September 10, 2024 Dear Mayor Sayers: RE: Homeless Shelter – September 17 – VOTE NO Having attended numerous City meetings you know that I live in East Lenexa and that I continue to have many concerns and questions pertaining to the Homeless Shelterplanned by the county for the old La Quinta and Dennys at 95th Street and I-35. Although I do not live within 200 feet of the proposed center, my questions and concerns deserve answers. The County Chairman, several commissioners, and staff have NOT provided accurate information about this shelter. I have attended or listened to recordings pertaining to this proposed shelter since September 2023. During the BOCC meetings, Committee of the Whole, and Study Sessions, the public could NOT ask questions AND receive answers! Note: Generally, at BOCC Thursday 9:30 meetings the public is allowed to ask questions, but answers are extremely rare! Thus, those of us in attendance only heard what they said out loud and not what happened behind closed doors – now we know what they said to the public was NOT the whole story. On August 25 and September 4, I submitted the following questions to the County regarding the shelter. The BOCC Priorities web page lists the #1 priority is to “improve housing options for the resident needs.” If nothing else, shouldn’t the priority be based on those currently homeless in Johnson County? Why is the county buying a than 47-year-old building for 6 million dollars – nearly twice the appraised value? What was the rush to buy this building? Who submitted bids for this building in addition to the county to raising the price to $6 million? Has the BOCC toured La Quinta? Would they even let anyone in Denny’s? Due diligence reports note extensive repairs are required. Having driven through the parking lot it is in horrible repair! Who was the “Design Team” contracted to complete the SUP for submittal? Was it SFS Architecture? Since reStart is responsible for the SUP, why didn’t reStart pay for the development of the SUP? The cost according to Due Diligence information (updated 7/29/2024) was $103,000 and paid by the county. Due Diligence Reports: Property Condition repairs over a 10-year period estimated at a minimum of $1.5 million dollars. Who will pay this? reStart TODAY can NOT cover their operational costs for year one – how will they cover future repairs? I believe the shelter is to be operational late 2025. Correct? JoCo is paying 3.7 million for renovations. Who is responsible for the other renovation costs? Roofs, HVAC, bringing the building “up to code”. Typically, renovations cost more, take longer & there is always a surprise – increasing cost & increasing time. Who will fund these additional costs? How are “drop offs” defined? Another group of individuals meeting with the county was told that reStart would NOT allow any police drop offs. What is the answer? What happens when a van drops off 10-15 people at the 95th street exit and they are told to walk to the shelter? CES is unavailable on evenings and weekends. Today, businesses inproximity to La Quinta have homeless people sleeping on benches, in front of their entrance doors, and in trash bins. It was my understanding that Long-Term – meant 12-18 months; and others have been told residents with the “right criteria” could potentially live out their lives at this shelter? 20+ years? What is the answer? Who will be allowed to reside in the homeless shelter? Just males? Adults? – male, female, couples, children? We know that most illegal immigrants are young males from countries hostile to the US. Can individuals stay if they are on or sell drugs, been arrested for drug or sex trafficking, murders, rapes other charges in another country? Is “rent” paid by the individual working or by county rent vouchers? What “wraparound” services are being offered to the individuals? If services are offered on a voluntary basis and an individual does not participate, what are the consequences? Mental Health services from JoCo – who will pay for these services when they are provided to individuals under reStart’s operation? What happens to individuals that require mental hospital care? Are individuals admitted with untreated mental health diagnosis? Are psychiatrists & psychologists on staff? How much is the county paying for mental health services and other support services that will not be covered by reStart? Why was an “elected” person NOT included on the RFP proposal review and selection? Why wasn’t a search for owner/operator done on a national basis? Why was city union excluded? Why was Hillcrest Ministries not considered? Why were “we” told that the owner/operator would be responsible for ALL ongoing costs when the owner/operator selected required additional operational funding? What is reStart’s “graduation rate? Over what period of time? What is reStart’s recidivism rate? Over what period of time? Funding gap? What if cities don’t pay their “fees?” Who will pay? What about Denny’s – who will pay for renovations? What if Lenexa condemns this building? Governor Abbott in Texas is requiring that ALL hospitals to collect information on illegal immigrants who use Texas public hospitals for inpatient and emergency care and to report incurred healthcare costs. It is possible to collect information on illegal immigrants. Thus, JoCo homeless SHOULD have priority! If homeless people have jobs, legally they must a social security number to report income to the IRS. Will reStart allow individuals to take work for “cash” only? If a person is sleeping in a car, there should be a way of tracking where the car is registered — unless it is stolen and then it should be reported! Who is liable if a person at the homeless shelter rapes or kills – man, woman or child; vandalizes a business or person property or person? In an email March 4, 2024, Megan Foreman wrote: Residents–The homeless services center is intended to serve Johnson County residents experiencing homelessness. The owner/operator will follow HUD guidelines to determine a person’s connection
Author: rysky007
Johnson County Chairman, Mike Kelly, is funded by European Union in order to implement the Paris Climate Agreement without the approval of all local jurisdictions affected
In a video filmed while Johnson County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mike Kelly was still mayor of Roeland Park, and advertised on his Facebook mayoral page, he admits that he is being funded and assisted by the European Union and the Global Covenant of Mayors in order to implement the Paris Climate Agreement. He claims that by using the regionalism approach, he is able to get this implemented without necessarily the agreement of the over 100 jurisdictions affected in the region. That means it is being forced on many elected officials and citizens without their approval or their knowledge. Mike Kelly is the founder of Climate Action Kansas City, an organization that has partnered with Mid America Regional Council (MARC), the regional metropolitan planning organization that promotes regionalism in the bi-state area. MARC started out as a transportation planning organization in urban areas with a population of greater than 50,000, as required by Federal law, in order to coordinate road projects. They have since become the unelected planning body for the region, responsible for administering Federal grants to local jurisdictions, and making planning recommendations to local cities and counties. https://youtu.be/FO18uspNYJ4 MARC’s un-elected boards are comprised of appointed officials from local jurisdictions, where they serve on committees for topics such as: sustainable development, transportation, and aging. MARC is even responsible for coordinating the local 911 system. Through MARC committees, this climate change language has quickly found itself into many local agenda items, and has become the quid-pro-quo of grant qualifications, forcing communities to comply with climate action ideology and practices before being eligible to qualify for certain MARC-administered grants (which MARC takes a hefty cut in administration fees off of the top in order to continue funding their corporation and pushing their ideology.) Unbeknownst to local elected officials relying on staff report recommendations, they are implementing a foreign playbook that is in opposition to values and morals that most of their constituents hold dear to their hearts. MARC is also listed on the Global Covernant of Mayor’s website as a participant of the GCoM, with MARC’s executive director, David Warm, being listed as the mayor of MARC. The feel-good language of “diversity, equity, and inclusion”, “sustainable, equitable, and resilient” and communities partnering for a better region sounds altruistic and has made its way into staff reports across the region. Yet, those serving in local offices and voting on projects that would implement the European-Union-funded-projects have no idea that one of the playbooks, the Climate Action KC Playbook, is saturated with racist language that discriminates against white people and pushes the critical race theory ideology that America is founded on white supremacy and white people are to blame for housing being unaffordable, the climate problems, and people of color being marginalized. To read the Playbook with an open-mind, it’s easy to see who is actually responsible for marginalizing “people of color” – the very people using them to enforce their un-American ideology, using division, hate, fear, and control in order to usher in the Marxist/Socialist/Communist agenda. The topic of the MARC agreement and the Climate Action KC Playbook are the subject of another article and presentation, if you would like more info. For this article, it is imperative to know that we have a Johnson County chairman, funded by foreigners, pushing ideologies without necessarily the approval of the people affected, and who discriminates against white people per his own definitions. An investigation into the legality and details of these foreign alliances and foreign funding is in order at once! Johnson County Chairman, Mike Kelly, is funded by European Union in order to implement the Paris Climate Agreement without the approval of all local jurisdictions affected
Non-resident homeless’ people will be sent to their ‘place of origin’ under Lawrence policy
The City of Lawrence released new details Tuesday about its policy to serve primarily people who are from Douglas County with homelessness resources, and to send others elsewhere. Under the policy, the city provides “non-resident homeless individuals” with short-term assistance and helps them return to their “place of origin,” according to a city news release. Service providers working with the city are expected to follow suit. “We’re not servicing individuals long term that cannot prove that they’re residents, and that’s going to start going into our contracts, because we just don’t have the bandwidth to do that,” Misty Bosch-Hastings, director of the city’s Homeless Solutions Division, said during a meeting last month. The policy has been publicly discussed for at least a month, but the formal announcement of the policy comes a week after the Lawrence City Commission approved putting a question on the ballot to ask Lawrence voters to approve a sales tax to support homelessness services. The majority of people experiencing homelessness who agreed to answer the point-in-time count survey in January reported that they have lived in Lawrence or Douglas County for 12 months or more, according to data from Kristen Egan, Douglas County regional coordinator for the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition. Of the 414 respondents counted in this year’s survey, 289, or 71%, said they’d been in Douglas County for more than 12 months; 51, or 13%, said seven to 12 months; and 69, or 17%, said they’d been here for zero to six months. “Our new policy ensures that we prioritize Douglas County residents while offering short-term support to those from other areas,” Bosch-Hastings said in the city’s release. “By focusing on local needs and providing a pathway for non-residents to return home, we can manage our resources effectively and help more people find stability. This approach reflects our commitment to compassionate, practical solutions for everyone in need.” James Chiselom, director of the Lawrence Community Shelter, shared in May that LCS was already following a policy of allowing only three-day respite stays for people who don’t have Douglas County ties. He said LCS doesn’t require ID, but they get enough information from people to verify who they are and see if they’re from Lawrence. Shelter staff can check the HMIS, or homeless management information system, to see if folks are included in records there. When members of the multidisciplinary Homeless Response Team meet someone who is not from Lawrence or Douglas County, they will follow a five-step process to help them relocate, according to the city’s release: 1. Initial assessment and temporary assistance: “Non-resident homeless individuals seeking assistance will undergo an initial assessment by the Homeless Response Team and, if eligible, they can receive access to emergency shelter, meals and basic services for three business days. The Homeless Response Team will make referrals for services to agencies after the eligibility assessment is complete.” 2. Development of return plan: “If the individuals are eligible for transportation, the Homeless Response Team will make transportation arrangements and coordinate any necessary support services as well as a way to contact relevant agencies in the home community when appropriate.” 3. Coordination with origin town resources: “The Homeless Response Team will work to identify and connect the individual with resources and services in their town of origin.” 4. Transportation assistance: “Efforts will be made to secure the most cost-effective and safe transportation options.” 5. Documentation and follow-up: “All actions taken, plans developed, and assistance provided will be documented by the Homeless Response Team. Follow-up checks will be conducted by the team to ensure the individual reaches their destination and verifies connection has been made to their natural supports or services.” The HRT includes employees of the City of Lawrence, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, Artists Helping the Homeless, Lawrence Community Shelter, Homeless Resource Center, Lawrence Police Department and Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical. https://lawrencekstimes.com/2024/08/27/non-resident-policy-lawrence/
Lenexa Planning votes ‘no’ after hours of feedback on proposed homeless shelter
LENEXA, Kan. (KCTV) – It was standing room only at Lenexa City Hall for the city’s Planning Commission meeting. The biggest item on the agenda: a proposed homeless shelter called the Homeless Services Center at 9461 and 9471 Lenexa Dr. Over 70 people registered to speak during the public hearing that was held before the Commission was slated to vote on a permit for the shelter. Hours of testimony before the Commission was mixed. “These homeless are our neighbors,” said David Eland, who spoke in favor of the proposed shelter. “Many of them grew up here.” “We have watched this go through the process from the county to your desk and it was railroaded through without much thought,” said Jeffrey Lysaught, who spoke against the proposed shelter. Several who spoke against the shelter questioned if the proposed location — the former site of a three-story La Quinta Hotel — was the right location for it, while those who spoke for it say there is a need that has to be addressed in the community. “You’ve heard, or will here folks concerned about property values, tax use, resources of the city, but I just don’t think there is anything more important to discuss than the proximity of the shelter to the elementary school and the neighborhood,” said Weston Mills, who spoke against the proposed shelter. “There would be 50, maybe 75 fewer people who would be homeless who would be in this project and helped by it,” said Gregory Hack, who spoke in favor of the proposed shelter. “This project is not going to create problems. It will help solve them.” Ahead of the public comment, Lenexa city staff went into detail on their reasoning behind recommending to deny the proposed shelter’s permit. The full 540-page report can be found in the Planning Commission’s agenda for the Aug. 26 meeting. “This is a difficult issue,” said Lenexa City Manager Beccy Yocham. “A complicated issue.” Stephanie Boyer, the CEO of ReStart, the organization that has been selected to run the Homeless Services Center, also spoke ahead of the public hearing, going over similar information that was shared at two informational public meetings last week held for Johnson County residents. She also addressed some of the concerns in the Lenexa city staff’s report, such as how the Homeless Services Center would differ from Project 1020, a cold weather shelter in Johnson County, and how Lenexa city staff stated the shelter would be inconsistent with the neighborhood. Just after midnight, by a vote of 9 to 0, the Planning Commission recommended denial of the Special Use Permit. The matter is tentatively scheduled to be heard by the Lenexa City Council on Sept. 17. Just after noon, Tuesday, August 27, Johnson County Chairman Mike Kelly released the following statement in response to the Planning Commission’s no vote: “Over the past 15 months, the county has partnered with Lenexa staff on our efforts to develop a Homeless Services Center. reStart was brought on earlier this year as the owner/operator to develop this application and address all concerns and questions. We committed to partnership, and through our collaboration, I strongly feel that the application submitted is the right solution at the right time. Therefore, I’m disappointed in the vote of the City of Lenexa Planning Commission and disagree with its rationale. There has never been this amount of community consensus on the problem of homelessness in Johnson County and the need to address it now, while it is at a manageable level. I appreciate that the majority of public opinion, as expressed by Lenexa residents, cities, the faith community, and social service providers has been supportive of this innovative approach to fill a much-needed gap in serving unhoused adults. At this time, the county is weighing all options, which will be discussed among the full board. I look forward to continued conversations on how our county can fill gaps in the housing continuum and ensure everyone who wants to can have a safe place to live and the support they need to thrive in Johnson County. I welcome all city partners, including Lenexa, to that table.” https://www.kctv5.com/2024/08/27/ahead-vote-lenexa-planning-commission-hears-public-proposed-homeless-shelter/
Lenexa city staff explain opposition to homeless center
LENEXA, Kan. (KCTV) – A day after an informational meeting was held in Johnson County, the City of Lenexa says while there is a need to address homelessness in Johnson County and they want to be part of a solution, the proposed Homeless Services Center would place an “unreasonable burden on this area of the community” and its permit should be denied. City staff cited four additional reasons as to why it is opposed to the proposal, which would bring a Johnson County Homeless Services Center into a converted three-story old La Quinta hotel east of I-35 and just off 95th Street. A list of the four reasons was shared on Thursday night: The proposed use is inconsistent with the character of the neighborhood, which has been identified by the City as a key redevelopment corridor, The proposed use, due to its proximity to the only other homeless shelter for single adults in Johnson County, will create a concentration of negative external impacts in this area of the community which will detrimentally affect nearby properties, The City’s current law enforcement resources are inadequate to serve the proposed use and the additional cost to the City to add the necessary staff places an unreasonable financial burden on the City, which is exacerbated by the loss of tax revenue caused by the conversion of the subject property to a tax-exempt use, and That despite the applicant’s best intentions, the extremely abbreviated timeline under which this project has been conceived and developed has resulted in many of the required elements of a binding Management Plan for the shelter use being unfinalized and/or inadequate, thereby creating substantial uncertainty as to important details about the proposed use, its funding, and ultimately, the overall viability of the shelter operation. The report was posted as Johnson County was hosting another packed informational public meeting, the second one this week. Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mike Kelly didn’t have time to read the full report before speaking with KCTV 5 following the meeting, but says Johnson County and ReStart, the organization chosen to run the Homeless Services Shelter, have met with Lenexa leaders several times to answer their questions. “I’m really hoping that process can continue, and we are willing to, and I know ReStart is wiling and hopefully be able to address some of those concerns that have caused the city of Lenexa staff to recommend denial at this point,” said Kelly. “I’ve really been impressed with the way Stephanie Boyer (CEO of ReStart) and her team has been able to address quite a few questions and unknowns so far. So I am really hopeful for what they are going to do even in the short, narrow period of time before Monday.” Kelly added he appreciates the time and effort that has gone into the proposed homeless shelter. “I get it,” said Kelly. “Lenexa is being asked to consider something that is novel and unique and hasn’t ever been done in Johnson County before. Because of that, it has already been as administrative lift on Lenexa. Lenexa is an important partner to the county. Not only on this, but on many things in the future. Lenexa and the county are going to grow together. I’ve found it encouraging the way Lenexa has held itself during this process and how the county has handled it, even when the conversations are difficult.” When asked if there is another location under consideration should the permit be denied, Kelly says he just ‘wants to see the process play out’. “Good, bad, or indifferent, we will be looking to, as always, continue to move forward on that entire housing continuum.” ReStart will be speaking at the Lenexa Planning Commission on Monday, as the organization submitted the application for the permit. Members of the public who want to speak at the Aug. 26 Lenexa Planning Commission meeting — where this will be discussed — are encouraged to register online. https://www.kctv5.com/2024/08/23/lenexa-city-staff-explains-opposition-johnson-county-homeless-center/