The Post asked readers in August about the issues they wanted to hear candidates running for Prairie Village city council address. Based on that feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire with the most important issues to Prairie Village residents.
Each day this week, we’ll publish the candidates’ responses to one of five questions. Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
The pandemic derailed discussions between the city, Johnson County Library and YMCA about a potential “civic center” that would combine a community center and new Corinth Library branch on land near Harmon Park. What’s your assessment of the viability of this project? Does Prairie Village need a new community center? If so, what’s the best way to pay for it?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
Ward 1
Thorne Daimler
Prairie Village does not need a new community center. While meeting with neighbors and voters it is clear there is no demand for such a project. There are already plenty of gyms, pools, and clubs in PV that fit the unique needs of our residents. Matt Ross Community Center is an 8-minute drive from City Hall, and Sylvester Powell is 12 minutes. The cost to build and operate a community center is extremely large. We are talking about 15 to 30 plus million. Then at least a million per year to operate. This is something large cities can handle, but not a village of ~23,000. Citizens will have to foot this bill through property taxes which are already too high. Instead of competing with local businesses, I would support the PV government working with local gyms and clubs to offer discounted pricing to citizens in a sort of group purchasing capacity. Getting even deeper into the issue, there are major demands from the library and YMCA that puts most of the financial burden and risk on our city and the taxpayers.
Cole Robinson
In early August, I distributed a survey to more than 1,400 homes in Ward 1 to better understand the top priorities of residents. The feedback I’ve received regarding the civic center concept has been decidedly mixed. While there are many folks who are strongly in favor of this project, there are also many who have concerns.
The general idea of updating our city’s amenities and creating a community gathering space is very appealing. In 2019, the city took the initial steps to gauge community interest, viability, and costs. That information is now outdated. We need to return to square one.
I support exploring the possibility of a civic center. A successful project would include buy-in from community partners, support from residents, and a clear roadmap for how to do it in a way that is a smart investment of our resources.
If due diligence confirms that those pieces are in place, the city should take a fully formed proposal to the residents for a vote. The majority of the project would be financed through a bond issue. Interest rates are at historic lows and the city is in a very strong position financially. If there ever were a time to invest in something like this, it’s hard to imagine better conditions than now. Nevertheless, this is a decision that should ultimately lie in the hands of Prairie Village voters.
Ward 4
Dave Robinson
In general, I am supportive of ideas or projects that connect and bring people together. We are tribal by nature and desire to be together. I read the earlier market study and feel that it was done well. However, times have changed since Covid and I believe opinions given on this project in the pre-Covid era would be different if the same study was conducted today. I would want the study updated or reassessed before moving forward. I would also need to understand the value, operating structure and fiscal participation from the City, YMCA organization and the County. I am told that there are functioning models within neighboring cites that can be studied to better understand how it might work in this proposal. The recent Meadowbrook redevelopment also has many of the same elements. Is this project performing as expected or is it too early to evaluate? I understand that there are other large infrastructure needs that have to be considered, including our aging city hall? So priorities need to be weighed. While I can envision a community center similar to Matt Ross or Sylvester Powell as a big positive for the City, I would still need to understand the expected demand, cost, and payback for such an undertaking. I believe such an undertaking is important and large enough that it needs to be approved by a public vote. The City has pledged fiscal transparency, maintaining the AAA bond rating, and to be mindful of any tax burden to citizens and businesses. All of which will be tested is such a project is to move forward.
Jessica Priestland
I am a big proponent of community programs. My grandmother helped raise me, which allowed me to spend a lot of time with her after school and during school breaks. We would often go to the local senior center and I would get the opportunity to participate in her line-dancing classes, Euchre games and other activities. Community centers such as this give recent retirees and aging residents the ability to easily socialize and stay active as well as provide beneficial wellbeing resources and lifestyle information. There seems to be a real lack of age-based programs located specifically in Prairie Village, or from my perspective, a lack of promotion and accessibility to any such programs. There are many of our residents who are currently “aging in place” or plan to “age in place” that don’t have access to the social programs and resources that most retirement facilities offer. I would like to advocate for more community programs in a space that makes the most financial sense to Prairie Village.
It is well known that many large fitness facilities have struggled to maintain their membership. In the Kansas City metro area, we have seen many smaller facilities change names several times and then eventually be bought out by a national chain. This makes me question whether Prairie Village is large enough, based on population, to financially handle the long-term costs of a large community center. Furthermore, I would like to better understand the details of the partnerships with the YMCA and the library. Many past YMCA patrons have been dissatisfied with the management and the overall upkeep of the Paul Henson YMCA, which makes me very concerned about a possible partnership with the organization.
I’d like to also better understand how the Civic Center would generate enough revenue to cover its costs of any necessary bonds issued for its construction and its overhead and operating expenses. It seems inevitable that the possible financial burden of this large-budget city project would fall into the hands of the residents. There are some important factors that need to be considered: What would be the monthly/annual membership costs for Prairie Village residents, would there be any special assessment taxes imposed, and are there any federal and/or county grants available to help minimize any financial burdens placed on the City and its taxpayers.
Furthermore, after speaking with some of our Prairie Village city administrators and staff, it is evident that the current City Municipal Offices and Police Station are in need of several updates and a possible “face lift”. With this in mind, and considering the financial concerns mentioned above, it may prove more beneficial to examine the possibility of a smaller scale project that consisted of updating, upgrading and expanding the current footprint of the City Municipal Offices, Police Station and Community Center.
This is a great example of a significant city financial decision that would impact nearly all residents of our community. The City Council needs to be deliberate, creative and resourceful in considering all possible proposals for a large-budget Civic Center, as well as, open to developing a smaller scale, upgraded expansion of our current municipal campus and community center. Keeping the residents of Prairie Village informed, involved and engaged in all stages of the development of such project, regardless of how big or small, will be imperative and essential for its success.
Ward 5
John Beeder
As I have met residents in Ward 5, I have heard little demand for a new community center. It’s just not a burning issue. Our area has many gyms, pools and fitness facilities available to our residents.Some ideas I’ve heard speculated about for a community center are quite elaborate. So, lacking any specifics … here are questions I’d ask to assess any proposal.
- Assuming a new community center will be financed by a Bond issue … how much of the city’s debt capacity will be needed and for how long?
- How many similar municipal projects in other cities end up operating at a deficit over time? What assurances are in place that our project will be economically
self-sustaining? … and not require a subsidy that would be a drain on the city budget. - Several proposals I’ve heard speculated about will put the project in direct competition with our small businesses … fitness studios, gyms, etc. How supportive is our local business community of this type of municipal project?
- Finally, I’m unclear about resident demand for a project.
I’d support an approach similar to what Shawnee took when they had a similar proposal. Shawnee held a city-wide referendum, ultimately rejecting a community center proposal by a wide margin. Critics argue that a special referendum could be costly ($50,000?) but the cost of a vote would be appropriate if we are talking about deciding on a 15-, 20- or 30-million-dollar project.
I am concerned that the cost of a community center would be high and ultimately unaffordable for our city. But I would be open to a referendum to gauge public support.
Gregory Shelton
I think the project is viable, but there’s a great deal of work left to be done in terms of defining the financing and solidifying community support. The “Market Sustainability Report” by Wiese Research Associates shows there is a clear desire among Prairie Village residents to consider the idea of a community and civic center further. So, proceeding with phase two, or the “Community Engagement Evaluation,” from the initial Memorandum of Understanding between the City, Johnson County Public Library and the YMCA is the appropriate next step should the Council choose to move forward. I think this is particularly important for Ward 5 residents because we have seen a fair amount of turnover in home owners in the two years since the initial “Market Sustainability Report” was completed in 2019, and these new residents should have the opportunity to contribute their thoughts and opinions on such an important and significant investment for our community.
As for the best way to finance the project, I am partial to a public/private partnership model (PPP), similar to what was used for Meadowbrook Park. I think the PPP model not only shares the cost burden on the project, but it also incentivizes greater collaboration among the partners. As for financing the project, it was evident from the Wiese Group’s “Market Sustainability Report” that our residents would like to see the City’s portion of the funding come from a sales tax or a hybrid sales/property tax specifically allocated to this capital project. This general insight from the “Market Sustainability Report” is one I would like to see further evaluated in the “Community Engagement Evaluation” stage of the development process.
On Tuesday, we will publish the candidates’ responses to the following question:
Prairie Village has seen some of the sharpest property valuation increases in Johnson County in recent years — which has translated to commensurate increases in taxes that have stressed the finances of some residents on fixed incomes. What’s your take on how the city should be handling this issue?
