Good evening.

Welcome to the regular meeting of the Olatha City Council for Tuesday, October seventh, twenty twenty-five.

To begin our meeting tonight, I just wanted to take a minute to remember assistant city man or assist assistant city attorney, Rochelle Breckenridge.

Rochelle passed away last week.

She worked for the city for more than eleven years.

In her role in the city attorney's office, she helped countless employees from all across the organization and their work to serve the residents of Olatha.

She had a big impact here professionally and personally.

And I know she'll be missed greatly.

So to her loved ones, please know that you're in our thoughts and prayers.

We'll now move on to the next item on our agenda, and that is the Pledge of Allegiance.

Would you please stand with me for the pledge?

I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and to the Republic for what this will with liberty and justice for all.

Item A is a proclamation recognizing October 5 through October 11th as fire prevention week.

The theme of this year's fire prevention week is charge into fire safety.

Lithium ion batteries in your home.

You probably have these batteries in something in your house, and you're probably not even aware of it.

So we all need to know how to ensure we're using them safely.

So Olatha Fire Education Specialist, Abby Wyan joins us to accept this proclamation.

Abby.

Tell us about fire prevention week.

Or months.

A week.

It is.

I'll read the proclamation.

It says, whereas the City of Olatha is committed to creating a community where people feel safe and where residents and businesses can accept expect exceptional public service safety services.

And whereas the Olatha Fire Department preserves lives and prevents fires through an active community risk reduction program.

And whereas in 2025, Fire Prevention Week theme is charge into fire safety, which reminds us of the importance of safely using charging and recycling lithium ion batteries.

And whereas many electronics we use on our on a daily basis, including phones, laptops, tools, and toys, are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which can be a significant fire hazard if misused.

Now therefore, I, John Bacon, Mayor of the City of Olatha do hereby proclaim October 5 through 11, 2025 as fire prevention week, and urge all Olathians to educate themselves on how to use these batteries, batteries safely and to install smoke alarms on each level and in every bedroom to test them once a month and to replace them at least every 10 years.

Thank you, Mayor Bacon and members of the council.

My name is Abby Wyand, and I am a public education specialist with Olatha Fire Department, and I appreciate the opportunity to be here tonight to talk about this year's fire safety proclamation.

Most of the electronics used in our homes are powered by lithium-ion batteries.

So we encourage Olatha residents to buy, charge, and recycle responsibly.

Buy only listed products from an independent testing company, charge batteries in accordance to the manufacturer's instructions, and recycle batteries responsibly by taking them to Olatha's household hazardous waste facility.

Let's charge into fire safety and work together to reduce fire risks in both our homes and the community.

Thank you.

So thank you, Abby, for being here tonight, and we want to thank all our firefighters for their dedication to our community and what they do to help protect us and keep us safe.

We'll now move to uh item B, which is a proclamation recognizing October as Disability Employment Awareness Month.

It's important to all of us that every resident can enjoy a high quality of life in Olatha.

Got a brother my throat.

And that each person has the ability to reach their full potential, which means giving everyone the opportunity to find a job that brings them joy and fulfillment.

Olatha's Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board plays an important role in the annual disability mentoring day.

Forrest Austin serves on the board for the for that event, and he's with us tonight to accept the proclamation.

So Forrest.

Thank you.

I'll read the proclamation here and then we'll let you say a few words.

The proclamation reads: whereas the City of Olatha is committed to being an inclusive community where all residents can live a productive life and enjoy high quality of life.

And whereas workplaces that welcome the talents of all people, including those with disabilities, are a critical part of an effort to build an inclusive community and strong economy.

And whereas the Olatha Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board serves as a strong advocate for residents who live with disabilities, including mobility and sensory impairments, physical illness, mental illness, and developmental and hearing disabilities.

And whereas the City of Olatha is pleased to join with the Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board in observing Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to increase awareness of the importance of inclusive hiring practices, as well as the values and skills of people with disabilities.

Now, therefore, I John Bacon, mayor of the City of Olatha do here do proclaim October 25 as Disability Employment Awareness Month, and encourage all Olathians to increase their awareness of the Americans with Disabilities Act and work together to ensure accessibility and equal opportunities for all citizens.

All right.

Make sure every click up my notes here.

So hello everybody.

Now I'm an employee of Johnson County Developmental Supports.

And I'm currently the lead instructor of a local project search program, which assists people with disabilities in getting jobs.

I am also the acting chair for the Disability Mentoring Day Committee.

Now this year's uh Disability Mentoring Day is going to be this month on October 22nd.

Uh it's going to be at Mid-American Nazarene University at the Bell Cultural Event Center.

Um registration desks open at 8:30.

Uh you can register online at DMDNKC.com.

Um so if you are someone with a disability who's looking to employment or you know somebody, you can pass along that information.

We're also looking for volunteers uh if you want to help with some mock interviews uh or something like that at the event.

Um, I'd like to thank uh Mayor Bacon and the City of Olatha's council for this proclamation for disability uh natural disability employment awareness month.

Um the City of Olatha has been a long-standing ally for the goal of employment uh for people with disabilities.

And to be frank, our annual disability mentoring day event would not be possible without all the support that this board has given in the past and the present, seriously.

So thank you.

I want to make that very clear.

Uh this month reminds us that inclusion isn't just a goal.

It's a good thing for our workplaces, our communities, and our economy.

People with disabilities can bring the same talent, creativity, and determination we all strive to have at work, as well as bringing a unique perspective to the working world.

Currently, people with disabilities in Kansas are experiencing about at seven 7.6 unemployment rate compared to the 3.8% for the general population.

So and that doesn't even include people who might be interested in working that become unmotivated to do so.

So there's still work to be done to make sure people are included in our workplaces, but things like Disability Mentoring Day and the way you guys are supporting us make a big difference in meeting that goal of inclusion.

So thank you for continued support and helping make it Olatha a place where everyone belongs.

That is all.

Thank you.

So once again, thanks Forrest for being here to accept that proclamation.

And also I wanted to tell everyone that Mark Gash was here, the the chair of the our persons with disabilities advisory board.

So yes.

Thanks for coming.

And for all you do for our community.

We'll now move to public hearings.

Item A is a public hearing in consideration of resolution number 25-1084 on a request by Lineage Logistics LLC and assigns for a master resolution tax abatement and issuance of industrial revenue bonds and tax phase in for the development and construction of a 450,000 square foot refrigerated warehouse facility at the northeast corner of Lone Elm Road and 175th Street.

There is one person that has signed up to speak.

Is that correct?

So if that per of the city clerk would uh please invite that person up at this time.

Mike Hibbett, please go to the podium, state your name and address for the record.

I thought there were going to be more of us here.

I apologize.

So good evening, Mr.

Oh, I need to introduce myself.

My name is Mike Hibbett.

I live at 17671 South Brockway Street.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor and members of our City Council.

I did introduce myself to our planning commission when we the people found our only victory thus far against the proposed lineage facility.

I did not speak when you all voted to approve this rezoning and build proposal for the land that's caddy corner from my neighborhood.

So let me do that now.

My name is Mike Hibbett.

I am a public school teacher, a cross-country coach and a track coach, a proud father of two middle schoolers, and a 28-year resident of Johnson County, an 11-year resident in this great city of Olatha.

Please excuse my attire tonight.

I'm coming from cross-country practice.

I skipped dinner with my family to make sure that I could sign up in person tonight.

But because this is important.

Not to hear myself talk, uh, but to speak up for every family, every homeowner, every child in Southwest Olatha.

Please do the right thing tonight and do not approve this massive package of incentives and tax abatements for Lineage.

Please reject this financial proposal.

Lineage is promising jobs, they are promising revenue, but what they are omitting is the true cost, a cost that will be paid directly by our neighborhood and our neighbors, by this city, a burden that these incentives only serve to accelerate.

Let's talk about this tax abatement.

You are proposing to grant them years of relief from paying their fair share of property taxes.

And if corporations are people too, then perhaps they should pay.

This is money that funds our schools, like the one where my kids go and like the one where I teach, money that paves our road, like the two-lane lone elm that is already crumbling under the ever increasing truck traffic in this golden triangle, as you call it, between 169 I-35 and 175th Streets.

Money that pays our firefighters and police and should be funding this newly proposed fire station that cannot be built because of our massive budget shortfall that you already approved.

More on that later.

By granting this abatement, you are shifting the burden of city services onto the rest of us taxpayers, the small businesses and the families who are already struggling to make ends meet.

We are essentially being asked to subsidize the devaluing of our homes.

I'm going to say that one more time.

By approving this measure, you are asking us, rather, you're telling us to subsidize the devaluing of our own homes.

There's the issue of quality of life and property value.

We've gone back and forth about that, and you've already spoken to that wherever you extend your care.

Uh this development is not down the road or across town.

It might be for you, and we've invited you to come down to our part of town to sit and enjoy Lone Park to watch youth soccer and softball, to see the truck traffic and feel your car bounce its way from 167th to 159th as you make your way north.

For you, it's across town, but for us it's across the street.

I lost my spot.

We are already facing an overwhelming surge in heavy truck traffic, making these streets more dangerous.

We are already seeing our quiet evenings replaced by the ever clanging hum of industrial operations, and yes, our property values, our property values, the most significant investment that most of us will ever make.

And the reason that Olatha annexed us in the first place.

Our property values are plummeting.

Of course, the county made sure to get us our appraisals before that deal went through.

This day that the deal was approved was the day a substantial portion of our late savings was wiped away.

And don't make it worse by making us shoulder more of the tax burden that you are asking of uh that you are removing from these out-of-towners.

You have an opportunity today to make something right out of this wrong decision.

Council members, the incentives that you are considering are a poor investment.

They do not generate true long-term community value.

Instead, they trade a temporary corporate benefit for the permanent, devastating erosion of a stable, long-standing residential neighborhood and tax base.

Lineage already took billions of public money with their IPO in July 2024, and since then their stock has plummeted almost 50 percent, a sign that even investors realize the promises made by this corporation are not to be trusted.

Immediately after this council approved the rezoning and build proposal, the budget was approved, exceeding revenue neutral rates while simultaneously experiencing a massive budget shortfall.

The city is taking more money from its citizens and it still can't pay all of its bills.

And yet we're back here a few weeks later to offer incentives to this corporation, giving them an opportunity to dig this hole deeper.

Make it make sense.

We ask you to stand with the residents who have built the city with our tax dollars, not the corporation that has just arrived with its hand outstretched, reject the tax abatements, reject the incentive.

Tell Lineage that if it wants this location across the street from a vibrant family neighborhood, they must simply pay their fair share.

Thank you for your time.

Tonight is a public hearing, so if there are individuals in the audience that would like to address the council, would you please come up and state your name and address for the record?

Yeah, we're actually asking.

We've got one gentleman right behind you, so yes, sir, go right ahead.

You have three minutes.

I did sign up online and I received a confirmation, but apparently I'm on not on the list.

Go right ahead.

Give us your name and address for the record, please.

My name is Jeff Walters.

I live at 21581 West 177th Court in Olatha, Kansas.

Uh I am against the public incentives, and I'll explain why.

In 2019, the Brookings Institute published an analysis of the most successful cities in the United States.

The metric they found that best defined success was job density, that is jobs per square mile.

The City of Olatha has chosen to focus on the logistics sector, warehousing for Southwest Olatha.

And if your job goal is to create jobs, that is a bad choice.

The highest job density sectors are information, 70,000 jobs per square mile, finance, 65,000 jobs per square mile, professional services, 55,000 jobs per square mile.

And you go down the list, and the last sector is logistics.

7,000 jobs per square mile.

This new lineage development is one-tenth of a square mile, 64 acres, and will employ 200 people.

That's 2,000 jobs per square mile.

That is lower than every other logistics operation across the United States.

And the reason why is because it's an automated facility.

You haven't only picked an industry that generates the lowest number of jobs, but you've also, out of all sectors, but you've picked automated warehousing, which is the lowest of the lowest of the lowest.

The development that Lineage is proposing is only three workers per acre.

Did you know that a large commercial tomato farm employs three to four workers per acre?

That's more than that than that Lineage is proposing.

I just I'm astounded.

It's ridiculous.

You could have left the zoning as agricultural and put in a tomato farm and created more jobs.

But instead, you've picked the worst of the worst in terms of job creation, and now, on top of that, you wanted to use our tax money to give them incentives.

To me, that just seems borderline insane.

You've already gifted Lineage with great benefits.

The first one is that you allowed them to build a 140-foot tall building, saving them hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions of dollars, by them not having to invest in additional cranes and robotics inside their facility.

140-foot-tall building is not the standard for industrial in our area.

You also gave them a pass on having to make any road improvements, saving them millions more.

Your own policy statement, F5 sets the criteria for development to get industrial revenue bonds and tax abatements.

The criteria are that the development must produce a high number of jobs.

This doesn't do it.

Three jobs per acre is abysmal.

They must be high paying jobs.

Again, no.

Warehouse jobs do not pay that great.

And then also in the policy F5, you say that it must be supported by existing infrastructure.

Your own planning commission denied this rezoning because of traffic issues.

Another item in the policy F5 is clean and non polluting.

Again, lineage is a no.

Noise pollution, light pollution, exhaust from semi-trucks.

It is basically putting in a 24 by seven truck stop next to a city park.

It makes absolutely no sense.

And definitely doesn't deserve any public incentives.

I really don't understand why we're here.

I think this project should never have got to this point in the first place, and it shouldn't ever possibly be considered for public incentives.

There couldn't be a worse possible choice for you to put public funds into than this project in terms of meeting all the requirements in your own policy statement F5.

So I if you approve this plan tonight, I I really just don't know what hope there is for the city.

I hope that your spouses will take your checkbooks away from you and not let you get involved in any finances in your family because this is a terrible financial decision.

Maybe it's different when you're spending our money instead of your own, but I hope that's not the case.

Thank you.

Anyone else that would like to speak?

Please come to the mic and state your name and address for the record, ma'am.

Anyone else that wants to address the council?

Okay.

This will be the last one.

My name is Janice Walters, 21581 West 177th Court in Aletha.

We the taxpayers urge you to please vote no on the proposed incentives.

There are lots of incentives dealt uh built into this plan.

It's not just the ones you're talking about tonight.

You're also funding the utilities, the extra wear and tear on the roads, the increase in police, medical fire support, the lawsuits that will result that will be eventually be filed against the city when there's a devastation or loss, and the list goes on and on.

Lineage is requesting permission to build a 140-foot facility, not because it is necessary, but because it saves them millions in crane costs.

The property is large enough to accommodate a broader footprint without the need for the excessive height.

This is about corporate convenience.

It is not about community benefit.

And no, a 140-foot building, sadly, will not blend into the sky unless you're using Photoshop.

Let's be honest.

White building and white sky.

Sadly, in real life, the sky is only white when a cloud of inhydrous ammonia is coming out of the top.

We also reject the idea of being their guinea pigs.

The approval for the extra 50 feet in height should be denied.

Lineage is already struggling to manage the 90-foot tall facility just down the road.

They won't admit it, but the signs are very, very clear.

The employees and the truck drivers report poor management and chaotic scheduling.

The drivers of the semis leave angry, frustrated, and behind schedule.

And then they re-enter our roads, mixing with our commuter traffic.

That is a recipe for accidents and tragedy.

There's an active class action lawsuit alleging fraud due to their creative numbers.

Corporate cutting staff, they're excuse me.

They are corporately cutting staff six months after their IPO became uh went public.

At recent meetings, Lineage has offered misleading statements and half-truths.

They've taken zero responsibility for the 14,000 pounds of lost in hydrops ammonia in Washington.

You can refer to the Washington Department of Ecology report that states that.

They've misrepresented air quality data, omitting the critical detail that monitors weren't even set up until days after the fire began.

They denied accountability for the fire and the ongoing health issues caused by 60 days of exposure to toxic fumes and melting plastics.

So ask yourself, do we really believe that lineage will suddenly become a responsible asset to our community?

Will they repay the incentives if they lay off workers or they shutter their facility?

Will they respond when the city of Olatha faces a crisis?

Do they care about your careers, your reputations, do they care about us?

Do they care about what your grandchildren will read about this upcoming vote?

What happens when Lineage lays off their minimal workforce and walks away from a 140-foot tall structure?

What will Aletha do with an abandoned building that looms over our skyline?

Whether it's still standing or it's collapsed down onto the ground, the regret will be real.

Will we ever recoup the tax breaks and the incentives?

Ask Overland Park about Sprint and all the money that Overland Park poured into that project.

Please think carefully, make a responsible decision.

Vote no for these incentives.

This is our money.

It's the constant giveaways that keep pushing the budget higher.

And on a last note, Lineage has said, despite the 2025 layoffs, they only went public in 2024.

Despite the 2025 layoffs, Lineage remains committed to the infrastructure investment to maintain its market position.

That is not true commitment if they're not paying for it.

Thank you for your time and I appreciate you.

A motion to close the public hearing to be in order.

Mr.

Mayor, I move to close the public hearing.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

Would the city clerk please call the roll?

Mr.

Bacon.

Yes.

Ms.

Vote?

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore?

Yes.

Mr.

Sconover?

Yes.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Mr.

Bacchus?

You know, I've thought deeply, researched extensively.

And I I vote yes.

Ms.

Essex.

Yes.

Motion passes.

7-0.

We'll now consider a motion to approve or deny resolution number 25-1084.

Is it before we call this vote or get a motion or second?

Is there need for a presentation or any questions of staff on this item?

On this particular item.

So a motion to be in order.

Mr.

Mayors?

I move to approve resolution number 25-1084.

Second.

We have a motion and a second with the City Court.

Please call the roll.

Mr.

Bacon.

Yes.

Ms.

Vogt?

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore?

Yes.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Mr.

Baucus?

Yes.

Mr.

Schoonover?

No.

Ms.

Essex.

No.

Motion passes.

5-2.

We'll now move to the consent agenda.

The items listed below are considered to be routine by the City Council and may be approved in one motion.

These may include items that have been reviewed by the City Council in a prior planning session.

There will be no separate discussion unless a council member requests that an item be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately.

Councilmember Schoonover.

Mayor, I would like to uh learn more about items G, H, and K.

Councilmember vote.

Mr.

Mayor.

I would like to pull item N.

I'm sorry, is that M is the same?

Yes, and then November.

Any other items?

A motion to approve the consent agenda.

Oh, yes, I I'm good.

With the exceptions of G H and N would be in order.

Mr.

Mayor, I move to approve the consent agenda with the exception of G H and N.

Second.

We have a motion on the second with the City Clerk please call the roll.

Ms.

Essex.

Yes.

Mr.

Bacchus?

Yes.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Mr.

Schoonover?

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore?

Yes.

Ms.

Vote?

Yes.

Mr.

Bacon.

Yes.

Motion passes 7-0.

Item G is consideration of resolution number 25-1085 on a request by commercial reposition partners 17 LLC and assigns for a master resolution tax abatement and issuance of industrial revenue bonds and tax phase in for the development and construction of a business park.

The project will entail approximately 2,200,000 square feet of flex office and industrial facilities and 60,000 square feet of commercial space on a total of 145.78 acres located at the northeast corner of Lone Elm Road and 17 Fifth Street.

Councilmember Schoonover.

I am assuming these two items.

No, go ahead.

You're fine.

Well, if if I no, just let's just deal with G right now.

Okay.

Well, I will say my concern for both items is similar, and that is the development down in this area.

Obviously, we've had discussions with the neighbors about this.

I think for these items that we're looking at, I would like to see more information from the city on how we are going to improve those roadways down there to support this increased development.

I think before we get that information, I can't support these items.

All of those things would be helpful.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members.

Nate Baldwin, City Engineer.

And I can talk to so we do have a our chiller millon overlay project planned for loan elm from about 154 to 175th.

We're actually adding pavement thickness to it.

It's not your typical mill.

It's putting pavement on top of it.

We're also going to be paving the shoulders, so you'll have uh paved shoulders on both sides of those.

Along 175th Street, uh staff continuously monitors that and looks at intersection improvements uh at the main intersections there.

Obviously, lone elm and uh 175th had the signal put in about five years ago.

So uh we continue to look at those and decide when improvements need to be made.

Do we anticipate that additional truck traffic would come from these developments that we're talking about in items G and H?

Yeah, we would uh anticipate additional truck development from these and other developments in the loc in the area.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember Felter.

Thank you, Mayor.

Umate, as far as parking of these trucks, are we paying attention to that as well?

We are.

The the layout of this actually is one of the best I've seen to where they do have a long stacking distance, so that they're unlike a lot of other developments we see, we do not anticipate them stacking on the streets, but pulling off of that, and then there is a lot of parking on site as well for them.

Okay, and that's for both G and H.

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

Councilmember Gilmore.

Thank you for being here tonight and giving us these answers.

Could you just briefly review the process?

There's two things that has to happen here.

One is there has to be a funding source for whatever improvements are made.

Can you talk about and then the plan to put the improvements in?

Can you talk about how these developments contribute to that, both sides of that, in terms of funding, and then it's up to the city then at stages where is there a requirement that it has to go in before they can do certain things?

Yeah, absolutely.

There's a couple things that are going on there, like authoritarian mill and overlay, that's off of a sales tax.

So uh there will be some sales tax generated from this with uh the building of the construction, also then people coming with jobs that spend money in the city, and then tax revenues that uh property taxes, those do go to fund our capital improvement projects, which would be some of the other improvements that we are looking at.

So more specifically, is there anything that the developers of these two parcels we'll talk about at the same time are contributing to those arterial street improvements?

So there are improvements that go along with the roads associated with the development itself.

They do have to do churn lanes that are required uh per their traffic impact study.

And how about is there uh an excise tax related to the arterial streets for these projects?

Uh yes, thank you.

There would be an excise tax uh associated with this that we would also put towards improvements, whether that is a signal or uh road widening improvements.

Thank you.

Nate, a lot of uh lone elm is coming into the city, but 175th, there's still a lot of that area that is unincorporated.

So, what are our conversations with the county and what are their plans for the 75th?

Great question, great point.

I just had conversation last week with the county about uh one of the intersections, I believe it was 175th in Merlin, which actually the county is on three corners there, right?

And that's one that even though the majority of it is in the county, we do continue to monitor that, just knowing that the city is growing that way and that um you know we have to have conversations ongoing with them, and they haven't expressed an interest in cost sharing on improvements to those intersections and 175th Street when they are warranted.

Thank you, Nate.

Uh a motion on item G would be in order.

Mr.

Mayor, I move to approve resolution number 25-1085.

Second.

We have a motion and second with the city clerk.

Please call the roll.

Ms.

Boat.

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore?

Yes.

Mr.

Schoonover?

No.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Mr.

Vaucus?

Yes.

Ms.

Essex?

No.

Mr.

Bacon.

Yes.

Motion passes 52.

Item H is consideration of resolution of of intent number 25-1086 on behalf of Aspen Funds LLC and assigns for a request for a master resolution for industrial revenue bonds and tax phase in for the construction of 12 buildings totaling approximately 2,281,488 square feet on approximately 150 acres located in the southwest corner of Hedge Lane and 175th Street.

Councilmember Schoonover.

I think our our prior discussion answered my questions with regard to this item.

Seeing none a motion on resolution intent twenty-five-1086 would be in order.

Mr.

Mayor, I move to approve resolution of intent number 25-1086.

Second.

We have a motion and a second with the city clerk, please call the roll.

Mr.

Gilmore.

Yes.

Mr.

Schoonover?

No.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Mr.

Baucus?

Yes.

Ms.

Essex?

No.

Mr.

Bacon.

Yes.

Ms.

Boat.

Yes.

Motion passes 5-2.

We'll now move to item K.

K is consideration of change order number three with call roofing and sheet metal ink for interior roof drain plumbing and metal deck replacement of the City Hall Environmental Systems Renovation and Roof Project.

PN6-C-00016-19.

And this is Councilmember Schoonover.

Thank you, Mayor.

I I pulled this item just because I I had heard uh after our last meeting some some residents asking about the construction at City Hall.

And so I figured getting an update to the construction and when it would be done would be nice.

And then also knowing that this is our third change order for this project.

My question is, do we think the contractor just underbid it and is now coming after change orders on this project?

Or or is this I mean, is this information that could have been seen as they were doing their due diligence for the bid?

Good evening, Mayor, City Council.

Thank you for the question.

Zach Hardy, Deputy Director uh Infrastructure.

So, yeah, we this is our our second change or our third change order.

Uh we came in August with our first one.

That one just as this one is.

Uh when they were taking the roof off, we discovered that the metal decking under the existing roof has corroded, uh which is pretty typical for you know the building 60 plus years old.

So in terms of could could they have seen it before?

Um I have been in the attic of this building.

Uh it's it's pretty tough to really.

I mean, you can see some corrosion uh, but you don't really know the extent until you get the the existing roof off.

So unfortunately, when we brought the first change order, uh we didn't we brought it for the main portion of the roof, not the octagon portion of the roof, and um you know hoping that we didn't necessarily need it for all the roof, but in fact we did.

So we do anticipate the majority of the work being done uh on the city hall roof by the end of October.

Uh there are portions, unfortunately I had conversations with call this uh this morning.

Uh there are portions that will go into December.

Uh that's not ideal.

Um, but some of the uh some of the gutter work, um, they are anticipating some of that taking until uh until December, early December.

Um I did have a conversation, like I said, today um about cleaning the site and we're just generally getting the the site in better shape.

So they will be addressing that.

Thank you very much.

Any other questions of staff or Zach on this items?

Uh seeing none, a motion to approve item K would be in order.

Mr.

Mayor, I move to approve change order number three.

Um with call roofing and sheet metal for interior roof drain plumbing and metal deck replacement of the city hall environmental systems renovation and roof project PN 6-6-016-19.

Second.

We have a motion and a second with the city clerk, please call it all.

Mr.

Schoonover.

Yes.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Mr.

Bacchus?

Yes.

Ms.

Essex?

Yes.

Mr.

Bacon?

Yes.

Ms.

Vogt?

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore?

Yes.

Motion passes 7-0.

Item N is consideration of engineers estimate, acceptance of bids and award of contract to Denton Escavating.

DBA Midland Wrecking and for demolition of Midland Wrecking for Dolition of Buildings Associated with the Santa Fe Ridgeview to Merlin Improvements Project PN 3-C-025-18.

Councilmember vote.

Thank you, Mayor.

Nate, uh you and I have kind of uh conversed a little bit about recognizing this is a huge project.

And of course, we haven't seen any of the behind the scenes uh that has been occurring in terms of land acquisition, but now there's going to be we're voting on demolition of four tracks.

Can you give me an idea about timing and what that impact might be to people that travel through that area?

Yeah.

Great.

Again, Nate Baldwin, City Engineer.

Uh Mayor, Council members, thank you for letting me come up and speak to this.

So uh this is very exciting because all you've seen to date is you know drawings and me giving presentations and everything.

This is going to be the first time you actually see some action out there, right?

So it's going to feel like it's a construction project.

Impact of the traveling public is actually going to be very minimal.

Everything should be off the roadways.

Uh we anticip anticipate demolition starting in about six weeks and continuing through the first quarter of next year.

So uh we still need to disconnect utilities, get the permits and everything, but you're going to start to see fencing go up out there, um, you know, dump trucks and excavators and everything to take down the buildings.

But again, it is the first uh actual physical step in in this project that we're very excited about.

This is an exciting project.

And we are looking to see completion in 2029.

Is that correct?

Late 29, 2030.

We're you know I won't I want to hedgebug that's a little bit more.

So right.

Uh about this time next year, you're going to see work starting on uh mainline I-35.

So as we've talked about before, K DOT is going to come in, tear out all the pavement between Santa Fe and north of 119th Street.

They will start on one side, flip to the other, and um with that they're going to be constructing the auxiliary lanes.

That's the extra lane that runs between Santa Fe and 119th Street and 119th Street back.

So we really need to have those done before we can get into our work.

So it's going to be about two years from now where you'll see the actual work on Santa Fe occurring and then shortly thereafter the bridge will come down and work will go on the interchange.

Hopefully late 29, maybe early 30.

It's still uh early in the discussion we're talking about that.

Uh do we have our website up yet?

We do.

Uh so Olatha KS uh dot gov slash Santa Fe.

Very very simple for people who remember.

We just got an update uh today on there about the demolition.

And there's going to be a lot more updates coming.

We're going to start utility relocations here, probably first quarter of 26.

Um and then shortly thereafter, K DOT's going to have all their stuff.

So the public really moving forward is going to start to see a lot more going on with the project.

Very good.

Well, thank you for the update and sharing that with our residents tonight.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Councilmember Schoonover.

Thank you.

Thank you, Nate.

I am very excited for this project to start and I'm very excited for this project to end.

I'm not quite sure I'm excited for the for the middle portion.

You're not the only one.

Yeah.

I would I you uh uh I I and I've I've I've I've raised this to the to the city manager as well, but I would certainly encourage that as we're moving forward in this project, particularly because it it it uh it is a multi-year project.

Right now that that corridor corridor of Olatha, one of our main corridors, looks very decrepit uh because of those buildings that that we've we've taken over and that will soon be coming down.

I think if we can put up some physical signage, some pardon our dust, we're planning a major renovation, you know, you'll be mad at us in a couple of years, that type of stuff.

Um if if we can do that, I think it might address some of the concerns that I have heard that what is happening to this part of Olatha.

Okay.

We're working towards that.

Uh federal highways very specific on what type of signs you can and can't put up.

But we are um talking about having some signs going up on the fencing with demos going about, you know, go visit the website for updates, things like that.

So we you you will start to see more of a uh presence out there.

Okay.

Thank you.

Councilmember Felter.

Thank you, Mayor.

That was gonna be my comment is we need to communicate very clearly what's happening.

We're not falling apart as a city.

This is progress as promised.

And it might be a little painful, but it will be worth it.

Um I was speaking to our wonderful deputy city manager, and she was assuring me that that's something that was being considered is on the fencing as demolition was occurring, that you'd be saying, you know, check us out with the website, maybe consider a QR code.

I would pitch that out there.

Because as you're driving by, it's hard to read all the words, especially if you have glasses like mine.

And you're trying to figure out what's that say.

And so even a short website like dot gov/slash Santa Fe, it makes it easier.

That's great.

But a QR code is fantastic.

You can zap it with your phone.

Um I'm I'm really excited to see some of this you know start to move forward.

It's I'm dreading dreading the progress also.

But if we could do it really, really fast, that'd be fantastic.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Nate.

I would say that uh I'm thankful that some of the businesses have already relocated and look like they found a nice home on Santa Fe.

So that's encouraging.

Because this was disruptive to several businesses.

So it's good to see them find new homes here on Santa Fe.

Celebrate dental and uh Earth's vacuumers too that I would saw.

Thank you, Nate.

Uh any other questions of staff on this item.

A motion to approve item N would be in order.

Mr.

Rare, move to approve item N.

Second.

We have a motion and a second with the city court, please call roll.

Dr.

Felter.

Yes.

Mr.

Baucus?

Yes.

Ms.

Essex?

Yes.

Mr.

Bacon?

Yes.

Ms.

Vote?

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore.

Yes.

Mr.

Sconover?

Yes.

Motion passes 7-0.

We'll now move to new business.

Item A is consideration of charter ordinance number 84 regarding transient guest tax.

This is a technical fix requested by the state to our charter ordinance that we passed in July.

Are there any questions on this item?

Sales tax or get transient guests.

A motion be in order.

Mr.

Rare, I move to approve charter ordinance number 84 regarding transient gas tax.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

Would the city clerk please call a roll?

Mr.

Bauchus.

Yes.

Ms.

Essex.

Yes.

Mr.

Bacon.

Yes.

Ms.

Vote?

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore.

Yes.

Mr.

Scoonover?

Yes.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Motion passes 70.

Item B is consideration of ordinance number 25-34, which is VAC 25-0002, requesting approval to vacate drainage easements and public utility easements for quick trip located at 14904 west 119th Street.

Planning Commission recommended approval 6 to 0.

This vacation will accommodate the construction of a new quick trip gas station on 119th near Black Bob, the old red lobster location.

Questions on this item or need for presentation?

A motion to approve would be in order.

Mr.

Rare move to approve ordinance number 25-34, which is vacation uh 25-000 two.

Second.

We have a motion and second with the city clerk.

Please call the roll.

Miss Essex.

Yes.

Mr.

Bacon?

Yes.

Ms.

Vote?

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore?

Yes.

Mr.

Schoonover?

Yes.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Mr.

Fawkes?

Yes.

Motion passes 70.

Item C is consideration of ordinance number 25-35 requesting approval to annex approximately five 55.92 acres located at the northwest corner of 175th Street and Woodland Road.

Annexation number 24-0005.

This property is designated on the future land use map of the comprehensive plan to be an employment area.

Is there a need for presentation or questions of staff?

Seeing that a motion to approve ordinance number 25-35 would be in order.

Mr.

Rare move to approve ordinance number 25-35.

Second.

We have a motion and a second one.

Mr.

Bacon.

Yes.

Ms.

Votes?

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore?

Yes.

Mr.

Schoonover?

Yes.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Mr.

Vaucus?

Yes.

Ms.

Essex.

Yes.

Motion passes 70.

Item D is consideration of ordinance number 25-36 regarding the creation of a community improvement district and a and the levy of a community improvement district sales tax pursuant to KSA 12-6A26 at SAC, the loan elm and 175th Street CID.

The proposal is for a two uh two percent tax that would only impact purchases made within the district.

Uh the public hearing for this CID was held on September the second.

Is there a need for a presentation on this particular item?

This is a commercial area on the corner there.

Seeing that a motion to approve ordinance number 25-36 would be in order.

Mr.

Rayer, move to approve ordinance number 25-36.

Second.

We have a motion and a second.

Would the city clerk please call the roll?

Mr.

Schoonover.

No.

Mr.

Gilmore?

Yes.

Mr.

Bacon?

Yes.

Ms.

Vote?

Yes.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Mr.

Vaucus?

Yes.

Ms.

Essex.

Now motion passes 5-2.

The next two items relate to city revenue bonds, which are a financial tool used to fund city projects.

Bids were received today for both items.

Director of Economy, Jamie Robishad joins us with a presentation.

I'll uh do you want to speak first and then we'll introduce the items or do you want me to introduce the items first?

How's that work tonight?

You introduce the items.

I'll talk about item E.

Okay.

Uh which is consideration of resolution number 25-1088 and ordinance number 25-37 authorizing the issuance, delivery, form and details of water and sewer system improvement revenue bond series 2025.

Great.

Take it away, Jamie.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor and Council, Jamie Rovashod, Economy Director.

And I'm here today to um discuss our very successful bids that we received on both the revenue bond issuance for water and sewer as well as our um revenue bond issuance for stormwater.

So every year when we do this issuance, we do go back to standard and poorers to get an updated bond rating.

And I'm pleased to report this year they actually upgraded our rating on water and sewer revenue bonds from double A to double A plus, which is the second best credit rating we can get as a city.

You can see in the bullet here the big reason that they attributed to that rate increase was um our improved cash position and liquidity within the fund.

Um and even and our ability to maintain that even with sizable capital improvement plan over the next five years.

Um our stormwater revenue bond rating was reaffirmed at double A.

And so before you um at your at your seats is a summary put together by Columbia Capital of all the bids that we received today.

We received a total of 11 bids on water and sewer, um, which is really really great with a true interest cost of 3.821% going to the waiting bidder.

Um you can see the interest rates we got the past few years, so very similar to what we saw last year's um rate on water and sewer.

For stormwater, it's a $1 million issuance.

Um I forgot to update that second bullet.

We got three bidders this year, not six, but three bidders with the same um it's awarded to Robert Baird, um, and the true interest cost just over four percent.

So with that, um I'm happy to answer any questions.

Otherwise, we're looking for a motion to approve.

Mezzaro financially.

Thank you, Jamie.

Um questions of staff on this.

So can you translate a plus into dollars and cents or basis points?

I mean, when you get double A plus versus double A.

Um, I might ask J uh 10 um our financial advisor, Jim Pritchards in the audience helping me out, and he says 10 basis points.

Okay, great.

Which is great.

Yeah.

Councilmember Scoonover.

Thank you, Mary.

And Jamie, thank you for this information.

I just want to make sure that I'm I'm reading it correctly.

Is I as I look at the stormwater bidding results, TD financial products wasn't was ranked number one.

Oh, yes.

I'm I apologize.

Those just didn't get those didn't get updated.

4.07.

Yes.

Okay, so so the the bond is going to to TD financial at 4%.

Yes, that is that is correct.

Thank you for that clarification.

I apologize for that.

That's right.

Yeah.

Okay.

Thank you for thank you for that.

Good catch.

Any other questions on this?

Uh we are on item E, resolution number 25-1088.

A motion be in order and the ordinance, make sure you subvention that too, March.

Um Mr.

Mayor move to approve resolution number 25-1088 and ordinance number 25-37.

Um approving uh the water and sewer bidding with uh our bond with Mesero Financial.

Second.

We have a motion and a second with the city court, please call it all.

Mr.

Bacon.

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore?

Yes.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Ms.

Essex?

Yes.

Mr.

Vaucus?

Yes.

Mr.

Schoonover?

Yes.

Ms.

Bo.

Yes.

Motion passes 7-0.

Item F is consideration of resolution number 25-1089 and ordinance number 25-38 authorizing the issuance, delivery form, and details of stormwater system improvement revenue bonds series 2025.

Uh motion be in order.

Mr.

Mayor, I move to approve resolution number 25-1089 and ordinance number 25-38, authorizing issuance deliver form and details of stormwater improvement bonds series 2025 to TD Financial Products LLC.

Second.

We have a motion and a second with the city clerk, please call roll.

Mr.

Faucus.

Yes.

Ms.

Essex?

Yes.

Dr.

Felter?

Yes.

Mr.

Schoonover?

Yes.

Ms.

Vote?

Yes.

Mr.

Gilmore.

Yes.

Mr.

B Mr.

Bacon.

Yes.

Motion best is 7-0.

We'll now move to general issues and concerns of citizens.

We have some individuals that have signed up to speak tonight.

I ask that the city clerk please invite the individuals up and give them instructions on how to address the council.

Thank you.

The council has extended this privilege to allow people who live and work in Olatha to address concerns to the City Council.

Speakers must only address the City Council and council members are not required to respond.

Please treat others with kindness and respect.

The council has allocated up to three minutes per speaker.

Tonight we have three speakers.

Welcome.

Thank you.

You might want to adjust.

Yeah, there you go.

Yeah, I wish I had six more inches here.

Kate Gimbelow, 11236 South Race Street.

I just want to reiterate that the flooding that we experienced at our home is not a little seepage or sump pump issue.

Every major storm creates a five foot deep lake larger than this entire room, this deep, uh against our house for hours.

And when it finally drains, what remains is this murky water across an entire finished basement.

And when that recedes, a layer of muck on our floor.

Had this open yesterday when I drained it and it smelled the entire house up.

That's not backyard runoff.

That is a system failure.

It is an infrastructure issue, not a homeowner issue.

And just as the city would repair a broken bridge or collapsed road, this failed stormwater system has to be repaired to stop the ongoing harm to your citizens.

Once the system is fixed, the city has every right to pursue against the developer who designed and constructed it, whatever means necessary.

But that comes after protecting residents, not instead of.

Hi, I'm Ray Ann Cook, and I am Kate's neighbor.

We live at 11252 South Creststone Street in Olatha in a home that my husband and I have worked really hard for.

We live one street down from Kate, and I do say down because when the water pulls up next to her foundation and overruns the storm drain beside her house, which you've seen in the videos, it rushes across the street down the hill to our house.

We're at the end of that system.

We have a ravine beside our home, which it's supposed to funnel into and it's supposed to flow easily and then go under the street.

But when there's too much water, it overflows and spreads to our home and pours into our basement.

The ravine beside our home is not built large enough to handle the amount of water that's rushing towards it.

At the end of the overgrown creek bed is a 48-inch hole to handle all of this water.

It is not nearly substantial enough.

We moved here for the schools.

We quickly became friends with other families and fell in love with this neighborhood at College Meadows.

We felt really safe here.

We love Olatha.

Finishing our basement in 2020 was our COVID project.

Our husband, my husband's really handy, and he takes a lot of pride in doing things himself and hard work.

Overnight in August of 21, the creek rose 15 feet and spilled over 50 yards and poured into our basement gallons of water.

It was devastating walking down to our basement that following morning, stepping out on the wet carpet and what and water going up over our toes.

Everything was soaked.

Our barely year old finished basement had to be gutted, trim, drywall, carpet, everything.

The public works stormwater team said this was a one in a hundred or two hundred year storm, supposedly.

So we trusted that that was a rare instance, an act of God.

So we rebuilt in July of 24, Kate flooded, and we were really lucky.

It was the middle of the day, and I watched from my deck in panic as the Croak Creek rose up and over, but gratefully didn't extend to our foundation that time.

Then this past July, we weren't so lucky as we flooded with Kate.

And again, had to rip out our basement, the whole thing.

This is the third time we finished our basement in five years.

No one should have to do that.

It's incredibly stressful, frustrating, and expensive.

We should be able to enjoy that extra space of our home for movie nights to host our kids as friends for sleepovers.

It should be extra space that's comfortable and safe.

As taxpayers, we've never asked the city to solve any problems that we couldn't handle on our own, but we need your help now.

This is not a private drainage issue.

It is a public infrastructure failure that affects not just my home, but our neighbors, our community.

This is a chance to help us, the people that elected you.

I'm asking you respectfully and urgently to make this right.

My 13-year-old recently told me that I worry too much.

He's right.

As a mom, we do.

But one thing I shouldn't have to spend much time worrying about is the creek rising and pouring into our basement, invading our home and adding unnecessary stress to our family.

Thank you for your time.

Our third speaker is Jay Ryan Jackson.

Please go to the podium, state your name and address for the record.

Hi, Mayor and Council members.

I am uh Ryan Jackson.

I live at 20501 West 112th Terrace, also in the College Meadows subdivision.

And I'm relatively new to the subdivision, having moved there last August.

But I happen to be a uh 15-year professional engineer in Kansas and Missouri, and I've been on the private design consultant side uh most of that time.

And I have been involved in lots of large stormwater projects from premium subdivisions in Kansas down to the uh Houston floodplain, and I've been involved in 40,000 acre projects that withstood Hurricane Katrina.

So when my wife and I were driving through the neighborhood before we bought, I happened to look over and see a nine by nine field inlet 15 feet from Kate's foundation, and the fellow engineers can probably uh sense my surprise uh that that's that's not what we do.

Um when we design subdivisions, it's a very, very important component of the design that we convey the 100-year event out with freeboard that is space between the top of the 100-year water surface elevation and the lowest opening of any adjacent foundations around.

So I immediately took note of that and had a genuine interest in the situation.

And uh shortly after that, Kate posted some of her experiences which matched up with my feelings exactly, and so I am here taking time away from my two babies at home to um represent her and the other neighbors that are affected in this.

And I'm not gonna go into the nuts and bolts of engineering calculations tonight.

I think that you all have had access to a lot of that through the HNTB report, which is excellent.

Um there's also been a um a report prepared by a um another engineer that Kate knows that I believe both of those reports are fantastic.

Um they were both uh, as far as I can tell uh from uh my experience and professional uh experience, very uh watertight, and they held a lot they hold a lot of value and um basically to end.

The structure that was planned and approved is not the structure that is there, and I'm not exactly sure what happened around January 2014 as to why the uh 48-inch insection was crossed out on the plans in the field inlet was placed.

But as a professional engineer that designs a lot of subdivisions, we would never do that.

So thank you for your time.

Thank you.

We'll now move to our planning session.

We have a report.

I two reports.

The first one is a report on amending unified development ordinance section 18 50 190 pertaining to signs.

Is there a need for presentation staff or questions on this particular one?

We'll now move to report two.

Report two is on the 2024 external financial audit and annual uh conference financial report.

I would like a just a quick um synopsis from our staff.

Jamie, probably, because this is rather late.

Typically we see this in June or July.

So just an explanation is as to why it took so long this year.

Yes, thank you.

Excuse me, Jamie Robichon Economy Director.

Um we did run into um some challenges this year with getting our ACFER published and finalized in June.

As you all know, we went live January 1 of 2024 in a new financial system work day.

So this was our first audit in that new financial system, and really um a lot of challenges in any city in any organization when you transition to a new system and getting your um configuration correct, your reporting correct.

Um it was our first time doing a year-end close in that system.

Um we also had some staff turnover that resulted in some delay in the audit as well.

Um and so John Nyber Barger with AGH is also here this evening.

He's our external auditor, and he's prepared to give you an update on the audit if you'd like that as well.

But I don't know that anybody's asking for that.

I did see we got a clean opinion, which is good.

So um but and I just briefly went through it.

I suppose if we have questions, we can always uh talk to you later if we need questions.

Our auditors would be happy to meet with us too if we need to.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll now move to discussion items.

Item uh one is the discussion of the status of the Kansas Department of Transportation, K DOT, Lone Elm, and K-10 Interchange Project.

Steve Rockers is the project manager for the K-10 project at K DOT, and he joins us tonight for uh to begin the presentation, and Beth is all all also here.

So Steve, thank you for coming.

Thank you for having me, Mary and City Council.

Uh so my name is Steve Rockers, I'm the project manager.

I introduced I want to do a little K housekeep before we get started.

I'm the new project manager.

Uh I've been working on US69 overall park for few years as that products wrap up.

I find myself with a little more time.

Stephen Cross was the previous project manager, he's done a great job.

He asked if I could help out with some of his workload.

I said, of course I could.

And so having said that, I've read all the reports, but these guys actually read the I wrote the reports.

I read them.

It's uh any questions that I probably deferred some of them for help on it.

All right.

Okay.

So here's uh kind of a we want to give an update.

Uh uh the K-10 expansion.

We are in the discovery phase.

Uh status, we're gonna update on that.

Uh the K-10 and Lone Elm Interchange uh also are going to update on that.

Uh we've done a lot of public outreach and stakeholder uh outreach and gave about time, and then the follow the last thing on the agenda is to talk about the next steps.

Okay.

So here's the study corridor.

It's 17 miles, a K-10 reconstruction expansion.

It basically starts over the county line, Douglas County line, and goes all the way over to I-35.

It's 17 miles.

Uh it's all and it ties in on the east side with the gateway project.

Uh there's 13 service interchange and three system center interchanges, a part of the uh study corridor.

All right, so the discovery phase status.

Uh this past uh summer we got our Fonzi, that was our environmental assessment.

Uh uh that came that was kind of a big milestone for these projects.

Uh and then uh the discovery phase engagement and outreach.

We had four different public meetings on the project and 15 core team meetings uh with six advisory groups and multiple meetings.

And that's all apart in getting through that uh NEPA process and getting that environmental clearance.

Okay, so here's kind of a breakdown of the priorities of the different projects.

Uh the red that you can kind of see the near term, the green is the midterm, and the blue is a long term.

And this is a big project.

Uh all three of those categories add up to about 1.25 billion dollars.

The near term is estimated at 313, the mid is 463, and the long long term is 459.

The mid is 463, and the long long term is 459.

All right.

So here's kind of a breakdown between the two different projects.

Uh the K-10 from basically Cedar Creek Parkway over to I-35.

We're on we're doing preliminary design.

We're working on defining where the right-of-ways needed, and that is scheduled to be completed December 27.

Uh K-10 and low interchange.

Yeah, that's also in the preliminary design phase.

Uh oh, and it's it's scoped, take it to final design.

Uh, the right-of-way process is ongoing, and we are working with utility companies to assess where they're at and work with relocations.

This is all an attempt to have a potential letting for October 26th, basically a year from now.

Uh potential after letting it would go to construction in 27 with a potential open to traffic in early 2028.

All right, now I'm gonna let Josh kind of get into some of the details on the K-10 Lone Elm Interchange project.

All right.

Well, thank you, Mayor and Council, for having us here to give you an update on this.

Uh so the Lone Elm project uh update here.

So currently, as Steve had mentioned, uh, we're contracted to take this project through uh final design here with right-away and utilities.

Uh currently the right-away documents are under review by KDOT right now.

Um, so we'll be moving on to moving into acquisitions, uh, appraisals and acquisitions on that here over the next couple months.

Um but with the project, what are we what are we looking at with this interim project?

Uh here we're looking to add a new interchange at Lone Elm.

Uh with this, we'll be uh building a four-lane divided uh arterial from the interchange up to 101st Street.

Uh we'll be adding auxiliary lanes uh between K7 and Lone Elm, and then Lone Elm and Woodland Road.

So again, that's just that additional lane that connects the ramps of the two interchanges.

Uh just to add additional weaving distance and time for people to get up to speed to get onto the highway and merge into traffic.

Uh you can see here uh the south connection is not showing.

Uh this was something uh the city wanted to look at different alternatives here.

Um so KDOT's currently working with them on an agreement uh to have the city administer a project on the south side.

Uh and we'll kind of show something a little later on what they're thinking about there.

Oops.

So I'd mentioned this is an interim project we're working on right now.

So with this project, as I mentioned, we'll be adding uh auxiliary lanes.

So you can see up here on this top uh typical section here.

We'll keep the two existing lanes and we'll be we'll we'll take off that outside shoulder, add the auxiliary lane, and a new shoulder on each side of K7 or of K-10 between K7 and Lone Elm and Lone Elm and Woodland.

Uh in the ultimate condition, we will be uh widening this to six through lanes.

So we'll actually be widening to the median and closing that in, as well as adding additional auxiliary lanes on the outside.

Uh one of those auxiliary lanes will connect from the K7 ramp all the way to the I-35 CD roads there at 435.

Uh, and the other auxiliary lane will connect between the service interchanges along the corridor there between K7 and 435.

So as we look at a little more detailed picture here of lone elm.

Again, we're uh constructing a four-lane divided on lone elm uh from the interchange north, uh north is to the right here on the screen, um up to 101st Street.

Um we did we are looking to build it out all the way to four lanes to 101st, and then just taper that over to connect up to that existing so it's set up for for that future four-lane to the north when the city of Linux will build set.

Uh at the interchange, we are adding signals at both of the ramp terminals.

Uh all of the right turn movements at these ramp terminals will be signed uh no right turn on red, uh, just to add a little additional protection for pedestrians as they're crossing here.

Uh, we also are looking at lowering the speed limit through this area to 30 miles an hour.

Again, just for additional safety, give people more reaction time uh with the pedestrians in the area.

We're also looking to add 10-foot shared use paths on both sides of the road here.

This will carry from 101st Street through the interchange.

And then our plan with the EA was to continue these all the way south as well.

There's also going to be a signal over here at 101st Street.

For pedestrians, whether we go with a no write on red or do some sort of a flashing beacon that's pedestrian activated at these.

Again, we're just building from the interchange north at this point, so the city can look at different alternatives to the south to handle the traffic there.

Now for schedule.

KDOT's currently working on the city-state agreements with the city here, both for the Lone Elm Interchange Project as well as the city-led project to the south to connect that south portion.

We'll continue to coordinate with the city on all the design features of the project, the road, bridge, traffic, all of those pieces, as well as the city's water line that runs through this area and fiber lines.

So we'll be coordinating with them throughout the project on those items.

Again, we'll coordinate with the city on the south project that they're looking at.

Here's kind of a picture, a sketch of what they're looking at on this to bypass that southern portion around the schools that are on the south side.

Next steps here, we're gonna we're actually out there finishing up the borings on the site.

So they should be wrapping up here in the next couple of days.

Uh the open house is later this month.

Uh right-of-way acquisitions starting here at the end of the year, uh the noise wall meeting early next year, and then utility relocations will start happening next year as well.

So with that, we can open it up to any questions.

Thank you, Josh.

Thank you.

Uh we do have some questions.

Uh Councilmember Essex.

Thank you so much for your presentation.

I really appreciate you uh being here and the slides are very helpful.

I guess the burning question is uh we're at an interchange, and uh we of course you probably know an overpass was something that Aletha really wanted and was wondering we didn't um have an agreement between the two communities.

So how do we decide to do an interchange instead of an overpass?

So we analyzed uh both options as well as nothing in this location, and the inner the interchange performed the best for the regional network uh with nothing at this location or with uh an overpass, the improvements on Woodland Road, uh 101st Street, uh there was increased traffic, uh 2060 future traffic was much higher on those roads uh without the interchange uh than with the interchange.

So that redistributive effect um kind of took some of the load off of those roads and um I think College Boulevard uh had higher traffic volumes without it, as well as Prairie Star and K-7.

So pretty much the whole network around it uh kind of got improved by adding uh an interchange here to help redistribute that.

I have one more quick quick question, Mr.

Mayor.

Go ahead, go right ahead.

So what what is the breakdown of the financing of this project as far as local versus state?

So uh Linux is kind of contributed towards the interchange portion and K DOT's paying for the K-10 portion.

Okay, so percentage-wise, how much is that?

That would be probably maybe one-third, two-thirds.

K DOT one-third, Linuxa two-thirds.

All right.

Okay, councilmember Scoonover.

Thank you very much, and thank you for being here.

Appreciate this.

I have to say, in all of my discussions with people that live on both sides of K-10, on the Olatha side and the Linuxa side, nobody is in favor of this thing.

Um so I would be surprised if your public engagement kind of kind of finds otherwise.

But but one of the questions that I have is is your plans do a good job of saying what you're gonna do?

I still haven't really heard though why we think we need to do this instead of focusing on our existing infrastructure on on K-10.

And of course, a part of this project, right?

We're building auxiliary loads basically from K-7 all the way over to Woodlawn.

And so that helps out on K-10.

And then the interchange, like Josh kind of referenced, kind of am I kind of pressure relief valve for both K-10 and the city streets on both sides.

So but but that pressure relief valve, our concern as a city, and I think we've communicated this pretty clearly, and I think the school district has communicated it, and I think parents have communicated it too, is that you're releasing that pressure, this plan is to release that pressure right in front of uh elementary schools and a middle school and a high school, particularly with truck traffic.

So I guess I'm wondering why does K DOT think that it's more important to release that pressure than it is then w why does that override our safety concerns?

We're really working hard to make sure the design accommodates lower speeds and speed humps and crossings.

And so we are working hard.

I mean, we had interchanges uh around Johnson County close to uh school already, but uh I guess kind of because that I just don't uh uh as far as uh why uh as far as uh the repeat your question again one more time, I'm sorry.

Well, I guess I guess I'm wondering why that that pressure relief dropping all of this traffic around all of these schools and in these neighborhoods is is needed why that outweighs the safety risks of the city and of the residents and everybody else in that area.

Because I think we've done through our study that the interchange is a safe improvement.

And by virtue of kind of with all there's a lot of growth happening in the area and traffic volume is continuing to grow.

And so by adding on more capacity, it accommodates the growth of the it's happening in the area.

So the economic growth, probably north of K-10, probably in Lanexa, is more important than the safety of the schools, the the kids that are down in that area?

It's happening on both sides.

I mean we're working on the design to accommodate uh a safe uh structure with the safe.

I mean that the uh the it's not important more important, but it's it's we're working to kind of like work on both sides.

Well, isn't it more important?

Because you've already said that you're gonna build the interchange.

So you've already kind of put your hat on the scale of this is more important than actually maintaining the safety of the students.

If you guys, if you thought the safety was more important, you wouldn't build the dang interchange, you'd build an overpass, right?

And of course to overpass, I mean uh it kind of goes back to if you just did the overpass, you would have all that growth on both the north and south sides kind of contained in that area.

Sure.

And those issues that you're addressing would be kind of uh the same.

It just because the the the roads are growing that that traffic that the economic is happening.

So yeah, it's just yeah, we know the economics happening, but what I'm saying is why is that more important than the safety concerns of the kids, the students, everybody in that area.

I mean, we talk to parents about this all the time, and like I said, nobody wants this thing because they don't want trucks driving through the area where their kids go into school and and all of this stuff.

So how do we as a council tell them those safety concerns don't matter as much as the potential economic growth in K DOT's mind?

So here's a slide that kind of addresses that question, and I'll let Josh kind of uh speak to that.

Yeah, and I guess to the point, I I think K DOT is working with the city uh with this agreement, uh, have a project that provides improvements to the South.

So we're not we're not saying we're putting the interchange and dumping it onto the existing the road down there today.

There will be a project, a city-led project with the improvements to the south.

But they're still going to get traffic from over in that area that wouldn't be there by virtue of uh I mean we might be able to route the truck traffic to the Aldi distribution center as some of the the things are showing on this, but we're still going to be putting by virtue of that interchange a whole heck of a lot more cars on Lone Elm Road down by those schools, right?

It's it's not significantly more than what it is with the school.

Then why do we need it?

That you look at the drivers of the I'm gonna throw that right back at you, and I hate to argue with you, but if we're not adding a lot of traffic to this, why do we need the dang thing?

Well, this is this was a priority of Lanexa.

So Lanexa, so that answers my question.

So Linux's economic development trumps Olatha's safety concerns is what I'm hearing.

Well, I think Lanexa bringing bringing uh funds to the project and asking what you asked earlier why the project is going first here.

And I think part of that is Linuxa's bringing a large amount of money to it.

And with most projects around the state, when there's a city match to it, it helps get projects advanced.

Um that's so it's uh such a but but ultimately this does the interchange does as a network-wide is an improvement for the entire network when you look at improvement for the K-10 network would be to actually improve K-10.

Talk about getting cars off the road or fixing the congestion problems, fixing the bridges that are already there rather than building this new interchange for $300 million.

You know, this is a 1.25 billion dollar project.

Can't we save some money from this thing and then put it elsewhere on K-10?

Well, we have looked at we have looked at other parts of K-10, and right now this K DOT doesn't have funds to build any of the other portions along the UK.

But it has funds to build this.

So that's what I'm saying.

Take the money that we don't want this done, so take that money and put it towards something that actually needs to be done.

I think the amount of money that K Dot has put is putting towards this wouldn't get any of anything else along the corridor here done.

We could I just it this I think you can hear the frustration.

This this thing isn't needed.

And and we're getting a lot of concerns from uh from parents uh about the safety of their kids.

Frankly, they feel like they're not being listened to.

I kind of feel like I'm not being listened to, to be honest with you.

Um the city feels like it's not being listened to.

This is something that's being forced down our throat and to councilwoman uh Essex's question, we thought that there was kind of this agreement that we wouldn't undertake these projects unless both communities agreed, and it seems like that's gone out the window.

So why is that?

Well, if somebody can get an answer to that for the city, I would really appreciate it.

If if somebody could explain to the city why why we're no longer honoring that position, why KDOT is no longer honoring that position, I think that would be helpful.

All right.

I'll do my best.

Sorry, I'm I'm the previous project manager.

Um a couple of things that you said that that I want to address, but I definitely want to get to that that question.

Um to say that nobody in the area that you talk to wants the interchange, it's not true.

I mean, the the people that don't want it are very vocal, I will say.

Um there are people in the neighborhood that didn't necessarily give us comments, but they talked to me on the side and said, yeah, it's not gonna be such a bad thing.

We're we're in favor of the interchange.

So I'm so it's not perfectly balanced.

I would say there's more people right next to the interchange that don't want it, but the people in the the other neighborhoods do because they don't want the additional traffic on 101st Street on Woodlawn, stuff like that.

So um just to address that.

Um the other thing, uh excuse me.

Um so Olatha South traffic right now is higher than we're projected to have in this location.

If if everything is fully developed out, um the traffic for the EA, and you guys can look at the the EA.

I don't know if there's anything in there on on the comparison to like Olatha South, the the amount of traffic that goes by Olatha South is as a large.

Um and to date, we haven't heard of anything that um uh is there's a concern about kids and high volumes of traffic.

Seems to be fairly fairly safe.

We sent you guys a letter in December 2024 that that talks about those concerns.

At Olatha South?

No, that talks about the safety concerns here.

So I'm just I'm just saying that we I mean it's it doesn't necessarily correlate more traffic is less safe.

It doesn't have to be, right?

I mean, we have we have neighborhoods along K-10 right now, and we don't see kids running across K-10 or or playing right next to the highway.

What we did is when we did we let me address let me address your last question.

When we first started the study, there were people within I will say K DOT FHWA that were some were for, some were against.

So what we were tasked to do was we were tasked to say, what is the data show?

What is a solution here, right?

We have two communities that that don't want it.

Fortunately, you know, for um the Santa Fe project you guys had.

Um you guys want that project, right?

It's not necessarily the highest priority on I-35, but the city came forward and said, hey, we we want this interchange improved, right?

K DOT has a pretty good bridge there now.

We don't really necessarily need to have an approved bridge.

But it's I mean, it's just it's one of those things.

Communities come to us and they say, hey, we would like to fix this interchange.

Will you partner with us?

So Santa Fe is a good example of that.

In this case, this has been ongoing for I know 20 years.

It's well beyond me, and I wasn't the project manager 20 years ago.

Um but yeah, you're right.

There was um some discussion that hey, the previous administration were like, hey, if both cities don't agree with it, we won't do it at this time.

Okay.

Did that mean it wasn't gonna go for forever or never happened?

Probably not.

So again, getting back, we were tasked by our executive staff, say, is this a good idea or not?

Because we have people on both sides of the fence.

We have people within K DOT and FHWA.

We're like, is this really what we want here?

So what we did, we were tasked to go through and look at the data.

What does the data show for traffic?

So that's what we did.

And um Josh basically presented that.

Um the overpass, we thought might be a viable option, honestly.

I was like, yeah, it's just gonna be good.

We started looking at the numbers, it started pushing more traffic on uh 110th Street and was it Woodland?

Woodland.

I would get that mixed up with.

Um, do we impact 12 residents, or do we impact 22 residents?

I mean, we had to we we did all this balancing, all this juggling, and we came up with, hey, this is a good solution.

And quite honestly, in in the EA, we presented an option where it did not connect at all to the South in the to the city of Olatha.

And that's what we're building.

If the city chooses to move forward with connecting it, they can.

Do we have to pay for that or will you guys?

So that's part of the agreement.

I don't know if you've received that yet or not.

But we have a draft agreement that our um our state transportation, Greg Shuber basically said, okay, if you don't want to connect Olatha, what what is your solution?

And we'll look at funding part of it based on the EA improvements went from the interchange down to college boulevard.

And we're like, okay, what if we take that money, give it to the city, and then they can do whatever kind of infrastructure they want to do.

Is that agreeable?

And so we've been, I don't know, it's been ongoing for a year, probably.

A year back and forth on you know what do you want to do back down here?

And the exhibit, I don't know where it is, but the red lines, can you pull that up again?

Is basically a concept.

As you can see there, that's the can you make that bigger?

That's just a concept.

What would it eventually look like?

We don't know.

Will this take away some of the traffic concerns?

Probably.

But as I and I'm sorry to interrupt, but as I understand this drawing, you guys are are proposing to pay for that little red dot down at the bottom.

If we it's part of the negotiation, probably not all of it, because you can see the one that's not a good thing.

Not even all of that.

What's that?

Not even all of that.

No, probably not.

So I I guess this is part of my part of my concern is we're we're having this thing kind of forced on us.

Well, you don't have to connect.

Well, and we're saying and that's our option, or we can pay out of our funds to kind of fix something that we don't even want to have happen.

So from our standpoint, that just doesn't seem too fair.

Well, I mean, you don't have to connect, right?

I mean, that's that's the option.

So one again, one city wants that connection to the north because they think that you know they're willing to put their money where their mouth is, right?

They're gonna fund a big portion of this.

So if that connects just to the north, that's probably okay too.

How much can we pay you to not do this?

I mean, if it if it if if if the question is, well, the next is paying to do it, how much can we pay you to do that?

It's above my pay grade.

I'm I'm just I'm basically the messenger, so I appreciate that.

I I understand I'm I'm directing frustration with you guys, and I'm I'm shooting the messenger.

I I understand you guys have a tough job uh and I appreciate the information.

I I just I listen, I'm one in seven, but this thing just yeah.

It's but we can't we can't please everybody.

We know that.

Oh, my that's my entire job.

That's my entire history.

Uh but it's every single one.

The problem is it feels like you're not even trying to please us.

I mean, that's that's kind of the problem, if I can if I can say that.

I mean, we to be honest, we don't even have a sound wall on the south side of of this.

I mean, so so from from my standpoint, it kind of looks like a middle finger to a lathe.

I mean, if I'm being completely honest.

Well, it's really so as far as noise walls, there's not much on the south that it would help.

And the the way the grades elevated the property owners in that south um east corner are probably going to get a lot of sound benefit from the ramp itself because the ramp will be elevated, so they probably will get a decrease in noise for a ways.

That wouldn't work the same with Linuxa too.

Uh it it does to s to some effect, but the residences are so dense that they qualify for um the a potential noise wall.

And it's again it's a potential noise.

Well, some people may not want it.

So I've I've taken up a lot of time, but uh that's okay.

I appreciate it.

I'll leave it to somebody else.

Councilmember Felter.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you guys for being here today.

Just a clarification question on the noise wall.

So same elevation.

Between you and Cabin.

On the ramps, and yet Linuxa can have a noise wall benefit their homes?

Because it's denser neighborhoods?

Yeah, with the with the noise policy, there's several things that go into determining a noise wall, whether it's feasible and reasonable, and that goes into an equation by you know, will the noise wall help the homes and how many homes will it help, and how how large is the noise wall needed to help those homes?

So as the houses are closer together and more dense, more homes can be benefited by a noise wall as opposed to when you're on a large multi-acre lot, you know, uh half mile long noise walls only benefiting maybe a handful of homes.

Um and with the homes on the south side, they sit quite a bit further back from the highway.

So as you get further away, the less the less benefit a noise wall gives you.

Uh so they they really only benefit the homes uh within that uh a short distance from that wall there.

Okay.

And just with that with the large lots and with how far they're set back, um it just doesn't qualify with the policy.

Okay.

Thanks for that clarification.

Um I would I would say you can hear our frustration.

Um this graphic that you're showing us.

Um do you know what how much of this we could build with the amount of money that you're willing to contribute to the city and how much would be our obligation?

I'm I'm not privy to what the offers been and what they're in negotiations, so I couldn't answer that.

Yeah.

Okay, okay.

And on your um graphic for like the interim fix for the lanes versus your long-term fix, am I understanding that it's five years between those projects, is that right?

Or is there a timeline on the ultimate improvements?

Yeah, there's currently no funding for the ultimate project.

I think the goal is to get the a larger, a large project in the next transportation program uh early next decade.

Um assuming that they can get can get a large project for this in and seeing how far uh they can take it uh with that, um, but it's still unknown at this point.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

Um I would say our highest priority is to fix the existing problems on K-10 and K-7 and capacity.

I do like seeing additional lanes potentially between Woodland and Lone Elm, but um there is a material difference between, say, Olathe South density and traffic and up here at Olatha Northwest.

I I served on the Olatha School Board for 12 years, so I can speak with authority on this.

Olatha is the second largest school district in the state of Kansas, the largest in Johnson County, and this intersection right here is where we hold all of our graduations for the entire district, all five high schools graduate and they walk across the street across Lone Elm.

All the graduates, all the parents, all the younger siblings uh walk across the parking lots.

If there's a storm, our backup plan is the gym at Olatha Northwest.

And so foot traffic is kind of embedded into all of our plans right now.

And um so having the relief and redirection of trucks is critical to making whatever we're lands in our lap um a success.

And so I would just state that my my expectation would be that um if we are going to have an interchange forced down our throats that the funds to make it safe on us and for us um come with that.

And that would be uh I think the um the red diagram that you had, the map with the swoop street going back by Aldi, it somewhat gets us there if we're allowed to uh disallow truck traffic uh, you know, from that roundabout south lone elm to college, I could find that palatable.

And uh I just don't want to have to find the funds to make that happen in our CIP because this is not a priority at all to us.

And um our priority is improve K-10, K-7, um the traffic, the the quality of those roads, and the flow uh between all of all of the interchange there.

Um I will just pass it off to my fellow council members.

Thank you for being here.

Councilmember Vacas.

Thanks.

Thanks very much, Mayor, and I appreciate all of the uh comments from city counselors up to this point.

Thanks to the four of you for being here tonight.

Uh and you've been here all night, right?

Yeah.

So earlier tonight, we were in the position of forcing our will on people in South Olatha who didn't like growth and expansion and increased truck truck traffic.

And here we are, you're forcing it on us, so I guess turnabouts fair play.

I'm not sure.

Um look, from a 2060 standpoint, I I get it.

I understand what you're suggesting.

And I think it does make sense.

Uh it's a long time between now and 2060, but nonetheless, I see the collective growth of the area and how this could fit into the scheme.

So first of all, I I'd thank you.

I do thank you for designing the southern piece that so that it only takes a sliver of private property at this stage, which is helpful.

I want to make sure I understand something.

Are you saying that we still have the option to do nothing?

And to have no no no new roads coming south.

Yes, I would say that would be an option.

Um I would recommend that you connect the the bike path or the sidewalk on both sides.

Oh, absolutely.

So at least that gives the pedestrian connectivity.

Sure.

Because I think you're going to get that anyway.

Yeah.

People will walk down the hill or whatever.

So potentially more to come.

This is not a done deal at this stage.

Now we talked about two interchanges, right?

I want to make sure I remember correctly.

Uh Lone Elm and K-10, but also was it Cedar Creek Parkway in K-10?

Is that the earlier presentation?

Claire.

Claire.

Claire.

Claire and K-10.

Okay.

Could could you pull those slides back up again?

I want to make sure I understand that timeline.

I don't think so.

Claire's Claire was ruled out.

Ruled out.

Yes.

The only thing we're looking near term, as in next year, is this interchange.

Potentially.

Potentially.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Again.

Yeah, I want to revisit the sound wall issue again.

Because I, you know, I understand there are a variety of rules and regulations, many of them federal, that that determine how sound wall justifications are reached.

But it seems entirely inappropriate for the south side of this interchange, which happens to be Olatha, where there's a community of larger lot homes, that they would be simply discriminated against simply because they have larger lots, whereas homes to the north side, which happen to be in a Linux, would benefit from the sound walls.

It seems to me like if the the noise attenuation is equivalent on both the north and the south side, somehow we have to come to grips with creating sod sound walls on the south side, even though the number of homes may l may be lesser.

To tell those people you're out of luck because you got a big lot just seems entirely inappropriate to me.

Yeah, I have I've had many conversations with the people on the south, and um we were invited to um one gentleman's house and to stand out in his yard and listen to the existing K-10 traffic.

So yeah, yeah.

I mean, it's not like it's um it's not quite now.

Yeah, it's bad.

It's bad now.

Yeah, yeah.

Um the problem is since noise walls are very expensive.

Sure.

Absolutely.

Based on you know, square footage.

The way the the way that the policy, if you're 300 feet away from the noise, your noise wall is not going to help much.

Yeah.

And for most of these houses, they are set back far enough that that wouldn't be much of a benefit.

Plus for as much as they're spread out, you don't get the per person benefit for a square foot of old walls.

Who funds the noise walls?

Um it comes out of the project.

Okay.

Yeah, it's project funded.

Largely to be federally funded, presumably at some state.

So there's it'll be a combination of funds, right?

It'll be local, it'll be state, it'll be um beds, sure.

Federal participation.

Um there could be some grant money.

So we're looking at it as well.

Shift real quick to another part of Alatha on I-35 at the uh Santa Fe interchange, going both north and south.

We have significant amount of legacy neighborhoods there, yet there are no noise walls whatsoever.

Uh and I don't know why that never was addressed in the past.

It's all based on the policy.

So I don't know what when the highway is expanded, then the environmental group looks at the need for a noise wall.

Sure.

So this is a little bit outside of your lane, because now we're talking about I-35 versus K-10, but as we consider the the the significantly large project at uh I-35 and Santa Fe, north and south.

It seems to me like nose noise walls should be part of the conversation.

Um so we did.

So I'm I'm on that I'm out that's my project as well, the I-35 project.

So we did go through and did an analysis on that on that project.

Um there were a couple areas that could potentially have gotten noise walls, but they didn't quite qualify.

Okay.

And whether that was the noise receptors didn't trigger or they set back too far.

Um in most of the cases, you have a frontage road in between the highways, so you're naturally set back farther.

When it comes to like apartments, those well, apartments have a special sp special consideration.

If they have a balcony on the highway side, then they'll um have a noise receptor analyze.

But most apartment complexes, they have kind of an internal basing, you know, to like a green area or whatever.

Sure.

So if they're their backs to the highway, then we don't put a noise receptor on those.

I had that situation in Wichita.

Did you?

Yeah.

So back to back to K 10 and Lone Elm then.

So on the assumption this project does receive funding and you're able to start sometime in 2026.

This is a two-year project.

Um I'll kind of defer to it's probably pretty close to a two-year project.

Two year project.

And but this is happening, and again, I just want to make sure I understand in isolation of any future expansion of K-10.

That will all come at a later date.

Yeah.

So subject to the availability of funding.

Correct.

So this this highway program is pretty well funded out.

And the improvements, this this is basically a study project to begin with, right?

It got into the development pipeline to study it to see what improvements needed to happen from Douglas Johnson County line all the way to I-35.

Okay.

Um with that study, we broke it up into pieces.

We presented the executive staff and said, hey, this is this is what we think, you know, needs to happen.

Yeah.

So yes, we think that there needs to be a major improvement on K-10 I-435.

I mean, it's $300 plus million dollar project, probably.

Huge project.

And we all know that, you know, i this uh the Greater KC Metro is not gridlocked compared to other parts of the country, but certainly if you're on K-10 at certain times of the day, every day, it's bumper and bumper traffic.

So the idea that we're gonna wait another 10 or 15 years for those improvements, it's a tough pill for all of us to swallow, but if you don't have the money, you don't have the money.

Right.

But we are looking at so the next program or the next program is being discussed um first part of this year, so it's gonna start being discussed.

We have local consults um coming up as well for input on what other projects in the area need to be studied or you know, or are in need of fixing, so to speak.

So um those are all good times to voice your opinion, the local consults.

Okay, good.

I'm not sure that's appreciate your time.

I want to just chime in to what councilwoman Felter has said about if we do go forward with this project, the idea of the uh the parallel road that runs from the intersection along K-10 west, west and over and connects down past the Aldi warehouse, that is extremely important.

So how we we come to grips with that if we go down that trail and the source of funding will be very important to us because we I don't think we'd want to have a completed interchange without that road being completed simultaneously.

That that's been our discussion with uh Alathe staff is you know it would be nice to have those projects at about the same time.

Okay, good.

Well, you know, I've asked more than enough questions.

I appreciate your time.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Council member vote.

Thank you.

Thank you all for being here tonight.

Um regarding the current transportation program, how much money is currently available and how much of that money is going towards this project?

Because you're saying the you know long-term project will be with the next transportation program.

So I'm assuming these funds are coming from the current one.

They could, if the project is funded.

So um the way the funding is is broken down if it gets to be a construction project, um, there's gonna be funds from multiple sources.

Uh it looks like we're probably gonna um seek a grant of some sort.

So those are um it I mean it took us two years to get the one for Santa Fe.

So sometimes you have to apply and you have to reapply and you have to reapply type of thing.

So how much you know state money or federal money will come out of this transportation program is is really up, you know, is up for grabs.

Because it depends on, you know, if we get, you know, say we get a hundred million dollars for this corridor, maybe maybe part of that money goes to Lone Elm and the rest goes to you know K-10 improvements.

We we just don't know.

I mean that's that's a crystal wall for anybody.

So how do you know that you can start construction?

Well we don't.

That's what we're that's what we're saying.

Because we've got these dates that were they're only potential.

So what basically what we're saying is best case if everything you know if all the funding becomes available, that's what what that's what will happen.

Right now we're only funded for design and right-of-way and utility related.

Only for design and right-away.

Right.

So I think you understand where this council is coming from.

Um and what our preference was, and I think uh it was stated, you know, it when it was first being studied, and that was the overpass.

Recognizing connectivity is good, but an interchange, even if you put 30 miles an hour, it's still a road connected to an interchange with three schools and an activity center.

I have a couple of questions more regarding how you got to to this.

Um the survey that was done, which, you know, the data collected from this survey was used to ensure the needs and the priorities of the community should be communities, are incorporated in the decision making process.

It looks like the survey was done according to this in September of 2023.

When did you start going out to the public and providing information about this project?

Uh well, the EA has been going on, I mean, we started that two, late 22.

Late 22.

So you're 2022.

So we've been in front of the public four different times with this project.

With the first time being win.

Before or after the survey.

Is what I think Well, we've we've actually done a few different surveys throughout the life of the project.

And I've looked through those.

And when I look through them and I see what the safety concerns are and what the priorities that were mentioned by those that were surveyed, number one was adding lanes uh to reduce stop and go traffic.

Two was adding concrete medium barriers separating east and westbound uh traffic.

Three was improvements to interchange ramp entrances and exits, and this is improvements.

Third was flattening sharp curves, and I can tell you where that one is.

I think we all know.

And is that going to be a part of this project?

It's it's on the priority list.

So that's one of the things I mean, that's the the big chunk of money that would you know if we had unlimited budget, that's what we would.

That was an engineering nightmare then, wasn't it?

Because that was in a transportation program that I sat on the committee where we funded it.

That was a transportation, an engineering nightmare.

So let me ask you another question, because you have to go through all these different processes, your EA, the NEPA process.

So does that just look at engineering?

Or does it also look at the social the safety impact?

It it does.

So the and when you when you hear the word environmental assessment.

So it ha we have a whole list of items that we have to address.

And it's and go ahead.

So it it addresses, you know, um, you know, like uh environmental justice, which you know we can't impact a low income over a higher income community.

Um it looks at the environment for uh threatened endangered species, we look at wetlands, we look at you know what about dangerous species like children?

Because that's what I'm getting at.

I mean, we compared it to Olaitha South, but there's a big difference, I believe.

I believe there's a big, big difference.

And I don't know if you all have ever been out there on a Friday night of a football game to see the traffic, or just every day, Monday through Friday.

I avoid college.

Why?

The cars to drop off children and pick up children are stacked.

And so I'm sitting and I'm going, how do we, you know, uh there appears to be a lot of conflict the vehicular conflicts that that's gonna occur there.

Definitely you don't want 18-wheelers going through there.

And so I'm looking and I'm going, okay, we've got the school district with over 30,000 students, and I think in the beginning they did indicate that their preference was an overpass.

You have the city of Olatha with the 150,000 saying this isn't really something that we prefer.

We'd like to have the connectivity, most definitely.

And it seems silly to have just partial interchange.

I mean, it just doesn't make a lot of sense.

And as I look and I go, we're all scurring for money.

We all are, we know that.

And there's more projects than money.

But when I look at what the safety concerns were in these surveys, and what improvements were actually asked for.

And up here, I've got adding lane capacity, the auxiliary lanes, improving, improving, entry and exit ramps on existing interchanges, and then of course the sharp curve that everybody knows about.

So I guess I'm a little confused how maybe not really.

So I I I guess I would say, besides, or ask this question, besides this not being funded, what would be other ways this would be stopped?

Or reconsidered an alternate preference.

That was all part of our environmental assessment.

And so we're here today basically to say, you know, what you see on the screen is what KDOT's moving forward with the design.

So you have a public meeting with um Linux.

Is that so Linuxa has invited K DOT to present?

So it's not a K Dot.

It's not a KOT meeting.

No, it was just hey, would you come and you know have some exhibits and be available to answer questions?

Going back to my question about the survey, and the reason I asked that.

People are pretty busy and they often aren't engaged in what's going on.

But there's no doubt my mind, if that survey was given to every parent in those schools, the numbers would have been completely different.

And I wonder how that would have affected that environmental assessment.

We did our best.

That's all I can say.

We we basically tried to canvas as as best we could.

And again, I did hear from parents that said, you know, look, I I want that.

I want that convenience of uh and I had somebody mention the college thing, and they're like, college is bad, and I you know, where do I go when it's all backed up?

Well, right.

Well, I don't think this is gonna make it any better.

Well, what their opinion was is that was another relief valve, right?

That they saw the interchange, they could just get on K-10 and go home.

So I mean I guess I'm talking to the staging or the stacking of cars when people are going to get their kids.

Yeah, that's I think that's an existing that's yeah, that's Olatha's deal.

I mean, I've got to be able to adding to it.

We're adding to it.

And I I don't think we can just say that's not an issue.

So you you did you you asked about truck traffic, and I I do want to address that.

So we did meet with Aldi, because that's the biggest distributor here.

Um they the way they're set up is um their times are different from the schools, so that there's not a conflict as far as when they have pickups and drop-offs.

So that was good.

Um they also said that their trucks will probably continue to use case seven and college to come up that way.

Because that's kind of their preferred route because it's easy.

You know, people park up there, wait for the gates to open or whatever, and then they get in and they unload and then the next load goes out.

I don't know, what was it?

Nine or ten or late morning, you know, basically so it's it's Aldi.

Early morning, kids, Aldi, and then kids go home.

So that's kind of the the way the schedule worked out.

We remodeled the traffic based on the school traffic as well.

So we we looked at those peaks.

Actually, the peak was the school, wasn't it?

Yeah.

So the the peak times were the school.

So that's what we looked at.

So if we do that bypass, and I don't know uh if right if we have gotten an estimate or an idea of what that might cost.

That's right, deputy director um of infrastructure.

So the latest estimate that we worked on together was from the roundabout to the southwest corner of um Aldi's property as it goes to Monticello.

And that estimate is around 15.5.

15.5 million.

Um I would say we were we attended the um final field check meeting, and we were a little surprised to see um the piece of road that stopped just out south of K 10.

So we intend to go back to K Dot and say, you know, our intent is to have you help us bypass trucks around the school zones.

So the the latest estimate that they were willing to discuss was the 15.5.

That's from the roundabout to Monticello.

Um how do I find that?

And the roundabout would be a part of the project if it's very in the would it be the Wood Sonya or Marshall?

Um so it basically is from the way.

This roundabout over to this, over to um this connection with Monticello is 15,05.

But it does not include the piece from the roundabout up to the interchange, which we believe is K DOT's responsibility.

So we need to continue to work with them on the final negotiation if that's what we decide to move forward.

We initially said that we felt like they were responsible to get you all to get the road all the way down to college.

It was our initial thought because we believe that while Aldi may contribute to this, if there's any accident at K7 and K-10, it's coming up.

Um all of the truck traffic that's coming off of Parker, if they know that it's at the K7 and K-10 interchange, is gonna bail and they're gonna head toward Lone Elm and they will go right through the school zone and they'll try to get to Lone Elm.

So that's our that has been our position is that we need to work together to create a truck bypass route that gets truck traffic around the school zone if the K 10 if the interchange is going to happen at Lone Elm.

So we're continuing to negotiate.

We haven't received a um a proposal back from them.

We will go back to them and suggest that you know we need to talk about more money because we were very surprised to see it stop so short on Lono.

So when it's going.

Yeah, for the other direction.

It wasn't.

Um at any rate, um I think I've asked most of my questions.

I am disappointed.

I can understand.

Um Linux's desire to do this, but I I think it takes a couple of communities together to make things work and to have good relationships.

And uh and if this moves forward, um I hope that we're able to work this out with funding so that we can make this as safe as possible.

Um I do too.

Yeah.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

And again, thank you for being here.

Councilmember Gilmore.

Thank you, Mayor.

Gentlemen, thanks for being here taking the fire tonight.

Yeah.

Uh we appreciate we know you're representing the state in this process, and thanks for listening to us.

I hope you'll give feedback to those that you report to about our significant concerns.

I think it's pretty uh broadly accepted on this council and those we represent that we don't want this interchange.

Um, but if it's going to be forced on us, we need to consider some things, and I'm grateful that there's some discussion going on about the cost of that bypass.

Um I guess I didn't realize till someone said it tonight that there was actually an option to just not connect to this interchange.

Now, I understand there's people associated with the schools who live up in Linuxa and think it's great if we could just go right across and don't have to go around.

But the truth is this city's invested substantially in some of the arterial roads in this area, with the understanding we're never going to have a major lone elm thoroughfare, that that was not going to be something we would want to happen in this school area.

At least that's my my perception of it.

So this interchange doesn't fit those plans.

I don't know where the disconnect from Linuxa happened.

I don't blame Linuxa for what they're trying to do.

This is clearly 99% beneficial to Lanexa, maybe even 100.

Not so much beneficial to us.

I think that's pretty clear.

Staff may need to have Bethany to answer this question.

If we went with this road truck bypass situation, um how many no truck signs have ever stopped a truck from going street south on the it's going to require enforcement.

I don't know that we still have to do that.

We don't have enough police to do that.

I um you know we still have to work with K DOT and FHWA on if it would be possible to pay place no truck signs on Lone Elm.

We um attempted to put no truck signs on renter.

And we got a uh letter from FHWA that told us that if you're trying to control no trucks within a mile of the interstate of the NHS road, um that that's not within our power.

I believe K DOT and HNTB were talking to K DOT and FHWA of if this alternate route, then would we be allowed to do that?

Again, there are signs, and there are signs that require enforcement.

It doesn't have power to stop a truck.

And that leads me to my next comment.

Thank you for that, because I did remember hearing you say that before.

Somebody said that before.

Council, maybe we need to consider if the interchange is going to be forced on us of uh just not connecting further south, just making that truck bypass route be the only thing that's there, which is the situation today.

The traffic can't go north.

But again, that's might want to ask our friends in the school district what they think of those kind of ideas.

Um I think everybody else has already covered all my other comments.

So thank you.

Councilmember Scootover.

Thank you very much.

I just have one follow-up question.

I think I think you said that um if this project gets funding, it's it's if if the decision comes to fund this project, it'll get built is essentially as is as I understand it.

So who is the person that actually makes that funding decision?

Well, I mean, I guess uh uh we're working Linux is working to get funding, right?

And it and funding if Linuxa comes up with their portion and KOT didn't uh the decision is fairly easy.

All the m it just comes down to getting the money.

So so K DOT has already decided that it's gonna spend that portion, that third.

I mean, yes.

If Linuxa comes up with their portion, yes.

Okay.

Okay.

That's all I have.

All right.

Um gentlemen, and Cameron, you got off easy tonight in here from you.

But thanks for being here and giving us this information.

You know, I think um there's a lot of valid concerns about the truck traffic.

Uh you know, on this roundabout, I I definitely think that there could be some benefit to Olatha down the road.

It's hard to see today, but if this is done right and we're able to uh make it safe for the kids and the parents, um hopefully we can look back at this and say it was done right and we're all benefiting and we're not uh making people uh be in a dangerous situation on a daily basis.

And and we we deal with we took your client, and we will pass it on.

I guarantee we'll pass it on to K Dot executive leadership.

So yeah.

I see uh parents that would be coming south to drop their kids off at either the junior high or the the high school, they're gonna be wanting to always make a left hand uh around the roundabout.

So you know, on this roundabout, it might be something where we have a bypass lane on the north side for trucks that they could stay on that bypass and they're going to want to go west instead of um um trying to get mixed and go around the donut or the yeah.

So I don't know how that will work.

But I do think it's going to be important for the state to work with us on funding of this.

Most definitely.

I mean, what if we can do and staff will keep us informed and we'll work on our representatives.

Okay.

And uh do what we can to uh but um I I think it would be a mistake for us to not have any connection to the South in the long run.

So if this is going to be done, I think um we we've begged for access to interstates in the past.

And so um and I know this there's some people around there that would love to never have to deal with the noise or any of the access or the traffic.

And uh but for the betterment of the whole network, um, and I think there might be some opportunities for some net economic development to occur along here in Olatha.

Um I think there might be some opportunities for some economic development to occur along here in Olatha.

Um I'm anxious to see how this all comes together and funding and all.

I I do want to say that I'm disappointed that the ultimate solution for K-10 is being pushed off so far.

I think there are issues today.

And I don't know if these um relief lanes will ease some of that pain, but um there are issues today that I would love to see addressed on K-10 for our residents, and it seems like that's gonna be five, ten years in the future.

I pretty much drive K-10 every day.

And I I know exactly what everybody's talking about because you I take a deep breath when I get to K7 because here we go.

I I know and it can't happen soon enough, uh, but uh it's it's a big, big project.

And I'm confident with good design, which we'll have, uh, we can get a good product.

And it's yeah, I can remember when we put the interchange at 435 in Nannyon.

That took a long time.

But like you said, uh Overland Park kind of requested it and happened.

But uh everything has pluses and minuses.

And like I said, I kind of that pressure relief out trying to balance the highway and the all internet network and folks have been there very challenging, but I like a challenge and and we'll get to it.

So council member vote wanted to just one more one more comment.

So the bigger project um I did to ask H and TV to see if they could break that up into different pieces, but what happens is you try to fix one area, doesn't match the profile of the new alignment of something else, and then you have to adjust this, and it would it was a snowball effect.

So we really need a big chunk of money to do that.

That's why we're looking at first of next next program to try to get some funding to move forward with uh number one on that priority list for the next tranche of funding.

Yeah, so for highway transportation.

So that's great.

So depending on the budget, yeah, we'll we'll do our best.

Councilmember vote.

And that brings up a question that I have forgotten, and that is that there's gonna be disruption two times in this area then.

And again, to me that adds to well headaches of people having to travel through it, but also the cost.

So I mean that's another part that I find very confusing.

It is a big project, and and and that is the challenging part.

Okay.

So you're aware of that.

Oh, yeah.

Thank you all for being here.

Thank you.

We'll now move to additional items.

I'll start on my right, Councilmember Vacus.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Just a couple of things.

I was uh very happy to host the last Olatha live concert on Friday.

We had two tribute brand bands, one to Brian Adams and one to Fleetwood Mac.

Uh well attended, it was a great evening.

And at five o'clock, the city did the touch a truck event where folks could bring their kids and visit with the city staff and look at the different trucks that we use.

It was really a nice night.

Uh looking forward to the Olatha Art Fair on the Fall Fest that starts this Friday and Saturday.

It's gonna be another great event at the county square.

That's all I'd add.

Thank you.

Councilmember Felter.

Thank you, Mayor.

I want to thank Councilman Fachis for suggesting having K Dot come and present to us.

I believe that you were the one who noticed that they had presented to Lenexa and mentioned, hey, it might be nice for us to have them out.

So thank you for that.

And thank you to all of our council for participating in the lively discussion.

I think vigorous debate is healthy for society in general.

Um we had a great um dedication to uh of the Copeland Athletic Complex at MNU this week.

It was sunny, really sunny, and it made me feel really sorry for the opposing teams that will have to play facing west.

Because the sun will be right in their eyes.

I'm hearing that is strategic.

So yeah, home field advantage, huh?

It was a really touching day and uh a lot of answered prayers uh manifested right there uh seeing that great field open.

Um M and U has not had their own home um field for helping eight years.

It's like it hasn't been quite fit to ten.

Yeah.

Eight eight to ten, I think, something like that.

Um when their stadium seats were condemned because they were not safe.

And they started using uh the district activity center um ODAC.

And um so it feels really good to be able to have them have home field, and uh it was really neat to hear uh Jeff D.

Graffinreed's dad's name mentioned multiple times.

He was the first football coach at M and U.

So we're super proud of the legacy of your family to you, Jeff and Chief.

Thank you so much.

That's all I have, Mayor.

Councilmember vote.

Thank you.

Um want to just shout out kudos to Solid Waste.

As I was attending an event in one of the in Avignon, they had mentioned because of all the um asphalt that was being, you know, street maintenance, that they noticed that the well, the seller, you know, when they came to pick up Salah waste, the voice trucks, uh backed up, they made sure they got, you know, to the people's houses, and they were really surprised and thankful.

So I want to do a shout out to our crew that you know picks up all our trash.

Um I've had a lot of people, and I would like to look at this, and I don't know if others have heard concerns about scooters, electric scooters, electric bikes.

I mean, I can't went out to one street because somebody wanted me to come and see, and so I did, and as I was there, there were three young ladies going down the center of the street, no helmets, going 25, 30 miles an hour.

I think I it is a big problem, and it's not just snow Lightha.

You it's in all these cities, and I'm unsure how we address this because it's not just them riding in the streets, it's also if they're going 25 miles an hour on a sidewalk.

And I think if I'm walking my dog, like that has to be on a leash.

That could be catastrophic, I think.

So I I don't know what the answers are.

Um I would like to not see the electric bikes and scooters.

Why?

Because our kids need sex need exercise.

I just don't get it.

But it is a status kind of thing.

Um I began to think about, and this is for the chief, I think.

You know, we have bike safety courses, and we used to give free helmets, and it's like, is it time that we maybe need to do this and involve the parents?

Because I feel like some instruction needs to be given at this point in time.

So I throw that out that we really need to start thinking about some ways in which we can engage these children, their families, so that they can use their scooters, their electric bikes in a safe manner.

So I throw that out.

Then one fun thing, this is the animal shelter.

Okay.

So I do like animals, I do like little dogs.

So on next door, there are people from I don't know if they're the volunteers, but they show the pictures of the puppies and the dogs looking for adoption.

And it just pulls your heart.

But I love that.

I think that is such a great idea, and I hope that that is facilitating these animals being adopted.

So that was my fun thing.

They're pretty cute.

Go look.

You'll want to go get one.

That's all I have.

Okay, Councilmember Gilmore.

Thank you, Mayor.

Marge, the kids on my street drive faster in those things than I do down the street.

That it's scary.

It's amazing to watch.

Yeah.

Um, we had a great presentation prior to the council meeting tonight from our fire department.

Thank you, Jeff DeGrafenreed Chief, and and your team.

Uh, I always appreciate it when the chief says, you know, we don't get calls that says, I just got a little problem, send the JV team.

We need the first class team, and uh all of our team, all of our folks do a first class job, and it's our responsibility as a council to make sure we support that.

And and uh just want to say it makes what it's one of the many things that makes Olathe a great place to live.

So thank you, Chief.

My hat's off to you and your team.

That's all I have.

Councilmember Essex.

Perfect.

All right.

I just wanted to add on to you, Mayor Pro Tem uh votes comments about scooters and bikes.

I'm getting electric scooters.

I should be specific.

Yeah, I'm getting emails on that too.

Um, where people just feel like they're in danger because they're and they're worried about the safety of these kids too.

My husband's a middle school teacher, and he said they come in with broken limbs on a weekly basis.

So something to consider, um, maybe take another look at our ordinances and and where we allow them and how fast they should be going type of thing.

I also wanted to share.

I had a um somebody in my district was concerned about our policy on how many unrelated people can live in one rental home.

And I know I mentioned this to our planning commission or our planning team.

What does the surrounding communities in Johnson County do?

I know we're at four unrelated people right now in our current ordinance, and there was a question if we could lessen that to maybe three or take a look at what impact that would have on our city, but that was one thing that I wanted to uh check out or pass along to look into.

That's all I have.

Councilmember Scoonover.

I am going to also echo the concern on e-bikes and electric scooters.

I've I've heard a lot about that.

John, I know you mentioned that uh concern uh a few meetings ago asking for a report on that.

So it was on my list to follow up on.

I think if we could get something, that would be great.

And I think whatever we do if we could involve uh the schools as well, the school board, because I think that that education component is probably gonna have to involve them in some meaningful way.

Um the other thing I will say is thanks so much to our team for all your hard work on on our audit.

Um we we had a great meeting, uh the liaison committee to to go over um that audit.

And I know we didn't get into detail tonight, but certainly do appreciate all the hard work that went into that.

Uh it's I know it's not fun or easy or anything like that, so thank you very much.

Uh a couple of final things.

Uh how cool is this?

Rachel Marlowe from Central Elementary School was the Kansas teacher of the year this year.

So I can I can say from my kids' experience, she is fantastic.

Um she does a wonderful job with them, and so congratulations to uh to Rachel.

We certainly appreciate all that all that you do.

Then the final thing I will say is thanks to the staff.

Uh they a few weeks ago dealt with some precocious third graders coming in to learn more about uh the city and and how it works.

And uh again, speaking from experience, I know my daughter really loved it.

She had a great time.

Um Dean, she took over your spot for a little bit.

So uh but I understood.

Yeah, exactly right.

She's coming for you.

So uh thank you guys so much for your engagement for your outreach, because I know it does really mean mean a lot to them.

So thank you all so much.

City Manager Michael Wilkes.

Anything for the for this evening.

I wanted to say thank you to the folks that participated in the pickleball tournament that we had Saturday for the Olatha Mayor's Children's Fund.

We raised over $7,000 in that event.

It was a beautiful day again.

Um the other thing that I wanted to mention is uh congratulations to Coach DeGraf and Reed again.

Your name's getting mentioned a lot.

You got the uh Michael Copeland Civic Leadership Award last week at Mid-Americas, and congratulations on that award.

And then um Lieta Felter's daughter Abby was also awarded last week for the young alum of the year.

So congratulations to Abby for on that designation.

And then I don't know a lot of us, you know, we try to forget these things, but Michael Wilkes's birthday was last week, so happy birthday, Michael.

Still having those, I guess.

I mean, you should learn.

Stop that.

So I think it's uh important that we do address the um e-bike scooter issue and many other communities are dealing with this too.

So they're amazing.

And they're getting even better.

Um and I have one and I love it.

I don't always wear a helmet.

But you know, we are engaged already.

So, Chief DeGraffinry, do you want to come up and talk about the fire department?

Because I participated in a flash it wasn't a mob, but a flash event at Mission Trail the other morning before the kids came in, and we were just handing out safety flyers to the parents as they were driving up so that they might be aware of some things that they could do to keep their kids safe.

I mean, there's a lot of kids that use e-bikes or scooters to come to school and they love them.

And I think they're wonderful.

The kids that had helmets, we were handing out Andy's ice cream coupons to them.

So we're we're we're doing some stuff already.

So if you want to talk a little bit about that endeavor.

At the end of the day, um, it takes enforcement but also takes the carrot on the other end.

Um so we have a great team uh what that are innovative uh and they have good relationships in the schools, and so we're just uh showing up uh after coordinating with the principal and telling kids thanks, you're doing a great job for wearing your helmet and uh all the things uh that uh anyone needs, but especially uh folks in our school district to tell them uh you're following the rules, and that's great to keep safe.

So I think it's pretty neat that we see our helmets that we give away every year on kids all over the town.

I think the the longevity of the program has been positive, and Chief and I were just talking about how to do some additional education at our bike rodeo with the hospital uh that might include uh an e-bike portion uh and some education uh and some helmet um giveaways.

So uh we'll continue to work both angles, both enforcement and education.

Hold on just a minute.

Councilmember Felter.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Chief, for talking about this.

I was um wanting to interject and say they're doing some of that um training.

Um the one thing I was gonna ask that you uh beef up on uh scooter and e-bike uh safety training is for to bring awareness to kids, not just for example, kids coming home on front from Frontier Trail on 143rd going east.

They will pay attention to the side streets, but never pay attention to the cars coming off 143rd turning into that street.

And so they're looking.

There's no car on that side street, but there's someone coming and turning off of 143rd and can just plow right into them.

I see it literally three times a week.

And I'm just cringing, just it's just a numbers game.

It'll it's just a matter of time, you know.

Listen, these kids are awesome kids.

Nobody's trying to do anything wrong.

I think it's I mean, at least I haven't noticed it.

They can be used in crime for sure, but I would say a vast majority of the folks are being kids and they don't have any education in traffic laws.

And um so it's hard enough for us adults to sometimes get it right.

Uh so um I agree I would agree with that, and uh we have good relationship with the schools.

We just got to continue to work on it for sure.

Thank you so much.

Really appreciate it.

Thank you, Chief.

Um, that's all we had for tonight.

So thank you all for attending via virtual or in the audience here.

Have a great evening, and we are adjourned.