City Council discussed Chief Tim Schwartzkopf, hazard pay, the 2021 Legislative Platform, and more. Read on for a VERY brief synopsis.

This is the Prairie Village City Council meeting recap for Monday, December 21, 2020. You can see the full agenda and board packet HERE.

Council members present at roll call: Herring, Selders, R. Nelson, Poling, Limbird, Myers, Reimer, Runion, McFadden, Graves, and Gallagher.

Here are the highlights of this meeting:

• Mayor recognized and thanked Chief Tim Schwartzkopf for his 27 years of distinguished service to Prairie Village including the last 5+ years as our Chief of Police. His retirement as police chief will be effective January 4th.
• The Shawnee Mission School District superintendent of two years has tendered his resignation at the end of this school year. (My daughter is a 9th grader, and this is our 4th superintendent in less than 10 years, if you count interim super. Southwick. At this rate, we’ll have two more before she graduates.)
• Committee volunteer applications close(d) December 31st. (The City previously posted Jan. 1, but that was an error.)
• New COVID cases and deaths are trending up. (A surge is expected post-holiday season due to lack of social distancing and quarantining.)
• Va Bene, in the old Urban Table location, is open for business and doing carry-out and delivery only.
• City Council voted to approve a one-time hazard pay allotment to each City of Prairie Village staff member. This was proposed by the mayor and the Finance Committee chairperson, Mr. Herring. It was approved 9-2, with Ms. Myers and Mr. Runion voting nay. The disbursement to each individual will be equal to 1.5% of his/her/their salary and will total approximately $101,250.
• Council Committee approved a 2021 Legislative Platform that has as its foundation the League of Kansas Municipalities platform, with additional items of special importance to PV. The final version will be up for vote on Feb. 4th.
• Council Committee approved a design agreement with BBN Architects for a new shelter/restroom at Taliaferro Park in Ward 6. (I hope they design something better than the Wassmer and Porter Park restrooms, and I hope they do a better job considering sustainable design on the forefront of the design process this time.)

Please stay safe & wear your mask.

Upcoming Events

• January 18th – MLK Jr. Day (Consider an MLK Day of Service service project.), City Office Closed
• January 19th – City Council Meeting via Zoom, 6:00 p.m.

STAY WELL & enjoy the week!