Dec 03, 2024 City Council Meeting

[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:02]

CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. PLEASE JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

JENNIFER, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

. THANK YOU. UP FIRST, WE HAVE THE MINUTES FROM THE NOVEMBER 19TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR CONSIDERATION.

[APPROVE MINUTES]

MOTION BY COURTNEY. SECOND BY MELANIE.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

JENNIFER, ANY MODIFICATIONS THIS EVENING? NONE THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU. UP FIRST, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY UNITED COMMUNITY SERVICES OF JOHNSON COUNTY TO PRESENT THEIR ANNUAL REPORTS.

[PRESENTATIONS]

GOOD EVENING MAYOR.

TONIGHT WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE CHRISTY BAUMANN, WHO'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UCS.

UCS PARTNERED WITH US FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.

HERE TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE 2025 SUBSTANCE USE CONTINUUM OF CARE FUND AND HUMAN SERVICE FUND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR.

THANK YOU. HI.

THANK YOU, MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COME AND TALK ABOUT THE GREAT WORK OF THE HUMAN SERVICE FUND AND OUR SUBSTANCE USE CONTINUUM OF CARE FUND.

YOU SHOULD HAVE THE FULL RECOMMENDATION REPORTS IN YOUR PACKETS.

AS WELL AS THIS PRESENTATION, I'M GOING TO HIT A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS ON THE SLIDES.

DO YOU WANT ME TO ROLL THROUGH BOTH PRESENTATIONS AND THEN TAKE QUESTIONS OR TAKE QUESTIONS AFTER EACH ONE? LET'S PAUSE IN BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND PLEASE.

ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL START OFF WITH THE HUMAN SERVICE FUND.

SORRY, FOR SOME REASON, I PRINTED MY PAPER.

WEIRD. SO WHAT I LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THE HUMAN SERVICE FUND IS THAT THIS IS A REALLY EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT.

SORRY, HOW DO I.

HERE WE GO.

THIS IS A REALLY EXTRAORDINARY FUND THAT BRINGS TOGETHER THE COUNTY AND THE CITIES IN JOHNSON COUNTY TO POOL FUNDS TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A GREATER IMPACT IN TERMS OF PROVIDING SERVICES AND RESOURCES FOR FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING AT OR BELOW 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL.

THIS IS A FUND THAT HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1990, UCS HAS BEEN ADMINISTERING THIS FUND SINCE THAT TIME AND WHAT I WANT TO DO TODAY IS REALLY JUST KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOR HOW TO SPEND THE FUNDS IN 2025.

THESE FUNDS ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE DETERMINED BY THE HUMAN SERVICE FUND COMMITTEE.

AND SO THESE THIS IS A COMMITTEE THAT REVIEWS COMPETITIVE GRANT PROCESS AND THEN MAKES THE DELIBERATION AND THEN ULTIMATELY THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW TO SPEND THE FUNDS.

SO THE PROGRAMS FALL INTO THREE PRIMARY AREAS.

THESE ARE WELL-BEING PERSONAL SAFETY AND STABILITY OF JOHNSON COUNTY RESIDENTS.

THEY ARE PROGRAMS THAT FIT WITHIN SAFETY NET INVESTMENTS AND THEY, AS I SAID THEY'RE MEANT TO SERVE FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING AT OR BELOW 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL. THIS REPRESENTS ACTUALLY ABOUT 15% OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY POPULATION.

SO SINCE 1990, THIS FUND HAS AWARDED OVER $8 MILLION TO SUPPORT JOHNSON COUNTY RESIDENTS IN NEED.

DURING THE 2023 CYCLE, WHICH IS THE MOST RECENT CLOSED GRANT CYCLE, THE HUMAN SERVICE FUND SERVED OVER 58,000 JOHNSON COUNTY RESIDENTS, WITH OVER 175,000 UNITS OF SERVICE.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A UNIT OF SERVICE, WE MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE, LET'S SAY A $30 GAS CARD, RIGHT? SO MAYBE AN ORGANIZATION IS PROVIDING A GAS CARD TO SOMEBODY.

WELL, THAT'S A UNIT OF SERVICE.

BUT WHEN YOU THINK MORE ABOUT WHAT THE IMPACT OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS, THAT $30 GAS CARD COULD BE THE REASON WHY SOMEBODY MAKES IT TO THEIR JOB AND KEEPS THEIR JOB, AND THAT COULD BE THE REASON THEY STAY STABLY HOUSED.

OR IT COULD BE THE REASON THAT THEY MAKE IT TO SCHOOL TO GET A CERTIFICATION, TO GET A BETTER INCOME, TO MAINTAIN STABILITY.

SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT UNITS OF SERVICE, EVERY ONE OF THOSE UNITS OF SERVICE HAS REAL MEANING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BENEFITING FROM THEM.

THIS TABLE KIND OF SHOWS YOU A BREAKDOWN OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS PER JURISDICTION, INCLUDING THE COUNTY.

[00:05:01]

WE HAD $473,140, WITH ABOUT 444,000 TO AWARD FOR 2025, WE RECEIVED 21 APPLICATIONS.

WE DID AGAIN SEE A GAP BETWEEN WHAT THE REQUESTS WERE FOR GRANT FUNDS AND WHAT WE HAD AVAILABLE.

IT WAS ABOUT $100,000, THAT OF A GAP.

THIS YEAR WE HAD WE CONTINUED OUR SMALL GRANT PROGRAM.

WE ESTABLISHED A SMALL GRANT PROGRAM WITHIN HSF A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THAT WAS PRIMARILY TO PROVIDE SMALLER, NEWER ORGANIZATIONS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO START RECEIVING GRANT FUNDING TO KIND OF GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO MANAGE GRANT FUNDING, TO PROVIDE THEM WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND THEN HOPEFULLY TO BE ABLE TO AID THEM TO RECEIVE LARGER AMOUNTS OF FUNDING FROM OTHER FOUNDATIONS AND FUNDERS.

AND SO THIS YEAR, WE HAVE A NEW APPLICANT, FOUNTAIN OF LIFE AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THEY SUPPORT HEALTH EQUITY FOR ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDERS HERE IN JOHNSON COUNTY AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE COMMUNITY CENTER OF SHAWNEE AND THEY PRIMARILY ARE PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION SUPPORTS FOR RESIDENTS.

OVERALL, WE HAD RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO 18 REGULAR GRANTEES.

YOU CAN SEE HERE THE LARGE LIST OF RETURNING GRANTEES.

ONE GRANTEE WAS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING.

THIS WAS ECKAN.

AS I SAID, THIS IS A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROCESS.

AND SO NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT THEY WANT.

AND IF WE'RE NOT SEEING THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FROM GRANTEES, THAT CAN RESULT IN THEM RECEIVING A LOWER OVERALL SCORE FROM THE HUMAN SERVICE FUND COMMITTEE.

AND SO AS A RESULT, ECKAN DID NOT RECEIVE FUNDING FOR THIS CYCLE AND THEN THE LAST SLIDE HERE IS JUST LOOKING AT HOW THE FUNDS BASICALLY END UP SPLIT THROUGH THESE THREE MAIN CATEGORIES SO YOU CAN SEE HEALTH, WELLNESS AND SAFETY, BASIC NEEDS AND WORK AND INCOME SUPPORT.

SO WELLNESS HEALTH AND SAFETY.

THIS COULD BE SUPPORT FOR SAY SAFE HOME FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT BASIC NEEDS, YOU COULD BE THINKING ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM HOUSING TO FOOD SUPPORTS AND THEN FOR WORK AND INCOME, YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING AT CHILDCARE SUPPORTS OR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND EVEN SOMETIMES ADDRESSING CHILD ABUSE ISSUES.

SO THAT IS KIND OF A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE HUMAN SERVICE FUND RECOMMENDATIONS.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORT THEMSELVES OR HOW THE FUND OPERATES.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS HOUSE.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

DO YOU WANT TO DO THE VOTE ON THAT ONE AND THEN MOVE FORWARD OR JUST DO THEM BOTH TOGETHER? THAT WE'RE ON CONSENT? YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

GREAT. SO LET'S DO STUFF.

SO WE'RE GOING TO THROW YOU A BUNCH OF ACRONYMS IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH ALREADY.

BUT NOW I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE SUBSTANCE USE CONTINUUM OF CARE FUND AND THIS REPRESENTS TWO POOLS OF FUNDS.

ONE IS THE ALCOHOL TAX FUND.

THIS IS A PER DRINK TAX THAT IS COLLECTED IN JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO HAVE BARS OR RESTAURANTS THAT SERVE DRINKS.

AND PER KANSAS STATUTE, A PORTION OF THIS MONEY IS RETURNED TO THE JURISDICTIONS TO BE ABLE TO FUND PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS ALCOHOL ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT AND SO LENEXA, FOR INSTANCE, IS LARGE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PER DRINK TAXES AND SO THOSE RETURN BACK TO THE CITY, AND THEN LENEXA DETERMINES WHAT PROPORTION OF THAT FUNDING WILL GO INTO THE ALCOHOL TAX FUND, THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS.

THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A NEWER FUND YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH, BUT THIS IS A SPECIAL PURPOSE REVENUE FUND DISTRIBUTED BY THE KANSAS ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO MUNICIPALITIES THAT JOINED THE STATEWIDE OPIOID SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.

SO THESE FUNDS ARE BASED ON EACH MUNICIPALITY'S POPULATION AND THEIR USE FOR PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT PROTECT, PREVENT, REDUCE, TREAT OR MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION.

NOW, THESE FUNDS ARE ARE DISTRIBUTED BY THE DRUG AND ALCOHOLISM COUNCIL.

THIS DAC, ANOTHER ACRONYM, WAS CREATED BY A JOHNSON COUNTY RESOLUTION TO EVALUATE AND ADVISE ON THE ALLOCATION OF THE ALCOHOL TAX FUND.

AND SO THEY ARE ALSO NOW DOING THE SAME THING WITH THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS, WHICH IS WHERE WE CAME UP WITH THE SUBSTANCE USE CONTINUUM OF CARE FUND ACRONYM.

SO THE DAC THESE IS MADE UP OF FOLKS FROM PARTICIPATING JURISDICTIONS.

SO WE TRY TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CITIES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE ALCOHOL TAX FUND.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SCHOOL DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES AND INDIVIDUALS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERTISE.

[00:10:08]

SO UCS HAS SUPPORTED THIS PROCESS SINCE 1980 AND LET'S SEE I'M GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.

IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SLIDE YOU CAN AGAIN SEE WHAT THE DISTRIBUTION IS IN TERMS OF WHAT EACH JURISDICTION IS CONTRIBUTING, BOTH TO THE OSF AND TO ATF.

IN 2023, WHICH IS THE LAST GRANT CYCLE THAT WAS CLOSED, NEARLY 100,000 RESIDENTS WERE DIRECTLY IMPACTED OR BENEFITED FROM ATF SUPPORT SERVICES.

THESE SERVICES ARE REALLY IMPORTANT AND REALLY VITAL.

I USE A LOT OF DIFFERENT EXAMPLES, BUT IF YOU TAKE A SMALLER COMMUNITY, FOR INSTANCE, THAT MAYBE DOESN'T HAVE AS LARGE OF A POPULATION AND DOESN'T HAVE AS MUCH MONEY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUND, BY CONTRIBUTING THEIR FUND AND POOLING THE FUNDS, THEY REALLY PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF THEIR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO BENEFIT IN WAYS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO, TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS TO THEIR RESIDENTS.

SO THE POOLING OF THE FUNDS IS, AGAIN, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF THESE DOLLARS.

FOR 2025, WE HAD 24 TOTAL APPLICATIONS.

FOLKS REQUESTED NEARLY 3.8 MILLION.

WE HAD ABOUT $1 MILLION TO OR $3 MILLION TO DISTRIBUTE.

WE SAW 18 AGENCIES THAT WERE LOOKING FOR INCREASES IN ATF FUNDING, TEN AGENCIES SEEKING INCREASES IN OSF FUNDING, AND THREE AGENCIES SEEKING LEVEL FUNDING.

23 APPLICANTS APPLICATIONS WERE RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY NEW APPLICATIONS FOR 2025.

YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE WHO RECEIVED THEIR FULL REQUEST AND WHICH ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVED INCREASES IN FUNDING AND THEN ALSO HERE YOU CAN SEE LEVEL FUNDING AND THEN REDUCED FUNDING.

AND THEN LORRAINE'S HOUSE WAS ONE ORGANIZATION THAT WAS NOT FUNDED AGAIN, PRIMARILY DUE TO THIS BEING A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROCESS AND THAT IS IT.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SUF, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE.

SEEING NONE.

THANK YOU. OH, BILL. YEAH.

GO AHEAD. THANK YOU BECKY.

DO WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE COMMITTEES? AND IF SO, WHO IS IT? YEAH, I BELIEVE STEVEN STROUT IS ON THE SUBSTANCE USE.

CONTINUUM OF CARE COMMITTEE.

I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYBODY ON THE HUMAN SERVICES FUND PRESENTLY.

OKAY. WE HAVE IN THE PAST, WE HAVE IN THE PAST.

YEAH. WE'VE BEEN WITH YOU A LONG TIME.

YEAH AND IT'S.

I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD THE WAY YOU GET THE REVENUE FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, AND YOU FUNNEL THROUGH YOU AND YOUR COMMITTEES ON WHERE IT WILL DO THE MOST GOOD.

YOU DO VALUABLE WORK.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

I THINK IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO MANAGE THIS AS A COMPETITIVE GRANT PROCESS, BECAUSE IT ENSURES THAT THE JURISDICTIONS DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE, AND THEY'RE BEING DISTRIBUTED TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT PRODUCE THE RESULTS THAT WE WANT TO SEE.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[INAUDIBLE].

OKAY. UP NEXT IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[CONSENT AGENDA]

MATTERS LISTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE ROUTINE AND APPROVED COLLECTIVELY, COLLECTIVELY, WITH NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION.

ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION BY A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNING BODY.

CITY MANAGER OR MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.

IN THE EVENT THE ITEM IS REMOVED, IT WILL BE PLACED ON THE REGULAR AGENDA.

ANYONE WISH TO REMOVE AN ITEM FOR DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS ONE THROUGH 11 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

SO MOVED. MOTION BY BILL.

SECOND BY COURTNEY.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED.

ITEM NUMBER 12 IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE RECOMMENDED FISCAL YEAR 2025 THROUGH 2029 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

[12. Public hearing to consider the recommended Fiscal Year 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Plan]

AS YOU MENTIONED, MAYOR, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE RECOMMENDED CIP FOR 25 THROUGH 2029.

AGAIN TONIGHT, COUNCIL WON'T BE TAKING ANY ACTION TO APPROVE OR DENY THE PLAN.

JUST RECEIVING PUBLIC FEEDBACK THROUGHOUT THE PUBLIC HEARING.

I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THE CIP TONIGHT, SINCE WE'VE HAD THE OVERVIEW PRESENTATION AND THE DOCUMENTS POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, I WILL MENTION THAT 54 CAPITAL PROJECTS WERE INCLUDED IN THIS PLAN.

FOR A TOTAL COST OF 208.6 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

[00:15:02]

THE CITY DID RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL 1 MILLION IN CARS FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY FOR THE 95TH STREET, RENNER BOULEVARD AND NOLAN ROAD PROJECT.

WE HAD ALLOCATED EXCISE TAX FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT AND THE ORIGINAL CIP THAT WE PRESENTED.

WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO SWAP THOSE OUT, SO WE'RE GOING TO USE THE CARS FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT AND THEN SAVE OUR EXCISE TAX FUNDING.

THE PACKET MEMO AND THE DOCUMENT THAT'S POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE DOES INCLUDE THAT UPDATE AS WELL AND THAT'S ALL I HAD TONIGHT, MAYOR.

THANK YOU. AS NATE MENTIONED.

TONIGHT WE WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE RECOMMENDED FISCAL YEAR 2025 THROUGH 2029 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF NOTES FOR EVERYONE BEFORE WE START THE PUBLIC HEARING.

WE DO WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS.

WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE ALL HERE AND ENGAGED WITH THE PROCESS.

YOU'RE WELCOME TO SPEAK AS ON THE CIP AS A WHOLE OR ON INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS.

THE COUNCIL WILL NOT TAKE ANY ACTION.

THERE WILL BE NO VOTES TONIGHT ON WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CIP.

THAT ACTION IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED FOR OUR NEXT MEETING ON DECEMBER 17TH.

BECAUSE THE PRIMARY PURPOSE TONIGHT IS TO RECEIVE YOUR FEEDBACK, WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE RESPONDING TO ANY OF THE QUESTIONS OR ISSUES WHICH MIGHT BE RAISED TONIGHT.

IF MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON A SPECIFIC PRESENTATION IS REQUIRED, WE WILL DO THAT ON DECEMBER 17TH.

LASTLY, WE ARE AWARE THAT MANY OF YOU HERE TONIGHT ARE TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THE LONE ELM INTERCHANGE PROJECT, WHICH IS A PART OF CDOT'S K-10 PROJECT. FOR CONTEXT, THE LONE ELM INTERCHANGE IS ALREADY PART OF THE CITY'S EXISTING ADOPTED CIP AND HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS.

WE ARE HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK, BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS ALREADY AN APPROVED PROJECT FOR THE CITY AND NOTHING IN THE CIP CHANGES THAT APPROVAL.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE LONE ELM PROJECT, A MEETING WILL BE HELD HERE IN CITY HALL ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12TH AT 7PM, WHERE CITY STAFF AND REPRESENTATIVES OF CDOT WILL BE PRESENT AND YOU ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND.

WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCEDURE FOR THAT IS TO PLEASE COME UP TO EITHER ONE OF THE PODIUMS. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS.

WE LOOKS LIKE HAVE SEVERAL FOLKS HERE TONIGHT, SO PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO APPROXIMATELY THREE MINUTES AND WITH THAT WE'LL KICK IT OFF.

WHO WOULD LIKE TO START.

GOOD EVENING.

I'M ALEXIS GETZLAF AND MY ADDRESS IS 9722 MILL RIDGE DRIVE AND I WILL MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY BECAUSE I HAD A STATEMENT PLANNED FOR FIVE MINUTES. SO I'M GOING TO WORK MY WAY THROUGH IT.

THANK YOU. SO I HAVE LIVED IN LENEXA FOR 11 YEARS.

WE MOVED ACROSS THE STREET SPECIFICALLY SO WE WOULDN'T GROW OUT OF LIVING HERE.

WE WANTED TO STAY AND WE PLANNED TO FOR AS LONG AS I CAN IMAGINE.

WE LOVE LIVING HERE, AND WE LIVE IN THE MANCHESTER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH HAS A MANCHESTER PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

WE HAVE FOUR KIDS THAT ARE ALL WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE OLATHE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND WE OFTEN THINK TO OURSELVES, WHAT IF LONE ELM WENT THROUGH OFTEN ALL THE TIME? I CAN'T EVEN COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES I'VE SAID THAT TO MYSELF AND THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE WALKING TO FRIENDS HOUSES IN BRIGHTON LANDING OR PRAIRIE POINT OR MILL CREEK FARMS, OR MY KIDS WALKING TO SCHOOL AT THEIR MIDDLE SCHOOL OR THEIR HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH ARE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF K-10 AND THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE ABILITY OF THIS ROUTE IS WOULD CHANGE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE WAY THAT WE ACCESS THAT AREA AND CREATE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES AND CREATE A GREAT, SAFE OPTION FOR KIDS TO ACCESS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF LONE ELM.

ADDITIONALLY, MY KIDS GO TO MANCHESTER PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH IS THE LARGEST POPULATION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE OLATHE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE ACCESSING THAT SCHOOL, AND MANY OF THEM ARE ACCESSING IT VIA 101ST, WHICH I UNDERSTAND WILL BECOME AN ACCESS WAY FROM LONE ELM OVER TO A PROPOSED BUSINESS PARK, ADDING IN SEMI TRUCK TRAFFIC.

I KNOW NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT COULD AND ALL THE BUSINESS TRAFFIC WITH THE SCHOOL BUSSES AND KIDS WALKING ALONG 101ST CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE FOR CHILDREN.

SO THIS IS NOT JUST A ROAD, IT IS NOT AN INTERCHANGE.

IT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, US SITTING HERE PUSHING BACK ON DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE WHILE WE WANT DEVELOPMENT, WE DON'T WANT IT IN OUR BACKYARD.

WE DO WANT THE DEVELOPMENT WE KNOW THE CITY NEEDS TO GROW.

HOWEVER, WE REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE WAY THAT 101ST AND LONE ELM IS USED BY THE RESIDENTS AND THE SCHOOLS IN BOTH LENEXA AND OLATHE. SO I THINK THAT I REALLY JUST WANT YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE FUTURE MEETING, BUT I'M GOING TO WANT TO PROVIDE MY COMMENTS HERE THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE ABILITY FOR KIDS TO SAFELY WALK VERSUS CREATING STRESS ON THE BUSSING

[00:20:09]

THE DIFFERENCE IN THOSE TWO SCENARIOS IS DRAMATIC ONE ON THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, TWO ON THE STUDENTS AND THREE ON THE RESIDENTS.

SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT HERE IS CREATING A WALKABLE AND BIKEABLE COMMUNITY AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT LENEXA HAS PRIORITIZED THAT IN ITS PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT OVER THE COURSE ALL OF THE CITY.

IF I LOOK AROUND, I SEE THE WAY THAT WE BALANCE BUSINESS INTERESTS AND COMMUNITY INTERESTS.

AND I THINK AN INTERCHANGE AT LONE ELM DOES NOT BENEFIT RESIDENTS AND IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE WAY THAT WE LIVE IN THAT AREA.

SO I JUST WANT TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHY ARE WE DOING THIS AND THE WAYS THAT WE CAN SOLVE SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS, REDUCING TRAFFIC ON LONE ELM AND OR I'M SORRY, ON WOODLAND AND K-7, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT WITH AN OVERPASS.

SOME OF THE TRAFFIC WOULD GO ON TO OVER THE OVERPASS RATHER THAN GOING AROUND TO WOODLAND OR K-7 CONGESTION ON K-10, WHICH THE CDOT ENGINEERS ARE EXPRESSING.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS.

AUXILIARY LANES ON THOSE EXITS WOULD SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.

THE STUDY, COMMISSIONED IN 2009 BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF LENEXA, DID SHOW THAT AN INTERCHANGE WASN'T ACTUALLY NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE CONGESTION.

WE NEED THE THIRD LANE, AND WE NEED THE AUXILIARY LANES ON THOSE TRAFFIC ON THOSE EXITS OFF OF K-10.

ABSOLUTELY. BUT THE INTERCHANGE WON'T HELP US IS NOT NEEDED IN ORDER TO REDUCE THAT CONGESTION AND THE DOWNSIDES OF IT ON THE NORTH SIDE AND THE SOUTH SIDE, FOR OUR SOUTH SIDE, NEIGHBORS ARE VERY LARGE AND SO I WOULD JUST REALLY LIKE US TO RECONSIDER AN INTERCHANGE AT LONE ELM IN FAVOR OF AN OVERPASS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONNECTED, WALKABLE, BIKEABLE COMMUNITY IN THAT AREA.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU. ALEXIS. BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I WOULD ASK YOU ALL TO PLEASE KEEP YOUR SIGNS DOWN.

IT IS DISTRACTING, AND WE'D LIKE FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS TO BE EQUALLY HEARD.

THANK YOU. WHO'S NEXT? GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A FEW MINUTES TO SPEAK.

I DO NOT HAVE ANY PREPARED NOTES, SO THIS WILL BE SHORT.

YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS? DANIEL BROWN, 21703 WEST 98TH TERRACE, LENEXA, ALSO IN MANCHESTER PARK.

WE MOVED HERE IN 2002.

AT THAT TIME, THE DISCUSSION FOR LOAN EXTENSION WAS TO BE AN OVERPASS.

AS FAR AS I ALWAYS KNEW OR HEARD, IT WAS TO BE AN OVERPASS.

UP UNTIL ABOUT APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 12 YEARS AGO, AROUND 2009 2010, THERE WAS STARTING TO BE DISCUSSION ABOUT AN INTERCHANGE.

I LOST TRACK OF IT AND THEN THIS RECENT AND BUT I DID TRY TO FOLLOW IT IN PUBLICATIONS THAT I COULD READ ONLINE AND I CAUGHT UP TO.

BUT IT AND AS OF A FEW MONTHS AGO, OVERPASS WAS STILL IN THE DISCUSSION AND THEN IT EARLIER THIS YEAR IT JUST DROPPED AWAY.

SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DISCUSSION NOW IS ALL ABOUT AN INTERCHANGE WHOLLY UNSCIENTIFIC SURVEY.

BUT I'VE ASKED A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I HAVE YET TO COME ACROSS ANYBODY THAT'S SUPPORTIVE OF AN INTERCHANGE AND EVERYBODY HAS ALWAYS UNDERSTOOD AN OVERPASS WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN, AND NOBODY'S OBJECTED TO THAT THAT I'VE COME ACROSS.

BUT ONE QUESTION, AND MAYBE IF I COULD ASK IT, HAS OLATHE AGREED TO EXCHANGE IF THE BRIDGE IS BUILT, IF IT'S GOING TO GO ON INTO, AS WE SAID, MR. BROWN, WE WON'T BE ANSWERING QUESTIONS THIS EVENING.

OKAY. SORRY. DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

ANYWAY, PERSONALLY, I'M JUST GOING TO SAY I'M FOR AN OVERPASS.

I AM AGAINST AN INTERCHANGE.

THANK YOU. FOLKS.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO QUEUE UP BEHIND ONE ANOTHER, WE CAN MAKE THIS GO A LITTLE BIT FASTER.

HI, MY NAME IS KRISTY JANSEN.

I'M NOT HERE REGARDING THE INTERCHANGE.

OKAY. I OWN PROPERTY AT 24525 WEST 83RD STREET IN LENEXA THAT I BOUGHT TWO YEARS AGO, AND THEN FOUND OUT EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT THERE'S PLANS TO EXPAND 83RD STREET.

I CAME HERE BECAUSE I HAD QUESTIONS, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

MY CONCERN IS A LOT OF THOSE HOUSES ALONG 83RD STREET SIT VERY CLOSE TO THE ROAD.

THE CURRENT ROAD SITS ABOUT 60FT FROM MY HOUSE AT THE MOMENT.

I'VE ALREADY HAD MY MAILBOX TAKEN OUT TWICE IN THE TWO YEARS I'VE LIVED THERE.

MY CONCERN IS IF THEY TAKE THE EASEMENT, WHICH IS MAYBE MY UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT THEY MAY DO VERSUS TAKING WHOLE PROPERTIES, I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE I CAN'T

[00:25:05]

I ORIGINALLY TALKED TO TRENT GREEN.

I EMAILED HIM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

I TALKED TO HIM ORIGINALLY IN APRIL.

HE SENT ME THE ROUGH THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

EXPANDING. THAT WAS THE ROUGH THOUGHTS.

I EMAILED HIM A COUPLE WEEKS AGO TO SEE WHERE WE WERE IN THE PROCESS.

DIDN'T GET A RESPONSE.

TALKED TO SOMEBODY LAST WEEK BECAUSE HE WAS OUT.

I THINK IT WAS MAYBE AN ENGINEER.

PLANS STILL AREN'T READY.

AS TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING ORIGINALLY WAS SPRING WAS TRAFFIC STUDY.

FALL WAS TALKED TO AFFECTED PROPERTY.

MEMBERS. WE'RE PAST FALL.

MAYBE PROPERTY ACQUISITION IN THE SUMMER.

THAT'S SIX MONTHS FROM NOW.

I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE ROAD BEING 20FT FROM MY HOUSE AND ME HAVING A CAR END UP IN MY FRONT ROOM, IN MY KITCHEN.

I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY CAN DIRECT ME AS TO WHAT THE STEPS ARE GOING TO BE, WHAT COMMITTEES IT HAS TO GO THROUGH SO I CAN STAY ON TOP OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.

WHO WOULD BE THE CONTACT PERSON IF YOU'LL.

WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED, IF YOU'LL GIVE ME YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, GO AHEAD AND FINISH YOUR REMARKS AND THEN I'LL GET YOUR CONTACT.

YEAH AND WE SHOULD MAYBE ALSO SAY BROADLY THAT APPROVAL OF THE CIP DOES NOT MEAN APPROVAL OF THE FINAL PROJECT.

THERE IS STILL DISCUSSION AND DESIGN AND TRAFFIC AND ALL OF THAT TO GO THROUGH.

I'D ALSO INVITE YOU TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATIONS OF OUR MEETING, SO YOU CAN BREEZE THROUGH THE TOPICS THAT WILL BE COVERED IN EACH MEETING.

BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU, IT'S PRETTY DIFFICULT.

I THINK IT'S PROBABLY MADE DIFFICULT ON PURPOSE TO REALLY FIND INFORMATION.

I HAD TO SORT THROUGH A LOT OF PAST AGENDAS AND NOTES, AND I FOUND THAT THIS MEETING WAS HAPPENING.

AND THEN I TRIED TO GO BACK AND FIND IT, AND I COULDN'T FIND IT A SECOND TIME.

WHEN YOU SEARCH THIS AGENDA, 83RD STREET, THE ONLY THING THAT COMES UP IS THE ANNEXATION REQUEST.

SO I GUESS JUST HAVING TO GO THROUGH EACH COMMITTEE'S AGENDA AND PACKET IS THE BEST WAY TO FIND INFORMATION, I'M ASSUMING.

OKAY. THOSE ARE THE ONLY COMMENTS I HAVE.

YEAH. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

HI. MY NAME IS TOM WARDAK.

I LIVE AT 22166 WEST 97TH TERRACE IN MANCHESTER PARK.

I HAVE BEEN LENEXA RESIDENT FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.

BOTH MY KIDS WENT TO MANCHESTER PARK.

BOTH MY KIDS GO TO O AND W CURRENTLY BOTH DRIVE AND I WILL SAY I HAVE BEEN IN LENEXA LONG ENOUGH TO SEE WHEN PRAIRIE STAR PARKWAY DIDN'T EVEN EXIST. IT DEAD ENDED AT RENNER ROAD.

SO I'VE SEEN LENEXA DEVELOP.

MY FATHER ACTUALLY WAS A TRAFFIC ENGINEER FOR THE CITY.

I THINK MR. NIX KNOWS THAT.

INTERCHANGE? NO WAY.

OVERPASS. MAYBE.

I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THE FORMER MAYOR OF OLATHE STONEWALLED THIS PROJECT FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

REST HIS SOUL.

NOW, HERE WE ARE.

I'M AGAINST IT. IT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY.

HI, THERE.

HI. TRAVIS KELLER, 21614 WEST 100TH STREET, MANCHESTER PARK.

LIKE A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS, I APPRECIATE YOUR GUYS'S TIME.

I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD FAVOR THE OVERPASS TO AN INTERCHANGE AS WELL.

I FEEL LIKE, FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT, HAVING LIVED IN MANCHESTER PARK, MY YOUNGEST IS NOW A SENIOR AT NYU, SO THIS WON'T END UP BENEFITING ME.

BUT I THINK FROM HAVING SOMEONE WHO'S LIVED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD A OVERPASS WOULD BE SUPER BENEFICIAL IN TERMS OF JUST SAFETY, GETTING KIDS BACK AND FORTH FROM O AND W TO OUR SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND HAVING AN INTERCHANGE THERE KIND OF UNDOES A LOT OF THE SAFETY FEATURES OF THAT IN TERMS OF JUST WALKABILITY.

BIKEABILITY HAVING TO NAVIGATE TRAFFIC.

I KNOW I RUN QUITE A BIT AND BIKE QUITE A BIT, AND WHEN I'M TRYING TO CROSS K-10 ON WOODLAND, IT'S ALWAYS JUST A LITTLE SCARY KIND OF GOING THROUGH THOSE INTERCHANGES BECAUSE TRAFFIC IS BUSY AND HEAVY AND PEOPLE ARE IN A HURRY.

WHEN I RUN ACROSS PRAIRIE STAR, ALSO VERY SCARY JUST BECAUSE IT'S A SHORT LITTLE WALL AND THERE'S NO ROOM THERE.

SO HAVING A WAY TO ACCESS OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS ON AN OVERPASS, THAT WOULD JUST FEEL MUCH SAFER FROM THAT STANDPOINT.

I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF AVID RUNNERS AND BIKERS, AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE'D BE ALL THE KIDS, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND FORTH TO SCHOOL.

SO ANYWAY, I JUST I FEEL LIKE THE OVERPASS WOULD BE SUPER SAFE AND THE INTERCHANGE WOULD REALLY UNDO A LOT OF THAT SAFETY AND BUT AGAIN, THE THE OVERPASS, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF HAVING A RELIEF VALVE FOR OTHER WAYS FOR KIDS TO EXIT THE SCHOOL, BECAUSE I KNOW FOR MY KIDS, WHEN THEY WERE IN SCHOOL, THEY'RE LEAVING ON W, YOU KNOW, GOING RIGHT TO GET ON TO K SEVEN TO COME BACK TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS MORE THAN I WANTED THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO.

TURNING LEFT OUT OF OLD W ONTO COLLEGE IS, YOU KNOW, A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE, EVEN FOR ME, LEAVING SPORTING EVENTS AND SO HAVING THAT ESCAPE VALVE WOULD BE REALLY NICE.

I JUST THINK LIKE THE INTERCHANGE WOULD SORT OF OFFSET SOME OF THOSE SAFETY BENEFITS.

I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION FOR THAT.

[00:30:01]

COME ON UP. GOOD EVENING, I'M BECKY JOHNSON.

I LIVE AT 10221 EDEN CIRCLE.

SAY YOUR NAME. MY NAME IS LAYLA AND I LIVE IN THE SAME PLACE AS HER AND THEN YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND TALK? I THINK IT WOULDN'T BE SAFE BECAUSE THERE IS MANY TEENAGER DRIVERS AND CAR CRASH HAPPENING DURING THIS TIME.

ALSO, IT MAY AFFECT BUS PATH TO GET CHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND HOME SAFELY.

ALSO, I THINK IT'S NOT THAT SAFE BECAUSE THERE ARE HOUSES THERE, BECAUSE THERE COULD BE CAUSE OF DAMAGE ON FENCES ON OR HOUSE DUE TO CAR CRASHES.

THAT'S WHY I THINK WE SHOULD NOT PUT THAT THERE.

I ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATING FOR OUR CHILDREN IN THE PAST, BECAUSE WE LOST OUR BUS STOP IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BUS DRIVERS AS THERE ARE.

THIS WILL IMPACT APPROXIMATELY 4000 STUDENTS IN THE OLATHE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THERE'S FIVE SCHOOLS THAT IT WOULD AFFECT.

MY CHILDREN HAD TO WALK TO SCHOOL FOR AN ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE OF THIS AND SO I JUST HAD TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF OPTION FOR THEM TO GET TO SCHOOL SAFELY AND THEY HAD TO WALK DIRECTLY ACROSS LONE ELM EVERY SINGLE DAY.

SO IF YOU PUT IN AN OVERPASS AND INTERCHANGE IT WILL IMPACT THAT.

DEFINITELY. BUT I FEEL LIKE AT LEAST IF THERE'S AN OVERPASS THERE, THEN THERE COULD BE PROVIDED DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR OUR CHILDREN TO GET TO SCHOOL SAFELY.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD THINK ABOUT BUS ELIGIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY FOR THOSE STUDENTS IN IN OLATHE NORTHWEST AND PRAIRIE TRAIL, THOSE SCHOOLS SOUTH OF OF K-10. I ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANOTHER LOCATION THAT'S LIKE THIS AND A RESIDENTIAL AREA WHERE YOU WOULD CONSIDER AN INTERCHANGE FOR TRAFFIC TO BE RELEASED INTO NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS.

THERE'S NOTHING IN THAT AREA FOR AN INTERCHANGE TO REALLY BENEFIT, FOR TRAFFIC TO GO OUT.

WE CAN GET OFF ON WOODLAND, WE CAN GET OFF ON K-7.

SO JUST A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THERE TO CONSIDER.

WE'VE LIVED IN LENEXA SINCE 2012, AND WHEN WE PURCHASED OUR HOME, WE HAD BEEN ALSO TOLD THAT, YOU KNOW, AN OVERPASS WAS AN OPTION AND SO CONSIDERING THAT LONE ELM IS IN OUR BACKYARD YOU KNOW, MY PARENTS LIVE IN PAOLA, IT'S A PERFECT DISTANCE TO GO SEE THEM.

AND THEN I LIVE IN I WORK IN KANSAS CITY AND SO LENEXA HAS BEEN REALLY A GREAT HOME FOR US.

WE HAVE A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

I NEIGHBORS HERE TONIGHT THAT HAVE COME.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ADVOCATE REALLY FOR OUR CHILDREN, THE SAFETY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

GOOD JOB, LEILA. THANK YOU.

HI. MY NAME IS LEAH MIXDORF.

I LIVE AT 22041 WEST 98TH STREET, LENEXA, TO KANSAS.

I'M 22 YEARS OLD AND I'VE BEEN LIVING IN LENEXA FOR ALL OF MY LIFE.

I WENT TO MANCHESTER PARK, PRAIRIE TRAIL NORTHWEST.

I DRIVE TO SCHOOL, AND NOW THAT I'M OUT OF COLLEGE, I DRIVE TO WORK, I USE K7 AND I USE WOODLAND, AND NONE OF IT HAS EVER BEEN OF ANY INCONVENIENCE. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TIME WHERE I HAVE TRULY FELT THAT WE REALLY NEEDED AN INTERCHANGE.

AN OVERPASS WOULD BE GREAT, BUT I THINK AN INTERCHANGE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS FOR THEIR SAFETY.

I GREW UP IN FALCON MEADOWS AND THEN MOVED TO MANCHESTER PARK.

I WALKED EVERY DAY FROM FALCON MEADOWS TO MANCHESTER PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

ADDING AN INTERCHANGE WITH HIGHWAY TRAFFIC WOULD BE SO DETRIMENTAL TO THE LITTLE KIDS THAT I SEE WALKING EVERY SINGLE DAY TO SCHOOL.

THOSE PARENTS DEPEND ON IT.

ON TOP OF THAT, I GREW UP PLAYING ON 101ST, RIDING MY BIKES, DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM THESE KIDS FOR TRAFFIC, IT JUST ISN'T BENEFICIAL.

THIS IS. WE WERE PROMISED BY ROD ROCK THAT THIS WOULD BE A SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF LIVING IN MANCHESTER PARK IS THAT IT'S A TUCKED AWAY, SAFE, QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD AND, YOU KNOW, ADDING AN INTERCHANGE WOULD REALLY STRIP THAT AWAY FROM THESE KIDS AND ON TOP OF THAT, I'M A REALTOR.

I'VE BEEN IN REAL ESTATE FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.

I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF OTHER REALTORS IN THE AREA.

SELLING YOUR HOME WOULD BE A NIGHTMARE.

THE NOISE POLLUTION, THE CARS, THE LACK OF SAFETY FOR THE CHILDREN.

THAT'S THE MAIN ALLURE OF WHY PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE MANCHESTER PARK.

RIGHT? BUT TO TAKE THAT AWAY, IT WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BUY OR SELL A HOME.

AND EVEN THEN THERE ARE STATISTICS THAT SAY CRIME IS BASED OFF OF ACCESSIBILITY, ADDING THAT INTERCHANGE WILL GIVE IT INCREASES CRIME.

THERE'S A 50 YEARS OF STATISTICS.

SO I DON'T KNOW.

I JUST I'M VERY FOR AN OVERPASS, BUT AN INTERCHANGE WOULD BE SO UNSAFE.

IT'S NOT NEEDED.

IT'S NOT A NECESSITY.

SO I HOPE YOU ALL LISTEN TO WHAT I SAY AND TAKE THAT INTO YOUR CONSIDERATION.

[00:35:02]

THANK YOU. HI THERE.

MY NAME IS SHELLEY RYAN.

I LIVE AT 21611 WEST 99TH STREET.

I'M HERE TO SAY THAT I AM STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THE PROPOSED PLAN TO INSTALL AN INTERCHANGE AT K-10 IN LONE ELM.

I'VE LIVED IN MANCHESTER PARK, JUST NORTH OF THE PROPOSED INTERCHANGE FOR NEARLY 19 YEARS.

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BEAUTIFUL, QUIET AND SAFE AREA THAT PEOPLE FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND BEYOND USE FOR WALKING, BIKING AND RUNNING.

MANCHESTER PARK ELEMENTARY IS WITHIN OUR SUBDIVISION, AND EVERY DAY I SEE YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE TO CROSS LONE ELM, WALKING OR DRIVING BACK AND FORTH TO SCHOOL THERE.

I'M OF THE VIEW THAT THE PROPOSED PROJECT WOULD PROVIDE NO BENEFITS TO MY NEIGHBORS WHILE BRINGING MANY NEGATIVES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO HOUSES OF WORSHIP THAT REMAIN MOSTLY EMPTY SIX DAYS A WEEK.

THE AREA NORTH OF K-10 AROUND LONE ELM IS EXCLUSIVELY RESIDENTIAL, FULL OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT APPEAL TO FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.

AN INTERCHANGE WOULD BRING ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC AND NOISE TO OUR AREA, AND THE ADDITIONAL THREATS TO SAFETY AND WELL-BEING THAT WOULD ENSUE WITHOUT BRINGING US ANY BENEFITS. AFTER ALL, THERE ARE NO BUSINESSES AT THE PROPOSED SITE OF THE INTERCHANGE.

THERE IS NOT EVEN SPACE FOR ANY SIGNIFICANT NEW COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT TO THE NORTH OF K-10 AT LONE ELM.

THUS, THE INTERCHANGE WOULD CREATE ADDITIONAL HAZARDS FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN, FOR MOTORISTS, AND FOR THE MANY RESIDENTS OF OUR AREA WHO FREQUENTLY USE OUR QUIET AND UNCONGESTED NEIGHBORHOOD FOR RECREATION WITHOUT BRINGING US SO MUCH AS A CONVENIENCE STORE AT THE END OF THE STREET.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO RECONSIDER THE PROPOSAL FOR AN INTERCHANGE AT THIS LOCATION, AND INSTEAD PURSUE AN OVERPASS ALONG LONE ELM AND ACROSS K-10.

THIS WOULD PROVIDE GREATER SAFETY FOR OUR RESIDENTS NORTH OF K-10, ESPECIALLY OUR CHILDREN.

THE RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE AREA COULD USE AN OVERPASS TO MORE EASILY ACCESS THE MANY SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOCATED JUST TO THE SOUTH OF K-10, ESPECIALLY THOSE SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES NEAR LONE ELM AND COLLEGE BOULEVARD.

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL CHILDREN COULD MORE EASILY WALK OR BIKE TO SCHOOL THERE, AND NEW TEEN DRIVERS COULD MORE SAFELY DRIVE BETWEEN THEIR HOMES NORTH OF K-10 AND OLATHE NORTHWEST TO THE SOUTH.

ADDITIONALLY, AN OVERPASS AT K-10 AND LONE ELM WOULD EASE THE TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION IN THE AREA AROUND K-10 AND WOODLAND ROAD, ONE MILE EAST TO MY EAST.

BY PROVIDING MY NEIGHBORS WITH A MORE DIRECT ROUTE TO THE SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES AT LONE ELM AND COLLEGE.

THIS EASING OF CONGESTION AROUND K-10 AND WOODLAND WOULD BENEFIT THE LENEXA RESIDENTS WHO LIVE NEAR THE INTERCHANGE THERE, AS WELL AS BENEFITING ALL RESIDENTS IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS WHO ROUTINELY ACCESS THE WELL-ESTABLISHED COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS NEAR THAT INTERCHANGE.

PLEASE RECONSIDER THE PROPOSAL FOR AN INTERCHANGE AT K-10 IN LONE ELM, AND CONSIDER PURSUING THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN OVERPASS THERE INSTEAD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS SAM RINEARSON.

I LIVE AT 21607 WEST 98TH STREET IN THE MANCHESTER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.

I'M JUST HERE TO ADD MY VOICE TO OBJECT.

THE CONSIDERATION OF AN INTERCHANGE.

IF THE GOAL IS TO ALLEVIATE K-10 TRAFFIC, I THINK AN OVERPASS WOULD DO THAT BETTER, BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THE TRAFFIC IS MERELY GOING TO THE SOUTH SIDE OF K-10.

SO WE HAVE TO GO TO WOODLAND OR HAVE TO GO TO K-7 IN ORDER TO DO THAT AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE HALF OF THE BOUNDARY FOR THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL IS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF K-10 FOR NORTHWEST AND PRAIRIE TRAIL, IN ADDITION TO THAT, MANCHESTER PARK, WHICH, AS WE'VE SAID, IS THE LARGEST SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT.

THE MAJORITY OF THOSE STUDENTS LIVE ON THE EAST SIDE OF LONE ELM.

SO YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE HAVING TO CROSS OVER LONE ELM, YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE NEEDING TO CROSS K-10 AND AN OVERPASS WOULD ALLEVIATE THE MAJORITY OF THAT TRAFFIC.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO SIT AT 101ST STREET, WHERE IT TERMINATES AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND 8:30 IN THE MORNING OR 3:30 IN THE AFTERNOON AND JUST IMAGINE WHAT ADDED COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC WOULD DO THERE IN THE MORNINGS AND AFTERNOONS AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE NOT ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS TONIGHT, BUT IT DOES BEG THE QUESTION.

WHY AN INTERCHANGE? WHY THIS INTERCHANGE WOULD BE SO CLOSE TO RESIDENTIAL WHEN NO OTHER INTERCHANGE IN LENEXA IS THIS CLOSE TO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

[00:40:01]

PHIL KING 21706 WEST 99TH STREET LENEXA.

MY WIFE AND I HAVE LIVED IN LENEXA FOR 17 YEARS.

I HAVE A FOURTH GRADER AT MANCHESTER PARK AND A SEVENTH GRADER AT [INAUDIBLE].

HAVE YOU HEARD THE OLD SAYING THAT WHEN YOU'RE A HAMMER, EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE A NAIL? I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN INTO A SITUATION WITH THIS INTERCHANGE OVERPASS.

THAT KIND OF FITS THAT IDIOM.

THIS INTERCHANGE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR A LONG TIME, WHETHER OVERPASS OR INTERCHANGE, AND IT'S ALMOST BECOME A RITE OF PASSAGE.

IT'S JUST BEEN AN ASSUMPTION AND I THINK THE QUESTION IS, THIS THE BEST SOLUTION TODAY? AND MAYBE THE FACT THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT FOR SO LONG, THE ANSWER DEEP DOWN AT THE CORE OF EVERYTHING, IS THAT THIS IS NOT THE BEST SOLUTION.

AND THAT'S WHY IT HAS TAKEN SO LONG FOR US TO TRY AND MOVE THIS FORWARD.

SO MY ANSWER IS NO AND UNLIKE SOME OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS, I WOULD ACCEPT AN OVERPASS.

BUT I'M ALSO NOT IN FAVOR OF AN OVERPASS.

IT REALLY DOESN'T SERVE A GREAT DEAL OF FUNCTION IN MY OPINION, SO THE CURRENT PLAN WOULD DRAMATICALLY INCREASE TRAFFIC ON LOAN.

ELM LOAN ELM IS LINED WITH TWO HOUSES OF WORSHIP, MANY MULTI SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS, A MIDDLE SCHOOL, A HIGH SCHOOL AND A DISTRICT ACTIVITY CENTER. THIS NEW INTERCHANGE WOULD ADD RESIDENTIAL AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC, CREATING CONGESTION AND SAFETY RISK FOR THE CHILDREN.

AS MENTIONED IN THE FAMILIES NORTH OF K10, THAT LONE ELM CORRIDOR IS FULLY DEVELOPED.

YOU CAN WALK DOWN FROM PRAIRIE STAR DOWN TO K-10.

THERE'S ONE SMALL AREA RIGHT AT K-10 THAT IS STILL OPEN THAT I WOULD ASSUME IS BEING HELD FOR INTERCHANGE ACTIVITIES AT SOME POINT IN TIME. SO THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT THERE.

IT'S GOING TO BE FURTHER WEST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

IT'S GOING TO BE WEST OF THE SCHOOL AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO THERE'S NO NEED TO THINK ABOUT COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC IN THERE BECAUSE THERE'S NO PLACE FOR THEM TO GO.

IT WOULD BE BRINGING COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC IN TO TAKE THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE, RATHER THAN JUST PUTTING THEM THERE WHERE THEY BELONG IN THE FIRST PLACE.

SO RATHER THAN THIS, YOU KNOW, IMPROVING THINGS, MAKING THINGS SAFER, ACTUALLY DO THE OPPOSITE.

THIS WOULD IMPACT THE CHILDREN CROSSING LONE ELM AS THEY WALK TO MANCHESTER PARK.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE ON THE EAST SIDE OF LONE ELM THAT DO WALK ON A DAILY BASIS.

THEY DO NOT HAVE BUSSING FROM THAT LOCATION UNLESS THEY PAY FOR IT.

FOR CHILDREN WHO LIVE NORTH OF K-10 IN THE MANCHESTER PARK AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.

THE INTRODUCTION OF A SIMPLE OVERPASS WOULD MEAN THE LOSS OF BUSSING FOR THOSE STUDENTS AS WELL, SO ALTERNATIVE ROUTES WOULD HAVE TO BE FOUND TO GET THOSE KIDS TO SCHOOL.

THAT WOULD INCLUDE SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINTH AND IN SOME CASES 10TH GRADERS AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT BUS SERVICE WOULD NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE.

THE CHANGE IN LONE ELM, YOU CAN LOOK AT IT MULTIPLE DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THIS TRAFFIC IT COULD BE A NEW PRAIRIE STAR PARKWAY.

IT COULD BE A SHAWNEE MISSION PARKWAY.

IT COULD HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF TRAFFIC AND VARIED TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF INFLUX.

IF THERE IS AN INTERCHANGE PUT IN HERE AND I THINK THAT JUST CREATES A LOT OF UNNECESSARY RISK FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS ALREADY VERY WELL SETTLED.

SO, AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF US HAVE SAID NO.

WHAT'S A BETTER OPTION? MY IDEA IS MOVE CLOSER TO WHERE YOU WANT YOUR DEVELOPMENT.

WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO THE DEVELOPMENT WAS SAID EARLIER, BUT THAT DEVELOPMENT IS DOWN CLOSER TO K-7.

A BETTER INTERCHANGE WOULD BE MONTICELLO.

YOU COULD GO NORTH TO MONTICELLO, PUT IN A ROUNDABOUT TO PROTECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

YOU COULD GO SOUTH AT MONTICELLO AND FEED INTO THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER AND HELP ALLEVIATE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TRUCK TRAFFIC.

THAT WOULD BE A BETTER OPTION.

YOU WOULDN'T BE FUNNELING SEMIS IN A LARGE CAR VOLUME INTO MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS, INTO PLACES OF WORSHIP AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

MR. KING, I'LL ASK YOU TO WRAP UP, PLEASE.

OKAY. ACTUALLY, I JUST I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND JUST FROM A SAFETY AND EFFICACY STANDPOINT, I THINK WE CAN FIND A BETTER OPTION.

IT'S NOT TO SAY NO, IT'S JUST TO SAY NOT HERE AND WE CAN PUT THOSE SERVICES AND THOSE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO BETTER USE TO ACTUALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

THANK YOU. HI.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MATT WILSON.

I'M AT 22042 WEST 97TH TERRACE.

I'M A NEWER RESIDENT TO THE LENEXA.

WE MOVED HERE ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO.

WE LIVED IN THE CITY ABOUT MIRIAM.

SO THIS IS A NEWER ISSUE TO ME, BUT, I WANTED TO VOICE MY CONCERN WITH THIS PROPOSED PROJECT.

WHEN WE WERE LOOKING TO MOVE FROM MIRIAM WE WERE REALLY JEALOUS OF LENEXA AND REALLY WANTED TO BE A PLACE WHERE WE WANTED TO LIVE.

[00:45:02]

MY WIFE AND I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD CHILD AND WANT TO CONTINUE OUR FAMILY AND ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE MOVED INTO.

IT'S AMAZING TO SEE ALL THE FAMILIES AROUND.

WE WERE BLOWN AWAY BY HALLOWEEN.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY OF WALKING AROUND THE CORNER TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SO I WOULD VOICE MY CONCERN OR OPPOSITION TO ANYTHING THAT MIGHT AFFECT THIS BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE'VE MOVED INTO AND GROWN TO LOVE, AND WOULD CERTAINLY LOVE TO HAVE ANY MORE BIKEABILITY OPTIONS THAT ARE POSSIBLE.

I'M A BIKER MYSELF AND LOVE LOADING UP MY TWO YEAR OLD ON THE BACK THROUGH ALL THE TRAILS THAT ARE IN THE CITY, AND WOULD HATE TO LOSE THAT OR HAVE THAT AFFECTED NEGATIVELY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

HI, MY NAME IS CELIA POLKE AND I LIVE ALSO IN MANCHESTER PARK ON WEST 98TH STREET, RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

YOU'LL BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT I ALSO OPPOSE THE INTERCHANGE, AND I WANT TO JUST DITTO EVERYTHING THAT MY NEIGHBORS HAVE SAID.

SO I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT ALL OF THE REASONS WHY I OPPOSE IT, BUT I AM HERE TO ASK A REQUEST OF ALL OF YOU.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE.

YOU DO KNOW WHERE WE LIVE.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO MANCHESTER PARK.

PLEASE COME AND VISIT.

I AM GOING TO OFFER YOU A DECENT CUP OF COFFEE AND MAYBE A GOOD CUP OF TEA AND I'D LIKE YOU TO COME ABOUT.

03:45 3:30-45 TILL ABOUT 4:15 ON A WEEKDAY WHEN SCHOOL IS IN SESSION, AND YOU CAN SIT AND CHILL OUT WITH ME, AND WE CAN WATCH HOW THE TRAFFIC ENTAILS AND HOW THE KIDS GET HOME ON A DAILY BASIS, AND HOW THIS INTERCHANGE WILL AFFECT THAT IN A VERY NEGATIVE WAY.

MY KIDS ARE OLDER NOW, SO I'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS AS THEY WERE YOUNGER.

BUT I LOVE LIVING IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

I LOVE LIVING IN LENEXA, AND I HATE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO IMPACT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE SAFETY OF OUR KIDS.

SO AGAIN, MY ADDRESS IS 21922 WEST 98TH STREET.

MY NAME IS SHELLY AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE LETS SEE CHRIS, CHELSEA, MELANIE, JULIE, BILL, MARK AND COURTNEY OVER FOR A CUP OF TEA OR COFFEE? COFFEE IS OKAY.

HI THERE. HI.

MY NAME IS BRETT ROYER.

I'M AT 10125 THORNTON CIRCLE IN STONE VIEW.

IF NOBODY UP HERE TAKES ON YOUR INVITATION, I'LL BE GLAD TO FOR YOUR CUP OF COFFEE.

BUT I WANTED TO VOICE MY.

THAT'S THE LENEXA I KNOW.

YEAH. RIGHT. I WANTED TO JUST VOICE MY.

YOU'VE HEARD THE CONCERNS THAT OBVIOUSLY THAT I HAVE ALREADY AND I DON'T WANT TO TRY TO REITERATE OR BE A SKIPPING RECORD FOR ALL OF YOU HERE, BUT THE ONE THING MY WIFE AND I MOVED INTO LENEXA JUST A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO.

WE FOUND OUR DREAM HOME IN STONE VIEW.

WE WANT TO RAISE OUR KIDS THERE.

MY OLDEST IS SEVEN YEARS OLD, ATTENDS MANCHESTER PARK.

HIS SISTER, WHO'S FOUR, AND BROTHER, THAT'S ONE, WILL ALSO BE FOLLOWING HIM THERE AND WILL ALSO BE A PART OF THEIR DUAL IMMERSION PROGRAM, WHICH IS RARE IN THE OLATHE SCHOOL DISTRICT. I BELIEVE THERE'S ONLY TWO THAT OFFER THAT PROGRAM.

THE ONE THING THAT IS DAUNTING TO ME IS THE FACT THAT THE COMMON THREAD OVER ALL THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT, BUT ALSO JUST IN HAPPENSTANCE, TO SPEAK WITH OTHER RESIDENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS THE SAME STORY, WHICH IS THIS HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS.

IT WAS AN ORIGINAL FROM 2000 TO 2005, AND ALL THE REPORTS THAT I'VE READ ONLINE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US.

AND YET TODAY I'M HEARING THAT IT WAS ALWAYS A PART OF THE PLAN.

I THINK THAT'S INTRIGUING, KNOWING THAT THIS IS SUCH A AS YOU CAN SEE WHY EVERYONE'S HERE, WHY THIS IS SUCH A DETRIMENTAL THING FOR RESIDENTS AND OBVIOUSLY THE CITY OF OLATHE HAS GIVEN US ONE STORY.

KDOT HAS GIVEN ME ANOTHER STORY AND THAT'S WHAT IS CONCERNING TO ME IS THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WILL SERIOUSLY CONSIDER RECONSIDER THIS INTERCHANGE FOR THE SAFETY, FOR OBVIOUSLY, THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE NEARBY AND TO REITERATE WHAT ONE GENTLEMAN ALREADY STATED TONIGHT, THIS INTERCHANGE IS UNLIKE ANYWHERE ELSE IN LENEXA.

THERE'S NO OTHER INTERCHANGE IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND FRANKLY, I DIDN'T BUY A HOME IN LENEXA FOR MY VALUE TO BE YOU KNOW, JEOPARDIZED IN A LONG TERM.

SO I'D LOVE TO LIVE HERE AND CONTINUE LIVING HERE, BUT THAT IS MY BIGGEST CONCERNS AND I APPRECIATE YOU LETTING US SPEAK TONIGHT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ARROYO. HI, THERE.

HELLO. MY NAME IS JAVIER SOLOMON, AND I HEARD THE YOUNG LADY EARLIER TALKING ABOUT HAVING A STREET EXTENDED.

I LIVE OFF OF 108 FT IN CIRCLE.

THANK YOU. SHE SAID THAT 60FT FROM THE ROAD TO BE EXTENDED WOULD BE TOO CLOSE.

[00:50:05]

I LIVE CLOSE ENOUGH TO K-10, WHERE I CAN DRIVE PAST AND SEE IF I LEFT MY GARAGE DOOR OPEN.

SO I'VE ALWAYS HAD A DREAM THAT THERE WOULD BE A JUST LINED WITH TREES, OR MAYBE A SOUND BARRIER.

BECAUSE IF WE DRIVE DOWN 435 THERE ARE HOUSES THAT CLOSE, BUT THEY HAVE A SOUND BARRIER.

MY WIFE CAN'T SLEEP.

I SLEEP ON THE LEFT SIDE BECAUSE MY WIFE CAN'T SLEEP BECAUSE OF THE ROAD.

NOT SAYING THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT I'VE ALWAYS HAD, BUT IT'S AN ISSUE THAT CAN BE FIXED.

LENEXA I'VE SEEN HAS HAD A WAY OF BEAUTIFYING AN AREA THAT PEOPLE SAID 20 YEARS, 40 YEARS AGO WAS JUST ORANGE GROVES.

I DON'T WANT TO BE BOXED INTO AN INTERCHANGE AND SAYING, THIS IS WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN.

WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO BEAUTIFY THIS AREA, MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? WHEN I DROVE PAST LENEXA, I SAW THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE INTERCHANGE.

I WONDER WHAT'S DOWN THERE AND THEN YOU SEE THE HOMES AND YOU GO INSIDE AND IT'S JUST LIKE A ROSE PETAL.

YOU SEE THE OUTSIDE, YOU SEE THE INSIDE.

IT'S LIKE THERE'S A SCHOOL THERE.

THERE IS A PLACE TO WORSHIP.

THERE IS A HOPEFULLY ANOTHER GROCERY STORE.

BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL AREA THAT I FEEL THAT WE CAN JUST ENHANCE AND NOT JUST MAKE A COOKIE CUTTER OUT OF.

THIS IS NOT A PLACE THAT IS A COOKIE CUTTER.

LOOK AT THIS CITY HALL.

IT'S NOT A COOKIE CUTTER PLACE, SO LET'S NOT MAKE IT LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE.

LET'S MAKE IT SPECIAL. LET'S MAKE IT DIFFERENT, AND LET'S MAKE IT PROGRESSIVE LIKE THIS CITY KNOWS IT CAN BE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

HELLO. MY NAME IS MATTHEW LEE.

I'M AT 10229 EDEN CIRCLE IN THE STONE VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD.

I APPRECIATE A FEW MINUTES TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.

I ECHO WHAT'S BEEN SAID TONIGHT.

I CAME HERE TO COMPLAIN THAT THERE HADN'T BEEN ANY OUTREACH FROM THE CITY ON THIS MATTER.

BUT THERE'S A MEETING ON THE 12TH, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

SO I WON'T HARP ON THAT TOO MUCH.

I'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH KDOT IN THEIR OPEN HOUSES.

THEY'VE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THEY'RE SOMEWHAT NEUTRAL IN THE MATTER.

THEY'RE TAKING CUES FROM LENEXA.

SO I'M HOPING WE CAN APPEAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT TO LET COMMON SENSE PREVAIL HERE.

WHAT? THE THEME THAT I'M GATHERING HERE IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DISBELIEF THAT THERE'S A PROPOSED INTERCHANGE, AND I 100% ECHO THAT DISBELIEF.

THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF LENEXA, WHERE THERE IS HIGHWAY TRAFFIC DUMPED INTO A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT A SINGLE INTERCHANGE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.

LOOK AT WOODLAND, LOOK AT RENNER, LOOK AT PRAIRIE STAR PARKWAY AND K-7.

LOOK AT ALL THE INTERCHANGES ALONG 435 OR 35.

THERE IS NOT A SINGLE PRECEDENT FOR WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED AT LONE ELM AND SO WE'VE HEARD ON A FEW DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE CITY STATE THAT THIS HAS BEEN PART OF THE PLAN ALL ALONG.

I THINK THERE WAS RECENTLY AN ARTICLE WRITTEN REFLECTING MORE OF OLATHE'S OPINION OF THE MATTER.

I THINK THEY'RE JUSTIFIED IN BEING AGAINST THIS, BUT THERE WAS A QUOTE FROM I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO, BUT CITY MANAGEMENT, INDICATING THAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT TRAFFIC FLOW AND ALLEVIATING TRAFFIC ON WOODLAND.

I'VE YET TO MEET A NEIGHBOR THAT WOULD STATE THAT THERE IS A TRAFFIC ISSUE AT WOODLAND. SO HOW DID WE GET HERE? THERE'S NO PRECEDENT FOR AN INTERCHANGE DUMPING INTO A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO, YOU KNOW, YET THE CITY CLAIMS THAT IT'S BEEN YOU KNOW, PROPOSED FOR A LONG TIME.

I WAS AT THE CITY THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING A FEW MONTHS AGO WHERE THIS WAS ADOPTED INTO THE VISION 2020 PLAN.

I THINK THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME IT WAS FORMALIZED INTO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

I KNOW IT'S BEEN LOOKED AT AND STUDIED FOR MANY YEARS.

I WOULD REFUTE AGAIN THAT THIS HAS BEEN YOU KNOW EFFECTIVE PLANNING.

THERE WERE TWO HOMES.

I DON'T KNOW IF SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS KNOW, BUT THERE WERE TWO HOMES THAT WERE DEMOLISHED WITHIN THE STONEVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD TO MAKE WAY FOR A POTENTIAL INTERCHANGE.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOWS QUITE A BIT OF LACK OF PLANNING.

I DO CONCEDE THAT THERE IS SPACE THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED TO WIDEN LONE ELM THAT'S BEEN RESERVED OVER THE YEARS, I THINK.

BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED, I THINK, IS THAT THERE'S BEEN INTENTIONS, THERE'S BEEN GOOD HOPES, THERE'S BEEN GOOD IDEAS OF PUTTING AN INTERCHANGE THERE, BUT THEN IT'S BEEN TAKEN AWAY.

OLATHE HAS BEEN AGAINST IT.

IN THE MEANTIME, THERE'S POEMS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT RIGHT THERE.

WE'LL HAVE YOU WRAP UP, PLEASE.

OKAY. SO THERE ARE HOMES THAT ARE THERE THAT WOULD BE SEVERELY IMPACTED, THAT EXTREME PROXIMITY OF THAT HIGHWAY TRAFFIC DUMPING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD REALLY HAS NO PRECEDENT.

[00:55:05]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

HI THERE. HI.

MY NAME IS TINA COLEMAN.

I LIVE IN THE MANCHESTER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD MY NAME TO THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO AN INTERCHANGE, BUT IN FAVOR OF AN OVERPASS.

ONE OF THE WORDS I HAVE NOT HEARD SURFACED HERE IN LISTENING TO EVERYTHING, IS THE IDEA OF HUMAN SCALE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE HUMAN SCALED IN TERMS OF CITY PLANNING? SO WHEN YOU DO MAKE YOUR WAY OUT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME COFFEE OR TEA AT A NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, DO STOP BY K10 AND WOODLAND AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT INTERCHANGE AND IMAGINE EITHER BEING A SENIOR CITIZEN LIKE MYSELF AND WANTING TO SAFELY WALK ALONG THERE TO CONTINUE YOUR WALK SOUTH, OR BEING A PARENT SENDING YOUR CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, TO TO MIDDLE SCHOOL THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE K-10 AND WOODLAND. IT'S SCARY.

YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ON BIKE OR ON FOOT THERE AND SO I THINK ABOUT HUMAN SCALE.

I THINK OF AN OVERPASS AS MORE IN LINE WITH OUR VALUES HERE IN LENEXA, WHERE WE'RE SO PEOPLE ORIENTED.

SO LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY AND FLOURISHING OF CONNECTION TO NATURE AND YOU KNOW, GOOD VALUES THAT SUPPORT PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES IS WHAT WE'RE ABOUT HERE IN LENEXA.

I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS, SO I KNOW THIS IN MY HEART.

SO I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE MOVE TOWARDS AN OVERPASS FOR THE SAKE OF IT BEING MORE HUMAN.

SCALE FOR CHILDREN, YOUNG DRIVERS, SENIOR CITIZENS, CYCLISTS, PEOPLE OF ALL AGES SO THAT WE PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF CAN ACCESS THE TRAILS SOUTH OF K10.

I GUESS THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE ADOPT AN OVERPASS, NOT AN INTERCHANGE, FOR THE SAKE OF IT BEING HUMAN.

SCALE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, TINA. HI, I'M JESSIE RYAN.

I DIDN'T ONLY WAS COMING FOR INFORMATION AND DID NOT PLAN ON SPEAKING.

I LIVE IN OLATHE.

21415 WEST 105TH STREET.

AND MY HOUSE IS THE HOUSE THAT IF THERE WAS AN OVERPASS I WOULD BE UNDER, I'D BE LIVING UNDER THAT BRIDGE.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW MY YARD IS FLAT WITH K-10.

SO IF YOU BUILD AN OVERPASS, YOU'LL GET TO SEE ME IN MY BACKYARD AND MY KIDS.

AS YOU DRIVE OVER OUR HOUSE.

I WONDER, YOU KNOW, I HAVE HEARD IT MENTIONED THAT MANCHESTER PARK IS THE BIGGEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE OLATHE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

I WONDER IF, RATHER THAN BUILDING A BRIDGE OR OVERPASS OR WHATEVER, TO COME OVER.

WHAT IF YOU BUILT YOUR OWN MIDDLE SCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL? BECAUSE YOU DO CONTINUE TO GROW, AND I KNOW THAT MORE SUBDIVISIONS KEEP BEING ADDED.

SO THAT'S ONE THOUGHT.

IF YOU CAN'T GET YOUR OWN SCHOOLS, I WONDER IF MAYBE THE OVERPASS COULD BE MOVED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF PRT WHERE THERE'S LIKE A CRICKET FIELD AND THERE'S NO HOUSES TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE PEOPLE LIVING UNDER BRIDGES BY THAT'S REALLY THAT'S ALL.

THANKS FOR COMING OUT. THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS TONY CHILD.

I LIVE AT 9917 SUNSET DRIVE.

WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE, 18 YEARS AGO, WE WERE LIVING BEFORE DOWN IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, IN THE WOODLANDS AREA, AND WE FIRST MOVED TO KANSAS CITY.

WE WANTED TO FIND A PLACE THAT WAS SIMILAR TO THE WOODLANDS.

IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO GO THERE BEFORE.

A PLANNED COMMUNITY THAT'S NOT JUST COOKIE CUTTER HOUSES AND LITERALLY IN ALL OF KANSAS CITY METRO, THERE'S ONLY TWO PLACES I BELIEVE THAT ARE TO THIS SIMILAR PLACE, AND THAT WOULD BE THE FALCON AREA AND ALSO IN CEDAR CREEK.

IF YOU GO TO LEAWOOD, IF YOU GO TO OVERLAND PARK, IT'S ALL COOKIE CUTTER BLOCKS AND THERE'S SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT OUR AREA AND DEFINITELY BY PUTTING THAT INTERCHANGE WOULD CHANGE IT TO WHAT THE ORIGINAL INTENTION WAS.

BEFORE WE BOUGHT OUR HOUSE 18 YEARS AGO, I LOOKED AT ALL THE PROPOSALS OF OLATHE OF LENEXA TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING TO BE PLANNED IN DIFFERENT AREAS, AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE FOR YEARS, WAS ALWAYS CALLING THE CITY, SAYING, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE PUTTING OVER THE BRIDGE? YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER FOR OUR KIDS TO GO TO SCHOOL.

MY KIDS HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY'VE GONE, YOU KNOW, SO THE BRIDGE WE WAITED FOR, WE WAITED FOR 18 YEARS.

YOU NEVER BUILD IT AND I GUESS I ASKED THE QUESTION, WHY DO WE DO EVEN ALL THESE STUDIES TO SEE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS, WHEN YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CHANGE YOUR MIND LATER ON.

[01:00:02]

BUT MANY TIMES US AS RESIDENTS FEEL LIKE YOU'RE MORE REPRESENTING THE NEW APARTMENT COMPLEXES COMING IN, THE NEW BUSINESSES COMING IN AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, IT'S GROWTH, IT'S THIS AND THERE'S A LOT OF EXCUSES.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE HERE FOR THE PEOPLE, AND THE PEOPLE ARE STANDING UP TONIGHT SAYING, THIS IS NOT WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT.

WE ARE DEMANDING WHAT WE ORIGINALLY MOVED HERE FOR AND WE'RE NOT REALLY HAPPY.

SO WE WILL SEEK DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO LET OUR VOICE BE HEARD.

WE LIKE OUR AREA THE WAY IT IS, AND WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE DALLAS.

WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE DENVER WITH LOTS OF TRAFFIC AND YOU GUYS COLLECTING MORE TAXES, SAYING, BUT WE NEED THE REVENUE BECAUSE YOU'LL JUST KEEP PUSHING PEOPLE AWAY.

WE DIDN'T MOVE TO KANSAS CITY TO BE IN THESE OTHER PLACES, SO I'M OPPOSED.

THANK YOU.

HI, MY NAME IS MEGAN MORFORD AND I LIVE AT 21623 WEST 100TH STREET AND I'VE LIVED IN MANCHESTER PARK FOR SIX AND A HALF YEARS. PRIOR TO THAT, I LIVED IN OLATHE FOR 12 YEARS JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF K-10.

SO I HAVE AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND I DID NOT COME HERE TO SPEAK.

I WAS JUST HERE TO SUPPORT MY NEIGHBORS AND ECHO EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE ALREADY SAID.

BUT THERE'S A COUPLE POINTS I WANTED TO INCLUDE FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSPECTIVE.

I HAVE A FIFTH GRADER AND TWO HIGH SCHOOLERS, SO I'M ON MY LAST YEAR OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY STAKES IN THE GAME FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

BUT MANCHESTER PARK IS THE LARGEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BY FAR, AND THE LAST TIME THAT I KNEW THERE WERE 650 STUDENTS THERE. A THIRD OF THEM WALK, A THIRD OF THEM GET BUSED, AND A THIRD OF THEM GET THERE BY CAR WITH THEIR PARENT.

IF WE CREATE AN INTERCHANGE, THAT DYNAMIC WILL CHANGE COMPLETELY AND THE SCHOOL CANNOT ACCOMMODATE THAT.

HOW THEY HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION AND THE WAYS THAT KIDS GET TO SCHOOL NOW IS ALREADY AT A MAX.

AND IF WE CHANGE THE ABILITY FOR KIDS TO WALK TO SCHOOL, THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE CARS OR BUSSES.

THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS OLATHE ACTUALLY DID AN OVERPASS SEVERAL YEARS AGO INSTEAD OF AN INTERCHANGE ON 127TH STREET, BECAUSE THAT OVERPASS IS BETWEEN TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HAS RESIDENTS THERE.

SO THEY WERE VERY STRATEGIC IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY DIDN'T INTERRUPT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TRAFFIC AND THE RESIDENT TRAFFIC BY CREATING AN INTERCHANGE.

THEY DID AN OVERPASS INSTEAD, WHICH DID ALLEVIATE A LOT OF CONGESTION ON THE OTHER STREETS GOING EAST AND WEST AND I BELIEVE THAT AN OVERPASS ON LONE ELM WOULD DO THE SAME THING FOR OUR NORTH AND SOUTH TRAFFIC.

WE DO NOT NEED AN INTERCHANGE, BUT AN OVERPASS WOULD ALLEVIATE A LOT OF LOGISTICAL ISSUES THAT WE ARE HAVING IN THAT AREA.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

HI. MY NAME IS MONICA SOLOMON.

WE LIVE AT 10208 THEDEN.

YOU HEARD FROM MY HUSBAND A MOMENT AGO? BUT HE DIDN'T MENTION THE THING I WAS HOPING HE WOULD MENTION, SO I'M GOING TO MENTION IT.

I WAS JUST LIKE. YOU KNOW WHAT? I WILL SAY SOMETHING.

SO THERE'S NOT EVEN TWO.

LIKE, WE'RE JUST UNDER TWO MILES FROM THE WOODLAND EXIT TO HIGHWAY SEVEN EXIT WHETHER IT'S A SOUTH EXIT.

INTERCHANGE THAT WE'RE TALKING OR JUST A NORTH EXIT, OR HOWEVER THE DYNAMIC WOULD BE THERE.

IT'S NOT EVEN A FULL TWO MILES TO HAVE A THIRD EXIT WITHIN THAT DISTANCE.

IT'S ALREADY CONGESTED WHERE YOU HAVE.

IT'S A BENEFIT TO US THAT RENNER HAS THAT TURNABOUT TO ACTUALLY GET OFF THE HIGHWAY, BECAUSE IT DOES GIVE SOME CARS DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER. WHEN YOU'RE COMING OFF OF THAT TEN TURN INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS, THERE'S ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT AREAS, THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THAT WHEN YOU'RE GETTING THAT DISTANCE AND YOU GO ON THAT RENNER EXIT, ACTUALLY THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF ROAD FOR PEOPLE TO GET ON THAT NORTH EXIT ONTO RENNER.

WHEN YOU HAVE WOODLAND, IT DOES GET BACKED UP A LITTLE BIT HERE AND THERE.

WE'RE ALL NEIGHBORS AND WE'RE ALL PRETTY FINE WITH THAT BACKUP UP AT 5:00.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO HIT TRAFFIC NO MATTER WHAT.

THE REMAINDER OF THE EXIT IS GOING TO BE AT SEVEN, AND PEOPLE GO NORTH ON SEVEN, AND IT DOES GET A LITTLE BIT CONGESTED THERE.

BUT TO ADD ANOTHER INTERCHANGE WITHIN A LESS THAN TWO MILE IN LESS THAN TWO MILE DISTANCE WILL ONLY ADD

[01:05:07]

I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE BECOME BETTER DRIVERS BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER INTERCHANGE.

IT'S JUST TOO SHORT OF A DISTANCE.

IF YOU REALLY SIT ON THAT AT THE 5:00 TIME FRAME, PEOPLE ARE GETTING OFF OF WORK.

PARENTS ARE PICKING UP THEIR KIDS ONLY, WHAT, AN HOUR BEFOREHAND IF YOU ACTUALLY SIT IN THAT AND I'VE WATCHED IT, I HAVE LOOKED SITTING THERE AND I'VE GOT A BABY CRYING IN THE BACK SEAT. I'M LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE TRYING TO GET HOME.

LIKE, I REALLY HAVE CONSIDERED EVERY SINGLE EXIT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, AND IT'S JUST TOO CLOSE.

LIKE THEY SPOKE ABOUT THE NEIGHBORS, THE KIDS, THE BIKES, EVERYTHING LIKE IT IS IMPORTANT.

ALL THOSE THINGS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO US.

TRUE. BUT ALSO, I DON'T THINK IT ACTUALLY WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT BECAUSE IT'S TOO CLOSE OF A DISTANCE THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE TRYING TO PASS TO THEN CUT MORE PEOPLE OFF.

IT ACTUALLY WILL SLOW DOWN K-10 EVEN MORE.

SO ANYWAY, JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER THAT SMALL LITTLE TWO MILES THAT WE LIVE ON.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING US SPEAK TODAY.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DEREK TAYLOR.

I LIVE AT 10244 BADEN CIRCLE IN STONE VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD.

I'VE BEEN AT LENEXA FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS.

FOR FIVE YEARS I LIVED IN THE BRENTWOOD PARK NEIGHBORHOOD AND BECAUSE OF THE TONE AND TIMBER OF THE CITY OF LENEXA AND HOW WELL THE CITY DESIGNS FOR INTEGRATION BETWEEN RETAIL AND BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL, LIKE IN THE SAR-KO-PARK AREA AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

ONE OF MY REQUIREMENTS WHEN WE FOUND A NEW HOME LAST FALL WAS TO STAY IN LENEXA, WHICH IS HOW WE FOUND OUR NEW HOME IN STONE VIEW.

PART OF OUR CHOICE WAS BECAUSE OF THE FEELING OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AS OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE WONDERFULLY SPOKEN ABOUT THE ACCESS TO SCHOOLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO I WON'T TRY AND BELABOR THOSE POINTS TOO MUCH.

JUST TO TOUCH ON SOME POINTS THAT THEY MAY HAVE NOT MADE SO FAR.

ONE OTHER GREAT FEATURE ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS THAT IT IS WELL INTEGRATED WITH COMMUNITY TRAILS, WHICH WE USE VERY OFTEN FOR OUR OWN ACTIVITIES FOR RUNNING, WALKING OUR DOGS. BUT THEY'RE VERY ACTIVELY USED BY OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN LENEXA AND IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.

THAT WOULD GET TAKEN OVER IF THERE WERE AN INTERCHANGE PUT IN AND IN ADDITION, WE REALIZED THAT OBVIOUSLY THERE DOES NEED TO BE GROWTH.

THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE GROWTH IN THE CITY, BUT THERE IS A VERY SIMILAR BUSINESS AREA MIRRORED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF K-10 WITH THE ALDI DISTRIBUTION CENTER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

THAT IS VERY WELL SERVICED BY THEIR ACCESS THROUGH THE COLLEGE BOULEVARD AND THE ROADS COMING OFF OF THAT.

THAT WOULD MIRROR VERY WELL ACCESS TO THAT AREA THROUGH PRAIRIE STAR, WHICH DOES NOT NECESSARILY NECESSITATE AN INTERCHANGE BEING PUT IN AT LONE ELM.

SO JUST TO PRESERVE THE TONE AND TIMBRE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND OBVIOUSLY, FOR ALL THESE OTHER POINTS THAT MY NEIGHBORS HAVE MADE, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO VOICE MY OPPOSITION IN FAVOR OF AN OVERPASS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. TAYLOR. HI.

HI. MY NAME IS VINCE, AND I LIVE AT 21710 WEST 100 WEST 100TH STREET AND I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE SOMETHING.

A GENTLEMAN EARLIER MENTIONED ABOUT THE IMPACT ON BUS SERVICE.

SO THE OLATHE PUBLIC SCHOOLS CURRENTLY DOESN'T OFFER BUS SERVICE.

IF YOU LIVE WITHIN TWO AND A HALF MILES OF A SCHOOL.

SO BY CONNECTING THE NEIGHBORHOODS OVER TO THAT AREA, WHICH I AM IN FAVOR OF AN OVERPASS, NOT AN INTERCHANGE, IT WOULD HAVE A PRETTY EXTENSIVE IMPACT ON SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS, MORE THAN WHAT ARE JUST BEING REPRESENTED TODAY IN TERMS OF LOSS OF BUS SERVICE AND SO I'D ALSO LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO VISIT NEAR OUR AREA. I DON'T HAVE I WOULDN'T WANT COFFEE IF I MADE IT, BUT NOT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD DIRECTLY, BUT I'D ASK YOU TO COME TO WOODLAND AND K-10 AT 8:30 IN THE MORNING AND THEN I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A QUESTION WHICH I KNOW YOU CAN'T ANSWER.

BUT WOULD YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR GRANDKIDS ONLY OPTION TO GET TO SCHOOL TO BEAT A BIKE OR WALK THROUGH THE K-10 AND WOODLAND INTERCHANGE? BECAUSE THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE ASKING HERE.

THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME KIDS THAT'S ONLY OPTION.

GET TO SCHOOL SOME DAYS IS GOING TO BE TO WALK OR BIKE ACROSS RIGHT THERE AND SO I JUST ASK YOU TO LOOK AT IT FROM YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE.

IF IT WAS YOUR KID, YOUR GRANDKIDS.

AN OVERPASS VERSUS AN INTERCHANGE HAS A PRETTY BIG IMPACT ON MY COMFORT LEVEL WITH MY KIDS.

AND I JUST ASK YOU TO ASK THAT QUESTION FOR YOURSELF AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU.

HI. MY NAME IS CATHERINE LAPPIN AND I LIVE ON 2440 WEST 83RD STREET.

LENEXA. SO THIS IS BETWEEN GLEASON AND CLAIRE WITH THE 83RD EXPANSION PROJECT WILL TAKE PLACE. SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION JUST THREE POINTS WHEN CONSIDERING THIS PROJECT.

[01:10:01]

20. YEAH, 24 YEARS.

BEFORE THAT, WE LIVED IN OLD TOWN LENEXA AND SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT REALLY QUICK BECAUSE OLD TOWN LENEXA THERE WAS COSTCO WAS GOING IN AND IT WAS LIKE A BIG CONCERN.

THEN WHAT WAS COSTCO GOING TO DO TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB ON IT.

LIKE THE CLOSED OFF ROAD MADE IT.

SO THERE WASN'T A LOT OF TRAFFIC GOING THROUGH THERE AND THE HOMES IN THERE WERE KEPT, YOU KNOW, UNCHANGED, IN FACT, BETTER THAN IT WAS BEFORE. SO I WAS HOPING ON 83RD STREET, WHICH HAS BEEN A FAIRLY BUSY ROAD, IT'S GOTTEN BUSIER IN THE TIME I'VE LIVED OUT THERE.

BUT I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS BECAUSE OF JUST THAT SMALL SECTION OF THE ROAD THERE WHICH IS PURELY RESIDENTIAL.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S KIDS, THERE'S FAMILIES, THEY'RE SO CLOSE TO THE ROAD ALREADY, AND I KNOW THE ROAD IS GOING TO SUPPOSEDLY EXPAND LIKE TWO LANES WITH THE TURN LANE AND THEN A BIG, YOU KNOW, MULTI-USE SIDEWALK IS LIKE, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO PUT ALL THAT IN WITHOUT TAKING UP SOME, YOU KNOW, REMOVING SOME OF THESE HOMES OR PUTTING THIS BUSY STREET RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.

SO I JUST WOULD LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER YOU KNOW, PLEASE YOU KNOW, THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THOSE HOMES.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE KIDS, WE HAVE PETS THAT ARE RUNNING.

WE WANT TO USE OUR YARD.

I DO LIKE MY HOUSE OUT THERE, BUT MAINLY I BOUGHT IT FOR THE YARD.

IT'S A NICE PROPERTY.

WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO BUFFER THAT ROAD.

IT'S BEEN VERY BUSY, AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF THAT.

SO ANYWAY YOU CAN KEEP THAT SAFE? KEEP THE REDUCE THE SPEED LIMIT.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY DANGEROUS AS IT IS AND JUST LIKE IN SECOND POINT IS COMFORT, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO KEEP THE NOISE AND THE POLLUTION DOWN WITH ALL THAT TRAFFIC GOING THROUGH THERE? YOU KNOW, THE COMFORT OF BEING ABLE TO ENJOY MY YARD, THE GARDENS OF PLANTS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING MY PETS AND OUR KIDS GRANDKIDS TO PLAY OUTSIDE. AND THEN THE PAYBACK, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW.

LIKE, HOW MUCH ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE? YOU KNOW, YOU SAID YOU'RE PUTTING THIS HUGE EXPANSION IN, BUT, LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE? WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET.

SO. AND THIS IS IMPACTING ALL OF US THAT LIVE ON THE ROAD, WHICH SO IT'S REALLY UPSETTING OUR LIVES AS WELL AS ALL OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN DE SOTO IS REALLY JUST THE GROWTH AND EVERYTHING FROM ONE FACTORY.

MISS LAPIN, WE'LL HAVE YOU WRAP UP.

WRAP UP. OKAY. SO SORRY.

JUST THE PAYBACK.

WHAT WILL WE GET? AND I HOPE IT'S CONSIDERABLE, CONSIDERING THIS IS A LIFE ALTERING EVENT.

THANK YOU. HI.

MY NAME IS ELIANA.

I LIVE AT 21501 WEST 100 STREET.

I LIVE WITH MY MOM, MY DAD AND MY YOUNGER BROTHER.

MY PARENTS HAVE LIVED THERE FOR 20 PLUS YEARS, AND I'M 13 YEARS OLD, SO I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 13 YEARS THIS SUMMER.

MY. OH, SORRY.

I'VE HEARD MY NEIGHBORS TALK ABOUT SAFETY, SO I WANT TO GO BACK ON THAT.

MY BROTHER GOT AN ELECTRIC BIKE THIS YEAR FOR HIS BIRTHDAY, AND MY FRIENDS AND HIM RIDE AROUND ALL THE TIME PAST LONE ELM AND IN THAT AREA, HE'S NEVER HOME. THEY KNOW THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS SAFE, SO THEY DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHERE THEY DRIVE.

I HAVE GONE TO MANCHESTER PARK WITH MY BROTHER, SO A COUPLE OF YEARS WE WALKED THERE AND SINCE WE KNEW IT WAS A SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE DID NOT HAVE ANY WORRIES ABOUT IT. I WANTED TO ADD IN SINCE I'M LIKE AROUND THE AGE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO ABOUT THEIR WORRIES.

I THINK THAT IF THERE'S AN INTERCHANGE THAT HAPPENS, THE BUSSES FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY WILL HAVE TO CHANGE PATHS, WHICH IS MORE WORK FOR THE BUS DRIVERS AND WHAT THEY ALREADY GO THROUGH SO MUCH.

I GET A LITTLE ANXIOUS WHEN RIDING THE BUS, AND I FEEL LIKE ADDING AN INTERCHANGE WOULD BE WAY TOO OVERWHELMING FOR SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIKE MOTION SICKNESS.

BUT ALSO THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE HERE ALSO WORRYING ABOUT CRASHES, ESPECIALLY SINCE WHERE I LIVE IS VERY CLOSE, LIKE A TWO MINUTE WALK DISTANCE. I WANT MY FAMILY AND MY NEIGHBORS AND MYSELF TO BE SAFE AND BE ABLE TO SLEEP SAFE FROM CRASHES, ROBBERIES, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT HAPPEN.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, I'M ROBIN SIMPSON.

I LIVE AT 10062 AURORA STREET.

[01:15:03]

WE ARE THRILLED TO BE THERE.

I WOULD LIKE TO GET IN ON THIS NEIGHBORHOOD COFFEE CLUB, IF I CAN.

SO I WANTED TO BRING UP A COUPLE QUICK THINGS AND THE FIRST ONE IS, HOW AWESOME IS IT THAT EVERYONE IS HERE SO CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY BEING SAFE AND CARING ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEIR KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

I THINK THAT'S AWESOME AND IF I WERE A COUNCIL MEMBER, I WOULD REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT, AND I WOULD REALLY WANT TO FOSTER THAT SORT OF ENVIRONMENT IN MY CITY.

SO I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOMETHING LIKE AN INTERCHANGE THAT COULD VERY EASILY BE AN OVERPASS WOULD EVEN BE CONSIDERED WHEN YOUR RESIDENTS ARE SO OPPOSED TO IT AND THE CITY OF LENEXA OR THE CITY OF OLATHE HAS OPPOSED THIS FOR YEARS.

SO I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD CONSIDER SOMETHING THAT ISN'T WANTED AND EVIDENTLY ISN'T NEEDED.

I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN CONSIDERING THIS PLAN MOVING FORWARD, THAT YOUR CITY AND THE RESIDENTS HERE CARE SO MUCH ABOUT COMMUNITY AND SAFETY AND CHILDREN AND FAMILY AND I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD INTENTIONALLY DISRUPT THAT.

SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT AND WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT WE HAVE AND WORKING TO PRESERVE THAT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER WHEN MOVING FORWARD WITH A PROJECT LIKE THIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU.

HI, I'M TRAVIS FIRE.

I LIVE AT 2500 WEST 98TH STREET.

I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL MY NEIGHBORS AND CITIZENS HERE WHO SHOWED UP TONIGHT.

IT'S AWESOME. I JUST RECENTLY FINISHED THE STOPLIGHT THAT'S IN MY BACKYARD ON LONE ELM AND PRAIRIE STAR AND JUST THE DYNAMICS THAT HAVE CHANGED.

I WAS DEPLOYED AND CAME BACK TO THAT AND HOW MUCH IT'S AFFECTED OUR LIVES JUST WITH THE STOP AND GO.

SO I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE HAVING FOUR LANES IN THE OTHER SIDE OF MY BACKYARD AND WHAT THAT WILL DO TO.

I MEAN, JUST THE NOISE POLLUTION ALONE AND THE LIGHT POLLUTION HAS BEEN DETRIMENTAL SO FAR.

SO JUST PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

HI, MY NAME IS CHRISTY HALE.

I LIVE AT 10145 EDEN CIRCLE IN THE STONE VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD.

I HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THIS BECAUSE OF THE INTERCHANGE WOULD LITERALLY COME THROUGH MY BACKYARD, ON MY THROUGH MY FENCE, RIGHT BEHIND MY FENCE AND IF YOU THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF THE SAFETY FROM THE HIGHWAY, WE RECENTLY HAD A TRUCK THAT WAS OVERTURNED, THAT FLIPPED AND WAS ALMOST IN OUR FENCE AND IN OUR BACKYARD.

AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE WOODLAND, YOU HAVE K-10, YOU HAVE OR K-7 AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE LONE ELM.

IF YOU CREATE AN INTERCHANGE THERE, THAT CREATES MORE POSSIBILITY FOR MORE ACCIDENTS TO HAPPEN.

IF WE THINK ABOUT THE HIGHWAY ASPECT OF IT IN IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE OTHER CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE, I REALLY WOULD HOPE THAT OUR COUNCIL WOULD GIVE THIS ANOTHER THOUGHT WITH THIS MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMING OUT TO SPEAK AGAINST THIS PLAN AND ASKING YOU AND PLEADING YOU TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER WAY SO WE CAN KEEP OUR KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS ROBERT HEDLEY.

I LIVE AT 21501 WEST 98TH STREET, SO I BACK RIGHT UP TO LONE ELM.

SO MY FAMILY, MY DAUGHTERS WOULD BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THIS.

THEIR SAFETY WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THIS.

WE'VE HEARD MULTIPLE TIMES FROM MULTIPLE CITIZENS OR MULTIPLE RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT EVERYBODY'S CONCERNS.

YES, OUR KIDS GO TO SCHOOL THERE.

YES, OUR KIDS PLAY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

OUR KIDS USE THE BIKE PATH AS A WAY TO GET TO THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND HOW ARE THEY GOING TO COMBAT COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC WHEN THEY CAN'T EVEN HARDLY PASS, GET THROUGH, GET ACROSS PRAIRIE STAR PARKWAY AS IT IS? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ECHOED IS THAT WE'RE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE'RE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS AREA.

WE DON'T WANT THIS.

SO IF YOU LISTEN TO EVERYBODY, RIGHT, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STUDY OF WHAT'S BEING DONE OR WHY WE NEED A LONE ELM EXIT, WE'RE ALL SAYING WE DON'T WANT IT.

WE'RE SAYING WE'LL TAKE WE'LL GO AROUND, WE'LL GET ON K-7.

[01:20:02]

WE'LL GET OFF ON WOODLAND.

ADDITIONALLY TO THE IDEA OF COMMERCIAL EXPANSION, THERE ARE EMPTY COMMERCIAL FACILITIES OFF THE SHOPPING CENTERS AT WOODLAND.

NOW, ADDITIONALLY ON PRAIRIE STAR AND K7.

WHY ARE WE GOING TO OPEN UP MORE COMMERCIAL FACILITIES OR MORE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES FOR RETAIL, WHEN THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY OPEN AREN'T FULL? I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD IS THAT WE NEED THIS.

AND AGAIN, YOU'RE LISTENING TO THE RESIDENTS OF THIS AREA SAYING WE DON'T NEED IT AND WE DON'T WANT IT.

YOU'RE NOT INCONVENIENCING OUR LIVES BY NOT HAVING AN INTERSECTION AT LONE ELM.

RESOUNDINGLY. WE'VE SAID WE DON'T WANT IT.

I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S TIME FOR COMING OUT AND LISTENING TO OUR CONCERNS, BUT THAT'S ALL I GOT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OF COURSE.

LAST CALL, FOLKS.

OKAY. WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

SECOND. MOTION BY COURTNEY.

SECOND BY MELANIE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. THANK YOU.

WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.

WE HAVE OTHER BUSINESS TONIGHT.

DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO STAY, BUT WE'LL BE BACK IN FIVE.

THANK YOU. WE WILL RESUME THE MEETING WITH ITEM 13, WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER DE-ANNEXATION REQUEST FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 27855 W.

[13. Deannexation request for property located at 27855 W. 83rd Street]

WE'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE APPLICANT FIRST, MR. JULIAN. DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR US? NO. JUST QUESTION AND ANSWER, I GUESS.

OKAY. AS YOU CAN GUESS, THIS IS LIKE THE FIRST TIME SINCE 94, I THINK, AT THE ANNEXATION REQUEST HAS BEEN PUT OUT THERE.

I DID A FOIA REQUEST, AND I READ THROUGH THE 40S AND THE 60S AND THE NUMBER ONE USE OF THIS PARTICULAR DE ANNEXATION OR VACATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND PRIMARILY IN KANSAS IS AGRICULTURAL PROPERTIES.

AS A CITY, YOU GUYS BUILD RESIDENTIAL AREAS, YOU CONTINUE TO GROW AND YOU GET IT.

YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE PEOPLE PUT RANDOM THINGS ON THEIR PROPERTIES.

HOWEVER, WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING A FARM, ESPECIALLY ONE WITH MODERN FARMING APPROACHES LIKE SUSTAINABLE OR WHAT WE DO AS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, WHERE WE MOVE OUR ANIMALS CONSISTENTLY THROUGH THE PROPERTY.

SO ANYTHING THAT'S IN PERMANENT OR PLACED IS VERY DIFFICULT TO USE.

SO WE'VE WORKED WITH THE CITY FOR SINCE 2021, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THE FARM IN THE CITY LIMITS AND EVERY TIME NEW RULES, NEW UNDERSTANDING COMES UP, AND EACH TIME WE COME BACK WITH LESS UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TRULY TAKE TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO ON THE PROPERTY.

ONE OF THE ISSUES IS WE DO RAW MILK SELLS, AND RAW MILK SELLS IN THE STATE OF KANSAS, REQUIRE THE CUSTOMERS TO COME TO THE PROPERTY AND PURCHASE THEIR MILK. OR WE CAN COURIER IT TO THEM BY DELIVERING IT.

WHICH IS HOW WE DO IT TODAY.

OUR LAST MEETING WITH THE CITY THIS SUMMER, WE DETERMINED THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE CUSTOMERS ON OUR PROPERTY ANYMORE AND SPEAKING TO LEGAL DEFENSE TEAMS FOR FARMERS, THEY MADE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE PURSUE DE-ANNEXATION, WHICH IT'S STILL A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY.

WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE A GROWING FARM.

WE DON'T PICK UP THE FARM AND MOVE IT.

IT STAYS IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATION SO WE CAN STILL SERVICE CUSTOMERS AND LENEXA.

I RESIDE IN LENEXA IN WHISPERING HILLS.

THE FARM IS 35 ACRES DOWN THE ROAD.

IT'S ABOUT SEVEN MINUTE DRIVE TO GET TO IT FROM OUR HOUSE AND THE DE-ANNEXATION WOULD ALLOW US TO LIVE UNDER THE REGULATIONS OF OTHER FARMS IN THE COUNTY THAT IS MORE DESIGNED TO ALLOW THE PERSON MAINTAINING THE LAND TO DO SOME OF THE WORK AND TO ALSO ALLOW THE LAND TO BE, AS IT WAS INTENDED, VERY NATURAL.

WE DON'T USE HEAVY MACHINERY, WE USE GOATS, AND WE TAKE THOSE GOATS AND WE MOVE THEM AROUND AND THEY EAT UP ALL THIS INVASIVE SPECIES THAT HAS BEEN KIND OF TAKING OVER LENEXA IN THESE AREAS AND ONE OF THE KEY REASONS WE REACHED OUT TO THE CITY ORIGINALLY IS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND ON THE GOAT PROGRAM THAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE PARK BY OFFERING ADDITIONAL SERVICES FOR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS LIKE OURS AND WHISPERING HILLS, WHICH LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE OUR FARM.

IT'S A VERY WOODED AREA WITH THE COVERED BRIDGE YOU GO THROUGH AND NO STREET LIGHTS AND SIDEWALKS, AND FAR MORE UNIQUE THAN SOME OF THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS MENTIONED TONIGHT.

BUT I'M BIASED, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE ON OUR FARM, TOO.

AND WE JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK THAT WE FEEL WERE LED TO DO.

[01:25:04]

THANK YOU.

SEAN, YOU HAVE THE SECOND PART OF THIS OR SECOND PRESENTATION.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

I PULL THIS UP. SEAN MCLAUGHLIN, CITY ATTORNEY.

MR. JULIAN IS CORRECT.

WE DO NOT SEE THESE VERY OFTEN, BUT.

SO I'LL GIVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON THE PROPERTY, THE PROCESS, AS WELL AS A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE POINTS I MADE IN THE PACKET MEMO.

I WON'T GO INTO DEPTH IN THEM, BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

ON YOUR SCREEN YOU WILL SEE THE PROPERTY.

THE PROPERTY PROPOSED TO BE ANNEXED IS OUTLINED IN RED THERE.

IT'S ON THE CITY'S WESTERN BORDER, JUST SOUTH OF 83RD STREET.

IT'S APPROXIMATELY 17.7 ACRES.

WE DID ANNEX IT IN 1986 AND AT THAT TIME PROVIDED A SERVICES EXTENSION PLAN.

IT HAS BEEN ZONED AG SINCE THAT TIME AGRICULTURAL AND GENERALLY REMAINED UNDEVELOPED, ALTHOUGH IN THE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN.

DOES CALL FOR IT TO BE LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL, WHICH YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS, BOTH DE SOTO AND LENEXA.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, THERE IS A WATER LINE THAT RUNS THROUGH IT TO THE OLATHE WATER TREATMENT PLANT TO THE EAST THERE.

THAT IS KIND OF WHAT I'LL CALL A SCAR ACROSS THE LAND, THAT IS.

I'M TRACING IT WITH THE HAND THERE.

THERE'S A WATER LINE EASEMENT ON IT SURROUNDING PROPERTY.

IMPORTANT FOR THIS ANALYSIS.

THE PETITIONER ACTUALLY OWNS 34 ACRES.

HE OWNS THE ADDITIONAL YELLOW PARCELS THAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN THERE.

BUT HE'S ONLY REQUESTING THE ANNEXATION OF THE RED PARCEL.

CURRENTLY, IT'S SURROUNDED BY LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL OR OTHERWISE UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY, AS WELL AS OLATHE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.

A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE EAST, IT SITS NEXT TO THIS UNINCORPORATED NATIVE AMERICAN LAND, AS WELL AS DE SOTO AND LENEXA.

THE ANNEXATION PROCESS.

WHILE IT IS RARE YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THE PROCESS, IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME AS OUR VACATIONS.

ALTHOUGH WE DON'T DO THOSE, WE DO A HANDFUL OF THOSE A YEAR.

IT'S THE SAME PROCESS.

STAFF MAKES FINDINGS BASED ON A SET STANDARD OF CRITERIA, AND WE ALSO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING.

SO YOU'LL CONSIDER 4 STANDARDS TONIGHT WHETHER LEGAL NOTICE WAS GIVEN PRIVATE RIGHTS WILL BE INJURED OR ENDANGERED, WHETHER THE PUBLIC WILL SUFFER LOSS OR INCONVENIENCE AND WHETHER JUSTICE PETITIONER REQUIRES THE ANNEXATION.

I WILL GO THROUGH THE FINAL THREE.

WE OBVIOUSLY PUBLISH NOTICE NOVEMBER 5TH, AND THAT DOES NOT BEAR ANY ANALYSIS BY STAFF WHETHER PRIVATE RIGHTS WILL BE INJURED OR ENDANGERED.

THE PETITIONER OWNS APPROXIMATELY 34 ACRES AND WE'RE ONLY REQUESTING 17.7 ACRES FOR THE ANNEXATION.

THE ANNEXATION WOULD DIVIDE AND ISOLATE THE PROPERTIES, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, BETWEEN THE YELLOW AND THE RED.

IT WOULD CREATE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS IN THAT AREA.

IT WOULD CREATE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS IN THAT WHOLE ENTIRE AREA, INCLUDING THE OTHER PROPERTIES NOT SPECIFICALLY OWNED BY THE PETITIONER.

IT ALSO PHYSICALLY ISOLATE THAT YELLOW PROPERTY, WHICH HAS NO ACCESS TO 83RD STREET, AND MAINTAINS ITS CURRENT ACCESS FROM THAT PROPERTY THAT'S REQUESTED TO BE DE-ANNEXED. IN THAT WAY, YOU'LL CREATE SEVERAL PRIVATE INJURIES, MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP THIS PROPERTY AS A WHOLE, WHETHER IT'S THE RED ONE OR IT'S THE YELLOW, WHICH WILL BE ISOLATED FROM A REGULATION STANDPOINT AS WELL AS AN ACCESS STANDPOINT TO THE CITY OF LENEXA, IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO ADMINISTRATE REGULATIONS.

AS YOU'LL SEE, THERE WILL BE A THERE WILL BE A MYRIAD OF REGULATIONS IN THIS AREA, AND IT'LL BE JUST DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE AREA.

WHILE HE MAY GO UNDER SERVICES FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS.

THE YELLOW WOULD REMAIN UNDER CITY OF LENEXA SERVICES AND WOULD NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS.

THE PUBLIC WILL SUFFER LOSS.

THE ADVERSE OF SOME OF THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THIS DE-ANNEXATION REQUEST CREATE A LOSS TO THE PUBLIC.

FIRST, IT CREATES AGAIN A THEME OF REITERATING HERE CONFUSING AND DIFFICULT ADMINISTRATION TO ADMINISTER A PATCHWORK OF LAWS, REGULATIONS AND SERVICES IN THE AREAS IT WOULD NOT FURTHER THE GOALS OF THE COMP PLAN AND PREVENT PROPER PROPERTY GROWTH IN THIS AREA THAT WE DESIRE AS THE COMP PLAN.

WHILE WE HAVE YET TO REACH THIS AREA IN THE WESTERN PART OF LENEXA, THAT IS THE INTENT FOR IT TO EVENTUALLY BE RESIDENTIAL, LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AND BY SPLITTING THIS PROPERTY WILL MAKE IT NOT ONLY THOSE PROPERTIES THERE, IT WILL CREATE OTHER PROPERTIES AROUND THEM TO BE HARDWOOD, AND THEY HAVE A PATCHWORK OF ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATIONS.

FINALLY, THE CITY WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MANY OF THE SERVICES, BEING THE CLOSEST PROVIDER OF PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, WHETHER THROUGH MUTUAL AID OR JUST PROXIMITY AND THE PROPERTY WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE THE WILL NO LONGER PAY PROPERTY TAXES TO THE CITY, EVEN RECEIVE THOSE BENEFITS AT THE SAME TIME.

WHETHER JUSTICE REQUIRES THE ANNEXATION, I INTERPRET THIS AS FAIRNESS AND EQUITY REQUIRE THE ANNEXATION OF THIS PROPERTY.

[01:30:01]

THE PETITIONER'S PROPOSED USES ARE GENERALLY ALLOWED IN THE CITY, AND SO LONG AS THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH CITY REGULATIONS.

JUSTICE DOES NOT REQUIRE THE ANNEXATION OF THIS PROPERTY SIMPLY TO AVOID COMPLYING WITH THE CITY CODE.

STAFF DOES NOT BELIEVE THE PETITION SATISFIES THE STANDARDS FOR THE ANNEXATION, AND AFTER A PUBLIC HALL, AFTER HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING, STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL OF THE PETITION.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW OR AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL.

ANY QUESTIONS FOR SEAN? COURT? SEAN, DOES THE COUNTY HAVE THE SAME REGULATION OR THE SAME COMPLIANCE CODES THAT WE HAVE AS WELL, LIKE IF WE ANNEX IT, THEN IT FALLS TO THE COUNTY.

DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE COME TO THE FARM UNDER THE SAME RESTRICTIONS, OR WOULD THEY STILL HAVE TO MEET THE COMPLIANCE CODES FOR COUNTY REGULATIONS? THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TO MEET THE COUNTY'S COMPLIANCE CODES.

I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT THOSE REGULATIONS WOULD BE, BUT THE COUNTY HAS THEIR OWN CODES AND REGULATIONS WHEN YOU BUILD IN THE COUNTY.

OKAY AND WE DID CONFIRM THAT WITH THEM.

THEY OBVIOUSLY PROVIDED NO FURTHER ANALYSIS AS TO WHAT IT WOULD BE, BUT THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SETS OF CODES IN THE COUNTY.

OKAY. CAN WE REBUTTAL? I MEAN, I THINK THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE ARE BUILDING CODES THAT WOULD EXIST NO MATTER WHAT GOVERNMENT, SPECIFICALLY ITS PAVED ROADS AND PARKING LOTS WITH THE COUNTY.

WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE A GRAVEL ENTRYWAY, WHICH WE HAD BECAUSE THE CITY OF OLATHE PUT THEIR EASEMENT IN THERE.

THEY REQUIRED US TO NOT BE ABLE TO BUILD ON IT, NOT CHANGE THE GRADE AND EVEN THOUGH THE CITY OF LENEXA DID REACH OUT AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD ALLOW US TO PAVE IT. THE FIRE MARSHAL OF LENEXA SAID THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THE GRADE, WHICH THEN GOES AGAINST THE AMOUNT OF DIRT THAT THEY WOULD PUT ON TOP OF THEIR PIPELINE. THE PIPELINE IS THE ENTIRE WATER SUPPLY FOR ITS GIANT FOUR INCH PIPE THAT'S UNDER THE GROUND, AND THAT'S THE ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY.

THAT'S. BUT NONE OF THE OTHER CODES IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING CODES, ELECTRICAL CODES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

THOSE ARE ALL 100% THE SAME ACROSS, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE UNITED STATES.

THE ISSUE IS WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD TO HAVE A PARKING LOT PAVED.

WE HAD TO HAVE PAVED DRIVEWAY, EVEN THOUGH YOU'LL PASS TWO GRAVEL ROADS OWNED BY LENEXA ON THE WAY TO OUR FARM, THREE MINUTES CLOSER TO TOWN. THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY PIECES.

THE OTHER PIECES? I CAN SELL EITHER ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE ACCESS ISSUE NO MATTER WHAT.

SO TO USE THAT AS A PAIN POINT OR SOMETHING, TO SAY THAT IF I SELL THE 17 ACRES AND THE 16 ACRES, THEN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO.

WELL, THAT'S ON ME BECAUSE IT'S MY PROPERTY.

THE OTHER REASON THAT WE HAD TO DETACH THE TWO PROPERTIES THAT WE PUT UP FOR THE ANNEXATION IS BECAUSE STAFF TOLD US THAT THE DESCRIPTION THAT WAS USED ON THE LIEN TO SHOW THE PROPERTY WAS NOT ENOUGH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S LEGALLY ON THE DEED AND IT'S IN IT DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH DETAIL IN IT AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GET A SURVEY DONE. I RUSHED OUT, CALLED SEVERAL SURVEY COMPANIES.

THEY GOT BACK WITH BIDS OF $5,000 OR MORE TO DO IT, AND IT WAS GOING TO BE TWO MONTHS BEFORE WE COULD GET TO IT.

SO THEY IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME AT THAT POINT THAT THEY WERE PLANNING ON DENYING IT BEFORE HEARING ANYTHING ELSE.

SO I SAID, WELL, LET'S JUST PUT THE ONE PROPERTY IN THERE THAT WE DO HAVE THE APPROPRIATE DESCRIPTION OF, EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN NAMES, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A REGISTERED PARCEL, IT WAS A WAY TO KIND OF DELAY THIS MEETING.

SO I PUT THE ONE MEETING UP THERE SO WE COULD JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY, LET'S WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS.

IF THIS WORKS, WE PLAN TO GET THE OTHER PROPERTY SURVEYED SO WE COULD ACTUALLY HAVE THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION REQUIRED BY VOICE, NOT BY LAW, TO STATE THAT THIS IS THE PROPERTY NEEDED SO THAT WE COULD THEN BE ANNEXED TO THE PROPERTY AS WELL.

IT WAS MEANT TO BE ONE.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC.

YEAH. MR. [INAUDIBLE]. I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BY SOMETHING YOU SAID EARLIER YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH RAW MILK SALES? AT FIRST IT WAS THE CUSTOMERS WERE REQUIRED TO COME ON SITE.

BUT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO DELIVERIES AS WELL.

[01:35:01]

OR DO YOU? YEAH.

THE STAFF HAD ASKED US TO NOT ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO COME ONTO OUR PROPERTY ANYMORE IN JUNE AND SO WE TOLD ALL OUR CUSTOMERS THAT, HEY, IF YOU'RE PICKING UP, IF YOU NEED FOOD, WE SELL MEAT, WE SELL POULTRY AND WE SELL MILK.

THAT WE WOULD TAKE THE SELL ON THE FARM AND THEN CARRY IT BY US DELIVERING IT TO THEM.

AND WHAT HAS THAT DONE TO YOUR PROFITS? OH, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE.

I MEAN, WE'VE GOT CUSTOMERS THAT THEY DRIVE BY THE FARM ON THE WAY TO WORK, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DRIVE OUT, WE'RE DOING 40 MILES A DAY USUALLY.

THE ELECTRIC TRUCK ALLOWS FOR IT TO HELP, BUT IT'S STILL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AN $8 BOTTLE THAT YOU HAVE TO.

OF MILK THAT YOU HAVE TO GO OUT TWICE A DAY AND MILK 12 DIFFERENT GOATS TO GET TO.

A LITTLE OVER A GALLON AND A HALF.

SO YEAH.

TIME AND MANAGEMENT PROFITABILITY.

RIGHT NOW IN THIS EARLY STAGE ISN'T WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON UNTIL THE CITY TELLS US THAT IF WE GET ANOTHER SHED ON OUR PROPERTY, WE'RE GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO PUT A SIX INCH WATER LINE IN THERE FOR A FIRE HYDRANT, EVEN THOUGH WHEN WE HAD A FIRE ON OUR PROPERTY, DE SOTO SHOWED UP TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, NOT LENEXA. WHEN I CALLED LENEXA TO SAY WHAT HAPPENED, THEY SAID WE DETERMINED IT WAS CLOSER FOR DE SOTO AND THEY SENT DE SOTO OUT TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. SO BUT BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURES AND WHERE THEY WOULD BE ON THE PROPERTY, WE'D HAVE TO PUT IN A HYDRANT AND I SAID, THAT'S LIKE A $60,000 SIMILAR PROJECT.

THERE WERE SNICKERS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE AND THEY SAID, MINIMUM.

WELL, I DON'T MAKE $60,000 ON THIS FARM FOR FIVE YEARS OF PROFIT TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THAT, AND ANOTHER 60 TO PAY FOR THE PARKING LOT AND PAVED DRIVEWAY THAT I'D BE REQUIRED THAT WE HAVE GRAVEL ON NOW.

AND IT WORKS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

WHAT OTHER STRUCTURES ARE YOU ANTICIPATING? WE NEED SMALL SHEDS AND PORTABLE ITEMS THAT WE CAN MOVE AROUND THE FARM THAT CAN HIDE, THAT CAN HOUSE ANIMALS DURING THE WINTER.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO PUT THEM IN PLASTIC TOTES BECAUSE WE'RE TOLD WE CAN'T HAVE ANY MORE STRUCTURES.

SO THESE WOULD BE TEN BY 20 PORTABLE BUILDINGS THAT THEY WOULD GO IN AND THAT WE COULD ALSO HOUSE HAY IN.

CURRENTLY OUR HAY IS UNDER PLASTIC.

IT GETS MOLD WHEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO REPLACE EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE'RE USING TEMPORARY STRUCTURES, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ON HOLD FOR SO LONG TRYING TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO DETERMINE HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE PIECES.

BUT YOU SAID THAT THE STRUCTURES, THE CODES, THE BUILDING CODES FOR LENEXA AND THE COUNTY.

THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE.

YOU SAID THE ONLY ISSUE WAS THE PAVING.

SO THE STRUCTURES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE DIFFERENCE IN THE CODES BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY REALLY AREN'T.

SO THE COUNTY UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE ARE LIVESTOCK SHELTERS, AND THEY DON'T CONSIDER THOSE ACCESSORY BUILDINGS, THAT THOSE ARE TEMPORARY PORTABLE STRUCTURES, JUST LIKE A TRAILER OR A HAY TRAILER WOULD BE, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THEY'RE ON SKIDS AND YOU MOVE THEM AROUND AND LENEXA IT'S CONSIDERED A BUILDING BECAUSE IT HAS A ROOF, EVEN IF IT'S NOT ENCLOSED, IF IT HAS A ROOF, IT'S CONSIDERED AN ACCESSORY. AND THOSE I CAN ONLY GET UP TO 120 SQUARE FOOT WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH PLANNING AND THEN WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING TO ANCHOR TO THE GROUND.

SO I CAN GO BUY A SHED DEALERSHIP AND SAY AT HOME DEPOT AND SEE ALL THEIR SHEDS NOT ANCHORED TO THE GROUND AND THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF BUILDINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND I NEED TO MOVE THOSE AROUND ON THE PROPERTY FOR THE DIFFERENT.

HERDS OF GOATS THAT WE HAVE SO THAT WE HAVE A PLACE FOR THEM TO GO.

WHENEVER IT'S BAD WEATHER, YOU KNOW, WE'VE JUST HAD DROPS IN TEMPERATURES AND TO KEEP SUPPLIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

I GUESS I'M HAVING A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING THE, I GUESS, THE DIFFICULTY IN COMPLYING WITH THE CODE.

HOW DOES THAT AFFECT YOUR LIVESTOCK TO COMPLY WITH THE CITY CODE VERSUS COMPLYING WITH THE COUNTY CODE? SO IF I WANT TO GET A SHED TODAY, I HAVE TO GO PUT IN A PERMIT TO GET A SHED WITH THE CITY IF IT'S OVER 120FT², WHICH IS REALLY SMALL AND THEN AT THAT PLACE SOMEBODY WOULD COME OUT AND SAY, OKAY, YOU NEED TO ANCHOR IT TO THE GROUND, YOU NEED TO PUT A FOUNDATION ON IT, OR YOU NEED TO PUT IT ON PIERS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WELL, THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF THAT PARTICULAR STRUCTURE IS TO MOVE.

SO IF IF IT WAS THE SAME SIZE BUT IN THE SHAPE OF A LIVESTOCK TRAILER.

NOBODY IS ASKING QUESTIONS, BUT YOU DON'T USE LIVESTOCK TRAILERS FOR THAT.

YOU USE BUILDINGS FOR THAT AND IN THE COUNTY, THEY UNDERSTAND.

THEY GET IT. IT'S AN AGRICULTURAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

BUT IN LENEXA, BECAUSE IT'S HIGHLY RESIDENTIAL, IT'S A SHED IN SOMEBODY'S BACKYARD, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T SEE IT FROM THE ROAD BECAUSE IT MOVES, IT BREAKS THE NEED.

IF I MOVE THAT, I HAVE TO THEN PUT PIERS IN AT THE NEW LOCATION AND THAT GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH CLEAN, REGENERATIVE FARMING, WHERE THE ANIMALS

[01:40:09]

YES, BECAUSE WE DON'T USE VACCINES AND WE DON'T USE THE WARMERS, AND WE DON'T USE ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT OF OUR HEALTH SYSTEM RIGHT NOW.

WE DON'T SPRAY CHEMICALS ON ANY OF OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR CROPS OR ANYTHING THAT WE GROW THERE.

YOU HAVE TO MOVE THE ANIMAL OR THAT IMPACT THAT THEY HAVE FROM PARASITES WILL GET IN AND KILL THEM.

THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON WE INVENTED THESE THINGS.

WE USED TO JUST ALLOW ANIMALS TO BE OUT ON THE PRAIRIES AND MOVE THEM AROUND, AND THEY TOOK CARE OF THEMSELVES, BUT WE BROUGHT THEM IN AND CLOSED THE FENCES, LEFT THEM THERE, AND THEY STARTED TO DEVELOP THESE ILLNESSES, AND WE STARTED TO GIVE THEM, YOU KNOW, SHOTS AND SPRAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH WE DON'T DO.

WE MOVE THEM.

SO WE HAVE TEMPORARY FENCING THAT LOOKS LIKE A GIANT NET WITH STICKS ON IT, THAT WE WILL ACTUALLY MOVE TO DIFFERENT AREAS OF OUR PROPERTY.

IT'S WHAT THEY USE IN THE PARK TO KEEP THE GOATS IN THERE, AND WE CONTINUALLY MOVE THEM ON A WEEK BY WEEK BASIS AROUND THE PROPERTY, WHICH MAKES IT TO WHERE ALL THE STUFF THAT GOES WITH THE GOATS MOVES AROUND TOO.

DO THEY MOVE AROUND YOUR ENTIRE PROPERTY, THE PARTS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET BACK.

SO BEFORE THIS WAS ANNEXED INTO LENEXA, IT WAS A WORKING FARM AND IT WAS A WORKING FARM FROM THE 1920S ON.

BUT AFTER THEY STOPPED FARMING IT, THERE WAS A LOT OF OVERGROWTH OF CEDARS AND OTHER INVASIVE SPECIES.

SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO IN WITH THE GOATS, CLEAR PATHS THAT WE CAN PUT THE NETTING THROUGH, AND THEN GET THEM IN THERE AND THEN HAVE THEM HIT THAT AREA FOR 2 TO 3 YEARS, LIKE WE'VE SEEN IN SAR-KO-PARK, TO BE ABLE TO TRULY HAVE IMPACT ON THOSE INVASIVE SPECIES.

IF YOU GO IN AND PUT CHEMICALS DOWN AND RIP IT ALL UP, IT WILL COME BACK AND THE GOATS ACTUALLY GET IN THERE AND THEY STARVE THE PLANT FOR THAT'S GROWING BY EATING AND STOMPING ON IT AND DOING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

THE PLANT WILL ACTUALLY END UP DYING OFF.

SO YOU JUST KEEP THEM IN THAT THE RED OUTLINED AREA AND THE YELLOW AREA TOO, WHICH IS THE OTHER PART OF OUR PROPERTY.

SO THEN HOW WOULD DE-ANNEXING ONE OF THREE DIFFERENT PARCELS IF THE ANIMALS ARE MOVING ALL OVER MAKES SENSE? THE DE-ANNEXING GETS US THAT PROPERTY, WHICH IS WHERE OUR PRODUCE STAND, WOULD BE, AND WOULD ALLOW THE CUSTOMERS TO COME ON TO THE TO THE PROPERTY.

WE'D ALSO BE ABLE TO MOVE AND SHIFT GEARS, BUT MY INTENT IS TO BRING THE OTHER PROPERTIES IN AND GET THEM TO DE- ANNEX WITH THE STAFF IMMEDIATELY SAYING THEY PLAN TO REJECT IT AND HERE'S HOW AWESOME IT WAS.

I PUT IN THE NOTICE WITH THE CITY CLERK WITHIN ONE HOUR.

AFTER WAITING SIX MONTHS FOR ANOTHER MEETING, I GET A CALL FROM THE CODES GUY SAYING THAT THEY'VE BEEN REQUESTED TO PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING WRONG AND GET A LETTER OUT TO ME BECAUSE I PUT IN THE DE-ANNEXATION REQUEST.

SO YOU HAVE THIS INTERNAL KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATION GOING ON WHERE WE GET THE NASTY GRAM BEFORE THEY'LL CONVERSATION WILL COME BACK ABOUT THE DE-ANNEXATION AND THEN THEY PUT ALL THE, THE HARMFUL PIECES IN THAT MAKE IT TO WHERE IT WASN'T THE ORIGINAL INTENT.

IT'S EVERYTHING WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO WORK WITH THE CITY, BUT IT'S JUST NOT WORKING OUT BECAUSE AND WHEN DID YOU BUY THE LIVE? I MEAN, HAVE YOU HAD THE LIVESTOCK? DID YOU HAVE THE LIVESTOCK BEFORE YOU BOUGHT THE LAND OR THE LAND BOUGHT? YEAH. GOATS TAKE ABOUT FIVE MONTHS TO HAVE BABIES.

SO YOU CAN REPOPULATE PRETTY QUICKLY.

SO WE NOW HAVE 70 GOATS AND WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF LAND.

WHY DID YOU BUY IT? OUR FRIENDS OWNED IT BEFORE.

IF I COULD JUST INTERRUPT FOR A MOMENT.

WE'RE KIND OF GETTING DOWN A WORMHOLE.

THAT IS SOMEWHAT IRRELEVANT TO THE PROCEEDING OF DELIBERATING ON THE FOUR QUALIFICATIONS THAT ARE BEFORE US TONIGHT.

SO WHILE I APPRECIATE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AND HISTORY.

IS THIS LINE OF QUESTIONING RELEVANT TO THE FOUR THINGS BEFORE US? IT WAS RELEVANT TO THE FOURTH ELEMENT, WHICH WAS EQUITY AND JUSTICE.

BUT I THINK I'VE GOT ENOUGH.

OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH.

YOU BET. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. CHRIS? SEAN, REMIND ME WHY THE CITY ASKED THE PETITIONER TO NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME TO HIS PROPERTY OR TO USE HIS ROAD.

MAYBE I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUE.

SCOTT'S GOING TO SPEAK MORE TO THAT.

THAT'S A CODE ISSUE AND I CAN'T HELP.

[01:45:01]

SCOTT MCCULLOUGH WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

WE'RE THE DEPARTMENT THAT'S HAD A COUPLE OF MEETINGS WITH THE JULIANS AND AS THEY EXPLAINED THEIR DESIRES, WE HAVE BEEN SUPPLYING AND PROVIDING THE CODE PATH TO ACCOMMODATE THE USES ON THE PROPERTY.

I THINK ABOUT IT IN THIS WAY, THAT THE FARMING THAT IS ESTABLISHED TODAY BY THE JULIAN FAMILY OF JUST PRODUCING EITHER ANIMAL PRODUCTS OR CROP PRODUCTS, IS ACCOMMODATED BY THE INFRASTRUCTURE BOTH OUTSIDE AND INSIDE THE PROPERTY.

AS SOON AS LIKE ANY DEVELOPMENT, LIKE ANY PROPERTY THAT WANTS TO INTENSIFY DEVELOPMENT, AS THAT INTENSIFICATION HAPPENS, HIGHER LEVEL OF LIFE SAFETY CODES ARE APPLIED TO THE PROPERTY AND AS MR. JULIAN DESCRIBED HIS DESIRE TO BRING ON THE PUBLIC INTO AT THE TIME IT WAS A BUILDING JUST OFF THE ROAD.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ASSISTED US IN PROVIDING THE CODES THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ACCOMMODATE THAT PUBLIC.

PER OUR CODE AND SO THE PROPERTY IS VERY CHALLENGED WITH A VERY STEEP DRIVE COMING RIGHT OFF 83RD STREET.

THAT PROBABLY IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT IS PRESENTED FOR ANYTHING PAST FARMING THE PROPERTY AND BRINGING THE TAKING THE PRODUCT OFF THE PROPERTY TO A FARMERS MARKET OR STORE OR CUSTOMERS.

AS SOON AS WE BRING THAT PUBLIC IN, HIGHER LEVEL CODES KICK IN.

SO I THINK I'M HOPEFULLY I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, BUT THAT IS HOW THIS WHOLE THING KIND OF CAME TO BE.

IT'S NOT THAT THE PUBLIC IS PROHIBITED FROM COMING ONTO THE PROPERTY, IT'S THAT CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS NEED TO BE MADE TO THE PROPERTY IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE PUBLIC IN A SAFE WAY AND IN A WAY THAT LIFE SAFETY EMERGENCY PERSONNEL CAN GO ASSIST THE PUBLIC SHOULD THERE BE AN ACCIDENT AT THE FARM.

OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

OKAY, I WILL ENTERTAIN.

OH, I WILL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ANYONE PRESENT WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME FORWARD TO THE PODIUM.

SIGN IN AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.

SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE THE MOTION TO.

I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

MOTION BY COURTNEY.

SECOND BY MARK. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.

WITH THAT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO DENY THE DE-ANNEXATION REQUEST FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 27855 WEST 83RD STREET.

SECOND MOTION BY BILL, SECOND BY CHELSEA.

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. MOTION PASSES.

ITEM NUMBER 14.

[14. Resolution to submit to the qualified electors of the City of Lenexa, Kansas, the proposition of renewing the three-eighths of one percent (0.375%) general purpose Retailers' Sales Tax within the City]

THE PROPOSITION OF RENEWING THE 3/8 OF $0.01, 3/8 OF 1% GENERAL PURPOSE RETAILER SALES TAX WITHIN THE CITY.

MIKE. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.

GIVE ME A SECOND TO PULL THIS UP REALLY QUICK.

I HAD A BUNCH OF DILIGENT NOTES AND THINGS THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.

I'M GOING TO TRY TO KEEP IT AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE.

I'M GOING TO TRY TO READ FROM FOR THEM TO GET EVERYTHING THAT'S IN.

AFTER MANY INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS AND THE DIRECTION FROM THE GOVERNING BODY AS PART OF THIS YEAR'S CIP PROCESS, AND MANY CONVERSATIONS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE AND BEFORE YOU, THIS EVENING IS A RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF LENEXA THE PROPOSITION OF RENEWING THE THREE EIGHT CENT SALES TAX.

GENERAL PURPOSE RETAILERS SALES TAX WITHIN THE CITY.

IF APPROVED, THAT ELECTION WOULD BE HELD BY MAIL BALLOT ON APRIL 1ST, 2025.

THE RESOLUTION DOES TWO IMPORTANT THINGS.

IT CALLS FOR THE ELECTION, AND IT SETS THE BALLOT LANGUAGE, ASKING THE VOTERS TO RENEW THE TAX EARLY FOR A PERIOD OF 20 YEARS, COMMENCING ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2028 AND CONCLUDING ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2048.

THE THREE CENT SALES TAX WAS FIRST APPROVED BY VOTERS IN 2008 AND IS THE PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE FOR STREET MAINTENANCE, PARKS IMPROVEMENTS AND TRAIL CONSTRUCTION.

AS YOU ARE FAMILIAR, THE CITY APPROVES A BUDGET ANNUALLY, AS REQUIRED BY LAW.

BUT WE ALSO PLAN FINANCIALLY AND OPERATIONALLY IN FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS.

IN THE FINAL YEAR, THE PROPOSED CIP, WHICH YOU HEARD SEVERAL COMMENTS ABOUT THIS THIS EVENING, THE THREE CENT SALES TAX IS NOT AN AVAILABLE FUNDING SOURCE AND IT EXPIRES ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2028.

THE THREE CENT SALES TAX ACCOUNTS FOR 20% OF THAT.

CIP AND I HAVE NOT BEEN CHANGING THIS, HAVE I? NO THAT'S GOOD. SECOND ONE.

SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS AND SOME THINGS.

SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER AS YOU DELIBERATE ON THE RESOLUTION THIS EVENING.

ONE THIS WOULD BE A RENEWAL OF AN EXISTING SALES TAX AND IS NOT A NEW SALES TAX.

THE SECOND CONSIDERATION, THE CITY SALES TAX RATE WOULD REMAIN THE SAME AT ONE AND 3/8 OF A PERCENT.

FOR NEWT, IT WOULD BEGIN OCTOBER 1ST, 2028, CONCLUDE SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2048.

IT WOULD BE USED TO FUND THE SAME EXACT THINGS AS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN 2008.

[01:50:04]

PARKS AND RECREATION IMPROVEMENTS.

TRAIL CONSTRUCTION.

IT'S ESTIMATED TO RAISE ABOUT $260 MILLION OVER THAT 20 YEAR TERM, AND IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, BETWEEN 35 AND 40% OF SALES TAX IN LENEXA IS GENERATED BY VISITORS AND NOT RESIDENTS. SO WHAT HAS THIS FUNDED? OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS.

SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND.

IS THAT A KEY COMPONENT OF THE ORIGINAL SALES TAX EFFORT IN 2008 AND VISION 2030 WAS THE LENEXA REC CENTER.

OBVIOUSLY, THAT IS CONSTRUCTED, AND THERE IS STILL $9.4 MILLION OF OUTSTANDING DEBT.

THE BONDS OF WHICH WILL BE REPAID BY 2028 WHEN THE ORIGINAL SALES TAX WAS EXPECTED TO EXPIRE.

RENEWING THIS WOULD NOT CHANGE THE SCHEDULE OF THOSE PAYMENTS ON THE BONDS.

MANY OF THE OTHER INITIATIVES FROM VISION 2030 AND THE PREVIOUS PARKS AND REC MASTER PLAN WERE ALSO FUNDED WITH THE THREE CENT SALES TAX.

IT IS EXPECTED THAT VISION 2040 AND THE 2024 PARKS AND REC MASTER PLAN WOULD SERVE SIMILARLY AS GUIDES FOR INVESTMENT IN NEW PARKS AND REC INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE THE PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, TRAILS AND PARK DEVELOPMENT.

PROBABLY THE MORE IMPORTANT THING THAT PEOPLE USE EVERY DAY IS GETTING TO AND FROM SCHOOL, WORK AND THOSE THIRD PLACES THAT EVERYBODY ENJOYS AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY OUR PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.

STREET MAINTENANCE IS SOMETHING THAT OUR CITIZENS HAVE COME TO EXPECT AND RATE VERY HIGHLY IN THE COMMUNITY.

AS INDICATED BY THE 2023 CITIZEN SURVEY, ABOUT 60% OF THE CITY'S PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE THREE CENT SALES TAX, WHICH IS A MAJOR PROPORTION ABOUT 5 TO $6 MILLION ANNUALLY.

AND SO WHAT WOULD A SALES TAX RENEWAL PLAN LOOK LIKE? AND SOME KEY DATES THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER ON THE SLIDE BEFORE YOU? STATE STATUTE PROVIDES US A WINDOW FOR WHERE WE'RE ALLOWED TO IDENTIFY TO TELL THE COUNTY COMMISSION, COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSIONER, THAT WE INTEND TO HOLD A MAIL BALLOT ELECTION FOR THIS PURPOSE.

THOSE DATES ARE YESTERDAY, DECEMBER 2ND TO JANUARY 7TH.

IF IT WERE TO BE AN APRIL 1ST MAIL BALLOT ELECTION, SHOULD YOU VOTE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING WILL PROVIDE OFFICIAL NOTICE TO THE COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSIONER THIS WEEK, AND OUR STAFF WILL BEGIN TO WORK WITH HIS OFFICE ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH HOLDING A SPECIAL MAIL BALLOT ELECTION. THAT'S JUST THE FIRST STEP.

AS I MENTIONED AT THE CIP PAGE TURN LAST MONTH, STAFF HAS BEEN PREPARED WITH AN INFORMATIONAL WEBSITE ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SALES TAX RENEWAL AND HAS TENTATIVELY BOOKED CITY FACILITIES TO HOLD OUR FOUR PUBLIC OPEN HOUSES IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH.

THE DETAILS OF THOSE ARE ON THE SHEET THAT I PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING THIS EVENING.

WHEN WE FINALIZE THAT AND PUBLISH THOSE, SHOULD YOU MOVE FORWARD, WE WILL MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL.

THAT INFORMATION IS PLANNED TO BE FOUND@LENEXA.COM BACKSLASH SALES TAX AND JUST SOME OF THE KEY DATES ON WHEN THOSE THINGS WOULD BE ARE ON THE SCREEN THERE. THE FINAL THING I COULDN'T LET YOU LEAVE WITHOUT PUTTING THE BALLOT LANGUAGE ON THE SCREEN, AND I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO READ IT, SEAN.

SO I AM NOT GOING TO UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OBJECTIONS.

I DID RECEIVE A NOTE FROM COUNCILMEMBER NICKS ASKING COMPARISONS KIND OF BETWEEN THE LAST SALES TAX LANGUAGE AND THIS ONE AND THE MAJOR CHANGES ARE WE HAVE CONSOLIDATED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE FUNDING STRUCTURE TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEARLY STATED THAT IT'S FOR STREET MAINTENANCE, FOR PARKS AND TRAILS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, AND ALL KIND OF OTHER GENERAL THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT, INCLUDING BEING ABLE TO BOND FOR THOSE AND BORROW AGAINST IT AS A REVENUE SOURCE LIKE WE DID WITH THE REC CENTER.

THE SECOND THING IS TO INDICATE THAT IT'S A RENEWAL OF THE CURRENT SALES TAX, AND THAT IT WOULD EXTEND BEYOND THE CURRENT EXPIRATION IN 2028.

SO, MIKE.

YES, MA'AM. IF YOU WOULD BACK UP, ITEM C IS THE ONLY ONE THAT I CAN SEE PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE SAY ALL THINGS RELATED TO. IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE THAT ANY MORE SPECIFIC? THAT IS A QUESTION FOR SEAN.

OKAY. SO THIS IS A GENERAL SALES TAX.

IF IT WAS A SPECIFIC SALES TAX, TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, YOU RUN THE RISK OF GETTING YOURSELVES ONLY TEN YEARS OF SALES TAX.

SO THE STATUTE REQUIRES ON GENERAL SALES TAX TO ALSO LIST SOME OF THE THINGS YOU MAY USE IT FOR.

AS IT MAY BE THE CASE, THE A, B AND C MIRRORS A LOT OF WHAT WE DID ORIGINALLY.

OKAY AND IF WE ARE TO WANT TO DO CERTAIN BONDING ITEMS IN THE FUTURE, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT BONDING LANGUAGE IN THERE.

I THINK IT PROVIDES YOU THE GENERAL LANGUAGE THAT YOU MAY THINGS MAY CHANGE OVER A 20 YEAR LANDSCAPE.

IT IS A GENERAL SALES TAX.

IT IS NOT A SOME OF THE CITIES HAVE A LOT OF PIPES AND PARK SALES TAX.

THAT'S TEN YEARS LONG.

THIS IS A GENERAL SALES TAX.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE A BROADER LANGUAGE TO IDENTIFY THOSE.

BUT WE'VE ALSO IDENTIFIED IN YOUR CAMPAIGN KIND OF WHAT YOU GUYS WOULD INTEND TO USE THIS FOR, AS WE'VE DONE SO OVER THE LAST 17 YEARS IN THE CURRENT ONE AND, MAYOR, KEEP IN MIND IN THROUGHOUT OUR EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN, WE'RE GOING TO USE PLAIN LANGUAGE FOR ALL OF THIS.

[01:55:07]

SO HOPEFULLY WE'VE DONE A GOOD ENOUGH JOB EDUCATING OUR RESIDENTS AND VOTERS ABOUT WHAT THE INTENTIONS ARE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT IS INTENDED WHEN THEY GO TO ACTUALLY MARK THE BALLOT.

SO INSTEAD OF SAYING THE REASON I'M ASKING, YOU COULDN'T SAY MATERIALS, LABOR FINANCING, BUT YOU HAVE TO SAY ALL THINGS.

JUST YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY ALL THINGS.

IT'S MORE SO THERE'S A BIT OF ART AND THEN LEGAL TERMS TO HERE.

WE CERTAINLY WE REFLECTED ON THAT ONE.

WE ACTUALLY I BELIEVE THE PREVIOUS ONE HAD A LOT OF THAT STUFF AND IT SEEMED A LOT MORE.

THIS IS A CLEANER TEN WORDS.

THE OTHER ONE WAS 20 AND I THINK OUR VERSION WAS TO GO TO TEN WORDS VERSUS 20 WORDS OF DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT WE MAY PAY FOR.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

I'M SORRY I COULDN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BUT THANK YOU, BECKY AND SEAN.

I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE REMARKS ON THE BALLOT LANGUAGE ITSELF, BUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE ACTION NEEDED.

WITH THAT, I'LL CONCLUDE MY REMARKS.

AND I'LL ADVISE YOU THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED, AND I'LL STAND FOR ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SALES TAX RENEWAL ITSELF OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU SHOULD ASK. SO ANY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS? OKAY. ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF LENEXA, KANSAS.

THE PROPOSITION OF RENEWING THE 3/8 OF 1% GENERAL PURPOSE RETAILER SALES TAX WITHIN THE CITY.

SECOND. MOTION BY COURTNEY.

SECOND BY MELANIE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU. ANY COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS THIS EVENING? OKAY, STAFF JUST HAVE THE EXTERIOR GRANT AND TAX REBATE PROGRAM UPDATES, WHICH KYLE AND SCOTT ARE GOING TO PRESENT TO YOU.

[STAFF REPORTS]

I THINK AM I TAKING THIS FIRST PART? I'LL START. OKAY.

I'M GOING TO START AND THEN I'LL KICK IT OFF TO KICK IT BACK TO SCOTT AND THEN I'LL TAKE IT BACK.

SO I'LL KIND OF EXPLAIN WHY IN A MINUTE, BUT KYLE.

KYLE GLASER EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT LIKE I SAID, SCOTT AND I ARE GOING TO KIND OF TAG TEAM THIS ONE.

WE DECIDED TO GO AND REPORT ON BOTH OF THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS TOGETHER TONIGHT FOR REALLY ONE REASON AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE KIND OF SISTER PROGRAMS, RIGHT? BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE REALLY DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THIS VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS GOAL THAT WE ESTABLISHED IN VISION.

VISION 2040, EXCUSE ME AND THE THREE SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT THOSE VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE UP THERE ON THE SCREEN.

YOU CAN SEE THEM NOW BUT REALLY, BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS KIND OF RELATE BACK TO THESE THREE STRATEGIES AND HELPS SUPPORT THESE THREE STRATEGIES IN KIND OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

AND SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AS WE KIND OF GET INTO EACH PROGRAM A LITTLE BIT MORE.

BUT THE FIRST MAIN ONE PRESERVE AND REHABILITATE EXISTING HOUSING STOCK.

AGAIN, EACH PROGRAM KIND OF ATTACKS THIS DIFFERENTLY.

BUT OUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS REALLY OUR EXISTING OLDER HOUSING STOCK AND BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE AIMED AT AT KIND OF HELPING, HELPING THOSE THAT ARE IN THAT OLDER HOUSING STOCK TO KIND OF STAY IN THEIR HOMES, MAINTAIN THEIR HOMES.

PRESERVING EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE CHARACTER OF EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS.

AGAIN, BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS REALLY GEARED TOWARDS OUR OLDER HOUSING STOCK.

AND THEN LASTLY, THIS ONE'S PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY, BUT SUPPORT AGING IN PLACE.

REALLY MORE WITH THE TAX REBATE PROGRAM.

BUT ALSO AGAIN, A LOT OF OUR OLDER HOUSING STOCK IS WHERE SOME OF OUR OLDER RESIDENTS LIVE, AND THEY'VE LIVED THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE.

SO HELPING PEOPLE AND INDIVIDUALS ON FIXED INCOME AGE IN PLACES IS IMPORTANT AND IN BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE HELPING TO SUPPORT THAT AND SO I GUESS AS WE KIND OF GO FORWARD AND TALK ABOUT EACH PROGRAM, KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE EVALUATE THE RESULTS AND THINK ABOUT HOW EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS HAS DONE THIS YEAR.

THANK YOU, KYLE.

MAYOR COUNCIL SCOTT MCCULLOUGH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROGRAM, SO I'LL BE FAIRLY BRIEF AND JUMP TO THE PUNCHLINE, WHICH IS ALWAYS THE PICTURES AT THE END SHOWING BEFORE AND AFTER.

FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 LIKE SEVERAL YEARS.

A FEW YEARS IN THE PAST, THE BUDGET FOR 24 EXTERIOR GRANT PROGRAM WAS $90,000, AND RECIPIENTS CAN RECEIVE 50% OF A MATCH UP TO $5,000 TO PUT TOWARDS EXTERIOR RENOVATION OF THEIR PROPERTIES TO BE ELIGIBLE.

THE HOME THIS YEAR NEEDED TO BE BUILT IN OR BEFORE 1977, AND BE VALUED LESS THAN $323,500 BY THE COUNTY APPRAISER'S

[02:00:09]

SOME HIGHLIGHTS HERE ARE THAT WE HAVE ISSUED NEARLY $244,000 IN GRANTS, FOR A TOTAL INVESTMENT OF NEARLY $700,000 BY THE OWNERS OF THE IN THE COMMUNITY.

WE'VE PROVIDED 63 GRANTS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS TO 55 OWNERS AND TO EIGHT RENTAL PROPERTIES.

RECALL THAT WE DID CHANGE THE PROGRAM IN 20 FOR THE 22 YEAR BECAUSE WE HAD A REALLY HIGH RATIO OF APPLICATIONS TO WHAT WE COULD PROVIDE IN GRANTS.

THIS IS RIGHT SIZE NOW, IN OUR OPINION, AND WORKING VERY WELL.

THE LAST FOUR YEARS WORTH OF LOCALES OF WHERE THOSE GRANTS WERE PROVIDED TO AND THEN IN 24.

SO AGAIN, THE ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS AGAIN, THIS IS TO REITERATE A POINT KYLE MADE.

THIS REALLY IS ONE OF THE TOOLS WE HAVE THAT HELPS KEEP HOUSING ATTAINABLE AND HELPS KEEP HOUSING MODEST IN THE AREAS WHERE IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY.

SO GETTING TO THE FUN PART, OUR RECIPIENTS THIS YEAR, A LOT OF PUBLIC FACING PROJECTS WOULD REPAIR LANDSCAPING.

SOME OF THESE PICTURES DON'T DO IT JUSTICE.

WHAT SOME OF THESE HOMES STARTED WITH AND WHERE THEY WENT TO DRIVEWAYS ARE POPULAR ELEMENT THAT WE FUND AND I DO THINK THOSE HAVE A VERY PUBLIC FACING. YOU CAN SEE HERE WHERE THIS HOUSE WAS REPAINTED AND THE DRIVEWAY WAS NEW.

FENCING IS ALSO A POPULAR PROJECT BY OWNERS WHO ARE LOOKING TO MAKE SIMPLE IMPROVEMENTS BUT CAN BE COSTLY FOR THEM AND CAN DO SOME GOOD WORK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AGAIN, NEW PAINT, PORCH REPAIR OR A FACELIFT ON HOMES IS ALWAYS A POPULAR THING AND HERE WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF AN UNSAFE STRUCTURE, WHICH I THINK YOU CAN.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE ROOF KIND OF SLOPING IN.

THIS STRUCTURE WAS REMOVED AND A NEW FENCE ESTABLISHED HERE.

GARAGE DOORS, OTHER PUBLIC FACING PROJECTS.

THEY'RE NOT ALL HUGE, MASSIVE PROJECTS BY THE OWNERS, BUT THEY DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND CAN PROMOTE PRIDE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL.

NEW SIDING AND WINDOWS AND EVEN PAINT ON THIS PROJECT AND THEN, OF COURSE, EVERY YEAR WE GET SEVERAL NOTES OF APPRECIATION.

WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU BECAUSE IT'S REALLY YOUR FUNDING OF THE PROGRAM, YOUR APPROVAL OF THE POLICIES AND FRAMEWORK, AND YOU HAVE SOME VERY HAPPY RESIDENTS BECAUSE OF THE EXTERIOR GRANT PROGRAM AND MY ONLY HIGHLIGHT ON THIS SLIDE TO FINISH IS THAT WE DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY CHANGES TO NEXT YEAR'S PROGRAM GUIDELINES.

THINGS WILL MOVE SLIGHTLY UP IN ADJUSTMENT, BUT WE PLAN TO DO ABOUT THE SAME SIZE PROGRAM NEXT YEAR.

HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

WELL. SCOTT, I SEE THAT IT LOOKED LIKE EVERY YEAR THAT WE'VE DONE THIS, WE'VE HAD SOME RENTALS.

IS THAT THE APPLICANT OR THE PERSON OR THE OWNER OR THE PERSON THAT LIVES THERE? THE OWNER MAKES APPLICATION AND THEN WE TRACK WHETHER THEY'RE OWNER OCCUPIED OR RENTAL PROPERTIES LICENSED IN THE CITY.

IT SURPRISES ME THAT TELL ME OUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.

REMIND ME OF WHY WE ALLOWED RENTALS.

BECAUSE OFTENTIMES A RENTAL PROPERTY IS IN AS MUCH OR MORE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENTS.

THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE CODE VIOLATIONS, BUT THEY CAN DO FOR SOME IMPROVEMENTS AND WE WANT THEM SUSTAINED AS WELL.

PROPERTIES GO IN AND OUT OF RENTAL STATUS AND SO WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO NOT NECESSARILY SEPARATE RENTAL AND OWNER OCCUPIED.

I THINK IF THE PROGRAM GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS PRIMARILY RENTAL, WE WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION.

YEAH. SOMETHING'S TWITCHING.

OH MY BRAIN WILL CATCH UP WITH MY GUT, BUT NOT TONIGHT.

IT'S REALLY ONLY BEEN TWO A YEAR.

YEAH. THAT WE'VE DONE THAT HAS JUST BY CHANCE BEEN RENTAL PROPERTIES.

A QUESTION FOR SCOTT AND MAYBE THIS GETS TO WHAT BILL WAS HEADING TOWARDS.

DO WE QUALIFY THE APPLICANT? I MEAN, I KNOW WE SAY, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSE HAS TO BE A CERTAIN AGE AND VALUE, BUT DO WE HAVE ANY SAY CHECK ON INCOME OF THE OWNERS, YOU

[02:05:02]

WE DO NOT AND THAT WAS BY DESIGN TO KEEP THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM THAT HAS A MODEST BUDGET ASSIGNED TO IT, VERY EFFICIENT FOR BOTH THE PUBLIC AND THE STAFF TO IMPLEMENT.

FURTHER. DO WE HAVE DATA ON HOW MUCH THE HOMEOWNER IS SPENDING, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE OVERALL PROJECT SO WE COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT PORTION, YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE GRANTING THEM.

WE ABSOLUTELY DO.

THAT'S HOW WE GET SOME OF THESE NUMBERS ABOUT TOTAL INVESTMENT HERE AND SO YOU CAN SEE FOR A YEAR LIKE TO THIS YEAR WE SPENT 80 CLOSE TO $85,000 OF THE GRANT FUNDING, AND IT GENERATED $250,000 WORTH OF AND SO WE JUST TAKE THOSE TOTAL PROJECT COSTS AND ADD THEM TOGETHER.

MARK. THANKS, SCOTT.

THE 56 APPLICANTS AND ONLY 20 WERE GRANTED.

WHAT'S HOW WAS THE GRADING ON THAT DONE IN REGARDS TO WHY THE OTHER 36 APPLICANTS DIDN'T GET ANYTHING? WHAT WAS THE. SO WE REALLY START WITH THE OLDEST BY JUST KIND OF AN AUTOMATIC PROCESS AND THEN WE ALSO LOOK WE VET FOR THE PROGRAM ITSELF TALKS ABOUT PUBLIC FACING PROJECTS.

SO WE TYPICALLY EXCLUDE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT ARE IN THE BACKYARD IN TERMS OF BACKYARD PATIOS OR BACKYARD POOLS, THINGS THAT AREN'T GIVING THE STREET VIEW VALUE AND BENEFIT AND SO SOMETIMES THOSE ARE EXCLUDED AND SO THAT'S OUR PROCESS TO GET THE GRANTS SUBMITTED AND THEN ONE FINAL THING OUT OF THE TWO RENTALS EACH YEAR.

HAVE ANY OF THOSE RENTAL FOLKS BEEN THE SAME PERSON APPLYING? IS THERE ANY RECORD OF THAT? I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THE DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM.

I DON'T BELIEVE THE PROGRAM ALLOWS FOR THE SAME PROPERTY TO GET GRANT FUNDING WITHIN A TEN YEAR PERIOD, I BELIEVE.

I DO NOT KNOW IF IT'S THE SAME PERSON OR ENTITY.

I'D HAVE TO CHECK.

THANK YOU. CHELSEA? I JUST WANT TO SAY I LOVE THIS THIS PROGRAM AND THANK YOU FOR THE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES.

I ALWAYS ENJOY THEM.

[INAUDIBLE] THANKS TO ANGEL WHITAKER.

SHE WANTED TO BE HERE TONIGHT BUT COULDN'T.

SHE MANAGES THIS PROGRAM FOR US AND DOES A GREAT JOB.

YEAH, I THINK THE REMARKABLE FIGURE IN THE TABLE IS WE SPEND 85 AND THEN GET SO MUCH MORE INVESTMENT.

YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE THERE'S PROBABLY EVEN MORE THAT WE DON'T MEASURE THAT NEIGHBORS SEE THE IMPROVEMENTS NEXT TO THEM, AND THAT INSPIRES THEM TO POUR A NEW DRIVEWAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO YEAH.

SO THANK YOU AS ALWAYS.

IT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. SUCCESS STORY.

UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T HAVE ANY PRETTY PICTURES, BUT I'LL GO OVER THE PROPERTY TAX REBATE PROGRAM.

AS YOU KNOW, THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PROGRAM.

SO THIS WAS REALLY OUR PILOT YEAR AND WE LEARNED QUITE A BIT AND NEXT YEAR I WILL COME BACK WITH DIRECT QUOTES FROM PEOPLE.

I TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE VERY THANKFUL FOR IT, BUT I DIDN'T WRITE ANY OF THEM DOWN.

SO THAT AND PICTURES FOR NEXT YEAR.

BUT A BRIEF OVERVIEW.

THE PROPERTY TAX REBATE PROGRAM EXISTS REALLY TO PROVIDE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF TO ELIGIBLE HOMEOWNERS THAT STEM FROM RISING HOME COSTS AND THIS IS, AGAIN, A DIRECT REBATE TO INDIVIDUALS AFTER THEY HAVE PAID THEIR PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE YEAR.

SO CHECKS ACTUALLY WENT OUT, I BELIEVE IT WAS THIS WEEK AND LAST WEEK, AND THAT WAS A REBATE FOR PROPERTY TAXES THAT THEY WOULD HAVE PAID AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR.

SO NEXT YEAR'S PROGRAM WILL BE FOR PROPERTY TAXES THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE ABOUT TO PAY NOW AND THEN AGAIN IN MAY.

BUT ESSENTIALLY HOW IT WORKS IS THAT ELIGIBLE HOMEOWNERS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A REBATE UP TO 75% OF THEIR CITY TAX BILL.

THE CITY TAX BILL AMOUNTS TO APPROXIMATELY 24% OF A TOTAL TAX BILL AND SO 75% IS LIKE 12, 15% OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S TOTAL TAX BILL IS WHAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR WITH THE REBATE.

THIS YEAR WE HAD $100,000 ALLOCATED FOR THE PROGRAM, AND ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAM WAS YOU HAD TO MEET ALL FOUR OF THOSE THINGS LISTED THERE.

YOU EITHER HAD TO BE 65 PLUS OR DISABLED VETERAN.

YOU HAD TO HAVE AN COUNCILMAN.

WE DID INCOME INCOME QUALIFY ON THIS ONE, BUT YOU HAD TO BE AT OR BELOW HUD'S VERY LOW INCOME LIMITS, WHICH ARE 50% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME AND THEN YOUR HOME HAD TO HAVE AN APPRAISED VALUE OF $390,000 OR LESS, WHICH WAS THE CITY MEDIAN APPRAISED VALUE FOR 2023.

HERE'S JUST A BRIEF CHART.

AGAIN, UNLIKE EXTERIOR GRANT, WE ONLY HAVE ONE YEAR.

SO THERE'S ONLY ONE COLUMN, BUT WE HAD 33 TOTAL ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS FOR THE PROGRAM.

WE DID HAVE A COUPLE THAT WERE THAT WERE INELIGIBLE.

THE AVERAGE REBATE FOR THOSE 33 APPLICANTS WAS $683.

[02:10:01]

AGAIN, THIS WAS A PILOT YEAR.

IF YOU REMEMBER, BACK TO THE EXTERIOR GRANT PROGRAM WHEN WE MADE CHANGES INSTEAD OF INSTEAD OF GOING LARGER, WE WANTED TO START NARROW SO THAT WE DIDN'T BLOW PAST OUR BUDGET TOO MUCH AND THEN KIND OF GET A BASELINE YEAR TO THEN LOOK AT CHANGES.

SO LOOKING AHEAD AGAIN NEXT YEAR.

WE HAVE $100,000 ALLOCATED TO THE PROGRAM.

STAYING WITH THE MEDIAN HOME VALUE, THE MAXIMUM HOME VALUE THAT AN APPLICANT CAN HAVE WILL INCREASE TO ABOUT 400,000.

WELL, TWO 400,000.

THE HUD VERY LOW INCOME LIMITS AGAIN ALSO INCREASE YEAR TO YEAR.

SO FOR A TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD, WHICH MOST OF OUR APPLICANTS WERE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE 65 PLUS MOST OF OUR APPLICANTS WERE EITHER AT 2 OR 1 PERSON HOUSEHOLD.

SO FOR A TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD NEXT YEAR, THE INCOME LIMIT, THE VERY LOW INCOME LIMIT IS 41,250 AND THEN WE KEEP THE SAME APPLICATION PERIOD.

THE PROCESS THIS YEAR WORKED WORKED RELATIVELY SMOOTHLY, ACTUALLY.

WE FOUND THAT THE APPLICATION PERIOD FROM AUGUST TO OCTOBER REALLY WE HAD A KIND OF A TRICKLE IN OF APPLICATIONS.

THERE WASN'T A WHOLE THERE WAS A WAVE AT THE BEGINNING AND THEN A WAVE WHEN THE TOWN TALK WENT OUT.

SO WE KNOW THE TOWN TALK ARTICLE WORKED BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY GOT A WAVE AFTER THAT.

BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT WAS REALLY A SLOW TRICKLE THROUGHOUT THAT THREE MONTH PERIOD WHICH WHICH ALLOWED US TO KIND OF HELP PEOPLE MAKE SURE THAT THEY GOT ALL THEIR DOCUMENTATION IN, INCLUDING SOME OF THEIR TAX FORMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO OVERALL, I THINK IT WAS A RELATIVELY SMOOTH PROCESS AND I THINK A SUCCESSFUL PILOT YEAR LOOKING AHEAD TO ANY POTENTIAL CHANGES, WE'RE STILL KIND OF EVALUATING THE PROGRAM IN TOTAL, BUT WE DID SPEND ABOUT A QUARTER OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET.

SO THERE IS ROOM TO POTENTIALLY EXPAND THE PROGRAM.

SOME THINGS THAT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CONSIDERING AND WE'LL BRING BACK TO YOU ALL FOR A FULL DISCUSSION.

BUT INCREASING THOSE INCOME LIMITS FROM VERY LOW TO LOW, AGAIN, VERY LOW IS 50% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME.

INCREASING THAT TO LOW WOULD BE MOVING IT TO 80% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME AND FOR A TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD, THAT'S ABOUT $60,000.

SO ABOUT A 50% INCREASE.

SOME OTHER THINGS WE COULD POTENTIALLY DO INCREASING THE MAXIMUM HOME APPRAISAL.

LIKE I SAID, FOR NEXT YEAR, THE MEETING IS 400,000.

IF WE WENT TO AN AVERAGE MEDIANS, 50% OF THE HOUSEHOLDS IN LENEXA, AN AVERAGE WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT.

IT WOULD ALSO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM.

BY I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER IN MY HEAD, SO I WON'T GIVE YOU ONE, BUT IT WOULD INCREASE IT AND THEN POTENTIALLY ONE OTHER THING THAT WE COULD DO IS LOWERING THAT VETERAN DISABILITY STATUS.

WE DID HAVE ONE VETERAN VETERAN APPLICANT THAT WAS NOT 100% DISABLED AND SO WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF GO BACK AND LOOK AND LOOK AT EXACTLY HOW THOSE PERCENTAGES ARE ASSIGNED AND SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT MAYBE MAKES SENSE.

SO WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

WE THROUGH THE TOWN TALK.

THAT'S HOW WE LET FOLKS KNOW WE HAD THIS PILOT PROGRAM.

ARE YOU CONSIDERING OTHER, YOU KNOW, MEDIA TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS IS AVAILABLE OR POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE? AND WE DID TOWN TALK CERTAINLY WASN'T THE ONLY ONE THAT WE USED.

WE USED ALL KIND OF ALL OF OUR REGULAR CHANNELS AND SO I JUST POINTED THAT OUT BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT OF THE KIND OF APPLICANT POOL THAT WE GOT THERE WAS, THERE WAS A HANDFUL THAT CAME IN ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE APPLICATION PERIOD AND THEN AFTER TOWN TALK WENT OUT BECAUSE OF BECAUSE OF THE SCHEDULE OF TOWN TALK.

IT ACTUALLY CAME OUT ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THAT APPLICATION PERIOD, WHICH WORKED OUT PRETTY WELL, ACTUALLY, BECAUSE WE CAUGHT THAT FIRST WAVE OF PEOPLE THAT HAD SEEN IT AND WERE READY FOR IT. BUT THEN WE KIND OF GOT THE WORD OUT AGAIN AND GOT A SECOND WAVE OF INDIVIDUALS.

SO THAT WAS REALLY THE PURPOSE OF PURPOSE FOR POINTING THAT OUT.

SO KYLE, EVERYBODY THAT WAS ELIGIBLE THAT APPLIED GOT THEIR FULL 75%.

YEP. OKAY AND AS THIS AS MORE PEOPLE FIND OUT ABOUT IT, THEN HOW DO WE ADJUST TO STAY WITHIN BUDGET AS WE GET MORE APPLICANTS? SO WE DO HAVE THAT THAT KIND OF BACKSTOP IN PLACE IN THE POLICY NOW IT'S UP TO 75% OR PRORATED

[02:15:03]

SO YEAH.

SO THAT WE WOULD SPEND STAY WITHIN OUR BUDGET AND STILL GIVE EVERYBODY SOMETHING JUST IT JUST KIND OF DEPENDS ON HOW MANY APPLICANTS WE ENDED UP GETTING.

BUT WE DIDN'T OBVIOUSLY GET CLOSE TO THAT THIS YEAR.

OR SO, BUT THAT BACKSTOP IS IN PLACE.

IF WE WERE TO EXPAND IT TOO FAR THAT WOULD BE THERE AND IF YOU RECALL THAT.

SO WE DON'T HAVE TO LIKE DRAW A LINE AND SAY EVERYBODY ABOVE THE LINE GETS SOMETHING AND BELOW THE LINE DOESN'T.

YEAH AND THAT SCENARIO, EVERYONE GETS SOMETHING.

THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS.

MELANIE, JUST A COMMENT.

I'M JUST VERY PROUD OF US FOR DOING THIS.

AND, AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO SEE THIS PROGRAM EXPANDING IN THE FUTURE.

THANK YOU. THANKS.

GOOD JOB. THANK YOU.

AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU. TODD.

ANYTHING ELSE? I BELIEVE WE HAVE A COUPLE OF STUDENTS MAYBE THAT HAVE HUNG TOUGH TONIGHT.

ARE YOU GUYS HERE FOR CLASS, LADIES? NO. YEAH.

NO. OKAY.

WELL, THAT ENDS THE RECORDED PORTION OF THE MEETING.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.