ShawneeDispatch.com

As Shawnee's new Justice Center complex nears completion, new equipment to fill its buildings is starting to come in.

Monday, the Shawnee City Council approved the purchase of items like special police storage units and uninterruptible power system equipment for the Justice Center. The city had previously approved a contract for office furniture, so the purchases leave just a few more items to obtain before the new buildings are turned over to the city in mid-July.

One new item for the Police Department that drew interest from Council members is a blood drying cabinet. Police Chief Jim Morgan said the cabinet is used when evidence is wet, most often with blood, and must be properly dried to keep it from becoming contaminated. The cabinet alone- a specialized piece of equipment - is $12,815, Morgan said.

Morgan said the city has never had one previously, but several times Shawnee Police have had to take a wet evidence object to the Johnson County Crime Lab for proper handling.

The cabinet was purchased along with four weapons racks and industrial steel shelving for the department's storage room, which must keep up with the statute of limitations that requires the department to store evidence for five years.

All of the equipment was purchased for $40,446 from Automated Business Systems of Lenexa.

Also approved was uninterruptible power system equipment from Air Power Consultants Inc. of Lenexa for $109,811. The equipment will protect and provide continuous power to critical communication, data and electrical equipment.

Finally, the Council approved the purchase of audio-visual equipment from SKC Communications of Shawnee for $136,866. The equipment will be used in the Municipal Court for video arraignment between the court and the Johnson County jail. Equipment also will be installed in several areas of the Police Department and in the fire station's training classroom.

After the meeting, Bert Schnettgoecke, city project engineer, said the Justice Center was still on schedule to be completed around July 16. He said the city still needed to purchase some security camera equipment, office equipment including copiers and printers, and some smaller furniture items.

All Justice Center items on Monday's agenda were approved unanimously; Council member Dawn Kuhn was absent.

In other business, the Council:

¢ Recognized representatives from Shawnee's Sister Cities, who are visiting Shawnee to mark the 25th anniversary of the beginning of the Sister Cities program in Shawnee, and Mayor Jeff Meyers read a proclamation to recognize them.

¢ Awarded 6-1 a contract for construction of several park projects to Sarai Construction, Blue Springs, Mo., for $1,180,920. Council member Cheryl Scott said she voted in opposition because she didn't feel comfortable with some of the comments made by the construction firm's references.

¢ Approved rezoning from agricultural to residential suburban for the development of Zarda Estates, a two-lot single-family subdivision at 22625 W. 47th St.

¢ Approved the rezoning from single-family residential to townsquare for a parking lot for the Barton Place development at 11214 W. 57th Terrace.

¢ Awarded a contract for a ladder fire truck to Conrad Fire Equipment, Olathe, for $625,573.

¢ Approved the purchase of automatic external defibrillators for from Physio Control, Redmond, Wash., for $20,259.

¢ Approved semi-monthly claims totaling $5,253,158.