District 4 Advisory Board

District IV Advisory Board Meeting Minutes November 5, 2012 www.wichita.gov The District IV Advisory Board Meeting was held at the 6:30 p.m. at the Lionel Alford Branch Library, 3447 S Meridian. Six (6) DAB members, six (6) staff and one (1) citizen was present. Members Present Staff Present Councilmember O’Donnell II Kelli Geier, City Manager’s Office Nancy Wilhite Brad Snapp, Housing and Community Services June Bailey Shawn Mellies, Public Works Jerry Warren 2 police staff John Whitmer Nathan Winkley, Public Works Bruce Werth Matt Goolsby Order of Business Call To Order Councilmember O’Donnell II called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. The November 5, 2012 agenda was approved as submitted. (Whitmer/Bailey: 6-0) The October 1, 2012 meeting minutes were approved with a correction to include Goolsby in attendance at the meeting. (Goolsby/Werth: 6-0) PUBLIC AGENDA The public agenda allows members of the public to present issues not on the agenda to the District Advisory Board. Each presentation is limited to five minutes unless extended by the Board. 1. Scheduled Items No items were submitted. 2. Off-Agenda Items No items were submitted.  STAFF PRESENTATIONS Public Safety Reports 3. Community Police Report Police staff reported the following: Auto thefts have increased citywide. Thanks to intelligence officers at Patrol North, two suspects were caught with guns and drugs in Haysville. Residential burglaries have increased at 31st St S and Meridian Copper thefts are continuing. There was an arrest made in west Wichita, but citywide they are targeting vacant houses and leaving few clues. Trying to address illegal dumping and are meeting on this issue again in two weeks. Special assignment around Towne West including two or three officers and a supervisor doing warrant sweeps and hotel occupancy checks resulting in an 87% decrease in auto thefts and 32% decrease in shoplifting. Bailey asked if they caught the people committing these crimes at Towne West and if they were local or out of town people? Officers stated that they did catch the suspects and that they were both local and out of town folks, but mostly local. Action Taken: Received and filed. 4. Fire Report No report was submitted. NEW BUSINESS 5. Recommendations for FY2013 – 2014 Funding Allocations: CDBG, HOME, ESG Funds Brad Snapp, Housing and Community Services, presented information on funding options through Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the 2013 – 2014 fiscal year. The City submitted a Consolidated Plan for 2009-2013 and staff is soliciting community input to develop a spending plan for the fiscal year which starts July 1, 2013 and ends on June 30, 2014. HUD has not announced the City’s allocations however in order to meet regulatory dates and deadlines, City staff is soliciting public input so that when the allocations are announced staff will know how to budget the funds to reflect the community’s priorities. All District Advisory Board members and the general public are being asked to identify spending priorities for CDBG, HOME and ESG for budget that anticipates an eight percent reduction. Comments may be submitted in writing at 332 N. Riverview, by email at llank@wichita.gov or in person at DAB meetings during the month of November. Citizens will also be able to comment at City Hall when the Council considers and approves the priorities, and later the allocations. The spending plan preferences will be presented to the City Council for approval and later applied to the actual funding allocation which HUD will announce in early spring, 2013. City staff has assumed an 8% reduction in funding based on early indicators in national budgeting. There are three scenarios presented to account for the reduction in CDBG and HOME. CDBG Options: A. 8% Reduction across the board B. Leave Public Services as is and reduce all other categories C. Eliminate programs which are also funded with the General Fund and add $19,420 to: (Check One) 1. Sidewalks 2. Dangerous building demolition 3. Neighborhood cleanups HOME Options: A. 8% Reduction across the board B. Reduce Administration, HOME 80 and Housing Development Loan Program C. Reduce Administration and Housing Development Loan Program – add Home Rehab Goolsby asked what costs were included in the administration of the HOME program? Snapp stated that it funded part of the housing program manager’s salary and one staff, which cost $122,000 last year. Bailey asked if this was going to be a flat % of the total budget. Snapp said it would be a 10% cut to the overall budget. Warren asked what was involved in the boarded up program? Snapp replied that a non-profit buys and fixes up the property to sell to first time homebuyers. Board members and citizens present were presented a survey to complete by November 19 and return to either Snapp or Geier. Action Taken: Provided recommendations for a spending plan for fiscal year 2013-2014 by completing surveys. 6. Water and Sewer Rate Proposals Joe Pajor, Public Works and Water Utilities, will present this recommended rate structure by the Water Utilities Advisory Committee. The scenario recommended by the Water Utilities Advisory Committee requires City staff to reduce operating and maintenance expenses by 3.0% before 2014. In addition, growth-related projects (which serve future customers, not existing customers) would be frozen for the next two years to sync up with current development trends. It would result in the increases that are show in the table below. This scenario generates 17.9% less new revenue over 10 years than the current model for funding the utilities.  PROPOSED WATER & SEWER RATES 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Water 5.0% 6.0% 6.0% 5.5% 4.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% Sewer 7.0% 5.0% 5.0% 5.0% 5.0% 5.5% 5.0% 5.0% 4.5% 4.5% Total 5.8% 5.6% 5.6% 5.3% 4.4% 4.0% 3.8% 3.8% 3.6% 3.6% The funding will provided by these rate increases will boost replacement rates of aging mains to minimize water line breaks and sewage backups. The higher water rates through 2016 will pay for the Aquifer Storage & Recovery (ASR) project, while the sewer rates will allow the City to construct a biological nutrient removal system to remain in compliance with EPA guidelines. This proposal was presented to the City Council on August 28, 2012. The City is gathering public input before the City Council considers the issue again later in November. Werth asked about personnel cuts in this department. Pajor explained that there are 43 unfilled positions and that 19 positions were cut, which decreased personnel costs by 13% and produced $2.75 million is savings. Whitmer asked about the 56%rate increase in ten years. Pajor stated that this is just a hybrid model that will be used for one year and then look at other options later if needed. Warren asked for clarification that these rate increases were only paying for the water and not infrastructure. Pajor stated that this is correct and that additional infrastructure needed will be paid through special assessments and that they will work together with Public Works on road projects that need to be completed for infrastructure needs. Whitmer stated that he feels this rate increase hits the most vulnerable people with the economic recession we have experienced. Pajor said that rates are going up for all residential customers inside the City limits. Commercial and wholesale customers are already ready on another plan approved by the City Council. Goolsby stated that he feels the City’s water and sewer rated are too low compared with other cities. Whitmer asked how fluoride will affect these rate increases? Pajor replied that fluoride is not included in these figures for rate increases. Warren inquired about the ASR project funding. Pajor stated that 15% of these rate increases will go to fund the ASR project. Goolsby also asked about the possible use of effluent water which has been used by some communities to maintain water flow and for irrigation. Pajor stated that public acceptance of that is not favorable at this point. Action Taken: Provided comment regarding the proposed water and sewer rates. 7.) Neighborhood Cleanup Revision Proposal Shawn Mellies and Nathan Winkley, Public Works, presented this petition to pave Hoover Court. This project will provide paved access to a commercial area. The estimated project cost is $174,000 with the total amount assessed to the improvement district. The method of assessment is the square foot basis. The estimated assessment to individual properties is $0.33 per square foot of ownership for the assessment. The signatures on the Petition represent 1 of 3 (33.33%) resident owners and 75.75% of the improvement district area. State Statutes provide that a Petition is valid if signed by a majority of resident property owners or owners of the majority of the property in the improvement district. Action Taken: Whitmer/Bailey moved to approve the petition. Motion passed 6-0. OLD BUSINESS 7. No items were submitted. BOARD AGENDA 8. Board Updates and Issues Warren updated on Grace Med project at Dodge Elementary – Planning case failed 8-12 and is going before City Council on November 6. Bailey suggested that if an older person receives a notice of violation for lack of trash service that we set-up funds to assist in providing the trash service. Geier stated that she would check with Housing to see if this is possible. 9. Adjournment With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:37 p.m.