Kansas City, Missouri Business Session – March 7, 2024: Energy Code, STD Trends, and KCATA Transit Update
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Business Session – March 7, 2024
The meeting began with approval of the February 22, 2024 business session minutes. The council then heard three presentations: an update on the International Energy Conservation Code implementation, a report on sexually transmitted disease trends in Kansas City, and a transit update from the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA). Discussions included cost-benefit analyses, safety concerns, budget challenges, and calls for regional cooperation.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of minutes for the business session of February 22, 2024 – motion, second, all in favor – approved.
Discussion Items
International Energy Conservation Code Implementation
- Metropolitan Energy Center (MEC) presented on the 2021 IECC adopted in 2022. The presentation highlighted the code's role in health, durability, and affordability, with photos of inefficient insulation and a study showing a 34% reduction in asthma-related hospital visits for children in weatherized homes. MEC estimated the cost increase to builders at $8,500–$12,000 per home, disputing the Home Builders Association's claim of $30,000+ (which included a double-wall construction not required by code). MEC noted a 9-year return on investment using DOE estimates and federal tax credits (e.g., $2,500 per Energy Star home from the Inflation Reduction Act). MEC also reported that 68 permits per month were issued on average post-code adoption, similar to prior years, and that a $6.8 million grant will train workforce to support the code.
- Council debate: Councilwoman Boo defended the code's lengthy adoption process and criticized the HBA for not offering alternatives. Councilman Willett argued the code harms middle-class homebuyers, pushes development to suburbs, and that city staff felt unprepared. Councilman O'Neill said the adoption was too quick. Councilman Bunch noted the HBA gave an ultimatum ('this version or nothing'), leaving no room for compromise. Councilman Rogers urged collaborative problem-solving. No vote was taken; the code remains in effect.
Sexually Transmitted Disease Trends
- Lisa Mertz, Tanya Bailey, and Dr. Benjamin Grinn of the Kansas City Health Department presented data showing a 214% increase in syphilis cases in Missouri since 2018, with Missouri ranking 12th highest for primary and secondary syphilis. In Kansas City, 258 primary/secondary syphilis cases were reported in 2022; 76% male, 67% aged 20–39, disproportionately Black, 30% reported substance use (20% meth), 21% had anonymous partners. Congenital syphilis (newborn) cases rose 183% nationally since 2018; 9 in 10 cases could have been prevented with timely testing and treatment. The health department has added staff, conducts disease intervention, delivers provider education, and offers free, stigma-free clinical services. They support state bills HB1979/SB1260 requiring third-trimester syphilis testing.
- Discussion: Councilman Duncan asked about the link to substance use; Dr. Grinn noted risky behaviors. Councilwoman Robinson asked about at-home tests (not reliable due to lingering antibodies) and suggested using safety-net contracts to require testing at 28 weeks. Dr. Grinn explained the main barrier is patients entering prenatal care late, not lack of testing. Councilwoman French asked about financial assistance – services are free at the health department, but transportation is a barrier. Councilman Rogers requested data on substance use correlation. Councilwoman Robinson moved that the health commission monitor the issue and report back with policy recommendations.
KCATA Transit Update
- Frank White III (CEO) and Tyler Means (Chief Strategy Officer) of KCATA reported that ridership in 2023 exceeded pre-COVID levels (105% of 2019), on-time performance is 89.7%, and 62% of riders are satisfied. Since zero-fare was implemented region-wide in 2020, security staff grew from 2 to 30, but operator turnover increased to 50% (from 25–35% previously). KCATA's budget for Kansas City, Missouri service is $118 million, with the city contributing $63 million, state of Missouri $1.645 million, and COVID relief funds providing $26 million that will be exhausted by early 2025. KCATA is pursuing a regional sales tax, state funding, and transit-oriented development to become self-sustaining. The union president Nick Miller testified that zero-fare removed accountability, leading to safety issues and loss of veteran drivers.
- Discussion: Mayor Lucas questioned the cost of zero-fare for other jurisdictions (none contribute) and requested data on operator turnover and rider origin. Councilman Willett asked for union testimony (provided). Councilman Duncan pressed for overall budget shortfall details and line-item budget. Councilwoman Robinson highlighted that non-KC jurisdictions are not paying for zero-fare costs. Councilwoman Patterson-Hasley emphasized safety concerns on buses, particularly for elderly black women and black women drivers. Councilwoman French asked for performance metrics validation. Councilwoman Boo clarified budget structure. Council members requested security incident data, pre- and post-zero-fare, along with audits and strategic plan.
Key Outcomes
- No votes were taken on the presentations; they were informational.
- Council members requested additional data from KCATA, including security trends, fare revenue, line-item budget, audits, and strategic plan.
- Councilwoman Robinson suggested the health commission monitor STD trends and report back.
- There was discussion of potential future legislation on energy code, zero-fare, and regional transit funding, but no formal action was taken.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to business session. Our first item is approval of minutes for business session of February 22nd. Is there a motion? They're second. We're moving second that we approve the minutes for business session of February 22nd. All in favor? Okay. Perfect. All right. We'll proceed with our items. Our first is International Energy Conservation Code Implementation. Started? Okay. Hello, everybody. Thank you so much for having Metropolitan Energy Center here to speak on the policy in Kansas City, Missouri. We've had multiple meetings with the city planning department and contractors, and I am going to talk to you about the code and what we found currently. Metropolitan Energy Center is a 40-year-old non-forprofit that specializes in best practices and energy reduction and transportation and buildings. For the sake of time, I'm gonna leave it there, but feel free to ask me questions. Same with my own bio. I'm gonna be very brief. Today we are going to have an um review of what an energy code really is, where it comes from, why it's so crucial, and then we're going to share the good news about the tidal wave of funds that are here and still coming in waves that are accessible for cities and contractors. Um we'll conclude. So the energy code has discussed. And including contractors, developers, home builders association, designers, um, energy efficiency professionals, building science experts, and it's not negotiated, discussed, planned, tested, calculated every three years and published every three years. So in other words, this is not something that you know just as come up by some somebody uh that feels a certain way about things. It is negotiated by a wide swath of um participants in this committee. The uh adoption process in Kansas City, Missouri, as many of you here are aware, um, was long and careful. Um it included uh regional industry experts within the development contractor community, designer community, and then also, as you know, um the community leadership, neighborhoods, constituents, everybody took part in uh the discussion leading up to this passage in um 2022. Um Metropolitan Energy Center's role is to help support this transition by uh training. And we started that training in 2022 and have since had multiple um courses. This information is actually just a little bit out of date because we just completed our first training, or excuse me, our our um seventh training this week, and so we've had a number of attendees this week that puts that closer to 200 attendees across most of the regional um suburbs and across the state line and Kansas City, Missouri's um building and planning department has sent multiple staff to these trainings, um and we will continue these trainings in 2024, and this will be not only to municipal staff and building code officials, but also continuing with denying designers, contractors, etc. So I want to just show you a little bit about um in picture, picture tells a thousand words, um, about what the crucial role the energy code plays in the building itself and how it impacts the occupants of said buildings. It's not just about saving a few pennies on your utility bills, although that is important to many um of our constituents, but it's plays a crucial role in human health, the durability of the structure, and the comfort of the structure, besides, of course, that important affordability. So what I want to show this is a little key because I'm gonna have several slides of examples of homes that were built prior to the new code package being passed. So you can visualize what the new code package is going to correct. So this slide here has two pictures of the same spot. The left one is a digital photo of wall and ceiling intersection, and then the right side is an infrared photo, and depending on when the infrared photo is taken, is going to show you the color key. So this photo was taken in the summer, and so the orange yellow shows inefficiencies in the installation of the insulation. So those are hot spots. The orange, red, yellow or hot spots in the summer where the insulation is not doing its job because it was poorly installed. I want to just go real quickly into a quick reason why this is happening. So this may seem um fundamental, but I learned this when I got into this for the first time when I got into this field of work. Umergy can only move in one direction. It moves from hot to cold, never the reverse. That is the first law of thermal dynamics, it's physics. Um the speed of transfer depends on the temperature differential between the two structure, two areas, and um the type of material. So that's why you know, a wrought iron pan on the stove. Um, you need a hot pad to hold the handle as it heats up on the stove, even though the handle isn't sitting over the flame, because that that cast iron is going through the uh the handle. So we have just a visual then of energy escaping through an uninsulated wall, and less energy escaping through an insulated wall. Again, I'm sorry if this is fundamental, um, but I this helps me orient.
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