Commission recommends two‑year moratorium on penal and correctional special uses to county board

The City Planning Commission voted on Feb. 9 to recommend that the Unified Government Board of County Commissioners adopt a two‑year moratorium on special uses for penal and correctional institutions.

The resolution was drafted by the legal department at Commissioner Christian Ramirez’s request and was presented for commission discussion by deputy chief counsel Wendy Green. Planning staff said they had received no current inquiries or applications to build such a facility in Wyandotte County.

Supporters at the hearing said the pause would give the county time to evaluate the land‑use, public health and emergency‑service implications of detention facilities before any siting proposals advance. "A moratorium provides a unified government time to assess land use authority, community impacts, and the long term consequences of detention citing decisions," said Beto Lugo Martinez of Rise for EJ.

Several speakers framed the moratorium as a proactive protection for immigrant and working‑class communities; others said the measure was largely symbolic if the federal government simply proposed a facility elsewhere.

Commission action and next steps: Commissioner Easterwood moved the recommendation and Commissioner Jones seconded; the motion passed by roll call (announced in the meeting as 'Motion carries 4 to 2'). The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration at its Feb. 26 meeting. Planning staff said that, while no applications are currently filed, the moratorium would pause the filing of new special use applications for penal or correctional facilities for two years if the Board adopts the recommendation.