Neighborhood and Community Development Committee: Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas (Jan. 5, 2026)

By Drew Arends, 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 Planning & Urban Design Department proposed a temporary change to short-term rental rules from May through August to make it easier for Wyandotte County residents to rent out their homes during the World Cup.
• Commissioners raised concerns about the timeline and enforcement of a one-rental-per-block limit, prompting the department to revise the proposal before bringing it back to the committee next month for approval and a fast-tracked commission vote so residents can start this process in February. 
• The committee approved several land bank property transfers for new construction, but delayed two items due to public opposition and miscommunication, asking developers to engage neighborhood leaders before returning to the committee.

Notes

Members in Attendance:

• Chair, Andrew Davis 
• Commissioner, At-Large District 1, Melissa Bynum
• Commissioner, District 1, Jermaine Howard
• Commissioner, District 5, Carlos Pacheco
• Commissioner, District 7, Chuck Stites 

1. Call to order / roll call 

2. Revisions to Jan. 5, 2026 agenda 

• The public agenda section (item 5) was moved up so attending residents could speak during public comment. (This affects the ordering of numbers 4 and 5 below.)
  • This also allowed for a presentation by the Planning & Urban Design Department on the proposed moratorium for short-term rental rules that was central to the meeting. 

3. Approval of minutes from Nov. 3, 2025 

5. Public agenda 

The Planning & Urban Design Department Committee gave a presentation about the proposed moratorium of the Special Use Permit process for short-term rentals. 

• The committee was presented with a temporary moratorium on the Special Use Permit process, which would instead be shifted to an administrative licensing process. This change in policy would only last from May 1 through Aug. 30 and would be meant to make it easier for residents to rent out their homes during the World Cup. 
• Public comment was opened so that testimony regarding agenda items 4.1. (short-term rental: citations), 4.2. (short-term rental: regulations) and 4.3. (short-term rental: policy changes) could be heard together, considering how they all revolve around short-term rentals. 
• No comments were made regarding item 4.1 and item 4.2. 
• There was public comment regarding item 4.3:
  • Audrey Grant, a homeowner in Strawberry Hill, shared her concern regarding the transparency of rules, regulations and enforcement of short-term rental policies, specifically the one short-term rental per-block limit.
    • Grant shared that she has a neighbor on her block who operates a short-term rental, so she was told it was not possible for her to rent out her home. 
    • When she asked her neighbor and the UG when that license would expire, she was given two different dates. 
    • Grant stated that she was at this meeting to voice support for expanded access to short-term rentals in Wyandotte County, not just for her gain, but for the economic benefit of the region. 
    • When Grant was finished, Chair Davis asked her what rule she was referencing that needed more transparency. Grant responded that it was the rule that, “Only one non-owner occupied short-term rental per block face is allowed under code.”

4. Committee agenda 

• 4.1. Short-term rental (citations) / 4.2. Short-term rental (regulations) / 4.3. Short-term rental (policy changes)
  • Following public comment, discussion among the commissioners began with Commissioner Stites, who asked why the moratorium was being extended to August if the last World Cup match in Kansas City is July 11 and the final match of the tournament is July 19, given that other surrounding municipalities’ deadline is July 31.
    • Commissioner Stites also asked how transient guest taxes would be tracked for listings that are not on Vrbo, Airbnb, or are not reported to the UG.
      • The UG employees present replied that there is only one enforcement officer within the Planning & Urban Design Department, so they are limited, but are open to suggestions. 
    • Commissioner Stites’ last statement was regarding the third-party inspections that the administrative licensing process requires.
      • He questioned whether it should be a responsibility, and thus a cost, of the applicants’, or whether it should be a role performed by the local fire departments. 
  • Commissioner Bynum began her comments in response to some of Commissioner Stites’ comments.
    • She suggested that to track transient guest taxes, the online application that would be forwarded to administrative licensing could be required to have a link to their listing so as to ensure transient guest taxes are being collected. Commissioner Bynum also suggested a fee recovery program for the fire department if they are chosen as a third-party inspector by an applicant. 
    • Commissioner Bynum went on to support the current timeline of the moratorium, reasoning that the extended month gives residents the opportunity to make more money from the short-term rentals. 
    • The last point Commissioner Bynum made was a question to the UG employee from the Legal Department regarding the “one per-block” rule. This resulted in a larger discussion. 
  • The Legal Department confirmed that the language was intentional when it was adopted in Ordinance No. 0-49-23. Moreover, they confirmed that the proposed changes from the Planning & Urban Design Department would lift this restriction for the duration of the moratorium.
    • Chair Davis asked whether this would apply to both non-owner and owner-occupied short-term rentals.
      • The Legal Department said there has never been a limit on how many short-term rentals that are owner-occupied can be on one block.
        • This is expressed in Section 27-623 of the Code of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. The law currently holds that only non-owner-occupied short-term rentals face the one per-block rule. 
    • Chair Davis thanked the Legal Department for their insight and noted how this provision was important to communicate to the community. 
  • Commissioner Pacheco asked what happens on any given block if, when the moratorium is lifted, more than one residence would like to maintain their short-term rental status.
    • The Planning & Urban Design Department said that if a resident had the Special Use Permit for a short-term rental prior to the moratorium, and it was still active once it ends, then they get to keep their one-per-block status. On the other hand, if no house on a block had a Special Use Permit before the moratorium, then any resident that wishes to continue renting out their residence in a non-occupied format must apply for the Special Use Permit to gain the one-per-block status. 
  • Chair Davis asked if communication plans were in place to distinguish the difference between the traditional Special Use Permit process and the temporary administrative license process that will end with the moratorium.
    • The Planning & Urban Design Department said that this would be emphasized as part of the process. 
  • Commissioner Howard asked if the Planning & Urban Design Department had learned lessons from reviewing short-term rental policies of other cities.
    • The Planning & Urban Design Department said they had met with other cities in the region. Many places already had systems for expanded administrative review, which is what this moratorium would do.
      • They said they learned they can be better at being transparent about this process, and that while licensing rather than permitting can be more popular and easier, it’s a challenge to compare Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, to other cities. That said, the Special Use Permit process takes a lot of time, and changes to it could be considered past the World Cup. 
  • Chair Davis wondered about people who may be considered “bad actors” or who have violated short-term rental rules in the past. He asked if there is a way to prepare for this.
    • The Planning & Urban Design Department said they were coordinating with other UG entities to compare applications with past history or previous licenses. 
  • Chair Davis asked if the Planning & Urban Design Department was aware of a third-party firm that could track transient guest taxes just like third-party inspection firms will be needed for applicants.
    • They said they were not. Chair Davis said this was something to consider when they came back next month. 
  • Commissioners expressed agreement about ending the moratorium July 31, rather than Aug. 30.
  • At the next Neighborhood and Community Development Committee meeting, commissioners expect changes to be made so that they can fast-track it to be approved by the full commission in February. 
• 4.4 Land bank options 
  • The UG redevelopment coordinator began presenting on land bank options and said that items B3 and B4 were requested to be held by the applicant and no longer needed to be considered by the commissioners. 
  • Chair Davis briefly explained how land bank options and property transfers are requests for developers to build on land. Items A1 through A15 were presented. 
  • Public comment was opened. There was a question online, but technical difficulties prevented this person from speaking.
    • Commissioner Bynum stated that a neighborhood association had opposition to items A9 and A10 on Hiawatha Street.
      • She stated that this brings to light how residents don’t always have the opportunity to speak on new construction, nor with the incoming developers, and asked if the neighborhood leaders had been informed in time.
      • The redevelopment coordinator said they should’ve been informed in November. 
  • Chair Davis motioned to hold A9 and A10 for the time being, while approving all other items A1 through A15.
    • Commissioner Stites countered with a motion to approve all applicants, questioning why they were slowing down the process. Chair Davis responded that the committee was unaware of what the issue is, but by the next time they meet, clarity could be provided. 
    • Commissioner Stites’ motion was not seconded and failed. 
  • Commissioner Bynum reiterated the motion to approve items A1 through A15, except A9 and A10, which will be held until the next meeting, with the intent that the developer meets with neighborhood leaders.
    • This motion was seconded by Commissioner Pacheco. The redevelopment coordinator noted that the email notifying neighborhood leaders was not sent until Dec. 17. With these new details, all commissioners approve the motion. 
  • Item C1 is reviewed.
    • No public comment 
• 4.5 Lank bank property transfers  
  • Items PT1 through PT11 were reviewed.
    • No public comment 
  • Motion to approve C1 through PT11
    • The commission unanimously approves the motion. 

6. Adjourn 

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

• It appears that the moratorium on short-term rentals will eventually be approved in some form, but what remains unclear is the timeline and logistics that will affect how soon KCK and WyCo residents can apply to rent out their homes. Will they need to apply to the UG before or after they put up their residence on a third-party website such as Vrbo or Airbnb? Will they be required to put it up on a third-party site in order to make their residence a short-term rental? 
• Additionally, the temporary suspension of the one short-term rental per block policy leaves questions unanswered. For blocks that don’t have a short-term rental already, how does a resident who wishes to have the ability to do so beyond the World Cup have the ability to secure the “one spot” on their block? Will they have the opportunity to apply for a Special Use Permit during the moratorium? If not, and the process is completely suspended, what plan is there for when more than one residence on one block wants to maintain their short-term rental status past the moratorium? 
• What were the technology and/or communication issues that prevented a resident calling in remotely from participating in public comment regarding items A9 and A10 of land bank options? How will follow through with this resident and the applicant of A9 and A10 be achieved so this issue is resolved by the next meeting?  

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