Olathe City Council Meeting - August 4, 2026

The Olathe City Council met on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 6:00 PM for a regular meeting that included executive sessions, a consent agenda, two new business items, public comments, and a planning session workshop on the proposed 2027 utility budgets and capital improvement plan. The meeting adjourned at 9:31 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously (7-0): Minutes of July 21, 2026; Resolution 26-1069 consenting to assignment of benefits from Holmes 111 LLC to Olathe H2 LLC and Swami H2 LLC; Final plat for Olathe Fire Station No. 4 (1 lot, 1.61 acres, southeast of 133rd & Mur-Len); Final plat for Stonebridge Manor 5th Plat (25 lots, 3 tracts, 6.76 acres, southeast of 167th & Mur-Len); Consent Calendar (routine approvals); Renewal of contract to Crafco, Inc. for crack repair material; Amendment No. 1 to the Fire Protection Services Agreement with Johnson County Consolidated Fire District No. 1.
• Item F (Design Contract Amendment 2 for Animal Shelter Project) was removed by staff for later consideration.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Seventeen Olathe residents spoke during the General Issues and Concerns of Citizens portion, all addressing the Starfish Project’s pending special use permit application. Supporters (including Caleb Bauer, Kelly Patterson, Reid Kapple, David Kocour, Jane Yearout, Lauren Lantz, Alicia Jackson, and others) highlighted the organization’s role in providing food, clothing, and hygiene items to families in need, its safety record, and the inappropriateness of denying services based on unfounded fears. Several noted that 97–98% of clients served on-site are housed and that unhoused individuals rarely visit the building. Opponents (including Kate Gray, Eric Banks, David Miller, and John Tompkins) argued that the operation is incompatible with the residential neighborhood, citing concerns about traffic, loitering, trash, and past issues at a previous location. Some pointed to a prior statement by Starfish’s director acknowledging traffic and parking problems. The planning commission had recommended denial, but the city staff had recommended approval with conditions. Two speakers (Valerie Duncan and Bridget Moore) noted that not all Briarwood residents oppose the project and called for broader community compassion.

Discussion Items

• New Business A – Ordinance 26-40 (Rezoning for 133rd & Black Bob Mixed Use): Senior Planner Nathan Jurey presented the request to rezone approximately 5 acres southeast of 133rd Street and Black Bob Road from AG to Planned District for a mixed-use development with two commercial buildings (approx. 5,000 sq ft total) and 44 townhome units in five buildings. The applicant, Jib Felter, stated the project targets the “missing middle” housing market, with 32 units at 1,780 sq ft priced below $500,000. He confirmed units would be for both sale and rent and would include provisions for hydraulic elevator shafts. Council members discussed traffic impacts on 133rd Street; City Engineer Nate Baldwin said a signal is not warranted now but may be triggered by future development. The ordinance was approved 6-0 (Councilmember Felter recused, as he is the applicant).
• New Business B – Ordinance 26-41 (Noxious Weed Definition Amendment): Amending Olathe Municipal Code 6.09.040 regarding definitions for control of noxious weeds and other uncontrolled vegetation. Approved unanimously (7-0).
• Planning Session – Reports: Accepted without discussion four reports: (1–3) Three requests for industrial revenue bonds and tax phase-in for manufacturing facilities at 167th & Lone Elm (total approx. 1,500,000 sq ft on 118.08 acres); (4) Quarterly Procurement Report.
• Planning Session – Budget Workshop (Utility Budgets & CIP): Budget Manager Clara Bernauer and Infrastructure Director Mary Jaeger presented an overview of the proposed 2027 Water & Sewer, Stormwater, and Solid Waste budgets, the 2027–2031 Capital Improvement Plan, and proposed fee changes. Key statistics: the water/sewer system is valued at over $1.5 billion; average daily water treatment is 12.9 million gallons; sewer treatment averages 6.4 million gallons per day; there are 650 miles of water mains and 470 miles of sewer mains. The proposed five-year CIP totals $275 million for water/sewer. Council discussion focused on water demand trends (declining due to efficient appliances), water main rehabilitation (2 miles/year at approx. $3.2M per mile, resulting in a 312-year replacement cycle), risk of deferred maintenance, regulatory drivers (federal PFOS/pharmaceutical standards expected), the potential to bring work in-house, and partnerships with other entities. For stormwater, the city plans to leverage 50% matching funds from the Johnson County Stormwater Management Advisory Council (SMAC) to accelerate corrugated metal pipe replacement. The solid waste program is scoring high in citizen satisfaction; food waste drop-off is expanding with grant support (new location at Pioneer Park), but curbside food waste service is not cost-effective now. Proposed monthly average residential bill increases: water/sewer +$7.41, stormwater +$0.68, solid waste +$1.14, total +$9.23 (6.38% increase to approx. $145/month).

Key Outcomes

• Executive Session (First): Recessed 6:00–6:45 PM for attorney consultation on pending quarry special use permit applications. No action required.
• Executive Session (Second): Recessed immediately after for 10 minutes on a tort claim. After reconvening, the council voted on a motion to authorize the City Attorney to finalize and the Mayor to execute an agreement to resolve a tort claim involving flooding. The raw transcript indicates the motion passed 7-0, but the written minutes state the motion failed while listing all seven council members as voting “Yes.” This discrepancy suggests a clerical error in the minutes; the council took no further action on this item.
• Third Executive Session (added): After the budget discussion, the council recessed for 15 minutes for attorney consultation on a pending special use permit application. No action was taken upon reconvening.
• Consent Agenda and New Business Votes: All consent items (except F) approved 7-0; Ordinance 26-40 approved 6-0 (Felter recused); Ordinance 26-41 approved 7-0.
• Budget & CIP Next Steps: A third budget workshop is scheduled for August 18, 2026 (covering recreation, park sales tax, street maintenance sales tax, and fees). The public hearing on the revenue neutral rate is set for September 8, with budget adoption planned for September 15, 2026.
• Public Comments: No council action was taken on the Starfish Project special use permit, as it was not on the agenda. The city clerk noted the council has received the public input.

Additional Items

• Mayor Bacon invited the community to the Olathe Live! concert at Stagecoach Park on Friday, August 7, 2026, at 7:00 PM, with donations benefiting the Mayor’s Children’s Fund. He also reminded residents that city pools will close soon as summer ends.
• The meeting was adjourned at 9:31 PM.