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[CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:08]

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

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

. THANK YOU.

[APPROVE MINUTES]

JENNIFER. WE HAVE BEFORE YOU THE DECEMBER 3RD CITY COUNCIL AND DECEMBER 7TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

MINUTES FOR APPROVAL.

I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

SECOND. MOTION BY COURTNEY.

SECOND BY MARC. ALL IN FAVOR? MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

JENNIFER. ANY MODIFICATIONS THIS EVENING?

[MODIFICATION OF AGENDA]

NOTHING OTHER THAN THE POSTPONEMENT OF COUNCIL MEMBER JOE KARLIN CELEBRATION OF CITY SERVICE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UP NEXT IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[CONSENT AGENDA]

THERE ARE SEVEN ITEMS ON TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA.

ALL MATTERS LISTED IN THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE AND WILL ACT UPON COLLECTIVELY WITH NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION.

IF ANY CONSENT AGENDA ITEM WISHES TO BE REMOVED BY THE MEMBER OF THE GOVERNING BODY, CITY MANAGER OR MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE, THE ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND PLACED ON THE REGULAR AGENDA.

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

MOTION BY CRAIG. SECOND BY CHELSEA.

ALL IN ALL.

EXCUSE ME. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED.

ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS AN APPEAL OF SUSPENSION FROM THE LENEXA POLICE DEPARTMENT TO A ROTATION LIST BY JOHNSON COUNTY.

[8. Appeal of suspension from the Lenexa Police Department Tow Rotation list by Johnson County Tow]

TELL MACKENZIE HELLO.

HELLO, MAYOR. SAYERS COUNCIL MEMBERS.

I WILL MAKE THIS QUICK.

I DON'T BELIEVE THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM JOHNSON COUNTY IS HERE TONIGHT.

I HAD SPOKEN TO HER WHEN THEY INITIALLY FILED THE APPEAL.

I OFFERED HER THE OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER SUBMIT SOMETHING IN WRITING TO YOU OR TO APPEAR HERE BEFORE YOU AND PRESENT THEIR ARGUMENT FOR OVERTURNING THE REVOCATION.

BUT I DON'T SEE HER HERE TONIGHT, AND I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HER SINCE THEN.

I'LL JUST MAKE A FEW SHORT COMMENTS, AND THEN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE CAN GO FROM THERE.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POLICE TOW ROTATION AND NOT COMMERCIAL TOW BUSINESS.

SO THIS IS THE THESE ARE THE TOWS THAT THE LENEXA POLICE DEPARTMENT CALLS IN FOR WHEN THERE'S A DISABLED VEHICLE ON THE ROAD HERE IN LENEXA.

SO THESE ARE A SERIOUS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD VOLUME OF THESE TOWS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS ON A DAILY BASIS.

SO WHEN A COMPANY WANTS TO BE PART OF THE POLICE TOW ROTATION, THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS SET OUT IN CITY CODE IN ARTICLE 38C.

AND THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT WHERE THEY HAVE TO BE LOCATED.

BECAUSE WE WANT ANYONE WHOSE CAR IS TOWED TO.

WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET THEIR CAR AT A CLOSE LOCATION.

WE LIMIT WHAT THEY CAN CHARGE SOMEBODY FOR A POLICE TOW, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER CITY CODE IS THAT THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR THESE TOWS 24 SEVEN.

SO THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE SET OUT IN CITY CODE.

THEY ALSO EACH COMPANY SIGNS A POLICE TOW SERVICE PROVIDER AGREEMENT THAT SETS OUT THOSE SAME THINGS.

HAS THINGS LIKE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.

WE HAVE HAD. I THINK THE MEMO SETS OUT PRETTY CLEARLY THAT WE HAVE HAD SOME HISTORICAL ISSUES WITH JOHNSON COUNTY.

TOW. THIS YEAR OR.

WELL, I GUESS NOW, LAST YEAR IN 2024, THERE WERE 46 INSTANCES FROM JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER WHERE THEY DID NOT ANSWER A CALL FOR A TOW, OR THEY WERE UNAVAILABLE TO TOW WHEN ANSWERED.

AND SO, AS A CULMINATION OF THAT, THEY WERE SUSPENDED FROM THE TOW ROTATION IN OCTOBER OF 2024.

THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE OFFICE MANAGER AT THE TIME.

SHE ASSURED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY WOULD COMPLY WITH THE 24/7 AVAILABILITY WHEN THEY WERE REINSTATED IN NOVEMBER.

THEY WERE REINSTATED IN THE VERY FIRST CALL THAT WENT TO THEM WAS UNANSWERED.

SHE WAS CONTACTED AGAIN, SAID, OH, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REMEDIED.

AND THEN THREE MORE CALLS WENT UNANSWERED AFTER THAT.

SO ON NOVEMBER 12TH, THEY WERE NOTIFIED BY CHIEF LAYMAN THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE REVOKED FROM THE POLICE TOW ROTATION LIST FOR ONE YEAR, WHICH IS HER.

SHE HAS THAT ABILITY UNDER CITY CODE, AND SHE CAN REVOKE SOMEBODY FOR JUST CAUSE.

AND IN THIS TYPE OF SETTING, YOU USUALLY HEAR ABOUT JUST CAUSE AND EMPLOYMENT CASES.

[00:05:05]

IN THESE TYPES OF SETTINGS THAT ARE NON-EMPLOYMENT SETTINGS, IT GENERALLY REFERS TO A SUBSTANTIAL AND LEGITIMATE REASON FOR TAKING A SPECIFIC ACTION AGAINST SOMEONE OR AN ENTITY.

THIS USUALLY INVOLVES SOMETHING LIKE A CLEAR VIOLATION OF RULES, A VIOLATION OF AN AGREEMENT OR ETHICAL STANDARDS WHICH WOULD JUSTIFY A DECISION LIKE TERMINATING A CONTRACT OR IMPOSING A PENALTY.

SO BASED ON THAT TYPE OF STANDARD, WE FEEL LIKE THERE IS CLEAR JUST CAUSE FOR CHIEF LAYMAN TO HAVE REVOKED JOHNSON COUNTY TOW FROM THE POLICE TOW ROTATION LIST.

AND WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU UPHOLD THAT REVOCATION OF ONE YEAR.

SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CODE OR THE APPEAL PROCESS.

I KNOW CHIEF LAYMAN AND CAPTAIN CHAUFFEUR ARE HERE AS WELL TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF POLICE TOWS.

SO THANK YOU. QUESTIONS FOR ANYONE? I HAVE ONE. CRAIG, AND THIS IS PURELY A QUESTION TO SATISFY MY SELF-INTEREST.

BUT WHEN A CALL GOES UNANSWERED, THEN WHAT DOES THE OFFICER DO? IS THERE A BACKUP PERSON THEY CALL OR ANOTHER TOW COMPANY THEY CALL IN ROTATION? I WILL LET CAPTAIN CHAUFFEUR KIND OF ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

YEAH, MAYBE A TWO MINUTE OVERVIEW OF HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS, HOW MANY VENDORS ARE ON THE LIST, ET CETERA.

YEAH. MAYOR, COUNCIL, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT.

JUSTIN, CHAUFFEUR I'M A CAPTAIN AND SUPPORT SERVICES.

SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE HAVE FOUR TOTAL COMPANIES ON THE ROTATION.

SO THEY GET TWO CALLS.

AND IF THEY DON'T ANSWER ON THE SECOND CALL, WE JUST MOVE TO THE NEXT COMPANY IN THE ROTATION.

YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.

SO YOU FEEL CONFIDENT THAT YOU THAT YOU CAN OPERATE WITH THREE WITH THE THREE REMAINING AND NO ISSUES WITH ANY OF THOSE OTHER THREE VENDORS? YES, MA'AM. CORRECT. OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. SEEMS PRETTY CUT AND DRY.

THEN I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO DENY THE APPEAL OF SUSPENSION FROM LENEXA POLICE DEPARTMENT TO A ROTATION LIST.

MOTION BY CRAIG. SECOND BY MARK.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. MA'AM.

ANY COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS THIS EVENING?

[COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS]

CHRIS. I WANT TO SAY THANKS, NICK.

I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY, AT LEAST ON FACEBOOK.

MIGHT NOT BE GIVING YOU A LOT OF LOVE, BUT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WE LOVE YOU.

I KNOW I KNOW YOU GUYS WORK HARD, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WENT THROUGH ORIENTATION.

YOU PRESENTED A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION, AND I KNOW IN SOME PUBLICATION OR EMAIL I SAW, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT YOUR PREPARATION AND WHATNOT. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY GOOD WORK AND THANK YOU.

YEAH. OKAY.

YEAH. UNANIMOUS.

DITTO. ANY STAFF REPORTS THIS EVENING?

[STAFF REPORTS]

NOTHING OTHER THAN TO ECHO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS COMMENTS AS WELL, TO THANK THE POLICE AND FIRE, PARKS AND RECREATION COMMUNICATIONS.

THIS WAS AN ALL HANDS-ON DECK EFFORT BY REALLY EVERY DEPARTMENT.

AND WE HISTORIC EVENT.

WE CLOSED CITY HALL YESTERDAY, THE FIRST TIME IN MY ENTIRE TENURE WITH THE CITY THAT WE'VE EVER CLOSED CITY HALL, INCLUDING DURING THE PANDEMIC.

SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT BUT JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE TEAM AND IN PARTICULAR, NICK'S TEAMS WHO ARE STILL OUT THERE PLOWING AWAY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. EVERYBODY GETS TO GO TO BED.

OKAY. THIS ENDS THE RECORDED PORTION OF THE MEETING.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.