OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Kansas City Council Meeting Summary: March 12, 2026

City Council Legislative Session — Thursday, March 12, 2026
BodyKansas City, Missouri
SessionCity Council Legislative Session
DateThursday, March 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 54:59

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

To order, our guest chaplain is Pastor Michael Guerrero of the Center of Church.

0:04

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

0:10

Pastor Heavenly Father, I thank you for the opportunity to meet and work for the good of others.

0:20

I thank you for the leaders in this room and the responsibilities that they carry.

0:25

I ask you to bless them and to bless us.

0:29

Nurture within us a hope and joy.

0:33

Nurture within us a love for Kansas City that motivates and energizes everything we do.

0:39

Amen.

0:40

Amen.

0:42

Let's lead this to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic where we wish to stand one nation under God in the individual with liberty and the clerk of call the role.

0:58

Raya.

0:59

President Bunch.

1:03

Present.

1:03

Mark Shaw.

1:07

Here.

1:08

Duncan.

1:09

O'Neal.

1:10

Here.

1:11

Woolley.

1:11

President.

1:12

French.

1:13

President.

1:15

Roger's Patterson Hasley.

1:19

Private.

1:20

Robinson.

1:21

Here.

1:22

Lucas.

1:22

Here.

1:25

Will the clerk please call our one special action?

1:28

Yes, our 260279 recognizing National Agriculture Week 2026 in honoring the farmers and agricultural community of the Kansas City region.

1:37

Zach and others, the presidents who receives a special action.

2:02

Who are they?

2:04

Both sides work.

2:14

There you go.

2:16

Come on, kids.

2:18

Come on this time.

2:21

There you go.

2:22

Because everybody likes you guys more.

2:24

All right.

2:25

All the soup people.

2:27

All right.

2:28

Are we?

2:28

Is this everybody?

2:30

All right.

2:30

Ready?

2:31

So this gentleman's gonna talk.

2:33

Councilman Willett.

2:34

Yeah, thank you, Mr.

2:35

Mayor, and welcome to City Hall.

2:37

I appreciate you all for making the trip down here.

2:39

Um you guys got off from school, right?

2:44

We got uh good friend and constituent Gina Bowman from the first district.

2:48

She is a um uh co-founder of the Kansas City Ag Business Council, and she's there today with Zach uh Hedler, who is now current vice president of the organization, and then we're joined by Laura Evans and Missouri Missouri Extension and some of 4-H students from around um surrounding counties here.

3:07

Um next week is Agriculture Week, um, and honoring the farmers and agriculture community of the Kansas City region.

3:15

Um agriculture has played a viral role in sustaining the nation's economy, food supply, and rural communities and urban communities.

3:24

Agriculture remains one of the Missouri's leading industries, supporting thousands of jobs, family farms, ag businesses, food producers, and supply chains that connect rural producers with urban consumers.

3:35

Kansas City Metropolitan Metropolitan serves areas of historic hub for agriculture commerce, livestock, like the Kansas City Livestock Area, uh, food processing, and all important transportation.

3:47

Farmers and ranchers across Missouri and the surrounding region work tirelessly to provide safe, reliable, and affordable food by serving as responsible stewards of the land, water, and natural resources.

3:58

And you guys know that green and yellow are widely recognized as colors symbolizing the agriculture and farming communities across the Midwest, and we'll be lighting up uh downtown city uh hall and throughout downtown Kansas City uh green and yellow next week, not just green from St.

4:14

Patty's Day, Kevin.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████30%
Homelessness█████████████████████████25%
Agriculture and Food Security█████████████████████21%
Public Safety███████7%
Workforce Development███████7%
Economic Development█████5%
Youth Programs████4%
Budget Equity Analysis█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Kansas City Council Meeting Summary: March 12, 2026

The Kansas City Council met on March 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included a special recognition for National Agriculture Week, debate on several ordinances, and floor introductions. Key decisions included the creation of a new Department of Community Safety and the establishment of a sister city relationship with Accra, Ghana. Several items were advanced to final readings or referred to committees.

Special Action

  • Resolution 260279 - Recognizing National Agriculture Week 2026 and honoring the farmers and agricultural community of the Kansas City region. Sponsored by Councilmember Nathan Willett. The resolution was adopted unanimously (13 ayes). Councilmembers and members of the public spoke in support of agriculture's role in the region's economy and history.

Consent Calendar

  • Ordinance 260255 - Terminating the Hickman Mills Tax Increment Financing Plan and dissolving associated special allocation funds after 23-year statutory periods expired. Passed unanimously (13 ayes).
  • Ordinance 260258 - Authorizing a one-year lease agreement with two one-year renewal options with Pathway Financial Education for office space at 1520 East 18th Street. Passed unanimously (13 ayes).

Debate Docket

  • Ordinance 260076 (Committee Substitute) - Creating a new Department of Community Safety by amending City Code. Sponsored by Mayor Quinton Lucas. The ordinance passed 12-0 (Councilmember Willett was out).
  • Resolution 260249 - Directing the City Manager to take actions in support of the homeless community within 30 days and to petition KC 2026 for financial contributions. After debate on the feasibility of obtaining funds from KC 2026, the council voted to hold the item off docket and schedule a business session (likely April 16 or 23) to discuss homelessness and World Cup-related issues. Councilmember Robinson expressed concern about requesting funds from KC 2026, noting the organization's limited scope. Mayor Lucas suggested a business session rather than a 30-day staff report.
  • Resolution 260254 - Directing the City Manager to assess the feasibility of a centralized “one-stop shop” for city fee and tax collection. Adopted unanimously (13 ayes).
  • Resolution 260263 - Expressing support for the City’s grant applications to the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) for 2026 suballocated transportation projects. The grants require 80% federal funding and 20% local match. Adopted unanimously (13 ayes).

Committee Advances

  • Waiver of charter requirements for ordinances on the consent and debate dockets was approved unanimously (13 ayes).
  • Ordinance 260247 - Establishing a Sister City relationship between Kansas City and Accra, Ghana. Passed 12-1 (Councilmember Willett voted nay).

Second Readings

  • Several ordinances were placed on third reading for the next docket, including:
    • Ordinance 260206 (Setting trafficway and park maintenance taxes at $0.00 for FY 2026-27)
    • Ordinance 260207 (Levying ad valorem taxes for FY 2026-27)
    • Ordinance 260208 (Adjusting water rates)
    • Ordinance 260209 (Adjusting sewer rates)
    • Ordinance 260210 (Establishing bond funds for 2017 GO bonds, appropriating $37,370,000 for Question 1, $2,329,603 for Question 2, $1,010,000 for Question 3)
    • Ordinance 260211 (Establishing bond funds for 2022 GO bonds, appropriating $47,500,000 for Q1-22 and $12,500,000 for Q2-22)

First Readings

  • Several ordinances were introduced and referred to the Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee, due back March 24, 2026:

    • Ordinance 260269 (Authorizing purchase orders up to $1,370,381 for Front Street Detention Facility improvements)
    • Ordinance 260275 (Authorizing specialized legal services contract with Grant & Eisenhofer for firefighter protective gear)
    • Ordinance 260276 (Authorizing 15-year license agreement with Port Authority for the “River Cloud” sculpture)
    • Ordinance 260277 (Amending street vending prohibitions to within 300 feet of related businesses)
    • Ordinance 260278 (Authorizing contract amendment up to $1,252,000 for design services for permanent detention facility)
    • Ordinance 260282 (Waiving certain requirements for Columbus Park TIF plan)

  • Also referred to Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee:

    • Ordinance 260267 (Accepting $1,224,667 Ryan White HIV grant)
    • Ordinance 260270 (Plat approval for Stone View multi-family residential development)
    • Ordinance 260271 (Plat approval for Crash Champions auto repair shop)
    • Ordinance 260272 (Plat approval for Blue River Commerce Center Sixth Plat)
    • Ordinance 260273 (Plat approval for Northland Christian Education System school)
    • Ordinance 260274 (Plat approval for Cadence Fourth Plat residential subdivision, 54 lots)
    • Ordinance 260280 (Development plan for mixed-use at 3244 Main St)
    • Ordinance 260281 (Amending signage code for projected image signs during major events)
    • Ordinance 260283 (Designating Leonard Smith Hall as local historic landmark)
    • Ordinance 260284 (Rezoning to allow used vehicle sales at Tilden Station)

  • Referred to Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations Committee:

    • Ordinance 260268 (Authorizing $1,100,000 design-build contract for Northland Transmission, Pumping and Storage project)

Floor Introductions

  • Ordinance 260285 (Councilmember Rea) - Declaring property between 25th and 26th Streets, Gillham and Cherry, as surplus and authorizing its sale. Referred to Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee.
  • Ordinance 260286 (Mayor Lucas) - Amending prevailing wage, MBE/WBE goals, and affordable housing set-aside provisions. Referred to Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee.
  • Ordinance 260287 (Mayor Lucas) - Waiving fund balance policy to appropriate $2,000,000 from General Fund for police overtime in patrol and investigations, with a plan to reimburse from Public Safety Sales Tax Fund in FY 2027. Referred to Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee.

Closed Session

  • The council voted unanimously (13 ayes) to go into closed session pursuant to RSMo 610.021(1) and (9) to discuss legal matters and employee labor negotiations.

Key Outcomes

  • Department of Community Safety created (12-0).
  • Sister city with Accra, Ghana established (12-1).
  • Homelessness resolution held off docket; business session to be scheduled.
  • One-stop shop for fee collection feasibility study authorized.
  • MARC grant applications supported.
  • Multiple ordinances advanced to third reading or introduced to committees.
  • $2 million police overtime funding introduced for budget consideration.

Meeting Transcript

To order, our guest chaplain is Pastor Michael Guerrero of the Center of Church. Who all who would all who are able please stand for the invocation and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Pastor Heavenly Father, I thank you for the opportunity to meet and work for the good of others. I thank you for the leaders in this room and the responsibilities that they carry. I ask you to bless them and to bless us. Nurture within us a hope and joy. Nurture within us a love for Kansas City that motivates and energizes everything we do. Amen. Amen. Let's lead this to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic where we wish to stand one nation under God in the individual with liberty and the clerk of call the role. Raya. President Bunch. Present. Mark Shaw. Here. Duncan. O'Neal. Here. Woolley. President. French. President. Roger's Patterson Hasley. Private. Robinson. Here. Lucas. Here. Will the clerk please call our one special action? Yes, our 260279 recognizing National Agriculture Week 2026 in honoring the farmers and agricultural community of the Kansas City region. Zach and others, the presidents who receives a special action. Who are they? Both sides work. There you go. Come on, kids. Come on this time. There you go. Because everybody likes you guys more. All right. All the soup people. All right. Are we? Is this everybody? All right. Ready? So this gentleman's gonna talk. Councilman Willett. Yeah, thank you, Mr. Mayor, and welcome to City Hall. I appreciate you all for making the trip down here.

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