OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Kansas City Council Meeting - September 14, 2023

City Council Legislative Session — Thursday, September 14, 2023
BodyKansas City, Missouri
SessionCity Council Legislative Session
DateThursday, September 14, 2023
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Meeting will come to order.

0:02

Our guest chaplain is a talented fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

0:07

Tough time on Saturday, but also as a pastor of the Holmeswood Baptist Church.

0:12

Would all who are able, please stand for the invocation and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:22

City Manager Platt, Mayor Lucas, Council, everyone.

0:29

No matter what your faith tradition is, or if you do not subscribe to particular faith, I invite you to center your mind, your body, and your soul on the themes of guidance, wisdom, and protection.

0:41

Let us pray.

0:44

Creator, sustainer, and love.

0:47

How grateful we are that you created each one of us differently.

0:51

That each person around us has their own unique spark, their own unique giftedness.

0:56

We have our own passions and motivations.

0:59

And as we look around our city of Kansas City, we see a commonality between each of us.

1:06

For it is your fingerprints that are imprinted on all of us.

1:10

And so it is into this awareness of interconnected diversity that I lift up this full council.

1:17

They are in the beginning stages of a four-year commitment of service and leadership to Kansas City.

1:23

They are learning how to work with one another.

1:26

The newness, I suspect, and excitement is starting to wane a bit.

1:30

And so it is into all this that I pray that when they feel they are fighting a losing battle, may your spirit fill them with hope.

1:38

When they're attempted to exchange hate for hate, may your spirit fill them with peace.

1:43

When they are so exhausted that life itself has been sucked right out of them, may your spirit fill them with joy.

1:50

And when their families feel neglected because this work caused them away, we pray for your hand of protection that holds them.

1:58

Because before they are council members, they are members of a family.

2:04

God of new beginnings.

2:06

May your continued stories of hope, peace, and love live within our city.

2:11

And may we each recognize that we are interconnected and interdependent upon everyone who is around us.

2:18

All of this we pray together.

2:21

Amen.

2:37

Thank you, Pastor.

2:41

Clerk will call the roll.

2:44

Here.

2:44

Willie.

2:45

Present.

2:46

Thank you.

2:46

Here.

2:47

Rogers.

2:48

Patterson Hasley.

2:50

Robinson.

2:51

That's great.

2:51

Raya.

2:53

Bunch.

2:54

Curls.

2:55

Here.

2:55

Park Shaw.

2:56

Present.

2:58

Here.

2:58

Unky's.

3:00

Lucas.

3:01

Here.

3:01

Twelve members present.

3:04

Will the clerk please call for special actions?

3:06

Yes, sir.

3:06

230806, recognizing the National Exponent Week in Kansas City.

3:11

Johnny Waller is present to receive the special actions.

3:31

I'm gonna talk about you.

3:32

All right.

3:33

Not bad, though.

3:35

So some time ago, I had the chance to attend law school like a few other people in the room, and I was at a dinner at one point.

3:44

And during the dinner, I met a gentleman who had been exonerated after a number of years in Missouri's Department of Corrections.

3:54

And I asked the gentleman, where are you from?

3:56

And he said, Kansas City, Missouri.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████████████27%
Cultural Celebrations███████████████15%
Education█████████████13%
Personnel Matters███████████11%
Community Engagement█████████9%
Public Safety█████5%
Criminal Justice Reform████4%
Public Health████4%
Airport Management████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Kansas City Council Meeting - September 14, 2023

The Kansas City Council met on September 14, 2023, at 3:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included special recognitions, passage of numerous ordinances, and referral of new items. Notable actions included recognizing National Expungement Week, honoring Latino employees during Hispanic Heritage Month, and congratulating Dr. Jennifer Collier as superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools. The council passed several ordinances related to violence prevention funding, airport grants, and a data center development. One historic landmark item was held to the next meeting.

Special Actions

  • Resolution 230806 – Recognizing National Expungement Week in Kansas City. Mayor Lucas and Johnny Waller Jr. (UMKC Law School Clear My Record Project) spoke about the importance of expungement for the 1.8 million Missourians with criminal records. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
  • Resolution 230814 – Honoring Latino city employees and residents for Hispanic Heritage Month 2023. Councilmember Rea noted that 11% of Kansas City’s population is Hispanic, and 27% of the 4th District. The resolution highlighted Vamos KC, a new employee resource group. Unanimously adopted.
  • Resolution 230829 – Congratulating Dr. Jennifer Collier on becoming the first female African American permanent superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools. Councilmembers praised her career and the district’s progress. Unanimously adopted.

Consent Calendar

  • Ordinance 230713 – Accepted a $85,515 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Infrastructure Grant at Kansas City International Airport (KCI). Unanimously passed.

Discussion Items (Debate Docket)

  • Ordinance 230424 – Amended the Fire Code to prohibit excessive false medical alarms from alarm signaling systems, aligning with existing false fire alarm regulations. Passed unanimously.
  • Ordinance 230691 – Authorized collection of the annual special assessment ($2.50 per abutting foot) for the Westport Special Business District, appropriating $48,165 for maintenance. Passed unanimously.
  • Ordinance 230720 – Established Fund No. 2190 (Marijuana Sales Tax Fund) and appropriated $458,000 from the violence prevention portion of the marijuana sales tax to provide additional funding for Aim4Peace. Passed unanimously.
  • Ordinance 230717 – Authorized a $550,000 contract with KC Common Good for Supporting Families through Summer Opportunities for Youth, funded by the previously approved $30 million violence prevention allocation. Passed unanimously.
  • Ordinance 230718 – Authorized a $600,000 contract with Community Capital Fund to administer the KC Blueprint for Violence Prevention strategies via neighborhood associations. Passed unanimously.
  • Ordinance 230739 – Approved a development plan for a 192,000-square-foot data center in two phases on 38 acres at NW corner of MO Highway 210 and N. Arlington Avenue (District M3-5). Passed unanimously.
  • Ordinance 230714 – Accepted a $844,000 BIL Airport Infrastructure Grant for a taxiway extension at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (75% federal, 25% city match). Passed unanimously.
  • Ordinance 230715 – Accepted a $107,167 Airport Improvement Program grant for the same downtown airport taxiway project. Passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • All votes on the above items were unanimous (12-0) except for the motion to waive three readings for first-reading ordinances, which passed 11-1 (one councilmember voted no).
  • Ordinance 230705 (historic landmark designation for 4526 Warwick Boulevard) was held to the next regularly scheduled meeting without objection.
  • Second Reading – Ordinance 230707 (solar array development at KCI with 816 Solar Consortium) was advanced to final reading at the next meeting.
  • First Readings – Several ordinances were introduced and referred to committees: settlement agreements (230799-230803), ambulance financing ($4,999,002.68, 230804), water revenue bond ($93,000,000, 230813), court automation (230822, 230823), substance use disorder treatment expansion ($4,900,000, 230824), Ivanhoe Gardens renovations ($850,000, 230828), property transfer (230808), rezoning and development plans (230809, 230810, 230811, 230812, 230815, 230816, 230817, 230818, 230819, 230820, 230821, 230825, 230827, 230826), and a community improvement district (230832).
  • Floor Introductions – Four late-filed items were introduced: Ordinance 230831 (amendment with Advantage Project Management for $455,670), Ordinance 230832 (establishing 1108-1110 Grand Community Improvement District), Ordinance 230833 (establishing Wagon Trails Community Improvement District), and Ordinance 230834 (lease of Berkley Riverfront Park property to Port KC). These were referred to appropriate committees.
  • Motion to waive three readings for ordinance 230830 (legislative aide classification and pay) passed, and the ordinance was adopted unanimously, appropriating $200,000 from the General Fund to create two new job classifications with corresponding pay grades.

Note: The meeting included a chaplain’s invocation and pledge of allegiance. No public comments were heard.

Meeting Transcript

Meeting will come to order. Our guest chaplain is a talented fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tough time on Saturday, but also as a pastor of the Holmeswood Baptist Church. Would all who are able, please stand for the invocation and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. City Manager Platt, Mayor Lucas, Council, everyone. No matter what your faith tradition is, or if you do not subscribe to particular faith, I invite you to center your mind, your body, and your soul on the themes of guidance, wisdom, and protection. Let us pray. Creator, sustainer, and love. How grateful we are that you created each one of us differently. That each person around us has their own unique spark, their own unique giftedness. We have our own passions and motivations. And as we look around our city of Kansas City, we see a commonality between each of us. For it is your fingerprints that are imprinted on all of us. And so it is into this awareness of interconnected diversity that I lift up this full council. They are in the beginning stages of a four-year commitment of service and leadership to Kansas City. They are learning how to work with one another. The newness, I suspect, and excitement is starting to wane a bit. And so it is into all this that I pray that when they feel they are fighting a losing battle, may your spirit fill them with hope. When they're attempted to exchange hate for hate, may your spirit fill them with peace. When they are so exhausted that life itself has been sucked right out of them, may your spirit fill them with joy. And when their families feel neglected because this work caused them away, we pray for your hand of protection that holds them. Because before they are council members, they are members of a family. God of new beginnings. May your continued stories of hope, peace, and love live within our city. And may we each recognize that we are interconnected and interdependent upon everyone who is around us. All of this we pray together. Amen. Thank you, Pastor. Clerk will call the roll. Here. Willie. Present. Thank you. Here. Rogers. Patterson Hasley. Robinson. That's great. Raya. Bunch. Curls. Here. Park Shaw. Present. Here. Unky's. Lucas. Here. Twelve members present. Will the clerk please call for special actions?

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