ORDINANCE NO. 250018
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Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas
Calling for submission to the voters of Kansas City, at an election to be held on April 8, 2025, a question to remove approximately 3.42 acres of Longfellow Park located between E. 25th Street and E. 26th Street, and between Gillham Road and Cherry Street from the park system for the public purpose of expanding available free housing and lodging to families of ill and injured children needing nearby access to pediatric hospitals within Kansas City; directing the City Clerk to notify the responsible election authorities of the election no later than January 28, 2025; and recognizing this ordinance as having an accelerated effective date.
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WHEREAS, the City has a tradition of partnering with not-for-profit organizations for public purposes to provide community services that benefit the citizens of Kansas City; and
WHEREAS, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City (“RMHKC”) has been using the land and building at 2502 Cherry Street to provide free housing, lodging, and other services to thousands of families with sick children at nearby pediatric hospitals since 2006; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners (the “Parks Board”) has determined that there is an increased and growing need to serve and care for the families of ill and injured children that reside within the City, and throughout the City’s region, with close and nearby access to the children who are receiving treatment, services, and care at pediatric hospitals within the City; and
WHEREAS, the Parks Board deems a public purpose the conveyance of the 3.42 acres of Longfellow Park (the “Designated Land”) to a not-for-profit corporation based on terms and consideration acceptable to the City and the Parks Board for purpose of expanding housing, lodging and other services for sick children; and
WHEREAS, the Parks Board has determined that Sheila Kemper-Detrich Park, which is located between E. 26th Street and E. 27th Street, and between Gillham Road and Cherry Street, is approximately a 1/2 block away from Longfellow Park, and provides Kansas City residents with appropriate use of park land in close proximity; and
WHEREAS, City Charter section 1004(b) reads: “If any property is determined by the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners to be no longer necessary or appropriate for park, parkway, or boulevard use, such property may be removed from the park system by a vote of the people;” and
WHEREAS, on December 10, 2024, the Parks Board passed Resolution No. 32692 which approved and recommended that this Designated Land be removed from the park system; and
WHEREAS, such removal of this parkland would only be to convey said property to a not-for-profit corporation in response to a Request for Proposal, and based on terms and consideration acceptable to the City, including receiving an agreed upon price for the land, where such an agreement requires approximately 1.5 acres of the Designated Land to remain open and available to the public, and a reversionary interest to the City of the designated 1.5 acres of open and publicly available land if the purchaser ceases to operate as a not-for-profit corporation providing these free services; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. ELECTION CALLED. That an election is called on April 8, 2025, for the purpose of submitting to the voters of Kansas City the question of removing 3.42 acres of Longfellow Park from the park system.
Section 2. BALLOT TITLE. The ballot title shall be:
Should the City of Kansas City remove from its park system approximately 3.42 acres of Longfellow Park generally located between E. 25th Street and E. 26th Street, and between Gillham Road and Cherry Street, to convey said property to a not-for-profit corporation, for the public purpose of providing and expanding a campus to provide families with access to free housing, lodging and services that are nearby pediatric hospitals within the City, and authorize the City to convey said property for terms and consideration as the City may determine acceptable?
Section 3. NOTICE OF ELECTION. The notice of election shall read as follows:
NOTICE OF ELECTION
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
Notice is hereby given that the City of Kansas City has called a special election to be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., at which election all qualified voters residing within Kansas City, Missouri will be given the opportunity to vote.
The official ballot will be in substantially the following form:
OFFICIAL BALLOT
CITY OF KANSAS CITY
GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION, April 8, 2025
QUESTION NO. ______
(Park Property)
Should the City of Kansas City remove from its park system approximately 3.42 acres of Longfellow Park generally located between E. 25th Street and E. 26th Street, and between Gillham Road and Cherry Street, to convey said property to a not-for-profit corporation, for the public purpose of providing and expanding a campus to provide families with access to free housing, lodging and services that are nearby pediatric hospitals within the City, and authorize the City to convey said property for terms and consideration as the City may determine acceptable?
q YES
q NO
(Instructions to voters will be supplied by the election authorities.)
A full and complete copy of Ordinance No. 250018 (as it may be amended) submitting the above question to the electorate is on file in the office of the City Clerk of Kansas City, Missouri where the same is open for inspection and copying.
The polling places for the election will be (INSERT LIST OF POLLING PLACES IN LAST PUBLICATION ONLY)
I hereby certify that the foregoing is the legal notice to be published pursuant to Section 115.127, RSMo, as amended.
Given under my hand and the official seal of the Kansas City, Missouri, this __ day of ___________, 2025.
(SEAL) ____________________________
MARILYN SANDERS
City Clerk of Kansas City, Missouri
Before me, a notary public, personally appeared Marilyn Sanders, to me known to be the City Clerk of Kansas City, Missouri, and the person who acknowledged to me that she executed the same for the purposes therein stated.
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Notary Public
My Commission Expires:
Section 4. NOTICE TO ELECTION AUTHORITIES BY CITY CLERK. That following passage of this ordinance the City Clerk shall deliver certified copies of this ordinance and notice of election to the Clerk of Cass County, Board of Election Commissioners of Clay County, Board of Election Commissioners of Kansas City, and Board of Election Commissioners of Platte County, no later than January 28, 2025, which shall be the authority of each election authority of the City to submit the amendment to the electors of Kansas City and to give public notice as provided by law.
Section 5. ACCELERATED EFFECTIVE DATE RECOGNIZED. This ordinance, providing for the submission of question to the people of Kansas City, Missouri, is hereby recognized as having an accelerated effective date within the meaning of Section 503(a)(3)(A) of the City Charter, and as such shall take effect in accordance with Section 503.
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Approved as to form:
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Lana K. Torczon
Senior Associate City Attorney