District 3 Advisory Board

District III Advisory Board Minutes for August 7, 2019 DISTRICT III ADVISORY BOARD MINUTES August 7, 2019 https://www.facebook.com/WichitaDistrict3/videos/391769364860053/ 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, eleven DAB members, five City staff, three presenters, and four members of the public were present. Members Present Staff Present Bruce Gass Lt. Mark Jordan, Station 22, Wichita Fire Catherine Johnson Department Cindy Miles Firefighter Nicholas Maddy, Station 22, WFD Daisy Olivar Firefighter Judd Schroeder, Station 22, WFD David Robbins Mark Manning, City Treasurer, Finance Gerald Henry Maddy Campbell, Community Services Jared Cerullo Representative, City Manager’s Office Marco Alcocer Michael Loop Paul Davis Ron Tracy CM Clendenin Members Absent ORDER OF BUSINESS At 6:30 p.m. CM Clendenin called the DAB meeting to order. The current Agenda was approved. The Minutes from June 5 and July 3, 2019 were also approved. STAFF REPORTS 1. Fire Department Lt. Mark Jordan, Station 22 reported there were 28 fire alarms, 586 medical alarms, and 98 service alarms in District III for the month of July. He shared there was a significant fire at 1403 E. Mt. Vernon on July 26 which resulted in almost a total loss of a duplex unit. The fire started in the kitchen and extended into the garage causing approximately $80,000 in damage. En route crews were advised people might be trapped in the home basement. Firefighters aggressively fought the fire and rushed inside to rescue potential occupants. It was determined that there were no remaining occupants and WFD personnel was able to vacate the structure and extinguish the fire without injury. All nine residents of the duplex were able to safely leave the home prior to WFD arriving on site, but unfortunately a pet dog perished in the incident. A cause of fire has not yet been listed. The following city-wide statistics were provided from the Fourth of July fireworks enforcement effort:  Enforcement teams issued 59 citations this year (138 citations were issued in 2018).  There were 1,142 complaint calls made to the non-emergency line from July 1-6. This was down from 1,437 last year; though last year the calls covered all of Sedgwick County and this year they covered just the City of Wichita.  WFD distributed over 1,500 fliers and contacted over 100 residents in an outreach effort to provide education about the fireworks ordinance. 1  District III Advisory Board Minutes for August 7, 2019  There were 51 injuries reported by local medical facilities. The injured ranged from 6 months old to 66 years old. Illegal fireworks (such as mortars, firecrackers, and roman candles) were the most injury-producing items this year.  There were no reports of safety issues for enforcement teams this year. DAB inquired about the legality of burning brush on private property and was informed that is not permissible within city limits without a burn permit (as most brush fires exceed the maximum height of an allowable fire). 2. Community Policing There was no scheduled Wichita Police Department report this month. Action Taken: Received and filed. PUBLIC AGENDA 3. Scheduled Items There were no scheduled Public Agenda items this month. 4. Off-agenda Items No individuals spoke at this time. Action Taken: Received and filed. NEW BUSINESS 5. Public Art Funding Phil Meyer (Design Council), Sharon Fearey (Design Council), and Arlen Hamilton—members of an ad hoc group convened at the request of the City Manager—presented a draft ordinance requesting to designate a percentage of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for public art. Mark Manning (City Treasurer) was present to clarify budget and funding questions. DAB members were generally supportive of the proposal. Many commented on the importance of including art elements and aesthetics in City infrastructure and shared that public art is a vital element to our city's future growth and quality of life. DAB members mentioned concerns about the perception of the City spending further money on public art while areas such as public safety and street maintenance appear to need significant additional funding. CM Clendenin, Manning, and the presenters alleviated concerns by providing clarification on the City's various funding avenues (general operating budget vs. CIP) and by shedding light on how the ordinance will essentially provide structure and transparency to a process that is already happening. DAB and members of the public asked and made the following summarized questions and comments: DAB: Do we currently have 1 percent dedicated to public art in the CIP? A: No, that is why we are here. We have succeeded in incorporating art thus far, but an ordinance would provide structure and transparency to that process and ensure it remains prioritized across changing councils. An ordinance was written in1999 which established the Design Council. It is a very short ordinance and we have been working for four years to build on it by looking at what the other 350 cities with designated public art percentages are doing. DAB: How are public art projects selected? What is the role of the Design Council? 2  District III Advisory Board Minutes for August 7, 2019 A: The Design Council is a group of 11 members whom are appointed by City Council. The Design Council sits down with City staff to look at the upcoming CIP to identify special projects. It is common for subcommittees to be created to work with department heads on specific projects. We look at opportunities to incorporate art in upcoming projects (such as fire stations, police stations, parks, arterial improvements, etc.), and we make sure there is good distribution across all council districts. We then make recommendations to City Council. Design Council does not pick which projects get funding or how much funding individual projects get—City Council makes the final decision on that. Once a project is selected and an artist is assigned, the artist will typically engage the community for input on how to finish the product. Design Council’s role is to look at the bigger picture and make sure that when we spend money it is at the right time, right location, and appropriate to serve the whole community. DAB: Does each individual project in the CIP have a small percentage dedicated to artistic value? A: There is no current mechanism to determine how much money should be put into artistic value/aesthetics for projects listed in the CIP. Currently, the Design Council reviews projects in the CIP and makes a recommendation to the City Council on specific projects that should incorporate dedicated artistic aspects. At the end of the day, we do not have a way to measure if we are spending enough or too much money on public art or to see how we compare to other cities. Right now we are doing very well, but you would not believe the amount of effort that goes into figuring it out. The proposed ordinance would give us a mechanism to guide that process. DAB: Are any of our public art projects grant funded? A: The Horizontes mural project was grant funded. DAB: Is it common to get public art funded through grants? A: I would say we have a lot of grant funded or donated public art throughout the city, but typically it is on organizations or private businesses rather than City infrastructure. DAB: Are memorials considered public art? If someone wants to create a memorial, would the Design Council get involved? A: Almost all memorials have art components. If a proposed memorial is to be on public ground and created with public funding, then the City would have the Design Council review it and make recommendations. CM Clendenin: Presently there is $50,000 dedicated for art maintenance. That is not a lot of money. A dedicated amount needs to be allocated for maintenance of public art. This ordinance will also be used to dictate that, so we can take care of what we have today and not just put money toward new projects. A: We have built a 20 page ordinance that helps clarify the role of City staff and the Design Council and simplifies funding sources to make this process run smoothly rather than having every decision be agonized about. DAB: The City is working on a master plan for Clapp Park. Is that something Design Council will be involved in? A: Design Council weighs in once a specific project from a master plan is at the design/concept phase. The uniquely designed splash pads from the Aquatics Master Plan are great examples. DAB: Public art is great and fundamental to the success of our metropolitan community as a whole, but how do we justify creating another significant funding source when basic City services are seemingly underfunded (such as Animal Control or public safety)? A: The City has a general operating budget and that is where funding for Animal Control and public safety comes from. The general budget covers all City operating expenditures. This ordinance targets the money the City allocates for planned capital projects in the Capital Improvement 3  District III Advisory Board Minutes for August 7, 2019 Program, or the CIP. The CIP budget is flexible and varies from year to year. The ordinance does not call for providing additional funding to the CIP, but rather designating that a percentage of the CIP’s funding be spent toward public art. A (CM Clendenin): Having a dedicated percentage helps us be more intentional with how we go about doing our capital improvement projects. When we are more intentional we can build in costs without making the project cost more money. The CIP budget has many different funding mechanisms. It is partly paid for by cash and mostly paid for by utilizing our credit (debt). When it comes to improvement projects, allocating 1 percent is not going to hurt or help the operating budget—it is a net zero. It is not robbing Peter to pay Paul. A (Manning): We are not taking money out of a fund that exists today. We are just clarifying in an ordinance a process we are already doing. DAB: How do you select artists for projects? A: Once a project is selected for consideration, the City sends out an RFQ (Request for Qualification). The City will select three applicants from the RFQ for interviews. DAB: Is Century II considered iconic? A: Century II is a great example of why we need aesthetic improvements and public art to be incorporated into City infrastructure. What a great piece of architecture that has been! I will not weigh in on if Century II should be preserved or torn down, but that project achieved Design Council’s goal and Century II did its job. DAB: Design Council had a role in recommending brick sidewalks that are being implemented in Delano and other parts of the City. Those seem to be a maintenance nightmare with our freeze cycles and weather. A: There were maintenance and ADA considerations in choosing to go with the brick sidewalks. The brick and concrete pavers hold their color. If we went out there and poured, stamped, and painted concrete the wear and tear caused by vehicles would have City Maintenance telling you it cost them more to deal with that than it does to deal with the occasional brick that pops up. Anything we paint or stain does not last long because of the abuse it takes from traffic. DAB: I am in support of an ordinance that designates a percentage for art in this community. I struggle going to that 1.5 or 2 percent though. I see other cities doing fantastic with a dedicated 1 percent. If we cannot maintain what we already have, why are we designating so much for building new? A: The difficulty with these numbers is we are comparing apples to oranges and it is hard to compare cities. DAB: What are your thoughts about the percentages, Mark [Manning]? A (Manning): It is not my place to say what the appropriate percentage would be, but I will echo that this provides transparency and predictability. Public: Did you have anything to do with Intrust Bank Arena? That thing looks like a boat from Kellogg. A: That was a County project. It did not go through Design Council. Public: Maybe over time there will be an increase in sense of security in the community as people go out to enjoy public art, such as the Keeper. When communities search for an identity, community members are involved in that. Involving the local community should be considered with projects. Your draft proposal should have a clarification about the involvement of the public in your projects to give guidance on how we can be involved in those things. DAB: Will a finalized ordinance be presented to the DAB’s before going to Council? 4  District III Advisory Board Minutes for August 7, 2019 A: We will not return to the DAB’s for further discussion. We are taking notes which will be compiled and discussed. The ordinance presented to City Council will reflect the feedback we receive during this process. Public: There are two neighborhoods that are historically significant in District III that would benefit greatly and be partly revitalized from public art. I would love to see Planeview and Hilltop considered more by the Design Council. A (CM Clendenin): Planeview is getting one of the incredible splash pads presented in the Aquatics Master Plan. Design Council had a large role in ensuring each splash pad was uniquely and meticulously designed in a way that reflects their specific communities. DAB: Are the percentages for peer cities listed on slide 9 current? A: The ordinance was passed in year that is listed and those numbers have not changed since. DAB: Wichita was dismal 35-40 years ago, and today is it lively and welcoming. Turning a corner downtown is now pleasant with all of those planters. From murals to artistic service hole covers, it is amazing. Thank you for your work. Action Taken: DAB provided feedback and suggestions to the ad hoc group for them to move forward with preparing the draft ordinance for presentation to the City Council. Public Art Plan Presentation: https://www.wichita.gov/Council/DABAgendasMinutes/2019-08- 07%20DAB%20III%20Public%20Art%20Plan%20Presentation.pdf BOARD AGENDA 6. Updates, Issues, Reports The group discussed rules for operating electrical scooters in the city. Many do not feel safe riding them in the streets but also do not want to see them operated on sidewalks. CM Clendenin urged the group to be open-minded about the scooters as they are a popular amenity in many other cities, and they can be a vital component (alternative to a personal vehicle) in a city’s transportation system. He reported that WPD has been tasked with stopping and educating scooter operators who are in violation of the law/rules, and he reported that WPD will continue to promote education about scooters and will write tickets as needed. CM Clendenin reported on the status of Clapp Park. He informed the group the park is open to the public and encouraged them to utilize the paths for biking and walking and to enjoy the green space. He emphasized that there are no plans to sell any of the land at Clapp and that the City will soon start a master planning process for the former golf course. He also shared that he intends on investing the $200,000 loaned to Starlite Drive-in from his Hyatt funds into Clapp Park once the loan is repaid. Catherine Johnson reminded the group that Neighborhood Night Out is on Tuesday, August 13. She invited the group to attend the South Central NNO party at the WATER Center and informed them tours of the plant would be provided that evening. She also requested a presentation about the Riverfront Legacy Master Plan to provide the DAB and District III residents an opportunity to give feedback. CM Clendenin reported he will host the topic at an upcoming District III Breakfast. Action Taken: Received and filed. 5  District III Advisory Board Minutes for August 7, 2019 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m. The next District III Advisory Board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on September 4, 2019 at the WATER Center, 101 E. Pawnee, Wichita, KS 67211. Guests Arlen Hamilton (public art ad hoc group) Phil Myer (public art ad hoc group) Sharon Fearey (public art ad hoc group) Charles Myers Richard Hill Richard Ruth Sheri Johnson Respectfully submitted, Maddy Campbell, Community Services Representative, District III 6