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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Olathe City Council Meeting - September 1, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, September 1, 2026

BodyOlathe, Kansas

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, September 1, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:04:06

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

0:00

Good evening.

0:01

Welcome to the regular meeting of the Olatha City Council for Tuesday, September 1st, 2026.

0:07

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

0:10

Would you please stand with me for the pledge?

0:14

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the Republic for which it stands.

0:22

One nation under God and invisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:37

Item A is a proclamation recognizing September as Deaf Awareness Month.

0:41

One of the great things about Olatha is our unique role as the home of the Kansas School for the Deaf.

0:47

This allows us a great opportunity to get to know our deaf and hard of hearing neighbors to create a city where they can thrive and to celebrate everything they bring to and do for our community.

0:58

So joining us tonight to accept this proclamation are the Kansas City or the Kansas School for the Deaf co-superintendents, Joan Macy and Joel Allen.

1:07

So would you both please join me up front?

1:27

So I'll take a minute and read the proclamation, and then you can tell us what's going on at the School for the Deaf.

1:34

So the proclamation reads: whereas the City of Olatha is proud to recognize and celebrate the varied perspectives, backgrounds, and cultures that make up our vibrant and diverse city, including the deaf community.

1:47

And whereas we are better because of our deaf and hard of hearing neighbors, individuals with an alternative sensory and social experience, who harness the power of visual language, and who come from wide-ranging variations in onset of deafness, level of hearing, educational background, communication method, and cultural affiliations.

2:11

And whereas Olatha has been named one of America's most deaf friendly cities in recognition of the opportunities and programs we offer, as well as a culture that embraces our deaf and hard of hearing residents.

2:25

And whereas we are proud to be home of the Kansas School for the Deaf, the Museum of Deaf History, Arts and Culture, and the Olatha Club of the Deaf.

2:34

And whereas the lives of all Olathians are enriched by the contributions of our deaf neighbors, as well as this opportunity to recognize their achievements within our great city.

2:46

Now, therefore, I, John Bacon, mayor of the City of Olatha, do hereby proclaim September 2026 as Deaf Awareness Month in Olatha, encouraging all citizens to learn about and celebrate the values, culture, heritage, and language unique in the deaf community.

3:01

And language is unique in the deaf community.

3:20

I just want to say thank you for recognizing Deaf Awareness Month and really Kansas School for the Deaf is very blessed to have Olatha, the Olatha community here established.

3:32

Olatha has been a wonderful support for our School for the Deaf and for many generations and throughout the area.

3:39

So we want to thank you for your investment in what we do.

3:43

Thank you.

3:48

We also want to thank the mayor for all the collaboration that the City of Olatha has given to the School for the Deaf, and we look forward to a lot more partnerships in the upcoming years.

3:57

So thank you to the council and to Mayor for everything that you've done for us.

4:02

Thank you, thank you.

4:17

Oh, it's ours, brother.

4:19

Thank you.

4:28

So over the weekend, uh my um five-year-old granddaughter was showing me her ability to do the alphabet in ASL.

4:37

And so uh someone is asking me, what am I going to do for deaf awareness September?

4:42

And I said, Well, I'll probably learn some letters of the alphabet.

4:44

So, you know, we do have some artwork at Calamity Line from uh park that spells out Olatha right there with the with the alphabet uh hand signal.

4:54

So yeah, do something in September to uh for deaf awareness.

5:00

So and actually my granddaughter learned that at preschool here in Olatha.

5:02

So something that's probably a little unique to our community.

5:05

So thank you all for being here and what you do for Olatha.

5:10

We'll now move to the consent agenda.

5:13

The items listed below are considered to be routine by the city council, may be approved in one motion.

5:18

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

5:22

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

5:29

Um are there any such items?

5:31

Uh Councilmember Creighton.

5:33

Yes, I'd like to pull item G, please.

5:41

Councilmember Schoonover.

5:43

Thank you, Mayor.

5:43

Uh along with item G, I'd like to pull item H, please.

5:47

Item H.

5:49

Councilmember Felter.

5:51

Item F.

5:54

Any others?

5:55

Okay.

5:55

Yes.

5:56

Yes.

5:56

Okay.

6:04

All right.

6:06

So we have uh a motion be in order to approve the consent agenda with items F with the exception of items F, G, and H.

6:15

Thank you.

6:16

I move that we approve the consent agenda as presented.

6:20

Less items F, G, and H.

6:23

Second.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████████████23%

Land Use Planning████████████████16%

Procedural█████████████13%

Transportation Safety█████████████13%

Public Engagement█████████9%

Public Art██████6%

Homelessness█████5%

Active Transportation████4%

Disability Rights███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Olathe City Council Meeting - September 1, 2026

The Olathe City Council met on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included a proclamation for Deaf Awareness Month, consent agenda items, public comments on rezoning and homelessness, reports on the 2025 financial audit and code updates, and a detailed discussion on the Santa Fe, Ridgeview to Mur-Len Improvements Project. The meeting adjourned at 8:04 PM.

Special Business

Mayor Bacon proclaimed September 2026 as Deaf Awareness Month, recognizing the Kansas School for the Deaf. Co-superintendents Joan Macy and Joelle Allen accepted and thanked the Council.

Consent Calendar

Items F (Consent Calendar - Black Bob water tower painting), G (KDOT funding agreement for K-10 and Lone Elm Bypass Project), and H (Professional Services Agreement with HNTB Corporation) were pulled for separate discussion.
All other consent items (A-E, I-K) were approved unanimously 7-0. These included minutes, license renewals, contract with WEX, plat dedication, special use permit for McCoy Custom Carts, utility agreement with Evergy Metro, design-build services for Cedar Creek Force Main, and traffic signal contract with TLS Group.
Item F: Approved 7-0. The Black Bob water tower painting came in under budget by $27,500.
Item G: Approved 7-0. Agreement with KDOT for $18.7 million in state funding for the K-10 and Lone Elm Bypass Project, a truck bypass route to improve safety near schools. No city funds required.
Item H: Approved 7-0. Professional services agreement with HNTB Corporation for design of the bypass project.

Public Comments & Testimony

Five citizens spoke during General Issues and Concerns:

Forrest Miles (1128 S. Montclair Dr.) opposed rezoning case RZ26-0006 for 336 apartment units, citing incompatible density, traffic impacts on nearby schools, and overdevelopment of the neighborhood.
Brian Perkins (experiencing homelessness) advocated for people experiencing homelessness, noting he had submitted over 40 public comments to the Board of County Commissioners.
Casey Gwinn (Alliance for Hope International) announced the planning for the first Family Justice Center in Kansas, to be located in Olathe/Johnson County. He thanked the Council for their support and emphasized public safety and breaking cycles of violence.
Greg Millard (11307 S. Montclair Dr.) strongly opposed RZ26-0006, arguing the three-story apartment complex would fundamentally change the character of the established R1 single-family neighborhood. He questioned the adequacy of the traffic study and urged the Council to consider cumulative impacts.
Peter Marsh (11271 S. Montclair Dr.) opposed RZ26-0006, stating the staff report mischaracterized the neighborhood and omitted a buffer on the west side. He presented elevation concerns showing the apartments would appear 4-5 stories from his backyard. He requested a development that fits the area, such as owner-occupied townhomes.

Reports

The 2025 external financial audit and Annual Comprehensive Financial Report were accepted as presented.
A report on proposed amendments to Title 6 of the Olathe Municipal Code adopting the 2025 Johnson County Environmental Sanitary and Aquatic Health Codes was presented. Assistant City Attorney Bob Gallimore explained the update is needed to keep current with county codes, with most changes affecting aquatic (public/semi-public pool) regulations, giving the city more enforcement ability. No impact on private backyard pools. The report was accepted.

Discussion Items

Santa Fe, Ridgeview to Mur-Len Improvements Project (PN 3-C-025-18): Assistant City Engineer Theresa Vink presented the aesthetic design for the single-point urban interchange at I-35 and Santa Fe. Key features include a large decorative signal truss with wave pattern, double helix fencing matching 119th Street, decorative brick patterns tying to downtown, heavy landscaping with irrigation, and focused pedestrian lighting. The project has a 50-year design life, with traffic modeled to 2050. Sidewalks will be 10 feet on the north and 5 feet on the south side, set back from traffic. Left-turn access will be restricted for safety. Councilmembers discussed pedestrian and bicycle accommodation, landscaping irrigation, speed calming, and construction mitigation. The design is not final; further details will be presented.

Key Outcomes

The Council accepted the 2025 financial audit report and the Title 6 code amendments.
The Santa Fe project discussion was informational; no vote was taken. Staff will incorporate feedback and return with additional design details.
Reminders: The 2027 budget public hearing is scheduled for September 8, 2026, at 5:30 PM, with a vote on September 15.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Olatha City Council for Tuesday, September 1st, 2026. The first item on our agenda is the Pledge of Allegiance. Would you please stand with me for the pledge? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God and invisible with liberty and justice for all. Item A is a proclamation recognizing September as Deaf Awareness Month. One of the great things about Olatha is our unique role as the home of the Kansas School for the Deaf. This allows us a great opportunity to get to know our deaf and hard of hearing neighbors to create a city where they can thrive and to celebrate everything they bring to and do for our community. So joining us tonight to accept this proclamation are the Kansas City or the Kansas School for the Deaf co-superintendents, Joan Macy and Joel Allen. So would you both please join me up front? So I'll take a minute and read the proclamation, and then you can tell us what's going on at the School for the Deaf. So the proclamation reads: whereas the City of Olatha is proud to recognize and celebrate the varied perspectives, backgrounds, and cultures that make up our vibrant and diverse city, including the deaf community. And whereas we are better because of our deaf and hard of hearing neighbors, individuals with an alternative sensory and social experience, who harness the power of visual language, and who come from wide-ranging variations in onset of deafness, level of hearing, educational background, communication method, and cultural affiliations. And whereas Olatha has been named one of America's most deaf friendly cities in recognition of the opportunities and programs we offer, as well as a culture that embraces our deaf and hard of hearing residents. And whereas we are proud to be home of the Kansas School for the Deaf, the Museum of Deaf History, Arts and Culture, and the Olatha Club of the Deaf. And whereas the lives of all Olathians are enriched by the contributions of our deaf neighbors, as well as this opportunity to recognize their achievements within our great city. Now, therefore, I, John Bacon, mayor of the City of Olatha, do hereby proclaim September 2026 as Deaf Awareness Month in Olatha, encouraging all citizens to learn about and celebrate the values, culture, heritage, and language unique in the deaf community. And language is unique in the deaf community. I just want to say thank you for recognizing Deaf Awareness Month and really Kansas School for the Deaf is very blessed to have Olatha, the Olatha community here established. Olatha has been a wonderful support for our School for the Deaf and for many generations and throughout the area. So we want to thank you for your investment in what we do. Thank you. We also want to thank the mayor for all the collaboration that the City of Olatha has given to the School for the Deaf, and we look forward to a lot more partnerships in the upcoming years. So thank you to the council and to Mayor for everything that you've done for us. Thank you, thank you. Oh, it's ours, brother. Thank you. So over the weekend, uh my um five-year-old granddaughter was showing me her ability to do the alphabet in ASL. And so uh someone is asking me, what am I going to do for deaf awareness September? And I said, Well, I'll probably learn some letters of the alphabet. So, you know, we do have some artwork at Calamity Line from uh park that spells out Olatha right there with the with the alphabet uh hand signal. So yeah, do something in September to uh for deaf awareness. So and actually my granddaughter learned that at preschool here in Olatha. So something that's probably a little unique to our community. So thank you all for being here and what you do for Olatha. We'll now move to the consent agenda. The items listed below are considered to be routine by the city council, 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 requested an item be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately. Um are there any such items? Uh Councilmember Creighton. Yes, I'd like to pull item G, please. Councilmember Schoonover. Thank you, Mayor. Uh along with item G, I'd like to pull item H, please. Item H. Councilmember Felter. Item F. Any others?

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