Press Releases

The City of Lee’s Summit is pleased to announce Mark Schaufler, director of Water Utilities, recently received the 2023 Missouri Section American Water Works Association Donald R. Boyd Water Utility Manager Award. This distinguished award recognizes exceptional managerial abilities with a community water supply. Schaufler has been a part of Water Utilities for nearly 30 years, 20 of which are in his current role as director. During his tenure, Schaufler has fostered a supportive and encouraging environment within the department by prioritizing customer services and employee engagement. He developed a customer advisory group, focused on gaining stakeholder support on water utility issues from financial policies to rates and other major initiatives. He also moved Water Utilities to a new asset management model for system maintenance and renewal resulting in a more...

On Monday, April 24, 2023, at 6:15 p.m., the Lee’s Summit Fire Department initially responded to an automatic fire alarm at the Quality Inn, 1020 SE Blue Parkway. The incident was upgraded to a structure fire when someone with the business reported smoke on the third floor. Nothing was visible outside the three-story, 63-room hotel when the fire department arrived. The alarms were sounding, and the guests were evacuating the building. Staff reported smoke coming from the wall around a heating and cooling unit in room 321. Firefighters opened the wall around the window and heating and cooling unit, extinguishing a smoldering fire. There was no spread beyond the area of the window. Firefighters removed the smoke from the floor, and the guests were allowed to reoccupy the hotel. The incident was under control 6:35 p.m. The fire damaged the inside of the wall and the...

In conjunction with Earth Day, the City of Lee’s Summit is launching Sweep the Summit on Saturday, April 22, a biannual event to address ongoing litter issues, encourage recycling and help keep our city beautiful. Residents, businesses, community groups and students are encouraged to take part in one or all of the four environmental activities planned throughout the City. The events include Street Clean, Stream Team, RecycleFEST and Drug Take-Back Day. Street Clean is a coordinated volunteer effort to tackle litter and debris on specific segments of city-owned streets. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will gather at 10 a.m. at the City’s Maintenance Facility, 1971 SE Hamblen Road, to receive street assignments, trash bags and safety vests. Volunteers are asked to wear closed-toed shoes and bring their own gloves and grabbers. The event requires...

Six members of the Lee's Summit Fire Department earned their certificate of completion for their paramedic program, which began in October of 2021. Their next step is to complete their practical and written exams, which will allow them to become licensed paramedics in the State of Missouri. Please join us in congratulating Engineer Sandra Hughes, Firefighter Brennan Johnson, Firefighter James Heuer, Firefighter Owen Ellis, Firefighter Cameron Shultz, and Firefighter Laura Kreglo! 

Today is the start of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. The Lee's Summit Fire Department wants to recognize our dedicated Communication Specialists (Fire and EMS Dispatchers) and their work to ensure the safety of the public and first responders in the field. They are the true first responders, the first voice someone hears when calling 911 for help! Providing prearrival instructions before responders arrive and managing the response resources of six fire departments and fire protection districts (Lee's Summit, Fort Osage, Lone Jack, Southern Jackson County, Sni-Valley, and Pleasant Hill) for more than 20,000 incidents in 2022. Thank you for all you do!