In this episode of Mayor’s Minutes, we’re talking festivals, future facilities, and funding.

Mayor Walker recaps the July 3rd Council Meeting, which included:

Tune in for the latest updates!

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

Couldn’t make it to State of the City? No worries—we saved you the best seat in the house. 

The Hall Monitors were behind the scenes on this one to bring you a special podcast episode – “Hometown Hall Pass: State of the City 2025.”

Our latest podcast episode brings you Mayor Walker’s address–plus a full-screen view of the presentation slides–so you can see what’s going on and what’s ahead for De Soto.

00:00 Welcome

02:00 Quality of Life

02:38 Riding the Economic Current

04:27 Economic Drivers

06:06 Retail Sales

07:08 Streets, Sidewalks, & Infrastructure

07:46 Infrastructure Upgrades

08:22 Water Treatment Facility & New Water Tower

08:41 Wastewater Treatment Plant

08:54 103rd Street Complete

09:16 Energy Way

09:42 New Fire Station & Aerial Truck

10:38 Housing

13:02 Community Engagement

14:43 Public Safety

15:46 Schools

16:21 Outdoor Recreation

18:14 Community Center

19:04 City Hall Remodel

19:49 Southwest Growth Area

20:30 Transportation Connection

21:16 All Eyes on Us

21:56 Community

The latest edition of Mayor’s Minutes is here! We’re recapping highlights from the June 18th Council Meeting, including:

In this edition of Mayor’s Minutes, Mayor Walker recaps the June 5th City Council meeting, including the renaming of a portion of 103rd Street to Energy Way and expansion of the Downtown Common Consumption Area (CCA) hours of operation.

Meeting agendas and supporting documents are always available at: https://desotoks.us/AgendaCenter

00:00 Welcome to Mayor's Minutes

00:26 Key Items from the Consent Agenda

01:18 New Business Highlights

02:21 City Hall Renovation Updates

02:52 2026 Budget Focus

03:17 Community Events Recap

04:09 Closing Remarks

Your De Soto Summer Syllabus just dropped.

From pool parties to fireworks, we’re sharing what to expect, what to bring, and some behind-the-scenes context on what it takes to bring these community events to life!

Plus, a look at some hometown favorites on the 2025 lineup:

It takes a village (and some great partnerships) to pull off a summer like this. Big thanks to the partners behind these events—and to everyone who plays a part in building up our community year-round.

Want to stay in the loop?

In this episode of Mayor’s Minutes, Mayor Walker recaps the May 15th City Council meeting—highlighting projects and decisions shaping the future of De Soto.

From sidewalk and road upgrades to long-term planning efforts like the Southwest Growth Area Plan, this update covers how the City is managing growth with intention.

00:00 Welcome to Mayor's Minutes

00:23 Consent Agenda Highlights

01:32 New Business and Development Plans

03:01 Community Development Initiatives

03:52 Farewell to Council Member Courtney Tripp

04:36 Upcoming Community Events

04:59 Conclusion and Sign-Off

We’ve got a bonus Mayor’s Minute this week — and it’s a little different than the usual Council recap.

In this episode, Mayor Walker talks about a topic that’s on a lot of people’s minds: growth in De Soto. Tune in to hear why it’s happening, what it means for our community, and how the City is planning for the future.

We’re back with another Mayor’s Minute(s), recapping highlights from the May 1st City Council meeting, with Mayor Rick Walker!

Tune in for updates on an economic incentive agreement with Geiger Ready-Mix Co., changes to the City Hall renovation project, and a stormwater improvement plan for 89th Street.

00:00 Welcome to Mayor's Minutes 

00:17 Supporting Education 

00:32 Economic Development 

01:08 Stormwater Management Project 

01:31 City Hall Renovations Update 

02:15 Community Development Block Grant 

02:45 Rhythm & Roots Event Recap 

03:22 Conclusion

This episode, the Hall Monitors take a field trip to the Northwest Consolidated Fire District to chat with Fire Chief Todd Maxton about the new Sunflower Fire Station.

We talk about how the downtown station - formerly City Hall - has served the community for decades, why it’s time for an upgrade, and how the new station will better serve the firefighters who serve us every day.

Host: Whitney Lange, Communications Director

Guest: Fire Chief Todd Maxton, NWCFD

00:00 Intro

04:06 The Station That's Served Us Well

08:30 Planning

14:13 Location

15:05 Station Details

18:18 Staffing

18:49 Funding

21:43 Training

25:07 Rapid Fire Questions

28:14 Closing

29:25 Bloopers

In this episode of The Mayor's Minute(s), Mayor Rick Walker recaps the April 17th City Council meeting that had a variety of agenda topics. Hear about donations to local groups, an update on the CTEC student art sculpture for City Hall, the Flint Meadows East housing project, and other important topics!

For more information on the upcoming summer events, check out the Rhythm & Roots Market webpage!

00:00 Welcome to Mayor's Minutes