Kansas City Area Transportation Authority Board of Commissioners (Dec. 17, 2025)

By Luz Ortiz Martinez, Kansas City Documenter

These notes were produced through Kansas City Documenters, which trains and pays community members to take fact-checked notes at public meetings, strengthening transparency and accountability in local government.

Summary

• The KCATA Board met in a closed executive session for three hours at the start of the meeting, where they decided to not renew KCATA CEO Frank White III’s contract, which expires Jan. 24, 2026. The contract decision was not announced during the public session. Read more from KCUR.
• The board approved a two-month extension of the IRIS ride share service for November and December 2025, with costs not to exceed $500,000 per month.
• The 2026 budget, which will be presented at the January board meeting and later posted online, anticipates major changes, including the resumption of passenger fares, a loss of the majority of COVID-19 funding and a reduction of paratransit trips.
• The board officer nomination process was a point of lengthy discussion. Some floor nominations are expected the day of the voting during the next board meeting on Jan. 28, 2026.

Top Quote

• “The committee voted to start over again so that we could have a slate that was built on integrity and transparency,” said Tyjaun Lee, chair of the board officer nominating committee, explaining that the restart followed a tie in the first round of nominations. (18:36)

Notes

Members in Attendance:

• Frank White III – KCATA CEO
• Reginald Townsend, Chair, Cass County, Missouri: Facilitating the meeting
• Eric Bunch, City of Kansas City, Missouri: Present
• Mike Stieben, Leavenworth County, Kansas: Present
• Tyjaun Lee, Platte County, Missouri: Present Virtually
• Deb Hermann, Clay County, Missouri: Present
• Bridgette Williams, Co-chair, Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas: Present
• Julie Lorenz, Johnson County, Kansas: Present
• Tom Burroughs, Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas: Present
• Daniel Silva, Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas: Not present
• Mindy Rocha: Present
  • Note: Rocha is in the process of replacing Silva. That process is not complete, so she abstained from all voting.
• Byron Craddolph, Jackson County, Missouri: Not present.

I. Call to Order and Determination of Quorum

II. Approval of Agenda

III. Adjourn to Executive Session: The closed executive session ran for almost three hours. When I arrived at 12:40 p.m., a woman was present hoping to give public comments about bus stop locations. She was later frustrated to learn the board was still in the executive session after two hours. KCATA staff arranged transportation for her to return home, explaining that executive session timing can be changed at the last minute under the Sunshine Law, which may affect when public comment occurs. 

The open session schedule shifted throughout the afternoon, with the regular meeting resuming at 3:05 p.m.

IV. Reconvene to Regular Session

V. Report of Executive Session

• The board approved legal settlements, with everyone present voting yes except Mindy Rocha, who abstained for every vote in this item.
• The collective bargaining agreement was approved with the local chapter of North America Transit Workers Union ATU 1287. Commissioners expressed appreciation for all the negotiating parties in these tough economic times.

VI. Public Comment 

• Chair Townsend noted there was no one to make public comments. The woman who had attended at the beginning of the meeting had been driven home by staff. She had given public comments last month and the board expressed appreciation for her attendance. 

VII. Items from the Chair

a. Standing Committee Updates: Finance and Point of Purchase

• Finance Report from Commissioner Lorenz: The board recommended approval of a contract with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, for the North Kansas City 161 Flex service, with an option for a second year. The next finance committee is scheduled for Jan. 12. 
• Operations Report: The vice chair presented monthly performance metrics and updates on fixed routes. White shared discussion on the remaining Kansas City, Missouri, contract for the 2025-2026 period.
• Point of Purchase: KCATA Director of Planning and Scheduling AJ Farris reported on the second round of bus stop improvements, which was recommended for approval.
• Additional Updates: White shared updates on the Federal Triennial Review audits, which are awaiting responses from the Federal Transit Administration, as well as InFocus and World Cup-related updates.

b. 2026 Board Officer Nominations by Nomination Committee Chair Tyjaun Lee

• Nominating Committee Report: Lee reported the nominating committee consisted of four commissioners (Lee, Burroughs, Silva and Craddolph), even though bylaws call for a committee of two to three.
  • The committee received multiple nominations and encountered a tie for one officer position.
  • The committee convened and voted again, resulting in a proposed slate that was presented to the chair. 
  • Lorenz brought discussion on the nominating committee and why there was an extra individual beyond what is required in the bylaws.
    • Townsend apologized for nominating a fourth person to the committee instead of the two or three required in the bylaws, stating he had followed a customary practice.
    • He clarified the slate is presented in December, with officer elections scheduled for the January board meeting. 
• Proposed Slate: The proposed officer slate was presented as Burroughs for chair, Hermann for vice chair, Lorenz for treasurer and Townsend for secretary. Samantha Oberman (KCATA staff) would remain as the assistant secretary and Mike Leone (KCATA staff) would remain as the assistant treasurer. (12:15)
• Board discussion on process: Commissioners raised questions about the nomination process and committee size.
  • Lee explained the initial round was restarted due to a tie to ensure transparency and that the second round was not tainted.
  • Lee suggested forming a new nominating committee (17:46), but legal counsel confirmed nominations may be made from the floor at the January meeting.
  • The board agreed to proceed with the current slate and allow floor nominations in January.
  • Burroughs apologized, stating he was unaware he had been part of an initial tie and expressed concern about the division. He rescinded his nomination. (26:22) 
• Action: The board agreed that officer elections will take place in January and would allow any nominations from the floor.  

VIII. Report of the President/CEO: Frank White

a. Employee of the Month: John Cullinan was honored for working 35 years as a union technician and has worked as interim manager. 

b. Nashville WeGo Update: NOT COVERED

c. InFOCUS Strategic Plan Update: This agenda item was moved to the next meeting due to the finance report. NOT COVERED

IX. Consent Items: All of these passed with everyone voting yes except for Rocha, who abstained for every vote. 

X. Action Items

a. October 2025 Financial Overview: Presented by Chief Financial Officer Mike Leone

• IRIS: The IRIS ride share contract is in the process of being renewed. When the 2025 budget was developed, it was assumed the IRIS contract would not be renewed after May. However, IRIS remained and expenses continued. In October 2025, IRIS expenses totaled about $478,000.
• Year-to-date IRIS expenses have totaled about $2.9 million, none of which were budgeted after May.
• City of Kansas City, Missouri, funding: The 2025 budget assumed $93.4 million in funding from the City of Kansas City, Missouri, made up of two components: $78 million and an additional $15.5 million. To date, the agency has received only the $78 million portion. (34:22)
• Staffing: As of October, the agency was seven employees over budget, resulting in about $580,000 in additional personnel costs.
  • The budget had assumed in May there would be a reduction of 65 people in the workforce, which didn’t occur when service was not cut.
  • The agency hired 21 operators in the month of October. 
• Action: Townsend moved to approve the October 2025 budget. Everyone agreed except Rocha, who abstained. 

b. 2026 Budget: Presented by Mike Leone

• Public-facing budget: Staff are putting together a public-facing budget with graphs, narratives and strategic plans that they will present in January and publish on the website. 
• Revenue and expenses: KCATA expects to receive IRIS funding and the additional $15.5 million funding from Kansas City, Missouri, which will bring the budget up to $122 million from $100 million. Projected expenses are about $121 million, leaving $760,000 to replenish the capital reserve fund at the end of 2025. (41:48) 
• Funding changes: COVID-19 related funding is expected to diminish from $6.5 million to $1 million in 2026. Fare collections are expected to resume and generate $4.5 million in 2026. The agency is still finalizing the funding level for the May 2026 contract with Kansas City, Missouri. A reduction on paratransit trips is expected to reduce costs by about $750,000.
• Staffing: The 2026 budget includes five new positions. The agency expects about 81% of employees to be represented and 19% to be non-represented.
• Funding:  Projected funding sources include: 71% coming from the ⅜-cent and ½-cent sales taxes from Kansas City, Missouri; 13% from federal funding; 5% from passenger fares for seven months; 5% from other community service and 2% from grants, Rock Island payments and state of Missouri funding. In all, the total project funding is about $115 million with expenses projected at about $114 million. (See slides 31 and 34.) 
• Capital Budget: The capital budget is detailed in a 52-page document provided to commissioners. The agency began the year with about $3.5 million in capital reserves and expects to end the year with about $2.5 million.
  • “This is why we need to keep building up that capital reserve fund, so that we can continue to build capital projects, buy new buses and keep growing the agency. It’s very important,” Leone said. (48:52). 
• Action: Townsend moved to approve the budget, which was approved by all voting members except Rocha, who abstained. 

c. IRIS Contract Extension: Presented by Richard Cowart, senior director of mobility services

• Cowart requested approval of a two-month extension of the WHC RideCO IRIS contract through Dec. 31, 2025. 
• Action: Townsend moved to amend the IRIS contract for the two months, with a limit of $500,000 per month for November and December 2025. This passed with everyone voting yes except for Rocha. 

XI. Information/Update Items: None

XII. Old Business: None

XIII. New Business: None

XIV. Next Meeting Date: The next board meeting is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2026.

XV. Items from the Commissioners: None

XIX. Adjournment of Regular Session

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

• I wonder how often KCATA changes the timing of executive sessions at the last minute, what authority or process allows those changes and whether these shifts make public comment less accessible. 
• I am wondering what will be the outcome of the floor nominations for the board officers. I wonder if the nominated slate will stay the same or if new floor nominations will happen during the January board officer election. 

Read more about this meeting and see all Kansas City Documenters notes here.