Very busy.

I thought you were like, what we want to do.

Please roll the video.

Please take a moment to silence your mobile device.

Proceed to the podium, state your name and address, and you will be given five minutes to speak.

A timer can be viewed on the podium screen.

Good morning, Wichita, and good morning to all of you.

Thank you for joining us for this week's City Council meeting.

I call this meeting to order.

With us this morning to provide our invocation is Reverend Ben Staley of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church.

We will have the Pledge of Allegiance following that invocation.

We ask that you please stand for both.

Throughout the world, and also wisdom for our president.

And we believe in your love for each of us, all of us, and have given us your promise of a future and a hope to all who trust and follow you.

And what you wish for us, you wish for our city, a future and a hope.

Guide us in the way you would have us go, especially through this election process today.

Help us to have the heart and mind of Christ to consider not only our wants but also the needs of others.

Guide our mayor and city council members to always do what is best for all of us, putting our people first above all personal agendas.

We pray for your presence and protection in our neighborhoods, our schools, our hospitals, our families, our churches.

Guide and watch over our first responders.

Bless all in our community and give us the courage to love one another as you have loved us, no matter what might be our differences.

And we pray it all in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thank you, Pastor Staley.

Madam Clerk, please call the first item.

Approve the minutes of the regular meeting, February 17th, 2026, and February 24th, 2026.

Council members, are there any items to be edited?

I see none.

Second.

Motion, second discussion.

See none, Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 7-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Awards and proclamations.

Today's proclamations are women in construction week 2026, procurement month, and education and sharing day.

Can I please ask the NAWIC to come forward at this time?

Whereas the Greater Wichita Kansas Chapter 120 has distinguished itself for 60 years as the voice of women in construction in Wichita.

Whereas the work done by the Greater Wichita Kansas Chapter 120 has benefited Wichita through community development and educational programs, as well as unpromoted the employment and advancement of women in the construction industry.

Whereas the construction community, represented by Greater Wichita Kansas Chapter 120, has been the driving force in fostering community development through renovation and beautification projects, promoting skilled traits, careers, and a positive vision for the future.

Whereas this year's WIC Week theme, Level Up, Build Strong Communities, Careers, and Futures, champions the legacy, amplifying the present, and builds the future of women in construction.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Wichita City Council does hereby proclaim March 5th through 11, 2026 as women in construction week.

Thank you.

It is a great honor to be a part of this organization.

We have uh we're celebrating 60 years this year, um, just in a few weeks.

Um, so uh if you would like to know more about Nawick, um we are N-A-W-I-C Witchtaw.org.

Lots of great information out there.

We've got a Facebook page with all the events that we have going on this week.

And yeah, thank you.

May I please ask all those in purchasing and procurement to come forward at this time.

The proclamation reads the city of Wichita, Kansas, founded in 1870, whereas the public procurement profession plays an important role in obtaining the greatest value for each taxpayer dollar spent in the procurement of goods and services.

Whereas the purchasing division of the city of Wichita provides logistical and operational support to all departments within the city of Wichita.

Whereas the purchasing division works to ensure fair and transparent procurement practices, procurement and compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The purchasing division is committed to providing high quality services efficiently and effectively, strengthening supplier relationships and promoting small and emerging business enterprise program opportunities.

Whereas the Institute for Public Procurement has proclaimed the month of March as procurement month to further expand the awareness of the procurement professionals' role to government officials, the general public, business, and corporate leaders.

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Wichita City Council does hereby proclaim March 2026 as procurement month.

Thank you, Marion City Council.

I promise I'm not running my staff off.

I had two tenured retirements after 40 years recently, and we have a pre-bid and credit card trainings going on, so the work continues.

It's with great pride and gratitude we accept the proclamation recognizing March 2026 as procurement month by the City of Wichita.

This year, an acknowledgement of our new city manager manager Marstall, I'd like to share purchasings why.

The city's establishment of purchasing policies and procedures began with the creation of a limit of the purchasing manager's authority established in 1929 at $1,000 under the tenure of City Manager Bert C.

Wells.

The purchasing agent called back then was appointed by the city manager in 1949.

The first version of the purchasing manual was created, outlining extensive work and subject matter collaboration, including local university professor Hugo Wall.

This work product contains text and reiterations of guidance that resemble language found in most recently published purchasing manuals.

Purchasing's earliest references are inexplicitly tied to the city manager.

This relationship remains true today in the profession service to an agency.

These advancements are outlined in the city manager office's publication of Managers Ash's biography stating a definite step forward in purchasing under the old regime.

The purchasing of supplies was left to various departments, and this was found to result in confusion and very often purchases were made without proper authority.

Often the employee doing the work would order the article needed, and the first information regarding it would be the invoice or bill.

Also, it was difficult to keep a proper check on prices and to prevent the duplication of bills.

Under the new plan, no purchase could be made except upon proper requisition, countersigned by the manager.

In this way, no purchase was permitted except by proper requisition and a check was kept, which prevented duplication of bills by giving the auditor a copy of the requisition for notation on his records.

This was certainly a step forward, although a single purchasing agent was not placed in charge until Bert C.

Wells became city manager ten years later.

As we enter this month, let us recognize procurement establishes the work to support best value and price, safeguarding against fraud, waste, and abuse.

Purchasing does this through establishment of internal controls afforded in purchasing policies and procedures.

These topics are not fun and they're not easy to discuss when evaluating these purchases, but they're essential to guide the invaluable work the city does.

In every project, a story exists where purchasing staff objected to a process we couldn't defend.

We advocated for a department request.

We advocated for a small business opportunity, or advocated for the taxpayer that informed the final business decision.

Our office cannot be more grateful to work for an employer that empowers us to advocate for procurement best practices that guide our city toward continued success in trust and service, always striving, always improving.

All of these efforts to support the city's purchasing activities could not be possible without the purchasing staff that facilitate this work daily.

Thank you for the fantastic staff and your dedication.

I see you.

They all see you.

We thank you.

Whereas education, the cornerstone of a strong and free society, is more than the transmission of facts and figures.

It prepares children for lives of responsibility and purpose by forming and strengthening moral character.

Whereas Rabbi Menahem N.

Schnerson, known as Rebbe, was a global spiritual leader and leading advocate for the advancement of education who taught that moral and ethical education empowers every individual to realize their full potential and transform the world through acts of goodness and kindness.

Whereas March 29, 2026 marks 124 years since Rebbe's birth, and his vision of a world grounded in peace, justice, and human dignity was advanced through his promotion of the seven laws, principles that uphold respect for life, honesty, family, generosity, and the building of a just and moral society.

Whereas education and sharing day is observed annually on the Rebbe's birthday in recognition of his lasting contributions to education, morality, and charitable acts, and serves as a reminder of our shared responsibility to provide youth with a strong ethical foundation for lives of purpose and service.

Now, therefore be it resolved that the Wichita City Council does hereby proclaim Sunday, March 29, 2026 as education and sharing day.

Honorable mayor, members of the city council, and dear friends.

It is truly an honor to stand today as we proclaim March 29th Education Day in Wichita.

This day is recognized across the country and the world in honor of the birthday of the Lababa Chiraba, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson.

The Rebbe taught that education is not merely the transmission of information, but the cultivation of character.

True education must shape not only knowledgeable minds but compassionate hearts, responsible citizens.

Today is also the holiday of Purim.

It's a Jewish holiday that celebrates a moment in history when our ancestors faced the threat of annihilation by a wicked man, the evil Haman in ancient Persia.

The Jewish leader at the time, Wardefai, gathered 22,000 children to study and pray.

And with that merit, Queen Esther was able to save the day.

This year, the story of Purim resonates with urgency and emotion from many around the world.

As communities in Israel mark this holiday, many are not on parade routes.

They are taking shelter as bombs fall, and the very real fear that danger once again moves.

The answer to extremism and ignorance is not silence.

It is education.

Education that teaches the value of every human being.

Education that instills moral responsibility.

Education that builds bridges instead of walls.

The rebels suggested that a way to instill this into the children in public schools across the nation is to institute a moment of silence, a moment at the beginning of the day when the children have a chance to think and reflect on what is important to them.

When the city proclaims education day, it is making a powerful statement.

It is saying that knowledge matters, that character matters, that our children matter, that the future of Wichita will be built not on division, but on understanding.

Today our city goes to vote on a matter that has brought out great passion, but more importantly, discussions about the issue.

And today I want to say clearly, I vote yes to education, and I vote no to ignorance.

May Wichita continue to be a city that invests in learning and morality and in raising a generation that is thoughtful, courageous, and compassionate.

Thank you for this honor.

And we go from strength to strength.

Madam Clerk, please call to next item.

Five minutes each to address the council.

Please bear in mind that this is not a period of dialogue with counselor or question and answer period.

This is your opportunity to address the council with your concerns.

I ask that you address your remarks to the city council as a body and not to any individual council member.

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

Speakers will please speak into the microphone.

Please state their name and address for the record.

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

Order and rule rules of decorum will be observed.

We do not have any speakers signed up.

Would anyone from the community like to address the council?

Please state your name and the district you reside, and you will have five minutes.

My name is Janice Bradley, and I live in District Six.

We are living in dark times.

Saturday morning.

We awoke to news that the U.S.

President has started World War III on orders from Israeli PM, Prime Minister Netanyahu.

This is a war of choice, not necessity.

And as usual, Trump is lying about everything.

165 Iranian girls died in the earliest bombings on Saturday.

We've already been in mourning over the vicious and brutal takeover in Minneapolis by the fascist ICE and border patrol agents who have shot and killed, executed, activists standing up to protect their neighbors from violence and abductions and imprisonments.

Do these issues haunt your sleepless nights?

Keep you awake?

They do me.

So Sunday, uh I attended a community meeting regarding the shooting of DeAndre Hill, a young black man on January 20th by Wichita police.

DeAndre was a beloved community member, worker at Planet Fitness.

And he was shot, well, just outside his apartment door by the Wichita police, who were answering a welfare check call about a woman crying.

So they heard some noise around his door.

It was 1 a.m.

He was playing music.

And he ended up getting shot and killed by Wichita police who were there to check on somebody else, a woman.

There was no woman there.

It's just a un senseless killing.

And it reminded me of the SWATI incident in 2017, December 27, 28th, Andrew Finch, who went to his door to check out a disturbance.

So family and friends and community members all have questions about how this could have happened.

We are calling on the police to fulfill the family's demands to release the complete body cam footage, conduct a thorough investigation, and ask that the district attorney bring charges.

DeAndre had a gun, but he didn't deserve to die.

Just like Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, he was executed for exercising his second amendment right, just having a gun.

He didn't shoot it.

That police officer emptied his gun into that man.

Now, even you know, one shot, maybe he had a chance to survive, but nine in the chest, no, no way.

And that's just stunning and unnecessary.

So I asked the council to weigh in on this and call and support the call for a complete investigation and the release of the body cam footage to the family.

Thank you.

Would anyone else from the community like to speak?

I see none.

Thank you for the public comments.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Consent agenda items one through 18.

Council members, are there any items from the consent agenda that you would like to pull?

I see none.

I move to approve consent agenda items one through 18.

Second.

Motion second discussion.

See none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 70.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Board of Bids and Contracts dated March 2nd, 2026.

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

Board of Bids and Contracts convened yesterday, March 2nd, 2026 for the following items.

For engineering, we have the Laguna Street and Spring Hollow Drive to serve Clear Creek 3rd and 4th edition phase 8 for Pearson Construction LLC and the amount of 166,618 dollars and 50 cents.

For purchasing, we have liquid phosphate for Shannon Chemical Corporation and the amount of $58,850 awarded by the successful Coin Toss Friday for two tide bids.

We have the Avia Operational Control Licensing Subscription for Logic Incorporated for three-year aggregate total of 418,000, 10.

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.

Thank you, Josh.

Questions for staff.

I see none.

I move to approve the Board of Bids and Contracts dated March 2nd, 2026.

Second.

Motion second discussion.

See none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 7-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Fire station construction.

Good morning, Mayor, City Council, Tammy Snow, Fire Chief.

I'm here today to ask you to approve the funding for new fire station number 23.

Fire station number 23 will be one of the very first fire stations that we built since 2009.

It is currently located, will be located at the northwest corner of Pawnee and Mays Road.

Its official address will be 2353 South Mays Road, and his zip code is 67215.

We purchased the land 475,000 approximately in 2024.

There's approximately 2.49 acres.

And the total square footage of the of the fire station is 9,860.

Our target was to keep it under 10,000.

This fire station will be the very first fire station that we have that aligns with our health and wellness initiative.

As you notice here, we have eight individual bunk rooms.

The station will open with one fire apparatus.

And but when you build a fire station, you build it for 50 years.

So it has expansion.

Excuse me.

So that when the um when the area grows, we'll have room to add additional units apparatus in to this particular station.

That's the reason for the eight bunk rooms instead of just four.

If you notice also we have one bunk room that's a little bit larger, that bunk room is ADA compliant.

Additionally, this is another feature that aligns with our health and wellness.

This is a decon area.

This particular station, the members that are assigned to this particular station, will receive a second set of personal uh PPE gear as we go through and we continue to add new stations and continue to rebuild our existing station.

This is a feature that we have planned for so that little by little all of our firefighters will have a second set of PPE.

So if you notice here, this is an area in which they can go in and shower as soon as they're done with the as soon as they return from a fire.

It has it will have its own PPE extractor washer, and it also has a drying cabinet.

Uh so they can take their their gear off, um, wash and dry it, put their second set on another additional feature for the health and wellness is the updated stair station alerting.

Um this particular station alerting, um, it reduces and minimizes, it's not a very real loud sound.

Um and it um will kind of it it revs up, um it starts low and then revs up.

It also has the uh minimizes the nighttime light disruption.

Uh this particular um alerting system, you know, we have funding for it.

This this alerting system should be installed in all of our fire stations by the end of the year.

So excited about that.

And also this particular alerting system, if we have multiple units in a station, and once they log into the CAD system and they identify what bunk rooms in the future, what bunk rooms they'll be residing in, it can just notify those specific bunk rooms and not um wake up the entire station.

So I'm here today to ask for the funding uh from 2025 and 2026 for new fire station number 23.

Um in 2025, we had uh a lot at 4 million dollars to build the station as we began to uh begin the design work and start to gather information from other construction costs.

For example, PD's new East uh substation, um, Andover's new fire station, um, the construction costs uh rose from 400 square feet to 500 and a quarter.

So we knew that we didn't have enough money at 4 million.

So last year at CIP time, which is about this time, uh, we added 1.25 million dollars.

Uh so the the amount that I'm asking for today is 5.25 million dollars.

Uh currently the station comes in at um the proposed bid is five point one seven nine million.

So we should come in underneath the budget.

With that, um I recommend that you adopt the project, adopt the bonding resolution, authorize the necessary signatures, and I'll stand for questions.

Thank you, Chief.

Questions for staff, beginning with Councilmember Hoheisel.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, thank you, Chief, for all your work on this.

Um, especially with the the bunker cleaning gear.

That's we all know the the rights out firefighters get cancer far outweigh what anybody on this bench does, um, and their families as well.

So is this going to be a template moving forward for the new fire stations?

Yes, sir.

Um, anything that we rebuild or any new stations, uh and Tesseray is the current architect for this.

When the bid went out, uh, the original bid, it was to build the next three fire stations.

So this is station number one.

Next on the agenda is station number eight, so we'll use the same template, and yes, as we move forward, they'll haul all have the same features.

Okay, I appreciate that again.

Thank you for your work on um addressing some of the safety and health concerns with the firefighters um moving forward.

So I do appreciate that.

Thank you, Chief.

Councilmember Ballard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Chief, for the presentation.

Super excited to add some more fire stations uh for our community.

Quick question about the um design costs.

So it says 1.5 million, and that's for three stations.

Is that correct?

But I almost want to make sure I understand the template.

Oh, you're talking about the design on it, yes.

Yeah, the original, it was for the three stations.

So uh when I just talked about it's for this station, um, and then there's uh uh for station eight, which should be the next one that we build, and then station 15, so it's for three.

So the template is basically not just setting, I mean, there might have to be like change the way that it's sitting on the property, but when you say the template, is this is this three separate designs, or it's gonna be the same design for 15 uh 23 and 8.

Yeah, it it's primarily the same, except for they'll have to be tweaking because it depends on how big of the lot that you have.

Um, so like for station eight, you're pretty familiar where station eight is.

So we'll have to turn it.

We're gonna have to turn that one.

We'll probably elongate it, uh, so we'll add an extra bay to it.

So that design, this particular template has two bays to add an extra bay doesn't take too much, not my mind, but in architect's mine, it's an additional cost.

So, yeah, it they'll be tweaked a little bit, and that's where the additional funding comes the additional money that we've uh asked for comes comes in.

Okay, um, and last question is when you guys were designing um the new modernized things that you're adding to this station.

Um, I assume there was a board that made those types of decisions, and was there any current firefighters um the board that was helping say we might need this or we don't use this, and some of our old stations have this.

Yes, we sat um we went through very uh months of meetings.

We involved everyone, uh gamut.

We had um everyone from um the union, we had people represented there on the union, we had firefighters that were invited, we have battalion chiefs that were invited, and um everybody had an opportunity.

We kind of used the whiteboard approach where you put everybody's ideas down, and then you go and start um you know crossing things out or adding things um to align with like health and wellness and those kinds of of things.

Great, thank you.

Councilmember Johnston.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Chief, for the presentation.

Where does the uh next our fire station Northwest Fire Station?

I know that's the next greatest need is in Northwest Wichita.

Yeah, between District 5 and 6.

We we are we should I have money in 2026 for land purchase, and then in 2029 it would be billed.

Okay, two years later then.

Yeah, okay.

Any way we get that moved up.

Um well, I need to get the land first, sir.

Okay, okay.

We're working on that.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, Chief.

I have a couple more technical questions.

So um back to the green sheet, and I think council member ballard alluded to this.

The design for three separate stations, and again, for people who are watching, station eight is over at Central and I 235, and station 15 is over at Rock Road in Lincoln.

Um, so the design for these three stations is 1.5 million dollars.

Is this in line with most design costs?

Yeah, usually in fact, these are really at the kind of the lower side, most of the time you figure about a half a million dollars for design.

Um, and uh these these three scopes of uh for this particular project is based on whether or not they have to build it on what would they refer to as a clean lot or not?

Um so for example, the first one, station 23.

It's not been platted, it's not been developed.

Um that's the reason why that's particular station is a little bit more expensive.

Station eight, you see that um it's already been platted, it's been developed, and so um those two station eight and then station 15 is the same way.

In addition, station eight and station 15 are both um buildings already sitting on that property.

Um, demolition costs also taken into account in the design, or is that more in the construction?

And if so, um, can you give approximate costs for the future number eight and number 15 stations?

I'll have to get back with you on that in regards to demo uh demolition costs.

I'll have to get with public works.

So I'll get back with you.

Thank you.

Um, and then there's some confusion by community regarding the CIP.

Um, I know that today is the sales tax vote.

Um, maybe this question is more for the city manager.

Can you address um how the city is going to fund the construction of this new fire station with uh without the sales tax and what would happen if the sales tax passed?

Well, this and some other items.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

Uh this and some other items on the agenda have been planned, have been in the hopper for a while, and so they are included in our 10-year CIP.

So this would be with our general obligation bonds as of now.

And this will go forward under that bond process.

And so these will be funded through general obligation bonds now, depending upon what happens today.

We will have a conversation with counsel at your retreat about future CIP items and how they'd either advance with sales tax support or continue with general obligation bond, which is funded with property tax support.

Um, so that will be determined the remaining projects.

We talked about the future station, potentially 2029, um, how that will be funded based upon today's vote.

So that will be a conversation still to come.

Can you also give an approximate since this station currently as it sits in front of us right now, would be debt funded, so we would have to take out a loan in order to build this new station.

Can you talk about how much in interest costs this will be?

I don't have that exact amount in front of me.

Um, but yes, when we do general obligation bond, it is debt basically taken out of mortgage that the city pays on, and so there is interest costs, there is origination fees, different things that go along with that.

I don't have the uh interest rate because again, we get favorable rates from the city for our financial uh bond um rating.

Um so there will be interest cost with this.

I don't have that exact amount today.

Be glad to follow up.

I'd be interested in knowing that amount.

I know that obviously not only do we uh take out the five point two five million, there will be interest in addition to that.

It would be good for transparency purposes to know what that interest would be.

Um my question is for staffing, staffing this new fire station.

Can you address how this new fire station will be staffed?

Um our intent um if it's approved by the council is to apply for a safer game.

Um that's a uh staffing grant um and allows us to hire new new personnel.

Um those grants come out well, they were already supposed to be out.

Our original information was that they'd be out in early February.

We haven't received any of the grant applications yet.

Um usually they come out about this time of year, and then you submit the grant.

Um it's about a six-month process from the time that you submit it before you hear back whether or not that you actually receive the grant.

Um so anticipate hopefully hearing sometime in September or October, in regards to uh whether or not we'd be awarded the grant.

Um, and then um if if we were awarded the grant, uh then our our plan would be to start the class, and it takes us about six months to get firefighters through the class.

So uh by the time that we would start, you have 180 days from the time that you're awarded the grant to actually um begin the class.

So um if we were to get the grant like in September, we would start the class like in January, um, then it's six months from there.

So about this time about the time that we would open this station in 2027, uh they would be ready to uh serve.

How many positions would you be asking in the safer grant?

We would be asking for 14.

That's a that includes a coverage ratio.

What a coverage ratio is there's there's four people on the apparatus, but what the coverage ratio covers is for um vacation time, killy days, and sick leave.

What's the amount that that would increase the budget?

Because safer grants are only for a specific number of years, then the city would have to absorb that into their budget.

Can someone give me the figures of how much that would be that the city would then have to absorb into the budget?

Yeah, um they I mean I can just give you rough estimates if you want exact estimates.

You know, we we figure about uh 120 uh thousand dollars per firefighter.

So you um you take 14 times 120,000.

Um, and that you know, based on this current contract, um, what should be um in 2027 by the time we hired them, they'd still be under this current contract.

1.68 million, is that accurate?

You said 120,000 per firefighter times 14.

That is 1.68 million dollars that um eventually the budget would have to absorb.

Is that accurate?

Yeah, well, if you're I'm letting I'm I'm um I'm uh I'm assuring that you've done the math.

I did not do the math, but yeah, it's about 120,000 times 14.

City manager, uh, can and can you also address how long are safer grants?

How many uh years is the safer grant um able to pay those uh positions, and then when would the city have to start paying for them?

I'll give you a little caveat on the safer grant.

Um, each year they're a little bit different.

Um so for example, they're usually a three-year grant, and I say usually because I've seen them at two years also.

Um the last time that we obtained the safer grant was for the 42 positions for the truck personnel, adding two new trucks.

That was a three-year grant with no match.

Um they oftentimes will have SAFER grants will have uh where the federal government will pay the first 65 uh percent of the grant, and the other 35 percent then becomes the uh responsibility of the city, and then that that number continues to shift through the grant.

So then the next year it may go you know to 45 percent and 55 percent is the city's responsibility.

They it just varies, it depends on uh the grant year um and how they're written out.

And again, this is if it is awarded, um there's no guarantee that the city would be awarded.

City manager, can you address how the city would then absorb these well two questions?

If a grant only allows for 6535, does the budget currently withstand having an additional 35 percent absorbed into it?

Um, and the the second question is if the safer grant is really a full grant that three years later then the city absorbs, how will the city then absorb it into the budget?

So, two questions.

Yeah, thank you, Mayor.

Um, so we will have these conversations as part of the budget process.

So we give you coming here at the end of March, April, um, the revenue projections that we will have for the general fund support, and so depend upon the safer grant, if it is a three-year zero or partial, we will factor that against the projected new revenue and present that to you to council with other positions for the organization as well.

So we'll have more of this conversation with known information uh probably about April.

My second question now to you um following that is uh to the chief, rather.

That is if the safer grant is awarded.

What if the safer grant is not awarded?

What happens then?

Well, um if we don't get any if we don't uh incur any additional money in our budget for staffing, then we would have to reallocate people, and uh then we take a look at the data and see um how we can move uh units around and move people around.

Thank you, Chief.

And I see that Mark just arrived, so maybe he has the answer of how much of interest costs this new fire station uh would incur morning, Mayor Mark Manning with the Department of Finance.

Sorry I wasn't here a little bit earlier to answer that question directly.

Uh as you know, every time we do a CIP project, we we bond a lot of them, we pay cash for some.

But to your question, Mayor, if we bonded a fire station, the interest costs over a 10-year term would be somewhere between 1 million and 1.3 million, depending on the interest rates that we received when we issued an additional million dollars in just interest um payments alone.

Is that accurate?

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Councilmember Ballard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Chief Snow, we just have a quick question, and this is maybe getting in the weeds a little bit.

But for station eight and fifteen, since there are already fire stations and the will be rebuilds.

Um will those stations go down during construction, or will you try to do a temporary station, or what does that look like to fill the gaps?

Yeah, it just kind of depends on we'll we'll work with the construction people and try to figure out um, you know, will they need to totally vacate?

For example, like station eight, can they stay where they're at while they're rebuilding on that same lot and then demo the building at the end?

It's it just kind of I don't have a plan yet.

It just kind of we'll we'll work with the construction people and see what options we have.

Okay, thank you.

Um an additional question.

So currently station eight, just so that we're back to resetting central and I-235 is where station eight is located.

That is co-location between fire and police right now.

That's correct.

And uh the city just broke ground on a new police substation for the west side of town.

So they will be moving out of that location.

Is that accurate?

And then fire will take over that piece of property.

Is that accurate?

Yes.

Yes.

Thank you.

Um, Chief, can you address because this is a new fire station, uh, the justification of the need for fire station number 23?

As you mentioned, the last time the city built a new fire station was 2009, and there has been a lot of expansion um out west in council member uh Glasscox district and council member Johnston's district.

Can you tell me the justification for a new fire station number 23?

It it's um we take a look at our data uh based on our response times out there, and um we don't our response out uh times out into the um west side of uh the particular southwest and then the northwest section.

We have significant gaps in which we can't get units there in um it's usually our our average response time out there is seven minutes or more, and we um shoot for um four minute response times, but we have and then with the um additional uh development that's going on out there.

Um, all of our data indicates that we need to um provide some service out there better than what we're currently are doing.

It's been a gap for us for many years.

Um, prior to me even becoming the fire chief.

That's that's those two areas we've identified for a long time.

The only thing that helps us in the northwest area is station 33.

Um, oftentimes it's a county station, they'll oftentimes beat us into that area at 37th and Ridge Road.

Is there any uh fire coverage by the county in Southwest Wichita?

Um no, they don't have any stations that are close out there.

That's why that one took number one precedents in regards to uh building it first.

Uh I know that this upcoming month or this month in March, we will have our next on bunk between the city and the county, and fire is one of those topics.

Um, can you just address um have you worked with the county to see if there are any um shared services that could be had in the southwest portions of Wichita slash Cedric County?

Um Chief Williams and I continue to have conversations in regards to shared resources and how we can provide better services to the community out there.

Um both of our thoughts are uh the simple fact that uh when people die on line one one, they don't care what the color of your patches or what your patches or what the labels are on the outside of your apparatus, what they want is um to be helped, and uh that's his and I's philosophy.

It's been our philosophy since we both become chiefs.

Um you've seen the black line go away, and we respond the closest unit to our calls.

Thank you for the collaborative effort between Sedra County Fire and Wichita Fire.

Um, I'm looking forward to the on bump conversation because I know that Southwest Wichita, as you mentioned, has significant gaps, and this has happened for multiple years, and so the justification behind 23 will be helpful, not just in Southwest Wichita, but even in the surround.

So uh thank you for answering the question regarding the justification.

I see no further questions from the bench.

We will now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public who would like to address the council regarding this topic.

We'll bring it back to the bench, beginning with council member Tuttle.

Thank you.

I just want to say thank you to Chief and the Wichita Fire Department.

Um, we've been working on these wellness initiatives for a couple years now.

Um, also want to thank um President Bush with the local um IFF 135.

You and I have been to Andover to their news station several times.

We've taken the fire union with us, taken other council members with us.

Um they really were a model for us, especially for the sleep rooms and for the lighting, and that's very important and then the decontamination process.

And and so I really appreciate you being a forward thinker and being willing to think about how we protect our firefighters to the best ability that we can.

Um, we're very aware of the firefighter cancer screenings that we've been doing for the last couple years, but it's more than that.

This is creating a culture of wellness within our fire department, and I think this is what the future of firefighting is.

We need to make sure that we're taking care of those who take care of us.

So I just want to applaud you.

I know it's change and change is hard, and maybe some of the firefighters aren't always willing to embrace this, but I think it's a new and bold concept that we need to look at.

And just as a side note from my public health background and my health background, sleep hygiene or how people sleep affects their health and their quality of life.

As a matter of fact, sleep is a contributor to every chronic disease.

So making sure that we're not only having decontamination but also the best living and sleeping environments for our firefighters is is truly essential.

So I just want to applaud you again and thanks for all you do.

Thank you.

Appreciate all your work on the project too.

Vice Mayor Glasscock.

Mayor, I don't see any of my colleagues on the board right now.

And so I just want to say thank you, Chief.

This is closing a 17-year gap on public safety.

We know that our city's grown, but our infrastructure hasn't grown to support that, and especially in South Wichita, and so this is a huge step forward.

There's a lot of public engagement I district about it.

I think I had a town hall with 80 people that showed up specifically about to talk about the fire station.

So thank you for presenting at that.

The neighborhood's excited about it, the community's excited about it, and we know that we still have a long way to go in catching up on public safety infrastructure, especially with deferred maintenance, and we're gonna make sure that you guys get the resources to do so one way or another.

And so thank you for your leadership on that.

With that, I would move that the city council approve the project, adopt the bonding resolution, and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second, motion second, any discussion.

Again, thank you, fire chief, and thank you to council member vice mayor Glasscock, who sat, I think on this committee uh regarding the new fire station that will be in Southwest Wichita in district number four.

Um, again, I'm looking forward to understanding more the future operations of this new station, but the justification for a new fire station in Southwest Wichita is the reason why I will be voting in the affirmative.

With that, Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 7-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Public hearing and request by Prairie Glenn MFLLC for approval of a letter of intent to issue multifamily residential revenue bonds.

In the interest of everybody's time, I have a number of slides.

I'd be more than happy to walk through if you all have specific questions, comments, concerns.

But uh, we have received a request from the applicant to continue this item to the April 7th agenda.

Um they'd like an opportunity to continue to try to meet with you all and continue to try to inform you all as to um kind of the details of the project um given the time constraints and uh complexities of schedule.

Uh felt like the continuance to April 7th gave them a little bit more time to talk to you all and some others about the project.

So, with that being said, this item was advertised for public hearing, and so procedurally uh we'll need to open the public hearing, uh receive public comment if there are folks who are here to comment on the project.

Uh, you can then continue the public hearing, uh, and then ultimately the request from the applicant has been to continue this to April 7th.

Otherwise, I'll stand for questions.

Thank you, Troy.

Questions for staff.

I see none.

Thank you.

We will now open it up for public comment.

I see none.

I will close public comment and bring it back to the bench with the information from staff.

I move to continue this item to the April 7th agenda.

Second.

Motion, second discussion.

I see none.

Oh, sorry, that's in council member.

Sorry, my bad.

Council member uh Tuttle, would you like to move that item?

We move the item to April 7th.

Um motion second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 70.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Amendment to chapter 802 of the city of the of the code of the city of Wichita regarding chronic nuisance properties.

Good morning, Mayor, Council.

Jan Jarman for the Law Department here to talk to you about a proposed amendment on chapter 8.02.

All right.

The chronic nuisance code was created in 2016.

The purpose of it was to have the help hold property owners accountable for unusually high call volumes at their properties, call volumes of police issues.

And probably more often commercial properties.

In 2023, I just pulled a year.

Mayor asked for some statistics.

So I pulled 2023 and 2025, and I'll tell you why in a minute.

But in 2023, they wrote 34 letters in the East Substation with zero abatement plans and zero bills.

I won't go through each of those numbers.

You can see them for yourself, but I'll tell you what that means.

When a business or residence has a certain number of trigger events, crimes at their property, then the police department will issue them a letter that says, hey, you got a lot of stuff going on here and we need you to take care of this.

And if there's subsequent issues, you're gonna hear from us again.

So those are the initial letters that are written from each substation in 2023.

If additional problems occur, then there will be an abatement, a letter telling them we need an abatement plan, which is the property owners' plan to reduce crime at their property.

We're real careful.

We don't count domestic violence because we don't want to reduce calls for domestic violence, and we don't want to hold that against people, but we'll count a lot of other violent crimes as being trigger events.

So in this situation, you can see Patrol North sent out 65 letters and they ended up with four abatement plans.

The plans are created by the property owner, and then they're approved by the police department.

The other thing about abatement plans, by the way, well, I'll tell you about that in a moment.

So uh we had a little wrench thrown into things in 2024 when the Department of Justice sent out a letter all over the country, not to the city of Wichita only.

Bless you, but all over the country, and they said we're real concerned about crime-free ordinances and nuisance-based ordinances.

And they uh warned that you need to be careful about how you're using these, or the DOJ might come in and review your program.

We don't really violate the problems, they really had to do more with fair housing laws.

And I'll tell you that when the police department does these plans, they never tell that they never tell a business that they have to evict someone.

Um, that is not our business on evictions.

Uh, so we don't really trigger the problems that the DOJ was concerned about, and also our commitment to not including domestic violence laws.

But we are pretty conservative in the law department, so we said, why don't we put a hold on using this for a while and see what the DOJ does throughout the country?

And I'm gonna tell you we haven't seen anything.

And then the administration changed, and under the new administration, it is less of an issue.

So we went back to using this, even though I don't think it ever really would have impacted us the way the warnings were issued throughout the country.

So we stopped using it in 2024, about midway through 2024, and about midway through 2025, we picked it back up again and used it.

So that's why your numbers are lower in in 25.

Where we had 25 warnings for Patrol East, they did one abatement plan, 33 in Patrol South with four abatement plans, and then you can see 31.

Here's the good news for business owners.

These these plans protect them as much as uh as they could end up, people think that they could hurt them.

And let me tell you like if you do an abatement plan and the police department okay's it and agrees that those are reasonable measures to take to reduce crime at your property.

If another crime occurs, you're protected if you're following your own abatement plan.

You will not be billed for services if you are following the plan that the police department agreed was re were reasonable steps.

Um the only way you would be billed is if you're not following your abatement plan, or if you know showed the abatement process and didn't have an abatement plan.

So this isn't a process to try to get people.

As you can see by our numbers on how often we bill.

In 2023, there were zero buildings, in 2025, there were zero billings.

And what I mean by billings is um if you have an abatement plan and you violate it and there's a there's future problems, and we could bill you for police services, but we really have only done that in the since 2016 a couple of times, so it's not it's not popular at all, it's not likely.

Um the new amendments will combine residential and commercial properties right now.

We have different rules for times.

Uh, it's like your your trigger events have to happen within six months for a for a residential property and like within 30 days for a commercial, and that's just too fast.

No one works that fast, it's hard to manage.

Um, it also removes some of the trigger events.

We removed gang activity instead of focusing on who's doing the crime, we're focusing on the crime itself.

So there's no reason to have gang activity in there as a trigger.

Um, we also got rid of some pedestrian violations, which seems kind of silly as a trigger event.

Um, we got rid of barking dogs, and we got rid of uh most of the traffic violations.

We did add traffic violations though.

The new trigger events we add racing and stunting, we're having problems in some private property parking lots where there are big car shows with lots of stunting that's dangerous, and now we could go with this amendment, we could go to the owner of that lot and say, you got to do something to shut this down.

We have some lots right now where they're good with no trespass, but they don't want anybody prosecuted for being on their land, and that doesn't do us any good.

We can't stop the racing if you can't prosecute someone who shouldn't be on that property in the first place.

So uh this would address that issue.

Uh, if you have a SWAT deployment, uh then that would be uh a trigger event.

If you have unlicensed club activity, some of those after hours clubs, that could be a trigger event.

Um, possession, a large amount of stolen property or or like a pile of catalytic converters, that could be a trigger event.

Um, and then we also added we already had some code enforcement issues, but we broadened code enforcement as being trigger events in the amendment.

Um, the amended appeal, uh the amendment also includes uh streamlining the appeal process, it matches the other uh city appeals, it removes the appeal to the city manager.

I think when we first created this in 2016, we were concerned there would be a lot of appeals.

So we thought if you went through the manager, it would be a step to have some of the appeals heard without going to the full council.

We haven't had any appeals, so now we're just gonna make it like every other appeal where it would go to a panel of three council members.

So with that, I recommend uh that the city council approve this proposed ordinance and place it on first reading, authorize the necessary signatures, and I'm open for questions.

Thank you, Jan.

Questions for staff, Councilmember Hoheisel.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Jane.

You knew I was gonna have questions here.

Um this this seems good.

Can you talk a little bit more about residential abatements?

Um is this still strictly a police issue if it's code enforcement violations that makes it a nuisance prior uh property.

Does that mean it goes through MABCD or is the chief still have the final say as far as that goes?

It's still all the chief.

Still all so we're not going to the plant because it goes through the chief and it's not an MABCD issue.

Um a nuisance could we would want crime with it.

Uh it's not we're not gonna call every house that needs a lawn mode uh to be a chronic nuisance property.

We already have the ability to to bill them if we have to mow their lawn, for example, or clean up the lawn.

So this would only be using conjunction since it's a Wichita police department program.

Okay, so if there is code enforcement violations that could be construed as illegal, um perhaps people burning wires to get to the copper, that's kind of a health issue.

Would that fall under WPD's um area of concern here?

That would because WPD wouldn't be out to enforce code only, but if we think they're doing it for other crimes, then those would stack, and that's the ability of the MABCD if they're burning it and then we find stolen property on the you know on the premises, then WPD would deal with that.

During one of the abatements, yes.

Um squatting vacant homes.

How does that work into this as well?

Because I that's another concern that many in my community have our vacant homes that people break into.

Sometimes stuff in the area goes up many times.

You know, there's alleged drug use going on in these places as well.

Um so how would that figure into this as well?

Squatting is not a trigger event, but I can tell you we're getting better at addressing trigger events.

So if citizens have trigger or have squatting issues, they should get with the police department.

We don't we don't allow squatting.

But we didn't make that a trigger event on this ordinance.

Okay, that might be something worth a conversation at some point.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

As a follow-up to that, can it be added?

Squatting?

Yes.

It could.

Yes.

Would there be interest from this council to add squatting as part of that trigger?

I have one more question that might be able to answer that for me.

Vice Mayor Glasscock.

Thank you, Mayor Jan.

I'm looking at the document, and in section B, it's on page two.

Um it says that we're changing the responsible party from three or more trigger events or from uh from two or more trigger events to three or more trigger events.

What was the justification or rationale to increase the number of trigger events?

Because that seems like a lot to occur within a six months.

Like if you have two of these, uh, go into the list of possible trigger events.

If you have two of those, I would have concerns.

Why are we increasing it to three or more?

Well, I think the Wichita Police Department probably agree with you.

Um I I am here on their behalf, but I also advise them that we need to have to make it chronic, there needs to be problems occurring, or else every property in the city will be uh chronic nuisance.

So I'm really trying to hold out some properties are chronic nuisance and some aren't.

You'll also notice in the definition of trigger event that the most serious crime count is two trigger events, and that was that was kind of the compromise.

If you have SWAT call out, that would be two trigger events.

If you have a search warrant, that would be two trigger events to kind of have a compromise on that issue.

Great.

Yeah, if the SWAT shows up two times, that I don't need them to show up three times, two times is enough for me to consider well if SWAT shows up one time, it counts as two times.

Okay, fantastic.

And the reason we I increased the trigger events is we you you're required more trigger events for a commercial property than a residential property because you have more people living there.

Uh, and we were I was trying to find a uh something fair.

Okay, awesome.

Thank you for that answer.

Councilmember Shepard.

Thank you, Mayor.

A couple of questions.

Uh, can you speak to um again how you plan to translate the materials into in a way that um folks can understand if they become uh if this applies to them, they get a letter that gives them the uh ordinance so they can review it, and it's a warning before anything is done to them, they're warned.

Um, you're on our radar, you have a lot of crime happening at your business.

I can tell you probably on most of these, the police are already involved, they're already making visits and they're already telling them that there are problems.

Um, so they'll usually get some kind of personal contact, but they'll get a warning letter before they're ever asked to participate in an abatement plan.

And in that letter, there's a number that they can call to ask questions or get more clarity.

Absolutely.

Okay, I I asked that because not everyone is comfortable with the police showing up at their door, which is why they may not answer.

Not everyone can receive a letter in the mail and understand what abatement even means.

It doesn't mean that they're not intelligent.

I think we use words all the time that are common to us but not common to the every every every average citizen, and so I know it's really important to be able to have that direct access to be able to break things down, even for myself.

I have to ask why and if someone can break it down for me sometimes.

Um, my next question is so if there is an abatement issue, what are we doing to guide those folks to the resources that are available through the city?

I know the mayor mentioned squatting.

Um, not that I'm opposed to that.

Um I I'm not opposed to even enforcing, you know, things regarding our unhoused neighbors.

My issue is and will always be until the resources are available to support those who need the resources, we should not be putting an additional strain on our law enforcement, and we should not be putting an additional strain on other neighbors because if we don't have the resources, we're just kicking the problem down the street.

That's not fair to law enforcement, that's not fair to our community.

So, what resources do we provide when someone has an abatement notice?

I'm not sure what kind of resources we could offer.

Let me give you examples of of where we use these abatement notices.

I can only think one residential, and uh it was one where there were drive-by shootings uh weekly, and the person who lived at that house was not cooperative.

Uh, they wouldn't give any kind of suspect information.

Uh, they also had a used car lot in their lawn, um, and we prosecuted them for that, and the hoods were up all the time.

It was a nice little neighborhood, and neighbors lost all value in the property.

There were fires on the property.

So finally we sent a letter that said, you're gonna you're gonna need to do something about this.

And so I'm not sure what resources we could give.

They just needed to stop, you know, selling cars off their lawn, and they needed to help the police figure out who's doing all the drive-by shootings.

That house ended up getting demolished, it's gone now.

So folks parking on their grass in the neighborhood would not be an abatement notice.

No.

Okay.

Different kind of abatement.

You're thinking of the MABCD abatements, and we give lots of resources for those.

And we have a liaison with MABCD.

This is a different type of abatement.

This is gonna be criminal based.

Um it's not that we're gonna go in and do anything.

This is we might do this with a motel that where there's a lot of human trafficking happening out of the motel.

And we give them a notice hey, there's been like five incidents of human trafficking out of your motel, you're gonna have to do something about this.

So it's it's a it's the same word, it's an abatement, also, but it's a very different kind of abatement.

Perfect.

Thank you for clarifying that.

Um, because when I when I see in the analyst that violations by MABCD fire or public works, adding that, that's what led me to believe that.

Um, the final thing I will say is you know, touching on language matters.

I just want to give kudos to you or whoever decided to do this.

But um I know that we striked out under definition C striking out the commercial property means real estate, but then you know, serial malt beverage.

I I think a lot of people don't recognize how deeply offensive that could be if they don't understand the historical context behind language and how that has applied to certain communities.

So again, just want to reiterate how important language is.

I'm always gonna be a major proponent of asking about language.

Uh sometimes I think we put things in there not intentionally thinking of how it can target certain communities.

There's a sign in College Hill that talks still about no cereal malt beverage allowed after a certain time.

I want to take that sign down because it's deeply offensive if you understand the historical context behind that.

So I just want to give you kudos for striking that and for being hyper aware of language.

Thank you.

Councilmember Hoheisel.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I would like to hear WPD's thoughts on perhaps adding squatting.

And by the way, if we add squatting, it would probably be best through trespass, is because that's how the city would view squatting.

Okay, I appreciate that.

Uh Captain Moses from the Wichita Police Department for the record.

Uh there's a couple different options related to squatting.

We see the language here related to MABCD, the fire department to fit into our overall strategy related to crime reduction uh through risk terrain modeling.

So that's why we like the language as it's proposed here.

It we have monthly meetings with all city departments, and in those meetings, MABCD can bring up code issues they're having at properties that we can align with what we're doing related to violent crime uh and other crime.

If the body wishes to add squatting, uh that's certainly something we can look at.

I think there's other ways perhaps to get there without adding that specific language that we can address those types of issues with the language as it's proposed today.

Okay, so maybe just put a pin in it and see what comes of ongoing discussions.

Yes, okay, I appreciate that.

Yeah, there's um, you know, MABCD does a good job boarding these houses up, but um, I think we just need to have a discussion about how to reach and uh compel some of these property owners to take care of these issues.

There's one right on the corner in my neighborhood that it's been three years boarded up every so often it gets broken into and the neighborhood goes crazy, and then we just don't have the the property owner just ignores it.

Like we've reached out to them, they don't care, they're just gonna let us sit there and deteriorate.

So yeah, maybe just put a pen in that and then see if there's any um good ideas that comes in the future as far as how to address those particular problem areas.

And I think just to add to that, you're getting at the purpose of this ordinance, right?

So often we see owners of properties that don't live in the community that's affected by who lives in that property, and that's the purpose of this is to kind of generate more ownership and guardianship over your property that you may not have to live in and experience the challenges that the neighborhood does, but alert you to those challenges that the neighborhood is facing.

Right.

Okay, appreciate that.

Thank you.

Captain Moses, could I ask a quick question?

A follow-up kind of to that uh from the data regarding the 2023 and 2025 um notices.

Can you give an approximate percentage of how many were actual residential homes versus commercial properties?

I can't off the top of my head, no.

Um, I will tell you most of these that we deal with are gonna be uh commercial properties.

Um I can think of specifically off the top of my head when we're talking about changing the language on trigger events.

There was a problem uh drinking establishment that we had when I was a patrol officer, and with the language as it is today, the owners of that property, if there was a trigger event, would just close for a month and wait for that month to end, knowing that their trigger events had passed and they wouldn't get nuisance abatement and then reopen.

And they would just take that loss of revenue, knowing that they then wouldn't have to work with us on making changes to make people safer, uh, which is why we're very supportive of the language that Jan has drafted.

Because we think it, especially with that uh two trigger events for some of those more violent crime serious incidents.

Thank you, Captain Moses.

I see no further questions for staff.

Thank you, Jan.

We will now open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public who would like to address the council on this topic.

We will bring it back to the bench.

With that, I will move to place a proposed ordinance on first reading and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion second discussion.

See none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 70.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Police armored personnel carrier.

Morning, Mayor, City Council, Jason Cooley, Captain, which is tall police department.

Uh today I bring before you the uh police armored rescue uh vehicle uh from the CIP.

A little bit of background.

Uh WPD utilizes a diverse fleet of vehicles to protect the community by transporting and or rescuing individuals as well as critical equipment during uh high risk emergency situations, uh, and this includes our limited number of armored vehicles.

Uh the WPD relies on these special armored rescue vehicles to effectively respond to emergencies throughout the South Central Kansas region at any time and under any environmental conditions.

These vehicles must be maintained at a high level of reliability to ensure the safety of both personnel and the community.

Uh Wichita is a large uh city in the United States and the largest in Kansas, and these armored rescue vehicles are essential to de-escalating and mitigating critical incidents.

These vehicles provide the necessary protection to safely rescue both the community members and personnel during critical incidents.

The absence of this capability diminishes operational effectiveness and increases the risk to the public and personnel during these critical events.

For financial considerations, um the $600,000 in general obligations bonds is adopted in the 2635 CIP.

And our recommendation is uh you guys approve the initiation of funding and authorize the necessary signatures.

And with that, I'll stand for questions.

Thank you, Captain Cooley.

Our boards are not refreshed, so I can't see who wants to speak.

Just raise your hand.

Councilmember Hoheisel.

Oh, thank you, Mayor.

Um what do we have that's compatible to this within our um inventory right now?

So we have three of these.

Um I say that with caution because they're not all the same type of equipment or provide the same capabilities.

Um we have one that so we belong to the South Central region, it's a mutual aid agreement.

Um we belong to it for our SWAT team and our bomb disposal team.

And in that um, members of the region can submit requests, much like CIP or budgetary requests to the region and say, hey, we'd like this piece of equipment.

Um years ago in 2011, um, the one vehicle that fits this requirement was donated by the region.

So that vehicle is the one I'm referring to that any moment, any SWAT team in the region could call it up and it's gone.

We we give it to them for their operation.

Um the other two are 2012 vehicles, they were donated by a citizen through a trust to the police department.

They are not the same type of vehicles, it's not what we're asking to purchase.

Um they are of value.

Excuse me, but they have much more limited capabilities than the rescue vehicle that we're seeking today.

So short answer is three.

One from the region is old.

It has been shot four times.

We are getting to the point where we're replacing welds and hinges, and the other two that we have don't provide the protection that is required for the National Tactical Officers Association standards that we have to meet for accreditation.

Okay, so replacing a 15-year-old vehicle here.

We have no intent to give it back to the region as the other SWAT teams have some of the other vehicles.

Our intent is to keep it in the fleet.

But the reason we intend to keep it is it is a regional asset.

It can be called up at any moment.

Keeping it inside the fleet allows us to have four.

And you know, as we know during an active shooter event, um loading individuals into three vehicles that only see 10 people at a time is multiple trips to evacuate them.

So uh would this new vehicle be able to be responsive to the regional um needs as well?

Yes and no, that's at the discretion of the chief.

It is not purchased through the region, so it is not obligated to be called up from the region.

So, for example, if I don't know, Hutch, for example, Reno, they have an armored vehicle, but if they needed a second one, uh they could call up that regional asset, and we have to provide it because it was purchased through the region.

This vehicle is at the discretion of the chief if it leaves the city of Wichita or not.

Okay, thank you.

Yep.

Councilmember John Stone.

Thank you, Mayor.

Cab Cooley, thank you very much.

Um give us a little idea of how big of the region is the South Central Region.

How far what's the further city includes?

So I did four pages of research on that, and that wasn't the one of the things I looked up.

So I want to say from the bomb contacts, it is uh 17 counties.

I could be wrong, but it's it's pretty wide.

Um we go as far out as uh Dodge City.

Um, most of the response, almost all of our responses through bomb responses.

Um very rarely responds to something outside the region.

When we had 4141 South Seneca happened here, we use seven different SWAT teams because that was a multi-day event.

So those SWAT teams from all the regions came.

We used seven different ones, and they came to assist us so we could sleep and take breaks and but typically that's a bomb response where we're going.

Um, we'll go as far as western Kansas as eastern Kansas.

Uh I can't remember how far north we go, but you start getting into the Kansas City uh region up there.

Um so don't quote me, but it's like 14 or 17 counties.

It's fairly large, it's it's several hours of drive time if we were to leave it.

Just give an idea how how many SWAT teams and bomb squads are there in that region.

SWAT teams I don't know because any agency can form a SWAT team as long as they meet NTOA standards.

So if Derby wanted to form a SWAT team, they can as long as they meet NTOA standards.

Um, the number of members, whatever tier, you know, are they gonna perform barricades or hospitals rescues?

As long as they meet those standards, they can form it.

You're also uh dictated as the standards of having specific equipment in 23.

All those standards changed.

It's a chart now.

So for example, this vehicle has to be meet specific ballistic rated to be for our tier for our tier and NTOA.

We have to own a vehicle that meets these ballistic ratings.

Bomb, uh, there's only us and KHP until you get into the Kansas City area.

I'm not sure how they work up there.

I don't know if it's a joint, you know, metro in Kansas City.

Um, but that is limited.

Uh the federal government dictates how many bomb teams you can have in a region, and that is uh based on equipment and training.

We can only get so many bomb techs into the FBI school a year.

Um we just submitted our eighth one to go through.

That's a year wait.

So you can't just form a bomb team, I guess is the short answer.

So in Kansas, there's us, KHP, and then whatever's in the Kansas City metro area.

Okay.

So we go out and help a community.

Do we ever get reimbursed for those services or just a consortium?

Yeah, uh we don't get we just pay for it.

Yeah, we don't get reimbursed per se, but I'll tell you that uh one of the bomb vehicles is a also a regional asset and it is due to be replaced, and we submit funding through the region.

Hey, we'd like to replace this or our bomb suits or whatever equipment we're asking for the region, and we do get money allocated from the region to replace those.

I I couldn't tell you the last bomb suit, the city of Wichita actually purchased.

All of our bomb suits that I know of have come from the region.

So reimbursed, I guess, in a different form.

Okay, okay, thank you.

Councilmember Shepard.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'm gonna ask a couple of questions that are coming from members of my district advisory board.

Um can you explain why this is a must have and not just a nice to have?

Sure.

So to meet the NTO standards for a SWAT team.

There are four tiers.

Um being the top, and then it goes down to four from there.

Three and four don't have a lot of requirements to them, those are mainly your um search warrant type teams.

Um we are a tier one and tier two team, so to be able to perform hostage rescues, uh, high-risk barricades, um the more high-risk situations, you have to be a tier one or tier two.

NTOA sets the standards that says you will have a armored rescue vehicle that meets level four ballistic.

Um and we have that.

It is aged.

It is the regional asset that we are welding back together.

It's been shot multiple times.

Um, so it does need replaced or however whatever terms you want to use with it.

Um reason from a tactical standpoint that it's a must is because uh we are a large city with seven million visitors a year.

That doesn't even count the residents here.

We've got NCAA, uh, we've got Riverfest.

Our vehicles are out and about constantly.

Um I think we had 43 deployments last year of these vehicles out of 52 weeks.

Um there are often times that we are calling for two uh different locations to have search warrants done on them at the same time.

We're waiting for different assets to come from other cities.

Um we had a situation down in Haysville where officers were being shot at and our vehicles didn't have the equipment they needed, and we waited an hour and a half for Harvey County to bring their armored vehicle, the one we're requesting.

We waited for Harvey County to bring their vehicle to help us.

Um that's an hour and a half of officers taking gunfire.

So that's why it's a must.

Um, there's a lot into the tactical elements when we're talking about sides and uh you know where we post up on residents, but thank you.

Uh you answered all my questions with that one question.

Um, and I and I think it's really important to be able to break that down.

So thank you.

Yes, you're welcome.

Captain Cooley, I asked this of the chief earlier, um, and I just wanted to again, it's for community to understand the priority of this item.

The health and safety of not just the community, but the health and safety of officers is paramount.

Uh, can you address how this will help with health and safety of our officers and community?

Yeah, uh, that is a a that question encompasses a lot.

Um when we are talking about health and safety.

I'll I'll start with safety of the community.

We currently already use these rescue vehicles to evacuate residents during these calls.

Um they're more than welcome to shelter in place, however, that is never our preference.

Um because we know bullets will travel through multiple structures.

So pretty much on every swap call, you're gonna see us load up residents as we're getting in position and evacuating them with our armored vehicles.

Um that's we've been doing that for years.

Um that goes back to uh Councilman Shepherd's question of if we are staging one or two at a house, we still need other ones to evacuate residents while this is going on too.

Um the wellness aspect, uh, I will tell you that some of these call outs are long.

Um, we're out there all night.

Um eventually we have to give breaks to those officers, um, feed them.

We we have also have to wait to get them back to the command post safely.

So we will use one of these to load them back up, uh, uh, bring them back to the command post to take care of them, give them a break, give them water, food, um, shift them in and out.

Um we also transport them to the location in these, that way they're not having to walk up with equipment.

We'll make multiple runs with equipment.

Um I hitting on your okay.

Um thank you, Captain Cooley.

And when was the last time these vehicles were last used?

I think pretty recently.

Can you just address the most recent cases?

Uh I think we had a swap call last week, wasn't it?

Or two weeks, barricade last week.

Umfortunately, um, we're standing in front of you today because they are used very frequently.

Um that's unfortunate side effect of our business is they are used.

Um, but you know, one thing I'll add is the these buy us time when we're talking about these incidents.

So when we're able to get up and put a two crisis negotiators in these vehicles up close and personal with the individual, that buys us time to negotiate.

Um these allow us to get close to de-escalate these situations.

Thank you, Captain Cooley.

I see no further questions from the council.

We will now open it up for public comment.

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

With that, um, thank you for the justification and what I hear from you is a priority.

Um, and again uh Wichita is the largest city in Kansas, and I appreciate that there's mutual aid agreements between other communities.

Um at the same time, Wichita has her own needs, and so making sure that the health and safety of residents but also of officers has to be a priority.

Um so with that, I will move to Councilmember Shepherd.

I move uh to initiate the funds and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion second discussion now.

Councilmember Shepherd.

Thank you, Mayor.

I really appreciate it.

Um, I wanted to make a comment because I know um it's important for me to make sure that folks in my district who have heartburn about things like this feel hurt, seen and valued.

I completely understand the heartburn that some folks might have when they see something like this on paper, but I appreciate the commentary that's been shared today.

When I hear things that these vehicles have been used 43 out of the 52 weeks, that is alarming, but it also showcases that there's a purpose.

When we hear that we're one of two bomb teams in the region, and that other folks rely on us to be able to protect and serve their communities, that matters to me as well.

Um, also when I hear that it buys us time, though that may seem very um surface and shallow to some.

I know that you can't put a price tag on a life.

And um, I unfortunately know that every time I turn on the news, seems to be another event happening across our world that reminds us of the importance of having infrastructure like this.

Um, most recently, Austin, Texas.

And so with that, I will be supporting this.

Um, and I thank the Wichita Police Department for their service and protecting and serving our community.

With that, uh, thank you for the public uh sorry for the council member comments.

I just wanted to clarify one more time that there was I gave time for public comment, and no one from the public came forward.

So I brought it back to the bench.

Uh we have a motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 7-0.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Police department property acquisition of 1890 West Harry Street.

Good morning.

Jerry Ford from the City Manager's Office Development Services.

I'm here to present the item for you today on the acquisition of a property at 1890 West Harry.

The Wichita Police Department requires a facility to store specialized vehicles that meet unique needs of police operations, such as the vehicle we just approved to purchase a moment ago.

The facility needs to meet the facility needs to meet the specific size requirements for an appropriate amount of space, height clearance, and located in an ideal location that allow for rapid deployment are important.

The property located at 1890 West Harry meets this criteria.

It is a 12,830 square foot warehouse with 16 foot ceiling heights.

There are five overhead doors measuring 14 by 12 feet, and the site is fully fenced for security purposes.

The Harry Street property will meet the immediate needs, storage needs of the police until smaller scattered storage facilities are constructed at each of the four bureaus.

After the new facilities are built, this Harry Street property may be used as the police seized vehicle storage facility, or it could be sold on the open market if no city use is identified.

The purchase price of the 1890 Harry Street property is 1,0664,890 or the equivalent of 83 per square foot.

Staff recommends initiating 1.5 million of the 2026 through 2035 adopted CIP funding for this purchase.

The additional 432,610 will be used for enhancements, such as the installation of a new security system and cameras along with exterior and interior improvements.

And with that, I stand for questions.

Thank you, Jerry.

I had a couple questions that I sent via email, so I'm going to ask those so that you can help justify the can you tell us what's the property appraisal value of this said property?

This property is currently appraised for $837,200.

But as we discussed, the county appraised value is a different value for tax purposes and should not be relied upon for the determination of a property's fair market value.

So can you see what the comps have been in that area?

What does that justify or not justify?

Because right now, again, appraisal value is 837,200, and what the city would be paying for this property is 1,064,890.

Yes.

We did an internal valuation and did an analysis looking at properties that are currently on the market that we have looked at properties that have been on the market and properties that have sold.

There was a property in this immediate vicinity at 1706 West Harry that recently sold.

So very comparable as far as location is concerned.

That sale price was 1.2 million or 80 dollars a square foot.

This property is a somewhat inferior to the subject property.

It's older, it's not fenced in either.

But in addition, in addition to that, there were some other sales.

Did sell on the open market as well for one point at 222 hydraulic for 1.6 million or 82 dollars a square foot.

So this property, when we look at the fair market value and looking at comparable properties that are on the market and have recently sold, this property is in a line with the current market value.

How much is this property generating in sales taxes?

Will we forgo or will we be paying for those property taxes as a city?

As the date of possession, a tax exemption application will be filed from that date of possession.

So the city anticipates not having sales tax uh property taxes on this.

And then I just wanted to uh know this will be an additional building that the city will then own and will have to maintain.

What is the plan regarding maintenance of this uh building?

Yes, we did have an assessment of this property.

We ran our facilities teams through there to review the mechanical and structural uh condition of this property, and this property with its it is a more recently constructed property and is currently in very good shape.

Um as for plans to maintain it, the police department will need to incorporate that into their budget with other facilities.

Thank you, Jerry.

You're welcome.

I see no questions from the council.

We will now open it up for public comment.

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

This will be in district number four.

Yes.

Mayor, thank you.

Um, seeing no other comments, I would move that we adopt the bonding resolution, approve the real estate agreement, approve the budget, then authorize all necessary signatures.

Second motion, second discussion.

See none, madam clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes seven zero.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Lease agreement for city on property at 444 East William.

Again, Jerry Ford with the City Manager's Office Development Services.

The item before you is for a lease agreement at a city-owned facility, 444 East William.

The city-owned property is a 650-stall parking garage located at 121 South Emporia, and it is improved with a ground level office retail space comprised of 6,250 square feet.

The finished space was is identified as 444 William, which is currently leased to Wichita Festivals Inc.

The city's transit center is directly across the street, and the new biomedical campus is in the next block to the west.

This is an image of the parking garage looking at the uh retail space at 444 William.

The finished space was built out as office space in 1994 and occupied by the housing and community services department at that time.

In 2013, when housing vacated, Wichita Festivals relocated from their building at 137 North Waco to 444 William.

At that time, the Sen the city entered into a gross modified lease agreement in the amount of $12,500 per year.

The lease is considered below market, and because Wichita Festivals is a not-for-profit, the property has not been on the tax roll.

Due to changes in the downtown market, the city required that the lease with Wichita Festivals be renegotiated for the first six months between the cancellation of the original lease and the new triple net lease before you today, Wichita Festivals proposed a progressive monthly lease adjustment that phased the monthly rent from 1,041 dollars, which is what they were paying to $4,499 a month.

The lease was renegotiated from a gross modified format to a triple net format.

The rental rate was increased from $2 a square foot to $889 a square foot.

The new lease rate is a combination of the base rent at $864 square foot, together with the additional rent estimated for expenses at $25 a square foot.

The lease term is for two years, and the base rate will escalate 3% on in the second year.

However, this amount could be adjusted depending on expenses.

If the expenses are decreased, the tenant will receive a credit on their next month's rent.

If expenses are increased, the tenant shall pay the deficiency on demand.

Thank you, Jerry.

Questions for staff, Vice Mayor Glascock.

Thank you.

Jerry, what are the comps in this area in terms of square foot square feet?

This area has been unique.

A lot of the properties that have been on the market, they're most are advertised as triple net.

You're gonna see lease rates with a base lease rate around $10 a square foot, but that additional rent could vary.

It could be anywhere from five to an additional ten dollars a square foot.

Um so that would be 15 and to 20 dollars a square foot.

The lease rate at the cinema parking garage is approximated, it's about $19 a square foot, 10 for a base and nine as the additional rent.

Okay, so what was what was the justification for eight dollars and sixty-four cents if it could go upwards of 15 to 20 in the area?

This space is not recognized as what you would call a traditional retail class B or Class A space.

Um it is a little bit more worn and torn, it's older.

The property has not been updated since it was originally built out.

And that's still so would we say the 15 to 20 comps or have been updated, they've been renovated.

Yes.

Thank you.

No further questions appreciate it.

Councilmember Johnston.

Thank you, Mayor.

Jerry, can you go back to slide 70?

Yes.

Require glasses, but um you you made the comment the expenses are estimated at 25 square foot.

There it says 25 cents a square foot.

Oh, I misspoke.

It is 25 cents a square foot.

When we did our estimation for the expenses at this property currently, that's what the square footage rate would be on a monthly basis.

What would those expenses be at 25?

That's not very much at 25%.

No, it isn't.

The utilities are currently in the tenant's name and will continue to be in the tenant's name.

The taxes were estimated pretty low because we haven't had taxes on this property.

Um, those are uh around 2200 insurance on this property using the city's insurance discounted rate.

We estimated that this would be about 1,400 a month or a year, excuse me.

Uh, for any kind of common area maintenance and operational, such as replacement of AC unit or any ceiling that needs to occur uh for water prevention.

Um that's at 15,000.

So for annual estimated expenses is 18,586 or a little over 1500 a month.

And how many square feet is it?

6,250.

So 6,250 times 25 cents is not gonna get you there.

Um I don't have a calculator in front of me.

I this was done in Excel spreadsheet, so I'm trusting the Excel spreadsheet math.

Uh so you're saying that the annual is 18,586 or roughly 1500, it's actually 1,548 rounded up to 49.

So 1549 divided by 6250 square feet is 25 cents per square foot.

Okay, your annual expenses were how much again?

18,586 is the estimated expense.

Okay, well, you're close.

Yeah, okay.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Shepard.

Thank you.

Uh Mayor.

For my not can you tell me what communication was had with which tall festivals that this was coming?

Yes.

So when the lease originally ended in July, we had talked to them in April with early indication that we were gonna need to make some changes with the lease.

Um at that time, the festivals, uh, which tall riverfest was occurring at the end of May or beginning of June, and so we had intended and communicated with them that we would come reconnect with them again at the end of the festivals at the end of Riverfest, which we did.

And at that time, um sat down with them and explained to them with the changes in the in the market, um, what the needs were and what we were and anticipating what the rent would need to be changed to.

That is uh the reason why we worked with them on that progressive rent schedule so they can make the adjustment over that six month period.

And can you remind me?

I know it was in the presentation, um, how much of that is an increase to their rent?

That is, I don't have the percentage.

Um, but it is it's substantial over time, just because if they were paying 12,000 a year and now they're gonna be paying 55,000.

Yeah, that's that's concerning for me as a renter up here.

I know what it's like when my rent goes up even by a little bit, even you know market rates, and so I I think the same can be applied to folks, you know.

We're having conversations in April, Riverfest, May through June, telling them in July, do we know anything like how this is going to impact their bottom line or well?

We when we approach them about this, um we I explained to them that we had intentions on it raising the rent.

They were the ones that actually proposed the pro the rent schedule to us.

Okay, that that makes a world of a difference.

Um question for you, because this is in my backyard where I literally live.

Um I know that you mentioned that there's the cleaning of the common areas and lighting and trash service.

Um have you factored in what downtown Wichita already does to clean that area?

No, I have not.

I'm talking about the space specifically.

You the inside or the exterior okay, the inside, not the exterior.

Okay, cool.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Vice Mayor Glasscock.

Thank you.

I had a few other questions that popped up.

I'm glad that we added an escalator.

Is that normal practice moving forward that all of our contract agreements will have an escalator?

Because if they were paying $2 per square foot previously, then we haven't had that for that was it was a unique rental situation that they were in.

But typically, yes, in real estate transactions, we do factor a three percent escalation annually.

Okay, fantastic.

And then the next question would be this is only a two-year lease.

This, yes.

They wanted to keep this lease short term because they are looking for a combined facility that they can use for both office and storage.

Well, and I'm just thinking of biomed coming online right there.

You have a parking garage there.

This is would be premium space for businesses in the future.

So I just want to make sure we're not locking ourselves in to this rate moving forward as well.

Exactly.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Ballard.

Thank you, Mayor.

Is or was anybody else looking at this space?

I mean, that just is really really high increase.

And they're they're okay with this.

This was a negotiation.

I mean, this was a negotiated increase.

That is correct.

But as for the availability of the space, we have not put the space out there otherwise.

Um, we just anticipated with all of the changes in the in the downtown core, and especially with Biomed coming online in 27, um, that we needed to take a look at how this space is utilized.

Okay, that's very concerning to me.

Um, I understand keeping up with the market, but that just seems like price gouging to this to this group.

And I mean, I know these are conversations and you know things are going up, but you know, I I don't want to price people out of these areas too because we are developing and there is so much cool new stuff coming around.

I don't want to lose some of these organizations or businesses that have been the pillars that have held old town up.

So I'm very concerned about this.

Um, yeah, I just want to go on the record saying I'm very concerned about it.

Council Vice Mayor Glasscock.

Thank you.

This may be more of a discussion-based than maybe a comment question as well.

Um, but in terms of I actually probably take the other side as that if this is a city-owned property, we should be trying to get the most for our investment.

I think how we can encourage Riverfest or Wichita festivals to stay there is we look at separate donation agreements.

Now that that's a conversation we can have if we believe that we should help subsidize part of their stay there, then I think we do that in a donation, but I think we should be trying to get the most from any of our investments uh moving forward as well.

So council member Shepard.

I appreciate Vice Mayor Glasscock's comments.

I I would tend to disagree.

I think it it is important to get the most out of your property, um, and it's important to be a good neighbor.

It's important to be a good partner.

And to Councilmember Ballard's point, I think as we look at the great success that is happening in that area, I'm I'm excited about it.

That's one of the reasons why I'm choosing to stay downtown.

Um, it also is important to me to recognize the people who have been loyal to our community and investing in downtown before it was what it was.

And I also am really concerned, coming from a nonprofit background, how this might impact their bottom line.

And and I don't know what the conversations were like.

You shared that they they presented this, which again surprises me a little bit, but I often feel that as nonprofits, if it's not made clear that there is opportunity to negotiate.

So it shouldn't just be limited to the people who can pay the fine price to live in a downtown.

We'll talk about that more.

If affordable housing options come available in downtown, I'm a firm believer that we need to be looking at having a little bit of everything in the people's backyard.

Um, and so um I I really am deeply concerned, but thank you so much for all your work that you've done on this.

You're welcome.

Councilmember Johnston.

Thank you.

I'll chime in to $2 a square foot anywhere as a donation.

Um you can't find anywhere in the city for $2 a square foot.

So I think this ticks up to market, but maybe the lower end of market.

So I think it's it's fair.

So thank you for the work on this.

You're welcome.

Thank you, Jerry.

I see no further questions.

We will open it up for public comment.

I see no one from the public who would like to speak on this item and bringing a bit back to the bench.

This is in council member Joseph's district.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I will tell you that had Wichita Festivals not approached the city and come up with these terms.

I would not be in support of this.

Um, but they know what's best for their organization, and I trust them, and I trust the city to be able to do that.

So, with that being said, I move that we accept the recommendation of city council to approve the lease agreement and authorize all necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion second discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 6-1.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Funding for water and sewer utility improvements.

Good morning, Mayor, members of City Council for the record, Don Henry Public Works and Utilities.

The funding is included in the adopted 2026 to 2035 capital improvement program and includes the following projects as listed within the published CIP.

Chini pumps, distribution, uh Southeast Booster Pump Station feed completion, water production, variable frequency drives, well-field power poles, well-field well spur lines, lift station rehab replacement, and wastewater treatment plant three ultraviolet system.

Keep in mind the funding is included in the adopted CIP and initiation of the funds and delivery of the projects will not impact water or sewer rates.

First on the list, the Chiny Pump Project will replace four of the high service pumps within the pump station.

These pumps deliver raw water to the city for treatment.

One of the pumps has uh previously been replaced.

The remaining four near the end of their useful life, and so replacement is necessary for ongoing reliable delivery of raw water to town for treatment.

The Southeast Booster Pump Station feed completion will design improvements through the piping system that's coming into the pump station.

This will ensure stable pressures within the system as demand continues to grow in the southeast portion of the city.

This uh pump station is located um off of Harry Street near Interstate 35.

It serves the southeast portion of town as well as our um wholesale customers in Rose Hill.

Next on the list, very frequency drive, variable frequency drives our computer controlled um equipment that operators use to regulate and normalize the pressure within the distribution system.

Um utilization of modern VFDs, uh, extend pump lives, uh, reduce energy and promote system reliability through avoidance of uh harmful pressure spikes within the system.

This project will install new VFDs in the Southeast Booster Pump Station as well as provide the design work for future installation of VFDs at the Web Road pump station.

Next in line, the well field power pole project will replace city-owned power poles that are bound their useful life within the uh Equus Bets well field.

Um the city owns and maintains roughly 80 miles of overhead power lines uh in um the early 2000s when ASR phase two was constructed.

The lion's share of the poles were installed new new at that time.

Um at that time it was uh the possibility of underground power was explored and found to be cost prohibited.

However, the uh the newer poles out there are metal poles as opposed to wood, and so these old wooden poles will be uh replaced with the metal to ensure optimal life cycle of the assets.

You may be familiar, some of you are familiar with the uh well field rehab project.

Um, this is annual ongoing work that ensures um optimal operability of the city's municipal water supply wells.

Um our well field manager tracks the production and the degradation curve of each individual well, and this information is used to prioritize uh the work that's done on the wells, whether it be reworking the well to bring it back to light new condition, or for those wells that are into the their useful life, they will be plugged and replaced with new wells.

Likewise, the well field spur line project promotes uh ongoing reliability of delivery of raw water from the Equis Beds well field to town for treatment.

Uh the spur lines connect the municipal supply wells to the main transmission lines within the well field, and these pipes are nearing the end of their useful life, and so they are in need of replacement.

This is another one of our um year-to-year ongoing projects that you may be familiar with already.

The uh sanitary sewer lift station rehabilitation project.

Um it uh makes sure that uh the 60 uh pump stations that serve the sewer system uh remain functional or and uh maintain the necessary capacity to serve each individual basin.

Uh work is developed and prioritized based upon the age condition consequences of failure of each station, as well as the um needs for capacity due to growth.

The wastewater treatment plant UV system project will replace the outdated and no longer supported EV treatment system located at plant number three.

This is for disinfection purposes, it's the final step in the treatment process to make sure that uh microbial growth is attenuated within the effluent before the water is discharged into the receiving stream.

Financial considerations include the adopted 2026 through 2035 CMP, uh CIP, pardon me, includes the following budgets.

Uh for the Chini pumps, $3 million is being requested, bringing the total amount to $3,450,000 for the project.

The distribution southeast pump station pump station fee completion and the amount of $300,000, the water production, variable frequency drives, and the amount of $800,000 bringing the total budget to $850,000.

The request for the well-field power poles is $1,020,000 for the well-field rehab project is $2,400,000.

For the well-field spurline replacement project is $250,000.

For the sanitary lift station rehab replacement project, $1,200,000.

And finally for a replacement of the wastewater treatment plant three ultraviolet disinfection system, $2,100,000 for the total funding request of $11,070,000.

Thank you, Don.

Questions for staff beginning with Council Member Hohe.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Don.

I appreciate uh your work on this.

Don't want to get too in-deep into the uh deep into this, but um how much extra would it cost to bury the power lines?

I don't have the information in my fingertips, um, but as we move forward with the project, that's one of the things that we can take a look at.

I think the information that we have would be a bit dated specifically to the well field.

Um, however, how are some of the some of the work we've done recently um around Hess HESS pump station things?

We've looked at some underground power there.

So we should be able to put some numbers together for you and get back to you with that information if that's okay.

Okay, yeah, I I am curious.

I think that would help with a number of things, um, just durability of the equipment.

Um, I know that also during the warmer months we lose some energy because of the heat, and it's not insulated.

So I I am curious about that and just seeing what that price looks like.

So and that's a good point in terms of reliability.

I mean, you know, the uh the well field is an open area out in the country away from the city that's susceptible you know to high winds and storms and things like that.

That's why the metal poles will provide uh a great benefit over the wooden poles with underground power being optimal, but we'll take a look at the uh the cost and get back with you.

Okay, I appreciate that.

Thank you.

I see no further questions from the bench.

Thank you, Don.

We will now open it up for public comment.

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

I will go ahead and move this item.

Um I move that the projects and budgets adopt the resolution and notice of intent and authorize necessary signatures.

Second motion, second discussion.

See none, madam clerk.

Please open the roll.

Motion passes 70.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Supplemental agreement number one in funding for aquifer storage and recovery phase three recharge basins project.

For the record, Don Henry Public Works and Utilities.

Um, the item before you seeks approval of supplemental agreement number one for the SR Phase Three recharge basin' project, as well as um authorization of budget for construction of the recharge basins.

Um, City Council may recall on January 2nd, 2024 that the council authorized the initial funding and the amount of three million dollars to begin the ASR phase three recharge basin project.

The project includes the design and construction of two new Okfur and storage and recovery recharge basins on January 2nd, 2024.

The City Council also approved the current contract with WSP USA Incorporated for engineering services in the amount of $1,650,000 for the preliminary uh design work.

As previously discussed, the new recharge basins will continue to maximize the benefit of ASR assets in order to hold costs down.

No additional infrastructure will be needed in terms of delivery of water or treatment.

Um the assets include the river intake structure and pump system that's located on the Little Arkansas River nearby the ASR treatment facility.

It also includes the settled water system associated with the intake system and the advanced treatment system.

It includes membrane microfiltration as well as advanced oxidation processes.

This will also utilize the treated water storage and high service pump station that delivers the finished water into the well field for injection.

The new basins will be strategically located to maxify maximize artificial recharge and optimized optimize the uh accumulation of ASR credits through time.

These areas include uh where the aquifer varies the most in terms of um aquifer levels and where the water is drawn down annually the most due to uh the city's pumping in the in the area of the centralized well field.

Uh the favorable site conditions also include the most optimized perk percolation rates and hydrogeologic conditions to promote uh recharge into the aquifer.

We've also taken into consideration as we explored sites, those that are um uh most closely uh situated with existing transmission lines within the well field.

This project remains in alignment with uh ASR phase two goals overall.

It will continue to protect long-term aquifer conditions in the city's well field, including both quantity and quality of water.

The two new recharge basins will allow for strategic post-drought recharge in areas of greatest depletion, shortening the time for aquifer recovery after periods of long drought.

The basins will continue to allow for more efficient, reliable approval of recharge credits, which will be available as a supplementary supply uh during extended droughts.

The project has regional and federal support and will be constructed in financing collaboration collaboration with the United States Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation.

Work completed under the current contract with WSP includes the require um the completion of the updates to the environment the existing environmental um impact statement for ASR, uh the hydro hydrogeological investigations and testing have been completed to identify the best locations and preliminary design work for the two recharge basins has been completed.

The proposed supplement supplemental agreement number one is needed at this time to move forward and finalize the engineering design, produce the necessary bid documents and provide construction oversight.

Um additional budget is needed to cover the the uh supplemental engineering work as well as construction of the two recharge bases.

Financial considerations include contract costs, as mentioned before.

Um, the uh initial contract with WSP was in the amount of $1,650,000.

The proposed supplement agreement number one provides for the final design and construction oversight at a cost of $830,000, bringing the total costs for engineering services to $2,480,000.

Details on the project budget include the initial $3 million and funds that city council approved on January 2nd of 2024.

Additional funding is available for the next phase of the project and the phased water supply program CIP line item initiation expenditure.

These funds will not impact rates in any way.

Staff recommends initiation of six million six hundred thousand dollars at this time to cover the final design and construction, bringing the total project budget to nine million six hundred thousand dollars.

The project will be funded by water utility funds and the BOR assistance agreement, which allows for up to 25% of qualifying costs.

It is recommended at this time that the city council approve the supplement supplemental agreement number one, approve the revised budget, adopt the amending resolution, and authorize the necessary signatures.

Thank you, and I'll remain for any questions that you have.

Thank you, Don.

Questions for staff.

I see none.

Thank you.

Um for both presentations, Don, uh, regarding our water and sewer system.

Both are critical assets of our community, and I have trust that you are working diligently with your team on these uh improvements.

Thank you.

With that, we'll open it up for public comment.

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

With that, I will move to approve the supplemental agreement number one, approve the budget, adopt the resolution, and authorize the necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion, second discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 70.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Public exigency to repair irrigation controller at Auburn Hills Golf Course.

Good morning.

Sorry, good morning, Mayor, City Council.

Uh, for the record, Jesse Kaufman, golf division manager.

Okay.

Um, here regarding uh a uh an issue with the irrigation at Auburn Hills Golf Course.

Um, give you a little background.

The um earlier this year in January, the system started experiencing electrical surges, and we uh brought out some qualified technicians that conducted multiple diagnostics, and it was determined that the variable frequency drives or the VFDs that basically are the brains of the system had failed and they needed replacement.

Uh, that created um several problems without the VFDs, staff can manually irrigate about 10 sprinkler heads at a time.

Um, that's very inefficient to be effective and get the uh irrigation that we need to keep the course healthy uh requires approximately at least 40 sprinkler heads uh to be able to run it to be able to run at one time.

Prompt action needed to prevent inadequate irrigation risk before the growing season.

We are fortunate that this happened when it did and not in June.

Uh the replacement lead time is eight to ten weeks to get the new products in and installed.

The RFP process delay would push completion to a mid to late summer to mid to late summer, and that inadequate irrigation could cause several issues, including significant turf damage, reduced customer satisfaction, harm to our reputation, hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue loss and repairs.

Uh solution, the city manager authorized procurement for replacement under public exigency.

Vendor notified to proceed.

Anticipated repairs will take place in April.

The VFD replacement will integrate with the new irrigation system.

As you all know, we're planning to replace that entire irrigation system later this year.

Um the good thing is we were going to have to do this anyway.

We just have to do this part earlier than we expected, but it will integrate perfectly with the new system, so it's not something that we'll have to do again with that new system.

Financial considerations.

Staff contacted vendors and identified only two firms capable of performing this highly specialized work.

We received quotes for repairs from both firms.

We selected the lowest bid, which is new coal pump for 122,030.

And the funding to cover the cost is available in the golf division's irrigation fund.

Legal considerations and recommended action.

Legal considerations and recommended action.020C public exigency authorizes the city manager to approve work in those instances where the urgency will not permit delay for a formal bid process.

The city manager approved proceeding with this project on February 4th of this year.

And it is recommended that the city council affirm the city manager's public exigency approval per city code section 2.64.020C for the repairs of the Auburn Hills Golf Course Irrigation Controller.

And with that, I'll be glad to answer any questions.

Thank you, Jesse.

Questions for staff.

Um I just had a follow-up question.

I know that in the financial considerations, it does say staff received two quotes for repairs.

Um, how were you able to find those um companies?

And I want to make sure that there was an opportunity for people who could do this work to have done this.

We tried a lot of things.

We we searched all over, I mean, all online trying to find companies that do this.

I contacted most multiple golf courses to find um any companies maybe they had worked for on this project, and we found a lot of companies that work on wells, but not this particular part.

Um so we we did a nationwide search in every way that we could come up with, and these were the only two that we could find that could do the work.

Thank you.

I see no further questions.

Thank you for all the work you do.

Thank you.

We'll open it up for public comment.

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

Auburn Hills is in Vice Mayor Glasscock's district.

Thank you, Mayor.

I would move that the city council from the city managers approval per city code section 2.64.020 C for the repairs of the Auburn Hills Golf Course Irrigation Control Room.

Second.

Motion second discussion.

See none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 70.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Contract for seasonal and temporary employee services.

Good morning.

Andrew Hudsmith in the HR department here to talk about seasonal and temporary employee services.

The City of Wichita has utilized a temporary staffing agency to assist with providing employees for a variety of positions since um 2003 across the organization, filling approximately 22 positions on an annual basis on average.

This service has provided access to a broader labor pool, enhanced operational flexibility, reduced administrative burden, and in some cases served as a pathway to permanent employment.

On July 15th of 2025, city staff issued a request for re uh proposal.

31 vendors responded to the RFP.

The staff screening and selection committee initiated the evaluation process to narrow the submissions to a short list and interviewed nine of the 31 vendors that responded to the RFP.

Due to positions requiring more technical and specialized expertise, such as water utilities, engineering, information technology, and finance.

It was determined by the SSSC to award the top two firms to ensure adequate coverage and flexibility for specialized heart-to-fill positions.

Cindy O staffing will provide services at a rate of 41% of base wages for non-DLT and 46% for not for DOT cover positions.

The rate is inclusive of required screenings and associated employment costs with no fee required for direct placement.

22nd century technologies will provide services at a rate of 32% of base wages for all positions.

The rate is inclusive of required screenings and associated employment costs with a direct uh placement fee in the schedule is listed, zero to one month, 12% of the annual salary, one month to three months, nine percent of the annual salary, three months to six months, six percent of the annual salary, more than six months.

There would be no fee.

Departments utilizing the contract will fund services within their approved budgets.

In recent years, the city has spent approximately 400,000, 407,154 on average annually on temporary staffing services, inclusive of wages and vendor fees.

The legal considerations, the law department has reviewed the contract and improved it as to form.

It is recommended that the city council approve the contract and authorize the necessary signatures.

And if you have questions, I'll take them now.

Thank you, Andrew.

Questions for staff, beginning with Vice Mayor Glascock.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just have a quick question.

Obviously, there's 31 vendors that applied.

Nine were went through the selection process.

This is probably probably pretty comparable, but um, just doing the quick math for the 22 positions last year at what the um financial considerations would be comes out to about $18,000 per hire.

That seems high, but I would imagine that's probably in line with industry standards if we have that many vendors.

Can you talk about maybe what the standard rate would come out to?

Sure.

There is somebody here that could uh answer that question for me, so we're gonna ask them to come up.

Good morning, Mayor, Council, PM Dyrmont um HR.

So go ahead and can you rephrase that?

So you were asking in regards to in the past years we've used CINEO, so we just kind of took our average over like the last three to four years.

Some of those years would have been higher than the 22 employees.

We may have had more.

So we just kind of averaged that out to the 18 to be, and then that number through that.

That kind of helps with what you're asking if we're gonna do.

So averaging out comes to about 18,000 per hire.

Was that pretty comparable among all 31 vendors?

Yes, we had very comparable.

Um, when we did this selection committee, not only did we hold our interviews, we sent out questions after that, even asking them deeper dive questions because a lot of them did not disclose that fee, you know, to bring someone on where CINDIO does that inclusive 100% were not charged a fee.

Um, a lot of them do charge that placement fee, so we had to be very diligent in finding out exactly what they were going to be charging and then what did it include because DOT you have a different physical than someone that wouldn't, so we needed to make sure they can encompass all of that and know exactly what it was going to cost us.

Awesome.

Thank you for that answer.

I see no further questions from the council.

We will now open it up for public comment.

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

With that, I will move that the council approve the contracts and authorize necessary signatures.

Second.

Motion second discussion.

See none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 70.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Public art downtown sculpture purchase initiative.

Good morning, Mayor and Council.

Uh Lindsay Banaco at the City Manager's Office Arts and Cultural Services here to talk about a project that's been a long time in the making, but we're happy to be here today.

A little bit of background, uh, as I think most of you are aware, and uh welcome councilmember Shepard to the conversation on our cultural arts strategic plan that was adopted uh in 2024.

Uh, that plan outlines a mission that the for the city to ensure that everyone has equitable access to cultural arts opportunities by activating and strengthening the creative uh potential of our community.

And we have two uh objectives that are related to this project.

One is to continue to grow and restore our public art collection, and the second objective here, 4.1, uh, is to support efforts to stimulate the creation of artwork and cultural opportunities by developing a public art artist toolkit.

Um, and that's related to this project because it was uh serendipitous timing that we launched a uh a toolkit for local and regional artists to better understand how to competitively bid in our public art program, and that toolkit launched last summer, right around the same time we launched the RFP for this project, thinking that it was a good uh gateway project for local artists to learn how to be part of the process.

Uh so we are really proud to launch that toolkit at the same time.

Uh, some more background on this specific project is that the CIP uh has uh an item to address the currently vacated uh art pedestals in the downtown area.

Uh the pedestals had previously been programmed by which the Hearts Council, which is an independent nonprofit that the city partners with on a lot of different things.

Uh, since the program was sunset, uh, I believe in late 2023, the pedestals have either been vacant or temporary works of art have been on loan to the city.

Uh the design council allocated 200,000 of the percent for art program through the CIP uh budget uh to program funding for fiscal year 25 to fill the 13 vacant pedestals uh with permanent work to further beautify the downtown area.

Uh city council approved the initiation of the funds on February 18th, 2025.

And additional funding for the project was awarded through the National Endowment of the Arts in the amount of 40,000 and the Kansas Arts Commission and the amount of 10,000 of note.

Both of those are highly competitive programs, and we received full funding from the Kansas Arts Commission on this project.

In a moment, we'll talk about the timeline in the artist selection process.

While we were really excited to receive the NEA funding last year, federal funding kind of stalled the project as we were working through contracting during the government shutdown that kind of paused where we could move this project forward.

But we're excited that we've finalized those contracts with both the state and federal agencies to move this project forward.

This project has uh set goals and criteria that were developed with the design council.

They included to enhance the aesthetics and character of the downtown Wichita, create unique and memorable experiences for our visitors, foster a sense of community and place, reflect our cultural heritage of Wichita, and be durable, safe, and low maintenance.

And the image here is a map of the locations of the pedestals that are currently available, most in the old town area, two by interest bank arena, and one in front of the ballpark.

And with that, I'll turn it over to our public art manager, uh, Jana Irwin, who uh facilitated this process.

Good morning, Mayor, City Council.

So we had a very successful request for proposals with this project.

We had 234 total submissions.

76 of those were from 39 Kansas artists.

So the RFP was approved by Design Council June 2nd of 2025.

It was issued on CAFE or call for entry.org on June 9th.

The application deadline was July 21st.

And then we had our first round of scoring that was done by the selection committee from July 23rd to July 29th.

And then lastly, the selection committee reviewed and ranked the finalist on August 15th.

And those finalist sculptures were recommended for purchase, were approved by design council on September 8th, 2025.

And as Lindsay advised, the project was put on hold pending federal grant finalization.

And I think it should be noted that both the National Endowment for the Arts Grant and the Kansas Human or Kansas Arts Council grant are highly competitive grants within the public art sector.

And so we were very, very proud and pleased to receive those.

So artists living and working in the United States were eligible to apply for the RFP with a geographic preference given to Kansas artists.

Artists could submit up to five applications and concept of concept designs or existing works.

The 10 member selection committee was comprised of various stakeholders who reviewed and scored the submissions based on the art goals and criteria of the project.

The selection committee was provided with a scoring rubric that broke down a 20-point scoring system into units of five, with that those sections being artistic excellence, goals and alignment with the project, capabilities, and feasibility.

The selection committee then met to review the scoring results to determine a short list of 21 finalists out of the 234 submissions.

Fourteen artworks were then presented to design council for consideration, and 13 were approved, which uh were those 13 included eight Kansas artists and five national artists.

So I thought we'd walk through.

Yep, I did.

So the culmination of the selection process, um, a very diverse and well-rounded group of artists have been selected, uh, representing both local and national talent.

The finalist rankings reflect a balance of artistic excellence, conceptual strength, and alignment with the project goals.

And the selections showcase a wide range of perspectives and practices contributing to a dynamic and engaging visual experience for the community.

And this type of thoughtful acquisition strategy that includes both local and national artists creates balance.

The local artists reflect our community's identity, culture, and lived experience, investing in their work, keeps cultural dollars circulating locally and demonstrates tangible support for the creative economy.

And national artists bring broader recognition and artistic distinction, positioning our city within a larger cultural dialogue.

So I'm gonna run through the selection of 13 artists that are being recommended by design council for purchase.

Our first artist is John Arnett, who is a very well known and well respected local artist.

He was one of the original co-founders of Fish House in the Commerce Street Arts District.

He is co-founder and co-owner of Diverse Studios, also on Commerce Street.

And he has his work is held in both corporate and private collections throughout the state, and he has participated as an artist in a couple of one recent public art project with McAfee Swimming Pool, and he has work at Botanica and a number of other locations throughout town.

What he's proposing is titled Big Dialogue.

What you see here are moquettes that he has created of the concept design.

The finished artwork will be created out of steel, bronze, and enamel.

It will be 60 inches high, and the purchase price is $15,000.

The second work is by an artist out of LeCompton, Kansas, named Mara Strayer.

It's titled The Farmer.

It is an existing work.

It is made of welded steel with clear coat.

It is 105 inches tall, and the purchase price is $8,000.

Mara is an artist in eastern Kansas, and she's exhibited exhibited her work nationally.

The farmer is actually included, was included last year in a sculpture exhibition, outdoor sculpture exhibition in Lawrence, Kansas, and she has work at the University of Kansas as well.

The next work is by artist Kelly Tomkins out of ENAD, Oklahoma, entitled Wichita in Bloom.

This is a concept proposal.

And it uh the finished work would be nine and a half feet tall.

Purchase price is 14,000.

And we recently worked with Kelly Tompkins on the Rockwell Library project last year.

She created one of the murals in the community meeting room.

And she was excellent to work with.

And she received, over the last couple of years, she's received a couple of awards from her home community in Enid, Oklahoma.

One was a Civic Improvement Award from the Greater Eat Chamber for Public Art, and she also received a Cultural Collaborator Award from the Enid Young Professionals for her work in the Cultural Arts in Enid.

Our next artist is Armando Minares.

He is from Wichita.

This is again a concept proposal.

The finished work would be would be composed of ceramic metal and concrete and would stand about eight feet tall.

Armando is well known within our arts community here in Wichita.

He has he is the owner and founder of Del Norte Studio.

He was the founder, he is the founder and director of Horizontez Project.

He is co-founder and director of the Seed House.

He has received numerous awards for his community work here in Wichita and outside of Wichita.

And he is currently one of the commissioned artists on several of our City of Wichita Public Projects, CIP projects, including Douglas Seneca de Beridian, the New Transit Hub.

He's previously worked on Chester I Lewis Park and the Baseball Stadium and numerous others.

Our next artist is Helena Chastall.

She is based in Brooklyn, New York.

Her proposed work is Aquila Aquila.

I'm sorry, there's an error on this slide.

This is an existing work.

It's not a concept proposal.

It was produced in 2025.

It is made of stainless steel and stands 84 inches high.

And Helen Chastel has exhibited her work internationally.

He is also a well-known artist here in Wichita who resides in Tawanda, Kansas.

His work is currently on view at the baseball stadium, Machine Nature Interface.

The purchase price is $8,000.

We do anticipate that this work would remain at this location.

Equity Bake Stadium is loves this work and has no desire for it to go elsewhere.

Eric Schmidt is also a local Wichita artist.

And it will consist of two nearly identical toroids of different sizes with a continuous surface from one to the next.

The overall dimensions, etc.

will be determined through the concept development with staff, with city staff.

The images you see are examples of this type of investigation that Eric Schmidt does in his practice.

This is an existing work that was created in 2025, and it is created from carved steel.

It is 126 inches high and costs 14,000.

Russell Whiting is kind of really pioneering the method of sculpting metal with a torch.

Next item is by Jay Aaron Alderman.

He is out of Brevard, North Carolina, entitled I Went to See.

It is composed of steel and copper and is 122 inches high with a purchase price of $15,500.

Jay Aaron Alderman has received quite a bit of recognition of late in the public art sector for some of his public art installations across the country.

Yeah, that's all I'll say.

Next up is Mark Durfee, also a local Wichita artist.

His concept proposal is entitled Travel Throne.

It will be constructed of epoxy bronze dust and steel.

And dimensions are variable.

I think we're going to have to work on the size of this piece as we work through concept development with Mark.

Purchase prices 14,000.

All of you may remember in the in the early years of the sculpture walkabout, Mark Durfee had several pieces included for many many years.

And a couple of those, I think this is a very much a nod to those early sculpture walkabout works that were constructed of vintage suitcases cast in Hydrastone.

One was a rocket, one was, I can't remember what the other one was, but the next artist is Brady Hatter out of Udall, Kansas.

He's quite well known in the Wichita Arts community and has uh produced works on a number of different projects.

Um his piece is entitled Mr.

Hatter's Pursuits and Becoming Human 006, the fisherman.

It is composed of steel rod.

It is currently on temporary loan to Salina, the city of Salina with their sculpture tour program in the downtown area.

Purchase prices 10,000.

And Brady, uh you've probably seen uh Brady participated in the uh swimming pool improvement projects in 2020, 2021.

A number of works are at alley harvest.

Um I can't remember which what the other one is, uh, but I think there's another pool that he has work at as well.

Um the uh pods at Wichita State University were done by Brady.

Um the um uh the new baseball stadium uh signage uh that was done uh at uh at the baseball stadium is also Brady.

Jacob Bermood is the next artist.

Um he is out of St.

Joseph, Missouri, he's a graduate of uh the University of Kansas.

Um his work is titled Depth of Form from 2015.

It is an existing work, it is cold cast aluminum and stands 90 inches tall with a purchase price of $15,000.

Uh you may be familiar with Jacob's work, he is represented by uh both Leopold Gallery and Kansas City and Reuben Saunders Gallery here in Wichita.

His work has been in Ruben Saunders uh galleries uh windows over the past couple of years.

Um and you may also have seen some of his more monumental work at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, um University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, and a number of uh pieces in the city of Lawrence.

Our final uh artist is Chris Bruner, also a local artist and very well known here uh with both private and corporate collectors.

He has also been a participating artist in the city of Wichita's public art program for a number of decades.

His concept proposal is through difficulties.

It will be composed of steel and granite and stand 120 inches tall with a purchase price of 12,500.

And I'll turn it back over to Lindsay.

Thank you, Janna.

I'll uh finalize the presentation with financial considerations.

The adopted CIP includes 200,000 in GO bond funding for the project.

Um again, we did receive two grants for this project, one in 40 one for 40,000 from the NEA and 10,000 from the Kansas Arts Commission, related to the specific project.

And the total acquisition costs for purchase of the recommended sculptures that we just went through is uh 169,000.

Uh, the remaining uh available funds in the amount of 81,000 are to be used for pedestal restoration work as required, signage installation equipment, crews, and other associated costs with a specific project that may be identified as it moves forward.

And with that, uh staff recommend to approve the sculpture acquisitions, and I stand for any questions.

Thank you, Jana and Lindsay, for the presentation.

We will have multiple questions.

Councilmember Hoheisel.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um thank you, Lindsay.

Appreciate it.

Um would we expect any of the proof of con or the the ones who are just conceptual only to be um placed on the pedestals?

Um it would perhaps depend on each specific one.

I would hope that we would be able to uh finalize installation end of this year, early next year in terms of the full project, but we might go back and forth with individual projects depending on what's already existing within an artist's uh collection versus what is being created specifically for this project.

Okay, um, and there was one that there wasn't really very much, it was descriptive, it wasn't necessarily what like a visual proposed.

Um so is there any oversight or would that go back before the committee to okay the design as a as it develops?

Great question.

Uh yes, it would go back to design council.

So this project is a little bit unique, but if you think about our typical order of operations or the public art uh project through the present bar program is uh we we would do the RFP that uh is guided by design council, uh then we collect 30% design concepts, which is comparative to what you're seeing today.

Here are the proposed designs which include existing works.

Um those designs are further developed, and then they go to design council for final approval.

Okay, thank you.

Vice Mayor Glascock.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

And so looking at the total financial considerations, it looks like um 50 just confirming 50,000 of it is from grant support.

Is that correct?

Correct.

Okay, I have two additional questions.

Do we have sign assigned locations for each?

Because there are some that I think make sense in certain areas, some that I'm like, I don't like that, and maybe certain areas out of the pedestal project.

Uh again, great question.

No, we don't have sites identified for each piece with the exception of Mike Miller's at the baseball stadium because it's already current, it's currently there.

Um but we would work with the design council and likely the old town association and downtown Wichita for site placement.

Um it's also related to the size of the pedestals and the size of the works.

There's a lot of logistics that we would go into just coordinating the the exact location, but direct answer no, we do not have sites identified.

Often projects come to us one by one and we approve what the visual representation we see at a percent of the design.

There are two that are just proof of concept, they aren't the actual product that's gonna be delivered, um, or at least two.

When it comes to that, because we don't have it, will it come back to this body to approve, or because these amounts are more nominal than large infrastructure projects, will it just continue as is?

Uh the recommendation is to approve as presented today, and then it would go back through design council.

Uh we would not necessarily bring it back to city council unless that's the will of this body to do so.

Okay, thank you.

Councilmember Tottle.

Thank you.

Um so Lindsay, there's a there was a 10 member selection committee.

Is that correct?

Yes.

And these 13 artists were selected unanimously, or is that my understanding?

Um in your agenda packet, you have the kind of the scoring rubric.

Um as you can imagine, selecting R is a very subjective process.

We had a very uh dynamic um conversation around the selection uh of the works, and ultimately uh we move forward with the scoring rubric.

Uh the selection committee did have two two full rounds of scoring, the initial uh sifting through the hundreds of submissions to to narrow it down.

Um then we had a healthy conversation, uh, picked out some opportunities, some challenges with different pieces, uh, and then we opened scoring back up to the selection committee and refined it from there.

Um, and then ultimately the 13 that were selected were brought to design council for for approval to Britain today.

I will note that uh, if I may, there were actually 14 uh that moved forward uh to design council for consideration uh with a tiebreaker uh uh that the design council made preferring the the local or the Kansas-based artists versus uh the national artists.

So we did have a tie on on the scoring board.

Thank you.

And design council approved unanimously with one abstention, is that correct?

Yes, Janna's nodding.

Thank you.

Of the 13 artists that were selected, am I correct that eight of them were either local or Kansas artists?

Yes.

Do we give any kind of preference to local or state artists in the selection process?

Um in this selection process, we did uh identify that as a priority of a priority, uh, but we didn't provide additional bonus points or scoring for that.

But it was something that was in mind of the selection committee and design council.

Yes.

Okay, I'll have more questions and comments, but thank you.

Vice Mayor Glasscott.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just one additional question.

Design councils appointed differently than a lot of our boards and committees.

Can you talk about that?

Uh sure.

Uh design council is made up of a variety of professions.

Um, and I I'll try to list them and I apologize if I leave one out.

Um, that we have landscape architects, engineering, uh, engineers, uh, artists who work in the public field or public art sector.

Um we have a graphic designer.

That's where I know I'm gonna forget a couple, but unique professions that that interact with this field to make sure that we're looking at uh these design projects from lots of different angles.

Um, and this board is completely comprised of mayor-appointed uh individuals, uh, which I think makes it a little bit more unique than other boards, as you mentioned.

Awesome, thank you.

I have multiple questions.

Thank you again for inviting me to be on the 10 member selection committee.

Um I had robust conversations with uh the committee, uh knowing full heartedly that America's 250th anniversary was coming up uh during the conversations, and so one of my very first concerns uh being part of the committee, I asked um, is there a theme?

Um, and can you address why there was no theme or could there have been a theme?

I mean, the the first, the latter question could there have been a theme?

Yes.

I'm gonna scroll back to the project goals and criteria that were developed with the design council.

This was our guiding vocal point in the RFP, and then also provide to the selection committee.

So not necessarily a specific theme as you mentioned, but uh these were the bullet points that we were trying to keep in mind when we were considering the selection.

Now I'm gonna go back to some technical questions.

Can you go back to slide number 13?

Thank you.

Um can you start off by explaining um the 200 mil 200,000 in general obligation bond funding for this project?

So can you explain some projects last year didn't get a static piece of art in their CIP project?

Can you explain how this 200,000 came about?

Uh I will try.

Uh this funding is part of the percent for art program uh through the CIP.

Uh so we have 2% of eligible projects of the budget are earmarked for public art.

Uh that varies year to year.

I believe last year is in about 1.8 million across point two.

Thank you.

1.8 million um uh dollars was allocated in 2025 for public art.

Uh the design council reviews all the projects within the CIP and identifies uh public art opportunities.

Uh this project is a little bit unique because I would say this is our only project since the ordinance was passed that is a standalone project.

It doesn't complement other CIP projects necessarily.

So Janet mentioned the pools and the libraries where there's major construction or development happening on project.

Uh design council puts additional funding in that project earmarked specifically for public art.

This project was identified because of the need uh to fill the vacant pedestals that currently exist within our infrastructure and to address their maintenance needs as well.

So we treated this as an infrastructure uh project to do a one-time purchase of artwork to infill those vacant pedestals in downtown.

Um, but but that funding is directly a result from the percent for art program.

Um again, it's the only time we've done an independent project from other capital projects, and I don't believe we have any future projects slated for this within the current CIP.

Thank you.

Um first and foremost, congratulations on gaining outside money to match what the city is allocating for public art.

That's an additional $50,000 that would not have been around had it not been for you and your staff applying for a national grant and a state grant.

Um my question then becomes must those $50,000 be for purchasing uh new art, or what were the stipulations uh regarding those grants?

Uh we proposed those those grants to complement the this project.

Um I believe both of them have a match component.

So we said the city has this program already in place.

Um we had proposed it within the design council, it had been approved through the budgeting process, so we applied for both of those grants with the 200,000 dollars as a match to those to those grants.

Uh they are to complement the project and to purchase art and fill the vacant pedestals.

Each have their own specific uh contractual obligations, but it's to overall complement the project.

Thank you for leveraging outside dollars in addition to city dollars.

That is one of the things that I was very happy to hear as part of the committee.

Um, however, I also was very concerned knowing that again there was just an open call with no theme, and so we received what was it, 200 plus submissions all over the place.

And even right now, the 13 various items and art is in the eye of the beholder, um, and there are certain pieces I like, there are certain pieces I don't like.

Um, so maybe this question is whether it's for you, Lindsay, or for legal.

Can we vote separately on each one of these items?

I see no reason why not.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Councilmember Tuttle.

Um thank you.

Um Lindsay, when these are installed, how will we communicate to Wichitans to our visitors, maybe where these all are so that they can go and visit them and you know, because they're gonna be a little bit, you know, not all in one area or along a specific path.

How will we communicate so that people can see these treasures?

Uh thank you for that question.

Um, we utilize a platform called public art public art archive.org.

This is at the national kind of registry of public art uh within communities.

Uh majority of our public art collection is currently listed on that, including uh several pieces that are already within the downtown corridor.

Uh I would like to maybe take this opportunity to point out a couple additional pedestals exist that used to be part of the sculpture walkabout program uh that have been in fill due to private donations, the local businesses, uh, a donation from an artist themselves.

So there's additional uh sculpture pedestals that complement this series, uh, but the map on where to find them, how to how to find them, uh we have that landing page at public art archive uh.org.

I'm not gonna look at Jana right now as I say this because we are also thinking through what hosting a public art tour would look like and then a walking tour or something like that that we would definitely need Jana's expertise to figure out.

We've done a few of them casually with specific stakeholder groups, uh, but given the significance of this project, we would want to definitely explore that.

Sorry, Janet, and thank you in advance for helping facilitate that.

And and that's exactly what I was hoping you would say.

And you mentioned again this is enhancing or a part of our strategic plan for cultural arts that we unanimously approved, correct?

Yes, yes.

The next comment I'm gonna make is not a question, it's a comment, and I'm gonna um editorialize a little bit, and I apologize, but I have deep concern with us addressing these individually.

I think it could be insulting to the artists.

I can think it could be insulting to the selection committee.

I think it could be insulting to the design council.

We put people in the selection committee because we want their community input.

We put people in the design council because we want their community input.

Um this body is a policy making body.

We should not be determining I like this piece, I like blue, you like yellow.

I think it's opening a Pandora's box for not just projects such as this, but across everything that we do.

This went through the process.

If we don't like the process, we need to change the process.

But this is presented to us as an item, and I think we should address it as an item.

Thank you.

Councilmember Shepard.

Thank you, Mayor.

My question is actually for you and and maybe others who feel this way.

When we talk about potentially separating this out and art being in the eye of the beholder on the surface, I completely agree with you.

Um, I'm I'm curious what is the rationale behind that in regards to this and separating this out.

My concern started from the very beginning of this selection committee when I was on the selection committee, knowing that there was no theme, it was a hodgepodge of entries.

There were actually some entries that would have made sense with Wichita.

Um, and again, it goes back to there was no clear direction at the very beginning of narrowing down a focus area.

And again, it has been top of mind for me that this is America's 250th anniversary.

And so I thought about that even a year ago when I was part of the selection group, and so that has been top of mind for me.

So it's not a first-time conversation that we've had, even though at workshop last month we had the 250th talk.

This has been part of my thinking since before that.

Um, and leveraging these dollars, especially with state and federal dollars, uh, seems to make sense with having some sort of theme.

And so if uh there is no will to separate this out, I for sure will be voting against this.

Um, and so I don't know what that process would look like, but uh again, that's my intention.

Yeah, I appreciate that, Mayor, and thank you for taking the time to um provide your rationale behind that.

Um I I would just offer another interpretation, and and I know that um America's 250 is coming up, but I think one of the beautiful things about America as it currently stands is the diversity here.

Um, and I think our country is well known that we have different people from different walks of life, and that's what makes our country great.

It's always what's made our country great.

And the beauty that I see in art is the diversity in art.

So I would I would argue that another interpretation is that keeping it wide open also allowed for the opportunity to look at the wide ray of diversity that could attract people from all across the state, maybe even the country to come into Wichita.

Um, you know, we talked a lot about what's gonna drive tourism into our community because we know that that matters as we look at the economic advantages of having tourism in our city.

And I will tell you once again, I said this at the workshop, I'm gonna say it again today, that art is an opportunity to leverage that economic incentive.

When we look at the numbers of what art has done in Wichita alone, we know that the economic advantages of having the design council and the work that they're doing, having art happening from all levels, not just fine arts, but arts like the ones we're seeing today.

We know that it drives revenue in, and we know that it also has been decided in the past by the design council.

So I'm gonna choose to trust the design council.

I don't believe that public policy and protocol and process should be dictated by personal preferences.

Um, there are many times where things come before us that I personally feel um should not be a certain way, but I I have to look at the greater good and the long-term implications of the decisions that we make up here.

So that's my stance, and I'm sure my colleagues will push back a little and I welcome that spirited conversation.

Councilmember Tuttle.

Thank you, Councilmember Shepard.

I agree with everything you said.

I just want to say two things, and I know we'll have more discussion, but I don't want to let it go.

Um, actually, three things.

Number one, if we put the selection committee through this process and we put design council through this process, and we put the artists through this process, and we don't follow the process, we wasted their time.

So I just want to be really cognizant of the fact that we put community members, we let them have a say, we let them have a voice.

That's one of the things that we do incredibly well within the city of Wichita.

The second thing is I agree, I'm so glad there wasn't a theme.

I love that we get to see artists from locally, from across our state and across our nation, and I think that is what contributes to the vibrancy, but it's also a reflection of our city.

We are from all over the place, and I love the fact that there wasn't a theme.

I'm just gonna make one last editorial comment.

Calling these 13 pieces of art, whether you like them all or not, hodgepodge to me seems like the inappropriate term to use.

So I hope that we will continue to be respectful to our artists and to the people that we appoint to the committees to help us do our work within the city of Wichita.

Thank you.

Councilmember Tuttle, I said Hodge Pudge to the 200 plus for correction purposes.

Okay, but even then it's not a hodgepodge, it's art.

This is people's passion, it's their work, it's their profession.

And I'm just I just want to make sure that we're very cognizant of not insulting people for the good work that we do.

They do.

Thank you.

Again, Councilmember Tuttle, I will beg to differ.

Um, when tax dollars are being spent on public art, I believe the public has a right to have their opinion.

So if we would like, I would be more than happy to have the 13 items be voted on by the public.

Um, and so again, I I would agree that there needs to be a process.

However, from the very beginning, I've said the process needed some focus.

And so the focus, even when I say that there's a focus like a theme, that doesn't mean that that discredits just diversity.

As a matter of fact, that brings more diversity because if you have a theme, you can say, if you said I need artwork that's in the color yellow, okay.

Well, you could have diversity in what that art piece could be, but we've never created a theme, and that's a problem.

There's no focus area.

And so, again, we're working with taxpayer dollars on this, and so I am very cognizant that if we're not gonna vote one by one on these items, I will be voting against this.

Well, Mayor, uh, if if I may, because it's germane to the topic since you mentioned the comments that I made.

Um, what you're speaking to is the intersectionality of diversity, right?

Making sure that we choose a subject and we recognize that uh one subject is not monolithic, correct?

But I also would argue, then that would contradict your stance on pushing us to focus on America 250.

Not everyone feels the same way right now about our country.

That is just the reality.

So while I appreciate your passion and your remarks in regards to diversity, I want to make sure we're not weaponizing diversity.

And we're not ignoring the lived experiences of a lot of people in our community right now who are afraid, who are hurt, who don't feel like they matter and they belong.

So if we want to talk about diversity, we need to talk about it.

But let's not utilize it for our advantage when it when it's convenient for us.

We can't do that.

And I agree with you, Councilmember Shepard.

But again, America's 250 is something that I have asked to be part of the conversation.

However, I did not say the theme must be America's 250.

Again, there has never been a theme for these art pieces.

Therefore, I said for me, it would be America 250.

It could be a completely different theme for somebody else, but we've never even had a focus area on a theme.

All we have right now is there are 13 pedestals or concrete slabs that have no art pieces on there.

And my question really is for Lindsay, since you mentioned that previous to 2023, the Wichita Arts Council was activating those pedestals.

So why did they sunset those art pieces?

Thank you for the question.

I don't know that I can speak on behalf of the Wichita Arts Council, but it's my understanding that the program was sunset due to failure and ongoing fundraising to support it.

The program was developed to rotate the sculptures out year over year to have the artwork on loan from the artist to do a competitive call, which is this is not a unique program.

It exists as a national standard, and several would our Kansas communities do this, but it's typically privately funded.

The sculptures that had been on display in the most recent iteration, which I think would have been 2020, 2021, were almost all renewal.

So is uh in the last few years of the program, it was very rare for them to be able to uh solicit and fundraise uh for ongoing um sculptures.

So they sunset the program in order for uh a lot of different projects to be explored, including this one, which is what brings us here today.

Can I ask a follow-up question?

I know that there was a pedestal in Old Town where a private collector, a private citizen donated a piece.

How does that come into play in situations like this where again a person that's generous that wants to provide art and wants to display it for the public to view versus using taxpayer dollars to buy art?

And again, as artists in the eye of the beholder and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

How are we, I guess, justifying some donated pieces versus non-donated pieces?

Sure, great question.

Um, so two pieces or two pedestals that were previously in the sculpture walkabout program uh have been filled by donations and a long-term loan.

So one of them uh is next to Larks Larks, almost said Larksfield, Lark Spur, the restaurant, uh, which was a donation from the artist uh Roland Clark, who is a longtime participant of the sculpture walkabout program as a gift to the community.

Um he donated that piece to the city of Wichita.

And that did go through our acquisition process, so it's approved by design council and city council for uh the acceptance of that gift to the city.

Um the other one is a loan from AgNU and Associates, uh, which is uh we believe a perpetual loan that the adjacent property owners and adjacent business had a pedestal right near their property that they didn't want it to be vacated, and they're great appreciators and um stewards of public art and art in the community.

Uh so they purchased a piece and now have it on long-term loan to the city.

So those two instances are great examples of uh if there's a will, there's a way we can figure it out, whether it be loan, donation, etc.

I will say when the sculpture walkabout program was sunset, I know I personally presented to several um civic groups about what it would take to purchase artwork or to infill both on a temporary or permanent basis.

Uh, we were not able to solicit uh contributions, financial contributions in order to move it, uh move move the project forward.

So hence working with the design council, this was an opportunity to fill those vacated uh pedestals and we move forward accordingly.

Thank you, Lindsay.

Councilmember Hoheisel.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Lindsay, I have a question or two.

Um would separating it like some have suggested, would that put any what when we accept these grants?

What are the strings that come alongside it and what separating it put any of the grant funding at risk?

It's a great question.

Uh in general, uh these two specific grants were to complement the the downtown pedestal in fill project.

Um, and both of them required match funding from this the applicant, which was the city in this case to do so.

Uh so in order to receive those grants and execute the contracts that we have in place, uh, we would have to complete this project in some capacity, or we would forfeit those grants and it could jeopardize future funding with those entities, although we've got great relationships with both of those agencies.

I'm sure that we could work through whatever uh challenges that that could present about uh uh future funding opportunities.

Um does that answer your question?

So maybe possibly uh yeah, I'm I'm just again, I'm just concerned that if we do separate it, what that looks like as far as uh goes.

So does that mean the plan that we presented is not necessarily the projects, but the process that we submitted for these grants, um, if we deviate from that.

Um, and again, I'm putting it up here.

I'm sorry for that.

I'm just curious as to what your thoughts on that.

Um we definitely have to go back through our application and contract with both of the agencies to make sure we're in compliance.

Um should council opt to not approve uh what's presented today, either fully or partially, uh, we'd have to kind of go back to the drawing board on if uh if the project is to go to completion or if we have to completely uh issue a new RFP uh to execute the project, or if we would go back through the selection process or the not the selection process, but the submissions that we've received.

We have over 200 submissions uh for this project.

The project has not closed out, we do not have any of these artists on contract just yet.

So we'd likely have to go back, similar to any purchasing bit that the city does to make sure we go through the current eligibility list, and if we have close it, uh we'd have to formally close it and then reopen a new new bid process for our artists to submit their designs and ideas, all of which we can do, and but it would be we do some administrative puzzling to kind of figure out how to make sure we're in compliance with the NEA and KEC to not lose those grant opportunities in the process.

So it could potentially mean we have to start the project all the way over this process, all the way over.

Depending on council's action, yes.

Okay, thank you.

Vice Mayor Glascock.

Oh, have comments during discussion.

Councilmember Shepard.

Oh, sorry.

Councilmember Tunnel.

I'm gonna wait until I see no further questions from this bench.

Uh thank you, Lindsay, and thank you to those uh that were part of the process.

Again, uh, this is as Lindsay mentioned, this is the first time that uh the percent for art dollars are being used to buy specific art pieces one by one uh to fill empty spaces in old town primarily.

It also affects district one and district four.

So um I'm very cognizant that this again, especially since we keep talking about how the city uh makes decisions and that every decision is a trade-off.

Um I am very cognizant that public art has been part of the conversation.

I love art, and I love that people want to provide art for our community.

So I wanted to start by saying thank you to AGNU and associates and the artists who provided two art pieces for free so that the community can enjoy them.

Um but I will have further comments after we open it up for public comment.

Would anyone in the public like to speak regarding the purchasing of 13 art pieces?

What is that today?

Apologies.

Um good afternoon.

My name is Heather Schroeder.

I'm executive director of downtown Wichita at 505 East Douglas Ave.

Um I have passed out a chart to members of council.

If you would look along with me, um, the red line is um according to the city's public art database accessible through the city website.

Um the red line tracks the total number of art pieces adopted into the public collection overall per year, uh dating back to the year 2000.

And the blue line is the number of art pieces that are within the SMID or our downtown district.

Um, and what I want to illustrate here is that the last time downtown had a big infusion of public art all at once was in the year 2000.

Uh you may recall that is when the bronze sculptures were added to Douglas Ave.

Um, so we've gone through quite a lull, uh, particularly in the uh early 2000s.

You can see between 2003 and 2011, we had no acquisitions downtown, according to the public database.

And then also from 2019 to 2023, we had none.

Um, the most recent acquisition was in a public park, and that was Chester Eye Lewis Park, uh, which we're very grateful for.

But again, we have not had uh a large infusion of public streetscape art in 26 years.

So we've been waiting quite some time.

Um so downtown lends their wholehearted support to the full adoption of this program.

Um, just as we strive every day to combat uh vacant storefronts, we strive to combat vacancy in our streetscape.

Um my first impression in arriving in in Wichita of these vacant pedestals was I thought they were air ducks.

I had no idea what purpose they would serve.

They were just kind of ugly blights in the old town neighborhood.

Um there are uh two or three pieces currently on on these air duct pedestals in downtown in in Wichita uh in Old Town.

Um they're not all my favorite, but I so appreciate that they're there because they lend themselves to discussion.

I discuss them with my family when we're out walking the dog.

Um I observe them, I notice something different every time.

Um and I think that's really the purpose of this is to um introduce you know new um new discussion, new conversation into our community um by using these pieces as a backdrop for that.

Um we are um you know about to release our downtown wish action plan, which is the new 10-year plan uh for how to um implement uh actual strategies to improve our district, and um one of the unfortunate conclusions that came out of the public remarks that we gathered over the course of the past year was that old town needs a refresh, it's a bit tired.

Um, you know, it's kind of the you know, the uh uh infrastructure that was put in place in the mid-90s is a little bit worn.

Um we're thrilled to see the construction right now on Rock Island in Mosley to replace the uh drainage and do so in a way that matches uh this the streetscape.

Um this is really the perfect time to also address those those vacant pedestals that have kind of marred the landscape um for the past several years.

Um I also want to point out the the strategy that public art plays in wayfinding.

Um our downtown is big, it's a hundred blocks.

That's really large for uh community of our size.

And um, you know, by being able to say, meet me at the flyfish, you know, meet me at the ugly silver balls, like it it's it's whatever you make of it, um, but it's it's special and unique to this community, and it's how we navigate and get around and identify ourselves.

Um when I was on the selection committee, I think the theme was very clear.

It's American art right here in Wichita.

Um, and we get to enjoy that every day.

So thank you.

Would anyone else from the public like to speak?

Uh my name is Frost Devor.

I was uh one of the people that was on the uh committee to help us select along with the mayor.

Um it's been uh a lot of fun for me the last five years to live in Old Town, and I moved down there.

And uh it's an eclectic place.

Uh it's an interesting place, it's a vibrant place.

But of course, like what's been said, uh a lot of that was done about 20 years ago, a little bit more than that, in this development, and a lot of it has been sort of you know the the fences aren't a straight.

The uh the brick isn't as you know, needs a little tuck pointing, that kind of thing.

So anything like this is a project to bring back some vitality to these places that were cultural little icons.

Uh it was a lovely experience to be able to be part of to uh see what was going on in all of that.

I would describe the uh uh selections that we got there as more of an eclectic uh kind of collection of things.

There's quite a bit of it.

A lot of the artists were sort of uh by their own mediums kind of defined, you know.

They worked in bar bar, we got bar bar, that kind of thing.

Um but you know, we all got together and we voted on it, and we, you know, it wasn't a vote with is binding any of you, but it was the selection for the criteria that was in front of us, and a lot of that so far as uh things that were there was very much the atmosphere and environment that most of these pieces would go into.

So the uh factors of weather and the locations that were there were very much key.

Also, there's very much of an intent of having local artists be represented in this.

And insofar as that goes, that's the that's a big part of the eclectic notion of it as well, because we're not gonna get one artist that's going to do that.

Um you mentioned the theme of uh of our 250th uh you know country's anniversary.

And the consideration I worried about then, even there with the theme was the fact that I think like even now we're gonna be beyond it.

You know, it sounds like a wonderful thing to do for the ballpark or something like that.

And I think no matter who we are left or right, ought to celebrate the fact that we have our country for so long because it's really an amazing human accomplishment if you think about it.

Um but so far as theme goes, is this revitalization of uh the old town area primarily, which is primarily where this stuff is.

Um these pieces are interesting, they're talkabotable.

And you know what?

I don't like all of them.

That's not really the point.

You know, this is one of those things that's like I can't believe that.

That's really cool.

I can't believe you think that.

I like that one.

You're like, that's a lot of what it is when we ever we go into a cultural thing, whether it's music we like or art or anything else.

So, you know, uh, I don't want to, I don't want to be blow it up or take it, but I think maybe you just sort of it's so hard to get these things done.

I think she was just mentioning it.

What did they say?

2000?

What was the time?

Major public art?

Yeah, I'm familiar with that project.

So I mean, I think we had a little bit to do with it.

And that was so difficult then, and it is difficult now, even so far as putting public art in the public atmosphere.

Um, you know, walking here and waiting for this meeting to happen.

I noticed a beautiful piece of public art, and I think you will see it probably every day that you come in here.

And it's a beautiful Native American scene chasing uh down a herd of bison.

You know what I mean?

Now it's a very thematic Wichita kind of thing.

It's very cultural, it's very much our stuff.

And I mean, you know, you might see a big old, you know, bison that you can slide down an expiration place coming up pretty soon.

But not every art and work has to be accessible on every level.

It's gonna be one of those things sit down there on the bench and you sit on it and you look at it and you comment it.

Or maybe you really never do like it, and it's just one of those things.

But artwork needs to exist in a way that doesn't always make us comfortable, even though a lot of artwork you really love it when it does make you comfortable.

I mean, there are signs and things that you just love, you love the you know, keeper of the planes.

That's such an iconic thing.

But not everything has to be that, and you're not gonna get that no matter what.

And uh, if you don't like the picture of the plants, well, good luck.

That's that's definitely a witched off thing.

But I think we have an opportunity here with the the funds that are there, the process that we've gone through.

I think I I would urge you all to just sort of maybe just consider doing this because it might not be perfect and it won't be perfect, but it might be the best opportunity we have to put more public art into the arena uh of our uh community, and definitely in a time and a place where we need something to talk about other than what we got to talk about.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Hello.

Hello.

I'm not gonna touch the microphone, it's atomic.

Um I'm Bill Gardner from Gardner Inside, and I too was on the uh selection committee and part of the arts advisory uh council.

And you know, uh I I think that the things that both Heather and the gentleman that just spoke uh had to say were so um uh spot on.

But you know, uh I come from a company that works with branding, and we love consistency, we like clarity.

And we you know, we we convince clients that everything needs to, you know, be thematic and have a theme, so on and so forth, but at the same time, um I I look at this project, and I too uh have those pieces in this collection that I didn't vote for, that I thought, you know, I'm not so sure.

But I also recognize that man, I've got to respect those other people that were on the group and the other council.

And uh I I even know that Lily had some comments about some pieces that swayed me and helped me think about the ones that I like.

Um so it was a good conversation uh during the period of time that we were making that selection.

Downtown is at that amazing kind of nexus right now.

It uh to me, it yeah, I I love what uh Heather and her group are doing and what uh the Greater Witch Shell Partnership are doing, and uh what the city's doing to lift the aesthetics in that area, and you know, and no matter how today's boat ends up coming out, not this one but the other one.

Um, you know, I I'm in love with this city.

I'm gonna do that.

Tuesday, you know, and I I want good things to happen down here.

I also recognize that uh Lindsay and Janine made a good point that if we end up breaking this up and kind of going backwards and reconstructing uh the process uh that goes on here, it it may or may not happen the same way.

It may or may not happen this year or even get done next year.

Um but damn it, you know.

I I I love seeing what's going on here in Wichita, and I would so love to just see these pieces go up.

And you know what I'd love even more than that is if we put up a few more pedestals and we brought in some more art into this area.

I'm gonna close with one last thought, which is context.

You know, when we were looking at these pieces of art, um it was very compact.

These pieces of art are gonna be spread throughout the downtown area, and they'll they'll never see each other.

A person looking at one piece isn't going to be reflecting on that piece based off of what they see here or here.

And it is Joseph, to maybe your comments, you know, this reflection of this diversity of the community.

So diversity of the art, and Becky, you've made that comment too.

And and I and I know there's nobody on these councils that doesn't respect that, but I appreciate the consideration that you've given.

I appreciate the fact that you given this uh opportunity to uh the community and the arts council to bring some art into the community.

And I really hope that you have the opportunity to vote for this as a group and bring them in.

I know that occasionally I'm gonna look at one of them and go, you know, I didn't like that, but it's growing on me.

Thanks.

Good morning or afternoon now.

Uh Janelle King, I'm the owner of the workroom.

I do serve on the design council.

Um it's 523 East Douglas, and I'm a longtime advocate of the arts and specifically to the local arts.

So I was really excited to see with this specific program that priority was given to local and regional, but also as a huge um just fan of the arts, bringing in that national talent really does also lend to building our credit and our credibility and our of our arts collection as a city of Wichita.

I think that um when you think about public art and spending of the tax dollars, these are an investment, and we are investing into long-term art pieces that I think are valuable and vital to our community.

They're gonna add so much vibrancy to our downtown neighborhood, and I just want to voice my opinion that I am so excited to see what's such a dynamic lineup of and such um the level of talent of this lineup of artists for this price point is insane.

Like this is a phenomenal investment for us as a city.

Um, as a in the past, I um organized and led the Avenue Art Days in the Douglas Design District.

Over the course of eight years, we installed 108 um murals.

They were on private property, so not necessarily public art, um, but were definitely visible to all of the public.

And a couple things I learned along the way.

Um, early on, we set theme to each year.

We got rid of that very rapidly because it started to feel more like a branding campaign, and you lost so much originality and uniqueness, and when we opened that up, we actually saw much greater um art being submitted because now you're tapping into these artists and what their vision rather than us dictating that.

Um so I've really liked that this was more open-ended, and I think these pieces, our dynamic can stand to that.

The second thing is the impact of um what the way we did it would do was like in one weekend, you would get anywhere from like 12 to 30 new pieces of art, like in one weekend.

And so you're making that drive down Douglas Avenue, and it was like the sudden big impact.

And I think that's what this opportunity is that we can do, like such an impact that's gonna draw attention, versus I'm not gonna lie, I'm downtown all the time, and I'm not even sure what the three that are existing right now are.

Like I'm gonna have to go find them.

Versus if they all hit at once, we're gonna see that.

We're gonna feel that as a greater community that's gonna also I think elevate that that impression of investment um into our downtown community.

So I think keeping it all together at one um package and doing it like you know, I know it's not gonna be a weekend, maybe a year, but I think we're gonna get more of that impact and visibility, and I just really encourage you guys to um consider approving this project for it as is.

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

Thank you, Janelle, Heather, Ross, and Bill for speaking in public agenda.

With that, we will close public comment and bring it back to the bench.

Councilmember Johnston.

Thank you, Mayor.

If I could ask a question, um I'm not sure the answer, I'm sure the public doesn't know either.

How does the design council get design council get chosen?

Who choose who chooses them?

The mayor.

Design council is made up of mayor appointees.

All mayor appointees.

Correct.

Okay.

Um might suggest that maybe the council have some input on that later, um, instead of just being the mayor's appointees.

Um but I I agree with Councilman Tuttle Shepard, etc.

I don't think we can chop this up.

I think this is the process right now.

If we don't like the process, we need to change the process.

But right now, this is the process.

And we've let them do their work.

And again, I don't like all of them.

I do like most of them.

So I think we just have to trust their judgment and uh and go with it.

I do with the last speaker too.

I do agree.

It's it's pretty good value.

I mean, it's really good value.

So thank you.

Councilmember Tuttle.

Thank you.

Thank you to the speakers who are here today.

We appreciate you joining us sitting this long.

Thank you to Lindsay and Jenna and everyone else from Cultural Arts who is involved in this process.

And it is your time.

It's time away from your friends and your family.

So that is not lost on me.

Also, thank you to the design council who meets consistently throughout the year and does a great job.

I just want to make a few highlights.

We found outside money.

Great thing.

We engaged the community.

Great thing.

We went through a public process.

Great thing.

So I'm not really sure where there's a problem in this process.

And if we change it now, then that's not being transparent.

And as I mentioned, it's not fair to the selection committee, and it's not fair to the artist, and it's not going to be fair to the design council.

And who would want to sign up to be on one of our selection committees in the future if they know that their time maybe wasn't well spent.

I'm going to editorialize just a little bit, but art doesn't have to have a theme.

Art is an expression.

Art is a passion.

Bringing together different genres of art from our community from across the nation to our community, I think is what will make our downtown even more vibrant.

And when people are coming downtown for all the great work that Heather's doing with downtown Wichita, they'll be coming for the Biomed Center.

They're going to be looking for things to do.

And this could add to that.

If we were going to dictate what art looks like, we wouldn't have this whole process.

We'd just say, hey, Lindsay, bring us some stuff and we'll vote on it from the bench.

But that's not how we do anything.

We want community engagement in almost everything that we can.

And I think we should stick to that process.

My last comment, and and I've had comments from people in the community that don't like that I support the arts.

And I always say I'm a huge advocate for the visual and performing arts because I have absolutely no talent of my own.

And I appreciate anyone who will share their talent with me and with our great city.

But whether you like art or not, changing the process in the middle of this doesn't make sense.

If we don't like the process, then we need to change the process.

So with that, I'm gonna move that the city council approve the sculpture accu acquisitions.

Second.

Motion second discussion, Councilmember Hoheisel.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um first I would like to say I agree with councilmember Shepard on diversity of thought.

Um that is one of the main foundations of our country.

Um the whole idea behind democracy is you have the thought, I have a thought.

We discuss it, and hopefully the public chooses a stronger idea.

So I do appreciate that.

And sometimes it's tough if you encapsulate something to vary, maybe not even narrow ideas, but thematic um ideas that that can um take away from that diversity.

Um we've been saying I, you know, beauty is an eye of the beholder.

I've heard some discussion from some council members up here.

Doesn't seem like there's a lot of agreement as far as the um everybody's favorite art pieces or ones they like and don't like.

There's kind of a diversity of opinion at this bench.

Uh, but that's why we engage the public, and that's why we have this board set up.

One of the things I hear about a number of our appointees on boards is we don't listen to the recommendations that come from boards.

Um, so that that's I do appreciate having an independent board or independent of just this bench, anyways.

Um taking a look of something like this.

Uh we voted to fund this project.

I think it was unanimous.

I don't believe council member shepherd was on the bench then, but I do believe that was a seven or nothing vote last year.

Uh and then we set up this process, and so I do get worried about trying to change the process after it's complete.

Um so I would encourage um anybody in the future who has a problems with the process, try and get out ahead of it.

My granddad was in the military.

One thing he said about his time is you try to be consistent but fair.

And um that that's something I've tried to emulate from my position on the bench here.

So I will be supportive of this in total.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor Glasscock.

Thank you, Mayor.

I think a few things are true.

I think both my colleagues on both sides of me are probably right in different ways.

I do think this is a different process than normal.

Normally, every um piece that comes up before us is taken singularly, and we approve it.

We approve at 30% design, it comes to us, we vote on it.

I haven't voted on a collective piece.

That part is true.

I think this is a different process, and um we can have a conversation of you know whether we agree with that or not.

Um I think it's also true that we have boards and commissions, but the final buck stops with us to revaluate things.

That's also very true.

I also agree with my colleagues over here that I don't like the idea of a theme.

I think art is supposed to be subjective, it's supposed to challenge ideas, supposed to challenge us, and supposed to bring us a new perspectives.

Um I also believe that the city council has invested in things.

I think everything that everybody said up here is true today.

I would also say that we have to invest in ourselves as well.

I think this is a to Councilman Johnson's, he was also accurate and true when he said that this is a great uh bang for our buck, and I think this is a lot of great installations, and do I like all of it?

No, um, I don't, but that is part of this process.

And I will also say that I was wrong when I came into this.

I probably had a different perspective.

Um, and I would say it's the comments from the general public that uh probably swayed me to not take these as individual items.

I think prior to this, I was willing to second the mayor's motion to look at these individually.

I do think we should look at these collectively, and um we can have a conversation in the future.

This uh the total amount of this entire project is uh close to 200,000 when we look at large-scale infrastructure projects and art projects.

We're looking at um multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars, usually million-dollar projects, and so I'm trying to see this collectively as one piece that just happens to be spread out in different locations around our community, and with that, I would probably agree with more than 50% of the pieces, though I probably like 92% of the pieces.

The 8% I hope challenges me in the future, and maybe I'll grow to like them as well.

And so uh thank you for all my colleagues.

I think you're all right, and um that rarely happens.

So thank you.

Um, councilmember Shepard.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just want the record to reflect that.

Vice Mayor Glasscock never says the words I'm wrong.

So I'm joking.

But I do want to appreciate Vice Mayor Glasscock for leaning into vulnerability and modeling what I hope that we all can do at some point, and that's acknowledged when we don't necessarily have it right, and this is living proof that the public has an opportunity to truly change minds and hearts.

So thank you, Vice Mayor Glasscock for modeling what I hope we all should in leadership.

A couple of things.

I think we had a very spirited debate about this.

Um, and I I've been on council for less than two months, but you know, I said this at workshop, I'll say it again today.

There is it is an odd and perplexing passion that some of us have with the arts, and and I and I'm struggling with that, and I look forward to conversation.

I think when we talk about diversity, I am I am a champion for it.

And I I truly do think, again, to my comment earlier, that if we are to speak about that diversity, it it's let's model that in everything that we do and not just limit that to art.

Um, I think that there are a lot of things about this country that are great, again, as I mentioned, and I think as we look at celebrating America's 250, depending on who you talk to, the beauty that they find in our country will look vastly different.

And I think that that is a beautiful thing.

And so let's apply that logic to everything that we that we are calling upon.

Um I would hope that this is an example of not only how we should uh model some of our boards.

I love that there's industry standards on there.

I love that there's community on there.

I love that there are professionals on the board, but more importantly, to Councilmember Tuttle's point, if you don't like art, you can't deny the economic value of art and how that supports each and every one of us who live in this city.

And so um I truly hope that as we move forward that we can challenge our ourselves to look at the benefit of investing in public art, trusting the professionals and supporting them where we can and pushing back in a spirited and respectful way when necessary.

And I just thank the design council for their time.

I thank my colleagues for the spirited debate, and I look forward to future conversations about this.

Councilmember Ballard.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just want to say thank you to our staff, um, the selection committee, design council, all of the people that it took.

Um, we know that everything in government takes a very long time.

So uh I'm very excited to support uh this project as as a package, and it's it's fun to see some of the artists that were chosen locally that I watch from I don't know, a little girl to, you know, several decades later, that makes me feel really old.

And it's it's fun to see some of the artists that were chosen locally that I watch from I don't know, a little girl to, you know, several decades later.

That makes me feel really old.

Um actually putting like big pieces of art as part of the city's collection.

So I'm excited to watch those be installed, uh, hopefully um in the coming months.

And I'll just add um again, thank you for all the conversation around art.

Um, I think a lot of things can be true all at once, and and is that important word here.

However, I've been very cognizant of the public comment that has been happening around the water treatment plant art pieces that community didn't get an opportunity to choose or have a say in until they were installed, and because we have an opportunity right now, before an art piece is installed or even purchased, that's the reason why I wanted to break this up into individual uh votes.

However, since there are there's no will to separate this into separate pieces, and the collective seems to be what the majority of this council wants.

Um, I will again be a uh a nay in this vote, uh, not because I don't love what has been happening, but rather I love the arts, and I do believe that there is an importance for arts in various aspects from performing arts to your static art to art through design.

There are multiple ways that you can talk about art.

Um, however, when we are at this bench, we are making decisions for a large majority of our community, and so I know that community engagement is part of it, and I'm so grateful that people sit on committees on councils, uh, they volunteer their time and they are part of the community engagement.

But for many others who are just now seeing these pieces of art, they are saying, Well, where's the community engagement for me?

Um, the four individuals who spoke again, thank you for your volunteerism because it takes time to be part of these boards and committees and then come to a city council meeting.

But there have been no other individuals from the community at large speaking about these other than this is the first time I'm seeing these pieces of art.

And so, again, um, if we are true to the word community engagement, then maybe it could have gone to each dab and you guys could have debated about them.

However, we're not at that point, and you're right.

Uh, the process needs to be improved, and if that is the process, we need to have a discussion.

But again, this is the first time that it has happened.

There are 13 pieces that we're going to buy collectively and then install.

And according to Lindsay, this is the first time we're doing something like this.

So there is no other process.

There was no, we could have looked at uh 20 years ago, this is how we bought it.

That is not how it is.

So, this is the first time we're doing this.

So, how can you make change to a process that is the first time we're doing it this way?

So, again, um I am very cognizant that uh there are beautiful art pieces that will be part of this collection that will be bought, um, but this is not against any of the artists.

It is simply I think that community uh would have really appreciated having more say in this, and so I will be voting against this.

Vice Mayor Glasscock.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'll make my comments brief.

First off, we're a republic, not a democracy, and we need to govern that way.

Second off, the community does have the ability to have a say in this one when they elect us as their representatives to be able to serve in this body.

Second, the community had this say when they walked in this door today, and the agenda packet was published on Thursday, and every single community member that did have a say said to approve these projects.

And so the community did have a say to be engaged in this process and in our republic form of government, not a direct democracy.

We are the final arbitrators of the decision.

We cannot take every vote to the general public.

If not, we would have had 20 right now, 12 different items that would have been heard by the general public just in today's meeting alone.

And so I think we should be able to encourage more people to be active in this process, and I think everybody on here agrees that more people should be active in this process, but this is the public's opportunity to express their concerns or express their support.

And today, all we heard was from support from individuals.

We cannot govern from Facebook, we cannot govern from comments from this bench.

We should govern with people that actively engage in this process that reach out to us directly via email.

I got zero emails about this.

I had one person call me to say that we should um elevate Kansas artists in the process, which through our conversation with our arts team, we have been able to elevate Kansas artists in this process.

So I want to say the process is working.

The public is engaging in how it is, and if the public doesn't show up, we can continue to engage people in this process.

But we cannot put 20 12 items on a general ballot to be able to hear from the public on every single item on every single Tuesday.

The public cannot go out and vote.

Councilmember Taddle.

Thank you.

I just wanted to make one point of clarification.

It's it's often referenced that I'm the only one here from 2019 and 2020, I think, too.

But when we did the art for the water treatment facility, the new water treatment facility, there was a committee that reviewed those pieces.

I think it was a portion of the overall steering committee, and it went to design council, and it came to council.

So to say that there wasn't any input isn't quite accurate.

So I just want to make sure that we make that clarification for the community and just put that on the record.

Thank you.

Councilmember Shepard.

Thank you, Mayor.

I really want us to recognize what it does when we bring things up that are already done.

And we continue to talk about the art at the water treatment plant.

I think the public at this point is more concerned about what's happening with our water treatment plant.

And so I get it.

People don't like the art at the water treatment plant.

Let's learn from it.

Let's move forward.

Let's do better.

Let's take that input and put it into a policy.

I would be supportive of whatever ordinance there needs to be or policy there needs to be to ensure there is the public input that you are hearing about regarding the water treatment plant, but constantly bringing that up is not serving the public any good at this point because it's it's putting a stain on the arts.

And I have had public members come up to me and say, is Wichita a good place to carry out my passion?

Is Wichita a good place for me to live out my love for the arts?

And so I want to recognize that many times we think that bringing up things that have already been decided and done are helpful when in reality it's it's counterproductive and it's and it's not helping the people we want to retain here or even attract here.

So I want to say that, and I really hope that you know folks take that for what it is.

But quite frankly, if we're not going to do something about the water treatment art in terms of a policy, I would really respect if we stop talking about it and start talking about the issues that are impacting the everyday lives of people.

The folks in my district want to know about the water treatment facility and when it's going to be operational.

They want to make sure that they're living in a community where the quality of life is strong.

They care about economic justice.

If we want to talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion, I want to talk about paid maternity leave, city managers.

So let's talk about that.

Let's talk about the things that are going to make a difference, not regarding decisions that have already been made that we can't change at this point.

And the second thing is to Vice Mayor Glasscock's point, it is our responsibility to get out of our ivory tower to meet people where they are.

Staff can't be expected to do it all, design council can't be expected to do it all.

But when we're out and we're engaging, if we feel passionate about the issues that are on our radar, we should bring that to the attention of our constituency.

We should collect that data, and we should be able to have a spirited discussion here with data, with facts, removing our emotion and looking at the matter methodically.

So that is our responsibility, and and I hope that we can take that responsibility seriously or even look at how we can do things differently.

Councilmember John Sten.

Thank you.

This just proves we can beat anything to death, right?

Um I will push back on Councilman Glasscock's comment that just they've elected us and we have a say in it.

Well, we really didn't.

It was the mayor that appointed everyone.

So I would like to have discussion about that in the future.

I also find ironic that the mayor appointed everyone to the council and she's gonna vote against it.

So I don't understand that, but okay.

So that's how opinions get formed, right?

Everyone has their opinion, and I'm very grateful again to the council for volunteering their time on the design council.

They meet once a month on multiple different topics.

This is just one of various things that they get to have a uh opinion on, but there are seven opinions on this bench, and there are seven votes on this bench, and at the end of the day, we have to stand behind the votes.

So um I will be voting against, and again, I do believe that the community wants us to focus on other things, and I agree with councilmember Shepard, it shouldn't be about art.

It shouldn't be about art.

That's not what people are asking us to talk about.

There, they want to know that the water treatment plant, when will it actually come?

Well, actually, we have been having real conversations by having real updates every single month now, starting last month during the workshop.

That those are things that had not happened in the past, though.

Mayor, don't don't take my words out of context.

What are you talking about?

Don't take my words out of context.

I said that people want to know about the quality of life, and I think they're more concerned about whether or not we will inherit an operational water treatment facility.

You keep bringing up the art at the water treatment facility.

One of them are one of them is a done deal, the other is not.

So just to clarify, point of clarification.

Well, I'll be bringing up the art piece every single time until an actual water treatment plant is operational and providing clean drinking water.

You are putting a stain on the arts in our community by doing that, and you are discouraging our artists and believing that they live in a city that values their talents and their work.

But that's neither here nor dead nor there.

We can have a robust discussion here, offline, wherever.

But I'm gonna stand where I stand on this.

That's my spirited feedback for you.

I receive yours, and I'm ready for the vote.

Thank you very much, Councilmember Shepard.

And again, I will not be not talking about this art piece at the water treatment plant because again, we don't have a functional water treatment plant, and that is a problem, and that's what our city expects.

Council Vice Mayor Glasscock.

Call the question.

Uh motion and a second.

Any further discussion?

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes six to one.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Public art for first street bridge over Arkansas River.

Council, uh Mayor Council Lindsay Banaco, the city manager's office, arts and cultural services, uh, to talk about the public art component at the first street bridge over the Arkansas River.

Uh the design concept development timeline is as follows.

And I want to just highlight the part that's bold, is where we are today, the 30% design council design concept approval by city council.

So uh typically we have an artist selection committee and a design concept development that works in tandem with the overall project itself.

This project is a complementary project to the overall bridge development project.

Uh the design council approves the concept.

They approved it yesterday at their design council meeting, and we're here today uh seeking uh approval from city council for the concept that you're about to see.

Uh from here, the design con if approved today, the design concept is further developed and refined in collaboration with the overall design team and the artist who's been selected.

Uh, the 90% design concept will then go back to design council for approval at any point between 30% and 90%.

Uh it could also go back to design council depending on uh the different action items that could happen.

If there's uh specific things that may be refined or if there's uh different changes that might happen as the course of the project develops.

Uh if it's 90% uh design concept is approved by design design council without recommendations for changes, the fabrication will begin.

If changes are recommended by design council, again the project will uh return to the design council for uh the revisions of those designs until it's uh finally approved.

And with that, I'll turn it over to Jana or Winigan, our public art manager to talk about the specific project, the artist that was selected, uh, and the concept design that's been presented.

Uh good afternoon, Marit City Council, Jana Irwin, uh City Manager's Office, Arts and Cultural Services.

So the First Street Bridge over the Arkansas River uh is a progressive design build project, includes percent for our funding for integrated art and aesthetics.

The bridge design includes a new three-lane bridge on street bike lanes and 11 feet wide multi-use walkways on each side of the bridge, including connections to the bike paths along the Arkansas River.

The bridge design will also include overlooks on each side of the bridge to provide views both up and down the Arkansas River.

On September 8th, 2025, the design council approved the request for qualifications to select an artist or artist team for the project on September 9th.

The RFQ was issued uh via cafe, call for entry.org.

Artists living and working in the United States were eligible to apply.

101 submissions were were reviewed as scored by the selection committee.

Four finalists were invited to develop and present design concept proposals to that selection committee.

On March 2nd, 2026, the design council approved the 30% design concept.

So the project and vision and goals for the First Street Bridge are to enhance the experience for and engage users of the first street bridge and river walk.

Create a signature infrastructure improvement, providing impactful views from surrounding public and private buildings, the river walk and the river itself.

Create relevant works appropriate to the character of the district with consideration given to Douglas and Lewis Street Bridges and the Keeper of the Plains that further a sense of place, inspire and create dialogue.

It should respond to the site conditions and context, including the scale of work, materiality, sight lines, and adjacent residential and commercial functions.

It should also be durable, safe, and low maintenance.

The selected artist, Cliff Garden Studio in Venice, California.

Cliff Garten is an internationally recognized sculptor.

He is founder and creative director of Cliff Garden Studio, focusing on sculpture that integrates into engineering, architecture, and landscape.

Cliff Garden Studio team includes Sixto Codero Masonette, who is a project manager and lead designer.

Esther Ho, designer, Molly Reed, architect, and Nuri Mahamada.

I'm sorry, Mahamadi, 3D modeler.

So a precedent project to give you an idea of Cliff Garden Studios previous work is a project out of the city of Hillsborough, Oregon, Bridge of Land and Sky.

This project won two Coda Works Awards in 2024, including one of the top 100 art project 100 public art projects, and also the 2024 team of the year.

So the artist concept approach is thematically inspired by the city's deep relationship to water, its extraordinary aviation legacy, and its renewed commitment to walkability and civic gathering.

The design for integrated art and aesthetics includes two illuminated stainless steel archways, curved seating, sculpted overlooks, and wave-like patterns that extend the river's movement across the bridge deck, creating places for pause and reflections.

The proposed materials are low maintenance and durable.

So looking at some of the inspiration behind Garden Studios design concepts.

First, we look at the arches and their inspired by aviation forms.

So these aircrafts were all designed and built in Wichita, the city long shape by its aviation legacy.

The sculptural arches take their cue from the aircraft wing forms, recalling the lift of wings.

The upward sweep of the arches echo the early break frames of the Stearm and Biplanes and the sculptural presence of fuselage assemblies that defined Wichita's historic production lines.

When thinking about urban design and connectivity, the bridge supports the city of Wichita and the downtown Wichita Action Plans, call for a more walkable grid and improved river access.

The design strengthens a continuous public realm linking the riverfront to the downtown districts.

And the bridge becomes a civic threshold where people cross, linger, watch the water move, and look upward into the sky.

So the daytime palette reflects the pale tones of the plains and the shifting colors of the Arkansas River.

Wave-like paving patterns echo the movement of the water across sandbars and shallows.

And so the project turns a piece of infrastructure into a civic terrace.

And the following render renderings give you views at night with the LED lighting that's included in the project.

So here's the site plan.

This is where the bridge is located.

This is the scope of the bridge project.

So the bridge length, the link between the two arches is approximately 210 feet.

And I wanted to note that in thinking about the sight lines that you have from First Street Bridge, both looking south and looking north.

I think that the placement of these two arches are a really nice addition to those sight lines as you look at Douglas Street Bridge and the feather towers that are more towards the center of those bridges.

And these act as sort of bookmarks as you as you look southward down the river.

So the arches are about 22 feet in height and approximately 14 feet in depth.

And more elevation drawings.

They will be programmable, they are changeable for festivals, for events, for uh seasonal changes.

So the volume of the sculpture is transparent and light enters the sculpture from every angle.

So in the day, the structure of the stainless steel rods creates a volume that gathers sunlight and throws intricate shadows on the plaza's surface with ever-changing character as the light uh conditions change throughout the day.

And then at night, the image of the sculpture is illuminated with color changing LED, controlled by a DMX controller that can be programmed and changed as I stated earlier.

So financial considerations.

So total art funding for this project is $600,000.

Thank you.

And I'll stand for questions.

Thanks, Jana.

Quick question for you from slide number 164.

You mentioned that Douglas and the art pieces that are part of the design.

Number one, do those art pieces have LED lighting where it can be adjusted, or are only these new ones LED adjustable?

Just this concept for first.

Just this concept for First Street Bridge.

The feather towers by Vicky Scurry on both Douglas Bridge and Lewis Street Bridge are lit, but they are not lit with programmable LED components.

Thank you for taking that into consideration.

I know we had that conversation last week during the public art workshop.

Um LED lighting.

Um area.

So I don't think there would be any competing competing lighting.

Do you want to so I'm gonna jump in and address a little bit about that?

Um try to find an aerial view.

Um so looking at this concept, the the kind of the nodule on the the south side that would be closest to exploration place.

We're exploring this concept as if it's approved today and developed further of swapping it.

So the nodule that would be bumped out on the west side would be on the north north side.

Hopefully that makes sense closer at the River Vista.

Uh, just thinking about the site line that would happen with exploration place.

If the concept is approved today, we will work with a design team, work with exploration place and explore that site line to make sure it's complementary and that's not competitive.

Uh, in design councils meeting yesterday, uh a comment was made up given that the lighting on this specific uh piece.

Why to make sure we're respectful of the residents that live in River Vista, that we're not shining light into apartments.

So we'll develop the concept further to take into consideration all angles to make sure it's robust and exciting, but also not deterrent or competing with uh the visual landscape.

Thank you.

I see no further questions for staff.

We'll open it up for public comment regarding this item.

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

This resides in council member Ballard's district.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Jana, and to everybody that helped to get this project thus far.

I know it's been um a lot of work and still still a lot of work to do.

Um anybody care if I move a motion, is there anybody have questions?

Councilmember Shepherd, do you have any questions?

Okay, awesome.

Um recommended action that the city council approve the sculpture act success.

Oh no, sorry.

Just kidding.

I'd like to take the recommended action approve the 30% public design concept.

Second.

Motion second discussion.

Again, thank you to staff for making sure that this design was complementary to Douglas Street Bridge in addition to exploration place.

Um in this, again, this is not a static uh sculpture, it is part of the design, and I think it's very complementary to uh the area.

So thank you very much for that.

With that, we have a motion, second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 70.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Wait, wait, I've got a 130 sending testimony.

The CUP 2025-42 amendment to CUP DP 250 to allow an off-site billboard sign on a parcel eight and reduce front setback generally located on the northwest corner of West 37th Street North and North Ridge Road, 3801 North Ridge Road.

I've been testimony.

Hello, good afternoon, Scott Waytle from the planning department.

As you heard, the applicant is requesting amendments to an existing CUP, that is uh CUP DP 250, in order to allow first for an all off-site billboard sign on parcel eight, and second to reduce the front yard setback for a portion of that same parcel.

This item is being heard today because protests have been submitted against the application and within the notification area.

About the property, the subject site is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Ridge Road and North 37th Street, as you can see here.

The subject site is made up of two ownership parcels.

There's approximately 1.8 acres in size, zoned LC, limited commercial with a community unit plan on top of that, and is developed with a strip retail center.

In terms of context, property to the north is zoned LC and is within the same CUP and is currently being developed as a restaurant.

Property to the west is zoned LC is within DP 250 and developed with multifamily dwellings.

Property to the south across 37th Street is zoned LC within a different CUP and is developed with a restaurant.

Properties to the east across North Ridge Road are zoned LC within a different CUP, with one lot developed as a surface parking lot and another lot undeveloped, but with a billboard on the southwest corner.

It is a planning department's understanding that that property owner has not renewed the private agreement for the billboard to be at that site.

In terms of the staff report, the staff report contains information about the sign code and setbacks.

In terms of review on January 29th, the planning commission held the public hearing for this item and ultimately recommended approval, and that was 11 to 1, subject to a modified CUP text, which is attached to the staff report.

The conditions and the modified CUP text included the following that the site be restricted to one off site billboard along Ridge Road, that the design shall be in general conformance with the submitted rendering, and I'll show you an illustration of that.

That the off-site billboard should be fashioned with a back plate on the west end of the sign, and that the north 100 feet of parcel eight shall have a front setback of 20 feet, and that's pending a vacation case that still has to go forward.

On February 2nd, the district advisory board heard the case heard this case and recommended approval, and that would vote was 6 to 2, and that recommendation was per the MAPC's recommendation.

At that meeting, one member of the public spoke in opposition to the request, citing a desire to not have a billboard in the area.

In terms of protest, two protests were received against this application with a portion of both within the protest calculation area, and it totaled up to both of them totaled up to 11% of the protest area.

Does not exceed the state threshold of 20%.

In terms of recommendations, it is recommended the city council adopt the findings to the planning commission, approve the amendment to the CUP, authorize the necessary signatures, and instruct the city clerk to publish the ordinance and resolution after approval.

And that requires just four of seven votes.

That would require five of seven votes, or as always, you can return the case back to the MAPC for additional consideration.

That simply requires a simple majority of four of seven votes.

A note about the process, city council policy is that public hearing for planning items occurs at the planning commission meeting.

And according to the policy, the city council does not typically receive public comments on zoning items.

So with that, I'll take you through some of the images and graphics.

Here's the outline showing the subject site for this application.

Here's a zoning map, which was described earlier.

Here's the map from the comprehensive plan showing residential and employment mix are recommended in this area.

Here's the protest and notification map.

As you can see, the areas in red are the ones the protests that were counted towards the percentage of the protest area.

Here's a map of the CUP, and again, this is really focused on parcel eight, which is shown down here in the lower right hand corner.

Here's the illustration that was distributed by the applicant at the MAPC meeting, and the one that the MAPC recommended that it should conform with.

Another illustration.

Oh, looks like we have a pixelated photo here, but this is to show the restaurant under construction to the north, uh, the shopping center where this would be located, uh, looking further behind the shopping center to the apartments to the west and across the street.

Here's the existing billboard, which again is being removed as far understanding, and looking south uh towards the restaurant that's across the street at 37th.

With that, I'll stand for any questions.

Thank you, Scott.

Council uh Vice Mayor Glasscock.

Thank you.

Quick question MAPCs with modify conditions, dab fives with conditions.

Again, can you just reiterate what the difference is between MAPC and DAP5?

Exactly.

Yes, sir.

They're actually the same.

So they recommend have the same recommendation coming from.

Okay, awesome.

Thank you.

I see no further questions.

This is in council member uh Johnston's district.

Thank you, Mayor.

This is one of those tough decisions.

Always tough decisions, you're not going to make everybody happy.

Um but in light that there has been a billboard at that intersection for quite a while, years and years, and uh you want to remain a billboard there.

It's important.

Our DAB focused on it was important for local businesses to have a message on Ridge Road, and there are not a lot of billboards on a Ridge Road.

So with that, I will uh recommend that the city council adopt the findings of the MAPC and approve the amendment of the North Ridge Plaza C UP DP 250, authorizing necessary signatures, and instruct the city clerk to publish the resolution after approval.

Second.

Motion second, any further discussion.

I see none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes 7-0.

Um, this is a question for the council.

There are two more non-consent non-consent planning at agenda items.

Do you still want to do the break now?

Five minute break or what's the consensus?

We could do it exactly 1 30 at work, help out, but that's all right.

We could do it now.

Okay.

Yeah.

That's fine.

Yeah, he wants to push through.

Yeah, if that's okay.

Seems like there's a consensus to push through.

We will continue.

Scott.

Yes, ma'am.

Madam Clerk, can you please call the item?

Zone 2025-70, zone change requests in the city from single family residential district to multifamily residential district, generally located approximately one quarter of a mile northwest of West Central Avenue and Northwest Street at 724 North Dordy Avenue Avenue.

All right.

So with this case, the applicant is requesting, as you heard, a zone change from SF5 to MF29.

This item is being heard today because the DAB and Planning Commission recommendations both are for approval but have one uh slight difference.

In terms of the request, the applicant has indicated it is their intent to construct a 12-plex apartment building on the site.

The applicant is requesting that a PO be included with the zone change.

Protective overlay would limit the number of dwelling units to 12 while also setting a stricter front yard setback and design standards.

In terms of the property, the property is generally located to the north and west of the intersection of West Street and Central Avenue.

The address is 724 North Doherty Avenue.

The subject site is approximately 0.44 acres in size, consists of one ownership parcel, and is currently developed with a single family house and a garage.

Is there any chance we could get the PowerPoint up?

I'll show the illustrations on that.

In terms of context, properties to the north and east are zoned SF5 and developed with single family homes.

Property to the south is zoned LC, limited commercial district, and is developed with a warehouse slash retail use.

Properties to the west are zoned TF3 and developed with single family dwellings.

And the closest multifamily use is a four-plex, approximately four five hundred and eighty feet to the east.

In terms of the staff report, it provides details about development standards, compatibility standards, screening, landscaping, and parking.

In terms of review, on January 29th, the planning commission held the public hearing for this item and recommended approval of the zone change request with a modified protective overlay.

The vote on that was 11 to 0.

There were no public comments regarding the request.

On February 9th, the district advisory board reviewed the request and recommended approval of the zone change 6 to 1, subject to the same PO as the MAPC recommended, however, with one change, which was to add a provision number nine, which would require the roof to be hip or gabled design on the apartment building.

In terms of protest, no protests were received against this application.

In terms of recommendations, recommended city council, adopt the findings of the planning commission, approve the requested zone change.

This includes the MAPC recommended protective overlay.

Authorized necessary signatures and instruct the city clerk to publish the ordinance resolution after approval.

And that would require just four of seven votes.

Alternatives include the following.

Or you can override the MAPC, adopt alternative findings, and deny the request of zone change.

That would require five of seven votes.

Or as always, you can send it back to the MAPC for additional consideration.

And just a note again about the process that public hearing public comments are received at the planning commission meeting.

So here's uh the aerial photo showing the site.

You can see that there's currently a house on the location.

You can see the warehouse slash retail use to the south.

Here's the zoning map.

It's a little bit washed out on the screen here.

It looks like it's good on the projection, but it shows SF5 at this location further north, LC to the south, and TF3, the yellow color to the west.

Here's the map from the copy plan showing that new employment is recommended for this area.

Here's the photo of the site.

This is the house.

Looking to the south, looking across the street.

Looking north on the same street.

And with that, I'll stand for any questions.

Questions for staff beginning with Vice Mayor Glascock.

DAB six and their hip and gable roofs.

I have um quick question.

Um regarding the applicant, do the applicant agree to that and that it's not going to make the project unattainable for them.

Um sir, uh, I believe that they I will double check with the MAPC minutes, but I don't recall them objecting to it, but neither do I recall them speaking in support of it.

But we haven't heard an objection from them as a result of that.

We have not.

Okay, thank you.

I see no further comments.

This resides in council member Ballard's district.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um sorry.

I move to override the planning commission, adopt alternative findings, approve the zone change with the DAB recommended protective overlay, authorized unnecessary signatures, and instruct the city clerk to publish the ordinance after approval.

In support of this motion, I offer the following findings.

Approval of the zoning change with the DAB recommended protective overlay.

We'll put design standards in place to help ensure that the development is a better fit for the character of the neighborhood and does not detrimentally affect nearby properties.

Second.

Motion second discussion.

See none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Zone change requests in the city from single family residential district to multifamily residential district for multifamily development, generally located on the west side of North McLean Boulevard with 200 feet or correction within 200 feet south of West 13th Street North.

Yes, Scott Wadell from the planning department again.

As you heard, a zone change requests from SF5 to MF18.

Item is being heard today because the planning commission and dab recommendations are different.

Also, protests have been submitted against the application and within the notification area.

In terms of the request, the applicant has indicated they're requesting the rezoning in order to permit multiple duplexes on the site.

They indicated it is their intent to construct two duplexes on the site for a total of four dwelling units.

The requested rezoning would allow 17.4 dwelling units per acre for a maximum of five dwelling units on the site.

So uh they emphasizing that they have indicated that they intend to construct four, but the zoning would allow five dwellings on the site.

In terms of the property, the property is located to the south and west of the intersection of 13th Street and McLean Boulevard.

The subject site is approximately 0.3 acres in size, consists of one ownership parcel, and is currently vacant.

It is our understanding that it did have a single family house on it, and it was demolished due to long-standing code violations.

Properties to the south and west are zoned SF5 single family and developed with single family dwellings.

Property to the north is zone GO, General Office, and developed with multiple duplexes.

To the east, across North McLean Boulevard is the Arkansas River and City Open Space with a multi-use path.

In terms of the staff report, it provides information about development standards, compatibility standards, screening, landscaping, and parking.

In terms of review, January 29th, the planning commission held the public hearing for this item and recommended approval, and that vote was nine to two.

Seven members of the public spoke on this item with concerns about traffic, potential concerns about trash and flooding, and the character of the neighborhood privacy and noise.

So they those were all concerns that they mentioned.

On February 9th, the district advisory board reviewed the request and recommended denial of the zone change.

That vote was seven to zero.

In their findings, the DAB concluded that the request did not contribute to the compatibility and harmonious development of the surrounding community.

At that meeting, nine people spoke in opposition to the requested zone change, citing traffic concerns, drainage, the height of the proposed duplexes, limited parking, and noise coming from the site.

19 protests were received against this application, and they made up 47% of the total protest area.

This exceeds the 20% threshold and therefore requires a supermajority or six of seven votes.

Recommendation, it's recommended that the city council adopt the findings of the planning commission, approve the requested zone change, authorize the necessary signatures, and instruct the city clerk to publish the ordinance and resolution after approval.

Again, that requires six of seven votes because of the protest.

Alternatives include the following.

Or as always you return the case to the MAPC for additional consideration, just requires four of seven votes, and again a note about the process and public comments at the MAPC.

So here is the aerial showing the subject site.

Here's the zoning map showing SF5 in the area and then GEO general office is that green color to the north.

Here's the image from the comprehensive plan showing it's recommended for residential use.

Here's the protest map.

Again, 47% of the area was represented.

And then of course there were protests outside of the protest area as well.

This is looking at the site, so looking to the west end of the site.

So it's looking to the north at the apartments.

And looking to the south.

And with that, I'll stand for any questions.

Questions for staff.

I see none.

This is in council member Ballard's district.

Thank you, Mayor.

Scott, I have a question.

Um is it possible to send this back to the DAB?

We received some new information.

Um I think that since it was denied totally by the DAB because there was a lot of missing pieces, I believe, just from the comments.

That what does it look like?

That's not one of my options.

Oh, yes.

Um, that would be a deferral.

Okay.

You could just defer.

Um the our recommendation would be that you do it to a date certain uh so that other members of the public who are interested in this will know when it will come back.

But obviously, um, from a staff perspective, I would recommend that you do that uh obviously at a later date than when the DAB will meet next.

But it's next week.

So should I push it back to pass the April DAB in your recommendations?

Yes, I think that would be helpful.

Uh especially since we probably don't have this item on their agenda for next week.

And then if we could have another week or so to be able to collect the input from the DAB and prepare that for presentation, that would be helpful too.

Okay.

I'm sorry.

Actually, I think we finally needed dates.

I move to defer this item to the April 21st meeting.

Second.

Motion second discussion, seeing none.

Madam Clerk, please open the roll.

Motion passes.

Someone's missing.

KV.

It's five zeros.

Oh, one ups.

There we go.

There we go.

Now it's six zero with one absent.

Madam Clerk, please call the next item.

Council member agenda.

Councilmember Glascock.

And appointments, right?

Yes, we'll start with appointments.

Great.

Councilmember.

I'm sorry, Mayor.

Um, I there's travel to be approved.

I didn't know if there was anything on the agenda that you guys wanted to bring up first.

We'll start with travel.

Approved to exceed the gift limit established by the ethics ordinance for council member Maggie Ballard to accept travel and expenses to attend the community schools collaboration in Cincinnati April 15th through 16th for the purpose of collaborating on the mindset and investment of USD 259 schools.

The community school's collaboration is hosted by the parent and community support for the purpose of collaboration on the mindset and investment of USD 259 schools.

The estimated gift amount for travel hotels and meals is 560.52 cents.

Is this by bus?

Is there no transportation?

It just says travel.

I was curious if it was airfare or bus.

It's airfare.

Okay.

Thank you.

I'm not driving that.

Uh I approve uh council member ballard's travel.

Second.