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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Wichita City Council Meeting - April 22, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, April 22, 2025

BodyWichita, Kansas

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, April 22, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:48:19

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

29:20

Which time, good morning to all of you.

29:21

Thank you for joining us for this morning's City Council meeting Tuesday, April twenty second.

29:27

I call this meeting to order.

29:30

This morning is Father Lee with Catholic Diocese of Wichita, who will provide our invocation following the invocation.

30:02

Um, so we we worked hard in Lent leading up to it with 40 days of preparation, kind of our March Madness leading up to Easter.

30:10

And of course, the championship team wants to celebrate as long as they can after the victory.

30:14

So we are celebrating in our tradition.

30:17

So the second Tuesday of Easter week, we called to mind still uh the grace of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, and and certainly um on behalf of the Catholic community would ask your prayers.

30:30

As you know now, we are mourning the loss of Pope Francis at the venerable age of 88 years old.

30:35

Uh he will be um laid to rest uh at a funeral mass uh this Saturday at 10 a.m.

30:41

in Rome.

30:42

Uh so the entire uh Catholic community throughout the world um prays for the Holy Spirit's guidance uh in this time of of transition.

30:51

Uh and so we we appreciate your prayers in in the local community for supporting us, and on behalf of our bishop Carl Kimmy, uh we thank you for those prayers in the name of the Father and of his son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

31:04

Father in heaven, we thank you for the gift of the life of your son Jesus Christ, who came into our world as a man, who led us to you, our Father in heaven, and by the suffering that he endured, by the death on his cross and the resurrection into eternal life, has opened a way for us from this life to our heavenly home.

31:25

But Lord, today we pray for this home of ours in Wichita.

31:29

We pray for our city, we pray for all of our citizens, we pray for those most in need.

31:34

Send your Holy Spirit upon these council members gathered together today for the good of our city.

31:40

Bless those who will bring business on the agenda today.

31:44

Uh fill this space with your peace, with your concord that we may be a Wichita community truly united for the good of one another and experiencing your Easter blessings.

31:55

Father, with your son and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign as God forever and ever.

32:00

Amen.

32:01

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

32:08

Pledge allegiance to the flood of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

32:16

One nation, under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all.

32:25

Thank you, Father Lee.

32:28

Mr.

32:28

Clerk, please call the first item.

32:31

Approved the minutes of the regular meeting, April 15th, 2025.

32:36

Are there any corrections?

32:40

I see none.

32:41

I move to approve the minutes for April 15th, 2025.

32:45

Second.

32:46

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

32:48

I see none.

32:50

Mr.

32:50

Clerk, please open the roll.

32:55

Motion passes 7-0.

32:58

Mr.

32:58

Clerk, please call the next item.

33:05

Public agenda.

33:07

The public agenda allows for up to five speakers to have five minutes each to address the council.

33:12

No action will be taken relative to items on the public agenda, other than referral to the city manager for information as necessary.

33:21

Speakers will please state their name and address for the record.

33:24

A time clock will display the speakers' remaining time to speak.

33:28

Order and rules of the quorum will be observed.

33:34

Are there any individuals who would like to address the council?

33:38

Please state your name and the district you reside.

33:46

George Theo Harris, District Three, but I'm trying to get out of this city.

33:51

So but anyhow.

33:57

Well, first off, welcome uh mayor, vice mayor, city council, city manager, city legal.

34:06

I need the four of you just to ask Mr.

34:09

Leighton before he leaves, because he'll take that knowledge with him.

34:13

I've asked previous boards here.

34:16

Why was the animal advisory board started fifth uh ten years ago in 2015?

34:22

And they all have amnesia.

34:24

So we need to know.

34:27

Could you please ask him why it was started?

34:29

Because if we don't know why it was started, we don't know where to go from here or from there, actually.

34:35

So can we do it now?

34:37

Or I know you guys don't like the answer.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Economic Development██████████████████18%

Public Engagement███████████████15%

Sales Tax Referendums███████████████15%

Procedural█████████████13%

Parks and Recreation███████████11%

Procurement██████████10%

Animal Welfare█████5%

Affordable Housing████4%

Personnel Matters██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Wichita City Council Meeting - April 22, 2025

The Wichita City Council met on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 9:00 AM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting opened with an invocation by Father Lee of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The council approved the minutes of the April 15, 2025 meeting (7-0) and moved through a consent agenda, public comments, and several discussion items, including a public hearing on industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) that was ultimately denied.

Consent Calendar

Approved minutes of April 15, 2025 (7-0).
Approved Consent Agenda items 1 through 20 (including 2nd reading ordinances, contracts, and agreements) with three items pulled for separate discussion: Item 3B (GSA parking lease), Item 5A (Century II elevator change order), and Item 10 (Central Riverside Playground design-build).

Public Comments & Testimony

George Theo Harris (District III) addressed the council regarding the Animal Services Advisory Board, asking why the board was started; the mayor provided details on its purpose and current vacancies. Harris also complained about a fallen tree on a sidewalk, unresponsive city departments (forestry, MABCD), and the board's meeting time. He expressed frustration with the lack of action on code enforcement and property maintenance issues. Councilmembers Reggie Hoheisel and Ballard responded with information on tree removal backlog (2500 orders reduced by one-third using fuel surtax savings) and the process for reporting hazards.

Discussion Items

Item 3B – Lease of City-Owned Parking Spaces to GSA (District VI): Troy Anderson (Assistant City Manager) explained the ongoing lease agreement with the General Services Administration for parking at the southwest corner of 3rd and Main. The contract includes a 180-day termination clause. Approved 7-0.
Item 5A – Change Order No. 1 for Century II Elevator Jack Replacement (District I): Aaron Hitting (Public Works & Utilities) reported that hydraulic oil in the elevators contained PCBs, requiring extensive cleanup and disposal. The change order cost is significant due to mandated code updates. Approved 7-0.
Item 10 – Central Riverside Park Playground Design-Build (District VI): Tim Kellers (Parks & Utilities) described the progressive design-build project, with an estimated budget of $700,000–$750,000 (using 2025 and 2026 funds). The focus is on replacing a 30-year-old sand playground with community engagement to determine design. Questions were raised about the budget and comparison to Clapp Park ($1.3 million for equipment). Councilmember Johnson expressed support for retaining the rocket-themed feature. Approved 7-0.
Board of Bids and Contracts (April 21, 2025): Josh Lauer (Finance) presented multiple contracts and change orders, including the 2025 Outsourced Pavement Preservation Program ($3.932 million), sewer trucks, and home renovations for affordable housing ($500,000). During discussion, Councilmember Ballard raised concerns about the Kansas Humane Society contract renewal and whether vaccines were being administered for the $2,500/month fee. Lt. Purcell explained that vaccines are given at intake and recorded in a medical screen, but data cannot be easily exported. Staff committed to working with the vendor to provide requested information. Approved 7-0.
Public Hearing and Request by Lange Gen Y, LLC for IRBs (District IV): This item was deferred from the previous week. Troy Anderson presented the request: a $3 million IRB for the renovation of the former Royal Caribbean call center (4729 S Palisade) into Lang Companies' corporate headquarters. The request was for a sales tax exemption only (city share ~$8,700). Councilmember Glasscock questioned assumptions and learned that a property tax abatement might be sought in the future. Applicant representatives clarified that the property will house 90 existing jobs and potentially 13-16 new roles, with 95% of manufacturing exported. Councilmembers Johnston, Glasscock, and Hoheisel expressed opposition, citing that this would set a precedent for private corporate offices and lacked job requirements. Vice Mayor Johnston noted all prior 2024/2025 IRBs were for affordable housing or nonprofits. Councilmember Glasscock moved to close the public hearing and deny the resolution. The motion passed 7-0, denying the IRB request.
Item VI-1 – Approve RFP for Consultant to Guide City Manager Recruitment: Pam Pennington (Human Resources) presented the draft RFP, emphasizing community engagement components (similar to the 2023 police chief search). The preferred qualifications include at least five years of experience, knowledge of municipal operations, and performance guarantees. The tentative timeline aims for vendor selection in early June 2025. Approved 7-0.

Key Outcomes

Consent Agenda: Approved (with pulled items considered separately).
Item 3B, 5A, 10: All approved 7-0.
Board of Bids and Contracts: Approved 7-0.
IRB Request (Lange Gen Y): Denied 7-0 after a motion to close the public hearing and deny the resolution.
RFP for City Manager Search: Approved 7-0.
Appointments: Stephanie Coley appointed to the Wichita Land Bank Board of Trustees (approved 7-0).
Councilmember Comments: Councilmember Tuttle noted she was approved for but did not attend the Community Leaders of America conference; Councilmember Hoheisel announced park cleanup and Earth Day events.
The council then recessed into a 10-minute executive session to discuss real property acquisition (KSA 75-4319) before the scheduled workshop.

Meeting Transcript

Which time, good morning to all of you. Thank you for joining us for this morning's City Council meeting Tuesday, April twenty second. I call this meeting to order. This morning is Father Lee with Catholic Diocese of Wichita, who will provide our invocation following the invocation. Um, so we we worked hard in Lent leading up to it with 40 days of preparation, kind of our March Madness leading up to Easter. And of course, the championship team wants to celebrate as long as they can after the victory. So we are celebrating in our tradition. So the second Tuesday of Easter week, we called to mind still uh the grace of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, and and certainly um on behalf of the Catholic community would ask your prayers. As you know now, we are mourning the loss of Pope Francis at the venerable age of 88 years old. Uh he will be um laid to rest uh at a funeral mass uh this Saturday at 10 a.m. in Rome. Uh so the entire uh Catholic community throughout the world um prays for the Holy Spirit's guidance uh in this time of of transition. Uh and so we we appreciate your prayers in in the local community for supporting us, and on behalf of our bishop Carl Kimmy, uh we thank you for those prayers in the name of the Father and of his son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Father in heaven, we thank you for the gift of the life of your son Jesus Christ, who came into our world as a man, who led us to you, our Father in heaven, and by the suffering that he endured, by the death on his cross and the resurrection into eternal life, has opened a way for us from this life to our heavenly home. But Lord, today we pray for this home of ours in Wichita. We pray for our city, we pray for all of our citizens, we pray for those most in need. Send your Holy Spirit upon these council members gathered together today for the good of our city. Bless those who will bring business on the agenda today. Uh fill this space with your peace, with your concord that we may be a Wichita community truly united for the good of one another and experiencing your Easter blessings. Father, with your son and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign as God forever and ever. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flood of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Father Lee. Mr. Clerk, please call the first item. Approved the minutes of the regular meeting, April 15th, 2025. Are there any corrections? I see none. I move to approve the minutes for April 15th, 2025. Second. Motion and a second, any further discussion. I see none. Mr. Clerk, please open the roll. Motion passes 7-0. Mr. Clerk, please call the next item. Public agenda. The public agenda allows for up to five speakers to have five minutes each to address the council. No action will be taken relative to items on the public agenda, other than referral to the city manager for information as necessary. Speakers will please state their name and address for the record. A time clock will display the speakers' remaining time to speak. Order and rules of the quorum will be observed. Are there any individuals who would like to address the council? Please state your name and the district you reside. George Theo Harris, District Three, but I'm trying to get out of this city. So but anyhow. Well, first off, welcome uh mayor, vice mayor, city council, city manager, city legal.

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