Recently an icy forecast forced us to take opening day of Leadership Overland Park virtual. What could have been a snoozer of a day on Zoom was the opposite as the class embraced the day, cameras on and energized.

I always look forward to this session, meeting the class, getting to know their personalities, and hearing their take on Overland Park. The agenda includes a community SWOT analysis which is foundational to future sessions.

Not surprisingly, the class’s list of Overland Park strengths includes top-ranked schools, parks, neighborhoods, affordable taxes, transportation access, trails and bike paths, abundant quality health care, and public safety. They also noted our public schools’ special needs programming, our sense of community and small-town feel, and some specifics like our ability to have basements and new projects like the conversions of former hotels into apartments.

Threats are intensifying as the pandemic’s impact lingers. There were concerns about delivering quality education given workforce challenges due to retirements and retention across all sectors, from bus drivers to the classroom. Other community threats included low housing inventory, supply chain issues, lack of diversity, inflation, labor shortages, limited attainable housing, and polarization created by neighborhood revitalization.

The ”Opportunities” discussion brought both optimism and innovation, including mention of the ForwardOP community vision. With calls for creativity and adaptive zoning rules, the group envisioned more housing options, including accessory dwelling units, which are secondary homes or apartments occupying the same lot as a larger, primary residence, often used to provide additional income or to house a family member. They’re interested in building complete streets with bike lanes and sidewalks, more public transportation, and are excited about participating in the City’s upcoming Comprehensive Plan. They see insufficient resources for mental health and behavioral services, providing opportunities for clinics to focus on these areas as well as dental and vision. They see opportunities to partner with educators to bring more students into health care fields.

A few weeks ago, Greg Musil, Rouse Frets White Goss Gentile Rhodes, P.C., provided a quote during the Moment of Inspiration at our Overland Park Rotary meeting, reminding me of our spirited LOP class. I share it with you:

“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
– George Bernard Shaw