Councilman Lucas Policy Issues
Proposed Street Vacation Policy Updates
Given the ongoing need to ensure that vacations of streets and public right-of-ways are done in a manner that ensures adequate consideration of community mobility, neighborhood continuity, and respect of public infrastructure investment and planning, Councilman Lucas has worked with the City Planning and Development Department to craft a new street vacation policy. The proposed text amendment is scheduled to be heard at the City Plan Commission on October 17, 2017. Councilman Lucas welcomes comment directly to his office or the Department of City Planning and Development.
KCI Project Transparency and Accountability Legislation
Beginning in May 2017, Council reconsidered the terminal modernization issue at Kansas City International Airport. In an effort to share information with the public, Councilman Lucas authored or introduced several legislative actions and memoranda that reasserted the public and Council’s right to information so that the public would have adequate information about the KCI project.
Resolution 170635 – Requiring disclosure to the public of proposer answers to certain follow-up questions and information received as part of the selection committee process.
Resolution 170552 – Permitting attendance of councilmembers in selection committee evaluations to engender greater public understanding of the selection committee process and to avoid claims of secrecy within process.
Nondisclosure Memorandum – Stating that rules creating more secrecy in selection process were inconsistent with city ordinance and Missouri case law requirements.
KCI Terminal Modernization Program:
In May, 2017, the City Council began discussions about a proposed private financing plan to design and build a new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport. I, along with other councilmembers, recommend hiring outside counsel to advise the city on the this issue.
Memo recommending outside counsel
Proposed ordinance to hire outside counsel
Firm and lawyer information: Husch Blackwell
Firm and lawyer information: WilmerHale
Tax Incentive Reform:
On October 6, 2016, the City Council voted 9-4 to pass an ordinance limiting tax incentives to 75%. Exceptions to this cap may be granted if the project qualifies for Jobs-Based or Site-Based “High Impact” designation as determined by the AdvanceKC Scorecard, derived from the City Council’s Economic Development and Incentive Policy, or if the project is located in a severely distressed census tract that has continuously maintained such status for not less than ten (10) years immediately prior to the effective date of the request.
Second Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 160383, As Ameded
Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 160683
Jobs-Based AdvanceKC Scorecard