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SHAWNEE CITY COUNCIL MEETING
February 23, 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, the governing body heard an update from Deputy City Manager Lauren Grasshoff on the railroad crossing closure on Lakecrest Drive. Nearby residents have complained about noise but there is nothing the city can do to quiet the bells and horns since those are governed by the DOT. So the city proposed closing the crossing to drivers and pedestrians. The BNSF railroad approved closing the crossing and is paying for the project. Councilmember Knappen thanked Grasshoff for her work on not only getting approval for this, but outside funding as well. There was no vote on this as it was just an update, but it will come before the council once staff and BNSF get an agreement put together.
Three residents spoke during Business from the Floor. One advocated for affordable housing, specifically asking the council to overturn the roommate ban passed a few years ago. One inquired about tenancy laws as his daughter had a guest who overstayed their welcome, but was granted tenancy since they had stayed for more than 14 days. The last asked the council to look at sidewalk connectivity on Midland Drive.
Additionally, the Council considered the following:
Passed consent agenda (unanimous)
Approved slate of appointees to the Visit Shawnee Advisory Committee (unanimous)
Approved final plans and authorized bidding for the Johnson Drive and Quivira signal replacement project (unanimous)
Approved interlocal agreement with Lenexa for surface treatment on 79th and Gleason (unanimous)
Approved replacement of playground equipment and safety surfacing at Caenen Park (unanimous)
Approved SEED grant for Tiki Taco (7-1, Knappen in dissent)
Ratified semimonthly claims (unanimous)
During Council Committee, the committee heard an update from the city’s benefits broker. There are no changes to the plan design and the broker negotiated a 1.5% rate increase with no increased costs for employees (this is an exceptionally low rate increase compared to most benefit renewals nationwide.)
They also heard an update from the city’s Chief Building Planner on the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code. This code is difficult for cities to enforce and adds a lot of costs up front. So far Overland Park is the only nearby city to adopt this code (even with heavy amendments,) and nationwide most communities have not adopted the new code. City staff recommended sticking with the 2018 code, which has been working well. Councilmember Burchfield was interested in hearing more about the environmental benefits of this code and what amendments OP has made, so they can weigh the costs vs. the environmental impact of the code. Councilmember Persson wondered if there was an opportunity to have different standards for small businesses vs. larger businesses like big box stores. No action was needed from the committee at this time, but they are going to revisit this in about a year and a half after OP's changes have taken place.
Live Stream Meeting Link:
https://www.youtube.com/live/mmVn9Q1Fd-4
Recap by: Alex Welch Blattner
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