Remarks by Ben Reynolds
24 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 1
- Play at 8:24
“We need to hold this one. Mr. Chairman, what do you think? Can we hold it two weeks, one week? What's the deadline? We're not going to make that.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 8:42
“Let's just push one week and see if we can get that after our meeting today.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 9:26
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 10:05
“I don't understand what that means. There's a federal obligation that they must or we must spend a certain amount of capital money?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 11:16
“I see that we have a cap fixed rate amount that we will contribute at $8 million. That's what we're contractually obligated to spend.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 11:27
“$8 million. And as far as capital goes, what you're saying is there is no obligation in that same contract.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 11:38
“But you're saying there is some other obligation that's created by some federal statute or federal something or another?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 11:56
“I want to understand that, especially for the budget discussion later on today. But the reason I bring it up is the $320,000 match towards this federal grant, which I hope that we're going to get, I would expect we're going to get. Could that $320,000 serve that purpose of our capital outlay?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 12:26
“these five trolley buses. I think this is a start, Mr. Mayor. I think that's kind of where it should stop for now. Let's try five out. Let's see how this goes. And then we can... explore the idea further. And this is just my opinion later. Let's see how the five work, put them in the strategic areas instead of going after more in this next budget or, you know, more before we know the outcome of what we're going to get in return, because the goal is to increase ridership and to bring up the capital, because if we got budget money budgeted in our upcoming budget for expanding trolleys to, I…”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 18:51
“I don't know what the secret sauce in Kansas City is. I mean, is it just trolleys or is it something else? I can just tell you this. I'm not going to jump on a trolley. If I got to wait out in the rain to catch the thing or if I got to sit out there in a blistering 115 degree heat index to catch it. And I think most citizens probably see it that way as well. I don't care if it's pink or yellow or it's a trolley. I don't care. They're not going to go out there and suffer on the side of the road to catch the thing, you know, or to an inconvenient location. We're doing these wholesale changes…”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 24:49
“Mr. Mayor, you make great points. Chamber of Commerce, I'm not saying those are not valid. They are. But I think we've resolved a lot of that transportation issue by partnering with VIA that taking or tackling this problem by getting a new operator in here. They're rearranging everything. The microtransits are going to be operating. The routes are going to be optimized. The software is going to be used. The rebranding, all of that stuff ties into that getting the people to the job. I'm just simply saying that the trolleys are an idea and we are acting on that idea and by getting this federal…”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 33:23
“Jennifer, you sometimes use technical terms that are above my head. We can do it sort of in layman's terms.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 33:37
“We give half the signal to AATON and half to Kendall-Morris. And then they supply . OK. How is that funded?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 34:03
“Okay, federal funds. And these are just operational dollars for them to go in and adjust as necessary?”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 36:19
“I want to say thank you to the mayor for making the decision to delay the opening of the arena. I think it was just a wise business move. It seems that we likely could have made it happen at some great expense. And I think the decision was made soon enough to allow these organizations the opportunity to pivot and still modify their budgets or they're operating as a Mardi Gras organization. So I want to say thank you for making that decision sooner rather than later.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 36:55
“We all got to eat a little crow from time to time, but that's fine.”
City Council · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 18:25
“Mr. President, I just want to make one statement on this one, that the applicant has withdrawn this application. And we can just leave it on the agenda until next week, and we can just remove it. OK, President. Oh, you want to table it today? OK, we'll just go ahead and table it today, if you don't mind.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 18:52
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 19:29
“Yes, applicant has gave us a letter withdrawing their application for rezoning. Okay, so then that's it. That's it for now. Yes, sir.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 47:58
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 49:44
“Yes, sir, Mr. President. One other thing regarding the independent contractor services agreement with Thompson Engineering. I think what we found out last term was that we had adequate funds and capital accounts to do major projects, but we lacked the capacity to move them forward through engineering services and other things. And I don't know whose idea it was under the previous administration to embed an engineering firm or engineering staff within our city staff so they could help move the ball forward on some of these projects. I'm told that this has been a tremendous success and a…”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 51:04
“I move to waive the rules for immediate consideration of item 6, 4, 0, 3, 5.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 51:29
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Sep 1, 2026
- Play at 58:00
“Thank you, Mr. President. I want to let everybody know about the District 4 annual meeting that's going to take place on September 29th at Mobile Christian from 6 to 8 p.m. If you show up, bring your questions, bring your concerns. We'll have someone from 311 there. We'll have taking them down and putting them in. We ask that everybody who comes to speak be concise with your questions. Don't go on long rants and take up all the time from everyone else, but please show up. That's what we want.”
City Council · Sep 1, 2026