Wichita City Council Regular Meeting - July 21, 2026

The Wichita City Council met on July 21, 2026, at 3:00 PM (UTC) for a regular meeting that included proclamations, awards, public comments, and action on several agenda items. The meeting also celebrated Wichita's incorporation anniversary. Key actions included approval of a consent agenda, a deferred compensation auto-enrollment ordinance, a pedestrian crossing enhancement project, and stormwater pump station improvements. A proposal to increase purchasing and change order limits from $50,000 to $100,000 was partially approved; the charter ordinance affecting change orders failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority but was later deferred for further discussion.

Proclamations & Awards

• Proclamation: The council proclaimed August 1, 2026, as "Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Appreciation Day." Speakers included Sheila Kennard (at-large USD 259 board member and HBCU alumna) and two Howard University students, who highlighted the value of HBCUs and promoted a fundraiser event on August 1 at the Haven Restaurant and Lounge.
• Awards: Video presentations recognized Chris Rogers with the 2026 Kansas Recreation and Park Association (KRPA) Distinguished Public Service Award for her work with Riverside Garden (which donated nearly 1,200 pounds of fresh food in 2023) and Vice Mayor Maggie Ballard with the KRPA Distinguished Elected Official Award for her park and community initiatives, including the annual Ark River Cleanup (collecting nearly nine tons of debris in 2024) and founding Paxton's Blessing Box (over 119 locations in Kansas).

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of July 14, 2026: Approved 6-0 with one abstention.
• Consent Agenda Items 1–18: Approved 5-0 with two abstentions.
• Board of Bids and Contracts (July 20, 2026): Approved unanimously; included 13 items (e.g., water distribution improvements, fire station #23 construction, vehicles) with a total aggregate bid of over $4.4 million for engineering projects.
• Petitions for Public Improvements: Approved 6-0 with one absent; petitions for Copper Fox Estates water improvements were deemed valid per Kansas statute (100% of improvement districts signed).

Public Comments & Testimony

Five speakers addressed the council:

• Trish Heilman (President, Wichita Independent Neighborhoods) advocated for making dog licensing easier. She noted that 15 years ago Wichita licensed ~40,000 dogs annually, but now only ~8,000. She requested dedicating 50% of license revenue to animal services, streamlining licensing through vet clinics, and compensating veterinarians for collection efforts.
• Naomi Madison (Morgan State University student, District 4 resident) spoke on water equity, citing TCE contamination in the 67214 zip code. She urged the council to commit to transparent water quality communication and to protect water from private interests like AI data centers. Councilmember Shepard later committed to drafting a resolution and noted that testing is available via HealthCore and Hunter Health.
• James Underwood (Wichita/Sedgwick County Access Advisory Board member) expressed concern that his board's July meeting was canceled unilaterally by the chair, citing lack of AV support while ADA coordinators were at a conference. He requested a review.
• Cindy Marion (College Hill United Methodist Church, Justice Together Steering Committee for Gun Violence) presented data: over 400 gun violence deaths in Sedgwick County in 10 years, 45 homicides in Wichita last year costing an estimated $28.1 million (at $625,000 per homicide). She proposed a community violence problem analysis by an independent group, citing cities that reduced gun violence by up to 60% using such assessments. She noted a meeting with the city manager scheduled for August 3.
• Doug Ballard (District 6 resident) shared historical context on how diagonal parking in downtown Wichita began in the early 1990s, and how the opening of Town East mall contributed to downtown retail decline.

Discussion Items

• CW3 LLC Spec Building IRB: Corey Nisley (Development Services) presented a request for industrial revenue bonds (approximately $8.5 million) to construct a speculative building near Seneca and McArthur Road (District 3). The project qualifies for a 5+5 property tax abatement (95% for first 5 years, then 50% if 50% leased). Staff recommended approval, noting no taxpayer dollars at risk. Councilmember Shepard praised the construction timeline requirement (120 days from council approval) and the stair-step abatement. Approved 6-0 with one absent.
• 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR): Mark Manning (Finance) and Jamie Faye (ID Bailey, external auditor) presented. The city received an unmodified (clean) opinion on financial statements and federal programs. Three minor findings were noted (e.g., undocumented timesheet reviews) but did not affect the opinion. The report was received and filed 6-0 with one absent.
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan Auto-Enrollment: Mark Manning proposed automatic enrollment at 4% of salary for new hires (with opt-out options), effective October 10, 2026. Current employee participation is 59% vs. Sedgwick County's ~80%. Bargaining units supported the change. Councilmember Tuttle and Johnston asked about tax benefits and ease of opting out. The ordinance passed on first reading 6-0 with one absent.
• Amendments to Purchasing and Change Order Limits: Mark Manning recommended increasing staff authorization for purchases, the legal bid threshold, and change order limits from $50,000 to $100,000 (citing inflation and efficiency). He also proposed eliminating the high-tech exemption and adding exemptions for legal services and single source of supply. After debate, the ordinance (city code changes) passed 4-2 with one absent. The charter ordinance amendment (required for change order limits) failed 4-2 (needed 5 of 7). Councilmember Shepard then moved to reconsider, which passed 6-0. The item was deferred to the August 4 meeting by a 5-1 vote.
• Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements (2024 & 2026): Paul Gunselman (Public Works) presented $600,000 in GO funds for design and construction of pedestrian/bicycle crossings at McLean Boulevard, I-135/Second Street, and Tyler Road north of 13th Street. Approved 6-0 with one absent.
• Stormwater Utility Pump Station #7 Improvements: Don Henry (Public Works) requested $300,000 from the CIP to replace backup generator and electrical equipment at pump station #7 (420 South Ridgecrest), which protects Kellogg Drive from flooding. No rate impact. Approved 6-0 with one absent.
• Wichita Transit Software Purchases: Penny Feist (Transit) recommended contracts for fixed-route planning, dispatch, and fare payment software (Avail Technologies and Mode Shift). Five-year total $3,670,056, with 80% federal grant funding and local match of $734,011. Approved 6-0 with one absent.
• Public Housing Recovery Agreement Status Report: Sally Stang (Housing) provided the monthly update. As of July 6, 2026, 282 of the former public housing properties had been sold, 42 were pending, and only 25 remained unsold. These properties have produced 428 affordable housing units through deed restrictions and rentals. One fire-damaged unit remains under repair. The report was received and filed 6-0 with one absent.

Key Outcomes

• Approvals: Minutes, consent agenda, board of bids, petitions, IRB for CW3 LLC, ACFR, deferred compensation ordinance (first reading), purchasing ordinance (staff authority increase to $100k), pedestrian crossing funding, stormwater pump station funding, transit software contracts, appointments to boards.
• Failed Motion: Charter ordinance to increase change order limits failed 4-2 (needed 5 votes). Later reconsidered and deferred to August 4.
• Recess: Council recessed at 10:30 AM for a 15-minute birthday cake celebration for Wichita's incorporation (July 21, 1870).
• Executive Session: Council recessed into executive session (11:55 AM – 12:20 PM) to discuss four civil lawsuits under attorney-client privilege.
• Councilmember Appointments and Comments: Several advisory board appointments approved. Councilmember Shepard requested a study of Sedgwick County's "Infants at Work" program for city employees. Councilmember Ballard noted the campaign finance item was deferred to August 4. Councilmember Hoheisel promoted NBC World Series (starts July 22) and a summer camp cookout. Councilmember Tuttle highlighted Miracle League play during the NBC on July 24.
• Travel Authorization: Councilmember Shepard's travel to Topeka for a proclamation signing on July 31 was approved 6-0.

Statistics, Dates, and Context

• Meeting Date: July 21, 2026 (Wichita's 156th birthday, incorporated 1870).
• Vote Tallies: Most items passed unanimously (6-0 or 6-0 with one absent); one item passed 5-1; the purchasing ordinance passed 4-2.
• Financial Figures: CW3 IRB ~$8.5M; ACFR clean opinion with no corrected misstatements; transit software $3.67M over 5 years; pedestrian crossing $600K; pump station $300K; change order limit failure deferred.
• Public Health & Safety: Gun violence cost estimate $28.1M per year; dog licensing dropped from 40K to 8K annually; water contamination concerns in 67214 zip code.
• Other: 59% employee participation in deferred comp (goal to increase); 282 public housing units sold, resulting in 428 affordable housing units.