Kansas City Council Meeting – July 25, 2024: Honoring Retirees, Approving Infrastructure Contracts, and Amending Speed Hump Plan
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Kansas City Council Meeting – July 25, 2024
The Kansas City Council convened on July 25, 2024, with 13 members present. The meeting began with an invocation and pledge, followed by the holding of one ordinance (240599) for one week, and then a series of special actions recognizing retiring city employees and community advocates. Council then passed numerous ordinances related to infrastructure, grants, and development, and debated a resolution to install speed humps, ultimately amending it to allow for additional humps beyond the original 100.
Consent Calendar (Routine Approvals and Unanimous Actions)
- Special Actions (all adopted unanimously):
- Recognizing Michael Gamaldi for 50+ years of service (240579)
- Honoring Alicia Phillips on her retirement after 30 years with Public Works (240617)
- Recognizing Jeffrey Williams for 30+ years as director of city plan development (240623)
- Honoring the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City as host of the 45th annual U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce National Conference (Oct 6–8, 2024) (240643)
- Honoring Connie Farrakhan on her retirement after 29 years at the Health Department (240644)
- Honoring Daryl Love on his retirement after 27 years with Convention and Entertainment Facilities (240645)
- Honoring the life of Charles “Charlie” Alveralona, West Side community advocate (240646)
- Ordinances passed on consent/advance (all with 11–12 ayes):
- 240546: EPA Brownfield RLF supplemental grant of $3.5 million (earmarked for cleanup, no match required)
- 240547: Additional EPA Brownfield RLF grant of $1 million
- 240603: Area plan amendment at 521 Campbell Street
- 240592/240593: Plat approvals for residential subdivisions
- 240600: First amendment to West Bottoms TIF plan (removing a funding source)
- 240581: Establishment of West Bottoms Central Community Improvement District (27-year term, up to 1% sales tax and special assessments)
- 240583: CDC grant of $739,567 for public health foundational capabilities
- 240584: $240,000 contract amendment for BAM/WOW youth program
- 240604: Rezoning at 521 Campbell Street
- 240605: Designation of Carmen Building to Kansas City Register of Historic Places
- 240607: HUD Shelter Care Plus grant of $499,276 for housing assistance for people with HIV
- 240615: Rezoning 15.3 acres for 150 residential units
- 240522: Reconnecting Communities pilot grant of $1,158,620 for West Side Study
- 240587: $1,105,746 design contract for Blue River Odor Control Phase 2/3
- 240588: $1,555,700 construction contract for KCI water main replacement
- 240589: $171,331 amendment for airport storm sewer design
- 240590: $1,036,363 contract for storm sewer improvements at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport
- 240594: $3,997,500 contract for KCI overhaul base roof repair
- 240597: $777,450 amendment for roof condition investigation at KCI
- 240598: $5,674,530 construction contract for water main replacement (Warnell Road to Oak Street)
- 240608: $12 million design contract for Smart Sewer program management
- 240610: $342,200 grant for Blue River Trail Martha Truman Connector
- 240611: $751,978 amendment for Green Infrastructure at Mill Creek Park
- 240613: $799,500 contract for water treatment plant basin cleaning
Discussion Items
- Ordinance 240599 (Marijuana Facilities): A request to hold the item for one week was granted without objection; no discussion took place.
- Speed Hump Resolution (240591): Council debated a resolution to adopt a plan for installing 100 speed humps in 2024 using Vision Zero funding. Some council members noted that not all resident requests go through the 311 system and requested additional humps for their districts. After discussion, the resolution was amended to delete the specific number “100” and instead allow speed humps to be added pursuant to criteria in the plan. The amendment passed 11–1, and the amended resolution passed 12–0.
Key Outcomes
- Held: Ordinance 240599 (marijuana facility distances) – held for one week; will return at next council meeting.
- Adopted: All special actions (7) – unanimous.
- Adopted: All consent and advance docket ordinances (24 items) – passed with 11–12 ayes each.
- Amended and Adopted: Resolution 240591 (speed hump plan) – amended to remove the fixed number of 100 humps, allowing additional installations based on adopted criteria. Final vote 12–0.
- New Business Introduced (referred to committee):
- 240647: Establishing fund for West Bottoms Phase 1 project ($14.8 million)
- 240648: Funding for bike/pedestrian bridge project ($3.5 million in contributions plus $7.3 million in bond proceeds)
- Semi-Annual Docket: All ordinances and resolutions more than six months old were released from the docket and deemed lost, per council rule 7.07.
Meeting Transcript
The meeting will come to order. Our guest chaplain is Pastor Tim Allison of the Visiting Nurses Association Hospice Care. Would all who are able please stand for the invocation and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Pastor. As we gather here today. Help us remember that leadership is to be a servant. Those who have elected these officials here today have placed a sacred trust in them. May these leaders have wisdom beyond their own compassion beyond their own compassion. And may they always remember that as they make decisions today, there are people in those decisions. And all that is said and done today. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Justice Brown. Thank you, Pastor. Clerk will call the roll. French. Here. Rogers here. Patterson has me. Here. Robinson. Present. Raya. Present. Funch. Girls. Very much. Present. Here. Who? Here. Duncan. Here. O'Neill. Here. Will it? President Lucas. Present. 13 members from my favorite. I will um go. I can't do that. Well, City Attorney or now an assistant city attorney telling me I wanted to make a statement as to ordinance 240599. Unfortunately, it's not on our uh items for committee advances. So you're on. Um can we can we make at least some statement on it as to a hold request without a remedy on it? Without the motion for advance before. I'm sorry, can you repeat that I was how about I ask this to be safe? Mayor Pro Tim, can I get a motion for uh the items on the advanced debate docket today? Honorable mayor, I'll move that the clerk put the script up so I can read it.
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