Shawnee council approves permit, code changes and $50,000 seed grant; adopts six policy statements

Shawnee City Council on Oct. 27, 2025 approved several consent and action items, including a special-use permit for Saint Joseph to install a new turf field and lights in its sports stadium, amendments to the city code expanding a motorized-skateboard ordinance to include scooters and unicycles, a $50,000 seed grant for a downtown coffee shop and adoption of six policy statements.

The council approved a special-use permit for Saint Joseph to install a new turf field and new lighting in its sports stadium; the meeting summary states the permit "passed unanimously." The record provided to the public did not list individual votes for that item.

Council members also adopted amendments to the ordinance that had previously covered motorized skateboards. The revised language explicitly adds scooters and unicycles, includes right-of-way language and requires helmets for riders under 18. According to the meeting summary, those amendments passed on an 8-0 vote.

Owners of the new Current State Coffee requested a $50,000 seed grant to cover updates to a Downtown Shawnee location. The grant passed on a 5-3 vote. The council approved a condition that the second disbursement of the grant funds will not be released until the business is open to the public, per the meeting announcement.

The council also voted to adopt the policy statements proposed last month for statements numbered 12, 21, 33, 49, 56 and 60; the meeting summary reports those items passed unanimously.

The meeting wrap-up also notes that proposed standby fees for the Shawnee Fire Department were not considered at this meeting so staff could review them further. Election-day polling information and the date of the next council meeting were announced by staff.