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Residents press Shawnee leaders on downtown safety, spending and housing authority practices
Summary
Residents and community members urged the Shawnee City Commission to explain use of public funds for downtown events, safety assessments for a public tour after a building collapse, and recent housing authority practices during the public-comment period.
Theresa Cody urged the City Commission on behalf of "the little people of Shawnee" to "stand strong for us" and asked for public answers about city decision-making, including why the city manager asked Pottawatomie County for funds to support a city-hosted event and who determined an "empty building tour" was safe to enter after a downtown building later collapsed.
"Why did the city manager send a letter to the Pottawatomie County Commission soliciting county funds for a city hosted event?" Cody asked, saying citizens "deserve to know" whether that request was discussed publicly. She also questioned whether the city appropriately approved public entry into potentially unsafe structures at a recent Shawnee Forward event.
Other citizens noted community events and volunteer efforts: Glenn Peck, speaking for the Salvation Army auxiliary, reported that receipts from their fundraising event rose from $14,000 last year to "$20,000" this year and thanked city leaders for their participation. Cindy Barter, a housing authority board member, praised the Fall Fest turnout, reported that the housing authority’s new CEO, Charles Unsell, has begun reforms, and raised concerns about a recent shooting and reports that a warrant related to the incident “was never served.”
David Henry and other community members announced a neighborhood "walk audit" and a student presentation about Dunbar Heights projects, encouraging public participation. Rob Morris asked the commission to list an address for an upcoming executive-session item and alleged county-level planning may be relocating the rodeo south of the city; he also made allegations about a private property sale and questioned whether a named official should remain in public office.
The public-comment period closed with the commission thanking speakers and moving on to the scheduled agenda items. No formal staff responses or policy actions were recorded during the public-comment segment; the matters raised — intergovernmental funding requests, building safety at public events, and the housing authority incident — were left as questions for follow-up.
