In JoCo: Prairie Village City Council votes down strategy for affordable housing

After a public outcry, the Prairie Village City Council has gone on record against putting duplexes, apartments and other multi-family developments in single-family residential areas as part of an affordable housing strategy.

Signs had gone up around the city protesting recommendations from an ad hoc committee tasked with finding ways to diversify Prairie Village’s housing stock so more people can afford to live there.

Council member Piper Reimer said residents are concerned that regulations might be changed “in a way that would allow the developer or builder to come in and potentially take down the house next door to you and put up some sort of multi-family unit.”

Her colleague, Ian Graves, brought forth the proposal, saying the original reference to multi-family housing was a “catch-all” that’s being interpreted in a way that wasn’t intended. Graves co-chaired the housing committee.

After the vote, some residents commended the council for taking a step in the right direction, but several indicated they still distrusted the city.

Former City Council member Jori Nelson said the council should go further by removing R-1 single-family districts from the entire proposal. She and others also asked for the removal of language that they said would take away their voice in development decisions.

Prairie Village resident Jameelah Lang, however, said the proposals “are tied to the very dignity and humanity of the people, actual human beings” that other speakers would exclude from the city by their “resistance to openness and to the very idea of affordable housing and diversity — of race, of socioeconomic status, of religion — that that affordability would engender.”

De Soto school leader will retire next year

De Soto School Superintendent Frank Harwood will retire at the end of the current academic year, concluding a 30-year career in public education. He joined the De Soto district in July 2016 after serving five years as superintendent in Nebraska.

“USD 232 has grown and improved in so many ways under his calm and consistent leadership the past six-plus years,” school board president Ashley Spaulding said in a news release.

During Harwood’s tenure, the Pathways course was added to the middle school core classes to help students understand their career aspirations and develop plans to achieve their goals. Harwood also instituted long-term planning in the district and provided leadership that led to the passage of a 2018 bond issue.

The district, with more than 7,000 students, serves not only De Soto but also parts of Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe.

Fungus can kill oak trees

Overland Park is urging residents to watch their oak trees for a fungus called oak wilt, which can kill a tree by clogging its vascular system and depriving it of nutrients and fluid.

The city said red oak species, including pin oaks, are especially susceptible.

Homeowners can identify oak wilt, the city said, by looking to the top of the tree for leaves that turn brown on the outside while the inner leaf stays green. They should call a certified arborist if the fungus is suspected.

The city said residents also can take these steps to prevent oak wilt:

▪ Prune trees in the late fall or winter, when the pruned areas are less likely to attract the beetles that spread the disease.

▪ Store oak firewood away from other oak trees.

▪ Consider planting other species that aren’t as susceptible to oak wilt. Recommended species are listed at opkansas.org/trees.

New honors for Gardner veterans

Gardner will start a program next year to honor its past and current military members with banners hung on 20 downtown poles along Main Street.

The 30- by 60-inch banners will be displayed throughout November of 2023 in recognition of Veterans Day. Registration will begin this fall at the Nov. 7 Veterans Appreciation Reception. The banners, which will cost $150 to $200, will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Anyone honored must be, or have been, a veteran or active service member, alive or deceased, in any service branch and be a resident or business owner in Gardner, a resident or alumnus of the Gardner Edgerton School District or an immediate family member of someone in those groups. Proof of service must be provided.

Gardner officials say they are open to expanding the program beyond the 20 poles if there is enough demand.

Edgerton posts survey on city’s future

Edgerton residents are being asked to take an online survey that will help guide city leaders through a planning process called Envision Edgerton.

“This new plan will address issues and opportunities ranging from land uses, housing, commercial and industrial development, parks and recreation, transportation, city facilities and more,” the city said in a news release.

The survey will be open through the first week of November at edgertonks.org. The questionnaire asks participants to share their ideas for Edgerton’s future and includes voting on images, priority rankings and an interactive mapping activity.

The comprehensive planning process began in May and is expected to take 18 months.

Shawnee picks interim city manager

Public Works Director Doug Whitacre has been appointed interim city manager in Shawnee, to succeed the departing Nolan Sunderman.

Whitacre has been Shawnee’s public works director since December 2015, having worked previously in Topeka and McPherson, Kansas, and at Embarq/Sprint. His appointment came in a unanimous City Council vote on Oct. 10, when the council also chose the executive search firm SGR to help fill the position permanently.

Sunderman announced his resignation on Sept. 26, saying that he and the City Council disagree on a “path and vision for the future” of Shawnee. His last day will be Nov. 1.

City administrator sought

Leawood is seeking candidates for the next city administrator, replacing Scott Lambers, who died in May. The first review of applications is scheduled for Nov. 3.

The city, with about 34,000 residents, is offering a salary range of $200,000 to $250,000, depending on experience and qualifications. The position requires a master’s degree in public administration, business management or a related field — plus successful executive management experience in local government.

Patrick Geschwind, a business executive who owns a management consulting firm, is serving as interim city administrator.

Park and rec survey in Olathe

Olathe residents have until the end of October to complete an online survey about the future of parks and recreation in the city.

The opinions received will guide the city as it updates its Parks & Rec Master Plan. Find the survey at OlatheKS.org/ParksRecPlan.

Street closure in Gardner

Gardner has announced a month-long closing of Moonlight Road from US-56/Main Street to Warren Street. The street is closed for more pavement replacement, which is part of an overhaul of U.S. 56/Main Street.

This story was originally published October 14, 2022 at 7:00 AM with the headline "In JoCo: Prairie Village City Council votes down strategy for affordable housing."