Overview Fall 2019

For Overland Park Residents www.opkansas.org Fall 2019
Just because it’s on social media doesn’t mean...
Nearly every hour of every day you see someone with their smartphone or mobile device scrolling through various social media sites for the latest information.
Maybe there’s news about a family member or friend, an upcoming special event, the latest cooking tips, a funny video of a family pet or a post about possible unlawful activity.
Whether it’s Nextdoor, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or some other
communications outlet, there’s no guarantee Overland Park officials
can see your posts. Visibility depends on
the platform, geographic boundaries or homes
associations, your own privacy settings, and
other factors.
If you see suspicious activity or want to report a problem in your neighborhood, simply sharing the issue on social media may not help police or city officials see the information.
City officials can read and respond to your post if it is posted on or sent directly to an official city account. Still, there are challenges to Overland Park officials seeing or monitoring private messages.
Before posting something about suspicious behavior on your social media account, call the Overland Park Police Department’s non-emergency number, 913-895-6300. Always call 911 in an emergency. Social media should not be considered an alternative to 911 during an emergency.
To report a resident request, use the city’s customer service system OPCares. Do not use OPCares for an emergency.
If you see a post about suspicious criminal activity, ask the original writer to contact the police with any relevant information.
U.S. 69 improvements remain top of mind for local, state officials
“It’s the transportation spine of Overland Park and region,” Mayor Carl Gerlach said in a letter to federal U.S. Department of Transportation officials.
Mayor Gerlach is asking for support of the “Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD)” transportation discretionary grant application to fund continued planning. This planning would further prepare for the ultimate construction of improvements to U.S. 69 Highway south of 119th St.
For years, Overland Park Governing Body members, business and community leaders, state officials and others have sought federal support to improve U.S. 69 from I-35 to 167th Street. “ It is our number one transportation priority” said Tony Hofmann, director of Public Works.
This section of U.S. 69 is the busiest four-lane stretch of highway in Kansas.
“With your assistance, Overland Park will be able to improve safety, reduce congestion and improve travel time reliability along U.S. 69, a critically important regional commuter and freight corridor,” Gerlach stated in his letter. “It (U.S. 69) serves more than 13 percent of the state’s business community and 11 percent of the state’s employment base, and it generates more than $1 billion in tax revenue for the State of Kansas.”
Continued on page 3
Know your Mayor, councilmembers..................2 Be counted - 2020 Census...3 Festival, Farmstead, fun..5-13 2020 Budget holds line on property tax rate...3 Bulky item pickup.....................4 Recycling Extravaganza.....14