Olatha City Council Regular Meeting - December 16, 2025

The Olatha City Council convened for its final meeting of the year on December 16, 2025, honoring Councilmembers Marge Essex and Kevin Gilmore for their respective 28 and 30 years of public service with a special recognition ceremony. The meeting featured the appointment of new and reappointment of existing Planning Commission members, a unanimous vote to authorize the hiring of Susan Sherman as the next City Manager effective January 31, 2026, and a contentious but ultimately passed 4-3 vote to authorize a $25 million project for a new Animal Shelter.

Consent Calendar

• Resolution 25-1095: Unanimously passed (7-0) to appoint and reappoint members to the Planning Commission.
• Resolution 25-1099: Unanimously passed (7-0) to adopt the Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) policy, updating eligibility to include office-type projects in the southern area.
• Resolved Item E (Animal Shelter) and Item D (IRB Policy) were initially removed from the general consent motion and moved to separate discussion items.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Private Citizen (45-year resident): Addressed the new incoming council, expressing confusion regarding the political process and the role of voters, specifically directing a message to Councilmember Gilmore.

Discussion Items

Recognition of Departing Officials

• Councilmembers Marge Essex and Kevin Gilmore: Received the "Barton Award" (Essex) and a custom canvas print (Gilmore). Both delivered emotional farewell speeches thanking staff, mayors, colleagues, and families. Essex noted her 28 years of service, highlighting the transition from paper to digital agendas. Gilmore reflected on his 17 years in elected office and the importance of voter participation.
• Fellow Councilmembers: Councilmembers Vacas, Scoonover, Felter, and Essex offered tributes, praising Gilmore and Essex for their integrity, wisdom, and ability to foster respectful dialogue despite disagreements. Scoonover noted the significant growth in the school district and city over their tenure.

Planning Commission Appointments

• Scott Sealing (New Appointee): Introduced as a retired U.S. Marshal (26 years) currently working in private security. He expressed humility and commitment to public service.
• Jim Toronto & Keith Brown (Reappointed): Introduced for new terms. Toronto was praised for his deep, thoughtful insights. Brown was recognized for his extensive service in neighborhood associations and police boards.

City Manager Transition

• Motion: Councilmember Essex moved to authorize Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to negotiate with Susan Sherman for the City Manager position, effective January 31, 2026, following Michael Wilkes's departure on January 30, 2026.
• Discussion: Councilmember Scoonover expressed a preference to defer the formal hiring to the incoming council (due in January) for "intellectual consistency" but voted yes due to Sherman's qualification. Councilmember Vacas expressed enthusiasm for the new leadership, joking with Sherman about what she has done "lately." Councilmember Felter requested clarification on contract evaluation practices and executive session transparency regarding personnel matters; City Attorney and Staff confirmed their willingness to benchmark and clarify processes moving forward.

Animal Shelter Project (Resolution 25-1101)

• Proposal: Authorization for a new Animal Care and Control facility (Project PN6-C-007-23) with a cost cap of $25 million. Staff estimates construction costs at $16 million for a 23,000 sq. ft. facility.
• Speaker Positions:
  • Councilmember Felter: Expressed full support for animal welfare but expressed opposition to the $25 million price tag, citing financial strain on residents and the need for disciplined stewardship of public dollars.
  • Councilmember Scoonover: Expressed agreement that the city needs a new facility but voiced opposition to the $25 million cost, questioning if a "five-star" facility is necessary compared to a "three or four-star" option, and noting other competing infrastructure needs.
  • Councilmember Vacas: Expressed support for the price being appropriate given current construction costs and the specialized nature of the building (HVAC, disease control). Argued that building for future capacity (40 years) prevents higher long-term costs.
  • Councilmember Bodes (Essex): Expressed support, noting the facility is essential public safety infrastructure, not optional. Highlighted the cost breakdown (building, interior, land) and the inability to partner with the county. Emphasized that building well now saves taxpayer money long-term.
  • Director Mike Cerna: Explained that industry standards (e.g., Association of Shelter Veterinarians) and inflation drive costs, citing examples from Sugarland, Texas. Stated the $631/sq. ft. estimate is lower than peer city comparators ($769/sq. ft.).
  • Councilmember Bachis (Vacas): Clarified that the $25 million is an authorization cap; the council can spend less. Stated the current facility is inadequate and the new one is essential for public safety and future growth.
• Debate: Councilmembers Scoonover and Felter argued that the cost was too high for the current economic climate. Councilmembers Vacas, Essex, and others argued that the facility is a specialized necessity and that a larger, higher-capacity building is required to serve the city for decades.

Key Outcomes

• Planning Commission Appointments: Resolution 25-1095 passed unanimously (7-0).
• HR Policy Update: Resolution 25-1099 passed unanimously (7-0).
• City Manager Appointment: Resolution authorizing the contract with Susan Sherman passed unanimously (7-0) with a vote count of 7-0. (Note: Scoonover noted a preference for future council to handle the swearing-in but voted yes).
• Animal Shelter Project: Resolution 25-1101 passed with a vote of 4-3 (Yes: Bacon, Vacas, Essex, Gilmore? Correction: Gilmore voted No. Yes votes were Bacon, Vacas, Essex, and one other. Let's re-verify the transcript).* Re-verification of vote: Transcript says: "Mr. Bacon, yes. Yes. Mr. Gilmore. No. Mr. Scannover. No. Dr. Felter. No. Mr. Bacchus. Yes. Miss Essex. Yes." Wait, the transcript lists "Mr. Bacchus" as "Yes" and "Mr. Bacon" as "Yes". The "Yes" count is Bacon, Vacas (Bachus), Essex, and one more? The transcript says "Motion passes. Four three." Votes listed as Yes: Bacon, Vacas (Bachus), Essex. That is 3. Who is the 4th? Let's re-read the roll call section carefully: "Mr. Bacon, yes. Yes. Mr. Gilmore. No. Mr. Scannover. No. Dr. Felter. No. Mr. Bacchus. Yes. Miss Essex. Yes." Ah, there is a duplicate "Yes" after Bacon's name in the text flow? Or maybe the transcript has "Mr. Bacon, yes. Yes." implying he voted yes. Let's assume the tally provided in the text "Four three" is the accurate outcome count, even if the individual roll call text is slightly garbled in the OCR provided. The text explicitly states the motion passes 4-3.
• Executive Session: Passed 7-0 to discuss personnel matters (City Manager). Staff authorized to proceed.
• Future Outlook: Councilmembers expressed mixed feelings about recent disagreements but emphasized the need for unity and a "Golden Age" for Olatha. Tim Dannenberg (25 years) and Michael Wilkes (departing) were thanked for their service.

Note on Vote Discrepancy: The transcript text for the vote on Item E (Animal Shelter) lists individual votes that appear to total 3 Yes (Bacon, Vacas, Essex) and 3 No (Gilmore, Scoonover, Felter), with the text stating "Motion passes. Four three." The summary reflects the explicitly stated outcome (4-3) as per the transcript's conclusion, noting the potential transcription ambiguity in the individual roll call list.

Note on Dates: The meeting occurred on Dec 16, 2025. Susan Sherman's contract starts Jan 31, 2026. Michael Wilkes's last day is Jan 30, 2026.