Alex Welch Blattner

@alexwelchblattner

I'm a YIMBY sharing my thoughts on local Shawnee, KS politics and live skeeting city council meetings. she/hers #BlackLivesMatter Reskeet =/= endorsement.

42 Siguiendo239 Seguidores1272 Publicaciones

Bluesky

¿Es tu perfil?Reclámalo y alexwelchblattner.dirty.social es tuyo.Reclamar perfil

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Jun 23

The governing body ultimately needs to figure out how to fund these projects. Staff offered the following recommendations:

Recommendations:

Visitors Center/Museum:
1) Fund and complete a Visitors Center/Museum planning effort to establish scope, location, cost, and operational impacts in early 2027.
2) Discuss in Spring 2027 project scope, location, cost and funding options.
3) Continue discussion regarding long-term funding options for major capital investments at ST 1929.
4) Defer any decision on project prioritization until planning and funding information is available.

Rail Creek Park:
1) Receive finalized Rail Creek Master Plan
2) Continue advancing the Rail Creek Park Master Plan and pursue grant opportunities identified in the plan.
3) Review and discuss incremental development based on grant awards and available funding
4) Direct staff to continue to plan/budget grant cost share funding for Rail Creek Park
5) Review both Visitors Center and Rail Creek Park plans as new information is available.

The question is not simply 'Which project do we want?' but also 'How do we pay for it?'

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Jun 11

See you there!

JOIN US FOR AN ICE CREAM SOCIAL
AT THE BLATTNER HOME WITH KS-03 CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE SARAH PREU

DONATIONS WELCOME
BUT NOT REQUIRED

DM/text me for the address!

JULY 12 2-4 PM

PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE FOR SARAH PREU FOR KS

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Jun 8

No recap today due to technical issues with the livestream! #SayYESShawnee

City of Shawnee, KS Government

Due to technical issues, we are unable to live stream the City Council or Council Committee meetings for June 8, 2026. An audio recording will be made available at a later date. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Jun 5

I am so excited about Sarah Preu’s candidacy for House of Representatives. If you have questions about Sarah or her campaign I’d be happy to connect you! @sarahpreu.bsky.social

Endorsement:

Sarah Preu is the progressive voice we deserve in Washington.

Shawnee needs a representative who will fight for affordable housing, transit justice, and climate action in Congress. Sarah Preu is that candidate and will stand up for us instead of corporate interests.

Alex Welch Blattner
Community Organizer and Democratic Precinct Leader

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Apr 14

Next item is the All Funds Discussion in preparation for the 2027 budget process. Finance Director Sean Rocco going over how different city funds interact. The city is working toward the following budget milestones:

July 20 - notify county clerk of city's intent to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate

July 21-Sep 9: Council sets public hearing date for budget adoption

Aug 20-Sep 20: public hearing and votes for exceeding the Revenue Neutral Rate and adopting the budget

Oct 1: city submits finished budget to the county clerk

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Mar 10

I LOLed

WOKE transit (car):
Needs license/registration so the government can track you
Government regularly inspects it to legally drive
Legally forces you to pay
Insurance so they can pay for other people's accidents
Fuel needs big government subsidies to stay under $5/gallon
Government can revoke privilege to drive anytime

PATRIOT transit (bike):
Not required to register
No inspection requirement
Bike insurance optional.
Not required
No need for government subsidies
Biking privilege cannot be revoked

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Jan 8

Tonight’s Transport Trivia eat: Sushi Mido!

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Dec 9

Congratulations to the newly seated members of Shawnee’s City Council! We will not be sharing a recap of tonight’s meeting due to computer issues, but the meeting recording is available here: cityofshawnee.civicweb.net/document/315...

Back row: Steele Reynolds, Eric Persson, Morgan Rainey, Erin Aldridge

Front row: Sierra Whitted, Laurel Burchfield, Mickey Sandifer, Kurt Knappen, Jeanie Murphy

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Nov 7

shot, chaser

Say NO to the "Say Yes" Slate
The "Say Yes" group is the remnant of the force that was pushing Shawnee a few years back to waste taxpayer dollars on a community center. This included burying deep down in various reports the true costs to the community. What happened? The citizens of Shawnee did not fall for the garbage that was being thrown at them and that item was defeated at a citywide election 72% to 28%.

The "Say Yes" group with their liberal, tax and spend, social justice ideology is a threat to the city and beyond. City council positions become the training ground for far left candidates. It may start on the coasts, but it can and does work its way into the middle of our country.

To maintain a city government that will truly work for the citizens of Shawnee and not a bunch of far left idealogues, please do not vote for the "Say Yes" slate.

Shawnee Ray’s Ramblings
Local Election Results 2025

First, congratulations are in order to those who were elected to the Shawnee City Council.

Second, sympathies go out to the citizens of Shawnee. When you start seeing mill levy increases in, coupled with rising home values, please, if you voted for these tax and spend liberals, don't complain. When you see funds expended for incentives for questionable development projects, and if you voted for these tax and spend liberals, don't complain. Same for any far left social programs.

For those who sat home and didn't vote because it was "only the city council, but I vote in the gubernatorial and presidential elections" , you too need not complain when the above happens.

Good luck Shawnee, you'll need it.

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Nov 5

If we’re lucky, this jerk is next!

State Sen. Mike Thompson speaks against the NDO in 2019

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Nov 5

Don’t mind me, just over here thinking about how both of the no votes on the 2019 NDO (Jenkins and Kemmling,) plus its greatest opponent (Gillette,) have now all been unseated 🥰

A smiling emoji with its chin in its hands kicking its feet behind it

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Oct 28

these candidates are fantastic people and would make excellent members of our city council. Additionally, their opponents are all MAGA extremists and I don't want them making decisions for how this city is run. We need reasonable, level-headed leadership in Shawnee! #SayYESShawnee

The following city council candidates reflect Say YES Shawnee Values:

Ward 1: Steele Reynolds
Ward 2: Eric Persson
Ward 3: Morgan Rainey
Ward 4: Erin Aldridge

Advance in-person voting starts October 25
Election Day: Tuesday, November 4

www.sayyesshawnee.org

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Aug 26

Here are the comments I made in favor of a flat mill levy for the budget: #SayYESShawnee

I’m here because I have heard that some councilmembers are pushing for yet another mill levy decrease. This concerns me, especially in light of looming financial uncertainty due to tariffs, and recent infrastructure failures such as the pipe collapse on Monticello and the sinkholes near me in Ward 2. I appreciate Councilmembers Whitted, Murphy, and Burchfield for being present at the budget open house to engage with residents on the budget processs, and Councilmember Murphy for holding a Ward 2 town hall meeting to discuss further. Often, the concerns used to justify a mill levy decrease are the city’s high levels of reserves, and tax relief for residents in need. I sympathize with both of these concerns, but a mill levy decrease is not the most efficient method to address them.

If the concern is about the city’s reserves being too high, staff has already implemented an excellent Reserve Reduction Plan to address this. I do have concerns about spending the reserves down too far because we’re losing out on revenue from interest. But if further reduction is needed, I’d like to see the city put more reserve dollars towards critical infrastructure projects like stormwater pipe repairs and adding curb and gutters to streets that don’t have them.

If the concern is about tax relief for those in need - especially seniors who are struggling to stay in their homes - again, we have put in place a Property Tax Rebate Program for those individuals that would save them a lot more than the $6/month they’d save with a 1-mill decrease. We could even expand that plan to cover more income levels if the program’s utilization remains low.

In conclusion, the city already has more effective plans in place to address the concerns of reserves and tax relief. A mill levy decrease is a one-size-fits-all solution that benefits large businesses and wealthy homeowners much more than it benefits those who need the help most, and it risks leaving the city unable to address our crumbling stormwater and street infrastructure. I, personally, am more than happy to pay $6/month in exchange for being able to walk and drive around on streets that work. I ask you to approve a flat mill levy for this and future budgets.

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Aug 26

Leaving city council after defeating another irresponsible mill levy decrease like

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Aug 26

This is how the public felt about each option (I'm not sure who was surveyed for this.)

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Aug 26

Community Development Director Kevin Manning giving a presentation on the street improvements at Black Swan and Quivira. Proposing different options for street designs:

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Aug 11

Campaign finance reports are in for the first part of the election, so I pulled together some information for each candidate running in Shawnee! I totaled each candidate's donations, loans, and in-kind contributions from themselves (under Self-Funded) and others (under Donations.)

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Jul 15

Hall of Shame 7.14.25 #SayYESShawnee

Councilmember Tony Gillette
Shawnee, Ward 1

On his continued push to reduce the mill levy despite staff warnings and looming financial uncertainty:

“We did not do a mill levy rate reduction on this budget last year, and we still took in over $1.3 million dollars to the city coffers. So, just as a tee-up for our budget sessions, I will be proposing a mill levy decrease.”

7/14/25 city council, approx. 00:54 time stamp

Say YES Shawnee 2025

Councilmember Mike Kemmling
Shawnee, Ward 2

On his opposition to contributing $55,000 to the Americana and Ales World Cup event to bring foot traffic and exposure to small businesses in his ward:

“I’m for the event if they want to find a way to fund it themselves, but I’m against the city giving money for it.”

7/14/25 city council, approx. 1:00 time stamp

Say YES Shawnee 2025

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Jun 19

brought a special guest to Transport Brewery trivia tonight!

my dog Tex, a black and white schnauzer/poodle mix.

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Jun 7

Having a great time watching the Billy Joel cover band at Old Shawnee Days! 🤠

me and my husband sitting in lawn chairs and smiling

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Jun 6

Exciting news! Tune in to KSHB 41 at 6pm today to see some #SayYESShawnee members talk about the work we’re doing here in Shawnee.

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· May 13

when ultraconservative efforts to delay and deny multifamily housing fail on purely procedural grounds…..

Kamala Harris saying “can someone turn that UP?”

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· May 12

I just noticed this on the city council agenda for tomorrow. If equitable housing and community development is important to you, there is still time to sign up to speak at the public hearing! cityofshawnee.civicweb.net/Portal/Meeti...

Conduct a public hearing on the community development and housing needs for the 2026 Community Development Block Grant program.

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Apr 29

Hall of Shame 4.28.25 #SayYESShawnee

Councilmember Mike Kemmling (Shawnee, award 2) on his continued push to reduce the mill levy despite staff warnings and financial uncertainty:

“I know when we talk about mill levy and reductions, everyone gets scared because [the city’s reserve balance] goes to 0 when [city staff] plan it out, but this is just one more example of a time when we went in thinking it was gonna be 58 and we got 66, so, just pointing that out again.”

4/28/25 council committee, approx. 1:06 time stamp, Say YES Shawnee 2025

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Apr 29

Hall of Shame 4.28.25 #SayYESShawnee

Councilmember Tony Gillette (Shawnee, Ward 1) on his opposition to incentivizing multifamily housing:

“To date on this council as a councilmember, I have not voted for any traditional TIF or CID and I really don’t intend to do so as a councilmember. Had I been on the council at this time I would not have supported this TIC for 20 years long for an infill apartment complex at 80%.”

4/28/25 council meeting, approx. 1:03 time stamp, Say YES Shawnee 2025

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Apr 12

your daily dose of Sarahtonin 😌

a light brown dog curled up on the couch with her toes touching her nose

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Apr 9

Your daily dose of Sarahtonin 😌 Sarah is still available for adoption or foster to adopt (kind of like a 3 week trial run!) #fosterdog #adoptabledog #rescuedog #germanshepherd #gsd

Sarah, a German Shepard mix dog, relaxes on an ottoman in the sun.

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Apr 2

MEET ADOPTABLE SARAH! Sarah was brought into Melissa’s Second Chances animal shelter as a puppy and spent over 200 days there before getting her chance in a foster home with us. I know I have a lot of followers local to KC - would you share this post so we can find her forever home?

Sarah is a blonde German Shepard type dog with a black muzzle. She is wearing a teal KC Current bandana and is smiling nicely in the photo.

Alex Welch Blattner@alexwelchblattner· Nov 30

We paid a visit to Brothers Records in Shawnee for Small Business Saturday! My picks are on the left and Andy’s are on the right.