Press Releases

Lee’s Summit Water Utilities released the results of the 2022 Customer Survey which shows high overall satisfaction with the quality of water and sewer services.  A total of 629 residents completed the survey which was administered by ETC Institute in the spring of 2022. The Customer Survey was developed to objectively assess customer satisfaction with the delivery of water and sewer services and provide customers with an opportunity to provide open-ended feedback. The results found that a majority continue to be happy with the reliability of water service (94%), the reliability of sanitary sewer service (90%), clarity of drinking water (88%), smell of drinking water (87%) and variety of bill payment options available (86%). Respondents were asked to select four service items that should receive the most emphasis over the next two years. The top four priorities in...

Lee’s Summit Mayor Bill Baird will deliver the State of the City address on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at The Aspen Room at the Stanley in downtown Lee’s Summit, 308 SE Douglas St. The Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce is hosting the luncheon. The event begins at 11 a.m. with the mayor’s address scheduled to start at noon. During the State of the City, Mayor Baird will reflect on his first term, the progress the City has made and how the City will continue to build on that progress to improve the quality of life for every citizen of Lee’s Summit. He will highlight the investments made in public safety, infrastructure, and community health and well-being. He will share the economic opportunities created as a result of smart development growth and strategic decisions based on reinvestment in existing infrastructure and buildings. The State of the City address...

The City of Lee’s Summit has selected Ryan Elam as assistant city manager, infrastructure and development effective Aug. 20. Elam will replace Mark Dunning who will begin serving as the city manager on Sept. 17. For the past six years, Elam has served as the director of development services, where he oversees planning, codes administration, development engineering, inspections, property maintenance, business services and grants administration. Prior to joining the City of Lee’s Summit, Elam spent nine years in the private sector taking on progressively responsible roles including project manager and project engineer with BHC Rhodes, and design engineer with Schlagel and Associates, P.A. "Ryan has a keen understanding of infrastructure and development and has demonstrated he has the experience to lead these environments as we continue to provide quality growth...

Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation (LSPR) has completed an internal review of the cancellation of a private event scheduled for August 6. The review identified missed processes and miscommunication that led to the cancellation. A sincere apology is owed to the Evans family and our Lee’s Summit community. LSPR strives to be a respectful and inclusive organization where all members of our community feel welcome and appreciated. Inappropriate language, social media posts and behavior are not acceptable and will not be tolerated. The following is a summary of our investigation. On July 8, the renting party booked Summit Waves for a teen birthday party scheduled for Saturday, August 6 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and indicated 250 attendees. According to the rental forms, the event would not be publicized via social media, and fees would not be charged to attend the...

It is my understanding that a full investigation is underway by Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation regarding a scheduled private event at Summit Waves this past Saturday, August 6. Based upon my initial observations in connection with that investigation, I have urged Parks and Recreation to not only address certain processes that should have been undertaken, which could have alleviated obvious safety concerns, but I have also encouraged them to reevaluate their approach to communicating and interacting with patrons of our park system, including Summit Waves so that everyone is treated with dignity and respect.    Unfortunately, statements were made by a Parks and Recreation manager at Summit Waves that were inappropriate and insensitive. We must intentionally embrace a culture that is welcoming and inclusive, and we must continually denounce any urge or impulse...