Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas: American Royal Subcommittee (June 29, 2026)

By Masha Mackey, Kansas City Documenter

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

Summary

• The subcommittee discussed how to prioritize the more than $3 million in funding requests for the remaining $1.5 million in unallocated funds from the economic development payment the American Royal made to the Unified Government as part of the project that is moving the American Royal’s base of operations to Wyandotte County. The total payment from the American Royal was $5 million.
• Committee members expressed broad support for funding public infrastructure projects, including fiber expansion, illegal-dumping cleanup equipment, debt reduction for the Merc grocery project and improvements to public facilities. 
• Commissioners discussed using one-time funding for long-term investments rather than recurring operating expenses. They emphasized balancing economic development, public safety and neighborhood infrastructure needs before forwarding recommendations to the full commission.

Notes

Old Business

• Update: Allocations to date
  • Funding is already earmarked for:
    • Downtown grocery store replacement 
    • Little Turkey Creek infrastructure
    • Economic mobility business support
    • Small business grant program enhancement
    • Cultural training
    • Economic development grant matches
    • Economic development strategic plan
    • Technology upgrades
    • Residential-focused drainage ditch program
    • Land acquisition for future fire station at 78th Street and Riverview Avenue

• Update: Illegal Dumping Equipment Needs
  • Staff presented a revised request of $165,000 for equipment supporting nuisance abatement and illegal-dumping cleanup operations after the committee had said it did not want to use settlement funds for personnel expenses.
  • The revised proposal requested funding for:
    • Bobcat compact track loader 
    • Bobcat compact excavator
  • Staff said the equipment would improve efficiency for personnel and expand the department’s ability to remove debris and address illegal dumping.
  • Commissioners discussed whether purchasing one machine instead of both would still improve operations and whether other funding sources, including Community Development Block Grant funds, could also support the purchase.
  • No action was taken during the discussion.

• Discussion: Fiber and camera/video infrastructure expansion
  • Staff requested $500,000 to expand the UG’s fiber network and public safety camera infrastructure.
  • Projects discussed included:
    • Leavenworth Road corridor expansion
    • Parallel Parkway extension toward the proposed new stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs
    • Fairfax Industrial District fiber improvements
    • Additional traffic and public safety cameras
  • Staff explained the projects would improve:
    • Public safety camera coverage
    • Traffic monitoring
    • Emergency response
    • Economic development readiness
    • Illegal-dumping enforcement
  • Committee members asked how expanded fiber infrastructure would improve illegal dumping investigations.
  • Staff described recently installed cameras along Kaw Drive that are already helping law enforcement identify suspected illegal dumping through license plate readers and surveillance footage.
  • Commissioners also discussed how future budgets could better support ongoing fiber expansion instead of relying on one-time funding opportunities.
  • No formal action was taken.

New Business

• Discussion: Former Merc Co+op
  • The committee discussed using American Royal funds to retire an outstanding Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) loan associated with construction of the Merc grocery store, which closed at the end of 2025.
  • Staff explained that:
    • The outstanding balance of the LISC loan is approximately $629,000, including interest.
    • The proposal could save the UG roughly $657,000 over the loan’s remaining life. Annual debt service currently comes from the general fund.
  • Commissioners discussed whether retiring debt represented the best use of one-time settlement funds and whether future lease payments from the grocery operator could instead offset remaining debt obligations.
  • No vote was taken.

• Discussion: Remaining Funding Requests
  • Staff reviewed remaining requests competing for available funding, including:
    • Tax-productivity financial analysis
    • Downtown KCK mini-master plan
    • Clubhouse design at Sunflower Hills Golf Course
    • Seed funding for the planning, design, land acquisition and/or initial development of a future park in western Wyandotte County
    • Azura Amphitheater professional services
    • Chiefs stadium planning assistance
    • Riverfront authority seed funding
    • Sister City program
    • Sidewalk installation from South 10th Street to South Ninth Place for students at T.A. Edison Elementary School
    • Speed bumps along Central Avenue at Sixth Street 
    • Senior property tax rebate outreach
  • Commissioners discussed each request individually, weighing:
    • Long-term economic impact
    • Infrastructure priorities
    • Public benefit
    • Whether projects should be funded through future operating or capital budgets
  • Several commissioners questioned funding additional studies unless implementation funding was also anticipated.
  • Discussion also included whether some economic development requests submitted through the casino grant program could instead qualify for existing small-business assistance programs.
  • Rather than voting on individual requests, committee members identified projects receiving the strongest support before staff prepared final recommendations for the full commission.

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

Observations

• Much of the meeting focused less on individual projects and more on how elected officials prioritize limited one-time funding among competing community needs.
• Commissioners frequently distinguished between projects that create long-term public assets — such as infrastructure, debt reduction and capital improvements — and projects that could require ongoing operating support.
• The discussion demonstrated the complexity of balancing neighborhood improvements, economic development initiatives and countywide infrastructure investments when available funding falls well short of requested amounts.

Follow-Up Questions

• How will the committee finalize recommendations for projects that did not receive broad consensus before the funding deadline?
• Will fiber expansion projects be incorporated into future UG capital improvement budgets to reduce reliance on one-time funding opportunities?
• How will the UG measure the long-term economic impact of projects ultimately funded through the American Royal settlement?

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