections by mail, and publishing an online map so residents can review this information. After informing residents, the team will move into long term pilot study to identify the remaining 20,000 unknown water lines in the city. After thanking them for their hard work, the committee recommended approval of this ordinance. The full city council passed this ordinance on Thursday.
Ordinance 240854 adopts the Road Diet Implementation Plan created by the Public Works department. This documents plans to assist in implementing twenty road diets in the next year, improving many of Kansas City’s dangerous traffic corridors. Mark Montgomery and Uday Manepalli from the public works department, presented this ordinance to the committee.
According to Manepalli, the plan assesses any road with four or more than lanes and 1,800 trips per day. It also coordinates with the street resurfacing program to ensure the city implements road diets as efficiently as possible. Typically, a road diet and resurfacing costs the city $141k per lane per mile of road.
Councilman Bunch asked the department to consider alternatives to waiting for a road to be resurface ready, and encouraged use of methods like micromilling. Bunch cited the two high-profile pedestrian deaths in the last month as reason to expedite the process. After incorporating an amendment to examine the alternative methods, the committee recommended approval of the plan. The full city council passed this ordinance on Thursday.
Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee
Tuesday, October 22nd at 10:30am
The Fiance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee (FGPS) includes Mayor and Vicechair Quinton Lucas, Councilmember Crispin Rea, Councilmember Darrell Curls, and Councilmember Wes Rodgers. Chairperson Andrea Bough did not attend this meeting.
Ordinance 240880 approved a contract with Trozzolo Creative Resources for regional and national advertisement of Kansas City International Airport. City employees Pete Fullerton and Justin Meyer presented this five year contract to the committee, outlining its benefits. After Mayor Quinton Lucas questioned staff about contract specifications, the committee unanimously recommended approval of the ordinance. The full city council passed this ordinance on Thursday.
Ordinance 240916 approved a contract with Bank of America for replacing nearly one hundred city vehicles in the coming months. Where possible, the city will use American made, electric vehicles. The Public Works department will use 44 of the new vehicles, the Neighborhood Services department will get 39, with the rest going to various other departments. The committee unanimously recommended approval of this ordinance, and City Council fully passed the ordinance on Thursday.
Ordinance 240918 funds the renovations of the Swope Park Memorial Golf Course, returning it to its original layout. Renovations to the course’s irrigation system and club house are necessary. City staff informed the committee that the Swope Park Golf Course was considered a historic treasure, as it is one of the few left designed by architect A. W. Tillinghast, and the only public course to have hosted a PGA Tour event. The committee recommended approval of this ordinance, and the City Council fully passed this ordinance on Thursday.
Ordinance 240920 provides additional funding to the police department, in order to purchase a crime analysis software known as Peregrine. Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw and officials from the police department showed the committee what was possible with Peregrine. The main advantage of using Peregrine is the internal organization of all the police department’s current resources. Peregrine organizes all data sources into an intuitive dashboard available to all officers, with options to share some information with the public. This software has been used successfully in cities like Atlanta, Albuquerque, and several cities in California. According to KCPD, Peregrine can connect and integrate, enrich and organize, and interact and collaborate. The committee recommended approval of this ordinance, and the full city council passed this ordinance on Thursday.
Ordinance 240901 approves a renewal contract with the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority, the owners of the City Market. Morgan Holecek, from the City Manager’s department, presented this ordinance to the committee. Planned Industrial Expansion Authority has been the landlord for the City Market since the 1980’s, with their previous contract being held for about thirty years. This ordinance would approve a six year contract.
Mayor Lucas asked Holecek why they had negotiated for a six year contract. Lucas wanted to ensure that Kansas City had the opportunity to renegotiate the contract when new officials were elected into office in about three years. Councilman Rea additionally asked the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority to reconsider moving the Steamboat Arabia exhibit. The committee recommended approval of this ordinance, which was upheld by City Council on Thursday.
Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee
Tuesday, October 22nd at 1:30pm
The Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee (NPD) includes Chairperson Ryana Parks-Shaw, Vice Chair Eric Bunch, Councilmember Melissa Patterson Hazley, and Councilmember Nathan Willett.
Ordinance 240910 accepts a $300,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Education for the Building Blocks Homes Visiting program. This program funds nurse visits to pregnant women’s homes for education, counseling, and nursing services. The committee unanimously recommended approval of this ordinance. The full city council passed this ordinance on Thursday.
Ordinance 240919 approves a development plan for reuse of an abandoned structure within the Martin City neighborhood, located at 12940 Wornall Rd. Previously, the building on this site was used as a retirement home community, but has been vacant for several years. With this applicant, the applicant hopes to retrofit this sight into a mixed-use development with 133 units. Other than several concerns about traffic generation, the neighborhood supported this reuse. This case has been covered in a previous edition of This Week at City Hall.
City planning staff Genevieve Kohn and applicant Patrica Jensen both presented this ordinance to the committee. After quickly getting an assurance from City Engineer Nicolas Boseneto that there would be no significant traffic issues, the committee recommended approval of this case. During the City Council meeting on Thursday, this ordinance was re-referred to the NPD committee.
Ordinance 240851 approved the rezoning of a site near Metropolitan Community College’s Maple Woods campus, within the Gashland neighborhood. This case has been covered in a previous edition of This Week at City Hall. The rezoning will facilitate the development of a mixed-use building, with thirty dwelling units and 30,000 square feet of commercial space. City planning staff Genevieve Kohn and applicant Patrica Jensen both also presented this ordinance. The committee unanimously recommended approval of the ordinance. The full city council passed this ordinance on Thursday.
Ordinance 240897 sought to prohibit the sales of all flavored nicotine products within the city, including all menthol cigarettes, tobacco, and vapor products. Before Mayor Pro Tem Parks-Shaw allowed this ordinance to be introduced at the meeting, she informed the crowded audience that she would not be taking public comments, as they had already done that at a previous meeting. The committee welcomed Dr. Marvia Jones, director of the Health department to present this ordinance and explain its benefits from a public health perspective.
Dr. Jones began by showing how tobacco products had a disproportionately negative effect on the Black community in Kansas City. In the city, there is a 31 year gap between the areas with the highest life expectancy and lowest life expectancy. Dr. Jones also explained the risk flavored products had when associated with children and young adults. According to Dr. Jones, 8 out 10 teens who smoke began with flavored products. Flavored products, especially menthol, lessen the bad taste associated with cigarettes and tobacco, making it go down easier for new users. Dr. Jones supported this ban because it lessens the risk of youth exposure to cigarettes and tobacco products.
Dr. Jones also showed why many residents who currently use flavored products would quit tobacco use altogether rather than switch to a new product. She used data from other municipalities with bans to show how, while people would try a new product in the short term, in the long term, a ban would result in a decrease in nicotine product use within the city. Finally, Dr. Jones informed the committee that nicotine products are the fourth largest driver of life expectancy inequality, and the leading cause of preventable death in the Black community.
The entire committee, as well as several other council members, expressed their support of the ordinance and the effort by Dr. Jones. The main concerns they had were over the best version of this ordinance. Councilmen Bunch and Willet both had concerns with the enforcement of this ordinance and making sure the Health department had the resources to enforce a ban on flavored products. Before taking a vote, Bunch made an amendment which provides additional personnel funding for the Health department.
Councilwoman Patterson Hazley testified to the necessity of this ordinance, typically for those in poverty. Hazley stated the difficulty of avoiding nicotine products when your environment is surrounded by them. Councilmen Bunch also said that this was an example of structural racism, and the life-expectancy disparities between east and west of Troost were “no accident”. The committee unanimously recommended approval of the ordinance, but was held off of the City Council docket.
Parking and Transportation Commission
Wednesday, October 23rd at 10am
The Parking and Transportation Commission was attended this week by Chairperson Matt Staub, Commissioner Gerald Williams, Commissioner Kendra B. Shields, Commissioner AJ Farris, Commissioner Sean O’Byrne, Commissioner Christy Chester, Commissioner David Johnson, and Commissioner Sam Hagan.
This month’s meeting on the Parking and Transportation Commission began with an approval of last meeting’s minutes. Shortly after that, Chairperson Matt Staub gave a summary of Tom Gerend’s (KC Streetcar Authority Director) report to the commission. After being closed for nearly a month, the downtown portion of the streetcar was reopened on Tuesday night. In preparation for the launch of the streetcar’s extension, Union Station has gained a stop on both sides of the street. According to Gerand’s report, 95% of the rail for the extension has been laid, with 99% planned to be finished this month.
Following the streetcar report, the commission heard from their city staff contacts, Matthew Muckenthaler and Jeff McLees, on the city’s updated Parking Enforcement Program. McLees showcased the city’s new ticketing dashboard, which has been in effect for about one month. Compliance with parking tickets has steadily been going up with the use of the new dashboard. Revenue from parking tickets has doubled compared to the same time last year.
Commissioner Sean O’Byrne questioned Muckenthaler and McLees about the updated parking rates in the River Market. O’Bryne informed the commission of the main conversations he’s had with business owners in the River Market, who claim that the new policy is affecting their sales. O’Byrne has responded by asking them to show evidence of their claims, but believes that if they can prove that the new parking policy is affecting their sales, the city should look at changing the policy.
Commissioner David Johnson, also from the Crossroad CID, echoed O’Byrne concerns, stating his frustration that the Crossroads CID was tasked with informing the public about the policy change, rather than the city itself. Muckenthaler responded by reminding Johnson and O’Byrne that he doesn’t have the resources to make flyers or engage with the public directly. Since the adoption of increased rates for parking downtown, many business owners have subscribed to the idea that enough backlash to the change will force the city to rescind its policy.
Finally, the Transportation and Parking Committee heard Muckenthaler’s report on the upcoming changes to the Parking Enforcement program. Despite business’s claims that the progressive rate parking policy was bad for business, Muckenthaler showed how the policy tripled parking interactions during that time. The city is also planning to reorganize its downtown parking rates, planning to be more aware of the parking demand in the area.
Muckenthaler additionally justified the city’s expansion of the program by showing how investing only increases revenue. Expansion of the program will include dedicated parking officers in several different regions, including downtown, River Market, the Country Club Plaza, Westport, and other areas. These officers will be fully funded by ticket and parking revenue, and also be in charge of enhancing safety in the various regions. Muckenthaler plans for the Parking Enforcement program to bring in $3 million to the city’s general fund next year. After discussion about next month’s meeting, Chairperson Matt Staub adjourned the meeting.
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.
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