Jul 13, 2026

SHAWNEE CITY COUNCIL MEETING

July 13, 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 held a public hearing and established their intent to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR) for the 2027 budget. Shawnee is leaving their mill levy/tax rate the same this year, but due to inflation and growth, they will bring in more dollars than they did last year, so state law requires them to hold this public hearing. The governing body has long felt this process is burdensome and misleading to taxpayers since it implies they are raising taxes even when they aren’t - but given the current ideological makeup of the Kansas state legislature it is unlikely to change soon.

City staff also gave an update on the project building out 75th and Woodland. This project is a result of the Hickok-Zarah TIF district (which was vociferously opposed by several former councilmembers at the time) and is happening in concert with a neighborhood being built in the area. This project focuses on 75th east of Monticello, but if KDOT moves forward with a 75th Street interchange along K7, 75th Street will need to be built out to the west as well. If selected to move forward, the 75th and K7 interchange would likely be designed in 2030 and built in 2031; the city of Shawnee has been advocating for this for a long time but it is ultimately KDOT’s decision.

Finally, the council  briefly discussed USD 232’s request for a PS-56 fee waiver for their improvements to Monticello Trails Middle School. While the governing body was generally supportive, there is no established precedent for such a waiver so they tabled the item until staff can develop a formal policy/parameters for this type of request.

Additionally, the Council considered the following:

• Passed consent agenda (unanimous)

• Approved Michael Chalfie’s appointment to the Planning Commission (unanimous)

• Held public hearing and voted to vacate a public right of way at 73rd and Aminda (unanimous)

• Approved engineering services agreement and acquired easement for the 75th Street and Woodland Drive Project (unanimous)

• Approved interlocal agreement with Merriam for the Turkey Creek Trail project (unanimous)

• Approved intergovernmental agreement with WaterOne and change in scope for the 51st and Quivira Improvement Project (unanimous)

• Approved 2027 printing and mailing services contract (unanimous)

• Ratified semimonthly claims (unanimous)

During Council Committee, the committee heard a few minor budget updates. First, the 2027 budget was updated to reflect increased fuel costs and a new admin assistant position for the Parks & Rec department. Additionally, staff advised any additional funds added through the Reserve Reduction Plan will be put towards Parks & Rec capital projects such as Rail Creek Park and the Shawnee Town Visitor's Center (as discussed at the last meeting.) Finally, the city has an opportunity to apply for a Variety KC grant that would allow the city to build an inclusive playground at Erfurt Park within the next few years.

Live Stream Meeting Link: 

https://cityofshawnee.civicweb.net/document/321028/?splitscreen=true&media=true  

Recap by: Alex Welch Blattner