Wichita City Council Meeting - December 10, 2024

The Wichita City Council held a regular meeting on December 10, 2024, at 9:00 AM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting covered a wide range of topics including a new police union contract, public works projects, arts grants, and zoning changes. Notable public comments addressed homelessness and police accountability.

Consent Calendar

• Approved Consent Agenda items 1 through 15 (motion passed 6-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Piper Thomas (engineer, Sunflower Community Support Network) spoke against the proposed homeless ordinance, citing 691 homeless individuals (188 unsheltered), $500,000 spent on sweeps, and potential $188,000 in jail costs. She urged eliminating fines for urban camping and stopping sweeps.
• Faith Martin (Vice Chair, Racial Profiling Advisory Board) asked to delay the FOP contract until more Jensen Hughes recommendations are implemented, citing concerns about accountability.
• Twilight Purity (District 1 resident) expressed frustration with lack of community engagement and oversight of the Citizens Review Board.
• Juanita Reach (Millennium Mom's founder) supported tabling the FOP contract until independent assessment is completed.
• C Mason Senior (CHD Boxing Club) urged delay, stating he had not seen officers earning a raise through community engagement.
• Brian Jacobs (District 1) argued for addressing systemic poverty rather than increasing police funding.
• Hans Astmussen (past FOP president) explained the history of code of conduct pay and defended the negotiation process.
• Faith Martin (second appearance) supported the new Axon records system but requested time-bound reports on data transparency.
• Vince Hancock (Delano neighborhood) raised concerns about missing daily media reports and cybersecurity audits.
• Pat Stivers (non-resident) praised the pavement preservation program.
• Chief Edward S. Lewis (Holy Kingdom of Judah) was initially missed due to scheduling but later given five minutes to speak; he stated he would return with a petition for a tribal community center.

Discussion Items

• Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Contract 2024-2026: The council approved a two-year contract covering 657 commissioned officers. Highlights include elimination of code of conduct pay ($2.25/hr) rolled into base, 4.5% general wage increase (2025), 2% (2026), new maternity/paternity leave (8 weeks), and increased bilingual pay ($135/month). The total cost is $3.2M over budget in 2025, $1.8M in 2026. The contract was ratified by 88% of FOP members. Council clarified that the $2.25/hr is now part of base salary, not a reward for good behavior. An amendment to delay was not seconded.
• Downtown Parking Plan: Deferred to December 17, 2024, for further analysis.
• 333 E. English TIF/CID/IRB: Approved development of 42 apartment units and 5,000 sq ft retail in a $7M project. Includes $425,000 pay-as-you-go TIF, $530,000 CID, and IRB for sales tax exemption. Council noted the Center City TIF district had a $443,000 deficit but expected to end 2024 with a $115,000 surplus. Approved 7-0.
• C.E. Machine Co. Tax Exemption: Approved 100% tax abatement for 10 years (two 5-year terms) for a $12.5M expansion. Estimated annual exemption value $173,000. Benefit-cost ratio 1.89:1.
• 2025 Dirt Street Paving Program: Approved $2M to pave 1.5 miles, prioritizing streets near schools. A substitute motion to lower petition approval from 80% to 50% failed 4-3. Original motion passed 7-0.
• 2025 Outsourced Pavement Preservation Program (OP3): Approved $15.5M program treating 366 lane miles. Includes $2M new funding for concrete street mitigation. Council discussed worst-first vs. proportional allocation.
• Backflow Prevention Ordinance: Placed on first reading to impose administrative penalties for non-compliance with backflow device testing (currently 5-10% non-compliance among 26,000 devices).
• Traffic Code Amendments: Placed on first reading to update speed limits, one-way streets (including downtown conversions), and truck restrictions.
• 2025 Walking Paths: Approved $650,000 for improvements at Sycamore Park and Chisholm Creek Park North, plus grant match.
• 2025 Park & Recreation CIP: Approved $975,000 for bleacher renovations, basketball court replacements (Cessna, Kiwanis, Murdock), and playground upgrades at Central Riverside and Evergreen Parks.
• Arts Thrive Grants: Approved three $25,000 grants (Generation STEAM, Threads of Pride, Breaking Boundaries) funded by NEA, no local match required.
• Arts Council Operating Agreement: Approved annual partnership with $180M+ economic impact from arts sector.
• Axon Records and Standards: Approved contract amendment ($3.5M net cost over 8 years) to replace three legacy systems with an integrated platform, improving data transparency and efficiency. Includes conversion of five positions.
• Public Comment on Consent Agenda: Approved ordinance allowing public comment on pulled consent items at regular meetings (5-2 vote).
• ARPA Budget Adjustments: Approved reallocation of $72.4M in ARPA funds to CIP projects, moving funds from Patrol West and fire station projects to general obligation bonds.
• 2025 Salary Ordinance: Placed on first reading with 4% general pay increase for non-union employees. The mayor attempted to exempt herself from the raise but her substitute motion lacked a second; final vote 6-1.
• Zoning Cases:
  • 7722 W. Maple St.: Denied zone change from SF-5 to MF-18 (7-0) based on community opposition and compatibility concerns.
  • 200 N. Millwood Ave.: Approved PUD amendment to allow vehicle repair and self-storage (7-0) with modifications.
• Airport Airline Agreements: Approved five-year use and lease agreements with American, Delta, United, Southwest, generating $6.8M in annual revenue.
• Council Travel Expense Policy: Approved amendments to codify disclosure for third-party paid travel and update outdated language.

Key Outcomes

• Approved: FOP contract (7-0), Dirt Street Paving (7-0), OP3 (7-0), Backflow ordinance (6-0, first reading), Traffic amendments (6-0, first reading), Walking Paths (5-1, Johnson dissented as new construction), Park CIP (6-0), Arts Thrive grants (6-0), Arts Council agreement (6-0), Axon contract (6-0), ARPA adjustments (7-0), Salary ordinance (6-1, mayor dissented), Airport agreements (7-0), Travel policy (7-0), 333 E. English project (7-0), C.E. Machine tax exemption (7-0), Zoning case Millwood (7-0).
• Denied: Zoning case Maple St. (7-0), Substitute motion on dirt street petition threshold (4-3).
• Deferred: Downtown Parking Plan to Dec. 17.
• Appointments: Celeste Rosette to Historical Preservation Board (7-0).
• Note: Councilmember Glasscock participated virtually from the Philippines due to a State Department trip; his votes were recorded for items where his participation was possible, and he noted that any minority votes would not have changed outcomes.