City enables Blue Cross to add parking stalls

Topeka's mayor and city council approved a zoning change Tuesday evening enabling Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas to add at least a dozen parking stalls at its Topeka headquarters.

Mayor Michelle De La Isla and the council voted 9-0, with Councilwoman Sandra Clear being absent, to amend the city's Planned Unit Development master plan for the BCBSKS property at 1133 S.W. Topeka Blvd. by expanding its boundaries to include property it bought at 1104 S.W. Polk.

The move will enable the company to add 12 to 17 new parking stalls, the mayor and council heard from Bill Fiander, the city's director of planning and development.

Clear couldn't attend Tuesday's meeting because she wasn't feeling well, De La Isla said.

The mayor and council on Tuesday evening also heard a report on the city’s financial operations for the second quarter of this year from Jessica Lamendola, the city’s director of administrative and financial services.

She voiced confidence that the city's general fund will finish this year on budget, or at least close to budget.

In addition, the mayor and council heard an update from Kayla Bitler-Loschke, the Greater Topeka Partnership's vice president for strategy, and Keith Warta, of Bartlett and West, who are two of the three chairpersons for the Momentum 2022 campaign aimed at making Topeka and Shawnee County a better place to live, work, play and do business. De La Isla is the campaign's other chairperson.

Warta talked about how Momentum 2022 participants have worked this year to create a public values statement, implement clear bylaws related to roles and responsibilities for everyone involved, and look at who the organization is communicating with, how frequently they communicate and what those messages say.

Bitler-Loschke described efforts Momentum 2022 participants are making aimed at developing homegrown talent, creating vibrant and attractive places, growing a diverse economy, promoting a positive image and collaborating for a strong community.