Aug 25, 2026

SHAWNEE CITY COUNCIL MEETING

August 24, 2026

You can stream the full City Council meeting at the link below! If you don't have time to watch, here's my quick recap. 

Tonight’s meeting was the culmination of several months of work from the council and staff on the 2027 budget. The first item was the decision to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR) and the second item was to approve the 2027 budget. As a reminder, this is required by Kansas law and because of inflation and growth, the city will exceed the RNR even if they leave the mill levy/tax rate the same. Finance Director Sean Rocco reminded the council that this year's budget leaves the mill levy flat, and that property valuations are determined by the county, not the city. Three members of the public spoke against exceeding the RNR, though it seemed two of them were under the impression that the city is raising the mill levy/tax rate which was later clarified. One member of the public (former councilmember Lisa Larson-Bunnell) supported exceeding the RNR, explaining that growth is what causes the city to exceed the RNR. So the mill levy is staying the same, but because of these new homes and businesses we bring in more dollars even at the same tax rate. 

Though he has supported two mill levy decreases in the past, Councilmember Knappen agreed that the city can't reduce it every year just because we're growing. When Shawnee grows, we need services for those new people such as fire and police, and all our costs are going up across the board. He lamented that the Kansas legislature put the city in the unfortunate situation where they have to do this every year. Councilmember Rainey asked staff to confirm that TIF districts do not take money from individual taxpayers. Mayor Sandifer and Councilmember Burchfield both emphasized the Property Tax Rebate Program which has seen increased usage this year. Councilmember Murphy pointed out that Shawnee’s staff and budget are already lean compared to neighboring cities. In general, the council thanked staff for their hard work on the budget this year. The decisions to exceed the RNR and approve the 2027 budget both passed unanimously.

The governing body also heard a presentation on the 2027 Community Development Block Grant program and gave some direction to staff for next time they discuss this item. The CDBG is a federal grant that must be spent mostly on low- to moderate- income communities. The governing body generally agreed to prioritize housing this year, both by funding additional projects for the Minor Home Rehabilitation Program and setting aside some funds for housing in the future. Councilmember Knappen favored using these funds for stormwater instead of housing, but he was the only one who felt that way.

During Business from the Floor, five fireworks vendors and four residents asked the council to revisit their decision on fireworks at the last meeting, saying they didn’t have a voice in the process (despite the opportunity to speak at the last meeting, which many residents did.) Generally these individuals believed that fireworks should be allowed with more restrictions, or that a ban was unenforceable and would not impact resident behaviors. One member of the public was neutral on fireworks but pointed out that fireworks usage has increased considerably since they were legalized in 2023, implying that legalization/delegalization DOES impact people’s behavior. One member of the public opposed fireworks because he is a Vietnam combat veteran and the fireworks trigger his PTSD. One member of the public spoke asking for an update on why the ramp at I-435 and Midland is still closed; staff has an update scheduled for next meeting on this.

The Council considered the following:

• Passed consent agenda (unanimous)

• Approved final plans and bid authorization for the 51st Street (Black Swan to Quivira) project (unanimous)

• Approved Engineering Services Agreement for the 54th and Flint Drainage Improvement Project (unanimous)

• Approved Engineering Services Agreement for the 6515 Long Stormwater Replacement Project (unanimous)

• Approved easement acquisitions for several stormwater replacement projects (unanimous)

• Approved vehicle purchases for the Police, Public Works, Parks & Rec, and Community Development departments (unanimous)

• Ratified semimonthly claims (unanimous)

There was no Council Committee meeting.

Live Stream Meeting Link: 

https://cityofshawnee.civicweb.net/document/321890/?splitscreen=true&media=true 

Recap by: Alex Welch Blattner