The Hall Monitors

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**The Hall Monitors**

Welcome to The Hall Monitors—a podcast brought to you by the City of De Soto’s communications team, recorded right here at City Hall. It used to be the hall monitors that kept an eye on this old school building. Now we’re the ones keeping up with the big projects, decisions and stories that shape our city. So, grab your hall pass, and let’s take a walk (not a run) through De Soto’s past, present, and future. Let’s get to class!

Latest Episodes:

Mayor’s Minute - October 1st - Beale Agreement Update & 99th St. Water Main Project Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

Catch the latest Council update from the October 1st meeting.

Highlights include:

Changes to the Mount Sunflower (Beale) development agreement, including a reduction in water usage and about $30 million in funding for water system and community improvements
Updates on the 99th Street Water Main Project
Scheduling a November 19th public hearing for a proposed Digital Realty tax increment financing (TIF) plan
Approval of tax incentives for the Countryside Farms residential development near 95th Street and Lexington Avenue

October 1st meeting agenda and materials: https://ow.ly/LIAf50ZSJNs

00:00 Welcome and Agenda Preview

00:11 Consent Agenda Highlights

00:29 Mount Sunflower Water Changes

01:23 Community Investments Secured

02:13 99th Street Water Main Update

03:32 Digital Realty TIF Hearing Set

03:50 Countryside Farms Incentives

04:25 Wrap Up and Where to Watch

Mayor’s Minute - September 17th - Astra Enterprise Rezoning & Adopted 2027 Budget Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

Catch the latest Council update from the September 17th meeting.

Topics include:

Rezoning land at Astra Enterprise Park to Light Industrial
Adoption of the 2027 Budget, including a lower mill levy and added services
Industrial revenue bonds for the second phase of Residences at Lexington
A request to add approx. six acres to the Limestone Development Residential Housing Incentive District

September 17th meeting agenda and materials: https://ow.ly/3YPq50ZO57I

00:00 Welcome and Recap
00:12 Constitution Week
00:25 Consent Agenda Highlights
00:34 Astra Rezoning Decision
01:30 2027 Budget and Mill Rate
03:11 Budget Investments Overview
03:35 Lexington IRB Approval
03:58 Limestone RHID Update
04:33 De Soto Days Thanks
04:47 Closing Remarks

Mayor’s Minute - September 2nd - Policy Review Process & 12.17 Mill Levy Proposal Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Catch the latest Council update from the September 2nd meeting.

Mayor Walker shares a quick overview of the proposed 2027 Budget, including a proposed mill levy reduction and some of the key considerations behind the budget.

Other highlights include:

Hunger Action Month and the De Soto Food Pantry donation barrel at City Hall.
An update from the latest Johnson County Sheriff’s Office report.
The review process for proposed changes to City codes, zoning regulations, and other policies.

September 2nd meeting agenda and materials: https://ow.ly/hvUP50ZHocE

00:00 Welcome and Recap
00:11 Hunger Action Month
00:37 Consent Agenda Highlights
00:50 Sheriff Office Update
01:20 Code and Policy Overhaul
02:22 Budget Review and Taxes
03:47 Closing Thanks

Mayor’s Minute: Data Center FAQ, Part 2 - What About Noise? Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Over the past several months, a variety of questions have been raised about data centers in De Soto. This special Mayor's Minute series takes a closer look at those questions, one topic at a time.

Part 2: What about the noise?

In this episode, Mayor Walker explains where data center noise comes from, how the City’s current noise standards apply, and the role distance, site design, acoustic modeling, and other mitigation measures can play in addressing potential impacts.

He also discusses the City’s next step in selecting an independent industrial noise and acoustics expert to review existing regulations and advise whether additional standards may be appropriate.

Learn more, explore project documents, and find additional FAQs: https://www.desotoks.us/465/Data-Centers

0:00 Noise concerns

0:32 Sources of data center noise

0:57 De Soto’s noise standards

1:38 Low-frequency noise and infrasound

2:37 Independent expert review

3:34 Acoustic modeling and mitigation

4:20 Health concerns and the City’s approach

Mayor’s Minute - August 20th - Development Policy Discussion & 2027 Budget Proposal Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Mayor Rick Walker is back with a recap of the August 20th City Council meeting. 🎧

Highlights include:

A KDOT grant agreement to help fund a citywide roadway safety plan
Policy proposals related to environmental health oversight, economic development NDAs, and private well permitting
A proposed 2027 Budget that would lower the mill levy without increasing the amount of property tax revenue the City collects

August 20th meeting agenda and materials: https://ow.ly/Wvo150ZB1xE

00:00 Welcome and Recap

00:09 Consent Agenda Highlights

00:27 Sunflower Road Trail Upgrade

00:47 Safety Action Plan Grant

01:19 Development Policy Proposals

01:50 Environmental Health Oversight

02:36 NDA Ordinance Debate

03:10 Work Session and Outreach

03:36 Meeting Date Change

03:53 Budget and Mill Levy

04:22 Closing Thoughts

Mayor’s Minutes - August 6th - Digital Realty TIF Proposal & Environmental Oversight Discussion Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

Catch the latest Council update from the August 6th meeting. Topics include:

Design plans to replace Well 12
An update to the Wastewater Treatment Plant’s stormwater pollution prevention plan
An initial TIF incentive request from Digital Realty
Discussion of additional environmental oversight for large-scale industrial projects

August 6th Meeting Agenda and Materials: https://ow.ly/sGEP50ZwjXP

00:00 Welcome and Intern Kudos
00:29 Consent Agenda Highlights
00:44 Water Well 12 Replacement
01:10 Wastewater Stormwater Plan
01:24 Digital Realty Data Center TIF
03:33 Environmental Oversight Proposal
04:24 Advisory Reports and Road Update
05:05 Future Data Center Policy Talks
05:37 Meeting Wrap Up and Links

Mayor’s Minute - July 16th - Industrial Noise Study & NWCFD Shared Position Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

Mayor Rick Walker is back with a recap of the July 16th City Council meeting.

Topics include:

Next steps for an independent review of the City’s industrial noise standards
Creation of a TIF district for a proposed memory care facility on Commerce Drive
Discussion of a shared fire prevention officer position with the Northwest Consolidated Fire District
Continued work on potential service and capital enhancements for the 2027 Budget

July 16th Meeting Agenda & Materials:https://desotoks.us/AgendaCenter

00:00 Welcome and Meeting Recap
00:12 Permits and Street Overlays
00:35 Grant for Public Art
00:53 Industrial Noise Study
01:46 Rezoning for Commercial Growth
02:05 TIF District for Memory Care
02:38 Shared Fire Prevention Role
03:20 Economic Development Update
03:48 2027 Budget Discussion
04:20 Closing Thanks

Mayor’s Minute: Data Center FAQ, Part 1 – Why Did the Project Get Bigger? Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Over the past several months, Council has received many questions about data centers in De Soto. This special Mayor's Minute series takes a closer look at those questions, one topic at a time.

Part 1: How did the Beale data center become larger than what the City Council originally approved?

In this episode, Mayor Walker explains what the Council approved last August, why the proposed data center is larger than originally presented, and what that does – and does not – mean for the project.

Learn more, explore project documents, and find additional FAQs:

Data Center Hub: https://www.desotoks.us/465/Data-Centers
Beale Project Page: https://www.desotoks.us/496/Beale-Data-Center

00:25 How Council Handles Comments 00:44 Series Goals and Scope 01:26 Why the Project Grew 01:36 What Was Approved Last August 01:57 Site Plan Still Under Review 02:38 Buildings vs Power Capacity 03:04 Water Saving Cooling Design 03:22 Compared to Warehouses 04:07 Impact Summary and Next Steps 04:30 Wrap Up and Resources

Mayor’s Minute - July 2nd - Beale Water Infrastructure & Revenue Neutral Rate Discussion Jul 13, 2026

Show notes

Mayor Rick Walker provides a brief recap of the July 2nd City Council meeting.

Topics include:

Next steps in the sanitary sewer easement process
The 99th Street water main project for the Beale site and updated water system plans
Continued discussion of the 2027 Budget and the revenue neutral rate

Check out the full meeting agenda and materials: https://desotoks.us/AgendaCenter

00:00 July 2 Meeting Recap 00:10 Consent Agenda Highlights 00:24 Riverfest Park Events 00:37 Noise Consultant RFQ 00:54 Eminent Domain Easement 01:22 99th Street Water Main 01:38 Reduced Water Demand Update 02:06 Water System Upgrades 02:29 2027 Budget Discussion 02:43 Revenue Neutral Rate Explained 03:09 Residential RNR Strategy 04:05 Closing Thanks

Mayor’s Minutes - June 18th - Residential Code Update & Arbor Ridge Rezoning Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

This week’s Mayor’s Minute covers highlights from the June 18th City Council meeting.

This episode includes improvements to Wells 11 and 17, rezoning for future Arbor Ridge development, updates to De Soto’s residential building code, continued work to select a noise ordinance consultant, and 2027 Budget discussions focused on water and sewer funds

Mayor Walker also previews a separate upcoming episode that will address comments and frequently asked questions raised during the recent Calls to Public.

Check out the full meeting agenda and materials: https://desotoks.us/AgendaCenter

00:00 Meeting Recap Intro
00:09 Routine Approvals
00:30 Residential Building Code Updates
00:48 Arbor Ridge Rezoning
01:03 Noise Ordinance Consultant Search
01:23 Weed Violation Hearing
01:44 Water and Sewer Budget Focus
02:03 Data Center Q&A Episode Preview
02:23 Wrap-Up and Thanks

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