Podcast Transcript: Shawnee Pulse - Episode 1

Communications Director Doug Donahoo:
Welcome to the Shawnee Pulse. My name is Doug Donahoo. I'm the Communications Director for the City of Shawnee. This is an experiment that we're trying to reach out more to the residents of the City of Shawnee, to our visitors, to let them know what else is happening. Give them an inside look at the City Hall, at the Parks and Recreation Service Center, at everything else we have going on in the city. Talk to the folks who are working every single day to make Shawnee a great place to work, live, and play. As we go through this year, we're going to be providing you with an inside look at a lot of different topics from around the city.

Of course, we want to hear from you. You can reach out to us via email at [email protected]. Today, we're going to be talking with Deputy City Manager Colin Duffy about the new Landfill Voucher Program and Delivery System that's going to be hitting mailboxes here in the city of Shawnee very, very soon. And here with us now, Colin Duffy, Deputy City Manager for the City of Shawnee. Colin, thanks so much for being our inaugural guest here on the Shawnee Pulse.

Deputy City Manager Colin Duffy:
Yeah. Thank you, Doug. Very excited to be here. Thanks for having me on your podcast.

Doug:
Well, we think there's a lot of information that you can share with the residents of Shawnee, but first, tell the folks a little bit about Colin Duffy.

Colin:
Yeah, definitely. Happy to introduce myself. Colin Duffy, been with the city for two years now. Deputy City Manager for only a few months. Served as Assistant City Manager when I first started two years ago. Kansas kid grew up in Topeka, my whole family, they've been part of local government since I can remember, so kind of following in their footsteps.

Went to school at Wichita State, where I got my undergrad and then stuck around for my master's in public administration. Knew I wanted to get into local government as well, so followed the family into city government. After I graduated with my MPA, worked for Andover, the city of Andover, just a small community just outside of Wichita.

Did that for a year before finally making my way up to Kansas City, where I worked for KCK, Wyandotte County Unified Government. So I was in their auditor's office there for a number of years. Absolutely loved it, great opportunity to learn about all different facets of both city and county government and how each department kind of runs there.

And then after that opportunity, I moved down south pretty far to Johnson County. So, worked there in the County Manager's Office there, worked with some great people, learned a lot about management. A little bit about how to work with the governing body there, and then kind of a year and a half into that, there was an opportunity here in Shawnee and saw a great opportunity to work for a good organization, so took a chance and thankfully, made my way over here to Shawnee to work in the City Manager's Office.

Been here for two years, kind of moved around working with different groups. But I've absolutely loved the community here, loved the organization. I think we have a very lean, mean, fighting machine in the organization. Great people, very humble, very hardworking, diligent. I'm happy to add and contribute to their success.

Doug:
Talk to me a little bit about what you do currently now as Deputy City Manager. You're just a couple of months into the role. But obviously, it's an important one in a city like Shawnee. What are some of your day-to-day responsibilities that folks might not be aware of?

Colin:
Yeah, great question. So if you kind of think about it in corporate terms, Paul Kramer, who's our City Manager, would be likened to the CEO of the organization. My role kind of steps into the CEO role when he is out of the office or when he's traveling or things like that. So kind of fill in as that number two, but really I serve as kind of the Chief Operations Officer.

So I help oversee a lot of the day-to-day management of the organization specifically to administration. I kind of oversee a few different departments and divisions within the city, so I assist with court IT, our volunteer program, as well as working on the budget, which is kind of our largest initiative that we take on each year. It seems like once one budget is finished, you kind of wrap that up and you jump right into next year's budget and the planning and development of that too. So kind of work with those facets, a little bit of economic development, and of course, kind of the main thing is working with our governing body to really execute on their vision and what they have planned for the city.

Doug:
And something else that you are responsible for that is the reason you're here today is you work pretty closely with the trash hauling companies here in the City of Shawnee and with our Landfill Voucher Program.

Can you talk to us just a little bit about Shawnee's relationship with what's known as the Johnson County Landfill? It’s previously known as the Deffenbaugh Landfill, then Shawnee annexed it. Talk to us a little bit about that relationship and how it benefits the City of Shawnee and residents in the city.

Colin:
Yeah, definitely. I think I'll go back a little bit to when it was first created and kind of talk a bit about Ronnie Deffenbaugh. So for those who don't know, Ronnie Deffenbaugh kind of started his waste career in Johnson County with just two trucks, I believe. So, really small operation but grew quite large.

And really kind of developed a name and reputation, not just in Kansas City, but across kind of the whole region over here. So they have the landfill, which is, of course, in Shawnee, right on the corner of 435 and just north of Johnson Drive and south of the river there. 800 acres, fairly large. Each cell is kind of worked on and filled before they move to the next one. So in 2002, during our westward expansion of Shawnee, we annexed the landfill, which brings a little bit of a connotation to it.

But it provides both a benefit and some cons. Of course, you have some smell, you have a lot of trash haulers driving in and out of the city as they're dropping off, which services the entire region. But really, what it does is it keeps our trash costs low here. They don't have to take it 30 miles outside of the city to drop off. So, it keeps costs low.

It's already here. We already know it's going to be here. So, it's something we planned for, and we're prepared for. And really, just try and keep that partnership as less of a nuisance as possible while maximizing the return that we get from it.

Doug:
Shawnee is in an interesting spot in Johnson County in that we basically have an open market for any trash hauling company that wants to come in and offer its services to residents, correct?

Colin:
Yeah, that's right. There are two different ways the city can go about this. They can either contract or operate their own trash service, which a lot of communities do. Even our neighboring community to the east, Merriam, they were actually an open trash hauler community. But this last year, their governing body decided to tease out and look towards a single trash hauler.

Here in Shawnee, though, we do offer kind of an open market, so to speak, where we do have six licensed trash haulers. Of course, they have to be licensed by both the Johnson County Health and Environment Department as well as go through our permitting process, too. So, we have six trash haulers.

That would be Waste Management, Republic, GFL, KC Disposal, Constable, and our newest one, which got added this last year in 2024, Earth First. So, anybody in Shawnee, whether it's a resident in their own home or an HOA, can contract with any one of those six haulers. That's correct.

Doug:
So, what benefits are there in terms of having that open marketplace?

Colin:
The general idea is you get some competition. So ideally, the prices are competitive, and if one service isn't meeting the needs of our residents, they have options to discontinue service with that provider and switch to someone else.

You'll see, I would say, most of our residents either contract with Waste Management or Republic. I'd say a lot of the larger HOAs or even some of the multi-family communities, they tend to lean towards GFL or KC Disposal. So, each one has their own kind of niche market of where they are and where they have better strengths suited to their clients.

Doug:
So that kind of goes into the number of trash haulers that we have in the city. Let's go back and talk a little bit more about the landfill. There is something interesting that Waste Management, as the owner and operator of the landfill now, provides to the city. And that's basically a usage fee for lack of a better term, and that's split 50/50 in the city, correct? How is that spent?

Colin:
We do get a check from Waste Management to operate their landfill each year. Half of that money goes to kind of our Mill and Overlay Program to make sure that our city streets are smooth, that any damage done by all the trash haulers bringing their trash through into Shawnee to the landfill is addressed.

The other piece of it, the other half, goes to our Economic Development Fund, which we use to bring in businesses and incentivize those businesses who are here to either remain in Shawnee or to grow and expand.

Doug:
Another benefit that is available to all residents in the city of Shawnee is something that has gone by a couple of different names over the course of the years. It's been known as Large Item Pickup, it's been known as Tidy Town, and now it is basically a landfill drop-off opportunity where folks can take larger items or items they may have had trouble getting rid of in the past and take them directly over to the landfill, correct?

Colin:
Yes, that's right. And it's kind of a unique service that we have here that I really haven't seen in many other communities. So, something that goes a little bit above and beyond what typical cities do. This year, we were actually kind of really trying to deliver the name that's most accurate to the program itself with the Landfill Voucher Program.

Doug:
Talk to me about what that voucher allows residents the opportunity to do.

Colin:
So, one time a year, our residents receive a voucher in the mail.

They can then take that voucher along with their ID and a truckload, carload, whatever it may be of waste that they want to get rid of. Maybe it is a bulky item. Maybe it's a bunch of kind of spare things that they found in the garage. They can take it to the landfill and drop it off free of charge.

There are a couple of things though that aren't included in that. That would be kind of the white appliances, those Freon refrigerators, or the like, which cannot be dropped off. But everything else should be available. One other use a lot of people take advantage of is after storms that come through. If they aren't impactful enough for us to open our debris site, they can take their yard waste there as well and drop that off.

Doug:
Any resident in the City of Shawnee is eligible to make that trip to the Waste Management Landfill and do that drop-off?

Colin:
Correct. Yes. All they need is their voucher and then their ID proving proof of residence, and they're able to take it off. Again, they just need to go to right off 435 and Holiday Drive. There's an attendant right there. All they have to do is redeem that voucher, and they're able to drop it off.

One thing new this year is the delivery method that we have for the voucher. Last year and in years prior, we had sent that by mail as an individual item. But this year, we're doing something unique—realizing some cost savings and kind of providing them a good opportunity to learn a little bit more about the program. That’s by including it on the front page of our All Things Hometown magazine. So that is scheduled to hit mailboxes, I believe, in February.

Doug, I think you're the expert on that. When can they expect that?

Doug:
So, All Things Hometown is our quarterly magazine that is published four times a year to give folks an update on everything that's happening in the City of Shawnee—events, news, a message from the mayor, Parks and Recreation programming that's available to enroll in, and yes, as Colin said, this year for the Spring Edition, we are going to send it in the first week of February.

You'll find a wraparound the magazine that will include the voucher that you can detach from the magazine itself. You can still hold on to the magazine—it’s still good and packed with information—and that's the voucher that you'll then take to the landfill to make whatever drop-off you'd like to make.

As Colin said, you do need proof of residency in the form of your driver's license, but that's really it. The other thing to note is Shawnee is also rare in the fact that you get to make this large item drop-off directly at the landfill. We also have a requirement that all trash service companies are required to provide at least one large item pickup to every resident they service in the city. Isn't that correct?

Colin:
That is, yes, Doug, and I’m glad you brought that up. So, I would say most cities have their bulky item pickup, and depending on their trash hauler, it's either a specific time of year, or they can schedule it.

For us, it's kind of up to the trash hauler on the methodology that they use to deliver their bulky item pickup. For instance, if you're a customer of Waste Management, Republic, GFL, or Constable, all you have to do is call and schedule your free bulky item pickup with your trash hauler. Again, if you have any issues in doing so, you can reach out to the city. We'll be happy to assist you with that.

For others like KC Disposal, they offer bulky item pickup twice over the summer. They communicate with their customers pretty frequently leading up to it.

Doug:
So, the big thing that we want folks in Shawnee to know is that even with this change of the voucher delivery system, we haven't taken anything away. In fact, Shawnee residents have two shots to get rid of large items: either through a pickup with their trash hauler that is scheduled in advance or on a set date the trash hauler lets the customers know about, and also to take items directly to the landfill with this voucher.

Colin:
Exactly, yeah. So two opportunities for them to do it—one as they need or as they see fit to take it, and the other one scheduled with their trash hauler.

And of course, for anybody who wants additional information on what those limitations are when you take your voucher to the Johnson County Landfill, you can go to cityofshawnee.org and under the Residents tab, click on Trash Collection, Recycling, and Yard Waste.

Doug:
If you do have any questions, we're always happy to answer them. You can reach out to us at [email protected], and we'll be happy to answer any questions you have.

We'll continue to update folks as the All Things Hometown Spring Edition is hitting mailboxes. So, follow us on Facebook, on Nextdoor, or on Instagram. We'll be providing updates as the magazine begins to hit mailboxes.

And again, happy to answer any and all questions you might have. Colin, you've been an excellent first guest. I think everybody will agree that this was a great way to kick off the Shawnee Pulse to give folks some information about this program and to let them know the changes that are coming this year. So, we appreciate you joining us.

Colin:
Doug, thank you. Very excited to talk trash with you. Always a pleasure.

Doug:
Once again, that was Colin Duffy as our first-ever guest on the Shawnee Pulse podcast. Colin was an excellent guest with a lot of great information. Of course, you can find out more information on our website at cityofshawnee.org.

Joining me now is Kate Kincaid of our Shawnee Parks and Recreation Department to talk about previous and upcoming events. Kate, how are you?

Parks & Recreation Program Manager Kate Kincaid:
I'm good. How are you, Doug?

Doug:
Doing okay. This is going to be the other part of our regular episode: looking at what’s happened recently in the city and what’s coming up so folks can update their calendars. One thing we want to include is a brief update on what happened with the most recent city council meetings.

The first council meeting of the new year took place on Monday, January 13th. Not a lot happening that evening. The big event was the council approved the rezoning of a third of an acre on West 65th Street from commercial neighborhood to a duplex residential zoning for a future planned development in that area on a 7-0 vote.

The next council meeting will happen on Monday, January 27th at Shawnee City Hall, starting at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers. You can find more about that when the agenda is published in about a week and a half on cityofshawnee.org.

Kate, what else is going to be happening in the city for folks to know about?

Kate:
Yeah, absolutely. So, the snow is not slowing us down. We've got plenty of great upcoming events.

Doug:
Indoor events, I hope.

Kate:
Indoor events, that's good. We're sticking indoors for January and February.

Starting with History on Tap on January 22nd. That is going to be at Shawnee Town 1929 in their Town Hall. They do this monthly throughout the winter months when the museum's closed. It’s great—you get a great speaker, hear a great story, and it’s $8 per person, which includes a drink and your presentation. That is on January 22nd at 7 p.m.

Doug:
What is the presentation for January?

Kate:
January's presentation is Found in Grandma's Attic: Exploring Photography.

Doug:
Oh, well, photography is a great way to track history, especially in a community like Shawnee, where the history goes back so far, even before Kansas was a state. So, it’s great to see that Shawnee Town is keeping that history alive and letting folks explore more about it in a fun environment like History on Tap.

Kate:
Absolutely, absolutely. It’s definitely a great presentation to come and check out. We have another one in February as well.

Doug:
Yes, please tell us all about the one in February.

Kate:
February 19th at 7 p.m. at Town Hall as well. That one is going to be Heading to Market: Truck Farming Then, Now, and Going Forward. For those who are unaware, Shawnee has a huge history of being a truck farming community.

They're going to explore that a little bit. They have local breweries that come out and share some drinks with you. So, you get to fill up your glass and listen to a great presentation. That one is also $8 and starts at 7 p.m. at Shawnee Town Hall on February 19th.

Doug:
Excellent. What do we have for families and the kiddos coming up?

Kate:
Yeah, so on Friday, January 24th, we have our Kids’ Night Out. That is a double win: Mom and Dad, girls’ night out, whatever you’d like—you can hit the town while we watch the kids at the Shawnee Civic Center. That is $15 per child from 6 to 9 p.m. if you register before Wednesday the 22nd. After that, it's going to be $20 per child.

Doug:
Is there an option for me to just leave the child at the Civic Center overnight?

Kate:
Unfortunately, it's not a lock-in.

Doug:
Oh, alright. Well, win some, lose some.

Kate:
Win some, lose some. That's for ages 5 to 12. But you can get a night out and enjoy some fun, safe activities for your kids there at the Civic Center.

We also have the Princess Tea for our little ones. This is for children ages 2 to 5. We set up our big castle in the Civic Center. You can come out, take pictures with princesses, dance the morning away, drink some lemonade, and get some goodies like that. Lots of photo opportunities. That is Saturday, February 1st at 10:30 a.m. at the Civic Center. That’s $20 per prince or princess.

Doug:
Excellent. I think the most important thing to take away from all of these events in January and February is they are all indoors.

Kate:
Indoors, yes. We are not venturing out just yet. We don't trust Mother Nature quite that much.

Doug:
The good news is there are plenty of great outdoor activities that will happen soon in Shawnee. With the Pulse, we’ll keep everyone updated on these activities in every episode.

Kate, thank you so much for being with us here, and we will see you in February.

Kate:
Yep. Thank you, Doug. Thanks for having me.

Doug:
And thank you for listening to the Shawnee Pulse wherever you are—walking, in your car, or at work. Thanks so much. You can find more information about the Shawnee Pulse on our website, cityofshawnee.org.

Of course, we want to hear from you. If you have any comments or ideas for topics you'd like to hear us talk about, please reach out via email at [email protected].

Thank you again for joining us here on the first episode of the Shawnee Pulse. We’ll see you again in February.

Podcast Transcript: Shawnee Pulse - Episode 2

Communications Director Doug Donahoo:
Welcome to the Shawnee Pulse Podcast! I'm Doug Donahoo, Communications Director for the City of Shawnee. Thank you for tuning in to this special episode. We have our regularly scheduled February episode coming next week, where we'll discuss summer job opportunities with the Parks and Recreation Department.

Today, however, we’re taking you behind the scenes with the Shawnee Public Works Department as they work tirelessly to keep our streets clear during a snowstorm. Snow removal is a massive effort that begins long before the first flakes fall and continues well after the storm has passed.

This morning, I had the opportunity to ride along with Joe Huggenberger from the Shawnee Public Works Department as he tackled snow-covered streets. Let’s jump into the conversation.

Doug:
Joe, thanks for letting us ride along today! What truck are we in?

Joe Huggenberger, Traffic Maintenance Coordinator:
We’re in a single-axle dump truck, number 422 in the fleet. This one doesn’t have a wing plow, but many of our newer trucks are getting them because they allow us to plow wider areas more efficiently. This is one of our older models, but it still gets the job done.

Doug:
Tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been with the city?

Joe:
I’ve been with the City of Shawnee for 10 years now. Before that, I worked for the City of Casper, Wyoming, for five years. So, I’ve been doing this kind of work for quite a while.

Doug:
So you’re no stranger to snowfall! When you're not behind the wheel of a plow, what’s your role in the city?

Joe:
I’m the Traffic Maintenance Coordinator. I was promoted to this position two years ago. Before that, I was the Traffic Signal Technician, responsible for maintaining the city's 53–54 traffic signals. My team also takes care of street signs and streetlights across Shawnee. It’s a big job!

Doug:
Where are we headed this morning? It’s just after 8:00 AM, and the snow is still coming down.

Joe:
We’re going to Area 6B, which runs from K-7 on the west side to Monticello on the east, and from Shawnee Mission Parkway to 83rd Street.

Doug:
The work of the Public Works crew starts well before the snowstorm even arrives. Can you walk us through that preparation process?

Joe:
Absolutely. For this storm, forecasts predicted snowfall about a day and a half ago. So, on Monday night, we started pre-treating streets with salt to make snow removal easier once it hit. That early preparation is key to keeping roads manageable.

Doug:
Now that the snow is falling, how does the city keep up with it?

Joe:
We run 12-hour shifts, covering 16 different zones, plus three major arterial routes—Shawnee Mission Parkway, Johnson Drive, and Nieman Road. There are also three sub-routes. It takes a lot of people to handle everything. We bring in staff from City Hall, the Parks Department, and even a few officers from the Police and Fire Departments to assist. It’s an all-hands-on-deck operation.

Doug:
It definitely sounds like a team effort! And I’m glad I’m not the one driving—probably best for everyone on the road.

Talk to me about these 12-hour shifts. Right now, you're on the daytime rotation, but last month you were working overnight. How does that adjustment work?

Joe:
It can be tough. In January, I was on the night shift, working 7 PM to 7 AM. When you’re used to working daytime hours, switching to nights is an adjustment. Trying to sleep during the day isn’t easy, but we do what we have to. Lots of coffee, Mountain Dew—whatever it takes to stay awake and alert.

Doug:
Now that we’re in your zone, what’s the priority for plowing?

Joe:
We focus on main roads first to keep traffic moving. We know people still have to get to work, so we clear primary routes before moving into residential areas.

Doug:
How long does it take to get into residential neighborhoods after the snow stops?

Joe:
It depends on the storm. We don’t always wait for the snow to stop before we start residential streets. Sometimes we have to keep making passes as the snow continues falling. The goal is to keep roads as clear as possible, as quickly as possible.

Doug:
You mentioned different types of plows earlier. What kinds of trucks are out working today?

Joe:
On major roads like Shawnee Mission Parkway and Johnson Drive, you’ll see double-axle trucks. They’re larger and can handle heavy snowfall on high-traffic streets. The truck we’re in today is a single-axle, which is better for secondary and residential roads.

Doug:
Joe, thanks for giving us an inside look at what it takes to keep Shawnee moving during a snowstorm. Your team does incredible work!

Joe:
Thank you! We appreciate the community’s patience and support as we work to clear the roads.

Doug:
That wraps up this episode of the Shawnee Pulse Podcast. Stay safe out there, and we’ll see you next time!

Podcast Transcript: Shawnee Pulse - Episode 3

Communications Director Doug Donahoo:
Welcome to the Shawnee Pulse podcast. My name is Doug Donahoo, Communications Director for the City of Shawnee. Thank you so much for coming back and listening to this episode. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. As we said, this is an opportunity to let you know a little bit more about what’s going on inside the City of Shawnee from City Hall to the Civic Center, to the Public Works Service Center.

Everything that’s taking place to give you an inside look at what’s happening. And I don’t know exactly when you’re listening to this episode, but as we’re recording it, there’s a few inches of snow on the ground and it’s pretty cold. But what we’re thinking about are the summer months and what’s going to be happening in Shawnee.

We’ve got a couple of great programs to talk to you about, the Aquatic Centers and the creation of a brand-new summer camp in Shawnee. In the City of Shawnee offered through the Parks and Recreation Department, Sean Keenan, Recreation Superintendent and Rylan Davis, Aquatic Specialist for the Parks and Recreation Department are both here to talk about the upcoming summer months and what you can expect to find at the Civic Center and both of Shawnee’s Aquatic Centers.

Joining us right now on the Shawnee Pulse Podcast, Sean Keenan and Rylan Davis, both of the Shawnee Parks and Recreation Department, Sean, Recreation Superintendent Rylan is our Aquatic Specialist. Gentlemen, thank you so much for being here today.

Rylan:
Thanks for having us.

Doug:
Of course. Let us know first a little bit about what the job of Recreation Superintendent, what the job of Aquatic Specialist entails for serving the City of Shawnee and the Parks and Recreation Department.

Recreation Superintendent Sean Keenan:
As a as the Recreation Superintendent, we oversee all of the recreation operations out at the Shawnee Civic Center. Out of that site we do all of the rentals for all of our park properties. Our, baseball fields, soccer fields sports venues, shelters. We also facilitate the operations for the Shawnee Cemetery and Pleasant View Cemetery. We also take all of the registrations for our programs, from Tai Chi all the way through the Aquatics Department.

So we oversee the aquatics position, which Rylan’s going to get into that operation, which is a large portion of course of the Recreation Department. And then of course all of our rentals and things that we facilitate actually at the physical site of the Shawnee Civic Center. So I’m excited about that.

And then of course, all of our special events that we offer to the residents of Shawnee throughout the year. So after Monday, what do you do for the rest of the week? We just, take a breath, try to take a breath in between. Obviously it’s a very fun and exciting job.

It’s, we have a lot of contact with our residents and with a lot of the youth, especially, through our different opportunities that we have that we provide, through employment as well as obviously all of our programs and activities. So it’s a lot of it’s a very engaging job and it’s a very fulfilling, role that we have.

Doug:
So Sean, a lot of what you’re talking about covers a broad expanse across the entire City. We make a joke, but really it’s every single day that Parks and Recreation, especially through your position, has some type of contact with a member of the public. Whether they’re going to the Civic Center, stopping at one of our parks, anything like that, you have some hand in.

Rylan, you’re really focused on our two aquatic centers. Thomas Soetaert Aquatic Center and Splash Cove, the Jim Allen Aquatic Center. Talk to us about what that is like for you, especially as we’re ramping up towards pool season this summer.

Aquatics Specialist Rylan Davis:
Yeah, so as the aquatic specialist, I receive those aquatic centers, as you said, as well as the splash pads we have at Wilder Bluff Park and Erfurt Park. My role includes anything from budgeting to training. The safety aspects and programming in the aquatic centers. Basically I have a hand in everything you can think of to help make sure the pools are running and open every summer for the public. A lot of public engagement, obviously, as being an employee. Tons of high school, college age kids throughout the area and get a lot of contact with them this time of year for the hiring process, which we’re heavy in the middle of right now. So it is also a fun job. It’s very enjoyable and, getting busy this time of year as well.

Doug:
Sean, talk to us a little bit about how long you’ve been with the City of Shawnee. I think, in fact, you were originally the aquatic specialist for a time.

Sean:
Yeah, absolutely. I started my employment back in 2007. So we’re going on 17, 18 years now. Obviously my current role, I started about three years ago. But prior to that, again, it was doing the aquatic centers and obviously working with Rylan, which he’ll get into as well.

But that was the main function of it. The cool part about our department is even though we may have our specific titles we all help and facilitate that. All of the programs throughout the season, which includes, the Shawnee Great Grillers, Parked, which is out in obviously over at Stump Park, which is in our annual fireworks event all of the concerts that we’ve had movies in the park, we’ve had movies facilitated at the pool.

All of those events and activities is an all hands on deck type of thing. So all of us get that exposure in those different venues and through those different events that makes it really exciting and fun.

Doug:
Rylan, talk to us a little bit about how long you’ve been with the City of Shawnee and where you’ve come from before stepping up into this role as Aquatic Specialist.

Rylan:
I actually started 12 years ago with the City as a lifeguard. At that time, worked for Sean Keenan. Since then, I worked up through the ranks as Pool Manager, Aquatics Director, and into my current role as the Aquatic Specialist, where I’ve been for about two and a half years now. It’s been a good time.

Obviously the environment’s great. The work experience is a good time. And there’s obviously a reason I stuck around for so long. And it’s great to see people who are starting to follow my footsteps as well, going from the lifeguard to the manager side as well.

Doug:
Rylan let’s start there then, because you mentioned it a little bit ago.

The number of summer employment opportunities that are available with Parks and Recreation specific to the aquatic centers. As you said, you started as a lifeguard. What are those opportunities that we offer to kids who are high school aged teenagers and kids who are in college? What opportunities do they have during the summer with Parks and Rec?

Rylan:
Through the pools, we hire lifeguards, swim instructors. We have our cashier and concession staff our swim coach, swim and dive team staff. It’s an all hands on deck. There’s up to 30 lifeguards a day at the suited Aquatic Center and up to 15 to 20 a day at Splash Cove based on the day in the programs that day.

It’s a large operation. There’s a lot of people behind the scenes. You don’t see often, but everyone has a good part and make sure everything runs each day and every week of the pool.

Doug:
What’s the type of training that goes into the lifeguards, especially when they’re hired to make sure that they know how to do their job and keeps folks at the aquatic center safe?

Rylan:
We use Red Cross training. We hold our lifeguards to a high standard and we offer, or we hold classes and we get our lifeguards certified up to lifeguarding with water park skills, CPR, first aid, and AED. As well as administering emergency oxygen those lifeguards go through a weekly in service as well to maintain their skills throughout the summer.

At those we do, we practice our rescue skills, we practice just anything to involve with making a rescue of the pool, the process there and after. Even down to first aid, the minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises, which you see every day at the pool.

Doug:
Talk to me a little bit about some of those other opportunities that are also available. You mentioned cashiers and concession stands, along with the swim instructors, and then also, I believe it’s the Shawnee Shark Swim Team, the coaching staff. That’s some of the other hires you have to make.

Rylan:
We have a bunch of opportunities from, the lifeguards who are outside all the time. We have the cashiers and concession staff who are not the outdoorsy type quite as much. There’s opportunities for everybody there.

Doug:
Speaking as somebody who should not be on long speaking terms with the sun, I would definitely gravitate towards the indoor role that keeps me out in the shade as much as possible.

Rylan:
Right. There’s quite a few kids who aspire that same way.

Doug:
Talk to me a little bit about the swim instruction. That’s something that Parks and Rec offers during the summer. What are you looking for in terms of kids to take on that role, instructors to take on that role to teach other kids how to swim?

Rylan:
We’re looking for kids who either have an extensive swimming background or a willingness to teach. Physically demanding role as well as a mentally demanding role. Teaching kids from as young as two to three years old up until 12, 14, 15 year old kids. We also offer adult lessons. So there’s a wide variety of people with different swimming abilities there and they’re interacting with throughout the summer.

It’s a very special role in that they work with all sorts of people, different sizes, ages, abilities, and they do a great job of maintaining the standard of our swimming lesson program.

Doug:
Obviously somebody hearing about the opportunity of swim lessons is going to want to know when they can start to sign up for swim lessons. When do those become publicly available?

Rylan:
Registration for those opens on March 14th. You can find those online at the City website, and we start booking those up March 14th, and they do fill up fast. We have four sessions throughout the summer. Those are each going to be two-week sessions broken down into eight days at a time.

The first week usually runs Monday through Friday and the second week runs Monday through Wednesday. Barring holidays, which would be our July 4th and Juneteenth this summer, those do offset some days a little bit. But each session is going to be eight days of lessons, 30 minutes at a time, and those are, ranging in all sorts of abilities and skills as well you can sign up for.

Doug:
Sean talked a lot about all sorts of events that are happening through the Parks and Recreation Department. I want you to be able to talk for a second for you, Rylan, to talk about events at the pool this summer. Yeah. So feel free to take as much time as Sean did to really sell what’s happening at the pools this summer. What else can folks expect besides just the normal hours of being able to get in there and swim, dive, splash around, and enjoy the pools in the hot weather?

Rylan: 
We have a few different events throughout the summer. We have our Fun Fridays, which are on the first Friday of every month. We have our dive in movie night.

We have our end of season bash for the swim and dive teams. And we’d show that movie in the pool. This year, this can be probably Sonic the Hedgehog this year. And we also have our canes at the cove event in August before we drain the pool over a splash cove, we open it to the dogs and we have a few sessions there for people to bring their dogs and splash around for a little while before we drain that pool for the year.

Doug:
Okay, excellent. Any big changes coming to either the aquatic centers or the splash pads that we would like people to know about before we hit opening weekend Memorial Day weekend? No. Excellent. That was easy. That was easy.

Sean:
Probably the only thing just to worth mentioning would be the hours or the available operational hours of the pads versus the pools.

Maybe as far as the opportunity, nothing’s going to change there, but a lot of people don’t realize that we try to get those splash pads up and running May 1st. So they’re actually available prior to, weather pending. So obviously if it snows in April it’s.

Yeah, they will not be on but typically if the weather is amicable and, pleasant than it, those will be available prior to pool season starting. And then they go through the month of September as well. So they end later as well. It’s just an additional opportunity for people to cool off.

Doug:
Congratulations, Sean. Thank you so much for that additional information. I think you are the winner though, because you’re the first person to use the word amicable on the podcast. Thank you. So good job there. Thank you. Let’s talk a little bit, though, about some of the other stuff that’s happening with Parks and Rec, especially at the Civic Center.

This is the first summer for Shawnee Park and Rec’s new summer camp program, and you are spearheading that. Tell us a little bit about that new program.

Sean:
We are exceptionally happy about this opportunity this year. And just to get the information out there and distinguish between it.

We have offered what we called enrichment camps prior to this year. Those camps are, typically, three to four hours per day for maybe just a few days in the week. But they’re they really target something like we’ve had our robotics camps some of our Roblox camps very specific.

And we’re still going to be providing those opportunities and those enrichment camps. How this differentiates is this will be a basically the full blown. Camp opportunity from 7:30 in the morning to 5:30 pm. And it will be we are offering it for a 10 week season our typical season that you would have that’s, typically runs around the same time as pool season as well.

And we are really excited as an opportunity to basically be a location and the ability to offer this location for individuals who are looking for that longer term school age group care during those hours of operation. What are going to be the ages that the eligible for this camp?

The specific ages are 5 to 6 years of age at the start date of your camp week that chosen all the way through 12 years of age. Essentially what that is basically having completed kindergarten through what would be sixth grade. But that, those are going to be the sticking points.

But I say that age specifically, because a lot of people when they’re trying to do those reservations online may not know why it’s that specific, but basically that is showing that they have at least attended all the way through the kindergarten age group

Doug:
5 to 6 is extremely specific, but it does make sense that you want to make sure a kid has gone through kindergarten and they’re really entering into their first full summer as an elementary school student.

Sean:
And again, so the idea here is this opportunity is to offer this camp so where we can focus on all of the youth and the children and also individuals that are very familiar with the process of being around other children and, having a process and a schedule and having all those things already ingrained so that we can continue and really focus on the whole group and the offerings that we’re going to give them.

It’s a 10-week opportunity. Essentially each week we will be featuring a field trip off-site in regard to a special opportunity right off the bat. We will, one of the weeks we’re going to be going to the zoo.

Other ones we are going to be trying to feature outside of what you would typically have exposure to. Through, through the school districts in that regard and but with a lot of kind of education on peace and component to that. In addition to that those field trips, outside field trips will be different each week.

We will also be offering all of the great resources that we have here in Shawnee as well. We will be having trips to the splash pads, trips to the pool. We’ve got two scheduled pool days each week over at the Soetaert Aquatic Center. We’ll also be going to Splash Cove, going to Shawnee Town 1929.

We’ve got our two beautiful splash pads. We’ll be doing picnics in the park. Again, utilizing all of these great resources that we have in town here in Shawnee that we can really feature and showcase with that with that programmable component. Each site will also be different in what in what the kids will be exposed to and what they’ll be doing.

Doug:
Now, with each field trip, will those tie into a theme each week with the camp? They most certainly will.

Sean:
So yeah, we’re really excited about that. Matt Mann, who is actually he is our program manager over at the Civic Center. He comes from a from a camp background running them at the YMCA as well.

He was very excited to come up with all the names of each themed week. But yeah, so we’ve got quite a few, I guess I probably could go through a few of them. We’ve got Game On. But it’s not what you think, We are gonna be featuring our, what would be considered old school board games and those types of exposure to gaming opportunities outside of what you would see on a screen.

It’s an off-line experience. Yeah, that whole week. That’s another one. We’ve got our campers assemble, which is basically a hero themes through comic books movies, cartoons. And basically each week is the idea is they will be exposed to this theme, but by the end of the week they will have something to take home that is specific to that themed week.

We’re really excited again. A lot of it is going to be the exposure with nature, with the elements outside. Obviously it is an indoor camp, but we want to have the kids up and moving as much as possible. It is a very structured camp program. As you would see in any other setting.

But again, it’s we did we are incorporating a lot of the learning component with it as well. So that the kids can actually have a hands-on experience and be able to apply what they’re learning in it.

Doug:
I certainly think that getting the kids up and moving so that the parents know when they drop them off at 7:30 in the morning. When they pick him up by 5:30, they’re going to be ready to go to bed 15 minutes later.

Sean:
I say, that is the goal. That is 100 percent the goal. And but we want them to have a great time. We want them to have a memorable experience. One of those things that they’re going to be like, man, Camp Shawnee was one of the funnest things I ever, I’ve ever experienced.

And I made a lot of great friends, a lot of new connections. Cause I’ve got young kids as well. There is that the apprehension, especially initially, first day of camp, first week of camp, I don’t know anybody, those kinds of things we are going to be engaging with them, and we are going to help facilitate those connections with people that they don’t know, with that exposure.

We’re very used to that, obviously, in the aquatic setting as well especially with first time employment, it’s the same thing, but just with the, with that younger demographic.

Doug:
Now, there are some employment opportunities based around the summer camp, correct? What opportunities are there?

Sean:
What’s currently available is we’ve got camp counselors that we are still actively hiring for.

That position, what we’re looking for is individuals ages 16 or older who, again, are great with children, with we’re looking for individuals that have great patience. They are, they want a good opportunity to learn, but they also have the ability to have fun and promote a safe environment for the kids.

And Shawnee has a lot of, A lot of great opportunity there again, as we’ve seen in our other roles around that same demographic and same age group but again that’s really it’s a fun job, and it’s a very rewarding job, and but currently we still have a few positions available I would imagine those to go pretty quickly, but again we’re really excited about this opportunity.

Doug:
Whether you’re interested in becoming a camp counselor, looking for something at the pools, plenty of jobs still open for this summer in the city of Shawnee dot org slash jobs to see what’s open to apply only takes a few minutes and then they get the ball rolling pretty quickly for all of these summer positions.

Gentlemen, Want to thank you both so much for joining us today for sharing the story. I know that with snow still on the ground, not many people are thinking about the summer months, but they’re coming up really quick. Sean Keenan, Rylan Davis, both of Shawnee Parks and Recreation getting ready for their busy time of the year.

I guess the only benefit either one of you has is that basically from May to September you get to wear shorts to work, right? That’s right.  

Sean:
Weather’s permitting. I was like, the pump room is usually about 130 degrees, so it’s a little hot inside.

Doug:
We’ll keep that in mind while everybody else is cooling off in the pool.

One of you will probably be in the pump room checking it out. Appreciate you both coming in to talk about what’s happening this summer at Shawnee Parks and Recreation. Thank you both so much. Really appreciate it. Thanks for having us. I love being here.

Always a pleasure to talk to Sean and Rylan from the Shawnee Parks and Recreation Department and also a pleasure to have from the Shawnee Parks and Recreation Department, Kate. Kate is back. Kate, how you doing?

Kate:
I’m good. How are you, Doug?

Doug:
After talking with Sean and Rylan, I am all ready for the summer month.

I am certainly ready for the snow and the cold to be done. I don’t think we’re gonna get quite that lucky for it to be done all that quickly.

Kate:
Not yet. Not yet. But we’re getting closer and we, by the time summer gets here, we will be ready to go.

Doug:
You’re here, Kate, to talk to us about some of the events that we still happen have happening at the end of February and through the month of March.

Hopefully some of them that we have happening are still going to be taking place indoors. Because it is still not really hospitable outside yet.

Kate:
Yeah, we’re not ready for those outdoor activities yet. No concerts in the park just yet. We do have a Kids Night Out coming out in March for mom and dad who have maybe been cooped up a little too long.

We do have Kids Night Out coming up on March 14th. It’s from 6:00 pm at the Civic Center. It is $15 per kiddo, and that includes your pizza dinner, games, activities, snacks, and then we’ll wrap up with a movie to bring them down towards the end of the night.

Doug:
If I want pizza and a movie, it’s only, how much do you say for me to attend?

Kate:
$15 per kiddo.

Doug:
For me to, so is it 15 for me too? 

Kate:
I think you’re over the age limit :)

Doug:
Oh 

Kate:
Only through 12.

Doug:
Okay. Can I just stand outside the Civic Center and just take pizza as it’s arriving?

Kate:
There you go.

Doug:
Okay.

Kate:
Intercept.

Doug:
The good thing is Kids Night Out is just for the kiddos as you said, but then on Sunday, March 16th is St. Patrick’s celebration in Downtown Shawnee - Shamrock O'Market and the St. Patrick’s parade and the Duck Race all taking place. Shamrock O'Market first up in the City Hall parking lot that gets started at Noon and then the St. Patrick’s parade comes rolling down Johnson Drive at 1:00 p.m. That’s a great way to kick off your St. Patrick’s celebration. And at 3:30 in the Shawnee Town 1929 parking lot there on the north side of Johnson Drive will be the Sister Cities celebration. Duck Race should be a lot of fun for everybody in the family to get out to Downtown Shawnee. We should note, that the streetscape improvements in front of City Hall along Johnson Drive are still in progress.

We hope that they will be pretty close to completion when Sunday, March 16th rolls around. But know that area will be likely off limits for folks. So the Shamrock O'Market will be taking place in a slightly more confined space. But that’s okay. Parade’s still gonna happen. Market’s still gonna happen.

Duck race is still going to happen. You can find out lots of information and where to buy ducks on our website cityofshawnee.org. and then something else coming up to celebrate another year with the City of Shawnee, State of the City on Thursday, March 27th at the Shawnee Aztec Theater in downtown.

Tickets are available through the Chamber of Commerce, but the speech is open to everyone who would like to attend. The event lasts from 4 till 6. The speech is from 5pm to 6pm. Really hope to see everybody out there on Thursday, March 27th for the State of the City. And then what else do they have happening on the weekends there Kate?

Kate:
Yeah, so also coming up towards the end of March is the always popular Healthy Yards Expo at the Shawnee Civic Center. That is from 9am to 2pm. It is a day full of earth friendly lawn information, they have speakers come up and talk about things you can walk around, they have lots of vendors available that can talk about, you can get your soil tested, the county’s there, a variety of different cities are there, it’s an excellent opportunity to really gear up for that spring.

Doug:
So we should say that yes, it is taking place here in Shawnee, but it involves other cities in Johnson County, it involves Johnson County, it involves the Unified Government of KCK and Wyandotte County, so the entire region is welcome to come to the Civic Center and figure out how to make your yard more healthy.

Kate:
Yep. Get ready. Get that yard ready because it is coming.  

Doug:
Eventually it will be warm enough that you will want to go outside and take care of your yard. So this is a great way to figure out how to do that better.

Kate:
Yes, and then if you haven’t gotten enough of the Civic Center, if you want to camp out for a week, the following Saturday is our April Showers Craft Festival.

This is always packed to the brim with vendors. All handmade local vendors selling their goods. It is from 9am to 4pm. That day free admission It’s just whatever you want to purchase from your vendors there get your early Easter shopping then

Doug:
So if I drop my kids off on Friday, March 14th, can I then pick them up on Saturday April 5th?

Kate:
Absolutely.  

Doug:
Okay, great. Perfect. I think this is going to work out great for everybody involved then. Again, if you are looking for other events taking place in the City of Shawnee, head to our website, cityofshawnee.org. Click on the calendar and they’ll have all the months, all the dates, all the events that are happening.

So you can plan your schedule through the rest of this spring and into the summer. Kate, thanks so much for being here to go over the events with us. This has been the Shawnee Pulse podcast. My name is Doug Donahoo. Thank you so much for joining us. We’ll see you next month.