[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6526624,"mediaKeyId","3779374-f46c11c7f9ff459ac5c3e7ede50456d4","parentId",3779374,"title","Mental health advisory committee reports embedded court clinician, urges data sharing and diversion expansion","audioSeconds",142,"startMs",333000,"endMs",475000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3779374-f46c11c7f9ff459ac5c3e7ede50456d4&start=333&end=475","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3779374-f46c11c7f9ff459ac5c3e7ede50456d4/thumbnail_333000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6526624/Overland-Park/Johnson-County/Kansas/Mental-health-advisory-committee-reports-embedded-court-clinician-urges-data-sharing-and-diversion-expansion","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526624-8a49a561655d59687ff470a2dfcfb326/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448302&Signature=PdaOeIF9QzaKv2i9XCOrQeMv9-pH6xNdKD61MfvBMNUJVWh7tpsTccMYIJp-9XorpOs-xQ7rwY0vQfemg1wIY0BZ44PgZYiGfY2uZygJEGftNAQ~W7cFmw7VixhCwvjjM9X-IcW8gT1Gl2UGkDSB4kj6~iaBgAQwFs-H3SkK33muOJHfa0GHsvAs11cXlJSA3L7MUsuiocM~ba~0ykfw5~~slt9HCwga~XtslPwXm5BhaEwieNczzhJqumKTIxqr4TiId5VyyvO0xpwyPAfquxNkCt06GszCH8PM6Jdwgu8U1PlSP4sngbWL3V87c-Yiz-MvH6R5Dyh07WwpUKne4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Overland Park","date","2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","article","Anne Simmons, chair of Overland Park’s Mental Health Advisory Committee, told the Public Safety Committee June 11 that the committee met a behavioral health specialty court clinician who will be embedded in municipal courts to identify candidates for mental-health diversion earlier in the process.

\"We felt like it was prudent use of those monies, to do a partnership with the therapeutic community,\" Simmons said, referring to committee input on using opioid-settlement funds to open a spot specifically for Overland Park Municipal Court misdemeanors. She said that placement is significant because, before this partnership, slots for municipalities were not available.

Why it matters: Committee members emphasized that earlier identification and diversion for people with behavioral-health needs can keep suitable cases out of the criminal-justice system and improve local access to treatment.

Key points from the update

- Embedded court clinician: The committee said the clinician, named Eliza Rink, will be embedded in the courts and notified when cases appear to have a mental-health component so diversion options can be considered earlier.

- Opioid-settlement funding and partnerships: Simmons said the committee supported using opioid-settlement resources for a partnership with a therapeutic community that reserved a slot for municipal-court defendants. The committee also described a new substance-abuse case manager position that the police department will share with county partners; staff previously said that position is funded in part by opioid-settlement dollars and in part by the special alcohol control fund.

- Data sharing and coordination: Simmons urged the city to share municipal-level criminal-justice and police data with county partners to give a fuller regional picture and improve planning and grant-seeking. She said municipal court staff are already participating on a committee studying criminal-justice costs and fines/fees that may contribute to deeper system involvement for some people.

- Recognition and training: The committee noted Overland Park Police’s CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) platinum recognition, saying the department is the only municipal department nationally to receive that designation, and described ongoing efforts to communicate mental-health and substance-use resources more clearly on the city website.

Questions and next steps

Committee members asked for specifics about what municipal data should be shared; Simmons cited arrest and court-filing data and general criminal-justice cost data as useful. The committee said it will continue to advocate for clarity in municipal communications about behavioral-health resources and monitor how proposed federal funding changes may affect local service availability.

Simmons said the committee appreciates the city’s support and expects to remain involved as the court-clinician pilot and diversion expansion move forward.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Overland Park - Public Safety Committee - Jun 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The chair of Overland Park’s Mental Health Advisory Committee told the Public Safety Committee June 11 that a behavioral health specialty court clinician will be embedded in the courts and that the committee supports using opioid-settlement funds to expand municipal-level treatment slots and data sharing with county partners.","taxTitle","Overland Park, Johnson County, Kansas","taxId",4679,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6526629,"Public Safety Committee forwards revised animal-control ordinance to council",301,3334000,3635000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3779374-f46c11c7f9ff459ac5c3e7ede50456d4&start=3334&end=3635","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3779374-f46c11c7f9ff459ac5c3e7ede50456d4/thumbnail_3334000.jpg","/articles/6526629/Overland-Park/Johnson-County/Kansas/Public-Safety-Committee-forwards-revised-animal-control-ordinance-to-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526629-b52b089f5e3113f966e39fb3ccc27dbe/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448302&Signature=kdnJXgaMfFqmq1R27L5TTIjmc3icc1W97H7kPk7RA7n941~XM8MkZmGrgFxm0cujjoNqxUEd9HupW-eZr9ChzZNcrCQ177a9c5pTgaJLlv~iBE6t2g9y~9GIIaaqvwaDMU6BH-BRdYPs9ZC9wbKYLdKcO7Ftj~Q6Qqr-~RBAVZRtUFKYthICXz3QRvJQqby282Z4oQnwC3fsyOAb8G~~6GdkeWY9UdY1gt8~L-yDdwSBVfFkPtm4KYZ4FUOLOJB3GKABUOR2NwNu4gobbZGbZ7g31JR86rErIU1SoyaE8mc0R1CVy8ayaO15rygtokZwoo5zRL35NDwZ-KCENUa9Cw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Overland Park Public Safety Committee voted unanimously June 11 to recommend City Council passage of ordinance DAC-3486, a package of changes to the city’s animal-control code intended to simplify licensing, make fostering easier and adjust breeder and household-animal rules.

City attorney’s office staff told the committee the ordinance implements four changes the committee requested after earlier briefings from the SPCA and animal-control officers. The changes include allowing one-, two- and three-year pet licenses to be issued through the city clerk’s office and raising the number of animals a household may keep without a special permit to four in any combination of dogs and cats.

The ordinance also changes breeder-permit requirements so that a permit is required per animal that is bred more than twice per year, rather than a single permit covering multiple animals. Staff said the change aims to reduce the number of unwanted animals by increasing permit specificity.

Fostering rules were simplified: the city removed the separate animal-foster-home permit. Residents who foster animals through a licensed adoption shelter will be allowed to keep a fostered animal for up to 180 days without registering it as their own; if the foster arrangement extends beyond 180 days, the resident must register the animal.

City staff also added a definition for “animal rescue operation” to support the revised fostering provisions and removed an outdated, annex-specific animal provision so the four-animal rule applies citywide.

At the meeting Eric Leonard, senior assistant to the city attorney, summarized the changes and said he had implemented the committee’s direction. \"I believe I did everything you asked me to do,\" he told the committee.

Vote and next steps

A motion to recommend City Council passage of ordinance DAC-3486 was made and approved unanimously; the recommendation advances the ordinance to City Council for final consideration.

What the ordinance does not change

Staff emphasized that except for the four changes described, existing municipal code provisions were left in place. The committee’s action does not itself change enforcement practice; those details will remain part of municipal operations and any implementing administrative rules.","The committee unanimously recommended City Council passage of ordinance DAC-3486 on June 11, revising pet-licensing terms, breeder permits and foster rules to ease fostering and adjust limits on household animals.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6526634,"Public Safety Committee recommends 2026 public-safety budget, adds staff and new programs",2622,697000,3319000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3779374-f46c11c7f9ff459ac5c3e7ede50456d4&start=697&end=3319","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3779374-f46c11c7f9ff459ac5c3e7ede50456d4/thumbnail_697000.jpg","/articles/6526634/Overland-Park/Johnson-County/Kansas/Public-Safety-Committee-recommends-2026-public-safety-budget-adds-staff-and-new-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526634-bb356604532a8af273bf13ba8b96a9b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448302&Signature=isOQx5m6tl3BX8O3t~7GyL4C1O~DOD-GVNMuZaEo0zqOyJzz5pDNypwQ1ToplJpvCyX5HPfemyMxkmtR9d44mNM4w8Ft8vqwR-fWNCxfHsUNuLUCy9-lqaPJ58Vv1zOnYjMUFB3Arg8unlPjb0a~m2Kqydfh1S8Fhy3rhaW17J6vzF9AML1zjOX86MTSEWNa02NiRWGu9gq9AMQae0yJG01gOUom2iIIcjsYPkBCImUeB1Nbti5X~TyFpA3fIz3UOyITyxdx7jmyxsBZz2dVee~lGBo1ZtUE5N7oLzt-ErQu51doEwM731QtqiUohABFdU1XCUlhU5epXzOp0yPyEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Overland Park Public Safety Committee voted unanimously June 11 to recommend the proposed 2026 public safety operating budget and related strategic goals to the Committee of the Whole, forwarding a package that staff said funds new positions, mental-health responses and one CIP change supported by federal grant money.

The recommendation covers a proposed $190.2 million total operating budget across all funds, with $97.8 million—about a 6.5% increase over 2025—earmarked for public safety (police and fire). City staff told the committee that personnel costs drive most of the increase and that public safety represents roughly 53% of the general fund operating budget.

City staff said the general fund’s total revenues are projected at $354,100,000, with sales taxes providing about 46% of that total and property taxes about 35%. The overall city budget the staff presented was listed as approximately $998,000,000 for 2026 planning purposes.

Why it matters: Committee members said the budget supports hiring and retention in departments that provide core public services, funds mental-health response work that aims to reduce criminal-justice involvement, and prepares the city for 2026 events such as World Cup activities.

Key budget changes and programs

- Personnel and recruitment: Staff said the proposed budget adds full-time equivalents (FTEs) including six firefighter positions tied to the planned company addition at Station 45 (projected to begin service in September 2026), a property technician in the police property-control unit and a civilian chief of staff position in the police department. The city estimated firefighter and police personnel services make up about 90% of each department’s operating budget.

- Mental-health and substance-use services: The proposal funds a new substance-abuse case manager position shared between the police department and county partners; staff said that position will be partly funded by the opioid-settlement fund and partly by the special alcohol control fund.

- Shift differential and operational supports: The police department’s 2026 request includes an increase in evening/night shift differential (budgeted at about $190,000) intended to make local compensation more competitive, plus increased funding for the crossing-guard contract and additional technology and operational items.

- CIP and grants: Staff reported a federal grant of $105,000 that replaces city funding for a bomb robot and explosive trailer project (project PE3196). The total project cost remains listed at $400,000.

- Special funds: The opioid-settlement fund is budgeted at roughly $1,700,000 for 2026 (a reported 31% increase from 2025, driven by beginning fund balance). Staff said the city is in approximately year four of a roughly 19-year settlement distribution and that opioid-settlement money is intended for prevention, treatment and mitigation. The special alcohol control fund was presented at about $5,900,000 (a reported 6% increase), with revenues from the liquor-by-the-drink tax and expenditures that include contributions to the Drug and Alcoholism Council and partial funding for school resource officers and probation/court programs.

Staff also described existing intergovernmental service arrangements in the fire budget, citing reimbursements for fire services to Oakwood Park, Marion and Johnson County Fire District No. 2. Staff noted those reimbursements appear on both the revenue and expenditure sides of the budget.

Questions from members

Committee members asked staff to clarify retirement contribution trends tied to state retirement systems and to explain the structure and long-term viability of special funds. Staff said state actuarial decisions and plan membership changes have driven increases in pension contributions and that the city has historically kept a cautious balance in the special-alcohol fund because legislated revenue streams can change.

Vote and next steps

Councilmember Bagheili moved that the Public Safety Committee recommend approval of the proposed 2026 public safety budget and strategic goals with the changes discussed; the motion passed unanimously. The Committee’s recommendation will be considered next by the Committee of the Whole and later by the City Council as part of the citywide budget process.

What remains unresolved

Staff and committee members noted several items for continuing work, including refinement of strategic-goal language related to World Cup safety and a suggested explicit goal tied to construction of the police training facility (the facility’s construction funding is included in 2026 planning). Staff said further details and final budget language will be provided as the budget moves through the city’s approval process.","The Overland Park Public Safety Committee voted unanimously June 11 to recommend the 2026 public safety operating budget and strategic goals to the Committee of the Whole, approving personnel additions, new behavioral health funding and a federally funded bomb-robot grant.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mental health advisory committee reports embedded court clinician, urges data sharing and diversion expansion

Public Safety Committee forwards revised animal-control ordinance to council

Public Safety Committee recommends 2026 public-safety budget, adds staff and new programs