Overland Park Mayor Carl Gerlach announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in November, after holding the office since 2005. Gerlach, 66, has led Johnson County’s largest city through the Great Recession of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s been at the helm of Overland Park as leaders have worked to redevelop areas such as the Metcalf Avenue corridor and the downtown, attracted new luxury apartment buildings and businesses, plus added 25,000 new jobs in the past 16 years. He felt this year was the right time to retire, he told The Star. He plans to spend more time with his family and traveling, but also looks to continue volunteering and serving the community.
Source: Joco 913 News

The Merriam City Council on Monday passed an ordinance banning pedestrians from medians at the city’s nine busiest intersections, despite some concerns that the law would push out the homeless and panhandlers. City officials said the law is aimed at cutting down on car crashes and ensuring the safety of pedestrians, and is not meant to penalize panhandlers — a fear brought up by Councilwoman Whitney Yadrich and some residents. … The ordinance prohibits pedestrians from standing or sitting on medians at nine high-traffic intersections, other than to legally cross the street. Police Chief Darren McLaughlin brought the idea before the council, saying that distracted driving is a main cause of accidents at the intersections, where more than half of the city’s crashes occur each year. He worries about an increase in people stopping traffic to collect money there.
Source: Joco 913 News