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Longtime Lenexa councilman Tom Nolte seeks seventh term

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Councilmember Tom Nolte, who tried developing the property several years ago, shared his support for the Timber Apartments project.

Longtime Lenexa councilman Tom Nolte is seeking his seventh term in office.

Upon completion of his current term, Nolte will have served 24 years on the Lenexa council. As a representative of Ward 2, he is seeking another term to focus on undeveloped properties and long-term plans for the city. He is currently running unopposed.

Nolte was first elected to the council in 1995. After his election, he and his fellow councilmembers began working on Vision 2020, which resulted in the creation of City Center and its subsequent development projects, as well as Rain-to-Recreation, an initiative that has tackled stormwater issues and recreation opportunities simultaneously.

“This is something I care a lot about; City Center now has gained a lot of momentum over the last, I would say, five years,” he said. “Finally we are seeing some significant progress, and so that’s exciting. I just want to stay with it a little bit longer to make sure that we adhere to some of the ideas that we had back in ‘98.”

If re-elected, Nolte hopes to focus on staying the course with the city’s current momentum.

“It’s really basically staying with our long-range comprehensive plan on how we see land uses, mainly in western Lenexa,” Nolte said, adding that these plans affect his ward, especially because it covers the majority of the city’s undeveloped land.

Nolte said he sees the city’s process of building infrastructure before developments come on site — such as along Renner Boulevard and all around City Center — as an advantageous strategy that he hopes to continue.

“I think we’re very proactive,” he said. “We build bridges before they’re needed. We build roadways. We build parks long before they’re needed so we can get out ahead of the development curve.”

A resident of Lenexa since 1983, Nolte lives in Ward 2 with his wife, Connie Nolte. They have raised two daughters. He was first motivated to run for office to ensure a traffic signal was installed at 95th and Lackman, a requirement for Sunflower Elementary (where he wanted to send his daughters) to be built in the neighboring subdivision. That same motivation – to ensure a good quality of life — inspires him to stay involved, he added.

“Lenexa is a place I kind of lucked into,” he said, adding that the people he met through the Rotary Club, planning commission, council and various committees have been a blessing to him. “Lenexa has been important to me, and I want to see it continue to succeed. I really think we’re enjoying a zenith right now in our history. Lenexa is on the map, and good things are happening.”

About the author

Leah Wankum
Leah Wankum

Hi there! I’m Leah Wankum, and I’m the Post’s Deputy Editor. I’m thrilled to call Johnson County home, and I’m deeply committed to the Post’s philosophy that an informed community is a strong community.

I’m a native of mid-Missouri, and attended high school in Jefferson City before going on to the University of Central Missouri, where I earned a master’s degree in mass communication.

Prior to joining the Post as a reporter in 2018, I was the editor of the Richmond News in Ray County, Missouri. I’ve also written for several publications, including the Sedalia Democrat and KC Magazine.

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