Olathe City Council Meeting – June 2, 2026

The Olathe City Council met on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included special business, five public hearings on industrial revenue bond (IRB) resolutions, a consent agenda, new business items, a citizen comment, planning session reports, executive sessions, and adjournment at 9:56 PM. Notable outcomes included approval of several IRB tax phase-in resolutions (with Councilmember Schoonover voting against three), a 5-2 vote to overturn the Planning Commission’s denial of a rezoning for Lone Elm Townhomes, and the acceptance of a report on proposed building code amendments.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes: Approved minutes from the May 19, 2026 meeting.
• Resolution No. 26-1050 (SU26-0001): Special use permit for a medical waste treatment facility for Daniel’s Health (Planning Commission recommended approval 6-0).
• Consent Calendar: Approved as presented.
• Supplemental Agreement No. 4: With HNTB Corporation for design of the Santa Fe, Ridgeview to Mur-Len Improvements Project.
• Contract Award: To Mid American Signal, Inc. for traffic signal supplies.
• Contract Renewal: To Custom Lighting Services, LLC dba Black and McDonald for electrical lighting maintenance.
• All consent items approved unanimously (7-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Sharon Rodriguez, an Olathe homeowner, spoke during General Issues and Concerns of Citizens. She requested a change to the city’s home rehabilitation loan policy, asking for loan forgiveness (at least 50%) for low-income aging homeowners. She shared her personal experience with medical expenses and rising costs since receiving a loan in 2009. No other public comments were made.

Discussion Items

• Special Business (Items 4A–4C):

  • Resolution No. 26-1044: Appointed and reappointed members to the Olathe Public Art Committee. Committee Chair Chelsy Walker introduced members and highlighted recent initiatives (outdoor sculpture series, Olathe Arts Festival, gallery space at City Hall, mural initiative). Approved unanimously (7-0).
  • Recognition of Judge Katherine McElhinney: Mayor Bacon presented a gift honoring her 15 years of service (10 years as full-time judge). Judge McElhinney expressed gratitude and noted the court’s partnerships with mental health and corrections services.
  • Service Award to Bob Courtney: Historic Preservation Board Chair Tom Kearney recognized Courtney’s extensive volunteer service since 1999, including work on historic preservation, the Jefferson Highway signage, and the City Beautiful video series. Courtney remarked on Olathe’s history.

• Public Hearings (Items 5A–5E): All five hearings had no public testimony. Staff presented each IRB/tax phase-in request. Council approved all resolutions:

  • Item 5A (Resolution 26-1045): 167 Olathe 3, LLC – 76,800 sq ft office building on 18.98 acres at 167th & Lone Elm (third building for Faith Technologies). Approved unanimously.
  • Item 5B (Resolution 26-1046): OFI Manager, LLC – two industrial warehouse/office facilities totaling 260,870 and 80,000 sq ft on 60 acres near Monticello Dr & Erickson Rd. Approved 6-1 (Schoonover no).
  • Item 5C (Resolution 26-1047): Mitchell Properties II, LLC – 33,000 sq ft industrial space on 2.25 acres at 15680 S Keeler Terrace. Approved unanimously.
  • Item 5D (Resolution 26-1048): Scannell #798, LLC – 646,380 sq ft industrial facility on 32.47 acres at 159th & Clare Rd. Approved 6-1 (Schoonover no).
  • Item 5E (Resolution 26-1049): Scannell Properties #476, LLC – master resolution for a business park with two buildings totaling 683,800 sq ft on 43.54 acres at Clare Rd & W 159th St. Approved 6-1 (Schoonover no).

• New Business A (Ordinance No. 26-27, UDO26-0001): Amendment to the North Ridgeview Road Overlay District to align with the Elevate Olathe Comprehensive Plan. Changes remove the area north of College Boulevard from the overlay (allowing development guided by the sub-area plan) while retaining overlay and design guidelines south of College Boulevard. Planning Commission recommended approval 6-0. Approved unanimously (7-0).

• New Business B (RZ25-0009): Rezoning request for Lone Elm Townhomes (7.7 acres northeast of 119th & Lone Elm) from NC (Neighborhood Center) to R-3 (Residential Low-Density Multifamily). Planning Commission recommended denial 5-0. After extensive discussion, the Council voted 5-2 to overturn the denial and direct staff to prepare an ordinance for a future meeting. The applicant, represented by Curtis Holland, and broker Robert Brooks argued the site cannot support commercial development due to low traffic counts (only ~9,000–13,000 trips per day vs. 20,000–25,000 needed). Councilmember Felter supported landowner rights and the need for “missing middle” housing; Councilmember Vakas referenced nearby commercial at College & Lone Elm; Councilmember Essex opposed the loss of commercial property. The motion passed with Deneault, Bacon, Schoonover, Felter, and Vakas in favor; Essex and Creighton against. Staff will return with an ordinance incorporating stipulations from the Letter of Understanding with the neighborhood (density reduced to 64 units, access on Lone Elm, landscaping, architectural design).

• Planning Session Reports:

  • Report 1 (Building Code Amendments): Chief Building Official Ryan Arter presented proposed amendments to Chapter 15.04 of the Municipal Code to comply with Senate Bill 418 (mandating 2018 IRC for housing under 2,500 sq ft) and improve efficiency. Changes include adopting the 2018 IRC for all residential, revising storm shelter requirements, permit renewal fees (50% of original), and requiring valid ID for owner-permitted work on primary residences. Councilmember Schoonover raised concerns about individuals without state ID; Arter agreed to consider alternative verification. The report was accepted.
  • Report 2 (IRB Request for 175 Commerce Center Land, LLC): Proposed construction of a 1,102,793 sq ft industrial facility on 61.113 acres at 175th & Hedge Lane. Report accepted.
  • Report 3 (Amendment and Assignment of Master Resolutions): Request to amend and assign Resolutions 21-1054 and 21-1056 for 175 Commerce Center Land, LLC. Report accepted.

• Executive Sessions:

  • Item B (Personnel – municipal judge): Council recessed at 8:28 PM for 15 minutes, then extended by 10 minutes. Reconvened at 8:56 PM. Motion passed to authorize the Mayor to execute a contract with Matt Franzenburg for Municipal Court Judge and direct HR Director and City Attorney to proceed with other strategies. Vote: 7-0.
  • Item A (Attorney-client privilege – pending legal matters): Council recessed into executive session at 8:59 PM for up to 60 minutes. Reconvened at 9:48 PM. Motion passed to authorize staff to proceed with strategies discussed. Vote: 7-0.

• Additional Items: Councilmember Deneault recognized June as Pride Month and asked staff to review the resident’s concern. Councilmember Essex congratulated the Wastewater Division (Platinum Five Peak Performance Award) and noted Olathe ranked second-best place to live in Kansas by U.S. News & World Report. Councilmember Schoonover also recognized Pride Month and suggested a plastic bag drop-off at the compost facility. Councilmember Creighton highlighted a housing study work session earlier that day. City Manager announced the wickets tournament on Friday and a special “Goal-Athe” Fourth Fridays event on June 26 from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM at County Square.

Key Outcomes

• Appointments: Resolution 26-1044 approved unanimously (7-0).
• IRB Resolutions: Four of five tax phase-in resolutions approved (26-1045, 26-1046, 26-1047, 26-1048, 26-1049); Resolutions 26-1046, 26-1048, and 26-1049 passed 6-1 (Schoonover no); the others unanimous.
• UDO Amendment: Ordinance 26-27 approved unanimously (7-0).
• Rezoning (Lone Elm Townhomes): Council voted 5-2 to overturn Planning Commission denial; staff to prepare ordinance with stipulations from the Letter of Understanding.
• Building Code Report: Accepted; amendments will be brought forward for formal adoption at a later date.
• IRB Reports (175 Commerce Center): Reports accepted.
• Executive Session Decisions: Authorized contract for new Municipal Court Judge and legal strategies.
• Next Steps: Staff will return with a rezoning ordinance for Lone Elm Townhomes at a future meeting; building code amendments to be considered later.