District 2 Advisory Board

Page |1 District II Advisory Board Minutes March 12, 2018 www.wichita.gov The District II Advisory Board meeting was held at 6:30 p.m. at Fire Station #20, 2255 S. Greenwich Rd, Wichita KS, 67207. Nine board members, Councilman Meitzner and seven staff were present. ATTENDANCE Members Present Staff Present Dale Carter Chief Tammy Snow, WFD Angela Clark Deputy Chief Stuart Bevis, WFD Debbie Goseland Jon Sidwell Park & Rec Nazir Jesri Paul Gunzelman, Assistant City Engineer Chris Mullin Savannah Ball, Rockwell Branch Library Becky Tuttle Laura Rainwater, Community Services Councilman Meitzner Guests Members Absent Pat Hall David Babich Shane Krehbiel Mike Heldstab Max Weddle Todd Lewis Nick Howell Crystal McDonald Terri Hutton ORDER OF BUSINESS Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Dale Carter at 6:33 p.m. Approval of Agenda for March 12, 2018. Approved 7-0 Approval of Minutes from December 11, 2017: Approved 5-0-2 (abstentions due to absences) Public Agenda 1. Scheduled Items: None 2. Off-Agenda Items: None Staff Reports 3. Community Police Report: Written report provided by Officer Ryan Tyrrell During that past month, District 2 has seen hotspots of both non-residential burglaries and auto larcenies. Non-Residential Burglaries: (5) have been reported in the past month in the area of Central and Webb. Burglary detectives have identified a possible suspect and are pursuing leads. Auto Larcenies: Towne East: (6) reports 21st St N and Rock: (8) reports 21st St N and Webb: (4) reports Club Rodeo: (3) reports Towne East and the 21st St N Corridor reports have involved victims leaving either their vehicles unlocked and/or valuables within view. Electronic signage has been setup at Towne East to help remind patrons to exercise proper precautions. The Club Rodeo reports stem from patrons leaving their vehicles in the parking lot overnight and not retrieving them until the following day.  Page |2 Of note beyond said hotspots, there was an aggravated assault involving a firearm reported at Douglas and Rock on 2/24. The victim reported to be traveling on Rock Rd, and upon stopping at the intersection, a known suspect, whom they’ve had issues with, was reported to have pulled up beside them in the roadway and opened fire on their vehicle. No injuries were sustained. The investigation is still on-going. 4. Fire Department Report: Deputy Chief Stuart Bevis reported. 5. Park and Recreation Department: Jon Sidwell, Park & Recreation reported.  Spring Activities Guide – Toddler, youth and adult classes  Summer camps – 13 themes  Thursday, March 15 – Naftzger Park – Recreation station during NCAA tournament – 9AM – 7PM  Walk In The Park at Pawnee Prairie  Great Plains Nature Center – Sounds of Nature – Spring Break program  Bunny Blast at Watson Park  Light Up Reflection Square – March 29  Dockum Sit and Sip 6. Wichita Public Library Report: Savannah Ball, Rockwell/Comotara Branch Library, reported.  April – 10th annual Young Artists Exhibits on display  Spring Break programming  Tech training – Tablets, smart phones, photo editing  Preparing to move into the Advanced Learning Center  Spring Gardening Series – huge success – partnership with Sedgwick County Extension Service 7. Public Works Report: Paul Gunzelman, Assistant City Engineer, reported.  Kellogg & Greenwich – Will be reduced to one through lane in each direction in May  Kellogg & Webb – Bridge girders starting March 19  Corporate Hills & Webb – Paving will begin march 19 – waiting until after NCAA to accomodate teams staying at area hotels  143rd – Kellogg to Central – Well into construction. Looking to extend east-bound turn lanes  127th – 13th to 21st – Public Information Meeting on March 23. Construction to begin soon after meeting. Open to northbound traffic only during construction  Stryker Complex mass grading has begun Action Taken: Receive and file all Staff reports. APPROVED 7-0  Page |3 New Business 8. Chief Tammy Snow and Fire Marshal Stuart Bevis, presented two options for proposed amendments to the fireworks ordinance.  Current ordinance  Nothing over six-foot  No sky lanterns  No bottle rockets  Wichita is an island – surrounded by communities that go by State law that only bans bottle rockets  Enforcement is almost impossible with current ordinance as a person must be seen shooting and in possession  Option A: Limited full power fireworks with “designated shoot areas”, and additional modifications  Use violation would be an unclassified misdemeanor  $250 fine  Can pay at window, no court unless defendant asks for trial  Makes adults responsible for juvenile use and possession of fireworks  Makes property owners/occupants responsible for violations  Reduce dates of use allowed to July 1-5  Limit times allowed from10:00 am to Midnight  Maintain sales dates June 27- July 5  Issue fireworks sales permits at $5,000 per sales site  Allow sales of all fireworks allowed by state law, except sky lanterns  Use of “full power” fireworks would be limited to identified “designated shoot areas” only  Currently legal fireworks, sparks <6’ tall, still legal inside COW  Increase enforcement as previously outlined, funded by fireworks sales permits  Enhance public fireworks display with funds from fireworks sales permits  Fire and Parks Department staff identified potential areas  Primary and secondary site options were identified for each Council district  Sites available on July 3rd and 4th  Use of private property would be an option if available  Large parking lots would be advantageous  Designated shoot areas cost  Fire crew stand-by cost: $840 per unity needed  WPD stand-by cost: $1,500 per site per night  EMS stand-by: $360 per site per night  Park & Rec estimates cleanup of $732 per site per night  Total estimated cost of $3,432 per site per night  Total for all six sites: $20,592 per night  Fire Enforcement Task Force  Propose teaming a fire officer and WPD officer in a low profile vehicle to patrol and enforce ordinance  Propose up to 22 teams to cover the City of Wichita  Enforcement would focus on July 3 and July 4  Staffing would be overtime for off-duty personnel  Cost for 22 teams on a six-hour shift: $10, 943 per day  Cost on the 4th is over $15, 173 due to holiday pay  Page |4  Option B: Maintain the current legal fireworks throughout the city. Modifications address dates, times of use and provide an opportunity for enforcement  Maintain current limitations of fireworks < 6” high  Maintain sales dates of June 27 – July 5  Change use dates/times to July 1 – 5, 10:00 a.m. to midnight  Penalty for violation is an unclassified misdemeanor  $250 fine  Can pay at window, no court cost unless defendant asks for trial  Makes adults responsible for juvenile use and/or possession of illegal fireworks  Makes property owners/occupants responsible for violations of the ordinance  Set fireworks sales permit fee at $1,500 per site  Use funds from permits for increased enforcement (same as Plan A)  Use excess funds from permit sales to enhance public fireworks display  Estimated cost for enhanced enforcement: $10, 943 per night  DAB Members comments/concerns:  Will people really adhere to Plan A? Will they really leave there home to travel to a designated shoot area?  Raise the fine. Is $250 enough  Permit fee of $5,000 seems excessive  Status quo isn’t working  There is a cost for increased enforcement that must be funded  Designated shoot area will be dangerous; especially when alcohol is involved  No one will leave there neighborhood to go shoot at a designated shoot zone  Do you want people driving to and from a designated shoot area after they have been drinking  Question was posed about ability to control fireworks use if we have high fire danger situation. Chief Snow answered status quo and both options specify the Chief has the authority to suspend all use of fireworks due to fire danger.  Likes limiting the days to shoot from July 1-5  $250 is adequate  Enforcement needs to happen  Option B does a lot to increase enforcement  Pat Hall, Wholesale Fireworks  Confusion to the public over when, where and what types you can shoot  People aren’t going to leave their neighborhoods to shoot – didn’t work in Andover  There will be accidents in designated shoot zones  If you are going to do full power fireworks, open it up to everywhere  We will probably go from 30 tents to 10 tents. A lot of non-profits will be left out  Selling and shooting times need to coincide  Fees will be passed on to consumer  Shane Krehbiel, Krehbiel Fireworks  Designated shoot zones don’t work and are dangerous  Have homeowners that wish to shoot full power fireworks purchase a $50 permit  Permits are issued to individuals to use full power at their house they could get a sign for their yard  Tent operator can issue homeowner permits to people purchasing full power fireworks  Todd Lewis, 328 N. St. James  If you are going to impose a permit fee, cost of permit should be based on square footage of tent  Page |5  Max Weddle, 862 S. Zelta Ct.  Have you looked at data of the number of complaints? Answer: (Chief Snow) Yes. Over 800 complaints last year Action Taken: Tuttle motioned to recommend Option B. Goseland seconded. Discussion by the DAB members after the motion  Thinks sales dates and use dates not matching will be confusing  Liked shortened dates/times of use  Liked a set fine  Did not think designated shooting areas would be used MOTION PASSED 6-1 9. Updates, Issues and Reports Meeting adjourned at 8:09 p.m. Next Meeting: The next meeting for District Advisory Board II will be at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 9, 2018, at Rockwell Branch Library, 5939 E. 9th St. Wichita, KS 67208.