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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Olathe City Council Meeting Summary - June 3, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, June 3, 2025

BodyOlathe, Kansas

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, June 3, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:01:04

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

1:57

I don't see anything like that.

2:18

Oh, I know.

2:34

Johnny's not edge.

3:02

Yes, it doesn't have any way.

3:30

Okay, we're hot now.

3:32

Welcome to the our city council chambers.

3:35

We've been absent from this building for about a month and a half over in the Flexbox Theater at the new downtown library.

3:42

But we're happy to be back in our council chambers tonight.

3:44

The first item on our agenda well, welcome to uh regular session of the Olatha City Council for Tuesday, June three, twenty twenty-five.

3:51

The first item on our agenda is the Pledge of Allegiance.

3:54

So if you'd stand with me for the pledge.

3:58

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

4:18

So before we get to our scheduled special business items, uh Mayor Pro Tim Marge Boat has asked to be recognized for some comments.

4:27

Marge.

4:29

Thank you, Mayor.

4:30

If you'll join me in front of the diet, that'd be awesome.

4:55

I think Oh, there we go.

5:00

Yeah, it's the lowest it can go.

5:02

So I think we're good.

5:06

Well, tonight welcome everyone.

5:08

And tonight we're celebrating a significant milestone for our longest tenured council member, our mayor, Mayor Bacon.

5:17

And this makes 30 years for John Bacon to be on the Olatha City Council.

5:23

And it takes an exceptional amount of dedication to do this for so long.

5:28

Well, this public service is rewarding and important to our community.

5:34

It sometimes isn't easy because you're trying to balance personal life and professional commitments.

5:41

And John does it well.

5:44

And why do we do it?

5:45

We do it because we want to see our city flourish.

5:48

And we want to make sure that we're giving the best opportunities to our citizens so that they can live their lives to the fullest here in our community.

5:58

And Olatha has accomplished a whole bunch in the last 30 years.

6:03

And those that have been here for that long have seen that.

6:08

We've doubled our population.

6:10

We've brought in terrific employees, new businesses, open first-class city amenities, you know, our libraries, our parks, Lake Olatha, the community center, all of these amenities that color our lives.

6:28

And we're still growing, winning awards, and getting better every day.

6:34

This doesn't happen by happenstance.

6:37

It really takes vision, it takes leadership, and an unwavering commitment to community and its residents.

6:45

So, John, we thank you for all that you have done to help uh build our city to be the place that we all want to live and work and play.

6:56

Thank you.

7:00

Let's see.

7:01

I have I have a little it's we're not done yet.

7:09

So we have a little presentation here.

7:13

It is very cool.

7:15

So this flag was flown over the United States Capitol.

7:21

So I love the framing on it.

7:23

Yeah, it's a lot of house in Olatha.

7:27

Um again, it represents the partnerships that we all have to have with those in DC, in Topeka, in the metro area, and especially with our residents.

7:39

So I'm behalf of the City of Olatha residents and all of us.

7:44

We thank you for all your work over the last 30 years.

7:48

Thank you so much, Mark.

8:41

Well, it seems like 30 years has gone by pretty quick.

8:45

It's not something I planned.

8:46

It's just uh I was involved in the city, and and uh my family was you know, a lot of time a lot of things can come into consideration when you're running for office, whether your job is going to be in the city that you want to serve, and uh kids can do things and a lot of different things, but it's just worked out well for me, and I didn't really think it was that big a deal, but uh when I was talking to Marge and and Michael Wilkes, they said, well, you know, I don't know if anybody's ever served 30 years in Olatha before.

9:16

And I said, well, maybe it is a little bit more unique than I thought.

9:19

So it's a pleasure and an honor to serve our community.

9:24

Um I I had some remarks that we had a little reception before, and I'd like to just repeat a few of those things that I said.

9:31

So tonight isn't just about looking back at those years, it's about celebrating the journey we've taken together.

9:37

We've seen Olatha grow, face challenges and seized opportunities side by side.

9:42

And Marge has been there for a lot of those years, too.

9:44

She served 28 years, so that's amazing.

9:47

We've celebrated triumphs, supported each other through difficult times, and always always kept the interest of our citizens at heart.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Transportation Safety█████████████████████21%

Community Engagement████████████████████20%

Procedural███████████████████19%

Affordable Housing█████████████13%

Veterans Recognition████████8%

Tourism And Development████4%

Public Safety████4%

Land Use Planning███3%

Economic Development███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Olathe City Council Meeting - June 3, 2025

The Olathe City Council met on June 3, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included a presentation from Johnson County Commissioners, approval of a new Street Maintenance Sales Tax Oversight Committee, consent agenda items, and planning session discussions on downtown signage and housing strategies. Mayor Bacon was recognized for 30 years of service.

Consent Calendar

Approved minutes of May 20, 2025, renewal licenses, business expense statements, and several contracts (items A-C, E-H) unanimously, with item D pulled for separate consideration.
Item D: Resolution 25-1055 consenting to enlargement of Consolidated Main Sewer District for Pioneer Park was approved 7-0 after a presentation by Chet Belcher.

Presentation by Johnson County Commissioners

Commissioners Michael Ashcraft and Shirley Allenbrand provided updates on county projects, including the new Med-Act building, Heritage Lake improvements, CARS projects, fire district consolidation, New Century Airport updates, Panasonic open house, broadband in unincorporated areas, and World Cup preparations.
Councilmembers Essex and Schoonover asked about World Cup transportation; Commissioner Ashcraft noted the pilot transit route focuses on high-density core areas and economics will determine post-World Cup continuation. Commissioner Allenbrand said the county is seeking financial support for transportation.
Councilmember Felter asked about affordable housing; Commissioners discussed a housing trust by the Van Tyle family and the challenge of defining affordability.

Special Business

Resolution 25-1054 creating the Street Maintenance Sales Tax (SMST) Finance Oversight Committee and appointing seven members was approved 7-0. Mayor Bacon presented certificates to appointees.

New City Council Business

Councilmember Schoonover declared June as Gun Violence Awareness Month and Pride Month, encouraging safe gun storage and welcoming LGBTQ community.
Councilmembers Essex, Gilmore, Vogt, and Vakas congratulated Mayor Bacon on 30 years of service.
Councilmember Vogt thanked Fire and Public Works for responding to sinkholes near gas lines.
Councilmember Felter reminded citizens of the stormwater cost-share program and asked about the roof cave-in at Toni's Italian Restaurant; City Manager Wilkes said he would provide an update.
Councilmember Vakas highlighted Fire Station No. 9 construction and Olathe's inclusive community.
Mayor Bacon announced the Summer Concert Series began June 6 at Stagecoach Park.

Planning Session Discussion: Downtown Signage

Jessica Schuller, Senior Planner, presented on UDO Section 18.50.190 regarding downtown signage. Councilmembers discussed definitions, flexibility for businesses, oversight process, and a potential sign toolkit. A consensus to move forward with updates.

Planning Session Discussion: Housing Recommendations

Kim Hollingsworth and Chet Belcher presented on housing strategies. Councilmembers debated affordable housing thresholds (below $300,000), lot size regulations, and the need for clear goals and financial review. Mayor Bacon noted upcoming budget discussions will address affordable housing.

Key Outcomes

Approved Resolution 25-1054 (SMST Oversight Committee) 7-0.
Approved Consent Agenda (items A-C, E-H) 7-0.
Approved Resolution 25-1055 (Pioneer Park sewer district enlargement) 7-0.
Council expressed consensus to stream full meetings (including planning sessions) starting July 1, 2025.
Staff to provide updates on Toni's restaurant and further develop signage and housing policies.

Meeting Transcript

I don't see anything like that. Oh, I know. Johnny's not edge. Yes, it doesn't have any way. Okay, we're hot now. Welcome to the our city council chambers. We've been absent from this building for about a month and a half over in the Flexbox Theater at the new downtown library. But we're happy to be back in our council chambers tonight. The first item on our agenda well, welcome to uh regular session of the Olatha City Council for Tuesday, June three, twenty twenty-five. The first item on our agenda is the Pledge of Allegiance. So if you'd stand with me for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. So before we get to our scheduled special business items, uh Mayor Pro Tim Marge Boat has asked to be recognized for some comments. Marge. Thank you, Mayor. If you'll join me in front of the diet, that'd be awesome. I think Oh, there we go. Yeah, it's the lowest it can go. So I think we're good. Well, tonight welcome everyone. And tonight we're celebrating a significant milestone for our longest tenured council member, our mayor, Mayor Bacon. And this makes 30 years for John Bacon to be on the Olatha City Council. And it takes an exceptional amount of dedication to do this for so long. Well, this public service is rewarding and important to our community. It sometimes isn't easy because you're trying to balance personal life and professional commitments. And John does it well. And why do we do it? We do it because we want to see our city flourish. And we want to make sure that we're giving the best opportunities to our citizens so that they can live their lives to the fullest here in our community. And Olatha has accomplished a whole bunch in the last 30 years. And those that have been here for that long have seen that. We've doubled our population. We've brought in terrific employees, new businesses, open first-class city amenities, you know, our libraries, our parks, Lake Olatha, the community center, all of these amenities that color our lives. And we're still growing, winning awards, and getting better every day. This doesn't happen by happenstance. It really takes vision, it takes leadership, and an unwavering commitment to community and its residents. So, John, we thank you for all that you have done to help uh build our city to be the place that we all want to live and work and play. Thank you. Let's see. I have I have a little it's we're not done yet. So we have a little presentation here. It is very cool. So this flag was flown over the United States Capitol. So I love the framing on it. Yeah, it's a lot of house in Olatha. Um again, it represents the partnerships that we all have to have with those in DC, in Topeka, in the metro area, and especially with our residents. So I'm behalf of the City of Olatha residents and all of us. We thank you for all your work over the last 30 years. Thank you so much, Mark. Well, it seems like 30 years has gone by pretty quick.

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