Today, the Board of County Commissioners met for the June 9 meeting in the Hearing Room at the Johnson County Administration Building.

Below, you can find a recap of the items discussed during the meeting.

More information, including official minutes, votes, videos, information about how to make public comments and how to request accommodations is available through our online meeting portal. Note: This not the official record of the BOCC meeting.

Adoption of County Planning Regulations for Solar Facilities

Approved a motion to adopt Resolution No. 037-22 with Exhibit A, which approves certain amendments to the county’s comprehensive plan, and approved Resolution No. 038-22 with Exhibit A which approves certain amendments to the zoning regulations, including the adoption and incorporation by reference of two published safety standards for Battery Energy Storage Facilities, for the purpose of regulating Solar Facilities, including but not limited to Utility-Scale Solar Facilities, within unincorporated Johnson County, as set forth within the resolutions. Vote: Passed 6-1.

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

Prior to approval, considered four proposed amendments, including: 

• An amendment that no residential property would be impacted by a solar farm on more than one side unless the property owner approves more than one size. Vote: Failed 2-5.
  • Yes: O’Hara, Ashcraft
  • No: Fast, Meyers, Hanzlick, Allenbrand, Eilert
• An amendment to limit Exhibit A to brown fields and adopt Exhibit B for all other projects. Vote: Failed 1-6.
  • Yes: O’Hara
  • No: Fast, Meyers, Hanzlick, Allenbrand, Eilert, Ashcraft
• An amendment by Ashcraft to modify the maximum project area for green fields to 1,500 acres and with the waiver option that would leave larger options for brown fields. Motion died for not having a second.
• An amendment by O’Hara to limit Exhibit A for brown fields and adopt Exhibit B with a 1,500- acre limit with no waiver for all solar and battery projects. Motion died for not having a second.

MED-ACT Co-Location Approved with Fire District

Authorized a License Agreement with Consolidated Fire District 2 (CFD2) for the purpose of MED-ACT co-location and to provide usable space, outlined in Exhibit A, for MED-ACT personnel, an ambulance, equipment and supplies for a term of ten years with a one-time payment to CFD2 in the amount of $262,475 to be effective Jan. 1, 2022; and authorized a use of General Fund reserves in an amount not to exceed $262,475. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Funding Authorized for Replacement of Alarm Desk Radio Systems

Adopted Resolution No. 034-22 to amend the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program to include Department of Emergency Services Alarm Upgrades; to authorize an Exception to Competition for an Agreement with Motorola Solutions, Inc. for the purchase of software, hardware, and technical services to replace the alarm desk radio systems; and to authorize a use of General Fund reserves in an amount not to exceed $997,385. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Contract Awarded to Repair Detention Center Elevator

Authorized a contract with Minnesota Elevator for KONA MRL IDA1217-NC9 Elevator Repair at the New Century Adult Detention Center in the amount of $108,700. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Landowners Get Go-Ahead for Oversized Accessory Building

Approved Resolution No. 035-22 and Application No. SE 22-199-CUP (OX) regarding a request from Lesley and Gregory Ramirez, landowners, for a Conditional Use Permit for an Oversized Accessory Building on property zoned RN1, Residential Neighborhood 1, in Section 09, Township 14, Range 24, located at 14946 W. 156th Circle. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Expansion Approved for Self-Storage Facility

Approved Resolution No. 039-22 and Application No. SE 22-201-PDP/FDP (AU) regarding a request from Woody Palmer of Stillwell Land Holdings, Applicant and Landowner, for revised Preliminary Development Plan (PDP) and Final Development Plan (FDP) for the expansion of a self-storage facility on property in Section 18, Township 15, Range 25, located at 7225 W. 207th Street. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Wastewater Contract Amended for Nelson WTF Project

Authorized a contract amendment with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., for Guaranteed Maximum Price Number 1 – Turkey Creek Force Main Pipe Procurement, for Construction Manager at Risk construction phase services for the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements project (NEL-C001) in an amount not to exceed $2,426,710. Vote: Passed 7-0.

Purchase Authorized for 13 MED-ACT Ambulances (Item Added to Agenda)

Authorized the reallocation and expenditure of County General Fund reserves to be transferred into the MED-ACT Equipment Reserve fund in the amount of $2,900,000 and the use of $400,000 from the existing MED-ACT Equipment Reserve fund for the purchase of 13 ambulances from Pinnacle Emergency Vehicles, LLC per HGAC cooperative contract AM 10-20, for use by Johnson County MED-ACT, for a total amount not to exceed $3,300,000.

Motion to add item to agenda

• Vote: Passed 7-0.

Authorization of funding

• Vote: Passed 7-0.

Fall Elections Need Hundreds of Poll Workers

The Elections Office will need approximately 1,200-1,300 election workers for the August 2nd Primary Election and approximately 1,500-1,800 for the November 8th Election. Any Johnson County resident that is currently registered to vote can apply to be an election worker; this includes applicable Johnson County employees. Election workers are paid positions and are provided training, which begins the week of July 11th . For more information or to apply, visit the Elections website or call the office at 715-6836.

Pilot Program Predicts Potential Flooding Ahead of Storms

The Stormwater Management Program has partnered with the company NEER to pilot a machine learning modeling project with the goal to predict potential locations of home and street flooding up to 24 hours in advance of a storm event. The pilot project is located in Northeast Johnson County and includes the Turkey and Brush Creek Watersheds. NEER’s platform obtains the weather forecast from the National Weather Service and processes the predicted rainfall through watershed models adapted for machine learning to predict areas that may flood.

If the pilot is successful, cities can potentially use this information to make decisions to barricade roads that may flood or advise homeowners of potential flooding hazards before the storm begins. Once the rain event has passed, the platform obtains the actual rainfall and flood stage data from the Stormwater Management Program’s Stormwatch stream and rain gage network and compares it to the prediction. This comparison helps the model learn and refine its prediction capabilities for the next event.

• John Frederico and Stephen Duerst of Frederico/Duerst Consulting Group presented a Legislative Update.
• Deputy County Manager Maury Thompson presented a COVID-19 Funding and Expense Report.
• Sanmi Areola, director of the Department of Public Health and Environment provided a COVID-19 and Vaccination Update.

The Board met as the Committee of the Whole to discuss proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budgets/requests from Outside Agencies: United Community Services, Enterprise Center; Infrastructure: Wastewater, Airport, Planning, Public Works, Stormwater, and Transportation; and Department of Emergency Services. Find more details about the meeting.

Proposed Funding Increase for MARP

Consider approving and authorizing an increase of up to $347,000 for the 2021 Major Asset Replacement Program (MARP) bringing the new total project authorization to an amount not to exceed $2,449,800 and transferring approximately $347,000 from the 2020 MARP to fund this project increase.

Upgrades to Library Building Physical Security

Resolution No. 040-22. Consider adopting Resolution No. 040-22 to amend the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to include Library Building Physical Security Upgrades and to authorize a use of Library Operating Fund reserves in an amount not to exceed $600,000.

Addition of Peer Drivers at Mental Health

Consider authorizing the Mental Health Department to add 6.0 FTE Peer Driver positions and authorize the reallocation and expenditure of fund balance (reserves) for FY 2022 in an amount not to exceed $175,000 through the UnitedHealthcare funded program expansion.

Change Order to Provide Mental Health and Education

Consider authorizing a change order request with EVERFI, Inc. for a suicide prevention module in the amount of $50,000 to provide for mental health and prevention education in all classrooms across Johnson County, per Administrative Policy and Procedure #110.155.

Development of a Wastewater Customer Service Portal

Resolution No. WD 22-017. Conduct a public hearing and consider authorizing funds for a total amount not to exceed $405,000 for the development of a web-based customer service portal for Johnson County Wastewater’s Private Infiltration and Inflow Source Removal Program and consider awarding a contract with Daupler, Inc. for Private Infiltration and Inflow Web-Based Portal Development for a one (1) year term with the option to renew annually for up to four (4) one (1) year terms, per Request for Proposal 2022-012.

Wastewater Agreement with Leawood

Consider approving an Agreement with the City of Leawood to facilitate the JCW State Line Pump Stations and Force Main Project.

Land Use, Compatibility Plan Updates at Airports

Request for Proposal (RFP) 2022-032, Consider authorizing a contract with Coffman Associates, for Comprehensive Land Use Compatibility Plan Update for New Century AirCenter and Johnson County Executive Airports, at a cost not to exceed $127,960; authorize the reallocation and expenditure of fund balance (reserves) for FY 2022 for the General Fund in an amount not to exceed $27,960 and create a project account for this purpose.