Jun 9, 2025

SHAWNEE CITY COUNCIL MEETING

June 9, 2025

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. 

The only agenda item that garnered meaningful discussion was the contract for the Justice Center STAR Bay Expansion. The lowest bid came in around double of what the police department initially requested for this project. This happened because the initial request did not include design and inspection costs, the project grew in scope (expanding all three bay doors instead of just one,) and the estimate they used was a few years old so costs have increased since then. Councilmember Gillette proposed rejecting this contract and going back to the drawing board to get an estimate on expanding only one bay door instead of all three. Staff explained that this would only reduce the cost by a small amount as they benefit from economies of scale in doing all three. Ultimately, the council voted 7-1 to approve the contract as-is, with Gillette in dissent.

Three members of the public spoke during Business from the Floor. Jimmy Sitzman, Julie Rios, and Kelly Walsh thanked the Chamber of Commerce for their Facebook post in honor of Pride Month, and asked the city to do the same. Christian Sinclair from the public spoke later during the meeting in support of bike lanes on 51st Street as the city looks to redesign that stretch from Black Swan to Quivira. Three councilmembers (Whitted, Murphy, and Burchfield) wished the audience a happy Pride Month and celebrated the diversity of Shawnee.

Additionally, the Council considered the following:

• Passed consent agenda (unanimous)

• Heard presentation of the 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report from an independent auditor (informational only)

• Extended the deadline for Merigold Plaza project's sales tax exemption by one year (unanimous)

• Amended the IRBs for the 43rd and Clare Project, increasing the amount and allowing them to complete the project through an affiliate if needed (unanimous)

• Approved engineering services agreement for the 51st St - Black Swan to Quivira (unanimous)

• Approved final plans and authorizing staff to bid for the 7070 Renner Road Pipe Repair Project (unanimous)

• Approved final plans and bid authorization for mill and overlay on the Shawnee Mission Parkway, I-435 to K-7 Project (unanimous)

• Approved contract for the Windsor Neighborhood and Quivira Drive and Albervan CMP Replacement Project (unanimous)

• Ratified semimonthly claims (unanimous)

At Council Committee, staff heard budget presentations from a few more departments (Parks & Rec and Public Works.) These presentations are routine and did not generate any meaningful discussion.

City Council Meeting: 

https://cityofshawnee.civicweb.net/document/310674/?splitscreen=true&media=true 

Council Committee Meeting:

https://cityofshawnee.civicweb.net/document/310671/?splitscreen=true&media=true 

Recap by: Alex Welch Blattner