Johnson County commissioners direct staff to finalize five focus areas and report progress every six months

Johnson County commissioners on Wednesday directed staff to return with an adoption item for five county focus areas and asked for a formal six‑month progress report schedule.

The board’s direction — moved by Commissioner Hanslick and seconded by Commissioner Allen Brand — covers initiatives across housing, health and safety, fiscal health, preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (KC 2026) and strategic communications. The motion passed by voice vote with the board signaling unanimous support.

The vote followed staff presentations summarizing initiatives and impact statements the board drafted during a biannual retreat in January. Penny (staff) told commissioners staff had refined the retreat outcomes and added an impact statement to each focus area, and that the package before them reflected staff edits and the team’s recommended initiatives. “We would like for you at the end of today to give us direction,” Penny said, asking the board whether to place a formal adoption item on a future agenda.

Housing was presented by Jay Leipzig, Planning, Housing and Community Development, who described an internal housing strategic plan to align staffing and program responsibilities with the board’s initiatives. Leipzig said staff have proposed filling a recently authorized housing counselor position and are assembling a team to pursue partnerships and leverage community resources. The board discussed emergency warming and cooling options for people without safe, climate‑controlled shelter; Commissioner Hansel asked staff to explore partnerships with faith communities and other local groups to provide temporary centers when libraries and other public buildings are closed.

On housing, several commissioners suggested wording changes to better reflect county authority. Commissioner Breuer recommended labeling temporary facilities “extreme weather shelters or solutions” to cover both very hot and very cold events, and asked staff to use action verbs such as “support” or “provide” where county authority is limited. Staff said they would return with language and policy questions for board consideration.

Susan Bacherick (staff) led the health and safety discussion, outlining initiatives that span emergency medical services, wastewater and stormwater management, conservation efforts and capital programs. She described ongoing investments in wastewater treatment and water reclamation and said staff aim to align these programs under a stewardship lens. Commissioners pressed for measurable goals; Commissioner Ashcraft urged inclusion of metrics tied to socioeconomic determinants of health.

On fiscal health, staff recommended replacing the phrasing “sustainable budget” with “fiscal health” to emphasize long‑term financial strategy. The presentation noted upcoming work to evaluate programs and services at the program level, review expenditures, and explore new revenue options. Staff reminded the board of a budget retreat scheduled for March 28 to dive deeper into those analyses and said a fuller presentation on program and service‑level evaluation is planned for April 3.

Julie Karen (Deputy County Manager) and staff outlined preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying county planning has accelerated and that Beau McCall (innovation team) will serve as a KC 2026 special projects manager, borrowed temporarily from the innovation team for roughly 18 months. Commissioners emphasized maximizing economic benefit and coordinating with regional partners; one commissioner noted Kansas City area economic development entities are already aligning around similar goals.

The final focus area, strategic communications, will be coordinated by a new standalone communications and engagement department. Staff said they are recruiting a director who will inventory current communications across departments and create a multi‑year strategic plan intended to strengthen two‑way engagement with residents. Commissioners voiced caution about a logo‑centric “rebranding” and requested that communications emphasize tangible benefits to residents and include reciprocal outreach channels.

As next steps, staff said they would revise wording based on today’s feedback and place a formal adoption item on a future board agenda. The board also directed staff to bring back semiannual progress reports on the adopted focus areas. The motion recorded in the transcript was: “I move, the board to direct staff to bring back an item, to adopt the focus areas presented, at today's CAL and to schedule, every 6 months a report, out on the progress.” The motion passed by voice vote.

The board closed the Committee of the Whole after the motion and adjourned for the day.