Overland Park limits what public can bring up at its meetings. Residents want change

Several times Overland Park resident Mary Coffman wanted to bring up an issue at a City Council meeting. But she wasn’t allowed to.

Residents can comment only on topics listed on the agenda or during public hearings. But many of Coffman’s concerns, she said, such as traffic congestion or a lack of affordable housing, have gone unheard.

Overland Park is the only city in Johnson County — and one of only a handful in the Kansas City region — that does not designate a time at meetings for residents to talk about whatever is on their mind. Now some residents and council members want that to change.

(Read more: Joco 913 News)