Tag: Unified Government Commission

The Unified Government administrator’s budget presentation is scheduled at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 25, in a UG Commission special session that will be a remote Zoom meeting.

The meeting will be carried on UGTV on Spectrum cable channel 2 and on Google TV channel 141, and also will be on YouTube on the internet.

Also at the 5 p.m. meeting June 25 is scheduled a 10-minute COVID-19 update and a committee presentation about Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department funding, according to the agenda.

There is also a 7 p.m. UG Commission meeting June 25 through Zoom, which will be carried on UGTV and YouTube.

On the 7 p.m. agenda is a resolution that would set a public hearing date of July 30 for the downtown redevelopment project. This project would include a new, smaller building for the Reardon Center, a fitness center, new housing near 5th and Minnesota, and an outdoor athletic area.

Also on the 7 p.m. agenda is an ordinance amending the Downtown Master Plan from civic and urban residential to downtown mixed use for the downtown campus project, at 500 Minnesota Ave, 600 State Ave., and 645 Nebraska Ave. This is in the area of the Reardon Center and includes some of the other downtown campus projects.

An ordinance directing the UG legal staff to start legal proceedings to acquire property for the Kansas City Levees Project along Argentine, Armourdale and Central Industrial District Levee System also is on the 7 p.m. agenda. The project goes from 57th Street to State Line on both the north and south banks of the Kansas River, according to the agenda.

The agenda for the 7 p.m. meeting includes a number of other planning and zoning items.

Those items include:

• 520 Sandusky Ave., change of zone from single family district R-1B to R-2B, two-family district for continuation of a duplex, ASAF Eylon – Foylon Investments, recommended for denial.

• 16 S. 23rd St., change of zone from R-1Bsingle family district to R-2B two-family district to bring existing nonconformng duplex into compliance.

• 7241 Kaw Drive, special use permit to stockpile and process concrete material, G&G Holdings.

• 6130 Kansas Avenue, renewal of special use permit for a parking facility, Benjamin Stephens with Copart of Kansas.

• 1820 N. 90th St., renewal of home occupation special use permit for an AirBNB.

• 1101, 1103, 1107 and 1109 N. 79th Terrace, renewal of special use permit for short-term renal – AirBNB, Adrienne Bortz, Gabel Rentals LLC.

• 3107 S 7th St., renewal of a home occupation special use permit for a short-term rental – AirBNB.

• 322 Cambridge St., renewal of a home occupation special use permit for a short-term rental AirBNB.

• 10524 Augusta Drive, renewal of a home occupation special use permit for a day care, Happy Smiles Daycare.

• 7114 Parallel Parkway, renewal of a home occupation special use permit for a pet grooming operation, A Billion Bubbles Pet Salon.

• 1401 State Ave., renewal of a special use permit for a car staging area and used to store cars bought out of state that do not have correct documentation, Credit Motors Inc.

• 1300 Meadowlark Lane, renewal of a special use permit for administrative office, warehouse of parts and appliances, appliance repair, carpentry shop and materials storage, minor auto repair and maintenance, Thomas Scott, KCK Housing Authority.

• 1701 S. 40th St., renewal of a special use permit for the temporary use of land to keep lawn care equipment, Springstar Lawncare.

• 8402, 8440 and 8600 Gibbs Road, an ordinance for a special use permit for outdoor storage of used, damaged and undamaged, operable and inoperable vehicles, boats and construction-farm equipment and machinery for wholesale online and retail auction, with accessory office, shipping, receiving and customer parking, Copart of Kansas.

• 8600 Gibbs Road, an ordinance rezoning property by changing the zoning of R-1 single family district to MP-3 planned heavy industrial district, Copart of Kansas.

According to the agenda, requests to make public comments on the 7 p.m. Planning and Zoning Agenda will be taken until 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 24. Those interested may contact the UG Clerk’s office by:
Telephone: 913-573-5260
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 913-573-5299
Mail: UG Clerk’s Office, 701 N. 7th St., Ste. 323, Kansas City, KS 66101
While the public is encouraged to submit comments in advance, the public will have opportunities using the Zoom application or to dial into the meeting by phone, according to the agenda.

The agendas are online at https://www.wycokck.org/Clerk/Agendas.aspx.

The agendas for the two meetings have instructions on how to connect to Zoom.

For the 7 p.m. meeting:
Visit this URL to join:
https://zoom.us/j/94439523933?pwd=TlhFZXBwNjNpb3JmRXdOeERmVG5LUT09
Password: 049817
Or join by phone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or
877 853 5257 (Toll Free) or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free)
Webinar ID: 946 7791 5752
International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/adFeFbfsbY

For the 5 p.m. meeting budget presentation:
Visit the link to join the webinar:
https://zoom.us/j/95719737023?pwd=bE41UWFmam1hZm5VU3lWL1NsTVAxQT09
Password: 218960
Or iPhone one-tap:
US: + 13462487799,, 95719737023# or + 16699009128,,95719737023#
Or telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: + 1 346 248 7799 or + 1 669 900 9128 or + 1 253 215 8782 or + 1 312 626 6799 or + 1 646 558 8656 or + 1 301 715 8692 or 888 475 4499 (toll free) or 877 853 5257 (toll free)
Webinar ID: 957 1973 7023
International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/abiLLWJakl

For the 5 p.m. meeting COVID-19 update and committee presentation on Fire Department funding:
Visit the link to join the Zoom webinar:
https://zoom.us/j/95798378619?pwd=ekJIMkMxT1BBaHF3cy82TklRMmY1dz09
Password: 555600

Or iPhone one-tap:
US: +13462487799,,95798278619# or +16699009128,,95798378619#
Or telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 9128 or + 1 253 215 8782 or +1 301 715 8592 or + 1 312 626 6799 or + 1 646 558 8656 or 888 475 4499 (toll free) or 877 853 5257 (toll free)
Webinar ID: 957 9837 8619
International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/acTFAIUDff

Furloughs possible, Fairfax fire station could be closed

Final vote not taken yet on budget

The Unified Government Commission set the maximum mill levy at the 5 p.m. Thursday, June 11, meeting.

After a lengthy discussion, the maximum mill levy for the city of Kansas City, Kansas, was set 2 mills higher than currently, at 40.398. The Wyandotte County mill levy maximum was set at 39.263, the same as the current levy. The mill levies are used to figure the property tax.

Commissioner Brian McKiernan, who made the motion, said the city mill levy was set for discussion purposes over the next few weeks. The UG budget vote will be scheduled later.

Commissioner McKiernan said the commission often sets the maximum mill levy higher, then approves a lower mill levy at the budget vote. It gives the commission flexibility in case something happens between then and the vote, he said.

The vote on setting the city’s maximum mill levy at 40.398 mills was 8-2, with Commissioners Tom Burroughs and Jim Walters voting no.

The vote on the Wyandotte County maximum mill levy passed 9-1, with Commissioner Burroughs voting no.

The maximum mill levies for the Downtown Improvement District and the Wyandotte County Library Board were set at their current rates, with no change.

Among the measures UG Administrator Doug Bach proposed were 10-day furloughs for many UG employees and some reductions or layoffs. Most employees, not including public safety, will be encouraged to take 10-day furloughs in the next six weeks.

There also might be less mowing of public rights-of-way and less snow plowing. Many open positions would not be filled.

In addition, the fire station that serves the Fairfax industrial district was proposed to be closed, with the staff moved to the new Piper fire station on Hutton Road. That was the issue that prompted UG Commissioners to propose a higher mill levy for discussion.

Fire station discussion

Several commissioners spoke in favor of allowing more time, requested by the Fairfax Industrial Association, to discuss the Fairfax fire station with commissioners.

Bach had recommended no change to the mill levies. He had also proposed closing Fairfax fire station 15 while staffing the new Piper fire station 12. Officials said at earlier meetings that the existing Quindaro fire station could also cover the Fairfax district.

While the closure of fire station 15 in the Fairfax Industrial District was presented to the commission as the solution to staffing the new Piper fire station on Hutton Road, several commissioners did not agree.

Commissioner Gayle Townsend said several commissioners expressed at an earlier meeting that they wanted to look at other options than closing the Fairfax station.

She asked to pick up the discussion later, possibly June 25, after the FIA has met with commissioners.

“I know the callout today mentions whether to fund (fire station) 15. But I actually see it from another position. 15 is still working and operable,” Commissioner Townsend said. “The question is how do we fund personnel and staff for 12 (the new Piper station).”

Commissioner Melissa Bynum agreed about the need for more time for discussion. She also was in favor of an internal UG committee being formed to discuss the situation.

Mayor David Alvey said they were at a place where they either had to have additional furloughs, additional reductions in staff, reductions in services or increase the PILOT (a UG fee on the BPU bill), or increase the mill levy.

“These are the only options available to us, there are no other resources to draw from in this regard,” he said.

Commissioner Townsend said she was just asking for at least a week, to have meetings and then come back to the administrator with recommendations.

Mayor Alvey said he did not want to create another committee to look at the issue. Commissioner Mike Kane said there needed to be meetings of those involved in the fire station issue to see if they could come up with a solution.

In order to move the issue forward, Mayor Alvey suggested there would have to be a vote to raise the mill levy.

Commissioner Townsend said she didn’t want the public to think this discussion would result in a mill levy increase. They are just asking for additional time to meet with the Fairfax group, she added.

Commissioner Townsend recalled that when they had the discussion about building the Piper fire station, it was never an issue of closing station 15 to open station 12.

At other recent meetings, officials said that the UG administrator was following the commission’s general guidelines to hold expenses to the same levels as previously.

Commissioner Tom Burroughs said that it has been stated that valuations are increasing in the future, and asked about the cost to the UG if they lose major industries.

Commissioner Angela Markley noted they had to fight hard to lower the mill levy to its level today, and didn’t have an appetite for an increase in the mill levy.

Mayor Alvey also said he didn’t have an appetite to furlough employees or lay off employees, cut street preservation and other programs.

Revenue losses and possible cuts

Some of the UG’s large revenue losses were coming from the retail sales tax. The city general fund had a projected loss of $25.9 million for 2020 and $17.7 million for 2021, according to Bach.

Bach told the UG Commission he had taken several measures and made some cuts from the budget, and there was still a shortfall of $2.5 million in 2020 and $5.6 million in 2021, with a $10 million deficit projected in 2022.

Bach said the UG has several options to deal with the loss of revenue. Some of these include using emergency reserves, deferring some expenditures, using debt instead of cash for some expenditures, reducing capital expenditures, shifting funds, postponing the sewer fund loan repayment, transferring funds from the environmental trust, reducing administrative costs, selling property, adjusting planning, neighborhood resource and public works fees and borrowing from the convention and tourism fund.

That could raise about $21.9 million in 2020, but still left them $2.5 million short. Since some of those were one-time options, it leaves them $5.6 million short in 2021, the next year, according to his report.

Bach said the UG currently has 291 vacant full-time equivalency positions. It is usually around 100, he added.

Ten days of furloughs are estimated to save the UG about $1.16 million, he said. The furloughs, he said, would exclude areas such as police, firefighters, dispatch, command staff, sanitary sewers, community development and transit.

Bach will encourage most employees to take 10-day furloughs during the next six weeks.

Bach said in areas where the UG has received federal funding, they would have to have staff continue to work. For example, a transit grant recently was announced.

Where there are negotiating units, the UG would have to negotiate furloughs with them, he said.

The UG also is looking at increasing the trash fees by 35 cents per month effective in 2021, and increasing sanitary sewer charges 5 percent in 2021, he said.

The UG staff also discussed realigning city-county administrative costs by assigning a percentage for the city and county to different offices and services. For example, currently 84 percent of the commissioners’ and mayor’s office budget funding comes from city funding, and the UG now recommends 70 percent from the city and 30 percent from the county. The percentages are being assigned based on services to the city or county.

By realigning the costs, the UG might be able to use county funding, which is considered more stable because of property taxes, to pay for some of the costs currently coming from city funding.

Federal funding and grants

Bach said Wyandotte County will receive some federal CARES Act funding through the state. The state will be issuing the funds under a formula, and the total the UG receives will be determined later, he said. The county is asked to share the funding with Kansas City, Kansas, Bonner Springs, Edwardsville and educational districts, he said.

While the actual figure has not yet been announced, the UG is guessing it will be about $40 million, according to Bach. He said they are putting together a committee on how to distribute the funding.

Federal funding through the CARES Act is not allowed to be used in all areas of the budget, but only for certain expenses, such as COVID-related expenses.

Mayor Alvey said he has reached out to the offices of Sen. Pat Roberts, Sen. Jerry Moran and Rep. Sharice Davids about federal funding. He said the funding has strict guidelines. It cannot replace lost revenues and can’t fill budget deficits, he said. He added he is talking with them to see if there can be any movement to change that.

If the federal funding was originally intended to provide liquidity, then it is not achieving it, Mayor Alvey said at Thursday night’s meeting.

Melissa Sieben, deputy county administrator, answering a question from Commissioner Melissa Bynum, said the UG has also been awarded a $4.2 million grant for transit services. This will help pay for lost revenues when the buses waived fees during COVID-19 period, and also for additional expenses to retrofit buses for the safety of drivers and passengers.

Housing and Urban Development this week added another allotment, for a total of two allotments of emergency shelter dollars, just over $2.2 million total, she said. These funds may be used for rent, utilities, sheltering needs for families displaced because of COVID-19, and other expenses, she said.

The UG also received more than $1 million in Community Development Block Grant funds during the COVID-19 crisis, she said.

For more information about the meeting, which lasted almost two hours, visit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqaShdQQBnw.