Shawnee council approves committee appointments, Cedar Trace rezoning and Frisbie Road closure; accepts county stormwater program

Shawnee’s City Council on May 27 approved a slate of committee appointments, rezoned agricultural land for a planned-unit-development called Cedar Trace, voted to close a road near the future Riverfront Park and authorized the mayor to accept a Johnson County stormwater management program that will fund multiple local projects.

The actions came during a regular meeting held after the Memorial Day holiday. Communications Director Doug Donahue said Council Member Laurel Burchfield was absent and Council Member Jeanne Murphy participated virtually; votes reported at the meeting reflect seven participating council members.

The council approved reappointment of 11 candidates to various city committees and appointed one new member each to the planning commission and the Community Police Advisory Board. The full slate of appointments passed 7-0.

The council unanimously (7-0) rezoned agricultural land to a planned-unit development for the Cedar Trace development in the 22,600 block of West 70 Fifth Street, according to meeting materials presented at the meeting. The council did not provide additional project specifics during the summary delivered by city staff at the meeting.

On a 6-1 vote, the council approved closing Frisbie Road just south of 40 Seventh Street. City staff said the closure is intended to limit trespassing and potentially reduce reports of illegal vehicles and activities at the future site of Riverfront Park along the Kansas River.

The council also authorized the mayor to accept the 2026 Johnson County stormwater management program. The program, as described at the meeting, features four city projects scheduled for next year plus seven additional future projects; all listed projects will receive matching funds from Johnson County. The motion to accept the program passed 7-0.

During the council committee portion of the meeting, the 2026 budget process continued. Staff presented department overviews covering the council budget and the administrations of the administration, community development, finance and information technology departments. The materials noted those six budgets account for roughly one-quarter of the city’s total operating budget for 2026. The council is scheduled to continue budget reviews with parks and recreation and public works on Monday, June 9, beginning at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at Shawnee City Hall.

Mayor proclamation: The meeting record notes the mayor proclaimed June 6, 2025, as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Shawnee to recognize 473 lives lost to gun homicides in the state of Kansas.

Attendance and procedural notes: With one council member absent and one participating remotely, the meeting’s recorded votes reflect seven members present unless otherwise noted. The meeting summary provided by city staff did not include motions’ mover/second names or detailed project plans for Cedar Trace beyond the rezoning action.