The Kansas City Council met on January 25, 2024, to honor three community members, debate and pass a landmark ban on source-of-income discrimination in housing, direct the city manager to study a cognitive behavioral therapy crime prevention program, and approve numerous infrastructure and development projects. The meeting opened with a moment of recognition for Sister Berta Saylor, a longtime Operation Breakthrough leader, followed by special recognitions and a full agenda of ordinances.
The meeting will come to order. I remind you if you need seats, we do have an upper balcony. It's a little cooler and there's space to spread out. Our prayer today will be provided by Councilman Willett. All who are able, please stand for the invocation, by the way, and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilman Willard. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Father, we lift your our my colleagues up to you today, draw them close to you, your wisdom, and your ways to your grace. Lord, we ask that you would help them lead in making the right decisions that align with what you would like to accomplish in your will and your plan. I pray for our city. I pray for our first responders, and I pray for the safety of all our citizens. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance. Thank you all so much. You can be seated. This afternoon, we learned about the death of just an outstanding Kansas City and someone who touched lives from the intersection of 31st intruse for generations. And that's Sister Berta Saylor. With Sister Corita, Sister Berta, worked at Operation Breakthrough, helping thousands, if not tens of thousands of young Kansas Citians get a chance to have a wonderful educational experience and in many ways a wonderful life thereafter. We thank her for her service and all the work she's done at Operation Breakthrough over the years. Councilman O'Neill. Yeah, I'd just like to add that I think all of the most of the council have had the opportunity to meet Sister Berta and amazed by the amount of work she's done in our community. And as you noted, she's probably one of the better Catholics any of us knew. Um and I just I just want to stand and say I uh I, for one, am just amazed at everything she accomplished in her lifetime, and she's such a good person, and we're gonna miss her. Absolutely. I'll just say this just one addition for her. And my uh my sister went to operation breakthrough years ago. My mother has these memories of Sister Berta and Sister Corita, and the amazing thing is in a world where a lot of people talk, including myself and so many of us, she was just a doer. And uh we'll really miss that very doing spirit that I think she had. So it's uh we're sad to lose her. With that, the clerk will proceed with the special actions. Oh, sorry, the roll call. Clerk call the roll. O'Neill. I here. Present France, Rogers, Patterson Hasley, here, Robison, Crash, Rhea. Here, Bunch, Curls, Parkshaw, here, Boo. Here. Duncan? Here. Lucas. Here. Present. The clerk will call special actions. Yes, sir. 240049. Honoring Mary Runk on her retirement after nearly 20 years of dedicated service to the city of Kansas City. Mary's presence to receive the special action. Hi.