Wichita City Council Meeting: October 21, 2025

The Wichita City Council convened on October 21, 2025, addressing a wide array of items including proclamations, public safety concerns, and a highly contentious public discussion on proposed housing and property maintenance reforms. The meeting featured significant public testimony from both landlords and tenants, resulting in a decision to delay key ordinances pending a new task force formation. Other actions included approving police equipment funding, extending development agreements, and updating cultural grant programs.

Consent Calendar

• Ratified the minutes of the October 14, 2025, regular meeting.
• Approved Proclamations for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, National Chiropractic Health Month, and Mindful ICT Coming Home to Our Hearts Day.
• Recognized Matt Martinez for his leadership in Open Streets ICT and Bayless Bell for her long-term service at the airport.
• Approved funding for Crystal Prairie Lake Park Phase One (Item 8 removed from consent for separate discussion).
• Approved agreements regarding Hangar Dynamics and Wichita State University Campus of Applied Science and Technology Recognition (Items 15 and 16 removed from consent).
• Approved the Board of Bids and Contracts dated October 20, 2025.
• Approved city council travel reimbursements for Mayor Wu.

Public Comments & Testimony

Key Themes:

• Housing Crisis and Enforcement: The majority of the public comment session focused on proposed ordinances regarding property maintenance, landlord registration, and source of income discrimination. Speakers presented sharply conflicting positions.
• Tenant Advocacy: Tenants and tenant union representatives (e.g., Dakota, Lisa Hattrup, Rochelle Small Clifford) expressed strong support for the proposed regulations. They argued that current laws are insufficient to protect vulnerable residents from "slum lords" and substandard living conditions (black mold, infestations, lack of heat). Many testified to personal experiences with retaliation and health hazards, viewing the proposed registry and code enforcement as necessary safeguards.
• Landlord Concerns: Landlords and property management groups (e.g., Rental Owners Incorporated, Empower Homes LLC) expressed strong opposition and concern regarding the proposed ordinances. They argued the changes were rushed, lacked sufficient stakeholder engagement, and would increase operating costs and bureaucratic burdens. Many feared that source of income protections would lead to mass evictions of Section 8 tenants and that the rental registry would punish responsible small landlords despite their 85% compliance rates.
• Data and Process Disputes: Speakers contested the level of public engagement prior to the meeting. Several landlords noted they were notified only days before the meeting, while council members cited district advisory board meetings from 2023-2025 as evidence of prior engagement.

Specific Issues Raised:

• Source of Income: Tenants argued for its inclusion to ensure housing access for voucher holders, landlords argued it creates undue liability and verification difficulties.
• Registry: Landlords opposed a blanket registry for low violation counts, fearing false accusations would bar them from doing business; tenants supported it as a tool to identify repeat offenders.
• Code Enforcement: Councilmember Johnson and others emphasized the need for assertive action against the "15%" of non-compliant properties, while landlords argued existing tools were sufficient if properly enforced.

Discussion Items

Housing and Property Maintenance Ordinances:

• Proposal: Discussion centered on a package of ordinances including the adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC), creation of a Neighborhood Court, landlord registration for repeat violators, and amending the non-discrimination ordinance to include "source of income."
• Staff Testimony: Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson and Legal Counsel presented the ordinances as a multi-tranche effort to address substandard housing, protect tenants from retaliation, and create accountability for properties with multiple violations.
• Council Deliberation: Council members voiced strong support for addressing the housing crisis but expressed caution regarding the specific wording of the source of income and registration clauses. Councilmembers Ballard, Hoheisel, and Johnson emphasized the urgency of holding bad actors accountable, while Councilmembers Glascock and Tuttle highlighted the lack of perceived stakeholder engagement and the potential negative economic impacts.
• Public Reaction: The session was described as a "town hall" with 38 speakers, creating a clear divide between those demanding immediate policy change and those demanding delays and further collaboration.
• Outcome: The council moved to delay the consideration of the IPMC adoption, Neighborhood Court restructuring, and source of income amendment until December 9, 2025, pending the formation of a stakeholder task force. A substitute motion to include the rental registry in the delay failed; the main motion to delay the entire package passed.

Development Agreement Extension (Ballpark Village):

• Proposal: Approval of amendments to bifurcate the hotel and mixed-use projects and extend construction milestones (vertical construction to July 2026, substantial completion to July 2028) due to riverbank improvement delays and weather.
• Council Concerns: Councilmember Tuttle raised concerns about the stadium debt and the potential burden on the general fund if sales tax revenue does not meet projections. City Manager responded that the gap is projected to be manageable, but acknowledged the importance of the project for debt retirement by 2038.
• Outcome: Motion to approve the amendments passed 7-0. Councilmembers agreed to publish more detailed debt schedules for public transparency.

Other Items:

• Police Equipment: Approved $980,000 for police equipment (body armor, helmets) and $3.25 million for heavy equipment vehicles (SWAT, bomb squad, command post). Council asked for clarification on the necessity of two command vehicles vs. one, and storage solutions.
• Health Care Bonds: Approved a public hearing and issuance of $60 million in health care facilities revenue bonds for Larksfield Place Retirement Communities to expand independent living units.
• Hospital Bonds: Approved a public hearing for the issuance of $1.4 billion in TAFR bonds for Ascension Health Alliance capital improvements across nine states, including $60 million in Wichita. Public comment reflected concerns from nurses regarding staffing levels and the use of funds.
• Central Library: Approved $2 million to convert the first floor of the historic Central Library into an event venue, funded by the Transi Gas Tax Fund.
• Environmental Remediation: Approved agreements for Union Pacific to remediate a TCE groundwater plume at 29th and Grove.
• Cultural Funding: Approved 2026 operational grant allocations ($35,000 for Legacy Institutions, tiered contracts for Anchors and Partners) and recommended the new three-tier system.

Key Outcomes

• Housing Ordinance Delay: The motion to delay all recommended actions in the property maintenance and landlord reform package (Item 1) until the December 9, 2025 meeting was approved (7-0). A task force including landowners, tenants, and stakeholders shall be established to review the items.
• Source of Income Denial: The motion to advance the non-discrimination ordinance amendment to include "source of income" was denied (7-0). Councilmember Johnson noted the task force could still address this, but the ordinance was removed from the immediate agenda.
• Rental Registry Denial: The motion to deny authorizing rental unit registration was defeated (7-0) in the sense that the council decided to address the registry as part of the delayed task force review rather than approving it as presented or denying it outright. The specific motion to deny the ordinance as presented was rejected, and the item was subsumed into the delay.
• Ballpark Agreement: Approved the extension and bifurcation of the EPC Real Estate development agreement (7-0).
• Police Vehicles: Approved funding for heavy equipment and command vehicles (7-0).
• Cultural Grants: Approved the 2026 cultural funding allocation recommendations (7-0).
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM.

Note: The transcript indicates conflicting information regarding the final vote on the rental registry. The text shows a motion to "deny" the registry was moved but then a substitute motion to delay the whole package was made. The final vote described (7-0) was on the motion to "approve the project" (Cultural Grants) and the motion to "delay" the housing package. The specific status of the registry ordinance was effectively paused via the delay of the entire package, meaning it will not be voted on as presented.

Correction based on final roll call in transcript: The Council voted to delay all parts of Item 1 (which included the IPMC, neighborhood court, source of income, and rental registry) to the December 9th meeting with a task force. The specific motion to deny the source of income amendment passed (4-3). The specific motion to deny the rental registry did not pass; instead, the delay of the entire package was approved, effectively pausing the registry until the task force reviews it. The final vote on the delay of the entire package passed 7-0.