An ordinance to limit sideshows and a public hearing on the financing for the Homefield development project are on tonight’s Unified Government Commission agenda.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 7, on Zoom. The public may view the meeting on YouTube, UGTV cable television and from the lobby of City Hall, 701 N. 7th St.
There also will be a public comment time, with a maximum of 45 minutes, for residents to appear and make two-minute comments about UG and community issues. Residents may go to the City Hall lobby to make comments, or may make comments online on Zoom. If the comments’ total time exceeds 45 minutes, there may not be time for all those interested to make comments.
The proposed sideshow ordinance, discussed at the March 28 Public Works and Safety Committee meeting, would amend current laws to ban sideshows, in which roads are blocked and participants exhibit their vehicles’ abilities in speed, drag races, automotive stunts or other type of competition. These take place without permission or permits.
The proposed ordinance also makes it a violation for spectators who are present at the sideshows.
Unintentional witnesses or passersby to the sideshows would not be considered as spectators, according to a provision in the proposed ordinance. The ordinance does not apply to races or shows that occur on public or private racetracks that are intentionally built and used for these activities.
Those who drive or participate in the sideshows could be charged with a misdemeanor under the proposed ordinance. Those who are spectators could receive a fine of up to $500, according to the proposed ordinance.
Also on the agenda is bond financing for the Homefield development, near 90th and State Avenue, at the former Schlitterbahn water park and surrounding area.
Three bond issues, including one STAR bond issue and two industrial revenue bond issues, were approved at a Monday night Economic Development and Finance Committee meeting. The bond issues include: up to $160 million in STAR (sales tax revenue) bonds; industrial revenue bonds up to $65 million for the Homefield sports building, a multi-use recreational and commercial facility; and industrial revenue bonds of up to $45 million to acquire, construct and equip the Homefield baseball complex.
For more information on the project, see https://wyandotteonline.com/ug-committee-advances-up-to-270-million-in-bond-issues-for-homefield-project/.
Other items on the 7 p.m. agenda include a request to approve local matching funds for the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor. Included are Quindaro Boulevard, Leavenworth Road, Parallel Parkway, State Avenue and additional roads in the corridor, and infrastructure in the corridor.
Also on the agenda is a request to approve an application for federal aid safety funding from the Kansas Department of Transportation for 2025-2026, with a 10 percent match from the existing budget.
Project prioritization for grant submissions for Raise, Safe Streets and Roads and some other grant programs is also on the agenda.
The 7 p.m. agenda also includes a presentation on the stormwater enterprise fund proposals and rate structure options. The presentation was for information only, with no vote scheduled.
There also is scheduled to be a presentation on an EPA grant opportunity.
The UG Commission also will hold a special session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7, for a presentation on 2023 budget options. It will be a virtual Zoom meeting that can also be viewed on YouTube, UGTV and from the lobby of City Hall, 701 N. 7th St.
At 4 p.m. Thursday, April 7, there will be a special session of the UG Commission on litigation, and it will be a closed, executive session.
For information about how to connect to the Zoom meeting, visit https://civicclerk.blob.core.windows.net/stream/WYCOKCK/89c7e5df-45eb-4178-892a-ce279fbc09b0.pdf?sv=2015-12-11&sr=b&sig=vJnlGvP52kcejN7yc16r2SoL9ozXEgJrJf4yb%2B8aPFU%3D&st=2022-04-07T16%3A49%3A30Z&se=2023-04-07T16%3A54%3A30Z&sp=r&rscc=no-cache&rsct=application%2Fpdf and
https://www.wycokck.org/Departments/Clerks-Office/Engage-in-Public-Commission-Meeting