District 3 Advisory Board

District III Advisory Board Minutes for 11/07/18 District III Advisory Board Minutes November 7, 2018 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, six City staff, and six members of the public were present. Members Present Staff Present Jared Cerullo John Hall, Director of Housing & Community David Robbins Services Michael Loop Tavon Watkins, Management Fellow, City Bruce Gass Manager’s Office Cindy Miles Officer Christopher Chrisman, Wichita Police Catherine Johnson Department Ron Tracy Capt. Mark Jordan, Wichita Fire Department Council Member James Clendenin Judd Schroeder, WFD Matthew White, WFD Members Absent Maddy Campbell, Office of Community Services Marco Alcocer Daisy Olivar Paul Davis Gerald Henry ORDER OF BUSINESS At 6:30 p.m. Michael Loop called the meeting to order. The agenda for the current meeting was approved. The Minutes for October 3, 2018 were approved. STAFF REPORTS 1. Police Report Officer Christopher Chrisman, WPD, shared the month’s crime statistics which reported that incidences for aggravated batteries were down by three, robberies and auto thefts up by five, nonresidential burglaries down by seven, residential burglaries up by nine, auto larcenies down by three, and aggravated burglaries down by four from the previous month. He shared that the Broadway Corridor Team remains active and busy. Their statistics for the year to date are: 1390 initiated calls, 277 dispatch calls, 718 misdemeanor arrests, 304 felonies, and 453 citations written. He reminded the group of the danger of auto theft due to warming up one’s car unattended now that we are entering the cold season. DAB and members of the public asked and made the following questions and comments: Q (DAB): People on South Waco Street seem to be breaking into detached garages. Is this a trend or only on my block? A: It is not exclusive to your block. We are aware of it and it’s an issue in that whole area. Q (DAB): What do you do if you legally carry a gun but are not allowed to take it in somewhere? How do you protect a gun in your car? 1  District III Advisory Board Minutes for 11/07/18 A: Stolen guns from cars have been a big issue lately. A car is no place to leave a gun. If you’re going somewhere you can’t take a gun, leave it at home. Do not leave it in your car. That’s the only advice I can give people. C (DAB): They do have lock boxes that go under seats. Have the lock box bolted into your car. Q (DAB): If someone has a gun and they have it under their seat, is it considered a concealed weapon? What is considered an illegal concealed weapon now? A: If you can legally own a gun, you can conceal the gun. 2. Fire Report Capt. Mark Jordan, Station 22, WFD, shared that WFD continues to respond to many medical calls. He told the group they are starting to get into the fire season where they receive increased fire calls due to increased use of heaters and furnaces. He reminded the group of the importance of having working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. He stated there have been no fire-related fatalities in this area this year. DAB and members of the public asked and made the following questions and comments: Q (DAB): I hear about you taking the fire trucks out and responding to medical emergencies. I’m trying to understand why that happens. Have fire trucks always responded to medical emergencies? Are we under supplied with ambulances? Is that why fire trucks show up? What is the answer to sending big trucks out since that does not seem to be cost effective? A: We have a lot of fire trucks throughout the city and it’s important to remember we are First Responders. When you dial 911 we make it our effort to get there as quick as possible (4 minute response time). Chances are we will beat EMS to the scene of a medical call. You may have an EMS unit responding to a call clear across town and that leave a time gap. The fire stations fill those gaps. Council Member James Clendenin: The City Council, last year or year before last, had to renew its contract with Sedgwick County EMS. One of our issues we took up was non-emergency calls and the amount of time it was taking them to get to calls. As we worked through the contract they agreed to start adding more EMS stations throughout the city and ambulances to their fleet. That’s one of the negotiations we did when we were redoing that contract. We also put in the contract that the County has to show us (the City) their response times and if they take longer than an hour on non-emergencies they have to keep record and show us what they are doing to improve response rates. Action Taken: Received and filed. NEW BUSINESS 3. Housing and Community Services Department Presentation – The Action Plan Tavon Watkins, Management Fellow, City Manager’s Office, presented and gathered public input. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers the City of Wichita to be an entitlement city and as such, Wichita receives annual allocations of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds. In order to receive these funds the City is required to prepare a Consolidated Plan every five years. In addition, the City is required to submit an Annual Action Plan which addresses the priorities identified in the Consolidated Plan. Watkins educated the group about the various funding. CDBG funds are used for a wide variety of community development needs. The amount of funds received for 2018-2019 was $2,806,389. CDBG eligible activities must meet the national objectives of benefitting low to moderate-income, preventing slum or blight, and addressing urgent community needs. Not less than 70 percent of spending must benefit low to moderate-income persons. There is a limit on the Public Service 2  District III Advisory Board Minutes for 11/07/18 category of $1,163,310. Funds can only be used based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with other City departments or RFP for contractual services with private vendors. The City currently uses CDBG funds on the following:  Infrastructure improvements in low to moderate-income neighborhoods  Park improvements in low to moderate-income neighborhoods  Economic development  Home Repair Program  MABCD code enforcement  Fair Housing Initiatives  City Manager’s Office, Office of Community Services  Housing First Project Coordinator/other homeless assistance  Domestic violence shelter services  Youth crime prevention and enrichment  Training and employment HOME funds are used to create affordable housing for low-income households. The amount received for 2018-2019 was $1,498,828. The City currently uses HOME funds on the following:  Homeownership activities  Housing development/redevelopment activities  Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) set-aside for housing development  Operating support funding for CHDOs  Administration ESG funds are used to address homelessness. In 2018-2019, $230,074 was received. The City currently uses ESG funds on the following:  Homeless assistance (60 percent cap)  Homeless prevention  Rapid re-housing  Administration Watkins asked the group the following questions and collected public input as part of the planning process. The feedback given is included in the question and comment section below.  What should be funded if the allocation increases of decreases?  Which activities are highest priority?  Which activities are lowest priority?  Are there urgent needs which should be considered? The DAB and public asked and made the following questions and comments: Q (DAB): Is the Homeless Outreach Team (WPD) funded through this? A: The County and City combine to provide HOT with $300,000. Q (DAB): I understand this is a federal program, but where is the money coming from? A: The money comes from HUD and we deliver it out. Q (public): I have noticed one of the community problems we have is dogs running at large. Could there be a program done in conjunction between the City and Humane Society to build or repair fences? A: If the homeowners fit income guidelines under the home improvement plan, they could use those funds. They would need to go through the application process. 3  District III Advisory Board Minutes for 11/07/18 CM Clendenin: We can get that info out so people can apply. I do not think a lot of people know about the program until they call the City looking for help. Q (public): A lot of homeless have drug problems and I hate to see people sleeping under a bridge. When they go into one of the programs do they get the help to break the cycle? A: Continuum of Care is a number of organizations working together that is funded by the Consolidated Plan. We can direct them with that if they desire to get clean. C (public): I believe there are issues with providing homes to low-income people. When the heater or AC goes out, they cannot fix it because they do not have the money. When you save for a down payment you learn how to save and be prepared for these issues. CM Clendenin: One of the best programs out there for getting people into housing is Habitat for Humanity. We work with them very closely because they put people through their program teaching them how to budget. One of the things I am interested in that we can do with these dollars is provide a financial literacy program. C (public): Neighbors of mine have gotten notice to improve sidewalk. Can these funds help them? They cannot afford thousands of dollars of work. A: Sidewalk repairs are an eligible activity. We have to determine if it is an area-wide benefit. There needs to be 50 percent of people in the block meeting income guidelines and everyone needs to agree to it if it is an area that does not meet the area-wide benefit. C: They pay for it by spreading it out over taxes over the years. Q (DAB): Where does ADA come in with sidewalks? A: ADA had $300,000 last year to put in sidewalks. This year they do not have any money. Q (DAB): Are we expecting the funding for CDBG grants to remain flat for this upcoming year? A: This current program year we got a boost of $250,000 more, but I do not expect that to be the case for the next program year. So what we are going to plan for is the lower level funding. C (DAB): I have a lot of concern about the issues we are having in this community regarding the use of meth and opioids and how that affects child abuse, poverty, homelessness, and domestic violence. It seems like we are not coming close to putting adequate money toward mental health services that would address those issues. Domestic violence shelters are packed. I want us to think about how we impact affordable, accessible mental health services. C (DAB): I have gone in on tax-sale housing and one of the biggest problems I see with people is plumbing issues and that seems to defeat a lot of homeowners. If you call out a plumber it is $90/hr. There should be a way to give basic training on home ownership (plumbing, electrical, changing filters, and HVAC). A: We can consider housing counseling as an eligible activity. We have previously tried a Housing Expo where we invited the community come out to Century II and we did those type of demonstrations. We have tried to create the opportunity to educate more in that realm. C (DAB): When I helped my daughter buy her first house 30 years ago, we went to the City building and they reviewed everything you just spoke about. It was a two-week program. It was a wonderful program. We had to qualify (moderate-income). I think you need to look back at some of those programs that were available. You should see if that program would justify what you want to do. Action Taken: DAB provided comments regarding community needs and funding priorities for the Consolidated Plan. 4. Housing and Community Services Department Presentation – Nomination of Grants Review Committee Representative 4  District III Advisory Board Minutes for 11/07/18 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that cities involve citizens in the allocation process for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds. The City of Wichita accomplishes this through a series of public hearings before the City Council and through the appointment of a Grants Review Committee (GRC) which reviews proposals and applications. Tavon Watkins requested the DAB nominate someone to represent the GRC. Action Taken: DAB nominated Jared Cerullo as the District III representative to the GRC. PUBLIC AGENDA 5. Feral Cats Richard Ruth, Grandview Heights Neighborhood Association, presented research he has collected about TNR (Trap Neuter Release) programs and its implications for the community. He shared that the Animal Control Advisory Board is working on a TNR ordinance to address the issue of feral cats in Wichita. The ordinance will allow a household to home a cat colony with up to eight cats in addition to being able to own up to four cats as pets. Ruth feels as though this policy is not in the best interest of the community. He stated that HOAs will prevent homeowners from having colonies and the released feral cats will then be left primarily in areas of the City without HOAs. He also feels as though feral cat colonies should not be established near wildlife habitats as it will affect the ecosystem. He does not feel as though the group advocating for this ordinance has done thorough research and data collection on the best way to implement a TNR program or if TNR is even the best policy for dealing with feral cats. He thinks that if a TNR program is pursued, there needs to be stipulations requiring micro-chipping and ongoing vaccinations. He feels as though there needs to be significant research on best practice for implementing a TNR program in the City should the City pursue that option. Council Member Clendenin shared that he has heard from many different groups on the subject and tends to agree with Ruth’s points. He said many neighborhood groups are upset about the likelihood of feral cat colonies being dumped in the center of the city if the ordinance is passed. He feels skeptical the ordinance, as is, will have City Council support though. He said City Council will do their due diligence with looking at other cities who have successfully implemented TNR programs and researching other options for managing feral cats. The DAB and public asked and made the following questions and comments: C (public): If you try to catch a cat, be very careful. I was bitten by one and within an hour I had a fever and had to go to the ER. I was sick for six weeks. C (public): If you have ever lived near a cat colony, the stench can become unbearable. Q (DAB): Who appoints the Animal Advisory Board members? A: City Council members make an appointment. BOARD AGENDA Council Member Clendenin spoke to the group about the status of the Starlite Drive-In Theater. He shared there is a group of passionate people trying to save the theater and that he himself is very disappointed in the closing of the theater and the circumstance around it. He shared the City does not have the legal ground to overturn the zoning change requested in August for the property. He told the group there are interested buyers and operators who want to purchase the land and continue running the drive-in and he is working to help facilitate that solution. He encouraged the DAB to ask many questions and scrutinize future zoning 5  District III Advisory Board Minutes for 11/07/18 change requests. He shared that agents are not obligated to provide the reason for the change request and the DAB should ask enough questions to feel comfortable about intent before approving a request. The DAB and public asked and made the following questions and comments: Q (DAB): What power do we (the DAB) have to table a planning motion until the next month? A: We (the DAB) don’t have any legal authority in our vote. It’s an advisory vote. Things come through this board as a curtesy. The Planning Commission can still do what they do even if it doesn’t come to this board. Q (DAB): Is there a paper trail for transfer of ownerships for Starlite? A: The transfer was done via a will. I (Council Member Clendenin) looked through the deeds. The current owner didn’t pay to buy the property. He assumed the mortgage. People have seen the will. Nothing in the will states it has to stay a drive-in. C (DAB): I’m the one who voted “no” on this zoning case in August. I felt like I wanted to say more and take a stand. I knew this would happen. I regret not taking a harder stand and specifically saying I strongly urge this board not to do this. My suggestion was to keep the zoning the same, but take off the drive-in only part. I’m livid about this. It also really bothers me that the applicant wasn’t there. The group addressed other topics before adjourning. Council Member Clendenin stated he is proceeding with a Clapp Steering Committee and has submitted a list of names. He also addressed a recent controversy with the Advanced Learning Library hosting a drag queen reading event. He shared the following sentiment about the event: We had a staff-driven initiative to have drag queens reading at the library. My issue is not with the event. Anyone can come pay to rent a public space. The problem is that the City of Wichita was sponsoring something that is a socio-political issue. I think we are opening ourselves up to other groups wanting to use or be sponsored by the City of Wichita. We need to come up with a policy. I don’t know what it will look like. This isn’t to keep groups from using the library, but we should not personally be sponsoring something that will open Pandora’s Box and give hate groups a platform for requests. We don’t want to restrict free speech or discriminate between one group and another. As the City of Wichita we want to represent everyone. This was an attempt to try to show we are an inclusive community. For the City to sponsor one group over another gets us into issues though. The change we are looking for in Wichita when it comes to being inclusive, whether it’s race or gender, needs to come from the community. We as a government cannot drive that and have it be the most effective way toward change. Meeting was adjourned at 8:37 p.m. The next District III Advisory Board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., December 5, 2018, at the WATER Center, 101 E. Pawnee, Wichita, KS 67211. Guests Richard Ruth Richard Hill Vernie Wollard Sheri Johnson Tom and Betty Strickland Respectfully submitted, Maddy Campbell, Community Services Representative of District III 6