Updates and outcomes from MARC's January Board meetings

Feb 03, 2026
| Posted in
News
The MARC Board of Directors met on Jan. 27, 2026.

Thanks to everyone who joined the MARC Board of Directors and Budget and Personnel Committee meetings on Jan. 27. We’re sharing selected highlights from the meetings for your awareness and use in regional conversations.


Board of Directors meeting

New Board officers

As approved at the December meeting, the nominating committee welcomed the Board’s officers, who stepped into their roles Jan. 27:

  • Chair: Mayor Pro Tem Beto Lopez, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
  • First Vice-Chair: Mayor Damien Boley, Smithville, Missouri
  • Second Vice-Chair: Councilmember Holly Grummert, Overland Park, Kansas
  • Treasurer: Councilmember Bridget McCandless, Independence, Missouri
  • Secretary: Mayor Eric Mikkelson, Prairie Village, Kansas

The Board extended its gratitude to Commissioner Janeé Hanzlick, Johnson County, Kansas, for her service as Board chair. Thank you to all the officers for their commitment to serving the region.

Missouri Child Care Works

In 2025, Gov. Mike Kehoe dedicated $2.5 million to Missouri Child Care Works, which leverages cost-sharing among employees, employers, the state of Missouri (if eligible) and other potential local funding sources. MARC was awarded 98 shared-cost child care seats that are available for use by local employers who want to participate in the program. Local governments are eligible to participate and are encouraged to consider offering Missouri Child Care Works as a benefit to their employees. If you are interested in this program, please email marcinfo@marc.org.

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Vibrant Success Stories

The Dec. 5 Vibrant Success Stories event, hosted by MARC, the Climate and Environment Council, and the Sustainable Places Policy Committee, honored outstanding projects funded by the Planning Sustainable Places (PSP) program. Since its start, PSP has funded 118 studies that engage communities and advance vibrant, connected and green places. Sponsors have leveraged almost $13 million in planning to create nearly $900 million of redevelopment in the region. 

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Stormwater standards

In December, the Kansas City chapter of the American Public Works Association approved updates to Section 5600 stormwater standards, aiming to support resilient site design, transportation facility development and stream protections. The initiative, led by MARC and a team of consulting firms guided by local governments and stakeholders, updated regional stormwater management guidelines to reflect current data, methodologies and best practices. While the new standards achieved broad consensus, individual communities may adapt certain elements to fit their local needs while still meeting overall principles and Clean Air Act requirements for water quality.

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Area Agency on Aging plan

Board members heard a report about the MARC Area Agency on Aging State Fiscal Year 2027 Area Plan, which updates an ongoing four-year strategy for supporting older adults and caregivers in Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte and Ray counties. The plan addresses new federal rules, aligns with state aging goals and details MARC objectives. Major updates focus on improved nutrition, access to benefits, caregiver resources, mental well-being, and collaboration with health and social service partners. Funding remains flat while the older population continues to grow, which means there will be insufficient funding to meet demand. 

View slides

Federal policy agenda

Board members approved the 2026 federal policy agenda, which reflects issues of importance to the Kansas City region. The issues come forward from MARC-convened working committees, member local governments and community partners. The 2026 agenda includes housing initiatives, increases to Older Americans Act funding and reauthorization of the federal transportation law and the Highway Trust Fund. 

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Executive director search

MARC Executive Director David Warm announced his retirement for 2026, prompting the release of a request for proposals and the formation of a search committee, which recommended OMNI as the executive search firm. 

Budget and Personnel Committee meeting

At the MARC Budget and Personnel Committee meeting on Jan. 27, attendees took the following actions:

Local dues

Local government dues represent only about 1% of MARC’s overall budget, but they are unrestricted funds that provide a foundation for a broad range of regional programs and initiatives. B&P Committee members approved a 2% increase in dues for 2027, similar to previous years, to continue supporting regional programming.

Regional 911 system

MARC is advancing the modernization of the regional 911 network by entering agreements with Segra and Kansas Fiber Network for ethernet local area network services, supporting both reliability upgrades and network expansion. These agreements promote network redundancy and continuity of operations by avoiding reliance on a single carrier. The committee authorized five-year cost totals of $312,300, with funding for the first year already approved in the 2026 regional 911 budget and future years to be included in subsequent budgets.

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