Ward 2 Councilmember· 2024-01-01–2028-01-01; month-level start: January 2024, seat filled at the Nov 2023 general election per Johnson County Post election coverage; month-level end: January 2028, four-year staggered terms per the olatheks.gov Schoonover page which gives that term as January 2024 to January 2028
Dean Vakas
Olathe
No biography on file yet.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 21
- Total speaking time
- 1:59:25
- Avg per meeting
- 5:41
- Segments
- 1982
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The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Vakas said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (20)(Development)
Residences at Heritage Park multifamily rezoning
Unknown — no cost or tax figures were included in the published agenda.
Dillons at Sunnybrook rezoning
A major new commercial anchor that should add sales tax revenue and retail services in west Olathe.
Cooper Ridge residential development
Future development of the school district tract would trigger a traffic impact study paid through the development process.
Industrial revenue bond and tax phase-in requests
Property taxes on these sites will be phased in rather than paid at full rate immediately.
Land swap with Olathe school district for new elementary school
The city will use its capital reserve fund to share roadway costs; no other dollar figures were disclosed.
Park 169, Third Plat final plat and easement vacation
Sunnybrook commercial and multifamily rezonings
Council members noted converting commercial land to housing reduces future sales-tax revenue, though both sites were zoned business park allowing warehouse and light industrial uses by right.
175 Commerce Center industrial facility and tax incentives
Tax phase-in means some of the property tax on the new facility is abated for a period, though the state loan-style incentives are not direct city cash.
Frontier Trails Logistics warehouse near 175th and US-169
Manufacturing boom at 167th & Lone Elm
Developers build 171st Street and turn lanes, but Felter warned the city may need a public safety sales tax to cover fire/EMS costs during the abatement years.
Lone Elm Townhomes rezoning
Housing here could add property tax base, but neighbors worry about costs to maintain their private streets with added traffic.
Woodland Hills, Eighth Plat pool timing stipulation
The Row at Uptown mixed-use development
No direct city cost; the developer covers site improvements including extending 133rd Street.
City Hall Parking Garage construction
Structural elements alone came in around $9.2 million of the $22.5 million budget line — meaning most of the budget is already spoken for by concrete.
70.99-acre voluntary annexation (ANX26-0002)
Housing affordability and the missing middle
Lone Elm Commerce Center Sixth Plat
Chiefs practice facility development
Olathe could gain construction spending and new tax revenue, but taxpayers may also face infrastructure costs or incentives—and the final bill depends on details that aren’t public yet.
Chiefs stadium and practice facility development
Olathe could see a boost from construction spending and jobs, though the source doesn’t spell out public costs or incentives.
Gateway Landing apartment concerns (Boulder Hills)
Residents cite home values of roughly $500,000 to $850,000 potentially affected by nearby rental development.
Decisions during term (7)
Recorded while Vakas was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Authorize Second Amendment to Development Agreement with Loretto Commercial Development, LLC
Ordinance No. 26-45 (RZ26-0009) — Sunnybrook Commercial Development rezoning
2027 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding Recommendations.
Consideration of Ordinance No. 26-28 removing Project Area 1 from the Olathe Gateway Redevelopment District and terminating tax increment financing for Project Area 1.
Consent agenda (including Gateway preliminary site development plan)
PR26-0007: A revised preliminary site development plan for 7 Brew Coffee, containing one (1) lot on approximately 0.71 acres, located at 208 N. Parker Street.
Ordinance No. 26-09 — Cedar Creek Development VIII industrial revenue bonds
Voting record (4)(Development)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.