The Board of County Commissioners met on Thursday, July 25 in the Hearing Room at the Johnson County Administration Building.

The Board celebrated the 2024 Feed the Need recognition/awards. The campaign collected 219,720 pounds of food donations to support local food pantries.

More information, including attachments to agenda items, weekly reports, official minutes, votes, videos, information about how to make public comments and how to request accommodations is available at boccmeetings.jocogov.org. This recap is not the official record of the BOCC meeting.

First District appointment

Approved the reappointment of Jennifer Day - First District representative to the Museum Advisory Council through May 7, 2026.

Third District appointment

Approved the appointment of Kay L. Shirley as the Third District representative to the Public Art Commission through Dec. 31, 2025.

Fourth District reappointments

Approved the reappointments of Emily Vietti to the Public Art Commission through Dec. 31, 2026; Donna Davis to the Museum Advisory Council through May 7, 2027; and Logan Heley to the Transportation Council through Aug. 31, 2026. All are Fourth District representatives.

Fifth District appointment & reappointment

Approved the appointment of Louis A. Serrone to the Airport Commission effective Aug. 1, 2024 through July 31, 2027 and the reappointment of Gregory Mains to the Public Art Commission through Dec. 31, 2026. Both are Fifth District representatives.

Sixth District reappointments

Approved the reappointments of AJ Lang to the Northwest Consolidated Fire District Board through Dec. 31, 2026 and Brian J Walker to the Fire District No. 1 Governing Board through July 1, 2027. Both are Sixth District representatives.

Seventh District & Chairman reappointments

Approved or ratified the reappointments of Jean Hughes to the Museum Advisory Council through May 7, 2025; James Green to the Transportation Council through Aug. 31, 2027; Leonard Nick to the Investment Review Group through Dec. 31, 2025; and Donald E. Sullivan to the Investment Review Group through June 22, 2026.  All are either Seventh District or Chairman representatives.

Requests for deferment extensions

Authorized the Wastewater General Manager to review and extend the current 2024 deferment extension requests for one additional 5-year deferment period, if eligible.

Allocation of Juvenile Behavioral Health Grant

Approved the 10th Judicial District’s Juvenile Behavioral Health Grant allocation of $127,944 from the Kansas Department of Corrections and authorized the associated contracts and client services.

Consent Agenda Vote: Passed 7-0.

Request for an accessory building

Approved a request from Robert and Jessica Tipton, applicants and landowners, for an accessory building use permit to allow an accessory building located in the front yard, on 1.84 acres, on property zoned RN1, Residential Neighborhood 1 District, located at 25251 W. 131St St., in Section 29, Township 13, Range 23. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Plats for four residential lots

Approved a request from Don and Sandra Eidemiller, applicant and landowners, for a preliminary and final plat for four residential lots (Edgewater Estates Second Plat), on 58.4 acres, on property zoned RUR, Rural District, located nearby the northwest corner of 183rd Street and Edgerton Road. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Construction phase funding for wastewater project

After a public hearing, authorized funds for the construction phase of the Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Wastewater Treatment Facility Influent Screening, Disinfection, and Plant Effluent Water Improvements Project in an amount not to exceed $14,963,869, increasing the total project authorization to $16,743,854. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Contract for wastewater project

Authorized a contract with Crossland Heavy Contractors, Inc. to construct the Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Wastewater Treatment Facility Influent Screening, Disinfection, and Plant Effluent Water Improvements Project in an amount not to exceed $11,062,582. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Contract increase authority to purchase gas and diesel fuel

Authorized a contract increase to expenditure authority of $1 million to contract with multiple firms for the purchase of bulk gasoline and diesel fuel and delivery, in the aggregate amount not to exceed $5,350,000 for the initial 3-year term ending Nov. 15, 2024. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Agreement with restart for Homeless Services Center

(Added Item Per Direction of the Board/COW). Approved and authorized the Chairman to execute the assignment agreement for the Homeless Services Center with reStart, Inc. This agreement assures reStart, Inc. as the owner/operator of the facility, a deed restriction, reversionary clause and authorizes the reallocation and expenditure of General Fund Reserves (Countywide Support Funds) in the amount of $3.7 million.

Amendment was made to require reStart to only assist clients who are Johnson County residents at the Homeless Services Center. Vote: Failed 2-5.

• Yes: O’Hara, Ashcraft
• No: Fast, Meyers, Hanzlick, Allenbrand, Kelly

Amendment was made to require reStart to determine clients at the Homeless Services Center are U.S. citizens or other legal status of the U.S. Vote: Failed 2-5.

• Yes: O’Hara, Ashcraft
• No: Fast, Meyers, Hanzlick, Allenbrand, Kelly

Amendment was made to require reStart to provide five long-term beds at the Homeless Services Center for law enforcement to drop off homeless individuals. Vote: Failed 1-6.

• Yes: O’Hara
• No: Fast, Meyers, Hanzlick, Allenbrand, Ashcraft, Kelly

Vote on assignment agreement: Passed 5-2.

• Yes: Fast, Meyers, Hanzlick, Allenbrand, Kelly
• No: O’Hara, Ashcraft

Micro transit service adjustments reduce Transit costs

At the Dec. 14, 2023, regular business meeting, the BOCC authorized an adjustment to the micro transit fare structure, which removed zones from the service area and moved to a distanced-based fare of $5 for the first five miles and an additional $2 for every mile after. This adjustment was recommended by staff for the purpose of incentivizing customers to take shorter trips, which reduces demand on the system, shortens wait times and lowers costs. The goal of the new fare structure, which was implemented Jan. 1, 2024, was to reduce costs by 75% for FY2024 and FY2025 while the transit strategic plan is completed.

If cost reduction goals were not met, staff indicated that further administrative steps to control cost could be considered. Through June 30, 2024, the new fare structure has resulted in a 57% decrease in monthly costs. In order to further control costs, Transit has reduced the number of daily service hours staffed by our micro transit vendor from 100 to 50, starting in July of 2024. The hours of operation for the customer will not change, and we anticipate little to no degradation of the customer experience; currently micro transit has an average on-time performance of 97%. With the reduction of daily service hours, on-time-performance may be impacted, but staff expects it to remain at or above the industry standard of 90%.

The Board received a July 2024 report on the BOCC’s 2023-2024 priorities.

In a meeting as a Committee of the Whole, the board  received a presentation on the 2025 strategy and proposed changes to the Property Tax Rebate Pilot Program.

Motion was made to have staff bring an action item for consideration removal of the $200 cap on relief payment in the property tax rebate pilot program in development of the 2025 strategy plan. Vote: Passed 6-0.

Commissioner Fast was absent

Appointments to committee on BOCC salaries

Consider approving the appointments to the Ad-hoc Resident Committee on Board of County Commissioners Salaries: First District representative Ed Peterson; Second District representative Patricia Mach; Third District representative Anna Van Ophem; Fourth District representative Dawn Rattan; Fifth District representative David Lindstrom; Sixth District representative Chrysalyn Huff; and Seventh District representative Hillary Thomas through Nov. 30, 2024.

Acceptance of grant award

Consider authorizing the Department of Health and Environment to accept the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Carbon Reduction Program grant award, administered by the Federal Highway Administration and distributed through the Kansas Department of Transportation in the amount of $1,433,000 to provide electric vehicle infrastructure to the community; authorize an interlocal agreement to engage in this sustainability endeavor with county partners and delegate signatory authority of the interlocal agreement to the director of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment; authorize the reallocation of Public Health Fund reserves in an amount not to exceed $372,580; and authorize a project account in an amount not to exceed $372,580 for the local match portion of the award.

Acceptance of federal funding

Consider the acceptance of Section 5339 Federal Transportation Administration funding through the “Bus and Bus Facilities” competitive program in the amount of $7,650,000.

Acceptance of funding for transit vehicle

Consider accepting the funding for the purchase of one energy efficient transit vehicle and funding improvements to transit technology using Kansas Department of Transportation one-time funding in the amount of $757,026 with a local match of $84,114 for a total project budget of $841,140; and authorize the reallocation and expenditure of Transit Operating Fund reserves in the amount of $84,114.

Contract amendment for new Olathe MED-ACT project

Consider authorizing the construction manager as constructor Guaranteed Maximum Price contract amendment with Turner Construction Company for the new Olathe MED-ACT Station 1156 in an amount of $7,298,014 for a total contract amount not to exceed $7,641,675 per Request for Proposal 2023-047.