Horsley at City Hall: Streetcar extension, park safety, Westport street privatization

This week should bring more information on the feasibility of a Kansas City streetcar extension to Berkley Riverfront Park, plus strategies to improve park safety and a debate over privatizing streets in Westport.

Monday, June 5

Members of the City Council’s Airport and Transportation and Infrastructure committees will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. at Bruce Watkins Cultural Center, 3700 Blue Parkway, about the future of Kansas City International Airport.

The 5th District Council members will hold a discussion about neighborhood public safety, with panelists including Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, and interim Police Chief David Zimmerman. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Southeast Community Center, 4201 E. 63rd St.

Tuesday, June 6

The City Plan Commission meeting starts at 9 a.m., and it’s a packed agenda that looks like it may take all day. Key items include the Nelson-Atkins Museum expansion, proposed street privatization in Westport and proposed Airbnb regulations.

Kansas City Parks Board meets 2 p.m., Parks Headquarters, 4600 East 63rd Street Trafficway.

The 18th and Vine Development Policy Committee meets, 3:30 p.m., Gem Theater, 1615 E. 18th St.

A task force trying to alleviate Kansas City’s burdensome water and sewer bills holds its final meeting to polish recommendations that will then go to the City Council. The meeting is planned from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Southeast Community Center, 4201 E. 63rd St.

The 2nd District Council members will hold another public meeting to gather public feedback about KCI, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Northland Cathedral, 101 NW 99th St.

Wednesday, June 7

The City Council committees meet and the agendas are here.

A joint Finance and Infrastructure committee meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. to discuss an ordinance spelling out key projects in the first year of a massive $800 million infrastructure program, to be funded with recently authorized general obligation bonds. There’s still considerable debate among council members on the best way to spend the first $40 million of this money. But if the council dithers too much, the city could lose valuable time in this first construction season.

The Public Safety Committee, which meets at 10 a.m. in the 26th floor City Council chamber, will discuss several measures dealing with public safety concerns in various city parks and trails where crime has become a serious issue.

The Kansas City Streetcar Authority meets at noon at Singleton Yard, 600 E. Third St., and is likely to discuss a feasibility study into taking the streetcar northward to Berkley Riverfront Park.

The Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee meets at 1:30 p.m., 26th floor council chamber, and will consider an ordinance that may allow the downtown convention hotel proposal to move forward, despite a referendum petition attempt to force a public vote on the hotel in November.

Thursday, June 8

Another joint council committee meeting on the airport will be held at 9:15 a.m., 26th floor council chambers at City Hall.

It’s possible that the City Council could have a final vote Thursday afternoon on a measure that would get around the referendum effort relating to the downtown convention hotel. The council may also vote on projects to include in the first batch of general obligation bond funding.

This story was originally published June 5, 2017 at 9:42 AM with the headline "Horsley at City Hall: Streetcar extension, park safety, Westport street privatization."