Wichita City Council Meeting - June 9, 2026

The Wichita City Council convened on June 9, 2026, at 3:00 PM UTC (morning local time) to address a full agenda including multiple industrial revenue bond requests, community awards, public comments, zoning amendments, and a civility pledge. Councilmember Ballard was absent. All motions passed 6-0 unless otherwise noted.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes of the regular meeting on June 2, 2026.
• Approved consent agenda items 1 through 22.

Awards & Proclamations

• Special Olympics Airlift Month: Proclamation read; John Lair (CEO, Special Olympics Kansas) thanked volunteers and noted 62 athletes heading to the 2026 USA Games. Departure date June 19th.
• Mini MPA Certificates: Recognized 10 graduates from Wichita State University's Mini MPA program, with remarks from Dr. Newbold and Dr. Mercy O'Mary.
• Citizens Fire Academy: Graduation ceremony; Officer Rick Panilla spoke about building trust between police and fire services.
• Cousine Memorial Group: Honored as a Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce award recipient for long-standing community commitment on South Broadway.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Victor Harding (Northeast Magnet HS student): Expressed strong support for library funding, describing how the library's book bus and volunteer opportunities helped him win the 4-H State Reading Award.
• Mason Grimmitt (Sunflower Privacy Alliance): Opposed WPD's use of Flock license plate cameras, requesting access logs and audit reports. Cited Fourth Amendment concerns and the 2022 incident where a lieutenant used Flock to stalk his wife. Urged council to research the company.
• Sybil Strum (326 N. Walnut): Angrily stated her home was demolished without notice or permission. Claimed she was not contacted by Councilmember Ballard or the city. Asked for restitution and said she became homeless.
• A scheduled speaker (Martin Mork) was not present.

Discussion Items

• Board of Bids and Contracts (June 8, 2026): Approved multiple contracts including sanitary sewer improvements ($551,835), rock salt ($465,000 and $527,400 annually), Citrix cloud renewal ($54,852.50), and airport taxi lane relocation ($1,784,525.31). Passed 6-0.
• Industrial Revenue Bond – Air Capital Flight Line LLC: Up to ~$5 million in bonds for a building leased to NIAR. Project outside city limits; no city property tax impact. 30 net new jobs at average $70k salary. 10-year 100% property tax abatement. Passed 6-0.
• Industrial Revenue Bond – Boeing Wichita: Up to $450 million in bonds for facility improvements. 10-year property tax exemption (no sales tax exemption sought). No city tax loss (site outside city limits). Boeing representatives (Adam Pogue, Sam Sackett, Jill Wills) presented: $1 billion investment announced in May, average wage ~$85,000, 150 new jobs expected, 13,000 current employees, $2.5 million in annual charitable contributions. ROI analysis showed favorable ratios. No job requirement per city policy due to capital investment size. Public speakers supported (Chamber, Dave with Great Wichita Partnership). Passed 6-0.
• Industrial Revenue Bond – McCasey Investments / Wichita Machine Products: ~$2 million in bonds for 26,000 sq ft expansion. 10 net new jobs at ~$70k average wage. 5+5 year 90% property tax abatement. Supports aerospace supply chain. Passed 6-0.
• Community Improvement District (CID) – 3109 E. Douglas: Request to set public hearing for a CID at former Margaritas Cantina site. Developer seeking up to $233,250 reimbursement from a 1% CID sales tax over 22 years. Total project cost $1.55 million for purchase and facade improvements. Passed 5-1 (Councilmember Johnston opposed, arguing property would be developed anyway and a recent 1% sales tax increase was rejected by 82% of voters).
• Quarterly Financial Reports (Q1 2026): Presented by Mark Manning. General fund on track; sales tax overperforming; interest earnings declining but slower than expected; golf fund strong (revenues up 23% due to weather); parking fund expenditures up with new program. Discussion included TIF performance (East Bank TIF improving). Councilmember Shepard raised equity concerns about cost recovery policies for small businesses and recreation fees. Request for future workshop on fees and equity. Report received and filed 6-0.
• Wichita Art Museum Baron Room Upgrade Donation: WAM Inc. donating ~$100,000 for carpet, lighting, AV, and cosmetic upgrades. Museum provides free admission daily (funded by philanthropy). Passed 6-0.
• Zoning Code Amendment – Public Notification: Override of MAPC to adopt county's unified zoning code changes regarding notification to property owners when addresses differ. Does not affect city. Passed 6-0 (needed 5 votes).
• District Advisory Boards Composition: Amended ordinance to allow one youth member (age 14–18) on each 11‑member board, with option to expand to 13 members. Friendly amendments adopted to change “may” to “shall” and expand age range. Passed 6-0.
• Civility Pledge Resolution: Commits council to promote civility, respect, dignity, and reducing polarization. Modeled on National League of Cities pledge. Public speaker (Faith Martin) supported but asked to replace religious invocation with pledge; others noted civility applies to speakers too. Passed 6-0.
• Council Appointments and Comments: Nicole Hernandez to Sedgwick County Community Corrections Advisory Board; reappointed entire Design Council. Councilmember comments included requests for future discussions on: outdoor sidewalk café program (expiring August 2026), duplex design standards, homelessness strategies, mission statement change to “build and maintain dependable infrastructure,” and free parking signage. Executive sessions scheduled for EEOC complaint.

Key Outcomes

• All votes were 6‑0 except the CID request (5‑1 with Councilmember Johnston opposing).
• The meeting included extensive public testimony on privacy, housing rights, and library funding.
• Council directed staff to explore signage for illegal encampments, bring forward a holistic homelessness workshop, and consider changes to the city mission statement.
• Three executive sessions were recessed into for attorney-client privileged discussions.