Police body cameras, casino grant funding on tonight’s UG agenda

Police body cameras and Hollywood Casino community grants are on tonight’s agenda for the Unified Government Commission.

The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 28, at City Hall, Commission Chambers, lobby level, 701 N.7th St., Kansas City, Kan.

The commission is being asked to approve an application for a federal grant to pay for police body cameras, and also asked to approve Hollywood Casino community grant funding.

This year, each UG commissioner and the mayor submitted a request for $44,990 in grant funding for nonprofit agencies for the community grants from the Hollywood Casino.

Another of the items on tonight’s planning consent agenda is a change of zone from planned general business district to planned business park district for the Dairy Farmers of America global headquarters at 1405 N. 98th St.

Other topics on the agenda include:

– An amendment to the zoning code to allow short-term food trucks, based on administrative review;

– Limitations on new dollar stores through an amendment on the zoning code to require a special use permit or other limitations;

– A change to the code to require a special use permit for used car sales, used tire sales or tire services, auto mechanics and auto body repairs;

– Changes to the residential accessory ordinance regarding Hanover Heights neighborhood;

– A request that the UG apply for a grant from the Kansas Historical Society to conduct a historic resources inventory of Downtown KCK, designating Downtown Shareholders as the administrative agent;

– Rezoning properties on 6th Street, from Tauromee to Splitlog, from a commercial district to either center business district or traditional neighborhood design district;

– Change of zone from single-family district to two –family district to construct a duplex for seniors at 4014 Strong Ave.;

– Renewal of a home occupation special use permit for a barber shop at 4001 Oakland Ave.;

– Special use permit for live entertainment at Chateau Avalon, 701 Village West Parkway.
– Renewal of special use permit for an auto salvage yard and police tow at 1124 Pawnee Ave.;

– Renewal of special use permit for live entertainment in conjunction with the Wine Barn at 2850 N. 119th St.;

– Special use permit for four to eight chickens at 6730 Speaker Road;

– Special use permit for a Muslim cemetery at 8350 Leavenworth Road;

– A resolution approving a cooperative agreement with Mid-America Regional Council to fund operations of the Operation Green Light Traffic Control System;

– A resolution approving an agreement with Overland Park for public improvements on Merriam Lane, West 36th to 24th streets;

– Request to subcontract with the Community Health Council, which is partnering with KDHE through a CDC grant on a project to prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke;

– An amendment to the floodplain ordinance to change the dates of the UG’s approved flood maps to maintain eligibility for disaster relief;

– A plat submitted of Frank Rushton Elementary School, 43rd and Springfield.

The agenda is online at www.wycokck.org.

Mayor Holland to kick off county-wide listening tour Tuesday

Unified Government Mayor Mark Holland will kick off a Listening Tour consisting of stops in each of the eight UG Commission districts across the county.

In 2017, the STAR bonds used to finance the Village West area will pay off and the UG will receive a windfall of sales tax revenue totaling around $12 million. Holland intends to use the Listening Tour to ask residents for their input on how to spend the new revenue.

Mayor Mark Holland
Mayor Mark Holland

“These additional funds provide us an opportunity that doesn’t come around often, and we need to work collaboratively to make sure we put these resources to use thoughtfully and efficiently,” Holland said, in a news release. “We are experiencing a growth in our population after 40 years of decline, and in 2014, of all the new jobs created in the Greater KC Metro area, 40 percent of them were in Wyandotte County. But, there is a lot of work to be done and our residents should have a say on how we continue this progress.”

Each meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a brief update from Mayor Holland and the UG Commissioners who represent the district.

Then attendees will break in to facilitator-led discussion groups to give feedback on the budget. Facilitators will be available to lead discussions in Spanish. The first stop on the tour will be next Tuesday, and the Mayor will be joined by 1st District Commissioner Gayle Townsend and 1st District At-Large Commissioner Melissa Bynum.

May 26 – 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Northwest Middle School
2400 N. 18th St.
Kansas City, Kan.

The complete schedule for the 2015 Listening Tour:

District 1, May 26*, Northwest Middle School, Commissioner Gayle Townsend.
District 2, June 23*, McKinley Elementary, Commissioner Brian McKiernan.
District 3, July 7, Rosedale Middle School, Commissioner Ann Murguia.
District 4, Aug. 25*, Wyandotte High School, Commissioner Harold Johnson.
District 5, Sept. 8*, Piper High School, Commissioner Mike Kane.
District 6, Oct. 13, Turner High School, Commissioner Angela Markley.
District 7, Nov. 17, Bonner Springs High School, Commissioner Jim Walters.
District 8, Dec. 8*, Schlagle High School, Commissioner Jane Philbrook.
*Indicates 1st District at-large Commissioner Melissa Bynum will be in attendance.

All residents are encouraged to attend, according to a spokesman. For updated information during the tour, visit www.wycokck.org/listen.

UG Commission to hold special meetings Tuesday, Thursday

The Unified Government Commission has scheduled special meetings on Tuesday and Thursday.

A special session will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, in the fifth floor conference room, Suite 515, City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan., for the CDBG subcommittee and HUD representatives.

A special session will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 14, in the ninth floor conference room of City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan., for a closed session on a litigation update.

A regular UG Commission meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at the Commission Chambers, City Hall.