OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Kansas City Council Regular Meeting - July 24, 2025

City Council Legislative Session — Thursday, July 24, 2025
BodyKansas City, Missouri
SessionCity Council Legislative Session
DateThursday, July 24, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

The meeting will come to order.

0:08

Our guest chaplain is Pastor Kevin Smith of the Northland Cathedral Church.

0:15

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

0:21

In the absence of our named pastor, we have the church's favorite child, Councilman Kevin O'Neill.

0:29

Come on over, don't we?

0:32

We'll have you do our prayer.

0:35

Pastor O'Neal, Father O'Neal will be uh followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:41

Oh boy.

0:46

Dear God, thank you for everything you give to everybody.

0:50

Thank you for all the things you do for us on the City Council, allowing us the good sense to do the right things and to help this city become the city it really should be and will be and can be.

1:05

So Amen.

1:08

Amen.

1:14

And to the Republic for which it's Liberty and Justice for all of them.

1:23

Thank you.

1:23

You can be seated.

1:24

Clerk will call the roll.

1:25

Mr.

1:26

Patterson Hasley.

1:29

Robinson.

1:31

Ray.

1:33

Punch.

1:34

Here.

1:35

Pearls.

1:36

Present.

1:37

Parkshaw.

1:38

Present.

1:38

Boo.

1:39

Here.

1:40

Duncan.

1:41

Neil.

1:43

Will it?

1:43

President.

1:44

Franch.

1:45

Rogers.

1:46

I hear.

1:47

Lucas.

1:50

Lucas Oh, sorry.

1:52

Ten members present.

1:53

All right.

1:53

We got a good number.

1:54

Will the clerk please call the special actions?

1:56

Yes, sir.

1:57

250566.

1:58

Honoring Ms.

1:59

Catherine Carter, known as Kathy on the occasion of her retirement after 23 years and three months of dedicated service with the city.

2:05

Kathy's present to receive the special action.

2:12

Hey, how are you?

2:13

Why don't you just stand here?

2:14

I assume we're honoring you, right?

2:16

Yes.

2:16

Everybody else come on up.

2:17

It's good to see you.

2:18

Thanks for being with us.

2:20

Thank you all.

2:21

It's wonderful.

2:23

How are you doing, ma'am?

2:30

All right.

2:31

Councilwoman Boo.

2:33

Hey, Honorable Mayor.

2:34

It is my honor to celebrate Kathy Carter on her retirement after 23 years and three months of dedicated service with the city.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural████████████████████████████████████36%
Land Use Planning███████████████████19%
Transportation Safety██████████████14%
Youth Programs█████████9%
Community Engagement███████7%
Housing and Community Development███████7%
Water And Wastewater Management████4%
Environmental Protection██2%
Traffic Management█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Kansas City Council Regular Meeting - July 24, 2025

The Kansas City Council held its regular meeting on July 24, 2025, with 10 members present. The meeting opened with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by four special recognitions and then the consideration of numerous ordinances and resolutions. All items on the agenda were approved, with some debate on two items.

Special Actions

  • Honored Kathy Carter for her retirement after 23 years and 3 months of city service across multiple departments.
  • Honored David Leeson, a Staley High School wrestler and state champion, for his academic and athletic achievements.
  • Honored Nisi's Restaurant on its 40th anniversary, recognizing its role as a cultural institution in the Fifth District.
  • Honored the Pitmasters, champions of the Foosball Association of Kansas City Summer League, a grassroots youth activity.

Consent Calendar

The council approved a large consent docket including:

  • Settlement of a lawsuit for $350,000.
  • Workers' compensation settlement for $400,000.
  • Acceptance of multiple federal and state grants for airport improvements (runway and taxiway reconstruction, fence replacement) totaling over $47 million.
  • Contracts for construction and engineering services, including emergency water repairs and asphalt work.
  • Several plat approvals for residential and commercial developments.
  • Grant agreements for violence prevention programs and neighborhood development (e.g., Care Beyond the Boulevard shelter, Ivanhoe senior cottages, Community Capital Fund renewal, and Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission reentry services).
  • Amendments to development plans and zoning changes (including a correction of a legal description).
  • A waiver of liens on a property.
  • Clarification of fence and wall code enforcement.
  • Removal of a vacant lot from the Ambassador Hotel Historic District.
  • Establishment of the Crossroads Community Improvement District with a half-percent sales tax.

Discussion Items

  • Alternative Compliance Parking Plans (Ordinance 250528): Council debated an amendment to allow gravel parking lots in light and general industrial districts (M1 and M2) on parcels over 5 acres not contiguous to residential or downtown districts. After a floor amendment and discussion about runoff and aesthetics, the ordinance passed unanimously (11-0).
  • Speed Hump Implementation Plan (Resolution 250535): A resolution to install 121 speed humps under Vision Zero was debated. Council members raised concerns about one location on 55th Street that would bypass the petition process. An amendment was adopted to remove that location, and the resolution passed unanimously (11-0).
  • Other items on the advanced debate docket were briefly explained by committee chairs and passed without further discussion.

Key Outcomes

  • All ordinances and resolutions on the agenda were adopted.
  • The council unanimously voted to waive the three-reading requirement for committee advances and for second and first reading ordinances.
  • The charter requirement for special actions was suspended to allow recognition of Nisi's Restaurant and the Pitmasters.
  • One item (rezone for a car wash, 250560) was held for one week at the request of the sponsor.
  • The semi-annual docket of ordinances more than six months old was released, deemed lost.

Meeting Transcript

The meeting will come to order. Our guest chaplain is Pastor Kevin Smith of the Northland Cathedral Church. Would all who are able please stand for the invocation, remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. In the absence of our named pastor, we have the church's favorite child, Councilman Kevin O'Neill. Come on over, don't we? We'll have you do our prayer. Pastor O'Neal, Father O'Neal will be uh followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Oh boy. Dear God, thank you for everything you give to everybody. Thank you for all the things you do for us on the City Council, allowing us the good sense to do the right things and to help this city become the city it really should be and will be and can be. So Amen. Amen. And to the Republic for which it's Liberty and Justice for all of them. Thank you. You can be seated. Clerk will call the roll. Mr. Patterson Hasley. Robinson. Ray. Punch. Here. Pearls. Present. Parkshaw. Present. Boo. Here. Duncan. Neil. Will it? President. Franch. Rogers. I hear. Lucas. Lucas Oh, sorry. Ten members present. All right. We got a good number. Will the clerk please call the special actions? Yes, sir. 250566. Honoring Ms. Catherine Carter, known as Kathy on the occasion of her retirement after 23 years and three months of dedicated service with the city. Kathy's present to receive the special action. Hey, how are you? Why don't you just stand here? I assume we're honoring you, right? Yes.

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