Olathe City Council Meeting - April 16, 2024
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Olathe City Council Meeting - April 16, 2024\n\nThe Olathe City Council met on April 16, 2024, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included special recognitions, adoption of the consent agenda with several items pulled for separate discussion, and approval of key projects including signage and wayfinding for parks and natatorium renovations. Council also received updates on city initiatives, recognized student champions, and held an executive session to evaluate the City Auditor. All votes were unanimous (7–0).\n\n### Special Business\n- Arbor Week Proclamation: Mayor Bacon proclaimed April 22–26, 2024, as Arbor Week. City Arborist Jared Doren reported that the Parks Department planted over 1,000 trees in 2023 and urged community participation.\n- Recognition of Olathe High School Student Champions: Matt Johnson (Olathe Public Schools) and other athletic directors presented state champions: Brett Carroll (Olathe East, 285-lb wrestling, 45–0 record, 137 career pins), Joseph Wollette (bowling, not present), Kaylin Hitchcock (wrestling, 135 lbs, not present), Jacob Vasquez (Olathe North, 175-lb wrestling), and Nicole Redman (Olathe South, four-time girls' state wrestling champion, first female wrestler from Olathe to earn a Division I scholarship). The Olathe Northwest dance team was recognized for winning national championships in large varsity team performance, pom, and game day, and securing the grand national title—their fifth grand national title and 29th overall.\n\n### Consent Calendar\nThe consent agenda was approved by a 7–0 vote with items G, H, J, K, and P removed. Items approved under consent included: meeting minutes of April 2, 2024; renewal of licenses; acceptance of final plats for Heritage Ranch (two plats, totaling 122 lots) and Boulder Creek (25 lots); several contracts and bids for water and sewer projects, fire hydrant purchases, valve/fire hydrant testing, door repair, demolition of city-owned buildings, laboratory equipment services, and police ammunition purchase. Item P (vehicle GPS services contract) was withdrawn for later consideration.\n\n### Discussion Items\n- Items G and H – Signage & Wayfinding for Parks, Trails, and Unique Places: Nate Baldwin, City Engineer, explained that Resolution No. 24-1015 authorizes a project to develop updated wayfinding signs for parks, trails, and downtown, as a top priority from the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The current signage is outdated. Councilmember Felter clarified this is only the plan, not the final design. Councilmember Vakas suggested including GPS coordinates on signs for trail users, which staff said they would explore. Item H is the agreement with Tangram Design, LLC for the project. Both items were approved 7–0.\n- Items J and K – Olathe Community Center Natatorium Renovations: Dustin Fergen (Project Manager II) detailed the replacement of pool basin plaster (J) and spa basin plaster, stair tower finish, and mechanical room flooring (K). The work requires a six-week closure from June 3 to August 9, 2024, during which the facility will be fully shut down. Chief Communications Officer Cody Kennedy outlined the communication plan, including newsletters, social media, and signage. Deputy Infrastructure Director Zach Hardy confirmed that Community Center members will receive passes to access outdoor pools and Lake Olathe during the closure. Councilmember Schoonover asked about extending outdoor pool hours; Hardy noted staffing limitations after school starts. Both items were approved 7–0.\n\n### New City Council Business\n- Councilmember Essex reported on MidAmerica Nazarene University's President's Honors fundraiser, which raised over $800,000 (totaling $7.5 million over 12 years), and highlighted a new agreement offering free tuition for children of Olathe firefighters or police officers killed in the line of duty.\n- Councilmember Vogt praised the youth recognitions, thanked the fire chief for safety updates, and noted compliments from out-of-town conference attendees on Olathe's beauty.\n- Councilmember Felter proposed that staff develop a policy for handling state legislative testimony on behalf of the city, particularly for municipal judges, when issues arise between council meetings. She also announced National Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week, the May 3 Olathe Cultural Fest, and the May 24 Fourth Friday event.\n- City Manager Michael Wilkes announced the completion of the Cedar Creek Trail connecting Cedar Lake and Lake Olathe, with a ribbon-cutting on April 24.\n\n### Executive Session and Reconvene\nThe council recessed into executive session to evaluate the City Auditor (Mary Ann Vasser) under K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(1). After three sessions totaling 55 minutes, the council reconvened and stated it was pleased with the Auditor's performance and intended to continue her employment.\n\n### Key Outcomes\n- All votes on consent agenda (with exceptions) and pulled items passed 7–0.\n- Project authorization and design contract for signage/wayfinding approved.\n- Contracts awarded for natatorium renovations (pool basin and spa/surface work).\n- Staff directed to explore adding GPS coordinates to wayfinding signs and to develop a policy for municipal judge testimony on legislative matters.\n- Outdoor pool passes will be provided to Community Center members during the six-week closure.\n- The council expressed satisfaction with the City Auditor and affirmed her continued role.
Meeting Transcript
Turn my mic on. Good evening. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Olatha City Council for Tuesday, April 16th, 2024. The first item on our agenda is the Pledge of Allegiance. Would you please stand with me for the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. Just a quick note here, item P in the consent agenda has been pulled for a consideration at a later date. So we'll now move on to special business. Today's rain is a reminder that spring is in full swing. Besides aesthetics, they give us shade, clean air, a strong ecosystem, and higher property values. And whereas the city of Olatha is honored to join communities across America in celebrating the importance of trees in our lives and our environment. Now, therefore, I John Bacon, mayor of the City of Olatha, do hereby proclaim April 22nd through 26, 2024 as Arbor Week. In Olatha, urging all citizens to support efforts to care for our trees, plant trees, and support the city's forestry program on behalf of present and future generations. All right, just a couple things to say. When you look around Olatha, you see parks, trails, and greenways abundant with a diverse tree canopy. These trees show a community that not only has civic pride, but a dedication to providing a better quality of life for generations to come. With the support of our city leadership in 2023, the Olatha Parks Department planted over a thousand trees throughout the city. I firmly believe that trees make our city a special place to live. As author Karen Joy Fowler once said, trees are as close to immortality as the rest of us ever come. So I urge everyone to leave our community a timeless gift and plant a tree next week during Arbor Week. I've had a chance to live in a few different locations in Olatha. And over the years I've planted trees at those uh older homes, and it's always nice to go by those houses now and see these enormous trees. It's awesome. So it is cool to see trees after you've waited about 20 years or so. But it's been amazing. Let's now move to item B, which is recognition of Olatha High School student champions. Tonight it's our pleasure to have with us the winner champions from Olatha Public Schools. The City of Champion Awards recognizes the hard work and commitment displayed by each of these young students, as well as a thank you for representing Olatha so well. Would Olatha Public Schools Director of Athletics and Activities, Matt Johnson, please come forward? I'm at the evening. Thanks for having me here. It's always a pleasure to come and recognize the success of our student athletes on the field during their seasons, and our uh students are involved in various activities, and so that's what we get to do here this evening. As is uh often the case, uh sometimes the people we are recognizing are also so busy with other things they are unable to attend. So I will be recognizing a couple of uh athletes uh that are not here tonight. Um, but I definitely did not want to go uh without giving them that honor in front of you all. So I'm gonna start um with uh Brett Carroll from Olatha East. He's the 2024 state wrestling champion in the 285-pound weight class with a perfect record of 45 and oh, earning him 6A wrestler of the year. He was also the 2023 state champion, so this would have been the second time he was here last spring with you guys. Uh and he making him the first state champion uh in Olathe East history back then uh last year. Some of his accomplishments, his record career, 150 and 19, most in Olathe East history. He tied a single season Kansas pin record with 44. Most career pins in Kansas history with 137. Olathe East first time force four-time state placer. He was fourth as a freshman, second as a sophomore, and then of course junior and senior year state champion. Um style nationals all-American and named the 2024 Lyle Neville Excellence Award finalist, making him a top six-pound for top six pound for pound wrestler in Kansas. He was also the uh 2023 6A shot put champion, 2023 first team all-sunflower league football as an offensive and defensive player, named first team All-state as an offensive lineman and was an all-American and participated in the all-American Bowl in San Antonio. He will go down as the most decorated male athlete in the history of Olatha East. And why is he not here tonight? Because the University of Missouri, I'm sorry, the University of Minnesota, where he will be continuing his academic and football career, has already asked him to come up for spring football, so that is why he's not here. So please uh put it together for put your hands together for uh Brett Carroll from Olatha East.
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