Kansas City Council Legislative Session - July 31, 2025
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Kansas City Council Legislative Session - July 31, 2025
The Kansas City Council convened on July 31, 2025, at 10:00 AM for a legislative session. The meeting began with an invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the adoption of two special resolutions recognizing UNIDOS US and Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIR). The legislative docket included numerous ordinances on final readings, a consent calendar, and a prolonged debate on funding for the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA). The session resulted in the passage of most routine ordinances and the failure of a key KCATA contract amendment due to insufficient votes.
Consent Calendar
- Items on the consent docket (250592, 250595, 250615, 250620) were approved unanimously (10-0), including a $250,000 capacity building grant from the Kaufman Foundation for the KC BizCare Storefront Vacancy Program, approval of several plats, and termination of a TIF plan.
- The advanced readings consent docket (250597, 250606, 250611, 250613, 250555, 250586, 250591, 250616, 250617, 250603, 250607, 250602, 250608) all passed with 10-0 votes.
Special Resolutions
- 250633: Recognizing UNIDOS US 2025 annual conference "Beacons of Change." Adopted unanimously.
- 250634: Recognizing Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIR) for contributions to immigrant communities. Councilmembers Duncan, Pro Tem, Ray, Bunch, and the Mayor spoke in strong support, emphasizing the importance of protecting immigrant rights and the organization's work in community defense and language access. The resolution noted that AIR trained 4,000 individuals in 2025 through community defense programs. Adopted unanimously.
- 250635: Recognizing National Intern Day and celebrating the contributions of interns across Kansas City. Councilmembers and the Mayor praised the interns' work and encouraged them to consider careers in public service. Adopted unanimously.
Discussion Items
- 250601: Affordable housing set-aside compliance ordinance. Councilwoman Boo explained it directs the city manager to develop policies for compliance and review within 30 days. Finance committee recommended do pass. Passed 10-0.
- 250523: KCI area plan amendment. Adopted a proposed land use map and updated categories for areas near the airport. Neighborhood committee recommended do pass. Passed 10-0.
- 250570: Authorizing a design professional contract with Jacobs Engineering for the Rocky Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant Facility Plan (total $1,505,553). Passed 10-0.
- 250565: Establishing new salary grades for city manager, city auditor, and city clerk. Initially held, then passed 10-0.
- 250593: One-year contract renewal with Allen Gibbs and Houlik for annual independent audit ($615,425). Passed 10-0.
- 250594: Appropriating $1.5 million from the Liberty Memorial Trust Fund for repairs. Passed 10-0.
- 250597: Industrial development plan for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, revising job numbers to 460 retained jobs (average salary $105,000), 75 relocated ($75,000), and 50 new ($90,000). Passed 9-0 (one not voting).
- 250600: Adopting a comprehensive anti-displacement plan with eight initiatives including establishing an anti-displacement commission and increasing tenant protections. Passed 10-0.
- 250622 (KCATA transit contract): A major debate ensued over funding the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. The original ordinance proposed a 12-month contract at $77,892,519, with conditions including a waiver of fund balance policy and a report within 120 days. Councilman O'Neill supported the 12-month term to address KCATA's concerns. Councilman Curls questioned the timeline. Councilwoman Robinson moved to amend the motion to direct the city manager to operate under the prior year's contract until a new contract was reached, arguing that conditions in the May ordinance were untenable for KCATA. After procedural motions, the amendment was put to a vote: the motion to waive standing rules for a written amendment failed (7-5), but the main amendment from Mayor Pro Tem (to authorize the city manager to negotiate a 12-month contract under the prior terms) passed 6-5. However, the amended ordinance then failed on final passage (6-5), as it required seven votes. Thus, no KCATA contract was approved.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinances passed (all by 10-0 unless noted): 250601, 250523, 250570, 250565, 250593, 250594, 250597 (9-0), 250600, 250606 (9-0), 250611, 250613, 250555, 250586, 250591, 250616, 250617, 250603, 250607, 250602, 250608.
- KCATA ordinance 250622 failed on final vote (6-5). The council did not approve a new transit funding contract, leaving the situation unresolved.
- First readings were introduced for two items: an amendment to the Country Club Plaza zoning (250639) referred to the Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee, and an amendment for decorative lighting on the KCTV5 tower (250640) referred to the Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee.
- Committee advances: The council waived charter requirements and advanced all first-reading ordinances to their respective committees.
Meeting Transcript
All right. We remain in our session, whether it be special or business. I'll just request that the clerk add item ordinance number two five zero six two two to the docket in the list of second readings. Is there any objection? Area, none. That item will be added to the docket. 25062. Understood. We'll adjourn the business session with that. And now we'll come to today's legislative session. The meeting will come to order. I won't do this to O'Neill today. We're missing a guest chaplain, though. We can have boo of the country club Christian Church in the 6th District of Kansas City. Councilwoman Boo will handle our invocation and then we'll remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilwoman Boo. Merciful and just God. We thank you for the guidance, the patience, the wisdom that you give us each day, each week. We ask that you be with us. Give us that same wisdom and patience and guidance as we go through this agenda today. Be with us, be with your citizens, be with us your leaders as we navigate the challenges that face us each day. In your name, amen. Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the fly of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible liberty and justice for all. We'll go ahead and vote on it though, so we can sign and provide it to them. Is there any discussion? Well, Madam Clerk, go ahead and read special action 25063. Yes, sir. Recognizing UNIDOS U.S. 2025 annual conference, beacons of change. We're honored to have them as if there's no further discussion. We'll ask all in favor, uh indicate by saying aye. Aye, aye. Oh the resolution is adopted. Item 250634. You can read that for us. Yes, sir. Recognizing honoring the nonprofit organization, advocates for immigrant rights and reconciliation for their contribution to immigrant communities in Kansas City and beyond in organizing, activating, and mobilizing immigrant communities and allies through community-driven action programming and education. Erica Grozen. Councilman Duncan. And our conversations kept coming back again and again. How do we meet this moment? How do we meet this moment when so many of our neighbors are being hunted like animals? How do we meet this moment as legislative leaders when people are not going to school, they're not going to their church, they're not going to their jobs, because they likely could be abducted by masked individuals who refuse to identify themselves or their purpose. How do we meet this moment when so many of our of our neighbors are living in fear? And uh privately conversations kept coming back to in order to meet this moment, the change that is needed is not going to come from legislative chambers here. But it's our responsibility as elected leaders to uplift and support the mission of folks who are actually organizing the community to respond to this action in our communities, in our streets, and in our places of worship and at our places of work where people were abducted just yesterday. It's what they've been doing for years, and they have picked up the pace in direct response to an administration that sees fit to treat our neighbors as less than Americans.
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