Kansas City Council Business Session – NFL Draft Update and Health Commission Report – April 14, 2023
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Kansas City Council Business Session – NFL Draft Update and Health Commission Report – April 14, 2023
The Kansas City Council held a business session on April 14, 2023, beginning at approximately 2:30 PM. The meeting opened with the approval of minutes from the March 16 business session, followed by a detailed presentation on the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, which is set to take place in 14 days. The meeting concluded with an annual update from the Kansas City Health Commission.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the March 16, 2023 business session were approved unanimously by voice vote (all ayes, no opposition).
Discussion Items
NFL Draft Update
- Presenters: Kathy Nelson (President/CEO, Kansas City Sports Commission & Visit KC), John Barker (SVP, Global Event Productions & Operations, NFL), and Aubrey Walton (Director, Event Location Strategy & Planning, NFL) participated virtually. City staff from multiple departments were also acknowledged.
- Event Details: The 2023 NFL Draft will be held April 27–29, 2023, at Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial. It is expected to draw 300,000 total attendees and generate $125 million in economic activity and $10 million in local tax revenue.
- Logistics: The main fan entry will be via the south lawn at the World War I Museum. Street closures include Main Street and Pershing Road from 20th to 27th Street, with Grand open for foot traffic and Broadway open for vehicles. Closures will be in place from early April through May 7. A park-and-ride shuttle will operate from the West Bottoms Garage on Thursday and Friday. The KC Streetcar will not serve Union Station from April 26; service will terminate at 19th & Main.
- Accessibility: The NFL and city provided extensive ADA accommodations, including wheelchair-accessible viewing areas, accessible portable restrooms with universal changing stations, and sensory-free zones for individuals with processing disorders. A mobility hotline (888-745-1455) and email (nflDraftmobility@gmail.com) were provided.
- Local Engagement: Over 1,300 local residents will be paid by the NFL to work the draft, filling 2,500+ shifts. The NFL Business Connect program includes approximately 60 local diverse businesses in a resource guide; multiple contracts have already been awarded. The draft experience will feature 20 local restaurants for food and beverage.
- Council Concerns: Council members raised issues about timely communication of street closures to constituents, especially those in the impacted 4th District. Councilwoman Robinson questioned street vending restrictions (not allowed within the secure perimeter). Councilman Bunch requested improved Google Maps updates for closures and additional parking enforcement to prevent illegal parking blocking sidewalks and curb cuts in adjacent neighborhoods.
Health Commission Update
- Presenters: Councilman Park Shaw (co-chair), Dr. Marvia Jones (Health Director), and Dr. Erica Carney (co-chair).
- Overview: The Health Commission provides oversight for the Kansas City Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) and advises the Mayor and Council. The 2022–27 CHIP focuses on addressing structural racism as a root cause of health inequities, including a 26-year life expectancy gap between some neighborhoods.
- Accomplishments: Supported renewal of the health levy, advocated for postpartum Medicaid coverage extension (SB 639/698), opposed restrictions on Medicaid expansion, recommended ARP funding for mental health services, supported adoption of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, and backed capital improvement funding for local health centers.
- Committees: Seven committees were described: Birth Equity, Budget & Contracts Evaluation, Education, Health Policy & Advocacy, Housing (ad hoc), KC CHIP Planning, and Violence Free KC. The Birth Equity Committee is working on reducing African American infant and maternal mortality.
- Health Levy Innovation Fund: $400,000 annually is allocated to safety net providers for projects aligned with CHIP goals. Projects funded in 2022 include programs at Northland Healthcare Access, University Health, Children’s Mercy, and KC Care Clinic. A detailed handout was provided.
- Next Steps: The Health Commission will continue implementation of the CHIP with $200,000 in council budget support. The Health in All Policies ordinance passed recently will also be implemented. The annual report was previously distributed electronically in February 2023.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes Approved: Unanimous approval of the March 16 business session minutes.
- No Formal Votes: The NFL Draft update and Health Commission update were informational; no resolutions or ordinances were voted upon.
- Directives: The City Manager's office was asked to ensure that street closure and event information is posted on the city’s website and that Google Maps is updated with temporary closures. The Health Commission will continue to provide annual updates and work with contracted partners to implement the CHIP.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to business session. Our first item is approval of minutes for business session of March 16th. Is there a motion? It's all moved. Second. It's been moved and seconded. All in favor indicate by saying aye. Aye. Aye. All opposed. The motion passes. I understand then for our first topic, there is a big event coming up about which I know nothing. The NFL planning. The NFL draft presentation. I assume either Ms. Gilmore, Miss Nelson, or whomever would like to join us. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So we are just 14 days from the kickoff to one of NFL's signature events at two of Kansas City's iconic cultural attractions, Union Station and the National World War One Museum and Memorial. Paying homage to a historic gathering place within Union Station's Grand Hall. Greatness is on the clock is the tagline for the 2023 NFL draft in Kansas City, the largest event that Kansas City has ever hosted. Construction of the NFL draft stage is underway both above and below the union station. And although the design of the stage, which purposely highlights the union station facade, and it will be striking, the shoring in place in the garage is equally as impressive and important to creating this unprecedented venue. To date, most city departments have been involved in some way in getting to this point. This undertaking is complex, and our staff led by our directors have made execution a priority. The mayor's office, city manager's office, city planning developments, CRO, public works, parks and recreation, neighborhood and community services, finance, health, general services, water, fire, police, and law, have had a seat at live and virtual tables, answering phone calls, exchanging emails, and even some frantic text, spending hours to move the project forward. To staff, on behalf of the city manager, I want to express how grateful we are for your professionalism during this process. The NFL has shared that the collaboration has been a great experience, and that we could not have done that, and it couldn't have happened without you. Today, providing a detailed update in the chamber, we have Kathy Nelson, president and CEO of both the Kansas City Sports Commission and Visit KC, and virtually representing the NFL. We have Aubrey Walton, Director of Event Location Strategy and Planning, say that five times fast. And John Barker, Senior Vice President of Global Event Productions and Operations. Now I will go ahead and turn it over to Kathy. Thank you, Comiko. Mayor, good to see you this morning. Council members, hello everyone. Lots of things are happening. As Kamiko mentioned, we have on the phone Aubrey and John from the NFL, and I might just kick it over to John quickly to just open us up and then we'll walk you through a brief presentation. John. Kathy, thank you for that. And Council members, thank you for your time this afternoon. First of all, Kamiko, I I love to just echo what you said at the top. We cannot be thankful enough to the city of Kansas City for everybody that works for the city and everybody that we've engaged with throughout this process. Five years is now two weeks. Hopefully now you can look out your windows and see the sheer size and magnitude of what the NFL draft is. And again, Kabiko, you you touched on it. There's a lot that happens behind the scenes, uh, and there's a tremendous amount that happens under the ground as we shore up the parking lots to build the largest stage, the largest structure that we've ever built for the NFL draft. And we've done that purposely. We wanted to make sure that we match the iconic building union station and made sure that we are highlighting both that uh and the World War One Museum and Memorial. We could not be happier with where we are today. We are on track with our plans.
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