Wichita City Council Workshop: Golf Carts, Budget, and ARPA – February 25, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Wichita City Council Workshop: Golf Carts, Budget, and ARPA – February 25, 2025
The Wichita City Council held a workshop on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 9:00 AM in the First Floor Board Room, 455 N. Main Street, Wichita, KS. No formal votes were taken; the session provided staff direction on four agenda items: a proposed golf cart ordinance, completed 2024–25 budget project summaries, 2026–27 budget projections, and an ARPA update.
Golf Cart Ordinance Discussion
- City Law Department staff (Sharon Dickroft) explained that state law prohibits golf carts on interstate highways and roadways with speed limits above 30 mph between sunrise and sunset, and cities cannot be less restrictive than state law. Wichita currently has no ordinance, making golf cart operation on city streets illegal.
- The proposed ordinance (passed on first reading Jan 14, then pulled for second reading and referred to District Advisory Boards on Jan 21) would allow golf carts on certain streets, prohibit them on highways, arterials, streets over 30 mph, and the downtown core; require a $75 annual registration, liability insurance, driver age 18, and slow-moving vehicle emblem; and prohibit operation on sidewalks and between 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise.
- DAB feedback varied: some boards felt the ordinance was unnecessary, some felt it was needed but too restrictive, with support for lowering the age to 16, allowing night operation, crossing arterial streets, and reducing the registration fee; others expressed concerns about enforcement, micro-vehicles, and safety.
- Vice Mayor Johnston proposed a revised approach: allow golf carts on streets 30 mph or less, require a valid driver's license (16+), allow night operation with lights and slow-moving emblem per state law, allow crossing arterial streets only at controlled intersections, allow sidewalk operation with yielding to pedestrians, lower the penalty from $500 to $200, and impose no city fee or seatbelt requirement.
- Council members raised concerns about sidewalk conflicts with wheelchairs and blind pedestrians downtown, police enforcement workload, seatbelt safety for children, and the inconsistency between allowing golf carts on sidewalks while scooters are restricted to streets.
- Staff indicated they could redraft the ordinance with these changes; DAB 1 will meet in March and may hear either the old or new version depending on draft availability. The item is scheduled for council consideration on March 18.
Budget Project Summaries
- Municipal Court: Staff recommended eliminating one docket clerk and two clerk positions due to reduced workload, plus a $100,000 cut in professional services/collections, saving $263,000 in 2025. Council members asked about flexibility if traffic enforcement philosophy changes; staff said the positions were based on process improvements, not solely ticket counts, and future tech (Axon records system) may allow further reductions.
- Parks and Recreation Maintenance: Recommended adjusting mowing cycles (non-park grounds from 14 to 21 days, and 50 to 70 days), saving $260,000. Alternatives would eliminate tree/stump removal contracts or open forestry positions, which council members have historically opposed due to impacts on service requests and tree removal.
- Planning Fees Cost Recovery: A proposed 10% fee increase would raise planning fee revenue by $34,000 annually, increasing cost recovery from 25% to 28% (actual processing costs are ~$1.5 million; current fees generate $400,000–$425,000). The development community, especially home builders, pushed back due to the market. Council directed staff to move forward with an increase but also engage the development community and tie the fee discussion into a broader housing strategy later this year.
- Public Works & Utilities Facilities: Recommended eliminating three vacant custodial positions and reducing custodial contracts, saving $387,000 in 2025 and over $500,000 in 2026. This locks in current service levels; more aggressive options would cut HVAC and building maintenance, which staff did not recommend.
- Street Maintenance: Recommended eliminating nine positions (six vacant) to save ~$600,000 per year, while preserving pavement maintenance, lane markings, and traffic signals; however, it would reduce street sweeping frequency, slow graffiti and litter removal, and increase snow removal cycle from 12 to 13 hours. Council members strongly opposed any reduction, citing frequent resident complaints about graffiti, litter, and street sweeping. Staff said they would instead focus on locking in existing salary savings without further service cuts.
2026–27 Budget Forecast and Projections
- Finance Director Mark Manning presented a preliminary forecast for the 2026–27 budget. Key points:
- Property taxes are ~36–37% of general fund revenue; assessed valuation growth is expected to be ~6% in 2026, tapering in 2027, based on county preliminary data. Every 1% of assessed valuation growth is worth ~$1.6 million.
- Sales tax growth is expected to be ~2.5–3%; franchise fees are volatile and projected conservatively; court fines are systemically declining; interest earnings rose from $1.4 million in 2021 to ~$35 million but are expected to decline eventually.
- Expenditures are ~75% salaries/wages; two of three bargaining units are under contract through 2026, and shrinkage (vacancy savings) assumptions have been increased. The 2025 budget should balance, 2026 is close to balanced, and the 2027 structural deficit has been revised from ~$9 million to ~$5 million.
- The city must decide whether to exceed the Revenue Neutral Rate (RR); not exceeding it would reduce 2026 revenue by ~$10 million annually, compounding each year.
- Council discussion included a request from the mayor for two budget options: one fully capturing assessed valuation growth (proposed ~32.743 mills city portion) and a second that limits growth to new construction plus CPI/inflation (approximately a 3% cap concept). Council Member Dalton sought an additional option showing the impact of increasing the mill levy by 1 or 2 mills (one mill ≈ $5 million; two ≈ $10 million). Several council members expressed positions: some opposed any mill levy increase, one said they would not support a budget not exceeding the RR, and others wanted the information for public transparency.
- City Manager said staff will prepare a base budget plus an option consistent with CPI/new construction, and will provide revenue impact figures for mill levy increases rather than full alternative budget documents. The budget calendar includes workshops in March–May, proposed budget presentation July 15, and adoption August 26.
ARPA Update
- Finance staff (Elizabeth Goldtree) reported that all $72.4 million in ARPA funds are now obligated across 57 projects. The negative economic impact category received over $23 million (including $5 million for MAC operations), up from the initial $20 million target. Funds are on track to be fully expended by September 30, 2026; quarterly reporting will continue. Staff and council praised the successful allocation and obligation process.
Key Outcomes
- Golf carts: Staff will redraft the ordinance incorporating Council direction (16+ license, night operation with state-required equipment, crossing arterial streets only at controlled intersections, sidewalk operation yielding to pedestrians, penalty lowered to $200, no city registration fee, no seatbelt requirement) and bring it back on March 18.
- Budget: Staff will develop a base budget and an alternative option reflecting new construction plus CPI/inflation, and will include revenue estimates for potential 1–2 mill increases as informational context.
- Planning fees: Staff will bring forward a fee increase ordinance and schedule broader dialogue with the development community, tied to a future housing strategy.
- Street maintenance: No service reductions will be made; staff will instead capture existing vacancy savings without further cuts.
- Other budget projects: Staff will implement the recommended options for municipal court, parks maintenance, and facilities custodial changes unless directed otherwise.
Meeting Transcript
Strict advisory board meetings and then seek direction on what you would like to see brought forward on March 18th for your consideration. Good morning, Sharon Dickroft City Law Department. I'm here today to talk about uh the operation of golf carts. Uh for background, uh Kansas statutes preclude the operation of golf carts on interstate highways, on roadways with a posted speed limit greater than 30 miles per hour between sunrise and sundown, unless they have a slow moving vehicle emblem and motorcycle lights. Um cities are not golf carts are not allowed in cities unless they have passed the appropriate legislation. Currently, the city does not have an ordinance allowing golf cart operation, so the operation of golf carts within this city on any city street is illegal. Any ordinance passed by the city could not be less restrictive than state law. We can always be more restrictive, but we can't be less restrictive. So any ordinance that would be passed could not allow operation on highways or roads over 30 miles per hour, could not allow operation during the evening unless they have the slow moving emblem and motorcycle lights. Penalties also cannot be less restrictive for most violations under the state statute. It's a fine of $75 in court costs. Background, several neighboring smaller suburbs have passed legislation allowing golf carts. Larger cities have either specifically precluded the operation or have not passed an ordinance allowing such operation. Those are Ovaland Park, Kansas City, Kansas, Topeka and Manhattan. The current proposed ordinance would allow operation of golf carts on certain streets. It would prohibit golf carts on highways, arterial streets, streets with a speed limit more than 30 miles per hour, and in the core area, the core area is essentially defined from the river to hydraulic on the east, US 54 on the south, and Seneca, and then it winds kind of along the river. Golf carts under the current version may not cross highways or arterial streets. Currently, the provisions that were recommended were that all golf carts have the slow-moving vehicle emblem and a city registration. The registration fee proposed was $75 per year. Proof of liability insurance is required, and golf cart operation is prohibited on sidewalks, walking trails, or paths. Operation is prohibited between the hours of 30 minutes after sunrise, 30 minutes before sunset, prohibits the operation of golf carts on public streets unless the driver's 18, requires that the golf cart require comply with general traffic laws, including maintaining liability insurance. A spreadsheet has been provided to you as part of the packet that outlines the provisions from other neighboring cities. Most of the suburbs around Wichita do allow golf cart operation at 16. Hayes has a limit of 18. Most of the suburban cities allow golf carts to cross streets with uh speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour or arterial streets. Most prohibit the crossing of major highways, those would be K-15 and Derby, US-54 and Goddard. All cities require driver's license and insurance. No cities allow the operation of golf carts on sidewalks or bike paths. They do allow them to cross those types of areas, but require the driver to uh essentially yield to pedestrian traffic. Derby and Olatha do allow for operation during the evenings with the slow-moving emblem and motorcycle lights, which would be required by state law. The registration fees range greatly from a one-time fee of $25 to $100 per year. Little history, uh the proposed ordinance was passed on first reading on January 14th. January 21st, when the ordinance came back, it was pulled from the consent agenda for second reading and referred to dabs. DAB presentations have been made to five of the six DABs. The presentation for DAB one is scheduled in March, and the DAB comments were varied. You should also have in your packet a detailed summary of those DAB comments. The next couple slides have general comments from the DABs. Spoke with council member Johnson. The one comment that he has heard is that the excluding operation in the downtown core isn't fair to core residents. DAB two comments felt that the ordinance was not needed. Police didn't have time to enforce. DAB three was concerned that it may not be good for all neighborhoods, seems supportive to operate allowing folks to operate at 16. Concerned as to how this would affect other types of vehicles, the micro vehicles, the smaller motorcycles. Ask if it could be limited to certain geographic areas, was generally not opposed, but wanted some fewer restrictions, and appeared maybe some additional restrictions on minors and seat belts and trying to keep folks safe. DAB 4 comments felt that the ordinance was needed. Golf carts should be able to cross streets, age should be reduced to 16. Golf carts should be allowed in downtown, and that the annual registration fee seemed excessive, and that golf carts should be allowed on wider paths and sidewalks. And I want to address that issue. I spoke with Paul Gunzelman on the width of sidewalks. The width of sidewalks in older neighborhoods is four feet, some may be five feet.
openpublica.com