Welcome PageFinances and Budgeting Council ReportQuality of Life Council ReportInfrastructure Council ReportCommunity Engagement & Communication Council ReportCommunity & Business Development Council ReportCity of Leawood
Maintain balance between the fiscal support of existing services/ infrastructure, new initiatives and taxes.Enhance the council’s and public’s knowledge and understanding in city finances and financial planning.Maintain Leawood’s leadership in providing an exceptional quality of life by maintaining high levels of city services.Maximize operating efficiency and effectiveness in city services.Enhance community well-being by promoting health through programming.Enhance and maintain infrastructure through planned and coordinated efforts.Create a long-term plan that considers varying infrastructure needs and environmental impact within the community.Ensure physical infrastructure to support city operations is efficient and includes appropriate technology.Explore innovations to support energy resiliency.Implement branding within the City, incorporating the updated City logo and ensure Leawood is visually distinctive from adjacent communities.Enhance public safety by promoting prevention, resilience, and community.Design and implement a community communication plan with a focus on education and participation in civic life.Foster Inclusivity, Diversity, and Community Engagement to support the Leawood community values.Update the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Leawood Development Ordinance.Strengthen Business Development in coordination with the Leawood Chamber of CommerceExplore options for beautification, preservation and utilization of city rights-of-way and green spaces.
Finances and Budgeting UpdatesCommunity Engagement & Communication UpdatesCommunity & Business Development UpdatesQuality of Life UpdatesInfrastructure UpdatesDetermine the needed mill levy to support services. Review needs vs “nice to have” in context of our incredible place to Live, Work and Play.Incorporate the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) into fiscal planning activities to further align budgeting activities.Maintain AAA (Triple A) Bond Rating.Gather data on the balance between specialized taxes (sales and storm water tax) and objective assessments of need and incorporate this info into the budget process.Investigate the need for property tax relief.Review Ironhorse Golf Course Funding (review, operations, contract, finances, personnel, capital planning).Evaluate and plan for fire station & training needs, utilizing station location study, and understanding financial impacts in the context of other needs.Review all city-owned property for opportunities to reduce property holdings, if appropriate.Review Leawood Stage Company funding.Change the budget timeline to enhance early council input into overall budget decisions prior to budget adoption.Incorporate into budget planning information about the long-term implications of investment decisions.Develop and implement a citizen’s communications plan with the goal of educating residents on city finances.Evaluate staffing levels to ensure community needs are met.Identify resident priorities.Explore opportunities for partnership with Homeowner Associations or assisting them to cooperate to enhance resident quality of life.Adopt a master plan for 96th & Lee property, creating a neighborhood gathering place.Explore options to discourage panhandling, such as resident education and partnering with other cities on collective messaging.Explore options for community composting.Explore volunteers and/or community organizations to assist with tasks for elderly/disabled residents relating to the Leawood community.Ensure high employee engagement and satisfaction.Establish a program review processes for revenue generating services to ensure efficiency of operations in relation to service and contribution to city resources that includes a policy review (including fee setting), data on use, duplication with other government offeringsReview Parks and Recreation programs (innovation, reach, participation) in relation to cost and fees.Improve employee health and wellness.Plan for storm water efficiencies and address flooding issues through careful study of solutions and how they fit into overall fiscal planning.Evaluate infrastructure in alignment with core standards to analyze and rate infrastructure health.Carefully consider implications of 135th street widening.Explore improvements to enhance safety on streets for cyclists and pedestrians.Continue the prioritization of street enhancements and communicate about it to the community.Review and improve energy efficiency in city buildings.Investigate options for future alternatives, such as solar generation, co-ops, power storage and micro-grids.As opportunities arise, consider updating monument signs, manhole covers, and transition to branded street signs.Explore partnerships with other communities and organizations to enhance public safety.Include in community communication plan information to educate residents on safety and share info with homeowners’ associations.Regularly review and update the Leawood Emergency Operations Plan, associated documents, and test plans through exercises.Continue to improve city communication efforts through expanded digital platforms and outreach initiatives.Ensure Leawood is a welcoming place for all.Review of committee structure for effectiveness taking into consideration representation and engagement in the community.Develop specific housing objectives relating to diverse housing types including smaller homes, multi-family units, and “missing middle” housing.Pursue strategies that further those housing objectives during the Leawood Development Ordinance update process.Strengthen ordinance pertaining to unoccupied homes.Attract new businesses to vacant storefronts and foster strong collaboration with existing businesses to ensure retention and commercial success.Update Chamber agreement, including reporting requirements & metrics; clarify Economic Development Council’s and Chamber’s roles in recruitment/retention.Monitor health of shopping areas.Improve communication with residents to keep the community informed and engaged about the economic health of the city.Maintain strong relationships with Kansas City Area Development Council and the State of Kansas in business recruitment activities.Create a City-wide tree plan that is forward-looking and accomplishes an understanding of tree inventory.Explore options to limit and/or remove temporary signs.Explore dispersed and self-managed garden spaces.Explore options for pollinator gardens and monarch gateway.
Finances and Budgeting MetricsCommunity & Business Development MetricsCommunity Engagement & Communication MetricsInfrastructure MetricsQuality of Life Metrics# drainage complaints vs. annual rainfall
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PILLAR II: QUALITY OF LIFE

Maintain Leawood’s leadership in delivering an exceptional quality of life by sustaining high-quality city services, maximizing operational efficiency and effectiveness, and enhancing community well-being through health-focused programs and initiatives. 

 

Objective Performance

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Goal
Maintain Leawood’s leadership in providing an exceptional quality of life by maintaining high levels of city services.
Goal Update
Objective
Not Defined
Evaluate staffing levels to ensure community needs are met.Human Resources | Nic Sanders (Human Resources)
Objective Update

Staffing capacity appears aligned with community needs, supported by an Above Target result for benefit-eligible positions per 1,000 residents and strong resident satisfaction indicators. The broader quality-of-life objective remains On Target, suggesting that current service levels are sustaining community expectations.

Objective
Not Defined
Identify resident priorities.Communications | Beth Breitenstein (Administration)
Objective Update
Objective
Not Defined
Explore opportunities for partnership with Homeowner Associations or assisting them to cooperate to enhance resident quality of life.Administration | Diane Stoddard (City Administration)
Objective Update
Objective
Completed
Adopt a master plan for 96th & Lee property, creating a neighborhood gathering place.Administration | Diane Stoddard (City Administration)
Objective Update

The Planning Commission recommended approval of the final plan at its May 26, 2026, Planning Commission meeting. The Governing Body approved it on June 15, 2026.  The project is currently unfunded.

Objective
No Information to Report
Explore options to discourage panhandling, such as resident education and partnering with other cities on collective messaging.Police | Brad Robbins (Police)
Objective Update

Q3-2026: There have been other issues in the law enforcement community (World Cup soccer, e-bike and e-scooter safety concerns) that have pulled away resources from this topic. Locally, we had zero calls for service specific to the topic of panhandling in the city.

Objective
Not Defined
Explore options for community composting.Parks, Recreation, & Arts | Chris Claxton (Parks, Recreation & Arts)
Objective Update
Objective
Not Defined
Explore volunteers and/or community organizations to assist with tasks for elderly/disabled residents relating to the Leawood community.Communications | Beth Breitenstein (Administration)
Objective Update
Goal
Maximize operating efficiency and effectiveness in city services.
Goal Update
Objective
Not Defined
Ensure high employee engagement and satisfaction.Human Resources | Nic Sanders (Human Resources)
Objective Update
Objective
Completed
Establish a program review processes for revenue generating services to ensure efficiency of operations in relation to service and contribution to city resources that includes a policy review (including fee setting), data on use, duplication with other government offeringsFinance | Jeremy Willmoth (Finance)
Objective Update

During the FY 2027 budget process, the City established an annual review of program revenues to ensure that budgeted revenue projections are aligned with any fee increases or decreases approved by the Governing Body.

Goal
Enhance community well-being by promoting health through programming.
Goal Update
Objective
Not Defined
Review Parks and Recreation programs (innovation, reach, participation) in relation to cost and fees.Parks, Recreation, & Arts | Chris Claxton (Parks, Recreation & Arts)
Objective Update
Objective
Not Defined
Improve employee health and wellness.Human Resources | Nic Sanders (Human Resources)
Objective Update