The Unified Government Economic Development and Finance Standing Committee voted 6 to 1 Monday night to recommend allowing 23-hour alcohol sales during the FIFA World Cup, but only at bars and restaurants. The committee carved gas stations, convenience stores, and liquor stores out of the ordinance after extended debate over public safety.

The Kansas Legislature passed a law in April allowing cities to opt in to extended alcohol sales between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. the following day, from June 11 to July 19, the period of the World Cup matches. As originally drafted, the ordinance would have applied to any business regulated by the state Alcoholic Beverage Control board.

Three motions before agreement

Commissioner Chuck Stites (District 7) first moved to adopt the ordinance as drafted. That motion failed 4 to 3, with Chair Commissioner Melissa Bynum (At-Large District 1), BPU Board Member David Haley, Commissioner Andrew Davis (District 8), and Commissioner Jermaine Howard (District 1) voting no.

A second motion by Howard to forward the ordinance to the May 21 full commission meeting without a recommendation failed 5 to 2.

Commissioner Carlos Pacheco (District 5) then moved to limit the 23-hour rule to bars and restaurants only, leaving gas stations, convenience stores, and liquor stores under existing hours. The motion passed 6 to 1, with Commissioner Bill Burns (District 2) the lone dissent.

Pacheco said his common-sense concern was the difference between consumption at supervised establishments and retail sales for off-site consumption. “I remember when I was a college kid, it’s a lot easier to get in trouble at somebody’s house than it is at a bar,” he said. He added that he did not want visiting fans buying alcohol at 5:30 a.m. “because I don’t know where those folks are staying.”

Howard said he wanted to prioritize residents over the convenience of out-of-town visitors. Burns argued the change made little practical difference and questioned enforcement. “Who in the heck’s going to enforce that?” he asked.

Currently, KCK bars and restaurants can serve alcohol from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., while retail sales of cereal malt beverages and liquor are allowed from 9:00 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sundays.

UG Legal Department attorney Dilini Lankachandra said the police department had reviewed the proposal and did not object. The amended ordinance moves to the full commission on May 21.

Property tax relief feasibility study advances

The committee voted 7 to 0 to direct the county administrator to prepare an analysis of a homeowner property tax relief program proposed by Pacheco, called the Circuit-Breaker Assistance for Resident Equity, or CARE program. The analysis will return to the committee at its September 28 meeting.

Pacheco said the program would trigger a rebate when a homeowner’s property tax bill exceeds a set percent of household income, when property valuation spikes year over year, or for residents who have lived in their homes for at least 10 years. He proposed funding the rebates from new revenue growth tied to development rather than from existing general fund money.

“It is going to be incumbent upon us to create our own opportunities,” Pacheco said, criticizing the Kansas Legislature for failing to pass meaningful property tax relief.

Davis suggested that the UG staff explore partnerships with other taxing jurisdictions, including the school district, library, and community college, so the cost would not fall entirely on the UG.

Burns urged caution about adding administrative load. He worried the program could become “another part of the bureaucracy in this building where we may have to add five or six employees to make this thing go.”

The Rev. Bruce Draper of Churches United for Justice told commissioners that hundreds of people in member congregations are watching the issue. “It’s a local answer to a local problem,” he said, urging the committee not to drop the deadline for the analysis.

Assistant County Administrator Alan Howze said the September timeline is aggressive given that budget season runs through August, but Chief Financial Officer Shelley Kneuvean expressed confidence in delivering the financial analysis on time.

In a social media comment after the meeting, Pacheco wrote that the program “is about helping residents stay in their homes, easing the burden on families, and making sure we are seriously studying practical relief options that can work for Wyandotte County.”

Senior housing bonds approved for Homefield

The committee approved 7 to 0 a resolution to issue up to $15 million in industrial revenue bonds for AMD Partners for a senior living development near 94th St. and State Ave. in the Homefield STAR bonds area. The bonds provide a sales tax exemption on construction materials only and do not include any property tax abatement.

Kneuvean said the development falls within an existing STAR bonds district where the development agreement was modified to allow housing. Bond counsel Kevin Wempe of Gilmore and Bell said the project is being fast-tracked to the May 7 full commission meeting because of a May 15 application deadline for state tax credits. The bond issuance includes a $52 thousand community benefit ordinance contribution, half of which goes to the Community Benefit Fund.

Twelve census tracts nominated for federal Opportunity Zone 2.0

Commissioners voted 7 to 0 to nominate 12 census tracts for the federal Opportunity Zone 2.0 program. Nominations are due to the state by June 1, after which Governor Laura Kelly will choose which tracts move forward to the federal level.

Michael Sutton, redevelopment coordinator in the economic development department, said the new round takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, and will be more competitive than the previous program. Kansas had 74 eligible tracts in the first round but only 53 in this round.

Top recommendations include the Indian Springs site, the Quindaro Ruins area, downtown KCK, the area near KU Medical Center and the historic grain silos, the 18th Street and I-70 area, and an Edwardsville tract near the planned American Royal site.

Davis questioned what makes the new round different, given that no developers in Wyandotte County took advantage of the original program, by Sutton’s account. Monica Brede of the Wyandotte Economic Development Council corrected the record from public comment, telling commissioners that the Turner Logistics Park did receive opportunity zone investment.

Tanger Outlets gets two-month extension

The committee approved 7 to 0 an amendment to the development agreement for the Legends West Lawn project, granting Tanger Outlets a two-month extension on a paving deadline that lapsed Apr. 1. Tanger purchased the Legends in September.

Stinson attorney Todd LaSala said Tanger has spent more than $2 million above what the prior agreement anticipated on parking lot resurfacing, sidewalk repairs, lighting, signage, and other capital improvements since taking over.

Tanger general manager Brian Voyles said the company plans to replace the long-broken escalators with an additional bank of elevators rather than repair them.

A public commenter questioned why the UG keeps amending development agreements. “When are we going to get development agreements right the first time?” she asked.

Downtown SSMID renewal approaches

Dawn Rattan, executive director of Downtown Shareholders, and Edwin Birch, chairman of the Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District board, presented a renewal-year update on the SSMID, which must be reauthorized by Dec. 31, 2026. Property assessments raised about $516 thousand for the district in 2025.

Rattan said cleaning, safety, and marketing remain the primary focus. Arrests in the district increased from two over an 18-month period under the previous security model to 123 in six months under the current Kansas City, Kansas Police Department-staffed model.

Pacheco said increased downtown residency is needed before cleanliness and safety naturally improve, citing the transformation of the Crossroads Arts District in Kansas City, Mo. Rattan said the next Downtown Shareholders board will include two downtown residents, and the group is also looking at the UG’s second-story program to encourage residential conversions on the corridor.

Other actions

The committee approved 7 to 0 a six-month extension on the construction commencement date for the 4601 Rainbow apartment project near KU. The completion deadline of June 30 remains unchanged.

The committee deferred the fourth-quarter financial report for fiscal 2025 to the June meeting, when the first-quarter 2026 report will also be presented. Kneuvean noted sales tax exceeded budget but is growing only about 2 percent, against a consumer price index running at about 3 percent.