Mission:

The mission of the Pott Co Kayak Club is to partner and support all agencies wishing to enhance the physical and mental well-being of the residents and visitors of Pottawatomie County through paddle sports. Our desire is to support and achieve social equity, by providing access to our lakes for all abilities, and to assist agencies in providing safety and adaptive training to individuals of all ages.  Although this dream was born out of the global pandemic, we have yet to receive the support and approvals from the City of Shawnee to make it a reality.

This petition has three (3) requests of our city government:

1.     To make it a fundamental priority to complete the infrastructure needs of the adaptive kayak launch by Spring 2022. The adaptive kayak launch was installed on Shawnee Twin Lakes May 6, 2021 solely through fundraising efforts of Pott Co Kayak Club.  Due to broken promises, the City has not provided a connective, ADA-compliant sidewalk, road, parking or facilities.

2.      To be given the opportunity to be put on the agenda to ask for the ability to fundraise outside of city funds. 

3.      For the City to grant a commercial lease agreement or Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to Shawnee Water Sports Association, a 501c3 nonprofit, by the end of the 2021 calendar year so that plans can be made for the 2022 kayak season. This will allow the nonprofit to apply for grants and other funding opportunities to build additional infrastructure, offer safety and adaptive lessons, as well as kayak rentals to people of all abilities by Spring 2022.  This was previously promised by city administration to take place this past spring 2021.

There are other active businesses in the Twin Lake area, this should be no different.  Per promises by previous administration, plans, initial fundraising and capital investment took place.  This has been an ongoing year and a half process.  In the time the City has sent Pott Co Kayak Club through multiple hurdles, out-of-state communities have taken notice of what we aimed to accomplish and have already implemented in their community.  Meanwhile, the “great things on the horizon” for the City of Shawnee are just that, STILL on the horizon.