District 3 Advisory Board

District III Advisory Board Minutes for Dec. 6, 2017 District III Advisory Board Minutes December 6, 2017 www.wichita.gov The District III Advisory Board meeting was held at 6:30 p.m. at the WATER Center, 101 E. Pawnee, Wichita, KS 67211; Council Member James Clendenin, seven District Advisory Board members, seven City staff, and 12 members of the public were present. Members Present Staff Present Gerald Henry Maddy Campbell, CSR Elena Ingle Janet Johnson, CMO Cindy Miles Officer James Hook, WPD, Patrol East David Robbins Capt. Pete Ridder, WFD Ron Tracy Matthew White, WFD Paul Davis Nick Maddy, WFD Daisy Olivar Chris Upchurch, WAMPO Council Member James Clendenin Guests Members Absent Lonny Wright Marco Alcocer Sheri Johnson Catherine Johnson Vernie Woullay Bruce Grass Mark Kemp Emily “Emy” Winterhalter (Youth Member) Melissa Kemp Kathleen Kemp Marjorie Griffith Melodee Myers ORDER OF BUSINESS At 6:30 p.m. Council Member James Clendenin called the meeting to order. The agenda for the current meeting was approved. The minutes for Nov. 1, 2017 were approved. STAFF REPORTS Fire Report Capt. Pete Ridder, Station 22, reported there were five fires. Four of the fires were deemed accidental, with one fire still being under investigation. He stated that since October 2017 there have been 22 fire calls, 591 EMS and rescue calls, and 262 service alarms—an increase in numbers compared to last year. He briefed the members and public on general holiday hazards and safety guidelines. He advised to be careful with candles, decorations, and live trees. He encouraged people to frequently water their Christmas trees, check batteries in their smoke alarm(s), leave exits unobstructed, and to have a fire plan with everyone living in the home. DAB members asked the following questions: Q: Have there been reports on cell phones exploding due to faulty batteries? A: No major incidences have been reported. Q: What can someone do about neighbors who burn bonfires? A: Regulations state a recreational fire must not exceed 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height and must not be within 20 feet of a wooden structure. Citizens should call 9-1-1 if they feel unsafe, have a complaint about smoke, or believe the fire violates regulation. 1  District III Advisory Board Minutes for Dec. 6, 2017 Police Report Officer James Hook, Patrol East, reported that there has been an increase in larcenies and automobile theft related to the season (holidays and cold weather). He reminded everyone to be careful about leaving cars running or using remote-start applications and not to leave valuables (wallet, electronics, gifts, etc.) visible or in the car overnight. He briefed everyone on a special assignment in a District III “hot spot” (Pawnee and Hillside) that has had some success apprehending vehicle-related crime suspects. Officer Hook concluded his section advising citizens about recent violent crimes in the area. He reminded the group of two IMPACT meetings taking place on Dec. 7, 2017. He stated that in the majority of these violent crimes the victims are associated with the suspects and advised citizens not to “let it weigh on you.” DAB members asked the following questions and made the following comments: Q: Are you able to do anything about panhandling? A: If a person is panhandling on public property, police are not able to do anything due to possible infringement on the First Admendement. The City is working on new ordinances to discourage panhandling by focusing on behaviors (such as stepping into the street). Q(public): What if the person is at a business? A: If the person is at a business or on private property the owner or manager can request an officer to come out for trespassing. C(public): Instead of giving panhandlers money, you should give them resources, such as the Homeless Outreach Team’s brochure. Public asked the following questions: Q: Have you heard anything about people stealing tags? A: No, but that is not uncommon. Call police to report any suspicious people looking at cars in your neighborhood, so police can locate and identify the person to check for warrants. Q: What’s IMPACT? A: IMPACT meetings are impromptu community meetings that take place after a major event such as a violent crime, homicide, drug bust, etc. Police knock on doors and invite people in the area to come outside to be debriefed on the crime and to provide additional information. Door hangers with general information and resources are left on unanswered doors sometimes. IMPACT meetings are an opportunity for neighbors to meet and build trust with their community police. Q: In reference to autotheft, do you recommend not using auto-start? A: Personally, I would not. Criminals are able to circumvent locked cars with various technologies, shaved keys, or by simply breaking a window. Action taken: Receive and file PUBLIC AGENDA Scheduled Items: None NEW BUSINESS WAMPO Scenario Planning Initiative Council Member James Clendenin (also on WAMPO council) and Chris Upchurch, WAMPO, presented on the Scenario Planning Initiative. It was an informative and participatory presentation designed to gather input on perceptions of the transportation system. Presenters discussed how WAMPO utilizes federal funds to make decisions about street repairs and expansions and how they balance equity across the Wichita metropolitan region. WAMPO scenario 2  District III Advisory Board Minutes for Dec. 6, 2017 planning involves utilizing past data, current consensus, and citizen feedback to predict future needs. Today’s DAB conversation addressed the “citizen feedback” aspect of scenario planning. Dialogue centered around the group’s perceptions of various community priorities that should be considered in the planning process. Upchurch collected data for WAMPO during an activity in which participants rated their top priorities. The driving forces (priorities) discussed included: autonomous vehicles, age of infrastructure, race/age/gender issues, flooding, aviation, employment, education, connectivity, safety/crime, water and sewage, equity, government, rail service, and bike paths. Action Taken: Feedback for WAMPO provided by the DAB and citizens in attendance PUBLIC AGENDA Off-agenda items George Theoharis , District III citizen, shared his concerns regarding the number of active police officers in the city and engaged the group in a conversation about this. Council Member Clendenin explained various reasons for the vacancies and the City’s constraints with filling all of them. He discussed possible solutions to increase policing efficiency and effectiveness that are being considered and/or currently implemented by Chief of Police Gordon Ramsay. Possible policy changes discussed included recruitment improvement and attrition, easier lateral transfers, and better utilization of noncommissioned officers. The group debated the level of impact current vacancies have on the community in regard to safety and effective policing. It was disputed whether or not more filled vacancies would lead to less homicides and two recent homicides in the city were cited. The public asked the following questions: Q: Why don’t we have a law enforcement pool to pull from to fill vacancies? A: Police currently do backfill vacancies and cover shifts, but this is restricted due to overtime policies. Q: What is a lateral move? A: An example of a lateral move would be a police officer from Haysville transferring to the WPD. Improving the process of lateral moves would entail shortening training requirements to Wichita- specific training and excluding general policing training as the officer would already have those skills. BOARD AGENDA Council Member Clendenin announced that City Council will be addressing possible new firework ordinances. He requested his constituents e-mail him their opinions about the pros and cons of loosening current firework regulations. He stated he feels as though the law should not change as he believes most people follow the current ordinance and less stringent laws will likely increase hazardous occurances. Meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m. The next District Advisory Board III meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Jan. 3, 2018, at the WATER Center, 101 E. Pawnee, Wichita, KS 67211. Respectfully submitted, Maddy Campbell, Community Services Representative of District III 3