Sticker shock time? JoCo mailed more than 200,000 residential appraisal statements

If you own a residence in Johnson County, it’s likely that its appraised value has increased since last year.

In fact, 97.5% of residential properties increased in value, Johnson County Appraiser Beau Boisvert told the Johnson County Commission a few days before the county began mailing more than 200,000 residential appraisal statements on Feb. 28. Only 2.4% of residential properties declined in value.

Behind the numbers, Boisvert said, is a lack of inventory.

“There are four, five, six, seven buyers for every house that comes on the market,” he told the commission, “and it’s becoming a bidding war.”

The Spring Hill area has been particularly hot, with a 20% increase, Boisvert said, but prices there were lower to begin with. In northeast Johnson County, meanwhile, previously skyrocketing values are moderating a bit.

The average selling price for a new Johnson County home is now $610,000, Boisvert said, with existing homes averaging $426,000.

Noise barriers will be built on U.S. 69

The Kansas Department of Transportation will build all 11 noise walls that were proposed for the upcoming expansion of U.S. 69 in Overland Park.

The plan, announced on Feb. 28, calls for the noise walls between 151st Street and a point just north of 119th Street. The proposed walls were identified through a study conducted last fall, but the agency consulted residents and owners in each location before going forward with the walls.

“To proceed to construction, each proposed noise wall needed 70% or more of the votes received to be in favor of the wall,” KDOT said in a news release. “Final vote results exceeded that requirement for each of the 11 proposed walls.”

Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog had written a letter to KDOT in support of the noise walls.

The U.S. 69 will be widened with one new express toll lane in each direction, which would give motorists the option of going faster by paying a toll or staying in existing lanes free of charge. The new lanes will be built in the highway median.

Interim manager named

For the second time during her career in Overland Park, Deputy City Manager Kristy Stallings is taking the place of a departing city manager.

On Feb. 21, the City Council unanimously named her interim city manager until a permanent replacement is found for Bill Ebel, whose last day with the city was March 1. Her appointment was effective March 2.

City Councilman Paul Lyons noted that Stallings had filled the same role a decade ago before Ebel was hired. Ebel replaced John Nachbar, who took a job in California.

Charter review generates no changes

Every 10 years, Johnson County must convene a charter commission to look over government operations and identify potential areas for improvement. This time, the commission is proposing no changes.

“Everybody took it very seriously and worked very hard through a year-long process,” Charter Commission Chair Greg Musil said. “It’s important to note there was an appointment process, so the membership was diverse – geographically, politically, ideologically, urban and rural.”

Musil presented the commission’s final report to the Johnson County Commission on Feb. 24.

The 25-member group considered 15 charter amendments, which would have gone to voters, but none received enough votes to be placed on the ballot. Also considered were five recommendations to the county commission, but those did not receive enough votes, either.

A minority report made a case for raising the pay of county commissioners.

We’re all Irish now

Two parades and an athletic event are among the ways that Johnson Countians will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in 2022.

The venues and dates:

▪ Overland Park on March 12: A parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the downtown area, beginning at 79th and Floyd streets, heading west on 79th and following Santa Fe Drive to Robinson Street.

This is the first time that a St. Pat’s parade has been sponsored by the non-profit Downtown Overland Park Partnership. “From what we understand, there was a parade in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s,” the group’s marketing and communications coordinator, Ellie Light, said by email.

▪ Shawnee on March 13: Hosted by the Irish American Club of Johnson County, Shawnee’s annual parade starts at 1 p.m. in the downtown area, following Johnson Drive from Monrovia Street east to Nieman Road.

After the parade, at 4 p.m. is the Sister Cities Duck Race in the Herman Laird Park parking lot, 11500 Johnson Drive.

▪ Leawood on March 19: The second annual St. Patrick’s 5K walk/run begins at 6 a.m. at Park Place in the 11500 block of Ash Street. It includes real time and virtual 5Ks and a fun run for kids. Register at runsignup.com/Race/KS/Leawood/StPatricksRun.

Shawnee posts survey for residens

Shawnee has created an 11-member Community Engagement Task Force to offer advice on how the city can better communicate with and engage the public, as well as promote diversity and employee recruitment.

To help with that work, the city has posted a survey to find out what the public desires. Find it at cityofshawnee.org.

This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Sticker shock time? JoCo mailed more than 200,000 residential appraisal statements."