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Government
Podcast |
Annual State of the City Speech
Given by Mayor Jeff
Meyers
February 13, 2008
Shawnee Area Chamber of Commerce
 I want to especially recognize Councilmember Goode today. This year we
honored Councilmember Goode for 30 years of service to this community.
Isn’t that amazing.
Prepared Comments
On my football team, I tell my seniors to Finish Strong. You may have heard
George Bush a few weeks talking about “finishing strong.” Well, unlike the
president, I am running for office again, and when you’re up for reelection,
you don’t want to talk about finishing anything. I am not finished – we have
made great progress, but in 2008, 2009 and beyond there is still much to do to
continue to bring Shawnee to the next level - and I have a game plan.
So in 2008, my mantra is “Don’t Let Up.” Sometimes when you have successes,
it’s tempting to let up a little bit. Maybe that’s what happened to KU the
other night when they played K-State!
Today I want to focus on the four things I outlined in the Sun recently, that
I think are most important to our community right now - what I see as
Shawnee’s trademarks: excellent public service, unquestionable fiscal
responsibility, great sense of community and consistent quality growth.
You see the quality of our public service every day. The service is
outstanding because of the outstanding people who deliver it. Would all the
City employees who are here today please stand.
I have never been so proud than when the call came for help for Greensburg.
There was no shortage of volunteers – Police, Fire and Public Works all sent
people to help and the people who stayed home, stepped up to cover while the
others were gone. In May, Firefighters delivered the 1976 E-1 fire engine the
Council voted unanimously to donate to the citizens of Greensburg.
Employees answered the call again in September when southeast Kansas flooded
and the National Guard desperately needed help.
When you think about some of the adversity these communities have faced, it’s
really hard to complain about all of the winter storms we have had this season
– but I have to take a minute to recognize our crews who have been out plowing
snow this winter. We have had a great deal of snow this year – 10 storms to be
exact. Our people have put in 8500+ hours working to make the streets safe. We
plow over 700 lane miles of street and over the past few months we have
received numerous calls to City Hall, people calling to compliment, and thank
our crews for the great job they have done.
We recognize that one of our greatest resources is our City employees and we
invest time and dollars developing them. When you are looking for new
leadership, it is critical to have well-trained, qualified individuals to
choose from. We saw the investment pay off last year when Chief Charlie Clark
retired. The transition from one chief to the next chief was almost seamless
when Deputy Chief Jim Morgan was promoted to Chief of Police.
This year, a number of employees received recognition from regional and
national organizations.
Lt. Dan Tennis of the Police Department was selected as the Johnson County
Child Advocate of the Year by Sunflower House.
Officer Michael Graves received an Outstanding Law Enforcement Award from the
Mother’s Against Drunk Driving organization.
Captain Joan Moore of the Fire Department received a Fire Safety Commendation
Award from the Sons of the American Revolution.
Eight employees from various departments received college degrees, four of
those were masters degrees.
Raegon Long, Development Services Department, passed the professional engineer
exam and became a licensed professional engineer.
Police Captain Rob Moser graduated from the FBI National Academy.
Four Firefighters attended the National Fire Academy in Emittsburg, Maryland.
Governor Sebelius appointed Deputy Fire Chief John Mattox to serve on the
Kansas Fire Training Commission. John also serves as the Vice-President of the
Kansas Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators.
Chief Hudson was re-elected to a second term as President of the Kansas State
Association of Fire Chiefs.
Susan Smith, Crime Analyst continued in her role as President of the Mid
America Regional Crime Analysis Network which serves a six state region.
We have a lot to be proud of……from the Law Enforcement Torch Run that raised
over $8800 for the Special Olympics to the Polar Bear Plunge, to Officer
Bloomfield, who took time to stop and change a woman’s tire, City employees
are always willing to go that extra mile on or off duty. I want to make sure
all employees know that I think they are doing a great job – and, tell them:
Don’t Let Up!
Some of the things that make Shawnee great – the growth, the history – also
create challenges for us. Growth demands infrastructure changes in order to
address congestion and ensure safety. Because we are a community that is 151
years old, we have aging infrastructure that must be maintained.
In spite of limited resources, we accomplished a great deal in 2007:
- Our street resurfacing program covered 42.30 lane miles, we replaced
over 41,000 feet of curb and close to 6,000 square feet of sidewalk.
We reconstructed
- 75th Street from Switzer to Quivira
- 51st Street from Quivira Drive to Rosehill
- King Street
- Holiday Drive from I-435 to Wilder
Some of our drainage projects included
- Vahalla Drive, North of 67th Terrace
- 52nd & Charles Street
Also in 2007, the City Council approved the purchase of 26.3 acres near
61st and Woodland Road. We hope someday to build a community center there.
That purchase was possible because the council had specifically designated the
City share of the revenue received from the school sales tax for aquatic
facilities. What a great way to invest in our future!
We have several new capital projects in 2008, but because of the financial
limitations, we’ve had to work really hard at setting priorities, and the list
is much smaller than in the past. In order to best manage our resources, we
have developed ten year financial forecasts to ensure that we are planning for
the future and living within our means. Over the past three years, we have
shifted to funding all of our new park and stormwater projects, on a pay as we
go basis. Street projects are funded through bonds that we will pay over the
next 15 to 20 years. We could do more projects and finance them. But I’m not
willing to put the City in a position where we deplete reserves and have to
stretch to just make payments on the debt. As long as I am Mayor, we are not
going to run the City with a credit card mentality.
Instead, we need to continue to look to more efficient ways of delivering
services to our citizens while maintaining our high quality of life, and
encouraging new development. In 2007, we have implemented numerous on-line
services which save staff time, and increase customer convenience. Other
efficiencies range from street sweeping, to combining publications to save on
mailing costs; from collaborating with the County on a radio tower to applying
for and receiving several federal grants – we are always trying to find the
least expensive way to continue outstanding service levels. Our proactive
safety program has paid off in lower worker’s compensation premiums, and
although we operate with the leanest staff around, we are constantly
evaluating workloads and work processes to ensure efficiency. I can assure you
that our City Council, and our employees, are constantly conscientious with
your tax dollars.
Here is a little more about our financial situation.
It would be a lot more fun for all of us if there was more money to spend, but
I assure you that the City Council and the staff won’t let up, in our good
financial practices.
Sense of Community
I could go on and on about the things I love about Shawnee, but one thing that
makes this City truly special is our unrivaled sense of community. The pride
in this community is no secret, and it is evident in every project we complete
and program we offer. What makes a program or a service great are the people
involved—community involvement is key and it is one of the values that this
community holds near and dear to our hearts. There are many things that
happened in 2007 that demonstrate the Shawnee sense of community.
In April, we held a luncheon to kick off our new CityRide program. This is a
great cooperative effort involving Johnson County Transit, Shawnee businesses,
the DeSoto School District, the City and volunteers from the Community.
While there are many great stories to share, there is one story in particular
that really caught my attention – maybe because I work with high school kids
all the time. This fall students from the Mill Valley High School started
riding along on the bus to help senior citizens who ride. They have been a
great addition to CityRide.
Ms. Dudley, a resident in western Shawnee who is legally blind, uses CityRide
to go to the grocery store. The students help her with her shopping and her
packages. There was one day when the students had an activity and weren’t
scheduled for CityRide, but they were worried that Ms. Dudley wouldn’t get her
groceries so they requested special permission to ride the bus just to help
Ms. Dudley.
The program is making a difference! I can’t say thank you enough to all those
volunteers, the task force members and the businesses who contribute to
CityRide.
This year, we had the opportunity to kick off Old Shawnee Days in a very
special way. A new colorful addition to our downtown was completed in time to
be open for the 2007 summer season. On June 9th, we dedicated the new Shawnee
Splash Cove at the Jim Allen Aquatic Center in John Lynch Park. Not many
communities can boast having a beautiful facility like Splash Cove located in
the middle of their downtown. The pool was a hit last summer, and drew record
crowds. Our great partnership with Wonderscope enhanced both of the
facilities. We have already received several awards for this community
project.
With the opening of Splash Cove, the East Pool space is now ready for the
expansion of Shawnee Town. The ten year strategic plan for Shawnee Town is
moving forward, and you will see a lot of dirt turn this spring. Someday soon
at Shawnee Town you might be able to catch 'Amos & Andy' on the radio at
Goddard's Electric, get a soda at Heaton's drug store and help a truck farmer
ready his produce for the City market.
On September 14th we had a special celebration and dedicated a beautiful
plaque on the outside of this building honoring the people of this community
who had the original vision to save the buildings and save the history. Today,
the second generation of the Shawnee Historical Society, the Friends of
Shawnee Town, is doing a fantastic job. And, wasn’t that wonderful of Ron
Deffenbaugh to donate a half a million dollars toward seeing this plan
through. The community is making this project a huge success.
In late June, I’m sure many of you, like me, got goose bumps driving down
Johnson Drive, lined with American flags. Kudos to the dedicated group of
downtown business owners and the council members who created that patriotic
display for all of us to enjoy.
And, on September 20th, the community gathered at our eastern gateway to
dedicate Charles Goslin’s latest work at Pioneer Crossing Park. Every time I
pass by, I’m so proud that park serves as our entryway.
As I mentioned earlier, this sense of community is created in part by our high
level of citizen involvement.
Not all communities can claim such an active and involved population- and this
says something really great about Shawnee...people care! While the democratic
process can be a lengthy and confusing one, it works much better in places
where residents and business owners care about their community and
participate.
In 2007, I signed the Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement along with other
area Mayor’s and on Monday night the Governing Body adopted Policy Statement
57, Sustainable Shawnee. I have already heard from residents who want to be
involved in making Shawnee a more sustainable community. In May of last year,
I called on area businesses and volunteer groups to clean up Shawnee, and I
plan for this to be an annual program. We held a “Name the Clean Up Campaign”
contest and I am proud to announce that this year’s campaign will be “Shawnee
Shine UP” and will feature ten year old Maridee Weber’s artwork. Thanks to
Maridee for her participation in local government.
In September, the citizen input process was put into action as our community
dealt with the decision regarding a smoking ban. Twelve citizens gave their
time to this community to serve on a task force, formed to study the issue.
The public was invited to an open public meeting to express their opinions.
People participated and they were heard. The Governing Body enacted a smoking
ban effective January 2nd, and although people will always have differing
opinions on this issue, people gave input and we passed a ban that reflects
the interests of our community.
Last year we were named on of the top 25 Most Affordable Suburbs in the
Country, and in 2007 we were named one of the top 20 All America Cities by the
National Civic League. The award recognizes communities whose citizens work
together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon
results. Many of the people that were part of Team Shawnee are here today and
I would like to thank them again for the amazing job they did representing our
community!
Here’s one more special example of our unique sense of community:
Thanks to all of you who give your time to volunteer and are involved in this
City, Don’t Let Up!
Now let me talk about Consistent Quality Growth.
I have learned a lot about development in my nine years as a councilmember and
four as Mayor. We have been fortunate to have a consistent and steady stream
of quality development through all of those years and 2007 has been no
different.
This year, a number of new retail/service businesses opened, including La Vita
Bella, Sheridans, Double Dino’s Pizza, Emily’s Frozen Custard, Rockrose,
Security Bank, Starbuck’s, and Sylvan Learning Center. Barb’s Kolache Bakery,
Café Song, CoreFirst Bank & Trust, Vintage Stock, Vita Craft Factory Outlet,
Bandanas and Wheat State Pizza. No one was more happy than I to have the
Hereford House open; and, I hear that Tanner’s is going to open in Monticello
Village before March Madness begins.
Downtown continues to be a fantastic success story and it is wonderful to see
new small businesses make their home there - including Aunt Jean’s, Cat’s
Corner Café, Back in Motion, Heaven and Earth Spa, Iced Art, and the Chapin
Law Firm. Joe Lino told me that his office condo project will be opening by
the Spring Homes Tour.
We have just recently approved plans for Maurer Shops, which the developer
says will include a Best Buy and 13,000 square feet of additional retail.
Plans for a Holiday Inn on Midland were recently approved.
I know many of you have heard rumors about the WestGlen theatre moving to
Lenexa. I’m pleased to confirm that Dickinson has signed a new ten year lease
in Shawnee and they have already begun enhancements to their facility. And,
there are plans for some great new additions to the entire WestGlen center.
Engineered Air, a manufacturer of custom heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning systems, completed the purchase of the area now known as the
North Shawnee Business Park, near the northeast corner of 43rd Street and K-7
Highway. Their plans in Shawnee call for two 100,000 square feet buildings and
ultimately employing around 500 people. They have already attracted another
business to a 30 acre site in that park. A plat was approved Monday for Molin
Concrete Products. TK Metals leased 20,000 square feet of space on Hedge Lane
Terrace. Ground was broken on the construction of two spec buildings in the
latest phase of the Continental Business Park.
Since the City Council set the goal of targeting life science-related business
in 2006, Shawnee’s “bioscience initiative” has resulted in the recruitment of
the headquarters for Hans Rudolph and KC BioMediX as well as offices for
Source One Medical and the Vascular Surgery Associates.
Through the years we have talked a lot about economic development, and how
attracting commercial development will keep our taxes low. While I don’t
believe it is the silver bullet, I do believe it is critical to our future.
What I do believe is that it is important to continue to set our standards
high, and work to bring businesses that are a good fit for our community for
the long term. Discussions through the years culminated in the Leadership
Summit that then Chamber Chair Kevin Bennett and I hosted late last year.
Through all those discussions, there were several consistent themes.
First, we needed to ensure our incentive programs were competitive and our
City development processes were as efficient as possible. We have now created
a TIF policy, a TDD policy is underway, and we updated our policies on
abatements and benefit districts. We work with developers to ensure they use
the incentives that best fit their projects – while balancing that with the
needs of our stakeholders, the citizens.
In December, City Manager Gonzales promoted long-time City Engineer, Doug
Wesselschmidt to Development Services Director. The reorganization was made to
enhance efficiency in management and to offer a higher level of customer
service to the development community while also enhancing current economic
development efforts.
Another theme from the Summit was that Shawnee had an identity as a great
place to live, but we frequently don’t make the short list when people thought
of places to bring corporate offices.
We began a branding project this year, I think many of you have had the
opportunity to be part of that project, and were able to hear Steve Chandler
of North Star speak at the last Chamber luncheon. I liked what Steve said
about branding: “Branding is about the experience you are delivering…..because
……no one is going to make a decision to do business with Shawnee, Kansas,
because they like or dislike your logo...It’s about an experience; it’s about
the people you come in contact with.”
I think everyone would agree that we have a great experience to offer due to
all of the wonderful and caring people in Shawnee, and this process will
provide us with a new way to articulate that experience to others. I’m excited
to see where that project takes us in 2008.
The third and perhaps greatest challenge identified had to do with undeveloped
land and the multiple ownership of that land. So when a large office user was
looking, we didn’t have large available tracts to show them. SEDC and City
staff have worked long and hard with owners and developers the past few years,
and we are bringing some of those areas together. This is setting the
groundwork for our future and we won’t let up.
I have shared many of the 2007 accomplishments with you today, but there are
many, many more services that the City continuously provides to support this
community. Far too many to name!
We have grown so fast, and one of my highest priorities has always been to
ensure that we are growing as one community. With I-435 right down the middle
of us, and older side and a newer side, if we don’t pay attention, if we “let
up”, we could slip into a mindset of “west Shawnee” and “east Shawnee”. I
won’t let that happen. We are one community, and we are a community I am so
proud to serve.
I want to thank you for your support, your energy, and your passion for this
community. We have so many great things underway, you are making things
happen, so Don’t Let Up, Shawnee, Don’t Let Up!
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