Kansas City convention hotel challengers demand ballot measure

Kansas City residents challenging a proposed downtown convention hotel have filed a formal demand that the City Council put their petition initiative on an election ballot.

The City Council has already declined to do this, so it appears to set the stage for a lawsuit.

Jonathan Sternberg, attorney for a group that wants the public to vote on the proposed hotel, sent a letter Thursday to the city clerk. It demanded that the City Council put the group’s petition initiative on the next possible municipal ballot, which would be April.

The council decided Nov. 12 not to put the petition initiative on an election ballot after the city attorney advised that the ballot language violates state law and would cause the city to be in breach of contract with the hotel developers.

Sternberg argued the committee of petitioner’s initiative does not conflict with any state law and said that under the city charter, the council is obligated to submit the petition to voters.

Unless the council reverses its earlier decision, the petitioners’ next step would be to seek a court order compelling the city to place the measure on a local election ballot.

The proposed 800 room, $311 million Hyatt hotel would be built just east of Bartle Hall ballroom.

This story was originally published November 20, 2015 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Kansas City convention hotel challengers demand ballot measure."