In 2024, cities in northeastern Johnson County gained new police chiefs, made headway on major developments and celebrated 75th birthdays.
Last week, mayors and other civic representatives from 10 cities in Johnson County’s northeast corner shared updates with a crowd of more than 100 people at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center for the 2025 Northeast Johnson County Chamber of Commerce State of the Cities address.
Here’s a city-by-city breakdown of what representatives said about what 2024 brought to their communities, and what they’re looking forward to in 2025.
Fairway
- Mayor Melanie Hepperly said the city and other partners are working with at least seven Native American tribes on the future of the Shawnee Indian Mission.
- Hepperly highlighted the recent nearly 10-year agreement the city entered with the Shawnee Indian Mission Foundation and the Kansas State Historical Society for the maintenance and reinterpretation of the Mission site.
- In 2025, the city is working on its parks and recreation master plan, as well as continued work on an active adult complex off Shawnee Mission Parkway called The Fieldston.
Merriam
- The city of Merriam celebrated the opening of a new library, the Merriam Plaza branch, in 2024, Mayor Bob Pape said.
- Plus, the city’s Merriam Grand Station development, which replaces the former Kmart, is bringing in new retail tenants, and one apartment complex is being leased.
- In 2025, Pape said Merriam is considering a single waste hauler idea, working to bury utilities along Shawnee Mission Parkway, and celebrating its 75th year anniversary.
Mission
- In 2024, the city of Mission completed nearly $5.5 million worth of improvements at two parks: Mohawk Park and Water Works Park, Mayor Sollie Flora said.
- The city has remained committed to infrastructure upgrades including a full reconstruction of 55th Street, she said.
- Flora also highlighted the several multifamily developments underway or proposed in Mission, as well as potential upgrades to Mission Mart.
- “I know you’re all really wanting an update on the project I get the very most questions about,” Flora joked. “Yes, Popeyes is finally under construction.”
Mission Hills
- Mayor David Dickey said that in Mission Hills, the installation of license plate readers have had a positive impact on crime prevention.
- The city is looking to redo Belinder Avenue in 2025 for the first time in about two decades, including updated sidewalks and trails.
- Dickey also encouraged his fellow northeast Johnson County elected officials and cities to talk to their local representatives about maintaining local control in Kansas.
Mission Woods
- Liz Albers, the executive committee chair for chamber of commerce, shared an update on behalf of Mayor Robert Tietze, including highlighting the city’s reduced mill levy, some major sinkhole repairs and a citywide birthday party in 2024.
- Albers said the city also has 100% participation from residents in the city’s curbside glass recycling program.
Overland Park
- Councilmember Logan Heley highlighted the city’s infrastructure improvements such as the new intersection at 103rd Street and Antioch Road.
- Like other cities, Overland Park also welcomed a new police chief in 2024 with Chief Doreen Jokerst, Heley said.
- Heley noted that the city is also working on an updated farmers market with new outdoor spaces and restroom access.
Prairie Village
- The city of Prairie Village approved an increase to police salaries and completed a Mission Road flood control project in 2024, Mayor Eric Mikkelson said.
- Mikkelson highlighted the city’s plan to close on a church property for its new city hall as well as a “new police justice center” as part of the municipal complex upgrades.
- In 2025, the city of Prairie Village is planning its 75th anniversary celebration and looking forward to construction starting at the former Macy’s department store, he said.
- “We’re gonna be making plans for our city’s 75th anniversary, and we’re going to be ensuring in every way that Prairie Village remains – in 75 years — as vibrant, beautiful, safe, functional and popular as it is today,” Mikkelson said.
Roeland Park
- Mayor Michael Poppa noted the city’s newly sworn-in Police Chief Cory Honas, who was appointed following the retirement of longtime chief John Morris.
- Poppa also highlighted the city’s commitment to the Northeast Johnson County Chamber’s initiative to support local businesses, as well as an investment to city-owned property and parks equivalent to $8,000 per household.
- Poppa said the city also became the first in Johnson County to release racist deed restriction language in April, and adopted a tree protection ordinance in 2024.
Westwood
- In Westwood, Mayor David Waters highlighted the upcoming public mail-in ballot that will ask residents whether the city should sell Joe D. Dennis Park to make way for an office-retail development.
- Waters also shared updates about the city’s planning efforts for a new city park, which is part of the deal if the office-retail development pans out.
- The city is also looking at what is in its city hall’s future by seeking design partners in 2025, he said.
- “While Westwood is small, we think big,” Waters said. “We did also have our 75th anniversary this year, but we intend, into the future, to really try and help lead northeast Johnson County when it comes to modern infrastructure, meeting housing needs, education, parking, green space offerings and the most current business and retail offerings that our residents deserve and expect.”
Westwood Hills
- Mayor Rosemary Podrebarac said the city of Westwood Hills celebrated its 75th birthday, and residents invested more than $1 million in upgrades to their homes in 2024.
- The city also made improvements to a stone pathway at its public park, as well as a new pedestrian barrier wall along a sidewalk in 2024, she said.
- Podrebarac thanked the city’s volunteers for helping during an Earth Day cleanup effort, as well as all of the city’s community partners.
