Month: December 2021

BPU to meet Wednesday

The Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Public Utilities will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15.

On the agenda for the regular meeting will be a public comment time, general manager and staff reports, a COVID-19 update, 2022 budget approval, a BPU collective bargaining contract, miscellaneous comments and board comments. There is also a closed, executive session scheduled.

The 2022 budget is $350.6 million and includes an increase of $1.4 million over the 2021 adopted budget, a PILOT increase of $1.8 million over the 2021 budget, and a capital budget reduction of $1 million.

The public may join the board meeting, or may listen to the meeting by telephone or through a Zoom meeting on the internet.

To join the Zoom meeting, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84523139724.

The public may call, toll-free, 1-888-475-4499.

The meeting ID is 845 2313 9724.

The board meeting information packet is at
https://www.bpu.com/Portals/0/pdf/board-information-packet-12-15-21.pdf.

UG to make transition today to new mayor

The Unified Government will make the transition tonight to a new mayor and two new commissioners as Tyrone Garner will be sworn in.

The ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday at Memorial Hall, 600 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

The ceremony will be in –person, with masks required, and also will be livestreamed.

Those who want to attend in person are asked to send in reservations, with information at https://www.wycokck.org/Engage-With-Us/Calendar-of-Events/Inauguration-2021.

With the inauguration, Garner will become the UG’s first black mayor.

New UG commissioners will include Chuck Stites, 7th District, and Andrew Davis, 8th District.

Also, Wyandotte County will have a new sheriff, Daniel Soptic. Sheriff Don Ash is retiring.

Also to be sworn in on Monday night will be commissioners who were re-elected, including Tom Burroughs, commissioner at large, 2nd District; Gayle Townsend, commissioner, 1st District; and Mike Kane, commissioner, 5th District.

Outgoing mayor David Alvey and outgoing commissioners Jane Philbrook and Jim Walters were honored for their civic service at recent UG Commission and committee meetings.

Also honored at last week’s commission meeting was Edwardsville Mayor John “Tiny” McTaggart, who did not run for re-election. Carolyn Caiharr ran unopposed for Edwardsville mayor.

The inauguration ceremony will be livestreamed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgFx7M7T-a0, and also on Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/events/280367027383379/.

To see a previous story about Garner’s thoughts on winning the mayoral election, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/garner-pledges-to-work-for-all-wyandotte-county-residents/.

To see more about Garner’s goals, visit his website at https://www.garnerformayor.com/.