[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6137045,"mediaKeyId","5604507-ef50b753867d52827ac5b814a7d88fd3","parentId",5604507,"title","Lee's Summit committee continues debate over municipal judge pay and plan for mental‑health docket","audioSeconds",1093,"startMs",1512000,"endMs",2605000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5604507-ef50b753867d52827ac5b814a7d88fd3&start=1512&end=2605","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5604507-ef50b753867d52827ac5b814a7d88fd3/thumbnail_1512000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6137045/Lees-Summit/Jackson-County/Missouri/Lees-Summit-committee-continues-debate-over-municipal-judge-pay-and-plan-for-mentalhealth-docket","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6137045-42f7b0a38f19ac7c98b6a154c5c3b667/orig.mp4?Expires=1773600932&Signature=gRgaJUy-1f4KGW8J0UaXi7QnQkqagqcxF2B4aq9tK4RZTWQLR3AYd-y-AU6FzZS4MEUC86cJXDgyXLHKvqxJ1WVhp5a6kM6Huk-Fe7JFKNqD8DIPtX9AuxaBQVoRpLZ6zbiXtCJHSoH5Rhx4ex2A0q04qLL8NGr6NW1tGPKTvikPCvdE0gIdPYhvgYBs39UaSkRlFaPCy3DaYapokYqeFdWYfLwbtow46zk9DtjGf0BKsKtW73V00z~AMWI8Fjz7~KGd7JusjbMV6BYqgyaWIm1rXt8-j7x9zfiUH0up7iCYr8JDsX2xtIzFWaZdZh6Y8tWuc6ra5rnw9VYIgLyIqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","LEE'S SUMMIT, MO","date","2025-08-18T00:00:00Z","article","Finance and Budget Committee leaders and the city’s municipal judges on Aug. 18 continued a months‑long discussion about whether judges can receive extra compensation during their elected terms for new duties such as supervising court staff and designing specialty dockets for mental‑health and substance‑use cases.

Committee Chair Shields and other members heard from the two municipal judges about current caseload pressures and the legwork required to create either an informal treatment docket or a formal, OSCA‑recognized specialty court. The committee did not take formal action at the meeting because Mayor Pro Tem Berton Lopez recused, leaving the panel without a quorum for any vote on the matter. Committee members agreed to send a detailed proposal and background materials to the full City Council for discussion.

Why it matters: Committee members and judges said the city’s growth has increased court workload and created recurring public‑safety and social‑service needs that local treatment dockets could address. City staff and judges estimated that designing and staffing a formal specialty court would require several months of planning, community partners and outside funding, and that supervisory responsibilities and implementation work are distinct from merely redistributing existing cases across more court days.

At the meeting, City Manager Mark Dunning summarized legal guidance received from outside counsel and explained the two legal questions the committee had asked staff to clarify: what counts as “additional duties” for pay purposes under Missouri law, and whether developing or operating specialty dockets (drug court, mental‑health court) would qualify as additional duties. Dunning said outside counsel advised that simply splitting existing dockets across more days, without adding new responsibilities, is not by itself a new duty. By contrast, he said, the work to design, implement and operate a specialty court is additional work and therefore would qualify as additional duties.

Municipal judges disputed that a new court day is merely a scheduling change. \"We are not asking for raises. We are asking that we get additional dockets so that people aren't sitting there for three hours, so that we can do our job,\" one municipal judge said during the meeting. The judges described a range of newer activities they have taken on in recent years, from supervising court staff to coordinating electronic monitoring options and partnering with service providers, and they argued those duties were not part of the job as it existed when they were elected.

Judges and committee members described two broad paths to a treatment docket: an informal/local diversion model that uses community partners (case managers, treatment providers and probation officers) but does not pursue OSCA certification, and a formal OSCA‑certified treatment court with an established steering committee, formal policies and potentially multi‑year participant tracks. Judges and outside partners told the committee formal specialty courts typically need a steering committee, prosecutor and defense participation, treatment providers, case managers, law enforcement support and funding. One city attendee estimated a formal option would take roughly 4–6 months to assemble the initial steering committee and operating plan, with a longer timeframe to enroll participants regularly.

Funding and partnerships: Judges and committee members said funding sources could include Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA) treatment‑court grants, Department of Mental Health funds and local partner agencies. Rediscover (a local behavioral‑health provider) was named as a likely local partner for case management and clinical services; Rediscover staff told the judges they were willing to participate and could help identify funding sources.

Next steps and staff direction: Because the committee lacked a quorum for a vote on amendments or salary language, members agreed to ask staff to prepare a written memo and a more fleshed‑out proposal that outlines: the specific additional duties the judges would be asked to perform; an implementation timeline for informal and formal dockets; potential funding sources and partner roles; and recommended compensation options to present to the full City Council. During discussion some committee members suggested an interim compensation range (committee discussion referenced a 20–25% figure as a potential starting point for negotiating additional compensation tied to supervisory duties and the work of establishing specialty dockets), but no dollar figure or percent was approved at the meeting.

What remains unresolved: The committee and judges disagreed over whether adding a court day alone constitutes an \"additional duty\" under Missouri law; outside counsel's opinion — as summarized by staff — said merely redistributing existing caseloads across additional days is not a new duty. That legal interpretation was contested by the judges at the meeting. Committee members said the full City Council should review the legal advice alongside the operational proposal before any formal change to compensation or docket schedules is made.

For now, the committee directed staff to assemble documentation and bring the issue to the full City Council for a decision that would consider the legal opinion, implementation costs, partner commitments and options for when a new base salary — if any — should take effect.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Finance & Budget Meeting (8/18/2025) | LEE'S SUMMIT, MO","oneSentenceSummary","Finance and Budget Committee leaders and the city’s municipal judges on Aug. 18 continued a months‑long discussion about whether judges can receive extra compensation during their elected terms for new duties such as supervising court staff and designing specialty dockets for mental‑health and substance‑use cases.","taxTitle","Lee's Summit, Jackson County, Missouri","taxId",2583,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6137030,"Lee's Summit police describe co‑responder crisis program as on‑scene alternative to arrest",121,254000,375000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5604507-ef50b753867d52827ac5b814a7d88fd3&start=254&end=375","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5604507-ef50b753867d52827ac5b814a7d88fd3/thumbnail_254000.jpg","/articles/6137030/Lees-Summit/Jackson-County/Missouri/Lees-Summit-police-describe-coresponder-crisis-program-as-onscene-alternative-to-arrest","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6137030-dbe3d4b4a9cd0d7bf2c3989f1c908660/orig.mp4?Expires=1773600932&Signature=RTUlQ81fbdbEepeSDpqsCTdspGJ3kI2iXiE75iWrcx59K4sgvccZhRl6ae1hTGNLrL0DJQ9-BecxaW35NLsGjIFEVNbZ~LdGt8RsMYvxR1t7moqZ6JZxeHPYufttULGHRyWG2FCUui0LqRTgzN9pC8YsPlg01~k8xjVUlczXcDGJ24WFho3XmDdo5IR3D2tLiU77Qb1DcPbDjaBBgjn3hZ6llZwLpeflgMSPNHEPA7-69pNxRDoIECANpImLqWJJmoCtTDXxGWPNI00-w7v7UnkpBYnZ~gzBOszYapmbBAhwQ8dayKxVbP27VJUTnqM6hbi6HIR0aFObP2Qx0-7rag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lee’s Summit police and a licensed co‑responder described the city’s crisis intervention program on Aug. 18, saying officers trained in crisis intervention now routinely respond with a co‑responder — a bachelor’s or master’s‑level behavioral‑health professional who wears plain clothes and does not carry a weapon — to mental‑health‑related calls.

The co‑responder described arriving after officers have secured a scene, introducing herself to the person in crisis and offering safety planning and immediate referrals to services. \"My name's Allison. I'm a mental health professional. I'm here to help you. I'm not here to take you to jail,\" she told the record.

Police and the co‑responder said mental‑health calls to the department have risen substantially, from 722 calls for service in 2020 to 1,479 calls in 2022. The co‑responder said the team’s goals are to connect people with services, reduce unnecessary emergency‑room visits and reduce jail bookings. She described safety planning steps that sometimes include contacting family or support people, arranging urgent‑care assessments for medication needs, securing sharps or medications in the home and arranging follow‑up contacts.

How to request a co‑responder: Officials told the public that callers should ask for a co‑responder when they call 911. The co‑responder said she monitors police radio traffic and can self‑dispatch to some calls when appropriate.

Officials said the program’s presence has changed some residents’ perceptions of police response to behavioral crises and provides a pathway for immediate connection to community services. No new funding or ordinance was proposed during the committee meeting; the presentation was informational.","Police and a licensed co‑responder described Aug. 18 how a co‑responder program pairs specially trained officers with plain‑clothes mental‑health professionals to de‑escalate calls and connect residents to services; officials said callers can request a co‑responder by asking for one when they call 911.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6137033,"Finance committee reviews 2026 budget calendar; Workday adaptive planning to be used for entry in January",110,1331000,1441000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5604507-ef50b753867d52827ac5b814a7d88fd3&start=1331&end=1441","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5604507-ef50b753867d52827ac5b814a7d88fd3/thumbnail_1331000.jpg","/articles/6137033/Lees-Summit/Jackson-County/Missouri/Finance-committee-reviews-2026-budget-calendar-Workday-adaptive-planning-to-be-used-for-entry-in-January","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6137033-4aaf5c01a28e2c90b7f3d3b39a516eeb/orig.mp4?Expires=1773600932&Signature=J92DfWI3Q~BAlWJUvab2Z46p-A-Ttivrl5uYUrbb3Olq4J0gEkI1M4hi55Zc9EkVL-nb3ckOxU-~8WqZOsg9HevdRN~pu9bdOW37c4Njwwi5ckrEtdbOBZQhyULRcF~dR1oAE6Ot4O5dHpqKUGENZUnnpZLTi8r-WoJbqFgWztw3avvTtA9x~0SvXThWzCu9K6wOwsHGkVLB7kYxrXhuijgQMNK~qjlWbYclIlV5fy4j5cTpinwlR90l2Y-v8PaTXJMHayWD1-48LTmVmEkr7ja82Ve4CM4RioLdnnhZToeRPnntMf6tsrXNmcCH~Gd4dZO4AAnbgKBKS~8nbm~UkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Budget Manager Eric Stoyan told the Finance & Budget Committee on Aug. 18 that the City’s 2026 budget process will follow the same calendar structure used this year but will use the new Workday adaptive‑planning module for budget entry.

Stoyan said initial work will ramp up in January, when departments begin entering budgets in Workday; February will be a deadline for budget entries, fee schedules and expansion requests, with department meetings and manager reviews in March. The committee heard staff plan to present the general‑fund budget and expansion requests in April, other funds in May and to hold a first public hearing on May 12 with a hoped‑for adoption on May 19.

Why it matters: Implementing Workday adaptive planning changes the budgeting toolset and is intended to streamline multi‑department data and trend reporting. Stoyan said the city will continue to provide monthly budget‑versus‑actual reports to monitor trends throughout the year.

Committee members thanked staff for early planning and did not change the calendar; Stoyan noted the rollout of Workday phase 2 may affect staff time and training needs in January when budget entry begins.","Budget manager Eric Stoyan presented the 2026 budget calendar Aug. 18, saying budget entry will begin in January using the city's new Workday adaptive planning module and that staff aim for a May public hearing and adoption in mid‑May.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6137038,"Committee recommends city accept $250,000 COMBAT grant to support school impact officers",143,1177000,1320000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5604507-ef50b753867d52827ac5b814a7d88fd3&start=1177&end=1320","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5604507-ef50b753867d52827ac5b814a7d88fd3/thumbnail_1177000.jpg","/articles/6137038/Lees-Summit/Jackson-County/Missouri/Committee-recommends-city-accept-250000-COMBAT-grant-to-support-school-impact-officers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6137038-426b479d69567017a0c6542b2f767c7f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773600932&Signature=KC5cv~CxteJfYi-QLMg56wti6XPsuQraRdcZ6kAfcQnuhltvnwFjlYK4sB-v9tDm2WjiBQ-0Ci2BIW4f2jP9E6bfbOiUqn9zTC8ge0MH2mYtM79Amg3JB0V62onOt8S0focMKC4b4aY2WLgdax2aMhNg4tc07Hq6pfBQSEu5eoRXGGNZsZ-iK8BB8qObvjm3iwVJNGqz-eeDCPDyKnI6eQumSzaRfoV7-rmhIgppWI1MlXKVZ-yQt-cmndbrW5JN8yNXNmC8DYltQhKjyz6vLLxoHlyvYztT1AaBPCSlUBgvcxK1XCj0D~DoxjOBebDWjwjrBWz~srG-oa~0rDj8sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Finance & Budget Committee on Aug. 18 voted to recommend the City Council approve an ordinance authorizing a 2025–26 agreement with the COMBAT (Combat Drug Commission) program that would provide $250,000 to the City of Lee’s Summit.

Deputy John Bunker told the committee the grant funds will \"primarily\" cover four school impact officers and programs that were formerly part of DARE. The committee voted unanimously to forward the agreement to full council with a recommendation of approval.

Why it matters: The money supports officers who work inside schools on substance‑use prevention and related youth services, preserving staff positions that the police department said have been useful for school safety and youth engagement.

Committee action: A motion to forward TMP‑3414 — the ordinance approving the 2025–26 COMBAT agreement between the City of Lee's Summit and Jackson County — carried with the committee voting aye. The committee recorded aye votes from Chair Shields, Member Tim Lopez and Councilmember Funk and recommended council approval.

Next steps: The agreement will be presented to the full City Council for final action; the committee packet identified the agreement amount as $250,000 and said the funds are largely intended to cover the four impact officers and youth outreach programming.

No additional terms or vote amendments were made at the committee level.","The Finance & Budget Committee voted Aug. 18 to recommend full‑council approval of a $250,000 COMBAT (Combat Drug Commission) agreement that will primarily fund four impact officers who work in Lee's Summit schools.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lee's Summit committee continues debate over municipal judge pay and plan for mental‑health docket

Lee's Summit police describe co‑responder crisis program as on‑scene alternative to arrest

Finance committee reviews 2026 budget calendar; Workday adaptive planning to be used for entry in January

Committee recommends city accept $250,000 COMBAT grant to support school impact officers