PV council amends CID agreement, debates Johnny’s roof replacement

The Prairie Village city council on Monday voted 8-2 to explicitly name the renovation of the Johnny’s Tavern building and the Arby’s parking lot as reimbursable projects under the Corinth Square CID.

Council members Michael Kelly and David Morrison, who voted against the CID last fall, voted against the measure.

During the extensive debate about the CIDs, both projects had been discussed as options for “Project B” that would be eligible for funding from the sales tax increase that went into effect Jan. 1. But a recent review of the agreement found that the projects had been left out of an exhibit outlining “Project B” options.

The vote to include the projects in the exhibit was not particularly controversial — but the tangential matter of whether or not the replacement of the roof on Johnny’s Tavern would be eligible for public funding was a different story.

The CIDs state that projects funded with tax money much go to upgrades, not maintenance. LANE4 has proposed replacing the current wood-singled roof with a tile roof, and would like to have that replacement considered an upgrade since a superior material will be used.

Councilman Kelly used the occasion to reiterate one of his initial objections to the CIDs: that they weren’t detailed enough to ensure the public money was used in the best public interest.

The council took no official action on the roof issue.