Category: Unified Government Commission

UG Commission to meet tonight

The Unified Government Commission plans to meet at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24.

On the agenda for the meeting at 7 p.m.:

• An ordinance amending the benefits of the mayor as it relates to accrued vacation time, compensatory time and sick leave;

• A community comment time to allow residents to express concerns relating to the UG’s interest and control. Participants are limited to two minutes. Those appearing in the City Hall lobby will be given priority, followed by a limited number of participants registered online through the UG clerk’s office. Those who registered online may not be given an immediate opportunity to participate because of time constraints, according to the agenda. There is a maximum time limit of 45 minutes on the comment session. Because of time limits, there are no guarantees that participants who registered will have time to speak.

• A resolution to amend the master equipment lease purchase agreement with Ban of America public capital corporation.

• Approval of 2021-2022 budget revisions for the Fire Department, revising the Kansas Avenue Fire Maintenance Facility project to include the Fire Department Quartermaster project.

• A resolution to issue, sell and deliver municipal temporary notes, Series 2022-I.

• An ordinance to authorize and provide for the issuance of general obligation improvement bonds, Series 2022-A, and a resolution authorizing and directing the sale and delivery of eneral obligation improvement bonds, Series 2022-A.

• A presentation by Alan Carr, Visit KCK executive director, on the status of tourism and convention promotion projects and events for 2022, and an update on the Visit KCK budget.

• Nominations to boards and commissions, including:
John Altevogt nominated to the Landmarks Commission by Commissioner Chuck Stites;
William Barajas nominated to the Law Enforcement Advisory Board by Commissioner Stites;
Duane Beth nominated to the Law Enforcement Adisory Board by Sheriff Dan Soptic;
Karen Daniels nominated to the UG Park Board by Commissioner Harold Johnson;
LaDora Lattimore nominated to the Housing Authority by Commissioner Tom Burroughs;
Scott Mackey nominated to the UG Park Board by Commissioner Mike Kane;
James Schraeder nominated to the Landmarks Commission by Comissioner Andrew Davis;
Aaron Ward nominated to the Planning Commission-Board of Zoning Appeals by Commissioner Stites.

Also on the 7 p.m. agenda are Land Bank actions, including:

Land Bank option applications:
New construction, single-family homes, two homes.
2712 Spring Ave., 2714 Spring Ave., 2716 Spring Ave., 2718 Spring Ave., The Village Initiative 2, 5-bedroom transitional houses.


New construction, multi family.
2416 S. 51st St.


New construction, commercial,
1821 N. 10th St., Alex Del Real, cabinet shop and showroom.


New construction, commercial,
500 Freeman Ave., Thatcher’s Family Life Center.

Land Bank property transfer
1101 Tenny Ave., Shaylynn Celedon, unbuildable lot, yard extension.

At the 5 p.m. UG Commission meeting, there will be a PBB overview.

Immediately following will be an executive, closed, session in the fifth floor conference room at City Hall regarding labor negotiations.

The public will be able to observe and listen to the meetings on YouTube and UGTV or through Zoom. The public also may view the meetings from the lobby of the City Hall, 701 N. 7th St.

For more information on how to connect to the meeting, visit https://www.wycokck.org/Departments/Clerks-Office/Engage-in-Public-Commission-Meeting.

Kansas attorney general files bill banning sanctuary cities, issuance of IDs

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — Attorney General Derek Schmidt introduced legislation in the Kansas House to create a state law blocking local municipal governments from adopting rules against cooperation with federal law enforcement investigating illegal immigrants.

Schmidt’s legislative push followed action in early February by the Unified Government of Kansas City-Wyandotte County to authorize issuance of photograph identification cards to undocumented people to improve access to public services. The Safe and Welcoming City Act was structured so the ID information wouldn’t be shared with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The attorney general, who is a Republican candidate for governor, said the House bill would prevent cities, counties and other taxing subdivisions from giving rise to formation of a “sanctuary” jurisdiction.

“Citizens throughout our state deserve to know that wherever they may travel in Kansas, law enforcement officials are cooperating with federal and state agencies to fairly enforce applicable law and are not obliged to turn a blind eye to some unlawful conduct merely because of local politics,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt said a statewide response was necessary due to failure by the administration of President Joe Biden to “secure our nation’s southwest border.”

“This is an important law-and-order issue throughout our state, not merely a matter for local preference,” the attorney general said.

Under House Bill 2717, local units of government couldn’t adopt an “ordinance, resolution, rule or policy” that would interfere with law enforcement cooperation in immigration enforcement actions. In Wyandotte County, law enforcement officials said they hadn’t joined ICE agents on immigration raids for years.

The measure endorsed by Schmidt also would forbid municipal governments from issuing ID cards to people not lawfully residing in the United States that were designed to satisfy identification requirements set in state law. Any cards of this type would have to bear the words “Not valid for state ID.” Violation of the proposed statute would be considered ID fraud under state criminal law.

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-attorney-general-files-bill-banning-sanctuary-cities-issuance-of-ids/.

Large community response seen to request for UG committee members

Mayor Tyrone Garner has received a large community response to his request for members of new Unified Government committees, according to a UG news release.

More than 250 community members, advocates and UG employees expressed an interest to participate in the committees, the news release stated.

On Jan. 25, Mayor Garner brought forward his vision for committees to work together with the UG commission chairs to create solutions to address some of the most pressing issues facing the community , according to the news release.


The committee chairs will lead listening sessions with committee volunteers to learn more about interests and perspective while establishing goals for the committees, the news release stated.

The committees will address topics including equitable development, the needs of unhoused residents, safety and justice, arts and culture, government efficiency, business, community health and recreation.

“I am committed to being community-driven,” Mayor Garner said in the news release. “I look forward to collaborating with our community to make Wyandotte County a great place to live, work, and raise a family. These committees are just the beginning of our effort to create new ways for neighbors to be engaged in problem-solving through collaboration with the Unified Government.”


In pursuit of his goals to engage more community members in shaping the future of Wyandotte County, the mayor will be launching two additional task forces and a Council of Clergy this month, according to the news release.

Mayor’s Environment and Green Energy Task Force

Pollution and climate change disproportionately impacts our most vulnerable communities, including people living with disabilities, economically disadvantaged households, the elderly, youth and people of color, according to the news release.

This task force will assess environmental justice across our county and, through meaningful involvement, shape policy recommendations for a more sustainable Wyandotte. The task force will focus on the identification and development of innovative policies and strategies to address green design, renewable energy and sustainable resource management.

For example, the task force will explore distributed energy and utility-scale green energy generation to mitigate impacts of supply disruptions, reduce energy costs and eliminate the reliance on fossil fuels. Furthermore, the task force will develop recommendations on tax policies and financing options, including federal grants and funding resources, to promote a green economy to ensure resiliency as a community for generations to come, the news release stated.

Mayor’s Quindaro Ruins Task Force

Over the years, there have been many community-led efforts to reimagine and support the Quindaro Ruins as a national destination of considerable historic significance. Mayor Garner will convene this task force to engage interested stakeholders and community groups in advancing the preservation of this historic national site, according to the news release.

With the goal of developing a unified strategic plan that moves the site from a state of ruin to economic revitalization, the convening taskforce should be made up of representatives from the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Unified Government, private ownerships, key stakeholders from existing committees and organizations, historians, tourism and park service professionals.

A community town hall will be scheduled in the future to convene interested parties in a discussion of what is possible, according to the news release.

Mayor’s Council of Clergy

The Council of Clergy will advise the mayor and his staff on critical issues pertaining to community development, engagement and citizen involvement.

Likewise, the Council of Clergy will serve as a conduit to share information with their congregations and faith communities regarding opportunities and critical needs. Participating faith leaders will facilitate a dialogue within each congregation for civic engagement, support the Unified Government upon request and assist in recruiting volunteers and participate in local events that support children and families, according to the news release.

The Council of Clergy will officially launch on Sunday, Feb. 27, at the conclusion of the Mayor’s Interfaith Prayer event. Interested clergy members may sign up with the form below.

How to get involved

If you are interested in volunteering for either task force or the Council of Clergy, complete a short form at https://us.openforms.com/Form/c77a95cd-785f-4566-ad4d-ed098e8a67a0 and more information will be sent to you.

  • Information from UG