District 4 Advisory Board

District 4 Advisory Board Minutes Monday, April 5, 2021 • 6:30 p.m. Virtual Meeting • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Order of Business The District 4 Advisory Board meeting was held online at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Council Member Jeff Blubaugh, seven (7) DAB members, six (6) City staff, and six (6) guests in attendance DAB Members Present Staff Present Dalton Glasscock Rebecca Fields – Community Representative Michael Gomm Chief E Snow - WFD June Johnson CP Officer David Perkins - WPD Matt Lashley Battalion Chief Terry Gresham - WFD Alex Martinez Battalion Chief John Eck - WFD Laura Rainwater Scott Wadle – Director MAPD Rebecca Robertson DAB Members Absent Guests Present Grant Delmar Tristan Block Jonathan McRoy Martha J Wilson M Crosby R Armstrong Fred Council Member Present Jeff Blubaugh DAB Member Michael Gomm, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. Mr. Gomm proceeded with the agenda and asked approval for the April 5, 2021 agenda. DAB Member Matt Lashley made a motion to approve and DAB Member Dalton Glasscock gave a 2nd. Motion was approved 6/0. The next item was approval for the March 1, 2021 DAB 4 meeting minutes. DAB Member Dalton Glasscock motioned to approve and DAB Member June Johnson gave a 2nd. Motion was approved 6/0. Note: DAB Member Laura Rainwater joined the meeting after this vote had taken place. Page 1 of 10 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Staff Reports Chairman Gomm then asked for a report from the Fire Department. Wichita Fire Chief Snow introduced Chief Gattis and Battalion Chief John Eck who will be the liaison for future inquiries in regards to the Fire Department. In District 4 FIU has investigated 4 fires for the month of March. The first fire was on March 3 in the 4200 block of S Broadway and was deemed accidental as a result of an area around the outlet and several extension cords. The 2nd fire was on March 6 and occurred in the 800 block of W 26 and an apartment fire deemed as being incendiary. The fire began in the interior staircase. The 3rd fire was in the 5900 block of S Jones and was deemed accidental due to an electrical malfunction in the home. The 4th fire occurred on March 29 in the 2500 block of S Yellowstone, and listed as a discarded cigarette and to the high winds. Late in September, we introduced a pilot project that involved Station 17. The Fire Department has received several inquiries regarding this pilot program. The reason for this program was based solely on fires as Wichita’s Fire Department is the only public safety agency that can mitigate fires and concentrate our efforts on fires and ensuring public safety. The program has nothing to do with the budget, and in fact this program is saving zero dollars for the department. The program has been based on best practices. Therefore the squad (medical vehicle) was taken off service at Station 17, and an additional personnel (one) was added to the fire truck which gave a crew of 4 instead of the 3 assigned. This gives a 25% improvement rate during a fire operation. Chief Gattis has designed a “dashboard” that gives totals and details of calls for all the stations in Wichita and the type of call/alarm received. The dashboard updates daily. Chief Gattis then shared on screen the dashboard that has been created. The dashboard shows each District and the number and types of alarms that required a response and a total number of incidents. You can also view the previous years’ stats. Chief Snow then explained the call regarding the house fire on S Yellowstone last month and the response times of each truck. This fire took place during a critical wind warning. Both engine 16 and truck 4 responded to the fire within 4 minutes. Within 8 minutes there were 20 people (personnel) on site. This was a wind-driven fire. CM Blubaugh then asked if we had a ‘response’ benchmark of 52% and if this was correct. Chief Snow replied yes, that the ICMA has set the benchmark at 52%.CM Blubaugh further expounded that we are currently at 39%, and Chief Snow replied yes, that is correct. CM Blubaugh asked how this benchmark was going to be increased. Chief Gattis then resumed showing the dashboard capabilities and how you can check the responses from each Station throughout the City of Wichita. The dashboard also displays the number of alarms that the City responds to in the County, and how many responses the County makes inside the City of Wichita. Chief Snow then commented further about Councilman Blubaugh’s concerns about response times. Chief Snow states that there are several factors when marking response Page 2 of 10 times. One is actual drive time, and drive time is related to where the stations are located and the size of the coverage area. Throughout the City there are at least 3 gaps for proper response times, one of them being around the airport. Chief Snow’s intention is attempting to secure funding for a new software that can help immensely with future critical capabilities. It was the department’s hope to have that software by now, but there is a wait time in securing the funding. CM Blubaugh commented that District 4 is one of the largest geographical areas in Wichita and requires a longer response time in certain areas. That being said, why was Station 17 picked for the pilot program. Chief Snow states that the truck at Station 17 sits out for long periods of times without having responding, and that the Department has applied for the Safer Grant in order to purchase an additional truck for the south part of the City. But by placing a 4th firefighter on the truck at Station 17, they can immediately mitigate a fire instead of having to wait for an additional truck to join them whether it’s an engine or a squad. Councilman Blubaugh then asked about the Community Risk Reduction Division that is designed to utilize 13 personnel, but only has 5 personnel. Chief Snow replied that they only have 5 personnel, but they meet their standards in that area. The software program that they are reviewing to purchase will also be able to analyze and take the place of the other personnel. The five personnel on staff were able to increase revenues from permits by 3 times from the previous year. They are doing a fantastic job. Chief Snow further stated that the department is reviewing and cleaning up much of the department’s processes and the new software will assist them in making better informed decisions once that is operational. Chief Gattis added that Community Risk Reduction is budgeted for 13 personnel and they actually now have 12 personnel. Chief Snow then commented that the primary reason for the dashboard is showing the transparency of the department, and that the statistics will allow them to make better informed decisions moving forward. As far as addressing the gaps in the system, it’s no different than the Police Department. When WPD has a critical incident (like an active shooter), they pull resources from all over the City which leaves a gap in other portions of the City until backup measures can be implemented. As part of a public safety system, this is normal procedures nationwide. There were no further questions or comments for Chief Snow or Chief Gattis. Chairman Gomm then asked for the Police staff report. Officer Dave Perkins, Community Police Officer from Patrol West, was standing by to give a report. Officer Perkins stated that he is currently with 18 beat, but is moving over to 199 beat in about 2 weeks. Officer Richard West will be taking over 18 beat. Officer Perkins then spoke about a “hot” address that is in the 10100 block of W Jewell. There have been many domestic violence calls from this address, but the main concern is that the tenant living there was involved in a drive-by in Park City which is an ongoing investigation. The tenant is currently out of jail, and had admitted to the Park City police that he occasionally “pops off” a couple of rounds from his current backyard. This is an officer safety issue and every officer at Patrol West has been notified of this address for this reason. Page 3 of 10 2nd Chance Thursday is coming up, and this month it is scheduled for April 29th and this will be at St. Mark’s Church of God in Christ, 1108 N Dellrose, 11 am – 7 pm. They are currently only doing traffic warrants, but considering other types of warrants as well. In May the event will be on May 27. Patrol West continues to monitor every single catalytic converter theft in their area, and look to see if any video is available from nearby homes or businesses when a theft occurs. WPD also re-interviews victims. This is producing some results and they will continue to keep doing this. Along West Kellogg, car lots are prime targets as well as the U-Haul store. Even Starkey on West Maple Street has been targeted multiple times. Many businesses, including Starkey, are starting to weld cages made out of rebar over the catalytic converter on their fleet vehicles. Until the State of Kansas puts some laws in place regarding the sale and purchase of used catalytic converters, WPD is just doing the best they can within the law. A couple of months ago, the building at Pawnee Prairie Park was broken into and seven (7) juveniles were caught and charged with burglary and vandalism. Officers continue to patrol the area, and Officer Perkins checked the building this afternoon. Everything was secure at that time. There are some traffic complaints that he is working on in beat 18, and will continue to do so until such time he starts his new beat. DAB Member June Johnson informed Officer Perkins that she would email him to obtain more information about his beat transfer so she could do a write-up for the Calfskin Newsletter. Councilman Blubaugh commented that he appreciated working with Councilman Blubaugh over the past several years and that Officer Perkins has done a great job on his beat in District 4. There were no further questions for Officer Perkins so Chairman Gomm moved on to the Library Report. As Robyn Belt, Library Manager, was unable to join tonight’s meeting, DAB Member June Johnson read the following library report. As a reminder, all Wichita Public Library locations are open for in-person services. Customers are able to browse for materials, use public computers and access our free Wi- Fi service. We are asking customers to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Lounge furniture has been removed at this time to prevent gatherings. For more information about Library operations, please visit www.wichitalibrary.org/covid-19. You’re going to see a lot of great programming in April at your Wichita Public Library. Visit www.wichitalibrary.org/events to register:  Senior Wednesday: Music Theatre Wichita On Wednesday, April 14 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. online via Zoom, our Senior Wednesday program will provide an in-depth conversation with Wayne Bryan of Music Theatre Wichita as he gears up for the 50th anniversary season. He’ll talk about the organization’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the unprecedented cancellation of their 2020 summer season, and what you can expect from Music Theatre Wichita moving forward. Page 4 of 10   Navigating Medicare Online On Tuesday, April 13, 1:30-2:30 p.m. online via Zoom, discover what you are able to do on the Medicare website (www.medicare.gov). Experts from the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging will take you through the steps for enrolling, making changes, and other features. We are gearing up for the Summer Reading Program. This year, we will explore “Tails and Tales” with wild reading challenges and ferocious programs all summer long, including a concert series at Naftzger Park, virtual story times and tons of outdoor fun. Early registration begins Monday, May 17 and the program begins Tuesday, June 1. We’ll have three programs this year: Baby Bookworms program for ages 0-2, the Kids Read program for ages 3-11, and Teens Read for ages 12-18. More information will soon be available at www.wichitalibrary.org/summerreading. (This concludes the library report) Chairman Gomm moved on to the Public Agenda. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Public Agenda Scheduled Items There was no one schedule for this portion of the agenda. Off-Agenda Items No one spoke up to speak on any off-agenda items, so Chairman Gomm moved on to New Business. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • New Business Places for People: Scott Wadle, Director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Department (MAPD) was on hand to receive comments and answer any questions from the DAB about this proposed initiative. DAB Member Rebecca Robertson asked how this plan will be implemented since it depends on businesses and individuals wanting to use the empty spaces available. Mr. Wadle replied that the strategy they are proposing includes Zoning, Land Bank, and figuring out how to “tackle” the gap that exists between building in a new development compared to building on a vacant space in an established neighborhood. The Zoning portion of the proposal provides flexibility in those areas that allow for a specific type of build (i.e. – single-family zoning where someone would want to build a duplex or triplex, etc.) Page 5 of 10 The Land Bank portion of the proposal helps to address properties for whatever reason are not being utilized in the marketplace. The Land Bank can help address title issues and more. The third portion of the proposal is how to make this affordable for builders or buyers in available spaces. In many cases there is the demand for housing or new retail spaces, but there are challenges for revitalization in many areas and this proposal helps to navigate through those challenges. Ms. Robertson commented that she likes the idea of Places for People and that it will make for a strong city, but is the general population buying into this. Education is the key, and the problem is an expanding City as opposed to building in the infill spaces. Mr. Wadle replied that the advantage of Places for People is that it will allow for accessory apartments, “granny flats”, apartments in attics and other areas of a single family home that otherwise would not be allowed. You see a large mix of housing in older neighborhoods such as Riverside, Mid-Town, and College Hill to name a few. Through this program, we can help ensure that the design of the new build will be compatible with the current look of a neighborhood. One thing to take note of is that there is a critical shortage of housing inventory in Wichita, and one of the most critical in the entire country. Councilman Blubaugh commented that when he began selling real estate 20 years ago there were 5000 listings in the County and now there are about 500, and only 200 in the entire City of Wichita. He has reached out to the City Council, and only one Council Member had a concern about possible “gentrification” that will cause property valuations to exceed income levels. CM Blubaugh doesn’t think that Places for People will push people out of any neighborhood, but that there is current inflation for building materials and labor that are causing some concerns. He hopes that this program will help with home ownership and not just investment opportunities for builders and developers. Mr. Wadle commented that this program will help meet housing needs for those who might want to downsize and stay in the same area or neighborhood. There is a great bonus to building in existing spaces (infill) because utilities, paved streets, etc. are already in place and therefor the builder/owner does not have to pay for specials. The City provides other services (Fire, Police) on a square mile basis, and that too would be more cost effective for the City as a whole. DAB Member Dalton Glasscock commended Mr. Wadle and his staff for bringing this initiative to the City and agrees that this will help with revitalization and current infrastructure. Mr. Wadle concluded that if anyone wishes to ask additional questions or address concerns, please share them with him or his staff so they can add them to their report that will go before the City Council. You can use email, phone, or letters. There is also a place on the City website where people can leave comments and feedback: https://www.wichita.gov/Planning/Pages/WichitaPfP.aspx Staff Rebecca Fields commented that anyone can also email her and she can forward comments to Scott and keep the commenter’s name anonymous. Page 6 of 10 Chairman Gomm then moved to the next item on the agenda, Wichita City Council Ethics Policy and requested comments and concerns by the board and any guests. Proposed City Council Ethics Policy: Comment: (DAB) There are concerns about the nuance description of “friend”. Wichita is a community that is close knit and many people know residents and business people from all over the city. So people have close friends, friends of friends, and acquaintances. Where is the line drawn on this? How is it provable and what will be considered the actual definition of “friend”? Comment: (DAB) Many of the definitions are subjective. My concern, from what I have read, is there is a single person (Chairman of the Ethics Committee) that would review a complaint along with outside legal council, and if they deem there is a violation against the code of ethics, that they would then convene a committee to investigate the complaint. That one person (Chairman), appointed by the Mayor, would be responsible for determining whether the complaint would be further investigated. Question: (DAB) So one person would determine the definition of what a “friend” entails, or cyber bullying, or what is a tangible gift, etc.? Comment: (DAB) I have grave concerns that this type of power is given to one person with a two-year term that is appointed by someone with a four-year term. I also have lots of concerns as to how those on this committee are chosen, as well as lots of other concerns about an advisory committee on ethics. Comment: (DAB) Do all board members know that they can be “tried” under the same rules as the City Council? Comment: (DAB) All elected officials are asked to attend all types of events such as lunches, dinners, golf tournaments, etc. as a way to bring more notoriety to that event and/or organization. This is common practice and also a way for elected officials to know more about non-profits and organizations in their community. It is common courtesy to offer a free meal in lieu of their time and effort to attend an event. Comment: (DAB) An accuser can remain anonymous, but anyone being accused of an ethics violation should be able to face their accuser. If not, anyone can stir up problems for any politician or board member without any repercussion. Comment: (DAB) The people who vote you in are also the same people that can “vote” you out. This was proven during the recent scandal involving a City, County, and State official. I have a lot of thoughts (concerns) about this whole proposal. Comment: (DAB) I am not getting a good feeling from anyone on this board about the manifesto that will be carried out by the gestapo ethics committee. (This was followed by another DAB Member stating that they took the words right out of their mouth) Page 7 of 10 Comment: (DAB) Up until two years ago this was never an issue. Up to 99% of our elected officials have been honest and good people with high integrity and trustworthiness. Every profession has “bad apples”, including elected officials. Comment: (DAB) The people who vote are the “ethics committee policemen”. If someone is unethical, they will be voted out. If it is serious enough, your party (political) will force you to resign. That policing is already in effect and not sure if it is necessary to have an ethics committee in which to “oust” people from their position. Comment: (DAB) If it’s serious enough, the D.A. (District Attorney) will investigate it. Comment: (DAB) By having whistle-blower protection, aren’t they encouraging whistle blowing? Once in a while whistle blowers are legitimate, but they can also be people with really dumb interpretations, or got their feelings hurt and want to get even. It just opens it up for people to cause other people problems. Comment: (DAB) What occurred this past year shows that our system works. When one does something wrong (meaning an elected official) they get removed from office, resign in disgrace, or they lose badly. I am always going to side with the voter as opposed to some bureaucrat that has only been assigned a task. Comment: (DAB) I feel that this whole thing will be used as a political weapon and we’re going to get bogged down over nonsense. I have lived in this area for over 20 years and until this past year, everything took care of itself. There has been one blip in my history of living here in Wichita and I feel that this ethics policy is being weaponized. The minute you report that someone is being investigated ethically, you immediately slander that person without any evidence in the “court of public opinion”. And even if you’re cleared of any wrong doing, the damage has already been done publically. Councilman Blubaugh then spoke and said that the Places for People initiative has been worked on for the past 5 or 6 years and has still not been officially adopted by the City. But the City Manager said that the ethics policy would be adopted by this coming May. My words to him where if we get this ethics policy passed before Places for People, you are going to have a very unhappy Council Member on your hands. We (City Council) are all there to make things better. And I want to work on things that have measurable results that help improve our city. I want to make sure we are ethical, but I am hearing the same things from my other constituents. Even if something is not proven, and there are multiple accusations and you come up for re-election, it tends to be that you will not be re-elected. One other thing I want to throw out to you is that the way this ethics policy is written, any one of you board members can be accused of ethics violations. The Chairman or Committee will have an attorney, but the accused will not have access to free legal representation. I believe that we need to keep this balanced. If the Ethics Committee has an attorney, then the City should pay for the accused to have an attorney as well. Question: (DAB) Is that even legal or allowed? That the ethics committee has access to free legal representation, but if someone cannot afford legal representation that they would have to pay for it out of their own pocket? Page 8 of 10 Comment: (DAB) You will get my resignation (from this board) the day after this policy passes. Comment: (DAB) This will keep good people from wanting a board position, and instead we should be encouraging residents to be more civically engaged. Comment: (DAB) I have heard from a radio talk show host, to change what is going on in Washington D.C. or the State level that it has to begin at the local level. This policy sounds as if it is trying to prevent this. From being free to do what is necessary at the local level. A DAB Member then asked Councilman Blubaugh if the City Council is voting on the ethics policy in May. Councilman Blubaugh responded that the City Manager said that once this goes to all the DABs that we will be voting on an ethics policy in May. Chairman Gomm asked how the other Council Members feel about this. Councilman Blubaugh responded that the fear among the Council Members is if you vote against an ethics policy how the media will perceive and report on this. If you vote against an ethics policy that you will be perceived as “unethical”. And this policy could very well pass in May. There were no further comments or questions, so Chairman Gomm moved on to the next item on the agenda. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Board Agenda Councilman Blubaugh spoke about some of the main issues that were covered in today’s meeting. The coverage by the Fire Department in District 4 is an issue he continues to receive emails and phone calls about, and with District 4 being such a large geographical area, he has concerns as well. He does appreciate the Fire Department working on the analysis and communicating with us, but the folks at home need to feel confident about this as well. Councilman Blubaugh stated that he is very excited about Places for People and this will open up a lot of opportunities for older neighborhoods and make affordable housing opportunities. Looking at the growth projections, southwest Wichita is projected to have the largest area of growth over the next 20 - 30 years. There are a lot of good things happening. CM Blubaugh further stated that he has been pushing for interchanges on west Kellogg at 119th St and 135th St West for the past 8 years. He has not received much Council support. He asked for the areas to be “shovel” ready and that was done with the addition of the access roads. Recently he has heard that if the stimulus bill is passed, there is a good chance that these two interchanges will be able to happen. This could be a game changer for having this portion of the City developed. Page 9 of 10 Chairman Gomm asked staff Rebecca Fields if a meeting area had been arranged at the new ball stadium for a future DAB meeting. Ms. Fields commented that she had a meeting arranged last week to view the accommodations at the stadium, but she ended up with the flu and had to cancel. She has a date set up for a DAB meeting there on July 12, but there are no games on Mondays at the stadium. Chairman Gomm asked if we had to meet on a Monday and Ms. Fields replied that she would look into this. Chairman Gomm then asked Councilman Blubaugh for his view of the land bank for the Places for People initiative. CM Blubaugh replied that the land bank is an opportunity to pool some different lots for anyone to submit a plan for those properties. Specials can end up costing developers more than $40,000 for streets, water, landscaping, etc., and homeowners might have to pay these specials off for the next 20 years. You won’t have all of this as we see more development in the inner core of the city. There are still over 100 miles of unpaved streets in the City of Wichita. Not only would Jeff like to incentivize the developers for building in these areas, but would like to incentivize the people that have stayed in those areas for all these years. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Adjournment Chairman Gomm asked for a motion to adjourn. DAB Member Dalton Glasscock made a motion to adjourn and DAB Member Matt Lashley gave the 2nd motion. Motion was approved 7/0. The meeting adjourned at 8:01 pm. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The next DAB 4 meeting will be online, May 3, 2021 at 6:30 pm. Page 10 of 10