Title
Special Legislative Topics
Body
Special Legislative Topics:
• 291 North Interchange Project and funding for Missouri Highway Patrol Troop A relocation
• KCMO Landfill
• MoDOT funding (trash/mowing/ROW maintenance)
• Infrastructure funding
291 North Interchange, Troop A Relocation
Background
The 291 North interchange is one of the highest crash locations in the City. There are numerous inexperienced drivers at this heavily congested location due to the proximity of Lee’s Summit High School. The interchange project is critical to resolving safety and congestion issues. The new interchange will provide significant safety enhancements. The new interchange and the redesign of Blue Parkway will make traffic conditions much safer for high school students.
The City of Lee’s Summit has secured funding for the interchange project at the projected cost of about $25.4 million. The interchange project requires relocation of the Missouri Highway Patrol Troop A Headquarters at the NE quadrant of the interchange to facilitate the relocation of Blue Parkway. Relocation of Blue Parkway farther from the interchange is critical for safe reconstruction of the interchange.
The Troop A Headquarters will be relocated north of Colbern Road next to the Missouri Department of Transportation District 4 offices. Land has been designated for the relocation. The original projected cost of the Troop A relocation was about $8.1 million. The cost estimate prepared by the design consultant (not a construction company) in fall 2022 was about $18.1 million.
Requested Legislation
The City has committed about $8.1 million for the Troop A relocation. The state legislature has previously committed about $3.25 million, for a total commitment of about $11.4 million. The funding gap is about $6.73 million. The projected funding gap is based on unprecedented construction industry escalations tied to construction material and labor shortages. Governor Parsons budget recommendations on January 18, 2023 did not include funding for the Troop A relocation.
State legislation is needed to solve the $6.73 million funding gap. Lee’s Summit and Missouri Highway Patrol need assistance from local state legislators to solve the funding gap by appropriation through state legislation during the current legislative session.
Kansas City Landfill
Background
Over the last several months, Lee’s Summit has learned from Raymore that a landfill is being pursued by one or more private parties at a location in southern Kansas City that sits between the cities of Lee’s Summit, Raymore and Grandview. The attached maps show the suspected location of the landfill.
On January 19, 2023, the Lee’s Summit City Council passed Resolution 23-02 which expressed the Council’s opposition to the location of a landfill near the Lee’s Summit border. Raymore, Grandview, Jackson County and the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District has all passed similar resolutions or legislation expressing similar opposition to a landfill in this location.
Pending Legislation
The following statute is applicable to the approval of a solid waste disposal area which is proposed to be in Kansas City when it would be within one-half mile of an adjoining municipality:
Section 260.205, RSMo -
9. The department shall not issue a permit for the operation of a solid waste disposal area designed to serve a city with a population of greater than four hundred thousand located in more than one county [Kansas City], if the site is located within one-half mile of an adjoining municipality, without the approval of the governing body of such municipality. The governing body shall conduct a public hearing within fifteen days of notice, shall publicize the hearing in at least one newspaper having general circulation in the municipality, and shall vote to approve or disapprove the land disposal facility within thirty days after the close of the hearing.
State Rep. Mike Haffner (Cass County, District 55) has sponsored House Bill 909, which modifies the statute above to make the statute applicable to adjoining municipalities within one mile of the proposed facility location. The bill has been assigned to the General Laws committee, but there is no hearing scheduled at this time. The bill is attached to this meeting packet. City staff will be prepared to discuss this pending legislation with the Committee.