[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
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, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL? THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER HANDLEY. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER CHARLTON.
PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER NICKS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER ARROYO.
HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMSON. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER DENNY.
[APPROVE MINUTES]
HEARING NONE. I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.SO MOVED. SECOND. MOTION BY CRAIG. SECOND BY CHELSEA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
JENNIFER, ARE THERE ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE AGENDA? NONE THIS EVENING.
GREAT. THANK YOU. TONIGHT WE'VE GOT 3 PROCLAMATIONS.
[PROCLAMATIONS]
THE 1ST IS FOR NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH. SUSAN MCMAHAN, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MANAGER.THANK YOU. AS WE KNOW, SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH, AND THIS YEAR, THE FEMA THEME FOR 2025 IS PREPAREDNESS STARTS AT HOME. AND WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TEACH OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS IS KEY. IT'S THE NUMBER 1 THING WE HAVE TO DO.
AND THEN CREATE A FAMILY PLAN. HAVE IT ALL PLANNED OUT.
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO DURING A TIME OF CRISIS AND TO BUILD YOUR EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT.
AND DON'T JUST BUILD THE KIT FOR YOU IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN.
IF YOU HAVE PETS, ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR THEM IS ALSO IN THAT KIT TOO.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU CELEBRATING ALONG WITH ME.
THE NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH. READ THE PROCLAMATION.
THIS SAYS WHEREAS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL LENEXA RESIDENTS TO PREPARE THEIR HOMES, BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES FOR EMERGENCIES, INCLUDING NATURAL DISASTERS AND POTENTIAL TERRORIST RISKS.
AND WHEREAS, THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY'S READY CAMPAIGN, CITIZEN CORE AND OTHER PARTNERS PROMOTE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT TO INCREASE PREPAREDNESS. AND WHEREAS THE READY CAMPAIGN EMPHASIZES FOR UNIVERSAL BUILDING BLOCKS OF EMERGENCY READINESS.
BE INFORMED, MAKE A PLAN, BUILD A KIT AND GET INVOLVED.
WHILE AMERICA'S PREPAREATHON EXPANDS ON THIS BY ENCOURAGING WIDESPREAD PARTICIPATION.
AND WHEREAS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AND LENEXA, RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO MAKE PREPAREDNESS A PRIORITY AND WORK TOGETHER TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. AND WHEREAS ALL CITIZENS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES AND VISIT READY.GOV OR LISTO.GOV FOR RESOURCES TO BECOME BETTER PREPARED. NOW, THEREFORE, I, COURTNEY EITERICH, WHO DID NOT SIGN THIS ON BEHALF OF MAYOR JULIE SAYERS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 25TH TO THE CITY OF LENEXA TO BE NATIONAL PREPARED MONTH.
[APPLAUSE]. LET ME TAKE THIS OFF. YOU WANT A BETTER PICTURE? OKAY, GREAT. THE 2ND PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZES NATIONAL CO-RESPONDER AND CRISIS RESPONDER WEEK WITH CO-RESPONDERS JEN MELBY, BETH EGBERT, AND YANCY STRAWBUSH PLEASE JOIN ME.
AND WHEREAS UNTREATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONDITIONS OFTEN RESULT IN HOMELESSNESS, INCARCERATION, OR EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS THAT ARE MORE COSTLY AND DISRUPTIVE THAN EARLY INTERVENTION.
[00:05:03]
AND WHEREAS, SINCE 2016, LENEXA HAS PARTNERED WITH JOHNSON COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER'S CO-RESPONDER PROGRAM TO PAIR MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS WITH POLICE OFFICERS PROVIDING TIMELY INTERVENTIONS THAT REDUCE ARRESTS, REPEAT 911 CALLS AND EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS.AND WHEREAS, JOHNSON COUNTY'S MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM EXPANDS THESE EFFORTS BY OFFERING ASSESSMENTS AND CONNECTIONS TO COUNSELING, MEDICATION, HOUSING AND OTHER NECESSITIES, REDUCING UNNECESSARY FIRST RESPONDER INTERACTIONS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS.
NOW, I THEREFORE, COURTNEY EITERICH, ON BEHALF OF JULIE SAYERS, MAYOR OF LENEXA, KANSAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 14TH THROUGH 20TH, 2025 AS NATIONAL CO-RESPONDER AND CRISIS RESPONDER WEEK.
[APPLAUSE] WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? OKAY. PERFECT.I'M JEN MELBY. I'M THE CORRESPONDENT OF SUPERVISOR FOR LENEXA.
AND THIS IS BETH EGBERT. OUR DAYTIME AND YANCY.
OUR EVENING BETH'S BEEN WITH US SINCE 2016, WHEN THE PROGRAM STARTED.
AND YANCY BEEN WITH US SINCE LAST YEAR. YOUR SUPPORT.
IT ONLY TOOK ABOUT A YEAR FOR US TO REALIZE THAT THOSE PROGRAMS NEEDED THEIR OWN CO-RESPONDERS. BUT JUST 5 YEARS AGO, WE HAD RESPONDED TO 155, 911 CALLS WITH OFFICERS TO PROVIDE THAT ON SCENE ASSESSMENT AND COMPLETED 390 FOLLOW UPS.
SINCE THAT TIME, 5 YEARS HAS PASSED. LAST YEAR OUR CO-RESPONDERS WERE ABLE TO GO ON SCENE ALMOST 300 TIMES FOR ON SCENE ASSESSMENTS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH CITIZENS ALMOST 1300 TIMES.
SO THAT KIND OF GROWTH JUST SHOWS THE DEMAND FOR THIS WORK IS REAL.
THAT MEANS FOLLOWING UP WITH LOVED ONES AFTER A COMPLETED SUICIDE.
THOSE ARE MOMENTS THAT OFTEN HAPPEN QUIETLY OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC EYE, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO HELP HEALING, RECOVERY AND SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO ON BEHALF OF JOHNSON MENTAL HEALTH CENTER, OUR CO-RESPONDERS WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR OUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP IN THIS PROGRAM.
[APPLAUSE]. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.
THANK YOU. OKAY. THE LAST PROCLAMATION IS FOR CONSTITUTION WEEK, AND IT SAYS, WHEREAS THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE GUARDIAN OF OUR LIBERTIES, EMBODIES THE PRINCIPLES OF LIMITED GOVERNMENT IN A REPUBLIC DEDICATED TO RULE BY LAW.
AND WHEREAS SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2020, MARKS THE 238TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DRAFTING OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, AND WHEREAS IT IS FITTING AND PROPER TO ACCORD OFFICIAL RECOGNITION TO THE MAGNIFICENT DOCUMENT AND IT'S MEMORABLE ANNIVERSARY, AND TO THE PATRIOTIC CELEBRATIONS WHICH WILL COMMEMORATE THE OCCASION.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC LAW 9115 GUARANTEES THE ISSUING OF A PROCLAMATION EACH YEAR BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 17TH THROUGH 23RD AS CONSTITUTION WEEK. NOW, THEREFORE, I, COURTNEY EITERICH, ON BEHALF OF JULIE SAYERS, MAYOR OF LENEXA, KANSAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 17TH THROUGH THE 23RD, 2025 TO BE CONSTITUTION WEEK.
[PRESENTATIONS]
JULIE. HELLO. COUNCIL MEMBERS, JULIE STEINER WITH THE LENEXA CVB HERE WITH MY SEMIANNUAL REPORT.I REALIZE THAT SOME OF THE THE NUMBERS I GAVE YOU FROM THE STATE ARE NUMBERS FROM THE 2024 ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH I THINK I INCLUDED IN MY LAST REPORT. SO I'LL STILL GO OVER THOSE, JUST IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T DIDN'T COMMIT THOSE TO MEMORY.
IN 2024, TRAVEL PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN KANSAS ECONOMY.
ALTOGETHER, IT BROUGHT IN $13.4 BILLION. ONCE YOU COUNT NOT JUST DIRECT SPENDING, BUT ALSO THE RIPPLE EFFECTS LIKE RESTAURANTS BUYING FROM LOCAL FARMERS OR WORKERS SPENDING THEIR PAYCHECKS IN THE COMMUNITY. TOURISM HELPED SUPPORT MORE THAN 91,000 JOBS.
[00:10:06]
ADDED $843 MILLION IN STATE AND LOCAL TAX REVENUE AND GENERATED 3.7 BILLION IN PERSONAL INCOME.TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S ABOUT $3,200 FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD IN KANSAS.
AND THE AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE FOR THE METRO IS SLIGHTLY DOWN FROM LAST YEAR, COMING IN AT $125.52.
TODAY HOTELS ACROSS THE METRO HAVE SEEN STRONG DEMAND NEARLY 4.8 MILLION ROOMS BOOKED, WHICH IS UP JUST OVER 2% COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. REVENUE IS GROWING TOO CLIMBING TO ABOUT $660 MILLION YEAR TO DATE IN 2025, WHICH IS A 1.4% INCREASE FROM 2024. THERE'S ALSO A GOOD AMOUNT OF HOTEL DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE METRO.
CURRENTLY, 11 PROPERTIES TOTALING 1050 HOTEL ROOMS ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WITH ANOTHER 13 HOTELS, WHICH MAKE UP 1438 HOTEL ROOMS IN THE FINAL PLANNING STAGES.
AND OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET CONSTRUCTION CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD ON OUR MIDAS DUAL-PROPERTY, WITH A COMPLETION DATE NOW ESTIMATED TO BE MID 2026.
I WASN'T ABLE TO VOLUNTEER THIS YEAR, BUT WE NETTED $4,600 IN SALES AND DONATIONS AT THE TENT.
AND JUST LITTLE SIDE NOTE. THE MOST POPULAR FOOD ITEM IS THE SPINACH BALLS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE BEEN THERE, BUT PEOPLE GO NUTS FOR THOSE THINGS.
THEY'RE HOMEMADE BY BOARD MEMBERS, ROTARY CLUB MEMBERS, VOLUNTEERS.
I THINK WE SOLD 300 THIS YEAR, AND THAT WASN'T ENOUGH.
ON TO SPORTS. THE 3 AND 2 BASEBALL CLUB REPORTED EARLIER THIS SUMMER THAT THEY'VE HAD 500 MORE TEAMS PARTICIPATE IN THEIR TOURNAMENTS TO DATE THAN AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR. AND THEY BELIEVE THAT THE TURF THAT THE CITY FUNDED THROUGH THE TRANSIENT GAS TAX IS DRIVING FACTOR BEHIND THAT GROWTH.
SO THANK YOU. THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE. AND IT'S WHAT I USE AT OUR NEW CHAMBER MEMBER BREAKFASTS WHEN I EXPLAIN HOW TRAVEL AND TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARE CONNECTED, THIS IS LIKE THE PERFECT WAY TO MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT.
THIS PAST YEAR, I REPORTED ON OUR 435 SPORTS COALITION AND THAT THERE WAS A BIG FOCUS ON US SECURING ROOMS FOR THE TOP GUN EVENTS TOURNAMENTS NEXT JUNE, WHEN MOST OF OUR HOTELS WILL BE FULLY OCCUPIED WITH WORLD CUP GUESTS.
THEY HAD THREATENED TO LEAVE KANSAS ALTOGETHER IF WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THEM.
IN THE MEANTIME, WHILE WE WERE WORKING ON THAT TOP GUN EVENTS AND THE OVERLAND PARK CVB STAFF WORKED WITH THE CONSULTANT TO DRAFT A BILL FOR A SPORTS TOURISM GRANT THAT WOULD BE ADMINISTERED BY THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
THE GRANT WOULD ENHANCE THE ABILITY FOR COMMUNITIES ACROSS KANSAS TO ATTRACT SPORTS EVENTS, WHICH WOULD INCREASE OUT-OF-STATE VISITOR SPENDING.
IT'S NOT DEAD, BUT IT DIDN'T REALLY GO ANYWHERE.
AND NOW TO BRING ANOTHER GROUP INTO MY REPORT, THE STATEWIDE GROUP, SPORTS KANSAS, IS HIRING A CONSULTANT TO WORK ON A NEW BILL WITH INPUT FROM COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE. THIS BILL SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR AND INTRODUCED IN THE 2026 KANSAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WORLD CUP, SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT EVERY DAY, ALL DAY.
AS WE GET CLOSER TO DECEMBER AND THE FINAL DRAW, WE CONTINUE TO LEARN MORE FROM KC 2026 ABOUT PREPARATIONS FOR WELCOMING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS TO THE KC METRO. OUR PITCH LENEXA GROUP HAS SET ITS WATCH PARTY DATES AND HAS ASKED THE CHAMBER FOR THE CHAMBER'S HELP, INVITING AREA BUSINESSES TO AN EVENT IN OCTOBER IN HOPES OF GROWING THEIR MEMBERSHIP BASE.
KC 2026 IS HOSTING A COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ACTIVATION NETWORK EVENT ON SEPTEMBER 30TH.
THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF CIVIC AND BUSINESS LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE KANSAS CITY BI-STATE REGION, WHO WILL WORK TOGETHER TO PLAN AND PROMOTE COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS, EVENTS AND VIEWING PARTIES TO ENGAGE WORLD CUP VISITORS.
WE'RE PROBABLY AT LEAST ONE STEP AHEAD OF A LOT OF THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO THEY'VE ALSO EXTENDED THE VOLUNTEER SIGNUP DEADLINE TO EARLY OCTOBER.
[00:15:02]
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR 8 TO 10,000 SIGNUPS AND THEY'VE HAD MORE THAN 10,000.BUT OF COURSE, THEY'LL BE EXPECTING TO WEED OUT A LOT OF THOSE.
AND ONE OF THOSE REASONS POSSIBLY FOR PEOPLE TO DECIDE THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IS THAT FIFA REQUIRES VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE EIGHT DAYS, THE EIGHT HOUR SHIFTS. SO YOU GOT TO WORK EIGHT DAYS, EIGHT HOURS.
SO FOR SOME PEOPLE, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE POSSIBLE.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO WEED SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE OUT. SO THEY'RE STILL LOOKING FOR SOME PEOPLE. WE ARE WORKING AT THE, AT THE CHAMBER AND THE CVB. WE'RE WORKING ON A WORLD CUP WEB PAGE, LINKING OUT TO ALL THE MAIN STAKEHOLDER WEBSITES AS WELL AS LODGING, DINING AND ACTIVITIES IN LENEXA. THE FIFA APP FOR 2026 IS PULLING INFORMATION FROM THE KANSAS TOURISM AND THE VISIT KC WEBSITE.
IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN THE MOST REQUESTED PRINTED PIECE THAT WE'VE HAD AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN AROUND HERE, WHICH IS 22 YEARS. I DID BRING SOME TO DENISE TONIGHT, SO THE CITY WILL HAVE SOME, AND THEN WE'LL BE TAKING SOME TO OUR HOTELS AND JUST WATCHING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW THOSE ARE DISTRIBUTED. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS IS A PIECE THAT, YOU KNOW, WORLD CUP VISITORS WILL NEED NECESSARILY, BUT WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE IT.
AND I HAD A WAITING LIST OF PEOPLE WHO WERE WERE WAITING FOR THOSE.
SO IT'S LOVELY. I WOULD UNFOLD IT FOR YOU, BUT I'LL NEVER GET IT FOLDED BACK.
SO YOU CAN YOU CAN GET YOUR OWN. THERE CONTINUES TO BE SO MUCH HAPPENING IN LENEXA WITH NEW HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND OF COURSE, NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE WELCOMING THE WORLD AND SHOW THEM WHAT A GREAT COMMUNITY WE HAVE.
I'M TRULY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, NOT ONLY FINANCIALLY, BUT ALSO JUST THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE BETWEEN THE CHAMBER AND THE CITY AND THE CVB. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
CHRIS. THANK YOU JULIE. THE 2025 CVB DATA GENERALLY, IS IT UP OR DOWN? YOU KNOW, THE YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY OUT YET.
THEY DON'T. I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE GOT LIKE, AS FAR AS GUEST TAX COMING IN.
I MEAN, WE'RE UP, UP A LITTLE BIT FROM LIKE 1ST QUARTER, 2ND QUARTER.
THAT'S ALL WE'VE GOT SO FAR FOR THAT. AND THE METRO AREA THE NUMBERS I GOT FROM THE HOTEL AND LODGING ASSOCIATION WITH, LIKE THAT, 62% OCCUPANCY. I DON'T THINK I THINK OUR HOTELS HAVE BEEN HIGHER OCCUPANCY THAN THAT SO FAR.
I MEAN, NOW WE'RE GETTING INTO THE TIME OF YEAR WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT GETS SLOWER A LITTLE BIT. NOVEMBER, DECEMBER. SO HOPEFULLY BY MY NEXT REPORT NEXT YEAR, I WILL HAVE THE WHOLE LIKE ANNUAL REPORT FROM THE STATE FOR 2025 TO SHARE WITH YOU.
OKAY. YEAH. ONE MORE QUESTION. WILL YOUR MAP BE ON OUR WEBSITE? ELECTRONIC VERSION. YOU KNOW, I DON'T YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS IT'S JUST IT'S SO I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WOULD SHOW UP ON THE WEBSITE.
I'M NOT SURE. I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE RIGHT SIZE.
OR MAYBE I DON'T KNOW. THE CITY DID. THE CITY DID THE I.T.
DEPARTMENT, I THINK, OR THE MAPPING DEPARTMENT DID THE HUGE MAP FOR US TO START THIS PROCESS WITH.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? THANK YOU JULIE. NOW, THE LENEXA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL'S MID-YEAR REPORT WILL COME FROM ASHLEY SHERARD GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL PRESIDENT GOVERNING BODY. I AM ASHLEY SHERARD, AND I'M SO PLEASED TO BE HERE ON BEHALF OF THE LENEXA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE LENEXA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, TO PRESENT OUR SECOND OF OUR SEMIANNUAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REPORTS FOR THIS YEAR.
WHERE TONIGHT, I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON A MID-YEAR RECAP AND OUTLOOK FOR THE REST OF 2025.
THE FIRST HALF HAS BEEN A MIXED ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE, AS I THINK YOU'RE AWARE, MARKED BY A MORE RESILIENT US MARKET THAN I THINK MANY ANTICIPATED. BUT ALSO ELEVATED, ALTHOUGH COOLING, INFLATION, CAUTIOUS FEDERAL RESERVE POLICIES REGARDING INTEREST RATES AND PERSISTENT UNCERTAINTY DRIVEN BY AGGRESSIVE FEDERAL TRADE ACTION AND GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS.
I WON'T GO INTO GREAT DETAIL. IT'S IN YOUR REPORTS.
BUT JUST TO MORE SPECIFICALLY HIT ON SOME OF THOSE POINTS REGARDING INFLATION, ALTHOUGH DOWN FROM RECENT YEARS, IT STAYED ABOVE THE FEDERAL RESERVE'S 2% TARGET RATE, HOVERING AROUND 3% HEADING INTO Q3 ON INTEREST RATES, THE FEDERAL RESERVE HAS TAKEN A WAIT AND SEE POSTURE WITH RATES ELEVATED FOR LONGER THAN EXPECTED.
[00:20:02]
AND WE'VE REALLY SEEN BUSINESSES AND INVESTORS INCENTIVIZED TO WAIT FOR MORE FAVORABLE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, CREATING A DRAG ON BOTH INVESTMENT AND THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PIPELINES.SO FAR THIS YEAR, AN INTEREST RATE CUT BY THE FEDERAL RESERVE THIS WEEK IS CONSIDERED LIKELY.
MANY COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS BELIEVE A MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION COULD LEAD TO A SURGE IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, AS SIGNIFICANT PENT UP DEMAND FINALLY MOVES OFF THE SIDELINES.
SO WE SHOULD KNOW MORE IN THAT REGARD TOMORROW.
JUST BRIEFLY ON THE LABOR MARKET. UNEMPLOYMENT HAS REMAINED RELATIVELY LOW THROUGH MID 2025.
BUT AS YOU MAY HAVE SEEN RECENTLY, EARLY WARNING SIGNS HAVE EMERGED OF A SOFTENING LABOR MARKET, INCLUDING RISING NATIONAL AND LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATES AND A NOTABLE SLOWING IN PRIVATE SECTOR HIRING AS COMPANIES HAVE BATTENED DOWN THEIR HATCHES AMID THE UNCERTAIN ECONOMIC TIMES. THE GREAT RESIGNATION OF A FEW YEARS AGO HAS NOW BECOME THE BIG STAY, AND JOB HOPPING HAS GIVEN RISE TO A NEW TERM JOB HUGGING, AS EMPLOYEES SEE MORE RISK AND UNCERTAINTY IN LEAVING THEIR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT.
JUST QUICKLY ON GDP, WHICH IS A FUNDAMENTAL INDICATOR OF ECONOMIC HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE, ECONOMISTS ARE CURRENTLY PROJECTING A MUTED OVERALL ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE YEAR, AROUND 1.7% TO 2%, WHICH WOULD LAG WHAT WE'VE SEEN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
I'VE TOUCHED ON INFLATION, INTEREST RATES, LABOR MARKET AND GDP AND MY REPORTS WITH YOU BEFORE.
BUT A SIGNIFICANT NEW WRINKLE FOR BUSINESSES EMERGED THIS YEAR WITH THE FEDERAL ACTION ON TARIFFS.
SO I WANT TO SPEND JUST A MOMENT ON THAT. AS YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR HAS SEEN AGGRESSIVE, FAR REACHING AND RAPIDLY CHANGING TARIFF HIKES WITH EFFECTIVE TARIFF TARIFF RATES ON IMPORTS RISING TO THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE THE 1930S.
THESE TARIFF INCREASES HAVE CREATED WIDESPREAD BUSINESS IMPACTS.
MOST DIRECTLY, THERE HAVE BEEN ADDED COST PRESSURES AND DISRUPTED SUPPLY CHAINS FOR MANY BUSINESSES, MOST IMMEDIATELY AFFECTING CONSUMER GOODS AND INTERMEDIATE INPUTS.
IMPACTED COMPANIES ARE BEING PRESSED TO FIND A SUSTAINABLE BALANCE BETWEEN ABSORBING EXTRA COSTS, WHETHER THAT MEANS THROUGH THINNER MARGINS, OPERATIONAL CHANGES TO THEIR GOODS OR TO THEIR SUPPLIERS, OR EVEN LAYOFFS IN SOME INSTANCES VERSUS PASSING THE INCREASES ONTO THEIR CONSUMERS, RISKING PRICING THEMSELVES OUT OF THEIR MARKET OR DAMPENING DEMAND.
INDIRECTLY THE RAPIDLY CHANGING TARIFF POLICIES HAVE CREATED SIGNIFICANT UNCERTAINTY.
I HEAR THAT ALL THE TIME, LEADING BUSINESSES TO HUNKER DOWN AND PROTECT THEIR FINANCIAL RESERVES TO WEATHER WHATEVER MAY COME, HAMPERING GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY AS COMPANIES HIT PAUSE ON THEIR INVESTMENT AND HIRING UNTIL CONDITIONS ARE MORE PREDICTABLE.
PRODUCTIVITY IS ALSO BEING IMPACTED IN A DIFFERENT WAY AS WELL, ONE THAT I DON'T THINK GETS MENTIONED ENOUGH IN THIS DISCUSSION AS COMPANIES REPORT HAVING TO REGULARLY DIVERT THEIR TIME AND RESOURCES AWAY FROM GROWING THEIR BUSINESS AND THEIR STRATEGIC PLANNING TOWARDS SIMPLY PLANNING FOR AND MANAGING THESE TARIFF CHANGES. EVEN IF THEY'RE A LARGE COMPANY THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO MOVE THINGS AROUND OR FIND DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS.
THESE LENEXA BUSINESSES ARE BEING IMPACTED BY THIS ISSUE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A COUPLE OF QUICK EXAMPLES TO BRING THOSE HEADLINES HOME.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE SMALL BUSINESS, LESS THAN 10 EMPLOYEES WHOSE PRODUCT COMES FROM A COUNTRY SUBJECT AT TIMES TO AN EXTREME TARIFF ONE THAT HAS INCREASED THEIR MONTHLY COSTS AT TIMES BY 30%. SO ADDING ALMOST A THIRD AND THAT IS COMING IN A YEAR WHEN THEY WEREN'T NECESSARILY EXPECTING THAT BECAUSE THEY MOSTLY SELL THEIR PRODUCT ONLINE AND THUS FACE GLOBAL COMPETITION, THEY CAN'T SIMPLY PASS THOSE COSTS ON TO CONSUMERS WITHOUT THE RISK OF PRICING THEMSELVES OUT OF THEIR MARKET, OR BECOMING SO EXPENSIVE THAT BUYERS JUST SIMPLY NO LONGER BUY.
WHILE THEY SUPPORT TRYING TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD RIGHT NOW, THEY FEEL THEY'RE BEARING THE COST WITHOUT ANY OF THE BENEFIT OF DOING THAT, AND THEY AREN'T SURE HOW LONG THAT'S GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE FOR THEIR BUSINESS.
TARIFF COSTS ARE IMPACTING THEIR CUSTOMER DEMAND AND THEIR CUSTOMER FLOW.
THAT'S ANOTHER ONE I HEAR QUITE A BIT ABOUT IS CUSTOMER FLOW.
[00:25:04]
AS PEOPLE HOLD OFF AND THERE MIGHT BE SOME GAPS IN THEIR IN THEIR CUSTOMER PIPELINE.BUT ALSO HOW DO SELLERS AND BUYERS NAVIGATE CONTRACTS TODAY FOR A PRODUCT THAT WILL BE DELIVERED MONTHS FROM NOW, WHEN IT'S UNCERTAIN WHAT THOSE COSTS WILL BE WHEN THE DELIVERY TIME COMES.
THESE ARE SIMPLY A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF WHAT IMPACTED BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES HAVE BEEN MANAGING.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO PUT THOSE BUSINESSES IN TOUCH WITH OUR LOCAL FEDERAL POLICYMAKERS OFFICES.
DEPENDING ON FUTURE FEDERAL TRADE AND ECONOMIC ACTION, BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS COULD SEE MORE WIDESPREAD TARIFF IMPACTS AHEAD AS RECIPROCAL RETALIATION POTENTIALLY ESCALATES AND COMPANIES THAT HAVE SO FAR ABSORBED SOME OR ALL OF THE INCREASED TARIFF COSTS DETERMINED THAT THAT STRATEGY IS NO LONGER SUSTAINABLE.
SO MORE TO COME ON THAT AS WE MOVE INTO THE REST OF 2025.
ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS COMBINED HAVE CREATED A VERY COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESSES.
BUT DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES, THERE REALLY IS REASON FOR OPTIMISM.
LOCALLY, THE FUNDAMENTALS IN THE INDUSTRIAL AND RETAIL SECTORS, INCLUDING BRICK AND MORTAR, APPEAR TO REMAIN HEALTHY, EVEN IF NOT AS RED HOT AS THEY WERE A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND THE OFFICE SECTOR IS CONTINUING TO FIND ITS WAY TO A NEW NORMAL, WITH THAT MARKET LITERALLY EVALUATING ITSELF ALMOST ESSENTIALLY ASSET BY ASSET AS THE FLIGHT TO QUALITY RESHAPES IT. BUT WE'RE SEEING POSITIVE SIGNS, SUCH AS VACANCY RATES TICKING DOWN SLIGHTLY FROM HISTORIC HIGHS.
SO LIKE I SAID, THE MARKET HAS BEEN, I THINK, MORE RESILIENT THAN MANY PEOPLE EXPECTED.
BUT IT IS A VERY COMPLEX AND CHALLENGING TIME FOR BUSINESS.
BUT LET'S LOOK AT LENEXA, WHICH IS, I THINK, THE THING THAT YOU ARE MOST FOCUSED ON AND TURNING TO OUR OWN COMMUNITY, EVEN IN TODAY'S COMPLEX ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT.
LENEXA CONTINUES TO GENERATE MEANINGFUL GROWTH AND INVESTMENT.
OUR TOTAL NEW PERMITTED COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION YEAR TO DATE THROUGH AUGUST IS MORE THAN $150 MILLION, WHICH IS A 5% INCREASE OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
AND IF YOU ADD THE YEAR TO DATE NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THE TOTAL IS NEARLY 290 MILLION. I KNOW YOU'RE AWARE OF THESE, BUT JUST AS A REMINDER, AMONG THE NOTABLE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS RELEASED IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2025 SIGNIFYING NEW CONSTRUCTION, EXPANSIONS AND RENOVATIONS WERE THE ADVENTHEALTH LENEXA CITY CENTER MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING 2 WHEN ITS PARKING GARAGE LENEXA LOGISTICS CENTER SOUTH BUILDING 6. KC BEER COMPANY AND RENOVATIONS AT HERSHEY'S, DOT'S PRETZELS AND QUEST DIAGNOSTICS, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT TENANT FINISH INVESTMENTS, INCLUDING THE EUROFINS BIOPHARMA LAB THAT WAS A $21 MILLION TENANT FINISH.
SO THINGS LITERALLY HAPPENING IN EVERY CORNER OF THE CITY, WHICH ALWAYS MAKES ME REALLY EXCITED.
IN SHORT, THINGS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IN LENEXA AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE TO COME.
AS OF THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, PENDING COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS TOTALED MORE THAN $72 MILLION.
AND IF YOU ADD RESIDENTIAL MORE THAN $153 MILLION AND MORE EXCITING NEW PROJECTS ARE IN THE WORKS INCLUDING ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCED RESTAURANTS 5 4 URBAN EGG AND STONEY RIVER STEAKHOUSE AND GRILL IN LENEXA CITY CENTER. BUT JUST LOOKING AS I LOOK BACK AT OUR PIPELINE SO FAR THIS YEAR, THE CHALLENGING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS DID SLOW THE FLOW OF NEW ATTRACTION OPPORTUNITIES OVER THE FIRST HALF OF 2025.
THE PROJECTS THAT WE SAW WERE PRIMARILY REVOLVED AROUND EITHER VERY LARGE INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS NEEDING HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF ACRES, OR VERY LARGE DATA CENTERS NEEDING DOZENS OF MEGAWATTS OF POWER REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE GENERALLY OUTSIDE OF OUR WAREHOUSE, BUT REFLECT WHAT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION WE'RE SEEING AS COMPANIES WERE LOOKING TO RESHORE AND THE NEED FOR MORE DATA CENTER CAPACITY WAS GOING UP. BUT I'M SO PLEASED THAT OVER THE LAST MONTH OR 2, WE'VE STARTED TO SEE AN UPTICK IN THESE ATTRACTION PROJECT ACTIVITIES.
STILL MOSTLY IN THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR AS THE SENTIMENT I HEAR FROM BUSINESSES AND DEVELOPERS NOW THEY'VE BEGUN TO VIEW THE CURRENT CLIMATE AS THE NEW NORMAL. THEY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THINGS WILL GET SUBSTANTIALLY CHEAPER.
SO SITTING ON THE SIDELINES MAY NOT GAIN THEM ANYTHING.
THEY'RE EVALUATING THE COST OF INACTION. AND IN THE END, THEY'RE FINDING WAYS TO MAKE THE MATH WORK.
AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE THAT UPTICK IN COMPANIES FROM A NATIONWIDE PERSPECTIVE LOOKING IN OUR AREA, BUT STILL WITH A NATIONAL ATMOSPHERE THAT HAS CAUSED ATTRACTION PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON TO TELL US THEY'RE GOING TO HIT PAUSE UNTIL CONDITIONS STABILIZE, THE TREND IN OUR PIPELINE CONTINUES TO BE TO FOCUS HEAVILY ON ORGANIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS OUR OWN LENEXA COMPANIES OR BUSINESSES ALREADY IN THE REGION WHO ARE READY TO
[00:30:02]
GROW OR RELOCATE. AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT OUR CITY FOR THEIR NEXT OPPORTUNITY.WHILE SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY HAS ALREADY MADE HEADLINES, SUCH AS RALLY HOUSE'S ACQUISITION OF THE OFFICE BUILDING AT RENNER AND PRAIRIE STAR PARKWAY FOR ITS NEW HEADQUARTERS. UNFORTUNATELY, I'M NOT YET ABLE TO SHARE DETAILS ABOUT MUCH OF THIS EXCITING ACTIVITY THAT I GET TO WORK ON BECAUSE PROJECTS ARE STILL IN MOTION. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT VACANCIES ARE BEING FILLED, INVESTMENTS ARE BEING MADE, JOBS ARE BEING CREATED, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MORE IN MY NEXT REPORT.
AND JUST LASTLY, I WANT TO MENTION THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE WORK REALLY HARD TO CULTIVATE WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE VALUABLE OCCASIONS TO MARKET OUR COMMUNITY.
THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE EUROPE TEAM, WHO WAS BASED IN GERMANY AND ARE CHARGED WITH MARKETING FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN KANSAS PRIMARILY TO GERMAN, SWISS AND AUSTRIAN COMPANIES, RECENTLY RETURNED FOR THEIR ANNUAL VISIT.
THEY STAYED IN LENEXA AGAIN, AS THEY DID LAST YEAR.
THEY MET WITH ME AND ONE OF OUR GERMAN BASED COMPANIES, KOCHER AND BECK, AND REALLY EXPERIENCED AGAIN FIRSTHAND WHAT OUR CITY HAS TO OFFER SO THAT OUR ASSETS ARE TOP OF MIND AS THEY DEVELOP LEADS.
AND THEY'RE ALSO SPENDING DOLLARS IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
I ALSO ACCOMPANIED THE KANSAS CITY AREA DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND OTHER REGIONAL BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT LEADERS TO CHICAGO, WHERE WE HELD EVENTS WITH LOCAL SITE LOCATION CONSULTANTS, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND PROMOTING THE ADVANTAGES OF OUR REGION, OUR ESTATES, AND OUR COMMUNITIES FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.
SO ALWAYS GOOD INVESTMENT OF OUR TIME AND ENERGY, NOT ONLY TO MEET WITH THOSE LOCATION CONSULTANTS, BUT ALSO TO KEEP OUR PROFILE UP IN THE REGION AS WELL.
SO IN CONCLUSION THE 1ST HALF OF 2025 HAS BEEN BUSY FOCUSED ON PROVIDING SUPPORT TO OUR DEVELOPMENT STAKEHOLDERS, WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS TO AGGRESSIVELY PURSUE PROJECTS, MARKETING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH A VARIETY OF AVENUES, AND ULTIMATELY CELEBRATING PROJECTS WITH RIBBON CUTTINGS AND GROUNDBREAKINGS.
IF MAYOR SAYERS HERE, SHE WOULD ATTEST TO THE NUMBER THAT WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR 24 SO FAR THIS YEAR, WITH MORE COMING UP ON THE BOOKS ALREADY ECLIPSING THE TOTAL THAT WE CONDUCTED IN 2024 WITH STILL MONTHS TO GO.
AS JULIE SAID, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE AS THE FRONT LINE ADVOCATE ON YOUR BEHALF, SERVING OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES AND THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY WHILE WORKING ALONGSIDE YOUR EXCELLENT CITY STAFF IN ATTRACTING NEW INVESTMENT, JOBS AND AMENITIES FOR OUR LENEXA CITIZENS.
WE SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH YOU.
WE WORK HARD EVERY DAY TO EARN IT, AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
GREG. THANK YOU. ASHLEY. WHAT DO YOU SEE IN TERMS OF THE RETURN TO OFFICE ASPECT? IS THAT A SEGMENT THAT MIGHT GROW A LITTLE BIT MORE OVER TIME.
IT'S CERTAINLY THE TREND, YOU KNOW, AS WE KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO DURING THE PANDEMIC, IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE FUTURE OF OFFICE WOULD BE MOVING TO REMOTE OR AT LEAST HYBRID. BUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THE LARGER COMPANIES SORT OF LEADING THE CHARGE ON RETURN TO OFFICE.
AND THE WAY WE'RE SEEING THAT REALLY IMPACT THE OFFICE SECTOR IN 2 WAYS.
1 IS IT'S STARTING TO FILL UP THOSE VACANCIES.
AND THE ONE UPSIDE OF THE SLOW DOWN NEW CONSTRUCTION PIPELINE IS THAT WITHOUT ADDING NEW INVENTORY IT'S PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY TO FILL UP THE VACANCIES THAT WERE THERE, WHICH IS PART OF THE REASON WE'RE SEEING THAT TICK DOWN.
AND THEN THE OTHER ASPECT THAT WE'VE SEEN IMPACTING THE OFFICE SECTOR IS THAT IN ORDER TO FOR THESE COMPANIES WHO HAVE WANT TO GET THEIR PEOPLE TO COME BACK. THEY ARE INVESTING IN VERY HIGH QUALITY AMENITY RICH.
AND SO FOR COMMUNITIES OR WHERE THERE'S WELL LOCATED AMENITY RICH OFFICE BUILDINGS, THEIR VACANCY RATES ARE MUCH LOWER, BUT IT LEAVES IN QUESTION, WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU HAVE A CLASS B OR AN OLDER, OR YOU HAVE AN OWNER THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO IS UNWILLING TO INVEST IN IT, BUT THAT'S HOW THE RETURN TO WORK. I THINK THAT CONTINUES TO BE A GROWING TREND THAT PEOPLE ARE CALLING PEOPLE BACK IN BECAUSE THEY'RE FINDING IT TO BE A MORE PRODUCTIVE, COLLABORATIVE.
ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR COMPANY. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO DO IT AGAIN.
[00:35:02]
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY. I KNOW YOUR DAD WOULD BE VERY PROUD OF YOU.THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [LAUGH] CHRIS. HI, ASHLEY.
THANK YOU. A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU. DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE OR TELL ME WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON THIS ANTICIPATED RATE CUT. HOW DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT AFFECT RESIDENTIAL HOUSING STARTS, PARTICULARLY ON, YOU KNOW, LOTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PERMITTED. THIS IS NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, BUT I HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF OUR AREA BANKERS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTING.
AND SORT OF THE PERSPECTIVE WAS GENERALLY PEOPLE ARE THINKING THAT THEY MIGHT DO A QUARTER PERCENT RATE CUT TOMORROW WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL TO RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE RATES IF THEY GO BEYOND THAT.
SO LIKE I SAID, THAT'S A IT'S A LITTLE OUT OF MY WHEELHOUSE ESPECIALLY THE MORTGAGE RATES.
BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
AND ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, AGAIN, A LOT OF REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS FEEL LIKE IF THERE IS A MOVE TO START CUTTING RATES, THAT IT COULD LEAD TO A SURGE IN ACTIVITY BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH PENT UP DEMAND.
AND CERTAINLY IN MY ANECDOTAL CONVERSATIONS, I HAVE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE KIND OF WAITING AND WATCHING, AND IT WOULD BE GREAT. SO IT SEEMS THAT THE SENTIMENT IS CUT SOME.
YOU CAN CUT AGAIN LATER, BUT DON'T DO TOO MUCH.
MAYBE IN ONE BITE. OR IT MIGHT BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
BUT AGAIN, I'M NOT THE EXPERT IN THAT. THANK YOU.
JUST SPEAKING OF, YOU KNOW, ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE OR WHAT YOU'RE HEARING.
DOES THE SENTIMENT IN LENEXA GENERALLY ALIGN WITH, LIKE, THE REGIONAL BEIGE BOOK, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THINKING THE SAME WAY AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, EXPECTATIONS OF.
BEIGE BOOK, ON WHICH. FOR OUR AREA FROM THE THAT WAS RELEASED A WEEK AGO, WEEK AND A HALF AGO.
I HAVEN'T READ IT, BUT I WAS THINKING MAYBE YOU HAD.
I HAVE NOT READ IT. OKAY. I HAVE NOT I HAVE NOT READ IT, BUT GENERALLY, I THINK OUR COMMUNITY ALIGNS FAIRLY WELL WITH OUR REGION. BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIFIC FACTORS, I DON'T KNOW.
I HAVEN'T READ IT. NO, JUST THE GENERAL. WE THINK WE MAY BE ON AN UPWARD TRAJECTORY OR WE'RE GOING TO STAY THE SAME OR, YOU KNOW, HOLD ON TIGHT BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE A TAKE A DIP.
AND I THINK THAT SORT OF IDENTIFIES, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THE CHALLENGE OF THIS YEAR.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL RIGHT NOW LIKE WE I'M SEEING AN UPTICK IN ACTIVITY.
MY CONVERSATION WITH DEVELOPERS, INVESTORS, BUSINESS FOLKS, IT TENDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL FIND A WAY ONCE THEY START TO INTERNALIZE THAT PROBABLY THIS IS THE NEW NORMAL. AND IT'S NEVER GOING TO GO BACK TO MAYBE 0% INTEREST RATES, THINGS LIKE THAT. THE SENTIMENT IS OKAY. AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST START MOVING FORWARD AND YOU MAKE THE MATH WORK.
BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW POLICY COULD CHANGE A WEEK FROM NOW.
A MONTH FROM NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES COULD DO.
SO I'M OPTIMISTIC, BUT I CAN'T PREDICT THE FUTURE.
OF COURSE. IF THAT MAKES SENSE. YEAH. THANK YOU HELLO. YOU MENTIONED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT YOU'VE SEEN AN UPTICK IN PROJECT ACTIVITY ESPECIALLY IN THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR.
ARE YOU ABLE TO SAY IF THERE'S BEEN A GENERAL TREND FOR THE TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY? LIKE, IS IT WELL BALANCED AMONGST A LOT OF DIFFERENT INDUSTRIAL TYPES OR SECTORS, OR IS IT LARGELY LIKE HEALTHCARE LOGISTICS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? LARGELY MANUFACTURING. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND IT'S MORE IN THE WE'VE GONE FROM NEEDING HUNDREDS OF ACRES AND THOUSANDS TO MORE IN OUR WHEELHOUSE, WHICH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 75 TO 130, 40,000FT².
[00:40:02]
THAT'S AN AREA THAT I WILL BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE WHEN WE'RE FULLY LEASED UP, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO GO AFTER EVERY PROJECT. AND SO WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF INDUSTRIAL AREAS.BUT THAT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGING SIZE AND SECTOR TO HAVE INVENTORY FOR.
BUT IN THE LIFE SCIENCES, TOO, THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME MOVEMENT IN THAT SECTOR AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE, WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT CLUSTER OF ASSETS THAT SERVE THAT HERE IN LENEXA.
AND WE HAVE SOME INVENTORY THAT HAS SOME INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE THAT SERVES THAT INDUSTRY.
SO I REALLY LIKE TO GET IN AND TRY TO COMPETE FOR THOSE.
SPEAKING OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT GROWTH OR NEW ATTRACTION, ARE THERE ANY BARRIERS TO GROWTH OR ATTRACTION THAT WE ON THE COUNCIL HAVE INFLUENCE ON THAT WE NEED TO PAY CLOSER ATTENTION TO OR ADJUST COURSE ON? NOTHING THAT YOU AREN'T ALREADY ADDRESSING. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S AS OUR SORT OF GROWTH FOCUS IN TERMS OF NEW YOU KNOW, THERE'S WE AS WE MATURE, IT WILL BECOME MORE FOCUSED ON INFILL, BUT IT'S JUST ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT'S THE UPGRADING ROADS, THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT I CAN'T SAY THAT YOU AREN'T ALREADY ON TOP OF THAT.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S A TOP NOTCH CITY STAFF THAT PREDICTS WHERE THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN.
AND SO THERE'S NOTHING THAT COMES TO MIND. THANK YOU.
ANYBODY ELSE? I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THIS REPORT.
I ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING EVERY TIME YOU COME IN HERE.
SOMETIMES I THINK WE FORGET HOW MUCH YOU ALL DO BEHIND THE SCENES.
TO, YOU KNOW, WE WE DO ALL THE THINGS, WE GET ALL THE APPLICATIONS.
I WILL SHARE THAT WITH THEM. AND THANK YOU ALL AGAIN VERY MUCH.
OF COURSE. OKAY. MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
THERE ARE 6 ITEMS ON TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA.ANY ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION BY A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNING BODY, THE CITY MANAGER, OR BY A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE AT THE MEETING.
IN THE EVENT THE ITEM IS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, IT WILL BE PLACED ON THE REGULAR AGENDA. DOES ANYONE WISH TO REMOVE AN ITEM FOR DISCUSSION. COURTNEY, I WOULD LIKE TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM ITEM NUMBER 6.
JUST IN CASE THERE IS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
THANK YOU. NOTED. THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS 1 THROUGH 5 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
OPPOSED? SEEING NONE. 1 THROUGH 5 IS APPROVED.
ITEM NUMBER 6 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
[6. Resolution approving the selection of UMR, Inc. as the provider for the City's health plan third-party administrative services for 2026, and authorizing the execution of an agreement for said services]
SO MOVED.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, GREAT.
OKAY. ITEM NUMBER 7 IS A CONSIDERATION OF A 3 YEAR SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A PERSONAL INSTRUCTION,
[7. Consideration of a three-year special use permit for a personal instruction, general use and a preliminary plan for Range USA located at the northwest corner of 107th Street & Santa Fe Trail Drive in the BP-2, Planned Manufacturing District a. Ordinance approving a three-year special use permit for Range USA b. Approval of the companion preliminary plan for Range USA The applicant is requesting approval of a special use permit for a personal instruction, general use and a companion preliminary plan for Range USA, located at the northwest corner of 107th Street & Santa Fe Trail Drive, in the BP-2, Planned Manufacturing District.]
GENERAL USE, AND A PRELIMINARY PLAN FOR RANGE USA.THIS IS A PERSONAL INSTRUCTION, GENERAL USE AND CONSTRUCTION OF A INDOOR SHOOTING RANGE.
THE SITE IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF 107TH STREET AND SANTA FE TRAIL DRIVE.
NOW ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE THE CITY LIMITS OUTLINED IN BLACK AND THE PROJECT LOCATION DENOTED WITH THE BLUE STAR AGAIN NEAR 107TH AND SANTA FE TRAIL DRIVE JUST TO THE WEST OF I-35. NOW ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE THE ROUGHLY 2.5 ACRE SITE.
[00:45:02]
IT IS CURRENTLY VACANT AND HAS NOT HAD PREVIOUS DEVELOPMENT.THE GENERAL AREA IS INDUSTRIAL. THE SITE IS ZONED BP-2.
BOTH THESE ZONING AND THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE PROPOSED USE.
AS YOU ALL MAY KNOW FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS, THERE ARE 13 CRITERIA THAT STAFF REVIEWS IN DEPTH IN THE STAFF REPORT FOR PLANNING COMMISSION STAGE, WHICH IS WITHIN THE PACKET. THESE CRITERIA INCLUDE THINGS LIKE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, HOW LONG THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN VACANT, THE IMPACTS ON TRAFFIC, AND OVERALL IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT ON THE SITE.
I WON'T GO INTO SPECIFIC DETAIL WITH ANY OF THESE THIS EVENING, BUT AGAIN, IF YOU'D LIKE FOR ME TO DISCUSS ANY OF THEM FURTHER, THAT INFORMATION IS IN OUR STAFF REPORT AND I CAN ALSO VERBALIZE THAT INFORMATION.
NOW ON THE SCREEN YOU SEE THE PROPOSED SITE PLAN.
THERE IS ACCESS BOTH OFF 107TH STREET TO THE SOUTH.
SO 2 ACCESS POINTS, BOTH ACCESS POINTS WILL HAVE A GATE MECHANISM AND THAT WILL BE UTILIZED, I BELIEVE OFF HOURS. YOU CAN SEE THERE IS PARKING SURROUNDING THE ROUGHLY 10,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING.
AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE FLOOR PLANS HERE IN A SECOND.
THIS PLAN ALSO DEPICTS SOME LANDSCAPING THROUGHOUT THE SITE.
THIS MAY BE SOMETHING THAT JOGS YOUR MEMORY. THIS PROJECT WAS ACTUALLY ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED BACK IN 2022, IF YOU REMEMBER, AND HAD A VERY SIMILAR SITE PLAN.
THE APPLICANT IS HERE THIS EVENING AND CAN SPEAK MORE TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR 2022 PROPOSAL AND WHY THEY CAME BACK IN 2025, BUT A PLAN WAS ACTUALLY NOT FINAL APPROVED BACK IN 2022.
AGAIN AROUND 10,000FT², WHEREAS THE PREVIOUS PLAN WAS CLOSER TO 14,000FT².
THIS IS THE MAIN ENTRANCE HERE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN.
WHEN YOU WALK IN, THERE IS A RETAIL AREA IN THIS LARGE OPEN SPACE.
THERE'S SOME STORAGE, RESTROOMS, A CLASSROOM IN THIS AREA.
AND THEN IF YOU GO UP DOWN THIS HALLWAY HERE, YOU REACH THE SHOOTING RANGE AREA.
AND YOU CAN SEE, I BELIEVE THERE'S 18 DIFFERENT SLOTS HERE FOR THE SHOOTING RANGE.
NOW ON THE SCREEN YOU CAN SEE THE BUILDING ELEVATIONS.
THERE'S A MIXTURE OF COLORS AND MATERIALS YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THIS TYPE OF USE.
WE CAN ONLY HAVE SO MANY WINDOWS HERE. AND WE WANT TO ALSO BE MINDFUL OF SAFETY.
AND HERE'S A QUICK COMPARISON OF THE 2022 ELEVATIONS IN THE 2025 ELEVATIONS.
SO VERY SIMILAR. AND WITH THAT, STAFF AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOTH RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A 3 YEAR SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR RANGE USA TO OPERATE A PERSONAL INSTRUCTION, GENERAL USE, AND RECOMMEND APPROVAL FOR THE PRELIMINARY PLAN TO CONSTRUCT THE INDOOR SHOOTING RANGE AT THIS LOCATION AT 107TH AND SANTA FE TRAIL DRIVE.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY.
IS THE APPLICANT HERE? YES. DO YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR STEPHANIE FIRST? I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION, BUT BEGINNING IN ABOUT 1985, LATE 84, MY OFFICE WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF LONG MOTOR.
[00:50:04]
BECAUSE IT WAS JUST KIND OF A FIELD FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER.SO I APPLAUD THE APPLICANT FOR BRINGING THIS PLAN TO US.
THANK YOU. I AGREE. CHELSEA. CRAIG, I THINK YOU TOOK THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH.
BUT WHEN I WAS READING THROUGH THIS PROPOSAL, I WAS THRILLED TO SEE SOMETHING IN THIS SPOT.
I READ THAT IT HAS BEEN VACANT SINCE 1964. AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THIS PROPOSAL AND ONE THAT WAS BROUGHT BEFORE THE COUNCIL IN 2022.
AND I REALLY LIKE THE FACADE. I LIKE THE FEEL OF IT.
HOW THE PROPERTY IS ANGLED MORE TO BE PARALLEL WITH SANTA FE TRAIL DRIVE.
I THINK IT FITS WONDERFULLY WITHIN THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IT'S BRINGING YOU KNOW, A SERVICE AND A PRODUCT TO LENEXA THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE SOMETHING IN THIS SPACE FINALLY, AFTER SO LONG.
SO THANK YOU, JOHN. ALSO EXCITED TO SEE THIS AGAIN.
I RECALL IT COMING BEFORE PLANNING COMMISSION IN AUGUST OF 2022.
REALLY POSITIVE CHANGES OVERALL. I READ IN THE REPORT OBVIOUSLY THAT BACK IN 2022, THE CONCERN WAS ABOUT THE DURATION OF AN INITIAL SUOP ONLY BEING 3YEARS WITH POTENTIAL FOR EXTENSIONS OF UP TO 10 YEARS FOLLOWING THAT.
WE HAVE 50 STORES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. FIRST OF ALL, I'M KEVIN ALI FROM RANGE USA.
WE HAVE 50 STORES. WE'RE GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENS IN ALL 50 STATES.
SO WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE A $4.5, $5 MILLION BET ON OURSELVES THAT WE WILL BEHAVE THE SAME WAY WE'VE BEHAVED IN ALL OF OUR OTHER LOCATIONS, SO IT SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. GLAD TO HEAR IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO? TO BEING A MEMBER OF LENEXA.
AND I'D LIKE TO SAY I'M REALLY NOT HAPPY ABOUT PRESENTING BEHIND ASHLEY AND JULIE BECAUSE THEY BOTH DID A GREAT JOB AND SO PUT A WHOLE LOT OF PRESSURE ON ME, AND I WILL NOT LIVE UP TO THEIR STANDARDS. [LAUGHTER] I CONCUR.
[LAUGHTER] I DO TOO. ASHLEY AND JULIE DO A FANTASTIC JOB.
OKAY. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR ANY MORE ON THIS.
OKAY I AM EXCITED TO SEE THIS AS WELL. I WISH THAT MORE PEOPLE WERE TRAINED, AND I APPRECIATE THE CLASSROOM SETUP IN THIS FACILITY. I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF GUN OWNERS THAT DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THEIR GUNS PROPERLY.
AND THANKFULLY WE GIVE A LOT OF THOSE CLASSES.
I LOVE THAT, SO PEOPLE ARE STILL GETTING EDUCATED.
AND WE ARE THE NATION'S LARGEST GUN SAFETY EDUCATOR BY FAR.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK IT'S THE NRA. THEY DON'T TEACH, THEY CERTIFY TEACHERS, AND WE ARE OVER.
NOT EVEN CLOSE. THE LARGEST GUN SAFETY EDUCATOR.
OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES.
I'LL ALSO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE COMPANION PRELIMINARY PLAN FOR RANGE USA.
SO ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. OKAY, GREAT.
[8. Ordinance approving a five-year special use permit for a medical clinic use for SOZO Therapy Group located at 13000 W. 87th Street Parkway, Suite 103 in the NP-O, Planned Neighborhood Office District The applicant proposes to operate a medical clinic use within the NP-O, Planned Neighborhood Office Zoning District at 13000 W. 87th Street Parkway, Suite 103, which requires a special use permit.]
USE FOR SOZO THERAPY GROUP. DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? SOZO. LOCATED AT 13000 WEST 87TH STREET PARKWAY, SUITE 103, IN THE NP-O PLANNED NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE DISTRICT.COURTNEY FOR THIS ONE TOO. I AM GOING TO RECUSE MYSELF FOR ANY POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
PERFECT. WE'LL HAVE YOU STEP OUT. OKAY. GREAT.
[00:55:01]
DEVELOPMENT. ITEM 8, AS MENTIONED, IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUEST FOR A MEDICAL CLINIC USE KNOWN AS SOZO THERAPY GROUP.SOZO THERAPY GROUP IS CURRENTLY IN OPERATION AND HAS BEEN FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW.
AND THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED NEAR JUST NORTH OF 87TH STREET AND EAST OF QUIVIRA, OR SORRY, EAST OF PFLUMM. WEST OF QUIVIRA. YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE SITE MAP WHERE ROUGHLY AT 87TH AND ROSEHILL, WITH THE SITE DENOTED WITH A RED OUTLINE AND THE BUILDING IN BLUE.
THIS SITE MAY LOOK FAMILIAR BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A COUPLE DIFFERENT SPECIAL USE PERMITS THROUGHOUT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AT THIS BUILDING. SO THERE ARE A FEW OTHER MEDICAL CLINICS IN THE SAME BUILDING. NOW ON THE FLOOR PLAN, THIS IS ABOUT A 2000 SQUARE FOOT SPACE WITHIN ABOUT A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE SPACE THEY OCCUPY.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT OFFICES AND A WAITING AREA AND A STORAGE AREA.
SO VERY TYPICAL TYPE OF SETUP WITHIN THE SPACE.
THE SITE IS ZONED NPO WHICH IS AN OFFICE COMMERCIAL TYPE DISTRICT.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE LIGHT BLUE HERE WITH THE SITE OUTLINED IN RED.
A MEDICAL CLINIC IS ALLOWED WITH A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THERE ARE 13 CRITERIA THAT STAFF REVIEWS IN DEPTH FOR EACH SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION, AND I CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL FOR ANY OF THESE IF THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE ME TO.
AND THIS ONE WILL BE REQUESTING A 5 YEAR SPECIAL USE PERMIT, AND STAFF IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF SAID SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR SOZO THERAPY GROUP TO OPERATE A MEDICAL CLINIC AT 13,000 WEST 87TH STREET PARKWAY IN SUITE 103.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. ANY QUESTIONS FOR STEPHANIE? A SPECIAL USE, THIS. WHAT WAS WHAT HAD GONE ON BEFORE OR WHAT REQUIRED ALL THAT? YEAH. SO THERE WAS A PREVIOUS SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR HICKORY MASSAGE AND FOR TERRY CHIROPRACTIC BACK IN 2024.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO WHEN WE REVIEW THESE IS WE LOOK AT THE OTHER TENANTS THAT ARE ALSO IN THE BUILDING TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE AN ISSUE WITH HOW MUCH PARKING EACH TENANT NEEDS. AND, YOU KNOW, IF ONE OF THESE MEDICAL CLINICS HAS PEOPLE COMING AND GOING AT A HIGHER FREQUENCY, AND THERE WOULD BE A PARKING DEMAND ISSUE, THAT'S USUALLY ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WE LOOK AT.
SO IN LOOKING AT THE LIST OF TENANTS, WE REALIZED, OH, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER MEDICAL CLINIC USE IN HERE THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT THAT IT NEEDS. SO OVER TIME WE'VE COMMUNICATED WITH THE APPLICANT AND GOT THEM TO THIS POINT HERE TODAY, WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO LEGALIZE EVERYTHING AND WORK ON COMPLIANCE WITH GETTING THAT SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
SO WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS PARTICULAR USE WOULD BE A NEGATIVE IMPACT TO THIS PARTICULAR SITE.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANKS FOR CLEARING THAT UP.
THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. IS THE APPLICANT HERE AND WANT TO SPEAK? I DIDN'T SEE YOU. HI. MY NAME IS RICK PRESLEY.
RICHARD PRESLEY, AND I'M THE OWNER OF SOZO THERAPY GROUP.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEKING THIS AND GETTING IT ALL CLEARED UP.
SO OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
I KNOW YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN THERE, AND WE'RE JUST MAKING THIS KIND OF A FORMALITY, BUT WHAT KIND OF THERAPY DO YOU DO THERE? IS IT JUST LIKE PSYCHOTHERAPY. OR ALL MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS? OKAY. SO LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS AND MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS IS THE 2 LICENSURE THAT WE HAVE ON STAFF AT THIS TIME.
OKAY. I LOVE THAT. MUCH NEEDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
OKAY. SEEING YOU GOOD? OKAY. CRAIG, I GUESS THIS IS A QUESTION FOR STEPHANIE.
MAYBE, BUT IT'S A IT'S A 5 YEAR SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
[01:00:04]
IS THAT GOING FORWARD FROM THIS POINT OR IS IT RETROACTIVE? IT'LL BE GOING FORWARD FROM THIS POINT. OKAY. AND THAT COULD BE RENEWED IF THERE'S NO ISSUES.THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO PASS AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A 5 YEAR SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR MEDICAL CLINIC USE FOR SOZO THERAPY GROUP LOCATED AT 13000 WEST 87TH STREET, SUITE 103, IN THE NP-O PLANNED NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE DISTRICT.
MOTION BY MARK. SECOND BY BILL. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED. MOTION PASSES. LOOKING AROUND, ARE THERE ANY KIDDOS HERE TONIGHT? I DON'T SEE ANYBODY. ALL RIGHT. SCHOOL NIGHT.
RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY NEW BUSINESS TONIGHT? NO BUSINESS. NO NEW BUSINESS. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS.
[COUNCIL MEMBER REPORT]
YEAH. I I WENT TO THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETING TODAY WHERE BILL PRESENTED ON LENEXA HISTORY.IT WAS QUITE THE TREAT. I LEARNED A LOT. WE HAD A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION, KIND OF AFTER THE SPEECH.
HE WASN'T EVEN IN CHARACTER. HE WAS JUST HIMSELF.
SO IF YOU'RE. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. [LAUGHTER] OUR FRIEND TOM NOLTE WAS NOT IN THE AUDIENCE, SO THERE WAS NO FACT CHECKING NEEDED. [LAUGHTER] YEAH.
YOU DON'T LIKE IT WHEN YOU GET FACT CHECKED? IF YOU'RE CURIOUS, IS THE WEBSITE STILL UP WITH THE VIDEOS ON IT OF BILL? SO LIKE SOMETIMES WHEN WE GET PEOPLE THAT COME, WE HAVE SOME HISTORICAL VIDEOS THAT ARE UP OF BILL IN CHARACTER.
AND SO THOSE ARE ALWAYS GREAT TO GO BACK AND WATCH AS WELL.
HISTORICAL OR HYSTERICAL. [LAUGHTER] YOU TELL ME, YOU TELL ME.
THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. BECKY. STAFF REPORTS.
NOTHING TONIGHT. FANTASTIC. THIS WILL BE THE END OF THE RECORDED PORTION OF THE MEETING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.