Mayoral listening sessions, dubbed "Christal Clear Conversations," are among the happenings taking place in Wyandotte County in the coming weeks. (File photo)
Mayoral listening sessions, dubbed "Christal Clear Conversations," are among the happenings taking place in Wyandotte County in the coming weeks. (File photo)

Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas: Livable Neighborhoods Task Force (May 28, 2026)

By Connye Griffin, Kansas City Documenter

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

Summary

  • Officials with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas (UG), and the Livable Neighborhoods Task Force joined representatives from nonprofits, school districts and first-responder agencies to exchange information.
  • Topics included junk cars, legal assistance, Juneteenth celebrations, World Cup, school meals, election forums and a mayoral listening tour.
  • Livable Neighborhoods is asking for public input about Community Development Block Grant priorities with a print and online survey and a public hearing set for 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 5 in the Municipal Building.

Notes

Meeting attendees:

  • Minah Chapell, program coordinator for Livable Neighborhoods and executive director of the Livable Neighborhoods Task Force
  • Carl Newton, executive director of McNewton’s Community Outreach Center
  • District 1 At-Large Commissioner Melissa Bynum
  • District 8 Commissioner Andrew Davis (via Zoom)  
  • Markl Johnson, director of communications and marketing for Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) (via Zoom)
  • Lauren Aiello, director of public relations for the Turner Unified School District 202 (via Zoom)
  • Jonathan Carter, public information officer for the Wyandotte County district attorney’s office
  • Greg Talkin, director of the Neighborhood Resource Center
  • Alyssa Marcy, long-range planner with the UG’s Planning and Urban Design Department (via Zoom)
  • Kelli Littlefield with the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department (via Zoom)
  • Krystal R. McFeders, director of the UG’s strategic communications
  • Matt Kleinmann, Livable Neighborhoods

Livable Neighborhoods Presentation

  • Newton shared McNewton’s Community Outreach Center’s history and purpose to be an accessible, safe space to support Wyandotte County’s youth, homeless people and nonprofit small businesses with limited resources.
    • Support includes counseling, educational preparation, showers, meals and public events. Upcoming is a Juneteenth celebration at Boston Daniels Park, 725 Quindaro Blvd., featuring music, speakers, games and food.
  • Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
    • As the UG prepares its fiscal year plan for the use of about $2.14 million in CDBG funds, the Livable Neighborhoods Task Force seeks public input, a feature of CDBG funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A public hearing will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 5 in the Municipal Building, fifth-floor conference room, 701 N. Seventh St.
    • Kleinmann explained officials are also collecting public input with a survey. Results gathered before the June 5 public hearing will be shared at that meeting.
    • Before the meeting, residents can access the survey online at menti.com, code 6144 2652. Survey participants rank eight neighborhood needs from highest to lowest priorities.

Public Announcements

  • Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
    • KCKPS has started offering free breakfasts and lunches for children and teens ages 1 to 18 on Monday through Friday at the Beatrice L. Lee Community Center and Eisenhower Community Center, and on Tuesday through Friday at the Parkwood Park Pool. No registration or application is required. The final day for these programs is July 31.
    • Johnson said that M.E. Pearson Elementary School’s food pantry needed assistants, especially in delivery. People willing to help may contact Jill Donahy, the school’s behavioral health social worker, at 913-627-3196.
  • Turner School District
    • Hy-Vee initiated a partnership with the district to provide a school pantry. Aiello said one-minute and five-minute commercials about the partnership were created. 
    • She said a decommissioned bus had been converted into a food bus to provide free meals for children and teens up to 18.
  • Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office
    • The office’s eighth annual Expungement Fair is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. July 21 and July 22 at the Technical Education Center, 6565 State Ave.
    • In the past seven years, 1,025 people have applied and qualified for expungement, a status known only to law enforcement and district attorneys. Employers, landlords, Realtors and others will not know, so the individual has better chances for work and homeownership.
    • Carter said people seeking expungement should call and complete a pre-screening before the fair to ensure that restitution and other post-conviction requirements have been completed.
  • Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department
    • The fifth annual football camp takes place June 6 with registration at 7:30 a.m. More information is available at info@palkck.org
    • The one-week KCKPD Summer Youth Academy for youths aged 12 to 15 has been scheduled. Applications are available at South, East and West Patrol, at the Police Athletic League, by phone at 913-573-6006 and by email at lgolubski@kckpd.org.
  • Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department
    • Littlefield said a no-burn requirement would be in place until October. Commercial fire pits are permitted. Barrel and natural debris burning are prohibited.
    • Firework sales will begin two days earlier than in prior years. From June 27 through July 4, people can buy fireworks from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
    • All public fireworks displays require a permit, including neighborhood displays.
    • The next blood drive will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 9 at City Hall.
    • An academy for about 15 new firefighters begins in mid-July.
  • Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC)
    • Another auto “blitz” for property maintenance code enforcement will take place in June with plans for more throughout 2026. This effort targets junk vehicles sitting in people’s yards and improperly tagged or licensed vehicles. The announcement elicited several questions regarding cost and conditions warranting a notice, citation or towing.
    • Talkin also said the NRC would recommend code changes or revisions to a standing committee this summer. Recommendations have been delayed due to recently enacted state law.
  • UG Planning and Urban Design
    • Staffing has slowed progress on zoning code updates, but Marcy said the department was seeking to fill six positions to advance the project.
  • UG Strategic Communications
    • From 3 to 7 p.m. on May 29, KCK hosted a One World Wyandotte Festival at City Hall Plaza. It included international foods and live music.
    • UG will host a Juneteenth celebration on June 13, starting with a parade at 9 a.m. southbound along Fifth Street from Cleveland Avenue to Washington Boulevard. From 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Fairfax Trafficway, food, entertainment and fireworks will complete the festivities.
    • Mayor Christal Watson has begun a Community Town Hall Series, Christal Clear Conversations, in which residents are invited to speak to commissioners about the needs of the community and neighborhoods. Upcoming times are at 6 p.m. June 9 at the Beatrice L. Lee Community Center and at 5:30 p.m. June 26 at the Joe E. Amayo Argentine Community Center.
    • The office of strategic communications has prepared a flyer to help residents with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority’s bus fare changes. The United Way is distributing vouchers through nonprofit groups to help offset the cost of public transit.
    • UG has plans through Parks and Recreation for tours, watch parties and Nerf soccer wars in honor of the upcoming FIFA events in Kansas City. The series of events is titled Kick It In KC.
  • Additional Community Announcements
    • Bynum said a 2023 fee from developers now funds the Homes for Generations program to protect titles and secure them for future generations.
    • Connie Brown Collins with Voter Rights Network announced monthly Zoom meetings featuring candidates for state Senate, a gubernatorial forum on June 13 and consideration of elected versus appointed Kansas Supreme Court members on July 11.
    • Emma Boyd with the American Red Cross invited neighborhoods to volunteer for the next home fire inspection in partnership with KCKFD, scheduled for July 21.
    • Strawberry Hill will stage its 10th annual Pub Crawl on June 13.

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

  • Will preliminary results from the CDBG priorities survey shift before the June 5 public hearing? Currently, the top result is “sidewalks, lighting, crossings and safer streets.” Second is “parks, playgrounds, trails and shared public space.” In third place is “corridor redevelopment and neighborhood business districts.”
  • Does the number of participants in the UG and Livable Neighborhoods partnership indicate the need for communitywide communications about public and private services benefiting residents?

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@thebeacon.media with “Correction Request” in the subject line. Learn more about Documenters on our website.


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