I'm both going to do it.

It's another chart.

Yeah, I found out.

Yes, yeah.

This will be really good for Brady.

There you go.

I love it.

I'm leaving.

I'm always I'd like getting everything to make them sure.

Good morning.

Good morning, staff.

We're gonna make sure a couple difficulties.

Remedy Remedy.

Maybe staff can ask you.

Can you please roll the video?

Thank you for attending today's city council meeting.

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Thank you again for joining us today.

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Not only for our neighbors, but also for those who think differently, even our enemies.

We thank you for these city council members and our mayor.

We pray that you'd continue to guide them and give them your strength to follow your example of servant leadership with wisdom and care in every decision.

And this we pray all in Jesus' name.

Amen.

I pledge allegiance to the fly of the United States, America, and to the Republic for which it stands.

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

Thank you, Pastor.

Thank you, Pastor Staley.

Approved the members.

September 9th, September 9, 25 and 25.

Council members, are there any items to be corrected from the minutes?

I see none.

I move to approve the minutes for the regular meeting for September 9, 2025.

Second.

Second.

Motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0 with one absent.

And that absent is because Councilmember Hoheisel is currently representing the city of Wichita at Altis and Lachlan Civic Leadership Tour in San Antonio, Texas.

Madam Clerk, can you please call the next item?

Awards and proclamations.

Today's proclamations are Constitution Week, Save a Life Day for Malacon Day, invite the meeting awareness.

May I please start by asking the daughters of the American Revolution to come forward at this time and any of their supporters.

The proclamation reads: the city of Wichita, Kansas, founded in 1870, whereas the Constitution of the United States of America, the guardian of our liberties, embodies the principles of limited government in a republic dedicated to rule by law.

Whereas September 17th, 2025 marks the 238th anniversary of the framing of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention.

Whereas it is fitting and proper to accord official recognition to this magnificent document and its memorable anniversary and to the patriotic celebrations which will commemorate it.

Whereas public law 915 guarantees the issuing of a proclamation each year by the President of the United States of America, designating September 17th through 23rd as Constitution Week.

Now, therefore be it resolved that the Wichita City Council does hereby proclaim September 17th through 23rd, 2025 as Constitution Week.

Thank you.

DAR was founded in 1890 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

We are a nonprofit volunteer women's service organization comprised of over 190,000 members and 3,000 chapters.

We're dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children.

Encouraging others in our community to celebrate Constitution Week is one way to do just that.

As we prepare for America's 250th celebration, let's make the study of our Constitution a priority.

The United States Constitution, America's most important document, stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties, freedoms, and rights.

Thank you, Mayor, and all City Council members for your time and for recognizing this important event in American history.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

May I please ask the supporters of Save a Life Free Naloxone Day to come forward at this time.

Good morning.

Good morning.

The proclamation reads The City of Wichita, Kansas, founded in 1870, whereas Save a Life is a community initiative dedicated to preventing opioid overdose deaths by raising awareness, reducing stigma, and expanding access to life-saving resources.

Whereas Free Naloxone Day provides an opportunity for residents to receive free naloxone, a safe and effective medication that can reverse an opioid overdose and save lives.

Whereas equipping community members, families, and first responders with naloxone empowers them to act quickly in an emergency, strengthening Wichita's commitment to public health and safety.

Whereas the City of Wichita recognizes the importance of prevention, harm reduction, compassion, and education in addressing the opioid crisis and honors all organizations and volunteers who work tirelessly to prevent overdose deaths.

Now, therefore be it resolved that the Wichita City Council does hereby proclaim September 25th, 2025 as Save a Life Free Naloxone Day.

Thank you all.

I'm Morgan Jennings.

I'm the project lead and founder of the Industry Initiative Project through Safe Streets, Wichita.

I'm Kat Butler.

I'm one of the outreach coordinators here at Safe Streets, Wichita.

I'm going to go ahead and say our words here.

Our CEO couldn't be here today, so we're just going to dictate her speech on her behalf.

Greetings, distinguished guests.

It is an honor to stand with you for Save a Life Day, a day that is more than just a call to action.

It is a movement rooted in compassion, service, and the belief that every single life matters.

Each year this day grows stronger, reaching more people, building more partnerships, and creating a wave of hope that stretches across communities, cities, and states.

We carry in our hearts the memory of those we have lost, not because of who they were, but because of the barriers they faced.

Too many lives have been cut short by poor policy, by the heavy weight of sick stigma, and by the spread of misinformation.

These are not abstract forces.

They are choices, systems, and narratives that have turned moments of need into moments of silence and loss.

Every name, every face, every story reminds us why this movement matters.

We do not speak of statistics.

We speak of loved ones, friends, and neighbors.

By acknowledging the harm of failed policies and misplaced shame, we affirm that no one should ever be denied dignity, truth, or the simple chance to breathe.

Their absence calls us to act with urgency, clarity, and compassion so that the lives still here are given every chance to continue.

As we grow, so does our responsibility.

We know that lasting change doesn't happen from one direction alone.

It takes leaders at every level, from our national partners to our local champions to keep this movement thriving.

That's why today I want to celebrate the heart of our efforts, people who use drugs, their loved ones, and the communities that stand beside them with courage and care.

They carry lived wisdom, compassion, and courage.

Their presence keeps this movement grounded in humanity and their contributions ripple and outward in ways that are both practical and profoundly powerful.

Honoring their strength means stepping up the work, stepping up to the work before us, cheering on Kansas by rallying local communities, leaders, and volunteers with energy and encouragement, providing support and technical assistance so that every region has the tools and knowledge it needs to save lives effectively.

Linking care and connection between grassroots efforts and larger networks so that no community is left behind, and lifting up new leaders by creating opportunities for others to step in, share their voices, and grow in service.

Strengthening partnerships by working alongside national allies, policymakers, and local champions to extend the reach of this life saving mission.

And at the center of this work is a simple, urgent truth.

Another chance to live, to heal, to reconnect, and to choose tomorrow.

That gift of breath is everything.

So today, as we honor Save a Life Day, we also honor those who keep this mission alive day after day.

We thank the people, our partners, our volunteers, and every person who steps forward to act, not because the work is easy, because every life is worth saving.

Thank you.

One, two, three.

The proclamation reads the City of Wichita Kansas founded in 1870, whereas diaper need, the inability to afford enough clean diapers to keep babies and toddlers healthy affects nearly one in two families and forces many to delay changes, risking children's health.

Whereas most childcare and early education programs require families to provide diapers, and parents without an adequate supply often miss work, threatening household stability.

Whereas inadequate diaper access leads to higher medical costs and limits parents' ability to work and attend school, making diaper need both a public health and economic challenge for Wichita families.

Whereas Wichita is home to community organizations such as Simply Hygiene that distribute diapers, provide infant health, and strengthen our local economy by supporting families in need.

Now, therefore be it resolved that the Wichita City Council does hereby proclaim September 17th through 23rd, 2025 as National Diaper Need Awareness Week.

Good morning.

My name is Megan Keis.

We are here with Simply Hygiene.

We are a local nonprofit supporting our community with hygiene essentials.

Um with dignity, hope, better health, opportunity, and really just strengthens our community.

February of this year, we are thrilled to launch our new diaper program.

To date, we have distributed over 180,000 diapers to our community.

Thank you to the city of Wichita, mayor, and the city council for recognizing this need in our community.

We are hopeful that by distributing diapers to our families, and that we're helping our littlest friends stay dry, clean, and healthy.

And we're also helping them, you know, to be able to provide more for their other essentials like utilities and food.

So we're really grateful for the support we've received for the community and hopeful that we are uh making a dent at least in the diaper need in our community.

So thank you.

One, two, three.

May I now please ask the city council to come forward to the front, and also Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan and our special guest.

Good morning.

Felice Mes de la Herencia Hispana.

Today, as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, it's my privilege to recognize a remarkable leader within the Wichita Police Department.

Lieutenant Maria Heimerman has dedicated twenty-one years of service to our community.

In May of this year, she achieved a historic milestone when she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, becoming the first Hispanic female in the history of the Wichita Police Department.

Lieutenant Heimerman currently served as the unit commander of the special victims unit in the Crimes Against Persons Bureau.

Over the course of her career, she has been a Spanish language interpreter for the department, served on the dignitary protection team, spearheaded trauma-informed interview training for officers investigating sexual assault, and personally worked countless cases to bring justice to survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.

Her dedication has been recognized with numerous honors, including three bronze wreaths of merit, a life-saving award, two civic achievement awards, multiple distinguished service awards, and certificates of commendation, as well as specialty bars for community policing, field training officer, task force officer, and a bachelor's degree.

Please help me congratulate Lieutenant Maria Heimerman on her historic promotion and her outstanding service to the City of Wichita.

Madam Clerk, can you please call the next item?

Public agenda.

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

A time clock will display the speaker's remaining time to speak.

Order and rules of decorum will be observed.

I don't see Mr.

Stokes in the room.

Madam Clerk, can you please call the next individual?

Jim Underwood, Zoom attendance.

Jim Lindoward, one four two South St.

Paul.

Mayor, members of council, my remarks will be short this morning.

I'm speaking on Zoom.

It's a great way to get people to attend meetings, and I do know that can be difficult.

I'm asking that the council it was city and management and work out a policy or procedure.

I would recommend that the technology exists to simply make any attendance by Zoom or for a Zoom meeting.

Um audio only.

And if that is not possible, take the next step and say any attendance by Zoom shall be on votes, automatic abstention.

This might take the desire of people to try to drive and attend at the same time because when you're working on a cell phone, you can't see the displays that are put up at the meetings clearly and accurately without taking your eyes off the road and concentrating on the phone.

Again, dangerous.

Mayor, members of council, that concludes my comments this morning.

I will ask answer any questions council may have.

Jim, thank you for your comments.

I will ask the city manager what the protocol is regarding uh Zoom attendance by staff.

Um in addition, I'd like to know what board you were speaking of that you mentioned five out of the six people.

Uh the city county access advisory board meeting at the county meeting.

Mayor, um, we do allow for uh member participation by uh Zoom or teams usually, um, and I don't think we have any guidelines uh regarding their behavior when they're on a meeting out of the safety for individuals, especially while driving.

Um again, I have seen some disrespectful driving around our community.

Um I would like us to take the lead as 3,000 people work for the city of Wichita if there could be anything regarding staff about their attendance via just audio versus on video.

Can you please address what can be done in regards to the 3,000 employees?

We can put out a guidance for our employees and remind them once again about the importance of uh being safe uh when they're participating in meetings remotely.

Um more than happy to do that.

I think Mr.

Underwood's issue goes farther than that, as that is for volunteers that are actually serving on boards and commissions, and um it would probably take some direction from the council for us to go ahead and provide guidance to boards and commissions if that's what you wanted.

I don't see any other council members speaking on this topic.

Um I would like to see, since the only real authority uh that is given to the city manager is his 3,000 people staff, if there could be a guidance for the staff, whereas the volunteers, again, they're volunteering their time.

I don't know if we can dictate what they can or cannot do, but if we could also send it out to volunteer board members just as a guidance that we want safety first and making sure that that is what is emphasized, Mayor.

What we'll do is the guidance that we provide staff will send out just for information to boards and commissions.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, can you call call the next individual?

We don't have any more individuals, ma'am.

We have room for four individuals who would like to address the council on any topic.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Consent agenda items one through 22.

Council members, are there any items to be pulled.

I have one item that is agenda item number 10 in the consent agenda.

I move to approve the consent agenda without item number 10.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

Agenda item number 10 in the consent agenda is regarding uh 135th Street West from Central to 13th Street North.

This is specifically talking about sidewalks, and that's what I would like to address.

I asked multiple questions to public works via email, and so I would just like to have that on the record uh the questions that I did ask.

Morning Mayor City Council members Paul Gunsman Public Works and Utilities for the record.

Paul, um I had several questions that I um asked of you, but I'm not going to focus on all of them.

Um I specifically wanted to know about sidewalks and when we changed from what we typically see around our community, which is four feet sidewalks, four to five feet sidewalks, to now six feet sidewalks and also now ten feet sidewalks.

Can you please address when did we move to the 10 feet sidewalks?

So between the bench right here where I'm sitting to where you're standing is about 11 feet from the front of it, so just a little under that 10 feet.

Uh, can you please address why um that change?

So I think it goes back to, and I tried to look through some history.

Um I would say within the 25 within the last 25 years, we had migrated from four foot sidewalk to five foot and then to six foot.

Um I think we transitioned to looking at past records to six foot walk in the 2008/slash 2009 uh time frame regarding the 10-foot multi-use paths.

Um we had um looking again back at some records.

Um I think a lot of those had been we had installed a few of those before 2013, and then many have been installed um since 2013 as part of uh implementing the 2013 bicycle master plan.

Can you address um if there can be a list or where we can find all the 10 feet sidewalks because these are not typical as you drive around the intercity?

Um and it and I just would like to see uh over the last decade again, we've switched to 10 feet multi-use sidewalks, which can also fit it's so wide that it could even fit a golf cart.

I guess my question is what is the cost to six feet versus ten feet sidewalks?

Let me address your first question uh maybe first.

Um we don't have an all-inclusive list of the um multi-use paths.

However, um looking at GIS records, um, I did go back to the um 2013 plan.

I believe it had indicated some of those existing multi-use paths on the map, and then it needs to be updated.

I recognize some of them that have can been constructed since that time are not listed on the plan, but or on the map on GIS layer, so um, we could update that to give locations, and then the cost for um six-foot sidewalk is um looking at recent bid prices, um contractors bid sidewalk at five dollars and fifty cents per square foot.

So one mile of six-foot sidewalk equates to 174,240 dollars, and a mile of 10-foot multi-use path is estimated cost 290,400.

So for six for a six-foot sidewalk is about one hundred and seventy-four thousand for a 10-foot multi-use path, it's almost 300,000.

Um, and in this specific agenda item, this is to construct both a six-foot on one side and a ten foot on the other side.

So that's a total of 16 feet.

My question then is why could we not go to six feet on one side and six feet on the other?

That's 12 feet total.

What would be the cost savings of that to in perspective?

How many trees could be planted with a reduction of four feet?

That is a difficult question to answer because uh we also look before we plant trees, we also look at existing underground utilities that are in the area, so that is also a consideration.

And the cost of maintenance of a 10-foot versus a typical what we see again around town, which is four foot, five feet type of sidewalks.

What is the added cost of maintaining these types of multi-use paths that are not readily accessible within the intercore?

So what you're I don't know, I have not seen this GIS map, but I would assume that these multi-use paths are not in the intercity, but rather on the outskirts.

Is that more accurate or inaccurate?

Most are on the outskort outskirts.

Yes, that is correct.

We do have a few located within the inner core that were installed.

Um one of them is on Waco Street.

That was part of a overall um bicycle route.

Um we also have some on woodlawn, which is kind of pushing um maybe the fringe, but uh uh north of um 17th to 21st, again, as part of connecting the um the redbud path with the K96 path, uh part of it's off street, part of it's on street.

But yes, many of them um have been installed southeast part of town on Webb Road from Harry to Pawnee, Harry Street from Webb to Greenwich, some on Greenwich there um south of Kellogg down to Harry, and then on the west side of town, 21st Street from 119th Street to Ridge Road, as well as um 119th Street south of Kellogg to Pawnee, and then proposed again.

We have installed uh 10-foot path on uh sorry, 135th Street from Kellogg North to Central as well as north of uh 13th to 21st Street.

Again, this is not a questioning about the need for sidewalks, is about the width of sidewalks, and again the cost of creating these sidewalks and then maintaining these sidewalks is gonna be the burden of the citizens of Wichita.

However, can you address how sidewalks, if they're in front of your own house, that is your responsibility, not the city of Wichita's responsibility.

Could that be a maybe law question?

That is correct.

Sidewalks are the responsibility of the owner under state law.

Under state law, sidewalks in front of your home are your responsibility, not the citizens citizens slash city of Wichita.

But these specifically that we're talking about in this agenda item, this is public streets.

So this would be the citizens of Wichita having to pay for the maintenance of it, correct?

I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with the technical location of these sidewalks, Paul.

Are these just uh aligned with the yes, and or you know, um I've seen some homeowners' associations pay for that as well.

If there's a homeowner's association, any repairs that need to be made, they've made that.

Thank you.

Councilmember Glasscock.

Thank you, Mayor.

Paul, quick question.

So this that's coming before us is a change order to the budget, and so we're increasing the budget uh from so I'm a little confused by two different parts.

So it says increasing the change order limit to five percent of the contract amount, which is estimated to be 300,000, but then under financial considerations, it says the existing budget is 7,575,000, and then it then subsequently says the revised budget is $8,325,000, which is a larger amount than the $300,000.

Yes, so what we are doing, Councilmember Glascock, is we are initiating the remaining remaining funding for the project, which is $750,000 for a revised budget of $8.325 million dollars.

And then in addition to that, we are asking for a change order amount up to 5% of the contract amount to provide us any change orders that we can do within that.

So we're looking at the possibility of going over budget by 5%.

No, that we are um we will be, you know, if we get a bid within the 8.325 million, that is what we will award the contract for for that amount, but then anything, any unexpend unexpected items that we might require a change order, then we would have that up to 300,000.

So change order not going over the budgeted amount.

Correct.

Not over the 8.32 five million.

It's within that.

So if let's say the mayor brings up the point about the 10-foot to six foot, if it were to go from 10 foot to six foot, you would save 1016,160 estimated.

Estimated, we could.

That is a missing link for that multi-use path.

We have it south of there from central to Kellogg, and then we have a section north of 13th Street.

So this is filling in a gap, and it is also implementing the 2013 as well as the 2024 bicycle master plan.

And I know I know we've discussed multiple times that I think 10 feet is excessive on a couple projects across the community.

So thank you.

Vice Mayor Johnston.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Paul, I I believe the roads are all improved.

135th is all improved from Kellogg all the way to 21st, except this one stretch.

That is correct.

Is that correct?

Yes.

And this stretch is somewhat challenging because it's where the drainage all goes.

And so the cost maybe is a little bit more than what was expected.

Is that fair to say?

We have the drainage as well as some utility relocation as well.

Yes, within the corridor.

Yeah.

And just reiterate your point.

There's a 10-foot sidewalk north of this and south of this.

That is correct.

So it would tie both of those together.

Yes.

So it makes sense.

I will also point out that the Northwest Y is that 21st and 135th, highly used, highly traveled.

Housing is exploding in this area.

And it's a good way for people to get to the Northwest Y, including the new uh sports fields that are at the Northwest Y.

So this is a highly used sidewalk, uh, area for sidewalks.

My wife walks this sidewalk every single day, and she sees tons of people on this sidewalk walking their dogs, walking for activity, speedwalking, everything.

So I think it's an important addition that's long overdue for this one-mile stretch of road.

So thanks for your work on it, and I do appreciate it.

Councilmember Todd, thank you.

Thank you, Paul, for um all you do and for answering some questions today.

Just to clarify, we do have policy that says we have sidewalks on both sides of the of the road street, correct?

Yes, that's correct.

And then I was part of and thank you to Alan from Bikewalk Widgetov for being here.

And I used to attend the bike pet advisory boards as much as I could, and now I can't because of my dad.

But there was a lot of community discussion years ago about having six foot paths, you know, the paths versus sidewalks versus 10.

And some of it was to make sure that you know, exactly what Vice Mayor said about you know, people walking, biking, also ADA compliance.

If there was a wheelchair and a bike, you need to make sure that the sidewalk is large enough for both.

Could you maybe just talk about the community discussion that has been had about this topic?

Yeah.

Thank you.

And we do, um, as you know, each project that we do in the CIP, we do go out to the district advisory boards and present the concepts to the public.

So in the past, we have received comments, you know, um, appreciating the six-foot sidewalk.

Um, it allows you know, folks to walk side by side.

Um, so yeah, we we have gotten support for the six-foot.

Mayor if I could I'd like Gary, I'd like Gary Jansen to talk a little bit more about the history and why we have the 10-foot standard.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Manager.

Mayor, Council members Gary Jansen, Public Works and Utilities.

Uh somebody go back in time with some history on on where this comes from because uh to council member Tuttle's point, there actually is an ordinance that um says we're gonna build sidewalk on both sides of the street.

Uh Mayor, to your point, there are not sidewalks and paths generally this wide in the core area.

There are a law on the river.

Uh there are where we've been able to provide the opportunity for connections.

Uh I can go back to prior to even 2008 when Paul talked about and we started talking about this notion of complete streets uh and addressing what was the desires of the community for more connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists.

And and since that time with the initial bicycle master plan in 2013 and the update to that just in the last two years at the council approved, we hear from the community often about connectivity, about the value of sidewalks, about wider sidewalks, uh four-foot width uh is uh from a bygone era and communities, whether our size or smaller, I don't know that anybody's putting in four-foot-wide sidewalk anymore.

So six foot wide makes sense.

We've heard that people like that.

You can watch activity on sidewalks and see that it's much more comfortable, people strollers with wagons, whatever it might be.

Um the 10-foot paths didn't just come out as a result of the bicycle master plan, but even prior to that, uh, and looking at connectivity of our trail systems, this has been very important.

Getting bicycles off the streets.

There are many people in our community who ride bikes uh for more than just leisure, for more than just getting to work.

They want to be able to ride on the streets, they want the on-street paths.

We also hear from a lot of folks that want to get off of the streets.

They want to take their kids out riding bikes, and the last thing they want to do is ride on the streets.

These multi-use paths provide a tremendous asset for getting bicyclists off the street also, and they can be used by pedestrians at the same time.

I would tell you in all the years that I've gone out to public meetings and we've talked about these types of projects.

Paul mentioned that we present these to the district advisory board.

We speak about them with the bicycle pedestrian board uh amongst many other community groups.

We probably hear in neighborhoods and in areas of growth of the city, especially new developments.

We hear more about speeding than just about anything.

Always looking for ways uh to work with the police department and through proper design, smart design, street design to help with traffic calming.

Second thing we hear the most about is sidewalks and connectivity.

Uh currently WAMPO we're working with WAMPO.

Many communities are on a safe routes to school plan, uh, which could potentially implement federal funding for connectivity between schools.

I've spoken with many of you over the years about the desire for connectivity between schools and those wider sidewalks.

It's not just the sidewalks, as you said, is connectivity, that wider width we have found has really been a value.

Anytime we can find room for 10 feet, it's gonna make more sense in the newer areas, the new platted areas where we can build that in with the design of the new streets.

It's really bringing a lot of value.

What we've seen to the neighborhoods, to the areas, providing connectivities to schools to retail areas.

Uh we've we've watched and observed many of these new paths put in and how much they get used to the vice mayor's comment.

This stretch along 135th, this is the last gap, just to be clear.

135th is improved from Kellogg all the way to 21st Street, except for this stretch between Central and 13th.

I can't count how many calls I've had over the years about why we haven't finished that, especially with the connectivity with the sidewalk and the path, because there's so many people that want to get to the why.

Uh there's another neighborhood amenities, there's schools, everything else.

Um I think our formula is working well.

That any time that we can do this, this is really what we're looking at going forward.

And if we can make that fit, there's always cost uh implications to that too, but we have heard from so many people that they like the ability to have that wider path and the connectivity it provides.

And ultimately, um, if you look on our website with the bicycle master plan, and it shows the connectivity of on-street and off-street paths.

We really are developing a system uh for connectivity of pathways that are wider for all users.

Thank you very much, Gary.

And again, this is not a criticism against sidewalks.

I am in favor of sidewalks.

This is really a consideration of the width of these sidewalks because there is a cost.

Can you tell me?

Do you have to buy some right-of-way in order to have these 10-foot um wide sidewalks?

It varies.

Uh, if you look at projects like this one, uh, and generally in areas where we're starting to get more to the fringes, there's almost always necessary right-of-way acquisition, but it's not to build a 10-foot sidewalk.

That doesn't change.

We could still build these walks within the necessary ride-of-way that we need to improve the street and provide drainage.

We could build six-foot sidewalks.

We could we could build two ten-foot sidewalks within the right of way that we acquire for the street project itself.

Gary, again, one more time.

This I appreciate that there's an ordinance that makes sure that we have sidewalks on both sides.

However, as I've been going around to some of these district advisory board meetings, I've also heard some folks that question where exactly you would put these six versus ten feet sidewalks.

And in this situation, it makes sense.

I think you've justified it, Vice Mayor Johnston has justified the high traffic in these sidewalks to get to the YMCA.

However, I've seen it in other DABs where there are areas that are low density and doesn't require two sidewalks.

So I guess I would like to, I'm questioning these because I want us to be prudent with these tax dollars, and if it is a high traffic area or highly utilized area, I can I can understand the reasoning.

However, I still believe that in some areas where it's not high traffic, having a 10-foot sidewalk seems excessive in cost too.

So I'll give you some context if you don't mind, Mayor, on some of the challenges we've faced to the very uh item you just brought up.

So the county, Sedgett County, when they've improved streets over the years and they've added sidewalk, they generally had a policy to put sidewalk on one side of the street only.

Ultimately, we end up annexing those street sections quite often.

And the first thing that we hear every single time is when are you going to put sidewalk in on the other side of the street?

You pick winners and losers when you're trying to put sidewalk in on one side.

I wouldn't know where to begin generally.

Uh there's other factors involved with that.

Um the county bridges along those stretches of roadway have sidewalk on one side.

It's tremendously expensive to come back later and add a sidewalk to another side of the bridge.

The same thing can be said.

As an area starts to develop, adding sidewalk at a later point can be a real challenge to the neighborhood.

People have added landscaping, trees have had the opportunity for more growth.

Then we're challenged with the idea of trying to meet the desires of that neighborhood to put in any width of sidewalk.

We're trying to navigate through trees, we're taking out trees, and you can imagine how that goes.

I believe from what we've seen over many, many years, we are better off being proactive, knowing that the areas are going to develop.

We look at growth patterns, we look at traffic counts, uh, we look at uh areas that are plaiding.

When we make these improvements to 135th Street to West Maple to East Harry to 143rd Street, that is based on the fact that growth is happening in those areas, or we wouldn't be making the street improvements to begin with.

To put the sidewalk and the multi-use paths in at the same time up front is going to be the best value every single time.

I I'm absolutely confident of that.

It's gonna create less conflict later, uh, less challenges, less stress uh for the folks who live there so that we've got that there going forward, we can continue to make those connections to our systems throughout the city.

I'll allow more comments, but I have a few more for you.

Councilmember Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

I was just gonna say I agree with Vice Mayor Johnston that um I I not only support this project, but I support the ordinance.

Um for the last three weeks, I've picked one day to go walk the Red Bud Trail in the mornings.

Um and you would think at 5 a.m.

when it's dark, nobody would be there.

But even this morning, there's groups riding bikes on one side, and that's a 10-foot wide trail and people walking on the other, the distance is great because there's no safety concerns of hitting folks.

Uh a lot of people utilize that space and the connectivity that we're talking about today is very important in these different areas.

I think that the city needs to continue planning for the future and not just the moment right now and planning for the future.

You would continue to build six foot on one side and ten on the other for connectivity purposes.

You never know how an area will develop.

And using the red butt as an example when council member Williams really pushed for that and that project was complete.

The density in Fairmount wasn't what it is today.

Now there's four new complexes over there of apartments.

You see people utilizing that even more than before.

And if we hadn't planned for the future and done something like that, um I don't know what those folks will be doing.

And people complain about share rows all the time.

So if there's a way to have these paths where people uh whether it's on bikes, walking, as you talked about, strollers all can be in these spaces.

I think it's incumbent on us to plan for the future and have that infrastructure built.

And as you said, it's it's cheaper now than going back later and trying to add to it.

So I'm supportive of it.

I think the width is is great, and you know, if folks will get out there on these paths and just kind of see how easy it is for people to navigate walking and biking together on the 10-foot path.

Um it makes a lot of sense.

Six foot is better than four foot as well.

It's a little tighter, but I support this.

I I think it's good.

Sometimes there will be a cost of getting the easements and all of that, but again, there's a cost of improving the infrastructure of our city, and it just makes us better.

So I I'm supportive today and I'm supportive of the ordinance and policy.

Councilmember Glasgow.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just to clarify the ordinances, sidewalks on both sides, not stipulating six foot on one side and ten foot on one.

Yeah, the ordinance does not speak to width.

So historically one from four to six to ten, when are we going to go to twelve or fourteen?

Well, I'll tell you, we're not planning on that, but there are folks within the uh bike planning community that have urged us to go to twelve feet wide, and that extra two feet starts to create some real challenges with space in some areas to the point of tree planning.

We think the 10-foot is working well from what we've observed, but it's like anything else.

There's there's always a push.

I think from what we've heard from the community, this is truly responding uh to community desires, uh looking at design standards that make sense for for development of our community of connectivity of those pathways, of getting bikes off the streets.

I think the model that we're on to with the six foot and the ten foot is really the best place to be right now.

Councilmember Tuttle.

Thank you.

This question is for legal.

Jennifer, um, this is a consent agenda item that got pulled.

Can you please remind me, will we allow public comment?

Correct.

You have voted to do that.

Okay, thank you so much.

Gary, I have a couple more questions.

Uh earlier this year we passed the golf cart ordinance, and I know that this stretch of the road, 135th Street, is nearby one of the golf courses.

Near so my question then is are we also considering since there are wider sidewalks and uh on the outskirts of the community and close to some golf courses?

Um, will we be now talking about possibly utilizing those sidewalks for golf carts?

Mayor, there is some discussion uh at the request of some residents that have been impacted by the council's actions to take a look at uh uh sidewalks and paths that are uh within one mile of golf courses.

So we may be bringing something back to the council to take a look at that.

Thank you very much.

Uh then the other question is I wanted to know how often does the city of Wichita go and inspect the sidewalks that are owned by the city of Wichita, not necessarily by the residents of uh communities.

Can you tell me?

Because this is, and again, I am not against sidewalks.

This is a question about when you build more, you have to maintain the addition, but you also have to maintain what you've already built.

So my question is how often does the city go out to inspect current sidewalks.

Uh generally, Mayor, because of the nature of the ordinance uh which is supported by state law of how sidewalks uh repair responsibility for sidewalks.

We do not have an active inspection program in place.

Um this works best uh when we hear we have reports from the community when there are challenges, we respond to those at that time.

I will tell you on the Paul mentioned this on the wider sidewalks, what we have done because I think it makes sense, and and we do have this flexibility.

So we've talked before about with our sidewalk repair program at intersections, those are a common area, right?

So if we have uh issues right near an intersection within a certain distance uh with sidewalk, whatever the the problem might be, a trip hazard, problems with ramps.

Those repairs are made, paid for by the city at large.

That's not assessed anywhere.

On these 10-foot paths, we have taken uh the approach to effectively split that cost.

So if it's adjacent to a direct home, if it's adjacent to an HOA like Paul talked about, um, and there's repairs that need to be made.

We don't think it's fair for somebody there to have to pay for repairs to a 10-foot sidewalk.

Uh so we've generally split that cost.

It's worked well.

Uh it's something that we've seen at other communities have done.

We've done some research on that, and I think it makes sense.

Thank you, Gary, and thank you, Paul.

I see no further questions from the bench.

We will now open it up for public comment.

Good morning.

I'm Alan Kalar.

Uh, and I am here on behalf of Bike Walk Wichita.

I'm also the vice chair of the bicycle and pedestrian advisory board.

And I'll try not to repeat uh all the points that have been made by staff and some of the council members that I appreciate.

Uh probably the best way to uh start this out is with a couple of stories rather than statistics.

Uh this past weekend I had a uh uh a couple of friends in from out of town, took them on a bike ride out to the Prairie Sunset Trail, which is one of the gems of the uh city along with the Red Bed Trail, which we also biked on.

Um probably the most dangerous part of our trip was riding back along one hundred and thirty-fifth, uh, as uh the vice mayor has pointed out.

This is the only one-mile section in that that does not have uh a 10-foot path on one side.

Uh it's uh it's a narrow road.

Uh the traffic is going at least 40 miles an hour.

And um, you know, it's uh can be a little intimidating depending on the amount of traffic.

Um second uh uh example uh regarding the uh having the sidewalks on both sides of the street.

I live on West 21st, west of uh Ridge Road, and there is the 10-foot path there on the north side of that road.

Uh but there are no sidewalks on the south side of the road uh near where I live.

There are several businesses there.

There's a restaurant, there's a salon, there have been different businesses there over time.

But there is no way that I can walk there across the street uh because there aren't any sidewalks there, and the grass there is often muddy and so forth.

Uh you essentially have to drive, I have to drive to cross the street there.

Uh so ultimately all of these questions are an issue of safety, uh, improving safety for people on the paths, uh, safety between the walkers and the cyclists on the paths, but uh and also safety for the motorists.

The motorist, as uh I think uh the vice mayor pointed out, uh it's uh much easier, much safer uh to have a cyclist, especially the slower cyclist off the road on the 10-foot path.

Uh regarding the width of the paths, um the bike plan that was adopted earlier this year by the council calls for an all ages and abilities uh network uh covering the uh the city.

And this the area along 135th is one of the areas that's specifically identified in the bike plan as being uh part of that network and calls for a 10-foot path along there.

10 foot, the 10-foot uh width of the path is almost universally uh accepted as the minimum width for 10-foot paths.

Every I during the discussion here I was trying to look uh at what uh various government uh organizations and so forth recommended, and everyone that I looked at recommended a minimum 10-foot.

For example, the U.S.

Accessibility Board uh recommends the 10-foot path uh for safety of all the users on on the path for for a shared use uh path.

Um and ultimately, as I said, it is just a question of what is the safest for the people using it.

Uh as uh councilmember Johnson pointed out, when there are walkers and cyclists and wheelchair users and others on there, the 10-foot path uh is not at all uh excessive.

Regarding having the sidewalks on both sides of the street, uh there is active development going on on the east side of 100 that right now the design is for the 10-foot path to be on the west side and the sidewalk to be on the east side of 135th.

There's active development going on at 135th for the safety of the people on that side of the road and their access to uh the uh north and south there uh to the Y to the golf course and other places, uh it makes sense to have the sidewalk on that side on the east side as well as on the multi-use path on the west side.

Otherwise, you'll be forcing them to cross the street uh at an uncontrolled intersection in order to use the path on the other side of the street.

Regarding the uh width of sidewalks generally, uh again, uh the Mr.

Allen.

Yeah, fine.

Okay.

Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to that.

Okay.

But uh yeah.

Any questions?

Yes, Councilmember Glasgow has a question.

Thank you, Mayor.

Alan, I appreciate everything you do.

I have the same question for you that I had for Gary.

Went from four to six to ten.

When do I expect the bicycle pedestrian advisory board to come back and ask us for twelve or fourteen?

Well, first of all, I don't think it's accurate to say that it went from four to six to ten.

As far as sidewalks generally, I think that the six-foot uh makes sense.

I was just going to say before my time ran out that really the difference between the four and the six foot is really just a historical fact that we used to build them at four for four feet, and now as standards and and usage has has changed, the six foot is the standard.

Ten foot is a standard for multi-use paths, not four sidewalks generally.

Um I think there may well be uh situations uh like the red bud path.

Uh the design that was done between K96 and uh going um east from K96 has a 10 foot path, but it also has a path on the side for runners uh that they find very useful both because of the surface and because it gets them off of the paved path that the cyclists are using uh that may well you know be appropriate for other parts of the red bud path that are next that are extremely popular and at some time get uh crowded.

Generally, though, I think the 10 foot path uh makes sense.

Uh it's only if they get you know more use uh then the twelve a long a wider path would become appropriate.

I'll look back at the speeding if uh we get a request for 12 foot.

So very good.

Any other questions?

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll continue with public comment.

I see none.

I'll bring it back to the bench.

Again, um this was a discussion because I think it's important to be transparent with community when it comes to projects, um, especially as I drive around our inner city and sidewalks are at four feet.

And so I asked the very first question I asked was about four feet sidewalks and uh is that out of compliance since now the new standard is I guess six feet or even ten feet for multi-use, and the answer was no, they are not out of compliance.

So it would actually be inaccurate to say that they're still not doing four feet sidewalks because you still have to repair the four feet sidewalks.

So they are still doing four feet sidewalks.

Um so anyone who has four foot sidewalks in your neighborhood, you're not out of compliance.

Um and you do have to repair it if it is in front of your home, and it is unfortunately on you, the homeowner, to repair that.

Um and so again, I wanted to bring this topic forward because I think we've had individuals who've asked questions about sidewalks in particular, whose responsibility is it?

And again, I have to be prudent when we are building more sidewalks.

That again, if it is going to be the responsibility of the citizens of Wichita slash the city of Wichita, then we are cognizant that we still have a wide network that we still have to maintain, and now in addition to we'll be maintaining new.

And having heard all the discussion and the uh background, I appreciate knowing that now there's going to be a connection, the missing piece, I guess, on 135th.

Um so I'm not against this project, but I would like to see moving forward if there are places that we're only doing the six foot plus ten foot sidewalks on each side because we think that is going to be what residents want.

I think it's important to have counts.

When we say there's congestion, I'd like to know when is that congestion?

At what times are we seeing traffic on sidewalks and multi-use paths?

Because again, we're only doing it for exceptions rather than the overall normal uh flow of traffic.

Are we really being prudent with the dollars that we are supposed to be stewards of?

And so again, this questioning is not regarding necessarily 135th Street, but rather again, as I've gone around to some dabs and heard uh the feedback from community asking, is it prudent to have two sidewalks, especially one on each side in very vacant or low density areas?

Um so again, I'm gonna be supportive of this specific project because it does finish out the remainder of that 135th street gap.

Uh but again, moving forward, I'd like us to be more prudent when we are thinking about six foot plus ten foot when it comes to these sidewalks, because again, if we would have reduced overall six foot six foot on each side, you would have had a cost savings that could have uh planted more trees in our community.

So it's again um it's a trade-off, and I think we need to be prudent about trade-offs.

Councilmember Ballard.

Thank you, Mayor.

I have to say I'm a little surprised that we've taken so much time on um this item, but um I appreciate the conversation and wanted to add my two cents.

Um I'm absolutely a supportive of the um 10-foot sidewalk.

I don't think we can just talk about wanting a more walkable, rideable connect, um adding more connectivity through um our community um without providing the infrastructure.

So I think this is really important.

We all know how much traffic um and not just cars that area is already using.

I can't imagine when it's um a wider, safer path, how many more people will utilize uh that path as well.

So um for that I will be supportive of the sidewalk.

Councilmember Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um just want to add in an additional two cents.

Um I think that we should uh be prudent, but as a city council and many councils, we've committed to a more walkable bikeable community, and I think that building that infrastructure is a commitment to that, and we and we should keep it.

When we look at that area or again, even red butt, that type of inf infrastructure leads to more investment.

It leads to people saying, you know what, I can build over by this wonderful walk path, these wide sidewalks, we can get to and from safely.

That type of again, public investment brings about the private investment, and we see the usage continue to go up.

Even if we look at traffic data that shows that something's not there now, our team continues to put projects in the CIP to expand things that at some point will develop.

You look at what is it, 37th and hydraulic in District One.

That project, there was um some businesses out there, not completely um super busy, but that was a project that we are completing now, and it's a real benefit to the businesses that are out there and anyone who wants to locate out there because you're gonna have a newly paved road with expanded turn lanes, some improvements on the side.

So again, these investments that we make and planning for the future, I think make our community better.

And as we look at places for people and the nodes that uh we want to see investment in, it may cost a little more in developed core areas, but again, it's an amenity that our community really benefits from.

And even advocates like me who was against the red vote path initially, um, see the benefit later, and I'm very supportive of it.

So sometimes we'll criticize things because we haven't been out there, but to see how uh wonderful it is in the community, the benefit and the usage of it, I think it's a good thing.

So as we look at the cost, there's always going to be a cost in investing in ourselves, and we should be investing in our community.

These are your tax dollars, and we should make your community the best that we can, and that is a worthwhile investment.

And I would hope that future councils continue to do so.

Yes, look at the numbers, look at the usage potential, but also look at the growth potential and the investment potential in that part of the community.

Councilmember Glascon.

Thank you, Mayor.

I believe our job is to ask questions from this bench, and so I'm glad we had discussion about this consent agenda item as we do any item that comes before this that any member polls.

Um looking at myself to Councilman Johnson, it's about 10 feet.

There are probably five times that I have crossed a path with another human on a path this large.

And so I think we're building out uh too much, and so I'll be very interested when uh we do get lobbying for 12 feet at some point to come back to this conversation.

Um while this is only one mile and save us one what 116,160 dollars.

If this was extrapolated over 10 miles that we're expanding, that comes over to a million dollars.

And so while this may seem like a small bucket in terms of how much we're spending on this project, we extrapolate this out to 10 other miles in the city.

We're looking over more than a million dollars.

And so I do have concerns moving forward for this and the connectivity as Councilman Johnston said, Um, that may sway me on this because of the 10 foot on both sides, but I'm hard pressed to do that for future projects, um, not seeing the need uh for the amount of times that I've seen individuals cross from me to Councilman Johnston or Johnson right now.

Vice Mayor Johnston.

Thank you, Mayor.

With with all due respect, I think we need to bring a tape measure to the council.

I think that's a lot more than 10 feet there.

I measured it.

Um, so I actually have the uh amount, the length.

So it's for yes, from you or from the front of the from the front of the speakers um bench area to the front of here.

Okay.

So just take one foot off, and that's 10 feet.

Okay.

I think you stated David's from you where you're sitting.

Okay.

Makes more sense.

So thank you.

Um we also my wife and I also ride the Sunset Trail.

Um we're psychic let's go there at least once a week.

The most dangerous part for us is going down Maple on a four-foot sidewalk and down maze on a four-foot sidewalk.

Where trees are overgrown, you have to duck to get through trees and stuff.

It's not very good, so I really appreciate the wider ten-foot sidewalks, make it much much easier to navigate and to get there safely.

So I I like a walkable, bikeable city.

I think it's important to our city, and this is like this is a big part of it.

Thank you, council members.

And again, um, I pulled this item, not because I am not in support of sidewalks.

I completely understand why they're there and why they're useful and why they can be utilized for both walkers, bicyclists, and potentially, I guess, in the upcoming weeks, even golf carts.

So I also believe that we do need to invest in ourselves, uh, but I also believe in investing in what you currently have.

And knowing that maintaining what you currently have costs a lot of money, and maintaining what we have sometimes can get us, if we don't maintain it, it can get us into trouble.

That's why I'm emphasizing the importance of maintaining.

I don't want buildings falling apart, I don't want sidewalks causing people to have accidents, and so maintaining what we have should be the top priority first and foremost before you build more or new.

And so again, I have understood the conversation and knowing that there's a gap on 135th that is dangerous.

Thank you, Alan, for pointing that out, especially with your um stories regarding this weekend.

Um, and I know that Vice Mayor Johnson, you mentioned your wife utilizes that stretch, and again, I want people to be safe, and especially if there's a gap right now uh that has already been built, but there's just a section that is missing.

Um I have been swayed to say yes to this item.

However, moving forward, I really want us to be prudent again on maintaining our sidewalks.

So the question I asked about how often does the city go out to inspect sidewalks that we currently have that the city is supposed to maintain, should be a top priority versus building new.

So with that, uh, since I pulled this item, I will move this item.

I move that the council approve the revised budget, change order limit adjustment resolution, adopt the amending resolution, and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Board of Bids and Contracts dated September 15th, 2025.

Good morning, Mayor, City Council, Josh Lauber, Department of Finance.

The Board of Bids and Contracts convened yesterday, September 15th, for the following items.

For engineering, we have the Hess Reservoir Site Valve Repay Replacement Package 3 for Wildcat Construction Company Incorporated for 1,892,000.

We have the 27-inch sanitary serumane improvements to serve Yellowstone Edition for Mies Construction Incorporated for 99 for 991,000 $13.50.

Excuse me.

We have the 2025 outsource pavement preservation program concrete joint and crack seal for innovative road composites LLC doing business as super sealing USA for 122,000 awarded from the original bid of 105,903 and 21 cents.

We have for purchasing the tree and stump removal McDonald Golf Course for Shawnee Mission Tree Service Incorporated for $77,000.

We have the 2026 Ford F-550 crew cab truck for Country Ford Mercury Incorporated doing businesses advanced country forward for $83,227.

We have the pre-employment physiological testing for fit for duty assessment recommending redirection of award to Molly Allen doing businesses Wichita Psychology LLC for an estimated annual usage of $36,000.

This is how to become a vendor with the city.

This is our purchasing calendar, a small business resource partner events the city's hosting or participating in.

And these are open public opportunities out on the street today.

And I'd be happy to try to answer any questions and I recommend your approval.

Thank you, Josh.

Any questions for staff?

I see none.

I move to approve the Board of Bids and Contracts dated September 15th, 2025.

Second.

Motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Public hearing and request by Enclave West LLC for approval of a letter of intent to issue multifamily housing revenue bonds.

Which staff members speaking on this item?

Sorry about that.

Troy Anderson, Assistant City Manager.

So I stand before you today with a request.

This is for a project known as Enclave West.

The project consists of 15 two-story buildings with 32 bedroom units and 33 bedroom units for a total of 60 units.

The property is slated for construction on an unimproved vacant tract of land on the northwest corner of 13th and West.

Under our guidelines, the project qualifies for a 50% property tax abatement based on new capital investment.

The estimated 50% property tax abatement for the first full year is about 106,000.

You can see that broken down between city, county, state, and school district.

Additionally, the project's eligible for a sales tax exemption.

The approximate sales tax exemption is 235,000, city share being approximately 18,000.

Cost benefit analysis was performed with the following ratios of benefit to cost.

Something I want to point out is included in the green sheet and on the screen in front of you here again.

I won't read through these.

Bonds will be purchased by Enclave West or a related entity.

Bond documents required for the issuance of the bonds will be prepared by outside council, but ultimately those will be reviewed and approved by uh the law department in their final form at the time of issuance.

With that being said, it's recommended the city council hold a public hearing, close the public hearing, adopt the resolution and authorize the necessary signatures.

We do have representatives from uh the applicant here today to answer any questions.

Otherwise, I'll stand for questions.

Thank you, Troy.

Questions for staff?

I have a couple.

Can you start off by telling us how much in property taxes is this land currently being levied?

That's a good question.

Um maybe Enclave West can tell us that.

I think we're looking it up as we speak.

If you'll give us two minutes, no worries.

The next question will probably be for Enclave West as well, which is what are the typical rents for these two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments.

Um I know that these are I think fair market value, so approximate would be uh appropriate for that question.

Yeah, I'll defer to the applicant.

Thanks, Roy.

Good morning.

Um, to answer your question, um 1250 is the rent on we're thinking 1250 to 1300 on the two-bedroom units and 1350 to 1400 on the three-bedroom units.

So we would call them falling in the category of a workhouse or workforce housing.

And we're checking on the taxes as well.

Thank you.

This is an area that I'm very familiar with, as I used to work for a television station by 13th and West Street.

Can you talk about the reasoning behind choosing this location for the next I guess 60 units that will be able to house individuals and be able to walk around there?

Sure.

We just we like Infill projects.

Much like I think you guys can appreciate their good opportunities because of what you just mentioned.

There's walkability to them.

We know there's residents that want to live there because there's other neighborhoods around it.

This land has been vacant for a long, long time.

It's we feel like it's a good use.

But yes, the fact that Dylan's is across the street.

Genesis Health Club is walking distance.

There's restaurants, there's retail, there's those type of things.

Also the product around it is fairly aged.

Some of the newest product around it is you know 20 years old.

So it in our rents are typically not far from what some of that aged product is at, which gives people an option for something a little bit different, a little a little newer and some variety.

So thank you.

By any chance, do you have the property tax dollar?

So 56,000.

Thank you.

So currently you're being levied 56,000 in property taxes per year.

And with these improvements, you'll be able to double that.

So because of your improvements, you'll be able to provide more taxes to the community.

However, there is a tax abatement here, and it's a 10-year abatement.

Is that correct?

That's correct.

For the five-year, five-year review.

That's correct.

Perfect.

Thank you very much.

Appreciate the uh answers.

Sure.

I see no questions from the bench.

We'll now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public who would like to speak on this item.

We'll bring it back to the bench.

This is in council member Maggie Ballard's district.

Thank you, Mayor.

I am very excited about this project.

Um not only because it is affordable housing, but because I think it's a great uh missed opportunity.

Um it's been vacant for a long time.

Um I'm very familiar with it.

My bar used to be caddy corner from there for a lot of time over there for a long time.

So with that, I would like to take uh staff's recommended action.

Um recommend that the city council close a public hearing, adopt the resolution, and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Application to the Kansas Water Office Water Projects Grant Fund.

Good morning, Mayor Council Lindsay Banaco with the City Manager's Office here with an exciting uh grant opportunity with the state of Kansas on behalf of Botanica.

Uh a little bit of background.

The the state water office offers several grant programs and opportunities for special projects that reflect Kansas's commitment uh to addressing long-standing water challenges, as we're all well aware of in our community.

Uh, the state water plan fund specifically was designed to provide direct financial support uh for infrastructure and capital projects to secure, conserve uh, or enhance water resources.

And then a little bit of background about Botanica specifically.

Uh it's operated with a public-private partnership.

The city of Wichita owns the land and the facility itself, and we provide some general operating support.

Uh, but general operations programming uh and fundraising are led and governed by the nonprofit Botanica Inc., uh, a local 501c 501c3 nonprofit.

So we work in tandem uh with a nonprofit to to meet the mission of the organization.

Uh botanica in partnership with the city is seeking this grant opportunity as municipalities are the required applicant for this grant.

Um and the the goal of this grant opportunity in the project is to extend the current footprint of Botanica into Sim Park uh to develop what we're calling a water learning center.

Uh a little bit about the proposed project, which is very much in the proposal state itself.

Uh the water learning center will be designed as a hands-on educational hub for K-12 students and the general public who who visit Botanica.

Uh, the center will feature visible water pipes, channels, and a reservoir system to demonstrate the movement, conservation, and the reuse of water itself.

Um attached to the facility will be a conservatory and a greenhouse complex of some sort, uh, providing a growing environments for all sorts of different plants that are currently uh on display at the gardens, um, and also serving as a flexible crap classroom space and learning space uh for students.

Regarding financial consideration, this is a grant application.

Uh the grant awards up to $8 million per project.

I will say the total fund available is $12 million, but we're going uh going all out here with our application.

Uh so the total amount requested for this project currently is $7,295,000.

And there are no matching funds required for this project.

The law department has reviewed and approved the application as to form.

I will note that should the city receive the grant will likely need some sort of supplemental agreement with Botanica Inc.

uh to figure out the the project itself and ensure the proper use of the state funding.

And with that, I'd like to recommend approval of the grant application that authorize the necessary signatures.

I would like to just point out we have staff in the room from Botanica.

Executive Director Dr.

Lynette Zimmerman is here if there's any questions about the project itself.

Thank you, Lindsay.

I just had one quick question.

Can you go back to the financial consideration?

Yes.

That total amount of $7.295 million is for the entire project.

Is that correct?

I believe so.

Staff say yes.

Thank you.

Councilmember Ballard.

Thank you, Mayor.

I am very excited about this.

Um couple questions, and I'm sorry if I missed it.

What does the time frame um look like?

Do we know?

Uh the application is due at the end of this month.

It's 2026 funding.

They haven't listed a date of notification, but we should find out by the end of this year.

Uh so projects can begin in 2026.

And is this a grant that is new or obviously new to us, but has it been around for a while for other communities?

I'm just curious.

I'll defer it to staff.

Thank you.

Good morning, Lynette.

Good morning, everyone.

Uh this is not a new fund.

It was established in 2023 by our state legislature.

Uh these are dollars that they have earmarked already to be spent on water infrastructure projects.

Awesome.

Um, and just a shout out to you.

Thank you for being so creative in all of the ways to um conserve our water at Botanica and for the city.

I'll just have one quick suggestion.

Um, because we do draw a lot of individuals to Botanica, not just from the city, but our surrounding communities as well as even regionally.

I would say that that application has regional uh implications, and that again could be um pointed out within the application.

Thank you.

I see no further questions for staff.

Thank you, Lindsay.

We will now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public.

We'll bring it back to the bench, and again, this resides in council member Ballard's district.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, I would like to take the uh staff documentation.

Is it is recommended that the city council approve submission of the grant application and authorize the necessary signatures?

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 60.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

False alarm registration and management services contract.

Morning, mayor and council.

Jason Cooley, Captain with Wichita Police Department.

We have the false alarm registration and management service.

Background on that is the City of Wichita adopted a false alarm ordinance in 1999.

The goal was to reduce personnel, emergency personnel from responding to false alarms.

Since 2009, the city has contracted with Central Square Technologies for the false alarm registration and management service.

That agreement is set to expire February of 2026.

And of that in 24, 6,159 false alarms were reported and recorded.

And since uh 2009, there's been just under 250,000 false alarms.

False alarm revenue for the city since 2023 is just under 130,000.

And in 2024, the city revenue from the false alarm uh fees were 85,645.

And then I put the uh since the inception there since 1999 is just over six and a half million dollars.

Uh PMAM corporation contract outlines revenue sharing of 76 percent uh retained by the city of Wichita and 24 percent uh uh retained by PMAM.

Uh the proposed contract is for a one-year term with three one-year renewal options for a total of four years, and 2025 adopted budget for the alarm vendor is 130,000.

Uh it is recommended that uh you approve the agreements for PMA incorporation authorize the necessary signatures.

That will stand for questions.

Thank you, Captain Cooley.

Council member Classic.

Thank you, Mayor.

Captain Cooley, I just I'm trying to do some quick math to understand this.

So uh in 20.

Can we go back to the slide regarding revenue?

So in 2023, we brought in 127,000 revenue.

At 24 percent, we're looking at the total expense allocated should have been 30,000 to the alarm service vendor, and it looks like the amount was 71,000.

Am I reading that incorrectly?

On the are you on the agenda report?

Yes.

So it's we're splitting the actual revenue, but then there's like charges and other charges that are just the city's responsibility.

Okay.

So in 2023, the city only it looks like brought in.

I'm just trying to do the math again.

715.

Looks like $56,000.

Would that be correct?

In 2023.

In terms of after and we include the 127,000 in revenue and the expenses a 71,000.

He's trying he's trying to net it out.

Do we is this actual revenue at 127,000 or is it net revenue?

This that's the city's revenue, so that's not the net.

That's oh, that's the total revenue without their ex with before we took their expenses out.

That's what the council member is asking.

The 127, my understanding is that is what came into the city.

Before our cost, no.

No.

That's the city's revenue, yes.

Then there's a separate revenue that was given to um Central Square, Cry Wolf.

Okay.

That's not clearly identified in this, so those are for my follow-up questions.

It looks like the 2025 adopted budget for this service is 130,000.

But in 2023, we only spent 71,000, and then 2024 we spent 48,000.

And so, and it looks like the budget amount is 130,000 in 2025, which is a significant increase from 48,000 budgeted or even the 71,000 dollar budgeted.

Why were we budgeting?

I mean, nearly three times as much as in 2024.

Yeah, so that's part of why we went back out to another bid or proposal.

Um we did not feel we were getting timely and adequate service from the current vendor.

Um we would we would ask for some uh data request, and it would take three to four weeks to get some of those back, um which slows down the billing, slows down the notifications to uh the residents or the businesses for false alarm.

Um we have spent uh the last couple years trying to streamline that, uh, even then polling data from 911 to provide.

Um there was significant delays in that.

So that's why the uh amounts are much lower than the budgeted amount.

Uh I did not go back and look, you know, historically of in 2019 and 2020 and 21 were we around that 130.

Um, but I will tell you because I think what you're getting at is there's too much budgeted.

Correct.

Okay.

Um so I will tell you that uh holistically as a department, um I'm going through all of the budget to seeing where there is extra.

Uh I don't want to call it waste, but where there's extra where things can be reallocated.

Um I have not made it to service contracts or software uh yet, but um we are going through all the equipment and everything else that we do right now to reallocate funds where they're actually supposed to be.

So I can't say that that's not over budgeted because I haven't made it to that.

Um I would imagine uh looking through the budget that at some point 130,000 was the adequate amount that was being paid forward to them, which is why the budget was set at 130.

It just seems like a big jump from 48,000 to 130,000, even when the subsequent year was 71,000 to have a three times increased budgeted amount.

That's the 2025 budget.

Do we have the 2026 budget amount that was just approved?

I'd have to look up.

Uh just a reminder you adjust the budget uh at mid mid year.

When you approve next year's budget in August, you'll approve a revised 2026.

In there, they'll have estimates.

And if they're gonna be if it's over budgeted, that money can be swept and usually is identified as available for other uses in the budget to help balance the budget, or uh for you know, or will it be uh uh excess at the end of the year?

So there's plenty of time to do that.

The more important things to focus on, I think where you were originally, and that is on the expense level and the revenue level, because that's actually what's controlling this, not the budget.

And so just to confirm the 127,000 is the net revenue to the city each year.

Okay, thank you.

Yes, so that's the 80 percent that Cry will have had.

Yes, Vice Mayor Johnston.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Captain Cooley, just I was gonna ask the same questions as Councilman Glasscock did.

But just review for me what the I I believe the first one is free, like a warning on a false alarm, and then you start charging after that.

Can you can you kind of review that?

Yeah, so the first one is no charge.

Um we give them a notice that hey, you had a false alarm, and then there's subsequent ones after that.

If they are a significant repeat, um, we will flag them as a do not respond.

Um there is a seasonal business that comes every season around this time that routinely has false alarms from things just moving in their business.

Um they routinely get flagged as a do not respond.

Um it's the same with um registration.

Um just to clarify, every alarm user has to register with the city and pay the the fee to become uh to have an alarm.

Um we manage those, but at the end of the day, we just want you to register your alarm.

So if you don't register it and there is a false alarm, uh you get billed for that registration.

If you don't pay it, there's a much larger fine on top of that.

Um at the end of the day, if they call and register that, we waive the the the bigger penalty for that.

We just want them to register their alarms.

Okay, thank you.

I'm I'm just curious on that 600 6,159 false alarms.

Um, do you happen to know how many of those did receive a fine?

Oh, I don't have that, I'd have to get that back to you.

Okay, I'm just just curious.

And and do you think the company are they responsible for collecting that fine?

Yes.

Okay, do you think they're doing a good job of that now?

Or no, that's why we went out for a yep.

Okay, yeah, we uh the proposal was the current company and then PMAM.

Okay, okay, thank you.

Uh, my only question since this is a new contract with a new company, PMAM Corporation.

Did we ever think about just doing an 8020 versus a 7624?

Um, so that's the current one was an 8020.

Um I believe pay uh PMAM proposed the 7624.

Um I'd have to defer that question on on why we ended up going four percent below uh below where we were.

Um I don't know if any of the members of the committee know yeah, maybe Josh can help us with that.

And again, uh as a comparison, the previous company versus PMAM, which is the proposed new company.

Um, are they charging us less for the maintaining of the system the system or because again, I would like to see us getting more in revenue.

8020 seems more fair for the citizens to get the 80 versus 76.

Uh good morning, Mayor City Council Josh Lauber.

Um I'll speak candidly with you.

The the negotiations for cost sharing and fees was not as focused as ensuring continuity of services for citizens.

Um this is a very restricted market, so there was very limited firms that could respond to this project.

So when you have instances of a restricted market, it makes it very difficult to try to negotiate those kind of cost savings and those kind of cost sharing mechanisms.

One thing that was explicitly focused during the contract negotiation was CAD integrations, cost of integrations, not paying for those integrations, protecting WPD, having a newer firm coming in, outlining continuity of services for these long-standing customers that are registering their false alarms and not having a break in service that would jeopardize their business model.

Is there still any way to negotiate asking for a bit more?

I mean, it's a four percent reduction from the previous contract.

If the council requests us to go back to negotiate, we can always do so.

Uh this was a I think closer to 80%.

Again, I understand that it's a limited market, only a few players, but again, I think again, we should be negotiating a bit stronger, um, asking for closer to that 80%.

We can go back to council if uh we can go back to the vendor if the council defers this or requests this.

Vice Mayor Johnston.

Thank you.

I I might point out, Mayor, that 76% if you're collecting it is better than 80% if you're not collecting it.

So there's probably a reason they're not collecting it.

It's probably they don't have enough in it to take the process to get it collected.

So the extra 4% probably is their cost to do a good job.

I'm just guessing.

I know in a collection agency, you know, 30% is very low fee for a collection agency, and this is very similar work to that.

Um 40, 50 percent could be as as much in a collections agency to collect a bad debt.

Um I just think it it's probably a fair contract, and I think if we nickel and dime people, we won't get the we won't get the service that we want, and that's why we're looking to change right now.

I'm not nickel and diming, I'm actually asking for accountability, and also I would like to see again great service.

They are working with the citizens of Wichita.

Um, and I that's my expectation of anyone that does business with the city of Wichita that they are wanting to provide a good good and quality service for the citizens.

Um, but again, I think that when we negotiate, we should also be negotiating in the best interests of the citizens of Wichita.

And again, if they were the ones that proposed 76 percent, we could have even pushed back just a little and said, How about 77 percent?

That's how negotiations go.

Someone gives you your low ball, and you're supposed to ask for better terms for yourself, and in this situation, it's not yourself, it's the citizens of Wichita.

So um, I see that nobody else seems to want to renegotiate, so this is presented as is, and it just again frustrates me because we are working with the dollars that the taxpayers are giving us to utilize.

And so when you are working with the citizens of Wichita, I already expect you to provide good quality service.

That should be basic level expectation.

Then again, when we're negotiating, I think if someone says I'm only gonna give you $50 because that is what I want.

In this situation, you're working with citizens' dollars.

You should ask for more of that back for the citizens of Wichita for other services.

So that's just um some point of view.

Vice Mayor Johnston.

I I have a business perspective, and we're not getting good service at 8020 right now.

There's a very limited market that will do this.

Um, there's probably a reason for that.

There's probably not much money in it, or else there would be a lot of people doing it.

So only four percent more.

I think it's a pretty good deal if they do a good job.

So, and I presume they vetted that to see if they did do a good job.

Is that true?

I won't speak on behalf of WPD, but uh, as a as a member of the evaluation committee, I can tell you there were references reviewed, there was references discussed, the interviews were completed.

Um, and the only comment I would I would provide within contract management as a whole is the formation we're discussing about with back and forth of items.

We're happy to facilitate as you desire, but the biggest concern for me as a project support for WPD was ensuring that the services were stabilized, that there was very big concerns with the operating department of services being rendered to citizens, and also wanting to go to bat for the taxpayers to not have to have instances we're paying for interfaces.

We will facilitate as you desire and request as part of this process.

But we were very satisfied with the ability to protect WPD having to pay for a new vendor to integrate, having to disrupt services for citizens and ensure quality customer service.

Yeah, I would like to thank you for for doing that.

Like to thank WPD for looking into this.

Uh for the citizens.

So I think that's a good deal.

Um I just would like to thank you very much for looking into it and get a better deal, and we'll get more revenue.

I appreciate that.

Councilmember Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um my only two comments is I agree with Vice Mayor Johnston and two.

I just think it is um it's not fair to the taxpayer to hear at the bench that negotiations did not happen.

Um anything that comes to the bench to us has been negotiated, whether it's the settlements that we have, a number might be in the um agenda that people see, and we don't talk about that, but there's always a back and forth between the two parties before it even comes to the bench.

We may not be happy with the number, and that's one thing we can talk about, but I know just from the different things I've sat on over the years, that staff always negotiates.

It's never a someone says, This is what I'm gonna give you, and we just say yes to it.

It's always negotiation, and again, council may not like that, and we can go back.

But I I think in this case, again, and the parties may not ever all say where we started and where we ended up, but I know extensive work goes into this stuff before it comes to the bench.

So I just wanted to chime in for anybody watching the meeting, like staff always negotiates.

It may not be the deal that we as a council like or you as the taxpayer may appreciate, but these negotiations do happen.

And to the vice mayor's point, if we are able to collect more uh than we are now, then 7624 is actually good for us because we're collecting more revenue than than we had been.

It may feel better to have 8020, but 8020 of less money uh still is less money.

So I'm supportive uh of this item.

I agree with the vice mayor, and again, just for the public, staff always negotiates, and sometimes depending on the item, at least one council member's in the space as well.

So those things do happen.

I just want to make sure people understand transparently that negotiations do happen.

I'll follow-up question to that, just so full transparency.

What was the beginning then?

If it was if it ended up at 76%, well would where did we begin?

Uh within the contract negotiation processes, the proposal reflected the percentages submitted to you today.

What was focused on was the vendor had very aggressive terms that outlined indemnification and ability to not be held accountable.

Um that was a big concern for me specifically uh with Wichita Police Department and working with our law department.

Um I don't want to get into to legal analysis, but the focus was primarily of how do we ensure that we mitigate any risk to the city utilizing our standard contractual exhibits A and B and having um consideration of not paying for any interface costs, being completely offset by this new vendor who um had expressed during conversations that they would support Wichita Police Department in any transition.

So that was the focus of the negotiation for explicit answer.

There was no change in the percentages because we were focusing on not having an interface cost, not accepting indemnification liability uh rejections in the contract and protecting the taxpayer.

So again, thank you for the full transparency.

The number was presented as 76%, and there was no negotiation on the 76%.

Is that correct?

Correct.

Thank you.

Councilmember Todd.

Thank you.

Um I just want to thank you, Josh, for all of your hard work.

I've always seen you demonstrate excellence, and and I really appreciate that.

I know you take what you do very seriously.

I also just wanted to point out that um there was a staff screening and selection committee, correct, Captain Cooley?

Correct.

Yep.

And that was from police, finance, and legal, correct.

So just again to uh you know let the community know that it wasn't just one entity, there was a group to make sure that we were monitoring this process and to to get the best cost, but then also the best quality.

Correct.

Correct.

Thank you so much for all your work on this.

Councilmember Jonathan.

Thanks, Mayor.

And then just to add to that is this entire team was looking at this proposal.

And then just to add to that, as this entire team was looking at this proposal, I'm sure some of the focus was getting more dollars than what we were now, in addition to everything that Josh talked about and what's in this proposal.

So even if a negotiation of numbers doesn't happen, we're looking at something that's better than what we currently had, which is what we look for.

Yes, we could say, hey, give us 80 as well as everything else you're doing to give us better service than what we're getting right now.

That could happen.

But what it looks like is at the end of the day, this committee thought that it was worthwhile to bring this to us to get better dollars, better service, and some of that less cost for us as a city to recover these funds.

Would I be accurate in saying that?

You would, sir.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um with that again to the vice mayor's point, four percentage points less.

Um that is real money to some folks, but that's also money we haven't been getting.

So this item still is a good percentage.

It's something I'll be supporting at 76%.

Thank you again, Captain Cooley and Josh and the team for this new contract.

Again, this is really to revise something that uh has been steady since 1999.

We've been wanting to recoup costs for people that have had false alarms.

And I appreciate Vice May Vice Mayor Johnston mentioning that citizens do get one free per year, correct?

One free false alarm per year.

Yes.

Um, and that this is really not to punish people who accidentally may trigger their uh alarm and it was not an actual alarm, but I wanted to make sure that that also did come out during questioning.

So thank you again.

With that, I see no one else from the bench who would like to ask questions.

We will now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public.

We will now bring it back to the bench.

And with that, I will move that the city council approve the agreement with the new contractor, PMAM Corporation, and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Bond and note sale.

Good morning, Mayor, members of the city council, Mark Manning with the Department of Finance.

Uh this morning I want to present to you the results of our most recent bond and note sale.

So just background, as you may remember, we issue notes uh typically twice a year, and those notes are very short-term debt instruments, and we typically use those to finance projects that were in the process of building.

Uh typically those will be six-month or one year maturity.

Today the notes that we're selling have a one-year maturity.

And then when we complete those projects, we typically uh take out any notes, and we're gonna do that either by paying cash for the project or typically by issuing bonds for the project.

Uh and so you'll see a couple uh sales of bonds this morning, and that's why we're selling bonds.

So that's generally how we finance our capital improvement program.

So just a timeline on our bond and note sale.

We always come to you first and seek your approval to hold the sale.

That occurred on August 19th.

Uh, the actual sale uh was last week on September 11th.

And uh then we're here today to seek your ratification of the approval of that sale.

And then finally, we actually closed the sale uh in about another month or so on October 15th.

So let me go through the note and bond series.

There were two bond series and one note series.

Uh series 32 of notes was in the neighborhood of 95 million dollars.

Uh I'd point out that about 65 million dollars of those notes are for special assessment projects.

Uh we've had a lot of special uh assessment activity in this in the city, uh, which is generally a good thing.

That shows a lot of development occurring, and you can really see that reflected in this note sale that we had.

About 30 million was just for general obligation at large type projects.

Uh, those are things like park projects.

I think there's a little bit on the multimodal facility over in Delano and a few arterial type projects.

We received six bids.

That is very, very good.

We like lots of bids.

It tells us that we're very well received in the capital markets.

Uh, we would recommend the bid be awarded to JP Morgan Securities LLC.

Their rate was 2.25%.

That is a very, very good rate.

Uh last time we sell sold, we sell about once a year.

We sold at about 283 about a year ago.

In fact, this is the lowest rate since 2021, which of course we know the environment there was materially different, uh, but this is a very attractive rate.

We also sold one series of uh special assessment bonds, series 836.

That was a neighborhood of 25 million dollars.

We received 11 bids for this series.

Again, very good market response.

We recommend the we approved the bid award to Huntington Securities Incorporated.

Our rate there is about uh 368.

Again, uh we view that as a very attractive rate.

Again, we compare with our uh financial advisor, we compare to recent sales of credits similar to us, and that rate also was very attractive.

Now our final issuance was a little smaller, about 10 million dollars.

This was 837 series.

Uh these were primarily for TIFF districts and for facade uh projects.

This series was taxable uh due to the nuances of those items in which we're financing.

We received five bids.

The bid was awarded to Robert W.

Baird and Company, Incorporated, and that rate was 4.41%.

Obviously, it's a little bit higher because these are taxable bonds in the previous series that I showed you.

Uh before I go into the recommended action, I kind of want to tie this together to some of the stuff we've talked about over the last six months or so.

We've talked a lot about interest rates, and I think Councilmember Hoseheisel actually noted that uh as rates decline that'll be favorable.

I think you're seeing a reflection of that today.

I would also point out, however, that as rates decline, which we're seeing on the short-term side, that's also ultimately going to impact our investment returns, which impact our general fund revenues.

We've talked a lot about that, just FYI.

That's kind of the beginning, I think, of what you're seeing this morning.

I think this is also very reflective of our financial practices here, most of which are guided by city council policy.

Uh, we're very, very well received in the financial markets.

You can see that by the rates we received and by the number of bidders that we receive.

And finally, let me tie it to the pie chart.

I always show you in the quarterly report that shows our debt.

We always note that our general obligation debt is only about four percent of our total portfolio.

That should continue because as you can see from here, most of our future debt on a bonded side is probably gonna be on the special assessment side because of the notes we have outstanding and on the water side.

So, with that, uh mayor, uh the recommended action today is to ratify the award of the bids uh that were uh approved by the city manager last week, adopt the bond ordinances on an emergency basis, adopt the bond and note resolutions, and authorize the necessary signatures.

And I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Mark.

I see no questions for you.

We'll now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public who would like to speak.

I will move it back to the bench.

I move that the council ratify the award of the bids by the city manager for each series of bonds and notes, adopt the bond ordinances on a declaration of emergency basis, adopt the bond and note resolutions, and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 60.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

2026 group health vision and dental insurance premiums.

Good morning, Mayor and City Council, Heather St.

Pierre, Department of Finance.

I'm here to discuss our 2026 proposed group health vision and dental insurance premiums.

The city offers a robust benefits package to attract and retain our workforce.

Group health, which includes prescription and vision, is self-insured and is funded by both employees and the city.

Annually, the city council approves the premium rates for these programs.

The city's group plan is highly efficient.

Actual membership claims costs represent 96% of the total program expenses.

IMA, the city's contract to benefits consultant, works closely with staff and the health insurance advisory committee to analyze data and set our premium rates.

However, a 3% premium increase is recommended for the 2026 group health rates and a 3.5% increase for dental.

Staff collaborates with employee representatives on the health insurance advisory committee to review all of our proposed premiums.

HIAC reviewed the group health plan recommendations and is supportive of the rate proposal.

HIAC is also recommending implementation of IMA's pharmacy advocate program.

And that should be proposed 2026 rates, so I apologize for that.

Members utilizing a family health plan can expect increases varying from $4.24 to $13.42 per month.

Members utilizing a single plan can inspect increases of $1.42 to $4.48 per month.

Dental monthly premium increases range from 94 cents to $3.68, depending on plan enrollment.

The pharmacy advocate program in partnership with IMA, staff continually review benefit levels, always balancing the viability of our health care plan against the needs of our population, our workforce.

For 2026, staff presented HIAC with IMA's 100% voluntary pharmacy advocate program.

This program sources high cost specialty medications internationally at a significant price reduction for the plan.

International medications are manufactured by the same companies as those sold domestically and are provided to employee participants at no cost.

It is recommended that the city council approve the premium equivalents for the 2026 group health and dental plans, approve the inclusion of IMA's pharmacy advocate program, and authorize staff to negotiate the terms and authorize the necessary signatures.

And I am happy to answer any questions.

Thank you, Heather.

Questions for staff.

I just want to point out that I appreciate the percentage that you just mentioned on average nationally, it is much higher.

And on our green sheet, it's not on the presentation, but I always appreciate seeing this.

What the actual cost for that insurance is, how much the city pays for that insurance, yes, and how much the employee pays for that insurance.

And I think it's a really good reminder that again, while salaries is something that people focus on, benefits is the other part of your compensation that is very vital.

I'm always appreciative of organizations that provide health insurance to their employees because the company or organization bears a large majority of that cost for the employee.

So a great example right here is for someone who's a single individual using the select PPO program for 2026, the total cost is nearly $666, and the city pays $17 of the $666.

So the employee only has to pay per month nearly $49 a month for that health insurance.

So again, pointing out how much the city or an organization pays for health insurance is should be always uh part of that conversation.

And I would really appreciate if maybe next year during the presentation what was in our green sheet could be shown.

So people can see again the value that they're getting from their employer because again, the city of Wichita does care about its 3,000 employees, and having that health insurance is vital for many individuals and families, and again, the city does pay a large portion of that.

Vice Mayor Johnston.

Thank you, Mayor.

Heather, maybe for you or maybe for city manager, Bob.

Uh when did this the city self-insure?

When did they start that and basically start the plan they have now?

No, that would be mayor.

It it predates me in terms of self-insurance.

It's been a long period of time.

Yeah.

I just want to I want to compliment whoever did that years and years ago because that it's very, very efficient.

To get 96% back to go to benefits is phenomenal.

So I guess you do a great job, and city employees uh not uh abusing it too.

So appreciate that too.

So thank you.

Mayor, if I can.

I'd like to pick up a little bit on your statement.

Um I do think uh it's it is important for our employees to understand, and I think most of them do after they've taken advantage of our insurance.

I think they understand the advantage of uh the program that we offer.

Um and we do try to uh during our new employee orientation as well as other uh points in time.

We talk try to talk about the value of that benefit.

Um, two things I wanted to mention.

First of all, I've talked to the council about this before.

We are going through uh discussion with our employee groups uh this coming year about um maybe a different mix of benefits that will be tailored to the employee needs a little better and the possibility of maybe going to some kind of flexible plan or uh cafeteria plan.

Don't know what what that will look like.

We're not going to do it in a vacuum.

We want to make sure we're meeting the needs of today's employees, not 20 years ago, which is probably when we designed a lot of our uh program.

Second thing is I do want us to go into the discussion for our next year, realizing that there is a lot of pressure in the market right now.

We're fortunate because our losses, our experience rating has been beneficial.

However, um it's uh we're hearing from our uh consultant that it may the times of low increases for uh uh health insurance premiums may be behind us, and that with because of a lot of things happening in the industry, and if you follow what's happening with across the country with public and private employers, you're seeing um nine, ten or more percentage increases um uh year to year.

So uh I just we're it's great for next year.

Really appreciate where we're going.

Appreciate the work done uh by staff as well as with the uh employee committee, but I I don't want us to be too euphoric about our health insurance trends.

May maybe ask this question to Mark because this is something that again we just passed the budget for 26, but in 27, just as the city manager pointed out.

Um, how will you be projecting, I guess, um and budgeting that in to proposed budgets, uh, these possible larger increases.

This is just a three percent increase, thankfully, but again, nationally, seven to ten percent.

Well, uh, like the manager noted, we budgeted three percent in 2026, so this action today would be consistent with what we have in the 26 budget.

Uh we also uh went to three percent in 2027.

Uh again, health insurance expenditures, we review them monthly.

Uh our outlook was pretty favorable when we made that recommendation three or four months ago.

Uh the manager's exactly right.

The trends are not working in our favor.

What has helped us here at the city Wichita is for 10, 15 years, we have constantly re-evaluated our program.

Uh we've realigned uh our pharmaceutical contracts.

One of the things Heather mentioned this morning is another great example of things we are constantly trying to do to keep the cost low for both the city and for our employees.

But having said that, based on what we're seeing, and the manager's right, what we've learned from our consultant is we are an anomaly in in the health insurance field.

Uh our rate increases are significantly lower than what others in the market are seeing locally and nationally.

And whether we'll be able to maintain that is you know, who knows?

Uh so to your point, Mayor, yes, it is possible next year when we revise the budget.

We may be looking at higher health insurance rates that we'll need to incorporate in the budget.

So we'll definitely take a look at that between now and next year.

And would not surprise me if we have to come up with a recommendation to do that.

Knowing that information, I would err on the side of conservative and having that already in the 27 budget, that it's more than likely got not gonna be three percent, but probably a bit higher, even one percent higher, that would be ideal.

Um, but ideal would be lower, um, but it does not seem to be the actual trend of these uh costs.

So again, just so that we have um the 27 budget as we're thinking about that, um, that will have to be part of our conversation.

And again, that's why I pointed out that salaries might not just be the only thing that people focus on, but rather also the benefits because the city of Wichita does provide really great benefits to its employees to 3,000 plus individuals.

Mara, I will say through the prudent management um exercise by the finance department.

Um we do have some fund balance that can address spikes, but if we're seeing long-term trends, then we'll have to be a lot more thoughtful as we prepare budget going forward.

But if for some reason we were to see a spike up to 7% because of our losses, our fund balance allows us to be able to adjust to something like that.

And a reminder if we go up, the employees contribution goes up as well.

So thank you.

I see no further questions from this bench.

We'll open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public.

I'll bring it back to the bench again.

Thank you, Heather, and thank you, Mark, and thank you, City Manager, for that context.

I move that the council approve the recommended premium equivalence for the 2026 group health and dental plans, approve the inclusion of IMA's pharmacy advocate program, and authorize staff to negotiate the terms and authorize the necessary signatures.

Approve the inclusion of IMA's pharmacy advocate program and authorize staff to negotiate the terms and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Public art for improvements to Arkansas Riverfront West Bank.

Hello, good morning again.

Lindsay Bonacco at the City Manager's Office.

I've got the next few agenda items for you with 30% design concepts for a few different public art projects.

The first one being improvements to the Arkansas Riverfront West Bank.

And this resides in District 6.

Just a general reminder, because this is a relatively new process for us, bringing designs early in development to City Council for approval.

So highlighted is where we are today.

The designs are coming at 30% design concepts.

So what you're seeing is not a completed design.

It's really just the concept.

And from here, it'll go into further development, refined collaboration with the design team, the art consultant in particular for this project and the whole scope of project as it evolves over time.

The design will go back to design council at 90% or final design before it goes into fabrication.

If for some reason the design council rejects or has modifications to that final design, it will go back to them before it goes to final fabrication timeline.

But this is when we've decided the projects will come to City Council for review.

So a little bit of background on this project in particular.

The design council approved the 30% design concept for public art on August 4th for this project, and the adopted CIP includes $700,000 in geo bonds for the design and manufacture of public art for this specific project.

This project has a variety of vision and goals as each project is a little bit different.

This one is to continue improvements to the aesthetics, safety, and accessibility at the riverfront throughout downtown Wichita, specifically on the West Bank, to build upon the character and topography of the section of the riverfront and create unique experiences and spaces for the public and complement and support the adjacent development in cohesive seamless manner.

This is right across the street from the ballpark, where there is a new hotel going in along the riverfront pathway.

As we want it to be a cohesive design, but something that's really inviting to the public.

Some different themes involved here for the artwork are to enhance the aesthetics and the character, create unique and memorable experiences, foster a sense of community and place, reflect the natural and cultural heritage of Wichita, and of course be durable, safe, and low maintenance.

Here's the project site that you see in full.

Regarding the artist selection process, we have three different artists working on this project with three different sites identified.

The professional artists living in and working in the US were eligible to apply, so this was an all call for any artist in the nation to submit.

We had a preliminary application review.

We had a selection committee that met and scored each applicant.

And that was followed by a request for proposals with a selected amount of finalists.

This is maybe one of the most challenging locations because it's highly visible, but it's also uh tasked with figuring out how to conceal or distract the electrical systems that are required to be in this site just by the nature of the site.

So we want to utilize a beautiful beautifying moment with public art to conceal or distract from that electrical element.

And of course, the the sculpture or the art needs to be durable, engaging, appealing, and complement the surrounding environment.

The artist that was selected for this site is Scott Hawking with his proposal of the Wichita linemen.

And I've got several pictures for you here, so we'll kind of roll through them.

This project is a little bit unique, or the submission was a little bit unique because uh this is an existing work within uh Scott Hawkins uh collection.

This was created in 2020 for a Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Um, typically our public art projects are uh designed specifically for the space.

This one was created for Crystal Bridges, which is a unique opportunity for us.

He's reimagining this piece that at the time was called Arkansas Arkansas.

I can't even say Arkansas without saying Arkansas Traveler was for Crystal Bridges, but for our purpose on the Arkansas River, he's entitled a Wichita linemen.

The reclining windmill sculpture has a lot of different homages that the artist has identified.

It could be a reclining figure, similar to a Henry Moore sculpture, a lounging farmer or farmer at rest, and then of course a nod to Don Quixote, but there's the list goes on and on about what you could take away from this piece.

And as we he reimagines the work as the Wichita lineman for Wichita.

He really wants to connect the past and present and obviously an homage to the Wichita lineman song, famously for Glint Campbell, and to think about the history and evolution of wind energy from the iconic windmills across the Kansas landscape and kind of to the turbines that we see today, and especially along the natural element of the river.

How can we connect nature to this industrial corridor as well?

And of course, the utility screening imagery that's going to be used to surround the electrical elements is inspired by natural elements in the Wichita area.

So here are a couple different proposals of colors that the artist wants to play with.

Again, this is just concept design, but reimagining that sculpture into something specific for Wichita.

Another angle and another view with another color, along with some of the materials identified, including galvanized steel, fiberglass, wooden utility poles that the windmills were climbing against.

Of course, it will be powder coated and a variety of cortend steel used for the screening or the fencing around the utility boxes.

So that's area one.

Area two is up at the top of the riverbank, which has some different elements of shade structures and seating areas as well.

The assignment here was the structures should provide shade and enhance the visual appeal of the space.

The artist could should consider existing materials, sight lines, natural lighting conditions when designing the shade structures to not impede with views.

Ivan DePena was selected for this project, and he's based out of Charlotte, North Carolina.

He has presented a series of sculptural arches inspired by the Wichita the river's natural flow, excuse the cutoff there, and dynamic rhythm of the water.

It's a canopy-like structure that echoes the curves and movements of water to provide shade.

These organic shapes also go into the benches that cradle pockets of living plant life, fostering a directional connection with the site's natural surroundings and reinforcement between the relationship between the built environment and the local ecosystem.

And it's rooted with an understanding of the river's historical significance as a lifeline of the region.

The project draws from the river's legacy of connection and sustenance.

So here's a mock-up of what the artist has presented.

A few different angles.

Another angle with the river behind it.

A nighttime view, and just to talk about the materials a little bit, primarily made of steel, along with a mesh material that will be in the shade structure itself, pre-cast concrete benches, and some sort of integrated lighting that's yet to be sorted out just yet.

Moving on to the third area in this project.

So anyway we could enhance them or beautify them in any sort of artistic way.

So the artist is going to implement a solution that adds color, texture, light, and visual interest to the three locations on these walls.

So there's three different sites along the lower river walk.

Artist Chris Papan out of Chicago was awarded this project, and he's presented a really unique, something very specific to Kansas that we're really excited about utilizing traditional ledger art and Kansas representation.

The artist is Native American and his affiliation with Kansas is very deep.

His family has a long history along the Arkansas River, really in the Topeka area, but we're pulling that down obviously into Wichita for the sake of this project.

But his family has generations of history working along the river and working as a part of the Santa Fe Trail and Westward Expansion.

So he's very interested in working on this project.

The imageries you see are actually part of his family that he's been able to capture through historical research.

And so the mixed imagery placed on ledger with inspired by ledger art will be used throughout his project.

So there's a mapping component with Native Americans placed in front of those maps.

And then it will be printed on digitally on glass, which I'll get to here in a moment.

Here's a mocket of the proposal.

And there's three different sites here.

And then just uh referring back to the glass.

This is a product that we've now had successfully used in several public art projects.

Pictured here is uh the Chester I Lewis uh reflection park, uh, where we have um uh the digital images uh printed ceramically and then pressed between the two glass pieces, and it's a very durable, uh very affordable, and it's been very successful in projects uh that we've worked on.

So that that's the the materiality that we're looking at working on with this project on.

And with that, that completes this uh project proposal for 30% design.

Um and it's recommended that city council approve the public art design concepts.

And I'll stand for questions.

Thank you, Lindsay.

Can you tell us there are three pieces of art?

Can you talk about the price for each of these for the artists in Illinois, for the artist in North Carolina, and for the artist in Michigan?

Um I don't have a breakdown of the budget in front of me, but in total it's a $700,000 project.

I believe the bulk of that is for well, I don't even want to misspeak about it.

I'm not sure what the breakdown of the project is, but I can provide that a later date.

I would uh appreciate a breakdown of these three pieces.

Um, how much each of them costs?

Again, I like the incorporation of Kansas and Wichita history and all these pieces.

I know that council member Glasscock served on the committee.

Um can we go back to the Wichita linemen?

Probably right there.

Um or maybe the next slide, number 80.

So I see that there's a lot of opportunities to climb.

And I know that young people, especially kids, like to climb on items like this.

Will this allow for that?

Great question.

One that came up in a heavy discussion with the design council asked kind of the same thing.

Um, in short answer, yes, it will be climbable.

Um, that's obviously not the goal of the project, but uh, there's not going to be anything deterring anyone from necessarily doing that, um, other than hopefully having security elements such as lighting that might uh deter unwanted activity, uh, but it will be extremely durable, so um similar to a jungle gym.

We're not anticipating any um structural integrity issues with the piece, or if someone does climb it, any outstanding injury to be caused from it.

So I don't know if that answers your question, but something that we've definitely been thinking about, and as the design evolves, we'll be considering um ways to mitigate that as much as possible.

And again, this piece is already created, it's called the Arkansas Traveler, and it will now be repurposed to the Wichita lineman.

Because it's already a piece that exists.

Is there a can you tell me about the cost of that?

Because again, it was at Crystal Bridges down in Arkansas, and now it's gonna come up to Wichita.

Correct.

Is there a cost savings because it's already created?

Can you explain that?

Um there's not that I'm aware of.

The the artist bid uh successfully on the project within its budget and the proposal between both uh the existing work and what the modifications are going to have to happen for it, um including the the pole, the fencing around um around the maintenance yard or around the utility area, are all included within the project budget.

So can't speak to the what Crystal Bridges might have paid the artist to what we're paying.

I can't speak to that.

And just because this image reminds me that at one point we had a zip line from one side of the river to the next side of the river, east and west were connected.

This was during River Festival a few years ago.

Um I wanted to know can that be repurposed for possible things like a possible um zip line.

I do not know, but I would say anything is possible with enough planning and coordination.

Um that is not within the scope of this project currently, um, but if there's a will, there's a way into figuring that out.

Thank you, Lindsay.

Councilmember Glasgow.

Thank you, Mayor Lindsay.

I'll have comments afterward.

Uh thank you for your work on this.

Two quick questions.

Um actually this page works really well.

I know when we did the site visit that the utility box may be moved out of that.

Is that part of the 30% design?

Because if I remember correct.

This was the original location of it, and then it was moved to maybe a subsequent location through the design.

I'm gonna refer to public works on the movement of that.

And this may be the new location as well, but all gunsman public works and utilities.

Uh, Councilmember Glasscock, that is that utility box, I believe, is staying in place.

There were some other utility boxes that were going to be removed or moved.

This box contains other drainage uh for the equity bank park field.

So there's other uh stormwater components to this as well.

So there were other utility boxes here that have been relocated a little bit further west.

There were a few, yes.

Okay, yeah, thank you.

Uh quick question for you, Lindsay.

Um, on page 72 or slide 72.

This is more of a just procedural thing, uh, because this was the first I noticed this of artists living and working in the US were eligible to apply.

Is that restrictive of all projects we have, or was it just in this project in particular?

Just for this project, every project has kind of a different scope.

Um, and typically this is led at the direction of design council.

So given the nature and the budget, the size, the the impact that this project has, we open it up uh on a larger scale.

There's plenty of projects where we have preference for local artists where we might open it up nationally, but give bonus points or special consideration to local artists.

It really depends on the project.

Well, I actually meant the opposite way in terms of international applicants.

Is that something that we restrict in uh city code if international applicants would apply?

I don't believe there's a restriction on that.

I know we've had a Canadian artist work on a project within my ten years, so it just depends on the scope of the project.

Okay, thank you.

I'll have comments after.

One more question, Lindsay.

Can you go back to the ebb and flow um art piece?

I know that there have been several conversations um Senator Oletha Fauska Doe, who really loves to see Wizard of Oz and that theme um represented here in the downtown core.

I know she has uh really advocated for Ruby red slippers.

However, I wanted to know because of this ebb and flow, and I think maybe another uh maybe 84 shows kind of like a rainbow looking um I guess piece.

The mesh does can you talk about the mesh and the mesh coloring versus um maybe something that might be multicolored that again represents somewhere over the rainbow?

Great question.

Um I would say the color palette has not been uh refined for any of the works that you're seeing today.

This is purely in design concept.

Uh, if there are color recommendations, those could definitely be provided to the artist and would be um further approved by the design council.

Thank you, Lindsay.

And then lastly, maybe this question is for Paul.

What's the total cost of this project?

Um I know 700,000 is being allocated for public art.

Can you talk about the entire project itself?

What's the actual amount?

Yes, we had a five million dollar base grant, and we had seven million dollars of general obligation funding plus the 700,000 art, so 12.7 million dollars.

And uh, where are we at on the construction of the entire project?

I know that I've seen a lot of work along the river.

Can you just give us a little bit of a timeline on this 12.7 million dollar project?

Yes, I'm gonna go back to see if I can find a slide here to help.

Um so the seawall has all been constructed along the river river's edge.

Um they are starting on the uh north end working south of the walls and the stairs there just south of Douglas Street.

They've done a lot of grading um throughout the corridor project.

Um I had a meeting with them on Friday.

They said they're about six weeks behind due to all of the rain that we have received, however, they thought they could make that back up.

Um the other thing that affects the schedule a little bit is the um schedule regarding the proposed hotel, and we will coordinate that work between the hotel, uh the east side of the hotel on the river's edge.

So um we might need to wait remobilize once they get part of that done.

But we have been in close contact with the private development as well as our project with Donlinger.

Thank you, Paul.

Thank you, Lindsay.

And then I will go back to answer your previous question regarding the artist uh contracts.

Um Hawking is his contract price is 200,000.

De Pena is 270,000, and Papon is 100,000.

Thank you.

So again, 270,000 for the Ebb and Flow art piece, 200,000 for the Wichita linemen, and 100,000 for the Arcanza Nizuje art piece.

Thank you.

I see no further questions for staff.

We'll now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public who would like to speak.

I'll bring it back to the bench.

And again, this is a council member Dalton Glasscox district.

We'll start with Councilmember Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

Just want to say appreciate the presentation.

I love seeing this type of public design.

I think it makes Wichita even more unique.

And now seeing this on the West Bank, if approved.

I think will be really cool.

Those are some really cool pieces and lots of things to have conversations about and take pictures of when you visit Wichita or go over to the West Bank.

So I'm looking forward to that.

Um seeing what the final design looks like and seeing it over there on the West Bank.

And again, happy to see continued progress on the West Bank.

Vice Mayor Johnston.

Thank you, Mayor.

Lindsay, quick question for you.

I just quick math.

That's equals a 570,000.

And the budget was 700.

Extra 13, sure.

Um, definitely a chunk of that goes to the art consultant and to the prime engineering firm to take an administrative fee.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember Glascott.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um Courtney uh was a great lead on this project.

And I just want to thank Lindsay and um Jana, and then also the artist Chris, Ivan, and Scott.

I had the chance to go on site visit with them.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to go to Monarch afterward, um, after we toured the locations.

But I'm very thankful for the work they've done in this project.

I think this ties in the cultural, historical, and environmental nature of our community in a very unique way, where I think it ties in the river, ties in the Kansas winds, and also ties in our historical heritage.

And so I think the artist did a really good job capturing Wichita, and um thankful for the selection committee as well and all the conversations that went as part of this.

Uh I think I'm proud of all these pieces when I've traveled.

I think I mentioned it uh when we had lineman day in Wichita when I traveled abroad.

Well, Wichita known was known for was the Wichita lineman and having a piece named after that, and really homage to that, and then just the um durability of Wichita people, I think is something that um is uh super transformative for our community along the river.

Um again, tying to the historical nature, and then also um just the wind and the water as well.

So thank you for the whole work on this.

I don't see anybody else on the podium that has any comments, so I will make a motion to approve the 30% design concept for public art.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll motion passes six zero.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Public art for Red Bud Trail Woodlawn Decay 96.

All right, I'm back.

Uh Lindsay Panakum with the city manager's office um with your next item.

Uh, just as a refresher, same slide you saw in the the last presentation of where we are in the design concept process.

We are at the 30% design concept phase, um, and there are still many more iterations of designing uh that goes along in the project.

A little bit of background on this project in particular uh adopted uh CIP includes $300,000 in general application bonds uh for the design and manufacture of public art as part of the Red Bud Trail project.

Um and design council approved this design counts concept uh on March 3rd of this year.

This project had specific vision and goals as they all do.

Um for this one, the artwork should improve the experience and engagement of users along the red this particular segment of the Red Bud Trail.

Um it should be appropriate for the character of the corridor, further a sense of place, inspire, create dialogue, enhance the experience overall.

Um it should also respond to the site conditions and the context, including the scale of the work, the materials used used.

Sight lines were really important for this specific specific location, considering the adjacent residential and commercial functions in this high traffic area.

And of course, we want everything to be durable, safe, and as low maintenance as possible.

We had a robust artist selection process for this project as well, led by a local company Benish and Landwork Studio.

Professional artists living and working in the US were eligible to apply, so another national call.

We issued an RFQ.

There was a preliminary applicant review, selection committee interviews, and a final selection.

For this project, we had 93 applicants, which is again a really healthy applicant pool to pull from.

We had four individuals identified as finalists and one individual was awarded.

The criteria for this project was to create a unique locally relevant signature bridge design responding to the site conditions to provide a 12-foot wide path inside the bridge, edge to edge, utilize low maintenance materials.

Obviously, we want something that's in compliance with bridge loading requirements, uh, limit opportunities for climbing and throwing, um, and include our architectural lighting at the bridge deck, and provide a continuation of the feel of the trail across the bridge.

The artist selected for the for this project is Ed Carpenter of Portland, Oregon.

Um this is a a piece, uh a similar um same same but different bridge that he recently completed uh in Portland, Oregon.

And you'll see kind of an homage to this design and what he's designed for us.

Although he's from Portland, he's also created work for us before, and we're lucky to have his work in the uh airport terminal uh entitled A Loft.

So if you're going up or down the escalators on your way uh to and from the airport, uh I always encourage people to look up, it's one of my favorite pieces in the city's collection that he designed for this project in particular.

Um he was inspired, and his concept approach uh for this project was to extend the feeling of the natural element of the trail itself through the urban environment of Rock Road, which is a tough balancing act.

Um, design elements are inspired by native grasses and the natural environment, um, utilize a splayed arch approach, which removes the danger of catching bicycles, um, and a safer safer than rail um rubbing on railings.

Um and the layers of stainless steel, galvanized steel, screening and weathering steel mimic the texture of the landscape as well as providing a beautiful outcome.

So I have a variety of pictures to kind of stroll through, scroll through here.

This is an aerial view of the overall plan and elevation.

A basic template for the artist and artistic interpretation.

This is the the concept sketch exploring that grass theme.

Some additional designs.

An aerial view, looking west from the pathway, looking east from the path, looking east again.

If you're north along along the road, an interior view if you're on the trail.

Looking at the abutments and retaining walls, a nighttime view.

The lighting I would say is still in uh exploratory phase for it, but this is a proposal of what the lighting could look like for the bridge itself.

And materials proposed being used here galvanized steel, weathering steel or quartin, uh, stainless steel for accents, and under over steel mesh layers as well.

Another schematic of materials utilized.

Looking at the rock um faced welded, uh, looking at the retaining walls themselves, uh, the artist is proposing this rock face welded wire wall as an option.

And that is what I have for you for this project.

Um, it's recommended that city council approve the 30% design concept for the public art for the Red Bud Trail project, and with that I stand for questions.

Thank you, Lindsay.

Councilmember Glascock.

Can we go quickly back to slide 100?

No.

So I wasn't expecting a 12-foot wide path to be this soon on the agenda.

It's the bridge.

It's the bridge.

Thank you.

No further comments.

I knew you were gonna do it.

Uh Lindsay, can you just tell us what's the total uh for this project?

All for the art or for the total project.

Yes, we have 12.1 million dollars, and then in addition to the art funding.

Um we have approximately 4.4 million dollars of federal funding for the project.

Out of that 12.1 million.

Thank you very much.

I know that this is one of the items that we advocated for when we went to Washington, DC last year, and I um I'm grateful to see that again, federal dollars are coming down to assist our city.

So I appreciate this.

Thank you, Lindsay.

I see no one else on the board to ask questions.

We'll now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public who would like to speak.

This resides in Councilmember Becky Tuttle's district.

Thank you very much.

Um thank you to Lindsay and to Janna.

I really appreciate all your help on this.

Um the selection process was amazing, and to have 93 artists, it was like Christmas to be able to go through all of the submissions.

So thank you for helping to shepherd me through the process.

Also, thank you to the staff screening and selection committee.

I was able to serve on that committee, and again, it was it was just a wonderful process and appreciate all of staff's input.

Um thank you to Paul and to Gary and to James Wagner who have been intimately involved in this, especially the path part and making sure that working with the artist.

Um we wanted the bridge to be beautiful, but as mentioned, we also needed it to be extremely functional.

Um we want to make sure that it's safe, that it's durable, as Lindsay mentioned.

So a big thank you to Mr.

Carpenter Ed Carpenter, the artist who has done other things in our community, but um I think this has become a passion project for him.

Rock Road is the most traversed road arterial in this in the city, and so many, many, many people are gonna see this this um amenity to our community.

So we want to make sure we get it just right.

Um, and then I also want to thank the community who came out to the listening sessions.

We had several listening sessions in district two, not only at the district advisory board meeting, but other evening opportunities for people to come.

And we heard such passion about finishing this project, the last three miles of the 30-mile trail, and how much people really want to see it completed and the fact that we're gonna do a pedestrian bridge so that we can ensure safety of our community as they're trying to get across Rock Road is just something that I'm quite proud of and excited to be a part of.

So, with that, I will enthusiastically move that the city council approve the 30% design concept for public art.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Public art for improvements to Douglas from Seneca to Meridian.

Good morning still.

Uh Lindsay Bonacco at the city manager's office.

Um, just as a quick reference, this item was pulled from consent agenda as you've seen it previously, but we're bringing it back for additional consideration here.

As another reminder to anyone watching at home, uh, this is our concept design development timeline.

Um, in bold is where we are today, which is the 30% design concept approval with city council.

A little bit background on this project.

Um, August 5th, 2024 uh is when this initially went to design council for uh approval.

It came to City Council in April of this year.

Uh City Council, you requested additional public engagement, and uh uh we held a public meeting in July of this summer at the Advanced Learning Library to uh talk with artists and the general public on getting more feedback and refining the design specifically on the the secondary site or the second site, yeah, second site for this project.

Um and the adopted CIP includes 400,000 uh in geo bonds for public art for this project.

Uh WSP is the prime uh for this design project.

Uh other design team members included Landwork Studio, um who are serving as LA, and then Kent Williams is serving as the art consultant for this project, and he's worked on several projects in the Delino area.

Um the project's scope is Douglas Seneca to Meridian, and it was designated as a special consideration project by the design council and allocated 400,000 for public art uh in 2024.

The artist selection process for for this project is a little bit different than the the two we just saw, um similar but different.

Uh it was a um what we call a regional call.

So Kansas artists and the neighboring states were invited to to apply as well.

Uh we had 19 submissions uh for this project.

There were six finalists that were interviewed and uh offered the opportunity to present a design, uh and there was a committee uh that reviewed and narrowed it down to two are two successful artists who uh receive the bids.

Uh the first one being Armando Minares, local artists, and then George Peters and Melanie Walker out of Boulder, Colorado, uh, were awarded the commissions for site A and site B.

Looking at the site itself, here's an aerial view of the district.

And of the the site specifically from Seneca to Meridian.

Uh the project approach uh was thematic and rooted in the Chisholm Trail and the deep history of Delano, while also reflecting and celebrating the Delano of today.

Uh the two sites were identified uh for art projects to be installed.

Site A will provide an iconic gateway to the neighborhood.

Site B will activate areas along uh along Douglas um to to calm vehicular traffic and to be an engagement opportunity for pedestrian traffic.

So here you've kind of got the two different options with the the two sites.

I will say the feather flight um we did just I think identified um what I think will be the the final location, which is slightly different than what you're seeing here, but it's reflected on later slide.

Another aerial view of the map.

And considering Armando Mignar's uh work itself will be at uh meridian in Douglas as the the gateway uh into the district.

The concept approach here was to create an elegant and dramatic gateway into the neighborhood to use bold forms to be experienced by drivers and smaller narrative deal detailing uh to engage pedestrians.

Uh the designs are derived from two main visual elements that the artist has presented.

Uh, that headdresses worn by the Wichita tribal leaders and warriors, and then graceful horns of the Texas Longhorn.

Here's the the concept design here, and then you can see how the artists uh intertwine those inspirational moments.

And with the horns.

Some proposed materials that are still in development and still in discussion.

These were discussed at length and at the public meeting this summer.

Um still not sure which way we're going to land with photos or tile or the decorative brick.

Um still still in development uh with artists on that.

Moving into site B, this is where we've seen uh some some different uh proposals than what you saw in April of this year.

Uh George Peters and Melanie Walker listened to feedback and have made some adjustments.

So this is, I believe, the site that um is likely to be presented at, which is at Douglas and Fern, if you're familiar with where Ballet Witch Tie is, kind of right in front of uh their operation as well as Cutie Corner across the street.

So their feather flight series has been uh developed a bit further.

Uh, these are wind activated kinetic sculptures reminiscent of uh Delano's early aviation history.

Um the feathers themselves will be inspired, excuse me, by local and regional bird feathers and the concepts of flight and movement.

The feathers themselves have not been narrowed down.

The birds haven't been selected just yet, but those are still in development.

But the the final product will be inspired by uh local and regional birds.

Uh a series of six to ten feather sculptures, um, and this is where we're we're thinking it's going to actually be at Fern Street.

Here's just a picture of what the schematic could look like.

Additional imagery.

The feathers will gently turn in the wind and are rated for 150 mile an hour wind speeds.

This is a little bit different than what you saw in April, where they were kinetic and could move kind of in a 180 pattern.

These more have a gentle glide to them.

Uh the sculptures progress in height from 16 feet to 22 feet and are a four four-inch diameter aluminum poles.

And the feathers are uh slated to be polychrome, uh, encased between two layers of clear durable polycarbonate.

And that's what I have for you for this project.

It's recommended that City Council approve the 30% design council uh design concept for public art, and happy to answer questions if there are any.

Thank you, Lindsay.

Questions for staff?

I have a couple.

Uh, first, maybe it's another Paul question.

What's the total for this entire project?

11 million million eight hundred and ninety-seven thousand dollars.

And again, we have three point nine million dollars of federal funds within the project.

And for the just so that we're clear, give me the number one more time.

3.9 is federal funds of the $3,912,000 of federal funding.

And we have 11,897,000 for the total budget.

Thank you.

And of that 400,000 is public art.

Is that correct?

Just wanted to um ask staff can we have that within the financial considerations moving forward?

I think it's helpful for community to see the total of the project.

Again, this is not just for public art, there's improvements that will happen on Douglas Street, and that is the reason why there now is additional funds to specifically work on public art.

So that's one mayor.

I'm sorry, you've asked for that in the past, and that was part of our process.

We just uh didn't get that included here on these thank you, City Manager.

Um, and I just wanted to point out can you go back to art piece A?

Thank you.

I just wanted to make mention that again, this is in support of a local artist, um, Armando Minares.

And so I know that we've gone through multiple art pieces today, and multiple um of these individuals were outside of our community.

Um, but this one in particular has a local tie, and I'm very appreciative that we're also supporting our local artists.

Um, and so again, just wanted to point that out.

And then this is kind of out of order, but I mentioned earlier the ebb and flow uh piece along the river, and I mentioned somewhere over the rainbow.

However, I do have a consideration.

This is gonna be completed next year, is that correct?

I believe that's the goal.

So next year happens to be America's 250th anniversary, and Lindsay and I were in a meeting last week on Thursday regarding America's 250th, and I'm on the infrastructure group and or capital improvement group.

And so I was curious if the mesh could be red, white, and blue, which matches our Wichita flag as well as the American flag.

Could there be consideration for red, white, and blue, and that could be part of our America 250th as well.

Um related to the ebb and flow piece.

Uh same answer, anything is possible.

The the color concepts have not been identified yet by the artists or design council.

I will say for that project in particular, we are looking at lighting elements.

Um so that might be an alternative versus um a permanent color palette that might only be thematic in the one year.

Not that it's not always thematic, uh, but uh something that we could change in the future.

But we can definitely look into that.

Thank you.

Councilmember Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

Just to add to the conversation as a different perspective.

I would uh love to see what the ebb and flow piece looks like as the artists wanted it, and maybe if we want to do something red, white, and blue, that'd just be some new thing that we put out in RFP rather than um permanently impacting that piece.

I don't know what color the artist was gonna make that, but I would assume ebb and flow of some shade of blue or something.

I think that looks great as is, and we should try to ask for unique pieces for 250.

I see no further comments from the board.

We will now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public who would like to speak.

We'll bring it back to the bench.

This is in council member Glasscock and Ballard's districts.

Councilmember Glasscock.

Just one brief comment.

I want to thank the artists for their work on this and also being flexible when um we didn't necessarily like one of the renditions from this bench, turning it back to the artists for some additional consideration, and I think we came away with a better product, and so thank you for that, and thank you for the flexibility of the artist.

Uh Lindsay, thank you for um all of your work on this.

And I'm very excited about this project.

So with that, um I move to approve the 30% design concept for public art.

Second motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0, and I understand I just heard uh council member Tuttle say it is lunchtime.

However, there's one more item that I really believe that several people are here for that we should take on before we take a break for lunch.

So um, Madam Clerk, can you please call the next item?

Park and recreation master plan.

I'm gonna sneak in one last good morning here, Mayor City Council, Katie Eddy, Department of Park and Recreation.

I'm gonna talk to you today about the Park Master Plan.

So for a little bit of background, the Department of Park and Recreation developed our parks recreation and open space plan, affectionately known as the PROS Plan back in 2008, and we updated the plan in 2016.

The PROS Plan guided our department on six key strategies, which were outlined throughout the body of this document.

The strategies were community health and wellness, taking care of what we have, financial sustainability, building community and relationships, youth engagement and activity, and organizational readiness.

However, staff along with the Board of Park Commissioners recognize that much of how we operate, as well as recreational demands from the community have changed significantly over the last nine years.

So we believe it would be beneficial to reimagine our master plan for park and rec in order to aid the city in aligning our investments with community needs, maximizing parkland utilization, delivering exceptional rec services, creating a feasible strategic roadmap, and implementing sustainable investment strategies for the city of Wichita.

Park staff as well as individuals from other city departments work together to develop a scope of services for the RFP to select a consultant to aid us with this endeavor.

We issued that RFP in on April 4th.

We received 10 responses, and the selection committee, which was consisted of 14 individuals, including both internal and external stakeholders.

We met and shortlisted three firms and interviewed those three firms on June 26th.

And ultimately, the committee recommends RDG planning and design as our preferred vendor, and a contract has been prepared to initiate services with them.

The R um RDG is a professional services firm that that offers those services in a variety of disciplines, including urban and landscape design and comprehensive planning.

Their partners include PROS Consulting, which is a well-known consulting firm in the field of park and rec, ETC Institute, which will uh which will help us with our statistically valid survey, and they also have conducted hundreds of surveys on behalf of other governmental agencies and Venice Communications, which is a full service integrated marketing and community engagement company.

And Venice Communications has worked on other local projects and plans as well.

This team's proposal includes a demonstrated ability to address complex issues with tailored and practical solutions, a clear understanding of our priorities, a robust and well-structured public engagement plan, a thorough assessment of our entire park system, detailed benchmarking, a needs assessment, a gap analysis, financial recommendations, and finally strategic recommendations that are supported by cost estimates, maintenance planning, phased implementation, and identification of potential funding sources.

This data-driven and community focused process, which will take about 12 months from start to finish, positions RDG to deliver a practical and forward-looking plan that will guide our park system for the next decade.

Staff has prepared a contract with RDG with a not-to-exceed fee of $301,250.

The adopted capital improvement program contains $250,000 under ongoing projects for the Park Master Plan.

The Wichita Parks Foundation has generously agreed to donate $51,250 to cover the fee for RDG that was an excess that was in excess of our adopted budget.

And staff recommends initiating $301,250 in general obligation at large bond funding at this time.

Based on administrative regulation 2.4B, we do need your approval to accept this donation over $50,000.

And the law department has approved and reviewed and approved the contract and the bonding resolution as to form.

So with all of that said, it's recommended that the city council approve the vendor selection, approve the contract, accept the donation, adopt the bonding resolution, authorize initiation of the project, and authorize the necessary signatures.

And I'll stand for any questions you might have.

Thank you, Katie.

Councilmember Glasscock.

Thank you.

Just one quick question for Katie regarding our conversations with the county around potential uh collaboration and consolidation of some services is the county buying into any of this master plan fee.

They uh are not at this point.

They we are we are including the county in the scope of it.

We're wanting to make sure that we address the entire park system for the Wichita metropolitan area that does include some parks that are within within the city and just on the near outskirts of the city.

Um so we are including them in that scope, but any any cost sharing at this point, I would I would defer to the leadership team, um either the city manager or the department director, um, because we have not discussed any potential cost sharing.

Okay.

Uh council member, the uh the uh county has been involved in the selection process and been cons uh consultant head representatives.

We have not approached them with cost share, great suggestion.

We will visit with them about that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um I just wanted to point out that again I sat on that committee as well as representatives from USD 259 and the county were on there, um, and I really appreciate having that comprehensive group.

Um that's another step forward in in again talking about the spaces we have that can be utilized as a private uh public park spaces, even though they might be owned by the county or by um USC 259.

So I really did appreciate that, and I like seeing that moving forward, having those open conversations.

I would like to point out that we also, in the scope of this work, would also look at um neighborhood parks that are maybe part of an HOA.

Um I'd like to make sure that we are very comprehensive in understanding how many parks we really do have in the city of Wichita because again, uh we want to make sure that people have access to them and also that we are comprehensive in looking at this entire plan.

Thank you very much.

With that, I see no one from the bench.

We will now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the oh, we have someone from the public.

Good morning, Mayor and Council.

My name is Brian Fry, 3109 North Ridgeport in District 5.

Uh, today I am here as a board member of the Wichita Parks Foundation.

The Wichita Parks Foundation is a volunteer-led 501c3 charitable organization founded in 2011.

Its mission is to enhance the quality while maintaining the heritage of Wichita's Park system by assembling necessary resources through the development of partnerships and the fostering of community relationships.

Our primary fundraiser is the Plates for Parks program with fees from the Wichita Flag Affinity License Plates providing a sustained funding source.

Since the program began in 2019, the Wichita Parks Foundation has invested $336,000 into capital projects around the city.

Some of our most notable projects include custom-made benches in all six districts, Chester I.

Recently, we approved $25,000 towards the Riverside Park Pagoda Building renovation.

And next week we'll announce a second contribution for that project.

At our meeting earlier this month, the board unanimously approved $51,000, $250 to cover the park master plan fee in excess of the CIP budget.

As I stated earlier, our mission is to enhance the quality while maintaining the heritage of Wichita's park system.

We do that by advocating for the development of all city park properties and directing needed resources into the park and recreation system.

Simply put, we exist to make our park system more better.

Okay, that may be my line and not the boards, but you get the idea.

A robust master plan to guide and deliver for the next decade is necessary in a budget-constrained environment.

At the same time, it allows our board to identify opportunities for support and engagement.

We believe a strong park system greatly enhances the quality of living for our neighbors and visitors.

We are evaluating our position and future role in the community.

A new master park plan for the city of Wichita will be a key component of our strategic plan going forward and how we all work together for Wichita Parks.

So on behalf of the board, we're supportive of the park department's request and encourage the city council to vote in favor of this item.

Thank you.

Thank you, former councilmember Fry.

I see no further individuals who would like to speak, so I'm going to bring it back to the bench.

Councilmember Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um how did former council member Fryer get in this building?

Councilmember, I did try to turn off his badge.

Apparently, I that I wasn't quick enough.

With that, I move to approve the vendor selection, approve the contract, accept the donation, adopt the bonding resolution, authorize the initiation of the project, and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

I'm just gonna ask this council do you want to push through a little bit longer or do you want to take a break?

I see a head nod, head nod.

Either way.

Either way, either way.

Then I'm gonna push through.

Um Madam Clerk, can you please call the next item?

Home program, 2024 housing development loan program, Minnonite Housing Rehabilitation Services Incorporated funding allocation.

Hello, Mayor and Council members.

My name is Carmen Hoffein.

I'm the real property section section manager for the Department of Housing and Community Services, and I'm here to present housing development loan program, home, single family home development.

For a little bit of background, home investment partnership program funds or federal grant with local allocations set by council.

Home is used to create affordable housing for low to moderate income households.

Current city uses for home are housing development loan program, which I'll refer to as HDLP, some gap financing toward rental development and down payment assistance via home 80.

Community housing development organizations, which I'll also refer to as CHOTO, must receive at least 15% of our annual allocation.

On May 2nd, 2023, the City Council approved the 2023-2024 annual action plan allocations for entitlement funds.

Allocations included $923,106 in home investment partnerships program, home funding for the housing development loan program HDLP.

The HDLP is designed to provide subsidies for affordable housing projects.

It supports development of real estate that is idle or underutilized and provides needed housing for underserved populations.

Funding is available for nonprofit or for-profit organizations.

The loan structure is dependent upon the type of project to be financed.

Funding must be used with approved city areas within redevelopment incentives, neighborhood revitalization, and local investment.

Funding requests are accepted through an open application process.

For analysis, home funds have been essential for the continued development of affordable housing in Wichita.

Lower predominant values in existing neighborhoods make it difficult to fully recover costs of acquisition and construction from the sales price.

Home funds help offset acquisition, development, site improvement expenses, sales expenses, and developer fees.

Current program requirements for single family home ownership include homes constructed with home funding provided through HDLP, must be sold to income eligible owner-occupant home buyers.

Home buyers also receive home funded down payment assistant loan assistance loans.

Mennonite Housing Rehabilitation Services Inc.

requested $630,000 for construction of seven seven single family homes.

Proposed addresses are 2301 West Manlow Street, 2321, 2405, 2413, 2417, 2421, and 2425 West 34th Street North.

Mennonite Housing is community housing development organization, also known as a CHOTO, and this allocation fulfills the city's required 15% CHOTO set aside.

The proposed project consistent with the city's comprehensive housing policy for affordability, availability, and neighborhood stability.

This project aligns with the department goal to increase the supply of affordable housing to residents earning 80% or less of area median income.

In 2025, 80% of AMI for a family of four is 75,050.

And next, I do have Angie Mendoza here who will present on behalf of Mennonite Housing.

I did want to mention that there is an error on one of the slides.

We did present for three three units a couple of weeks ago for city council, and one of the slides has three proposals, and it should say seven, and that is completely my error.

So I just want to let you guys know that.

And now is Angie.

Thank you for listening to me again.

This is gonna be the same information that I shared two weeks ago.

Minnonite Housing has a staff that includes a director of construction, who's a general contractor, a program administrator who is administering this neighborhood homes program.

We have a construction assistant and our controller that are all part of this uh project.

Minnonite Housing began as a volunteer service to repair homes of elderly in the city of Wichita.

We have evolved to developing rental properties under the LITEC program.

We also have HUD 202 and 811 projects.

We're part of the Neighbor Works Organization Neighbor Works America organization that targets specifically lots of different things for low-income individuals.

We have a community-based board of directors.

We are for people who cannot obtain home repair, decent housing, or home ownership in any other way.

Our goals include repairing homes of low-income seniors and people with disabilities to make their homes safe and secure, rehabilitating homes and improving neighborhoods, making homeownership a reality to those with low to moderate incomes, developing and building more affordable housing options for citizens within the community, and demonstrating God's love for all people.

As Carmen mentioned, you guys approved three homes when I was here two weeks ago.

This is for an additional seven homes.

They did not go in one complete package because when we submitted the first application, there were not funds available because the LITEC awards had not been announced.

So it is the same home.

This is just the elevation, so you can see that.

It is 1,311 square feet, three bedroom, two-bath home, slab on grade.

It has a two-car attached garage that is 487 square feet, and we build these to Energy STAR standards.

The sales price for this home because of this grant funding is 131,000.

The site acquisition for this was a little bit higher than normal for us because this property had specials, so it costs a little bit more to acquire it.

It's also not inner city lots, it's in an area that's outside of inner city and highly sought after.

So the the site acquisition was a little bit more.

The hard construction costs is 167,000.

The developer fee is 22,600.

There are additional other soft costs for a total of 220,765 to build this 1300 square foot home.

The subsidy amount is 90,000, which allows us to sell it for 131,000.

We have a waiting list of 1,200 individuals.

We don't currently mark because our wait list is so long.

Our applicants do submit preliminary applications online.

They are referred to consumer credits counseling services if they do not meet the requirement for the credit score.

We also assist potential home buyers with loan qualification process through local lenders.

They obtain a permanent loan from a local lender.

We anticipate homeowners in 60 to 80 percent AMI ranges for the seven houses, these seven additional houses.

Staff and the developer Mennonite Housing presented the proposal to the Affordable Housing Review Board on August 25th of 2025.

The affordable housing review board voted three to one with one abstention to recommend the proposal to council.

For financial considerations, there is no impact to the general fund.

Funding comes from 2024 home 2024 home entitlement funds.

For legal considerations, the law department has reviewed and approved the funding agreement as to form.

Recommendation is recommended that the city council approve the home investment partnerships program funding allocation of $630,000 and authorize the necessary signatures.

And I stand for questions.

Thank you, Carmen, and thank you, Angie.

The only thing I'm gonna just point out is I wanted to say thank you to Angie for participating alongside multiple partners a couple of weeks ago at the Advanced Learning Library, the Journalism Collectives priced out event.

And I know that again, this council has been very supportive of housing.

And when I see that there are seven additional houses that will be built, um and these houses will be built near 37th and meridian.

Um I think that again, this again signals to the community our commitment to uh helping individuals that need just a hand up have homeownership opportunities.

And again, thank you for providing that.

You as Mennonite Housing as well as Habitat for Humanity and other partners that do that.

So thank you for your work.

I see no questions from uh this bench.

We will open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public.

I'm bringing it back to the bench, and I'm gonna go ahead and move that the council approve.

Sorry, Councilmember Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

Due to a personal conflict of interest, I have to abstain from this vote.

Thank you, Councilmember Johnson.

I will move to approve that the council um approve the home investment partnerships program funding allocation of six hundred and thirty thousand dollars and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion and the second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes five zero with one abstention.

Can we now take a break?

Okay.

So this uh we will take a 15-minute break and come back at 1235.

All right, thank you.

Good afternoon, uh Mayor and City Council.

My name is Andrew Tyree, and I am with I'm a management analyst with the housing and community services department, and I'm here today to present on the 2024-25 Hood Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report.

Otherwise known as the CAPER.

Uh just some quick background information on the CAPER.

Um, as a city, we are required to put uh to prepare um a CAPER report for accomplishments and progress towards consolidated plan goals.

Um so this uh 2425 CAPER, this is for the period of July 1st, 2024 through June 30th, 2025.

And this is for um community development block grant, the home investment partnership program and the emergency solutions grant.

And I did want to say too, for the consolidated plan purposes, this is you this will be for year one of the five-year consolidated plan.

So we're gonna start with uh CDBG, um, just some performance highlights.

So for 2425 CD BG expenditures totaled just under 3.2 million dollars.

And before I get too much into these activities and accomplishments, I did want to um just give a quick um appreciation to our um community partners, um, our internal city departments and external partners that all um come together and offer these services for our community.

We I know we as a department um really appreciate them and the the services that they provide in our community.

So we're gonna start with activities for public services.

Um just 1,630 um youth were um reached through some different programs here in the area here in the city.

Um that's the YMCA's uh middle school after school program, uh Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentoring Program.

We had Prime Fit Youth Foundation that offers mentoring and education services, and then we also had um our uh park and rec department, they have the Colvin Kids Club that they operate a after before and after school program there uh at Colvin Elementary School.

So we also um partnered with three different domestic violence services, Calda Charities Harbor House, Step Stone, and Wichita Family Crisis Center, and then you see the totals there, they reached between the three um three agencies, they reached seven or six hundred and seventy individuals there.

And then also homeless services, um 1,554.

That's through United Methodist Open Door.

Um, that's their homeless resource center.

Uh next we have training and employment.

This is our the way to work program, our TWTW.

Um, I'm sure you guys noticed some youth workers we had in the building in June and July.

Um that they were a part of that program, and we had 145 youth that were served.

Office of community services, um, we we use CDBG funding to fund uh three CSRs and a support staff there at Colvin At Water and Evergreen, and through the services that they offer at those centers between the three uh centers, we um reached were able to serve over 36,000 citizens.

And then CDBG funds are also used to fund uh the uh one full-time staff we have for the housing first program.

Uh Housing First this year was able to reach 116 individuals, and so those 116 uh individuals receive rent and utility assistance through that program.

Also for CDBG, um we have the home improvement program um or home repair, um as y'all might um know it as we were able to reach 64 households um with that program.

Um it was kind of a uh not a rebuilding year, but um in our in our department the housing or the um home repair program um we had staff that the pretty much the whole division kind of turned over there.

So um we are uh obviously it takes some time to uh hire and train uh people for that program.

So we're looking for that number to increase um going forward, but we had 64 households that took took advantage of that program.

Uh we had one rental rehab through the uh rental rehab program that was rehabilitated, and under infrastructure improvements, um just over 1900 individuals utilized the the new bus shelter that we use CDBG funding for there at that bus stop at 2220 East 21st Street.

And then for this past program year, MABCD demolition and clearance, there were zero structures that were demolished.

Um it was basically a lack of of staffing uh capacity there at MABCD.

So those funds that were utilized for that are there set aside for that uh particular activity, those were swept up and reallocated for that same purpose for the next program year in 2025.

So if MABCD gets to the point where they are able to, um those funds will be there for them to um begin those uh demo and clearances.

Uh next for the home program, um for 24-25 expenditures totaled uh just under $890,000 for both uh development and subsidy down payment assistance.

And so through affordable housing development, we had six uh single family homes that were um available, and six home buyers were um uh uh served as well with the down payment and closing costs, those two go hand in hand.

So um the six homeowners that uh were able to utilize those uh six family homes that were um uh available, they were enrolled in that down payment and closing costs program as well.

Just under 416,000 at home program development subsidies were provided for the construction of six family homes.

Um they're below our um our partners there, Minnana Housing and Rehabilitation Services accounted for four of those, and Wichita Habitat for Humanity accounted for two.

And then home development subsidies led leveraged uh 438,141 and 78 cents, and private sector construction financing and other funding.

And lastly, for ESG, the emergency solutions grant program uh for 2425, um the expenditures totaled 94,000.

I do want to say um so going into 2425 ESG funds were expected to be to support the emergency winter shelter uh for 2425 winter season.

Um the city which opted to use the ARPA funds instead, um which reduced the overall people served with ESG funds for um this past program year.

Um those funds were reallocated um to provide outreach services to people living in unsheltered um and in encampments during this upcoming program or this current program of 2526, and um we're already seeing some exciting things happening with that.

So next year when we are when we present the caber again, we're looking forward to um highlighting um that program.

Um but for 2425 again expenditures total 94,000.

Um 23 persons were assisted through the temporary rent and utility assistance, and then for homeless prevention, um there was 23 households uh that were assisted.

And as a reminder, the Catholic Charities uh St.

Anthony's Family Shelter administered that program, and so for 24-25, and those 23 households went to them.

Um that was for they were in danger of being homeless, so they were able to reach those through that program.

Citizen participation is a key part of the consolidated plan program and activities.

Uh the city is required to provide an opportunity for citizens to review and comment on the caper prior to submission to HUD.

Uh the CAPER was distributed for public review at all the neighborhood resource centers, housing and community services department, City Hall, the City of Wichita website, and branches of the Wichita Public Library.

Uh the city published notices in the official newspaper of Wichita, Wichitaw.gov on August 28th, 2025, advising that public comments would be accepted beginning the 29th of August through September 15th, 2025, and comments can also be made during today's public hearing.

Financial considerations there is no impact to the general fund.

Legal considerations, uh federal regulations applicable applicable to the entitlement grant programs require submission of the CAPER within 90 days of the close of the program year.

So we have to have that submitted.

Um we're we're looking at um by September uh 28th of this of this month, obviously.

So the recommendation is for city council to close the public hearing, uh approve the consolidated annual performance and evaluation report, and authorize submission to the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development.

And so at this time, um stand for any comments or questions you might have.

Thank you, Andrew, and thank you to the team in housing.

I only had one question, and that is on slide 181.

This is regarding the way to work program.

I just want to say thank you to Nelle, who uh leads that program.

I love seeing our young people engage during the summertime with various job opportunities around the entire city.

However, I also know that there are other organizations, including the YMCA and the workforce centers who also have youth employment programs.

Um so my ask is that we come together, uh, the way to work program as well as the workforce center and the YMCA job prep program to try to see how we can best collaborate even further.

Um I know that they already do uh meetings, however, I've been hearing from people in our community that don't even know that uh the city has one YMCA has another.

The workforce center has another.

So I would like to see or I'd like to get together with these three groups to make sure that we have a convening of how to move forward in 2026 to maximize.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, members of council Sally saying housing and community services director for the for the record.

Just the uh youth employment collaboration actually does happen.

We have an umbrella kind of collaboration called Helping Youth Prepare for Employment that brings those three programs together to discuss ways to be more impactful.

Um we also work hand in hand, for example, with workforce alliance.

Our program starts at 14.

Their programs generally are limited to 16 and above.

Our programs provide subsidy to the employers that hire our folks.

The employers that use the workforce and WISE programs expect the employers to pay that.

So we we actually work to try and hand youth off to those that next step, that next program when they've been through our program for a year or two when it makes sense.

Sometimes they still end up staying with us at 16 or 17.

Usually that's because we're trying to accommodate some schedule issue.

Like they have a camp or something that would be disruptive in the other programs.

We will keep them within the TWTW program.

Um, but we definitely encourage those who've been through at 14 or 15 to move on to the other programs.

So just wanted to clarify that.

As well as the number on the slide of 145 is last year's program.

Our timing of our program year, the funding for 2024 and 25, we're always a year behind.

So this year's program, we actually served more than that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Sally.

Councilmember Todd.

Thank you.

And Sally, great job.

Um before I was in council, I was at the YMCA, and the job prep program was in my job jar, so I was just gonna say the same thing.

Um I think the title has changed, but it was yep, it was the youth employment program collaborative.

Keith Lawing really was instrumental in and pulling all the entities together.

And as you mentioned, there is so much collaboration going on, but the programs aren't all the same, and so they're not one size fits all.

Um so I I think the need has already been met.

Um there that group meets frequently, but like you know, the for example the WISE program just uh places kiddos in non-for-profit sectors, right?

And there's also a curriculum they have to pass and whatever.

So um I we've already got the problem taken care of.

So thank you.

I see no further questions for staff.

Again, thank you, Andrew.

We'll open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public.

We'll bring it back to the bench.

I will move to close the public hearing, approve the consolidated annual performance and evaluation report, and authorize submission to the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Second.

Motion and a second discussion, Councilmember Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

Push my button a little too late due to a conflict of interest.

I have to abstain from this item as well.

Thank you, Councilmember Johnson.

We have a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes five zero with one abstention.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

DER 2025-19, City of Wichita, Sedgwick County Airport Hazard Zoning Code update.

Hello, Scott Weddle from the planning department.

So this item is to consider whether or not to adopt amendments to the existing Wichita Sudget County Airport Hazard Zoning Code.

Here's the recommended action, which is for approval.

The airport airport hazards create significant risks, especially near airports where landings and takeoffs are occurring.

Kansas allows local governments to adopt and enforce airport zoning restrictions.

The existing airport hazard zoning code regulates development in and around the following airports and heliport.

The airport hazard zoning code is primarily focused on heights in specific zones around the airports, and I'll show you a map that depicts this.

Those zones are based on locations utilized by aircraft as they approach land and take off from the airports and the heliport.

Any applicant who wants to exceed the height in one of these zones would need to apply for a permit from the zoning administrator.

That process currently requires a determination from the FAA.

If they are denied a permit, the applicant can always appeal to the governing body or apply for a variance.

Here's a map that shows the existing airport hazard zone map.

It has four zones, A through D.

Permits required for structures or trees that would exceed are required for structures or trees that would exceed any of the heights of these zones.

In 2022, the FAA published updated guidance for land use compatibility around airports.

In 2023, the City of Wichita slash Air Wichita Airport Authority hired Kaufman Associates to look at possible updates in order to help better protect airport locations based on the new FAA guidance.

Here are some key highlights from the recommended updates.

So the definitions have been expanded and updated to better align with the FAA guidance with the intent of improving clarity and ensuring consistency with the federal standards.

The focus is on the same facilities as the existing code, except for the Wichita Police Department Heliport, which was removed and is no longer operational where it was located on that map.

And up we've also made updates to the map heights and areas, and I'll go through those in detail.

So here's the recommended new airport hazard zoning map.

In terms of geography, it would the it would have the zones applied to all areas of the county.

So the green area has expanded to include the entire county.

In terms of heights, zone A would remain the same at 25 feet.

Zone B would decrease from 75 feet to 50 feet.

Zone C would decrease from 150 feet to 100 feet, and zone D would decrease from 300 feet to 200 feet.

Any applicant who wants to exceed the height of a zone or wants to transmit signals under the new code, would need to apply for a permit by the zoning administrator.

And note that this one is this update would expand this to include transmitting signals, not just heights, as the current one does.

The applicant would need to use the FAA's notice criteria tool, which is available online, and then submit the results as part of the permit application process.

If they are denied a permit, they can appeal to the governing body or apply for a variance.

So same as the existing regulations.

So here is a slide that shows the review process.

So it's been to MAPC Advanced Plans, the full MAPC, the County Commission.

And the County Commission approved the same amendment at their meeting on September 10th.

And now it's here today at the City Council.

So again, here's the recommended action.

And just a note Jesse Romo, uh, director of airports for Wichita was here earlier, but he had a schedule conflict.

And uh Corey Lewis with Kaufman Associates is here in attendance if you have any questions for him.

So in just a note about the process, uh it's recommended that you accept public comment on this item because it is a code change.

And with that, I'll stand for any questions.

Thank you, Scott.

I see no questions except for on slide 204.

You mentioned that the commission already approved this last week.

Was this a unanimous vote?

Uh yes, it was, yes, Mayor.

Thank you.

I see no further questions.

We will now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public to coming forward, so we will bring it back to the bench.

I move.

This is long.

Okay.

I move that the city council adopt the findings of the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and approve a resolution adopting the City of Wichita Cedric County Airport Hazard Zoning Code Udate.

Place the ordinance on first reading, authorize the necessary signatures, and instruct the city clerk to publish the ordinance after approval on a second reading.

Second motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Applicant appeal of HPC 2025-42.

Hello and good afternoon again.

Scott Wedd from the Planning Department.

So this item is an applicant's appeal of a denial for their Delano Design Standards application.

The application was denied by the Delano Design Review Committee, which found that the designs are not in conformance with the Delano Neighborhood Overlay Design District Design Standards.

As part of its consideration, the Delano Design Review Committee did request advice from the Delano Design Advisory Committee, which considered the application and did not take action because of a tie vote at their meeting on this item.

So the subject site is located at the southwest corner of Douglas and Exposition and is located within the Delano neighborhood overlay district.

In addition, the owner has applied to rezone the property to plan unit development, which is custom zoning, and has also applied to vacate the north-south alley at the site.

So if the site looks familiar, that's because there's a number of cases taking place.

Here's a larger image of the site.

And then here are some photos and images of the site and the surrounding area.

And then here are images provided by the applicant that show the proposed development on the site.

This is the layout Douglas would be uh to the top of this slide.

So the Delano neighborhood overlay design standards include general standards that apply to every project.

So this isn't for you all to read, but just to give you an example of what's in the code.

Additional design standards can apply depending on which area the project site is located in on the 2001 Delano neighborhood revitalization plan map, which is known as figure 15.

So here's what it looks like.

The yellow arrow points to the site.

So this subject site is located within an area recommended for commercial/slash mixed use.

And here's an example of what the design standards uh are for that area.

So the Delano Design Review Committee found that the proposed design does not comply with the design standards in a few ways.

So uh one of those was that the proposed exterior materials, uh the styling and architectural detailing are not necessarily compatible with the district's historical character.

And some of these I would note are subjective.

There's not real definitive definition of what is uh compatible, compatible or compatibility.

Uh second one was that the metal walls are not compatible with the architectural characters surrounding area.

A third one is that the entrances do not orient towards the front or the side street.

In addition, uh that the proposed parking lot would be located adjacent and fronting onto Douglas.

Uh also that the proposed design does not incorporate or allow common walls between distinct structures and th last that the third story is not set back by at least 20 feet.

So as was mentioned earlier, uh, this item is an applicant's appeal of a denial by the Delano design standards uh of their delay their of their application.

It is recommended that the city council accept comments from the applicant and open the item for public comment.

And in terms of council actions, the council options include the following: you can deny the appeal and the application, you can approve the application, or you can approve the application with additional conditions.

All of these actions can be approved by a simple majority vote.

And with that, I'll stand for any questions.

Thank you, Scott.

Councilmember Tuttle.

Thank you, Scott, for the presentation.

I appreciate it.

This is a new one for me.

I haven't had something like this happen and I've been here a bit.

So the Delano Design Review Committee.

Yes.

Is it binding?

I mean, if they say no, we don't approve this.

I mean, I understand we're here for an appeal, but um just to compare this to me to like MAPC or explain like where this lands.

Does that make sense what I'm asking you?

Sure.

Um, I would characterize this as maybe most similar in some ways to the historic preservation in terms of you you've got a board that can uh take action, and unless the city council override overrules them, uh then their action stands.

And in this case, their action is to find that it's not compliant, so they they are unable to pull building permits because they would not be in compliance with the zoning unless the city council uh overrides them for this particular design.

Okay, so we would be potentially stopping an action because we we've supported this, right?

Or for workforce housing.

Yes.

Yes.

I I think a challenge that we have here is also that um we have a code that's uh an overlay district, it's been in place since 2003.

Uh it has not been updated since that time.

I think what it envisions, if you look at the code and kind of the design standards, it envisions carrying on with the designs that are found, in my opinion.

It envisions carrying on with the designs that are found along Douglas uh between Seneca and the river.

And so it's more of a kind of you think of the kind of facade two stories, kind of continuous.

Um, for this particular area, this mixed-use commercial, uh I get the sense that it it very much was seeking to continue that kind of architecture.

Have things evolved in the last 25 years, pretty much?

Yes.

So but our the code again has not been updated since then.

Okay.

Thank you for entertaining my questions.

Councilmember Glascock.

Just confirming one thing that I think you had said to uh council member Tuttle.

So the plan, the Delano revitalization revitalization plan was 2001.

Yep.

There is amendments to in 2003.

Uh actually at that point is when the overlay district came in.

Since that time, just a few years ago, I think uh 2019 possibly, uh, there was an update to the Delano neighborhood plan.

At that time, though, there was not an update to the design guidelines or design standards.

So those still are from 2003 and still refer for the purposes of the areas referred to the 2001 map uh in the 2001 plan.

So the design standards have not been updated in 22 years.

That is correct.

Okay.

Thank you.

Councilmember Ballard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um Scott, I apologize if you already mentioned this.

Did it fail?

So or was it a tie or sure?

So the history on this one is that it went to the Delano Design Review Committee.

Uh that committee uh at the time saw that it uh was the opinion was that it was not in compliance.

When a project comes up like that, uh then they usually decide to consult with the Delano Advisory Committee.

The Delano Advisory Committee is a number of citizens who volunteer on and are appointed uh to a committee to for the specific purpose of reviewing designs in this type of situation.

Uh they at that meeting, there were only four members because we try and schedule these pretty quickly to keep projects moving.

Uh four members were in attendance, uh, they deadlocked on a two-two vote on whether or not they thought that this project was in uh conformance with regulations.

What were their concerns?

Do you know?

Uh at that individual meeting, um I don't.

I I can't speak with certainty on that one.

I just know the output.

If it's if the concerns are things that potentially could just be outdated because the um what am I trying to say?

The the deal from 2001 would be kind of blank.

Sure.

If just the the overlay um is outdated if or so the advice from even though they didn't provide a recommendation, all that feedback comes back to the Delano uh design review committee.

The Delano Design Review Committee uh ultimately came back with the uh determination that the design wasn't compliant in the following ways.

The first one is the uh exterior materials and whether or not they're compatible with the historic context.

This uh building proposes to use mainly metal as the exterior uh uh materials.

In this area, you do find some metal.

There are the diner, um, there's a thrift former thrift shop that do have some elements of metal along them, but the over but the majority of the exteriors are brick.

Now, again, this is subject to interpretation, and I think the applicant has a uh a little bit of a different take on this.

So that was one of the concerns.

Another one is style and architectural detailing.

Um this building would be relatively unique uh versus what we see in the immediate area in terms of square kind of shape.

Um you see some architectural detailing on the second floor that you maybe don't see on this one.

Um again, the metal walls, the entrances, uh how they're not oriented towards uh they're they're more towards a courtyard, and I think there's a specific design reason for that, but the code calls for those to be oriented towards the main street or to a side street.

Um in addition, uh the parking location that the parking uh the code says don't put it on Douglas, and uh this has a building on Douglas, although the other half of the lot is used for parking, and so the the location of the parking lot where it exits onto Douglas.

Uh the common walls, I I think the issue of the common walls and third stories really does get back to the designs being back and reminiscent and thinking of the what's already exist along Douglas in kind of the more commercial area, um, because it calls for there to be common walls uh between buildings.

Well, this one's kind of difficult because uh it's a larger building, and there's an opportunity to create some different facades to ill uh kind of give the illusion of a common wall, but um you know how much and to what degree should someone have to do that, but the code calls for common walls, and then the third one is the third, or the last one is a third story.

The code calls for them to be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the front facade of lower floors.

Well, in this one, it's a straight uh height that goes up to the third floor.

So uh that was another thing.

I see no further questions.

This does get public common.

Yes, ma'am.

We will open it up for public comment.

Oh, sorry, the applicant gets to address the council.

Yeah, you might have a question.

Hi, Mayor and Council.

Thank you for hearing us out.

So we've been working on this project since May, and uh we've presented in front of the Delano Advisory Council twice.

Um we revised our design after the first rejection.

We weren't really uh aware of how the process was going to take place.

So uh the second one we really uh looked into the design and how we can uh uh accommodate comments.

Um and so what this what Scott was saying about the guidelines is if you review the commercial mixed use guidelines, it they really make sense for everything on Douglas east of Seneca.

You know, you got the two-story brick buildings, continuous facade, uh uh doors facing Douglas.

It it's it keeps it it it's oriented towards commercial use.

Um and that commercial use designation in 2001 was continued down Douglas west of Seneca.

Um if you've driven that stretch west of Seneca between Vine and Seneca along Douglas, there's really not a coherent uh architectural character.

Um you know, just stepping back from the guidelines.

Uh, you know, this has been a weedy field for a long time, it's been undeveloped.

Um I think a lot of the area along Douglas uh west of Seneca has remained undeveloped.

Um and I think part of that may be because the guidelines are uh if we were to uphold the guidelines to the letter, it would make most uses completely infeasible.

Um we've looked at the layout of the site to try to maximize uh our square footage for parking and for uh the units themselves, so everything about our design is intentional uh to maximize the the footprint.

Um and just as as a guidelines sit, it this site would continue to remain uh undeveloped.

So Mayor, if I may interrupt for just a second.

Uh we need to take him off the clock.

I believe the applicant has as much time as he needs to make his presentation.

I don't want him to have to rush through to try to get the cram everything in five minutes.

So all right.

Appreciate that.

Um, I we we're we think this is gonna be great for the neighborhood.

You know, like I said, just stepping back from the guidelines themselves.

This this is gonna improve the area.

It's good for the site, it's good for the neighborhood.

We want to see this stretch of Douglas get developed.

Um, and so uh we're hoping for some some leeway when it comes to enforcement of the guidelines.

Um and and I'm happy to answer any questions.

We've we've talked to the neighbors, by the way.

Um everybody we've talked to has been very excited about this.

Um and so we think the neighborhood's excited for it too.

Thank you very much.

I know that this came before us a couple weeks ago because this is workforce housing, and I believe that it passed unanimously from this council again because we like seeing that there's housing, especially in undeveloped land.

Uh earlier today we did another um applicate or another vote regarding undeveloped land by 13th and Tyler.

So again, I appreciate when people are thinking of how do we get um more housing in the city of Wichita, so thank you.

Um I have no questions, and I don't see anyone on the board with questions.

So uh again, thank you to the applicant.

We will open it up for public comment.

There's no one here from the public who would like to speak, so we'll bring it back to the bench.

And this resides in council member Dalton Glasscock's district.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I will be supportive of this today.

I've talked with the applicant about how to make sure that this project appeals off of Douglas Street.

Um we had talked about even relocating the building to make sure it's contiguous along Douglas, it was not feasible uh through their engineer um to be able to make that change.

In addition, we talked about some screens around HVAC units uh that they're going to look and consider uh to make sure that those aren't apparent on Douglas as well.

Um and I'm thankful for the density in the area, the increase for workforce housing, and also have new neighbors.

I'm looking forward to this project at breaking ground.

I know we've talked about this uh many months ago now, and so I'm excited for see this project move forward.

Before I make a motion, I see that council uh member Tuttle is on the board though.

You might be able to you might be able to answer my question if that's okay.

Because you said you're gonna be supportive of this.

Do you mean supportive of denying supportive of the alternative?

Thank you.

Okay, so I just want to make sure because whenever there's a motion that's like in the reverse or whatever, I just always want to make sure I'm doing the right thing.

So when you said you were gonna be supportive, I didn't know if you meant supportive of denying it or supportive of the project.

Support of the project.

Thank you for the clarification.

Thank you, Councilmember.

So with that, I will make a motion and I want to make sure that the alternative is to approve the project.

That's worded a little uniquely here.

Okay.

Uh so I make a motion to approve the Delano Neighborhood Overlay District Design Review application for this project.

Second.

Motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Con 2025-93 conditional use amendment to con 2024-212 to extend hours of entertainment establishment in the city, generally located in the northeast corner of South Seneca Street and West Pawnee Avenue at 1040 West Pawnee Avenue.

Hello, Scott Wadell again from the planning department.

So for this case, uh the applicant is requesting to amend the an existing conditional use on the site.

That conditional use allows entertainment establishment, which is a combination of alcohol and entertainment with a capacity of fewer than 300 individuals.

Also, I do have an update or cor and correction.

So my apologies, but we have a correction to the staff report.

The staff report indicates that the MAPD staff recommendation was for approval.

That is not correct.

Our recommendation was for denial of the application, but we did include an alternative recommendation in our staff report that went out to the MAPC.

So I think that's where that got picked up.

In terms of the subject site, though, the subject site is located near the northeast corner of Pawnee and Seneca.

The address is 1040 West Pawnee Avenue.

It's approximately a hundred uh 1.3 acres in size, consists of one ownership parcel, and is developed uh with a retail center with multiple retail spaces.

One of those retail spaces is occupied by an event center.

A site is zoned, LC limited commercial.

In terms of the request, the applicant has indicated that they would like to extend the permitted hours of entertainment as part of that existing conditional use.

Currently, the hours for entertainment are limited from noon to 10 p.m.

And what is meant by that is that uh they cannot they can only have the entertainment during those hours.

They can still continue to have the facility open, but they cannot be having live bands, loud music, that kind of stuff.

That has to cease at 10 p.m.

The applicant would like to extend the hours to be from noon to 1 a.m.

on Fridays and Saturdays.

This application stems from an anonymous complaint against the property owner that entertainment was taking place on the subject site beyond the allowed time frame and in violation of the conditions of the approval.

So in terms of context, properties to the northeast, north and east are zoned SF5 and developed with a church and single family dwellings.

So here's the zoning map.

Here's the aerial property to the south is zoned SF5 across Pawnee and is developed with a single family dwelling.

And property of the West is zoned LC and developed with vehicle repair limited business.

In terms of the staff report, the staff report for this item contains information about the conditions that apply as part of the existing conditional use on the property.

And a quick note about those is that one of the existing conditions includes a reminder that all compatible compatibility noise standards apply per the unified zoning code.

These standards require that no sound amplification system for projecting music or human voices shall be permitted on any property zoned in O neighborhood office or more intensive if the music and/or voices can be heard within any residential zoning district that is located within a 500-foot radius of the distance of the property.

So what I'm pointing out by that is that there is a condition that already applies and is recommended to continue to apply regardless of which recommendation you take, either the DAB or the uh or the MAPCs.

So in terms of review, on August 14th, the planning commission held the public hearing for this item and recommended denial of the conditional use amendment, and that vote was 11 to 0.

A stated uh concerns of detrimental effects to nearby residents.

Now the applicant was in attendance and indicated that they were requesting the amendment so that the venue can have more bookings and attract more clients.

The applicant indicated that additional events will help push out bad activities uh on the property.

The applicant also indicated that the noise levels are controlled at the venue, that they have speakers at the venue for guests and hosts to use.

And in addition, the property owner indicated that they measure noise levels and brought in their monitoring equipment to show that.

Three members of the public spoke at the planning commission on this item with complaints.

The applicant not adhering to the current time constraints uh defined by the conditions of approval, resulting in loud music being heard late into the night, and that event attendees have on occasion continued listening to loud music from their vehicles in the parking lot after the event shuts down.

So on August 11th, uh so it was prior to the planning commission meeting, the district advisory board reviewed the request and recommended approval per the staff alternative included in the MAPC staff report.

And that way vote was seven to zero.

DAB recommended uh conditions that would extend it until 1 a.m.

on every day, uh not just on Friday and Saturday.

And no member of the public spoke on this item at the DAB meeting.

So overall, uh no protests were received against the application.

So the recommended action coming to you is that the city council adopt the findings of the planning commission and deny the conditional use amendment.

Alternatives include the following.

You can override the MAPC, adopt alternative findings, approve the requested conditional use amendment, authorize the necessary signatures, and instruct the city clerk to publish the resolution.

That requires five of seven votes because it's an override, or as always you can return the case to the planning commission for additional consideration.

That would require four of seven votes.

And just a note about process again that the public hearing takes place at the planning commission.

And City Council does not typically receive public comments.

So here is a graphic showing the location.

Here's the zoning map that you saw briefly.

Here's the map from the comprehensive plan recommending commercial at this site.

Here's the notification and protest map.

Again, no protests were received.

Here's a photo of the site and images of the surrounding area.

This is at the rear of the property, looking at the single family houses.

And with that, I'll stand for any questions.

Thank you, Scott.

Councilmember Glascock.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'll have plenty of comments, but I have one quick question.

So when we're looking at the noise level ceasing at 11, is there additional restrictions that I could put that they're required to vacate the property by a certain time as well?

Um yes, sir.

I I failed to get those to you.

Yes.

Um you could add a condition that uh guests are required to vacate the premise.

I I would say in typical we thirty minutes after an event ends uh would be fairly standard.

It gives people enough time to kind of gather their stuff and get out.

It does not require the host to leave because typically the host is the one who's responsible for the cleanup, but for guests uh to be required to depart.

Okay, I'll likely be adding that to my motion.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Councilmember Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um Scott, I was reading through the MAPC minutes.

Have any of those claims of them going beyond 10 PM been substantiated with WPD?

Um it is that was presented.

Uh as far as being substantiated, I do believe that our zoning enforcement uh was taking actions on that because uh they did have the records from PD on that.

And so I think that's really what prompted this case entirely was the fact that those had been substantiated by the police and zoning enforcement was taking action on it.

Okay, and then the one I don't know if they got the specific, but the one I read about the maybe not the owner.

Can't remember which one.

I should have highlighted, but the owner or operator said that there were only employees in there, but they were still playing music, like the party was still going on, and they said it was just employees and not members there.

You know if that one was substantiated.

I I I'm afraid I don't, sir.

Okay.

Thank you.

I have a quick question.

This is a street, correct?

Osage Street.

Wraps around.

Oh, uh it's uh it's developed more as an alley.

Um I don't know that it shows up as a street on I want to double check the graphics.

So uh it's between the structure.

So this is this is the one that wraps around in between the residents to the east and the subject site.

And so as you can see, it's an alley, it's got the kind of the trash and utilities in that area.

Thank you.

I see no further questions from the council.

Does this not get public comment?

Councilmember Glaska.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um so I've spoken with the applicant.

I've also spoken with uh the neighbors in particular that may have made some reports about the applicant and trying to reach some compromise on this.

I know that the applicant has installed additional soundproofing, base control measures, acoustic paneling throughout the whole building.

They've also purchased a PA system, and they are instructing DJs and bands that they're not allowed to bring in their own systems.

So I think those are good steps when the applicant came to the district advisory board.

Uh the manager for the facility brought a booklet about this thick of all the sound readings that they have done independently every time there is an event to show that it didn't go over the decibel level.

I talked to the neighbors, they were less concerned about the decibel level.

They're more concerned about the base being used.

Um this venue has a quincineras, it also has a lot of weddings.

I'm in the wedding season of my life where all my friends are getting married.

And so often attending them, and there's no wedding I've been to that's really extended music past 11:30, but there's also no wedding that's ended music at 10 o'clock.

And so one of, I'll read over the entire motion, but the compromise that I was going to work out was on Fridays and Saturdays.

We would end the music at 11 o'clock, and then they would have to all guests would have to vacate the property by midnight.

Um I hope that that would also cure maybe some of the concerns about music being played in the parking lot because the venue would also that would also be in their property line.

So they would not be able to play music out on the parking lot.

I think 12 is probably a reasonable time.

I looked at a couple of the venues around the area.

Um there is Champs, which is across the street.

They stay open on Friday and Saturdays till 2 p.m.

Whiskey Dix is a little bit further um north, but they are also in a residential area and they stay open till 2 p.m.

or 2 a.m.

every single day.

And so I think of all those compatibilities, the compromise between Friday and Saturday, music has to end at 11, and then uh the individuals have to vacate by midnight.

So I'm interested if there's any pushback for my colleagues on that before I make the motion.

Council member Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

Clarification when you say vacate vacate the property or vacate the building.

Vacate the premises, so the property.

Okay.

Okay.

And did you mention that um there are a lot of the event venue space hosts weddings and gincitas?

Correct.

So again, as you mentioned, you're in your wedding season.

So by 11:30 p.m., most venues stop music.

Yeah.

So this one would be 30 minutes even.

Thank you.

Okay.

Seeing no other uh comments.

I move to override the MAPC, adopt the alternative findings, approve the amendment to the conditional use with modified conditions, authorize the necessary signatures, and instruct the city clerk to publish the resolution after approval.

The modified conditions of approval are based on the DAB, how the DAB recommended, except that the hours of entertainment are limited to the following Sunday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, noon to 11 p.m.

And guests must vacate the premises or the entire property by midnight.

In support of this motion, I offer the following findings.

The removal of the restrictions will not have significant detrimental effects on nearby property because of the compatibility noise standard, which will continue to limit the amount of noise that properties could be subject to.

One last question for Scott as well.

If the applicant is fine in violation of this, then their conditional use can be removed by the planning department, correct?

Correct, yes, sir.

Okay, thank you.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Public housing recovery agreement status report.

The item I have is this month's update on the FASHUD recovery agreement.

Little background for those watching.

On January 7th, the Housing Authority Board executive recovery agreement with the Department of Housing and Urban Development for its low public housing assessment score.

HUD is requiring a status update report be presented to the Wichita Housing Authority Board monthly.

The recovery agreement includes actions related to improving the physical condition of occupied dwelling units, repositioning the remaining public housing properties, and providing an update on capital fund projects.

So under improving the physical condition, um all required maintenance plans inspections and work order monitorings have been submitted and continue to be submitted to HUD as required.

The real estate assessment center inspections completed in May of this year resulted in scores of 100% and 93%, respectively for the two groups.

And internal contracted inspire inspections contracted with Nan McKay and associates were completed on all vacant and occupied properties in July of 2025, resulting in no life-threatening or severe deficiencies in any occupied properties.

So currently there is an occupancy rate of 20.4% in the units that remain.

And approval of that final disposition application was received in June of 2025.

So as of September 3rd, 191 properties have sold.

30 were pending sale.

And we have only three properties that uh have not sold under their listing agreements with the real estate broker and are turned over are being turned over to McCurdy Real Estate and Auction to be auctioned at no less than the appraised value.

And a detailed disposition report is attached to the agenda report.

Our strategies for the remaining units.

So we the affordable housing fund plan was updated on August 12th, 2025 to the target subsidy for uh units specifically in South City, those to be for uh sold as affordable rental rental units occupied by very large families and units within the floodplain or those that have environmental mitigation needs or those with other market challenges.

And currently we have a request for proposal out on the street that closes on October 10th for 29 units in what we deem as the Arnold cluster at 17th in Matthewson.

And we will be issuing an RFP for the country acres cluster in the near future, and those will be um offered under RFP with no subsidy, and all remaining units will be sold on the open market, scattered not to flood the market after all occupants relocate.

So we had a fresh batch of nine units hit the market last Friday.

We've got the next nine going out a week from Friday, so those consistently roll out.

We have a few capital fund projects underway.

So we did, as I mentioned last month, uh received an additional capital fund grant for 2025, and we've initiated uh 25 roof and gutter replacements project, and bids have been received for those, and we're awaiting contracts.

And we have a current project renovating seven of the units in that country acres cluster.

That's about 25% complete.

So there's no impact to the general fund, so there are no financial considerations there.

The monthly update to the housing authority board is required under the recovery plan, and it's recommended that the housing authority board receive and file the recovery plan status update report for September 2025.

And I stand for any questions.

Thank you, Sally.

Uh, just one question.

I wanted to know where you can find those listings if people are interested in buying them.

Sure.

So that we have a number of properties out on the on the MLS now.

They can re use the realtor app, you know, Zillow, all of those to find them, but or reach out to our broker at home Wichita Real Estate, uh, and they can schedule showings to be able to see those.

The units that are under the RFP, we had them open every afternoon yet last week, and uh have had more representatives from more than 20 organizations actually go in and take a look at those last week.

So we're very excited to see what type of applications we receive.

I see no further questions.

One more thing, Sally, since I did get a response uh to a previous question where you uh talked about the way to work program.

I just got a response back from the workforce centers.

Uh they want to move forward with a collaborative conversation as they believe that that is necessary moving forward with the three organizations YMCA, the city's way to work, as well as workforce centers youth program.

Okay.

Thank you.

With that, I will now open it up for public comment.

No one from the public is here.

I will now bring it back to the bench and go ahead and move to receive and file the HUD recovery agreement status update and public housing disposition update report.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Approved to exceed the gift limit established by the ethics ordinance for council member total to accept travel and expenses to attend the City Health Initiative in Washington, D.C.

October 15th through 16, 2025, for the purpose of serving as a member of City Health's policy advisory committee.

The City Health Initiative is hosted by the De Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente for the purpose of developing its next policy package to drive bold equity-faced equity focused solutions that help major U.S.

cities become healthier, more equitable, and thriving places for everyone.

The estimated gift amount for travel hotel and meals is 1,740.

I move to approve that travel.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-0.

I apologize.

I should have said move to approve the gift limit, uh, exceeding the gift limit.

Uh Madam Clerk, can you please uh call the next item?

Councilmember appointments and comments.

Council members, are there any appointments?

I see none.

Councilmember just comments.

Let's begin with council member Johnson.

Thanks, Mayor.

Uh, just wanted to highlight there was a wonderful service for Bishop Gilkey.

Uh still praying for his family.

There's a newly appointed pastor at St.

Mark Cathedral.

Uh Pastor Martin.

So congratulations to him.

But wonderful service uh that night and the next day.

I know the mayor was there with me.

I believe we were there honoring Bishop Gilkey for three three and a half hours.

Wonderful service, lots of great messages, and again uh sad to see him pass on.

And I know he's in a better place, but just a wonderful service and continuing to pray for his family.

Thank you, Councilmember Johnson.

Um we were also joined by uh police chief Joe Sullivan at that um homecoming life celebration.

And again, I'm very appreciative uh that the Greater Witch Ministerial League uh was present and we look forward to working with them as we have multiple initiatives last year.

One of them was the rallies for peace, uh, unity in the community, and so I hope to see those continue as we have new leadership at Greater Witch Ministerial League.

Councilmember Tuttle.

Thank you.

I promised I would mention it every week, so I'm going to is September is National Library Card Sign Up Month.

Um we've had some great activities going on at the library.

I'll be at a few, I think, all the way through the end of the month.

Um and then this next week at uh Leadership Wichita, which I'm a trustee, and it's government day, we'll be celebrating National Library Card Sign Up Month with the um class of 2025 for leadership wichita.

So if you don't have a library card, please get one and explore the endless opportunities.

Thank you.

Councilmember Ballard.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'd just like to invite everyone out to my district six breakfast on Saturday, Evergreen from 9 to 10.

Thank you, Councilmember Ballard.

One last thing.

Um, I think it's appropriate since we just talked about another celebration of life.

Um, I just want to recognize that today is Kia Duggan's birthday, and so uh my heart still goes out to all the families and friends of those who lost someone during the tragedy in January.

And so um I'm very appreciative that we have community members that continue to celebrate these lives and will do things in honor of those who've passed.

With that, we are not leaving yet.

Sorry, council members.

I have a executive session motion.

I move that the city council recess into executive session for 15 minutes to receive information on a civil action pursuant to KSA 75-4319B2 for legal consultation with the city attorney, which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship for legal advice.

The executive session is required to protect attorney-client privilege and the public interest.

The executive session will begin at 1 45 p.m.

and end at 2 p.m.

The meeting will resume in the chambers at that time.

Second.

Motion and a second, any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Aye motion passes 6-0.

We'll return at two o'clock.