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Leawood council approves permanent, app‑controlled City Hall lighting at $32,432
Summary
Leawood's governing body unanimously approved a $32,432 one‑time purchase to install an app‑controlled permanent lighting system on City Hall, with the city estimating a two‑year payback compared with current temporary installation costs.
The Leawood governing body voted unanimously March 2 to install a permanent, app‑controlled lighting system on City Hall at a one‑time cost of $32,432.
Management intern Joel Parsons told the council the city currently spends about $15,000 a year on temporary holiday lighting and that the proposed permanent system would "break even in just two years." Tony Kukar, owner of Getlit KC, demonstrated the phone app that will let staff choose color presets for holidays, sports teams and awareness months, and described a low‑profile mounting system secured with 3M tape.
The proposal calls for lighting on all four sides of the building, vertical corner drops and colored tree lighting around the central fountain; permanent strips around windows were not proposed because of wiring and appearance concerns. Parsons and Kukar said seasonal wreaths and some tree installations would continue to be handled seasonally by the vendor, while the city retains ownership of the wreaths and many tree lights.
During questions, council members asked about LED lifespan, warranty coverage and schedule policy for special color programs. Kukar described typical LED lifespans of 15–20 years if run nightly and said the company initially offered a five‑year parts and labor warranty; he later told the council the vendor is offering a lifetime warranty on the product. Council members also discussed whether the system would be used for religious holidays or awareness months; staff said the system supports month‑long presets and that the city can coordinate scheduling with community partners.
Council member Julie Kaine moved to approve the installation as outlined in Parsons' memorandum; the motion was seconded by Sherry Ged and passed unanimously.
City staff said the permanent installation is intended to reduce annual installation and removal costs, minimize damage risk to building brick and sidewalks associated with repeated temporary installs, and provide greater operational flexibility for civic events and national observances going forward.
