City of Olathe News Brief

January Council and Planning Commission Schedules and TV Rebroadcasts ModifiedThe Olathe City Council will not meet on Tuesday, January 3 because of the New Year's holiday. The next regular City Council session will be Tuesday, January 10.

Because the January City Council and Planning Commission meetings both occur during the same weeks, the Channel 7 rebroadcast schedule will be modified. Each City Council and Planning Commission meeting will be shown live and then rebroadcast that same week on the following schedule:
The City Council meetings will be rebroadcast the following Wednesday at 6 p.m., Friday at noon, Saturday at 6 pm. and Sunday at noon. Note: the January 13 rebroadcast will be delayed until approximately 1 p.m. to accommodate the live broadcast of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at noon.

The Planning Commission meetings will be rebroadcast the following Thursday at 6 p.m., Saturday at noon and Sunday at 6 p.m.

Dispose of Household Chemicals Safely SaturdayOlathe residents are asked to safely dispose of household products at Olathe?s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) drop-off site, located south of the Olathe Municipal Services Center, 1385 S. Robinson, Saturday, January 14. The HHW collection site is open the second Saturday of the month year-round from 8 a.m. to noon. HHW also can be disposed of at other times by appointment. Call 913-971-9311 to schedule an appointment.

Household chemicals such as motor oil, antifreeze, paint, batteries and pesticides can be harmful to the environment and should not be thrown away with trash or dumped down the sink. Disposal of these types of chemicals at a HHW facility ensures proper disposal of the chemicals and helps protect the environment.
For more information, please call the Olathe Municipal Services Center at 913-971-9311.

City Council to Recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday: Special Event Planned The Olathe City Council will recognize the 2006 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with a proclamation at their Tuesday, January 10 meeting. The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is officially recognized on Monday, January 16; City offices will be closed.

A Martin Luther King Jr. observance will be held at noon, Friday, January 13 in the City Council Chamber, 100 E. Santa Fe, and will feature essay readings by senior high school students. The theme of this year?s annual essay contest is "If you look at schools today, what would Dr. Martin Luther King say about his dream of diversity?"

A panel of judges representing the community will determine the final high school winners as the top three finishers read their essays at the public gathering. The winners also will be honored at an evening banquet sponsored by the Olathe Branch of the NAACP on Monday, January 16 at the Doubletree Hotel in Overland Park.

The January 13 observance also will include Olathe Mayor Michael Copeland who will present a proclamation honoring King. It will be shown live on City Cable Channel 7. The noon event is sponsored by the Olathe Human Relations Commission and Olathe District Schools and endorsed by the high school SASH (Students Achieving Social Harmony) groups.
Interpreters for the hearing impaired will be provided. For more information, call 913-971-6490.