City Council Report /w Gordon Basham; Skateboarding, Affordable Housing

city council reports beginning with the actual council reports for the meeting that was held on ten twenty three ninety beginning with short report number one following short report number two followed by long report for ten to be aired on ten twenty four ninety during morning edition The council dealt with a mostly routine agenda today the only item that drew any public opposition was the so called called skateboarding ordinance the measure which was up for the second and final reading outlaws skateboarding in the downtown core area opposing the measure was Wichitan Charles Britain who told the council the measure punishes the majority of skate boarders for the actions of only a few the measure passed unanimously the council also unanimously approved a request for the issuance of a letter of intent for forty seven and a half million dollars in industrial revenue bonds for Presbyterian manners incorporated the company which operates nursing homes statewide recently moved its headquarters from Newton to Wichita

the company would use the IRBs to finance the refunding of a prior bond issue and make improvements and additions to his twelve health care facilities throughout Kansas the council's vote to grant a letter of intent for IRBs in favor of Kansas affordable housing rule was less than unanimous the company plans to use the money from the bond issue to buy and build a multi family low and moderate income housing project near Boston and Tods streets in southeast Wichita. Council member Rick Gooch expressed concern over the long term commitment to the community by Kansas affordable housing. Gooch was concerned about some developers who deal in speculative properties and then turn them around for a quick profit J. Maxwell who represented the developers at his company was committed to the long term project the council though voted four to three to approve the letter of intent with council members Odrile Gooch and Cayman voting in the negative. Wichita architect Charles Macafee's project to develop a modular home manufacturer facility in Wichita got a new breath of life last October the council voted to grant Macafee Watica Development a letter of intent

issue over five million dollars in industrial revenue bonds to develop the one hundred thousand square foot facility Macafee had such a request and ordered a complete dependency on his project the councils approval of his request was unanimous. The council also also heard some recommendations by the city staff on a council request of informal property condemnation procedure to be drawn up the procedure the city manager's office's recommending in many ways formalizes procedures now used by the council the staff listened to council recommendations and will return at a later time with a formal policy for KMUW I'm Gordon Basham The council short report number two. The council feast a mostly routine agenda today with only the second reading of the so called skateboarding ordinance drawing any public opposition the ordinance outlaws skateboarding on public and private property and the downtown area it was opposed by Charles Britain who said by passing the measure the council was punishing many for

the actions of only a few final action on the council was unanimous approval of the measure on second reading several request for letters of intent to issue bond money also came before the council today one request by Kansas affordable housing trust for two and a half million dollar industrial revenue bond issue one narrow approval the company had requested the letter of intent in order to mark a taxable industrial revenue bonds to financing acquisition and construction of a multi family low and moderate income housing projects near Boston and Todd streets in southeast Wichita council member Rick Gooch voiced concerns about the project saying he wanted assurances that the developers would make a long term commitment to the project and not turn it over for a quick profit J. Maxwell who represented the developer said that was not the case the vote on the measure was four to three in favor of granting a request for the letter of intent council members Gooch, Odrile, and Kaymon voted in the negative. the council unanimously granted a request for a letter of intent to issue up to forty

seven and a half million dollars in IRBs in favor of Presbyterian Manners incorporated. The company which recently moved it's corporate headquarters to Wichita from Newton sought the money in order to complete it's management and financial re-organization plan. Wichita architect Charles Macafee also got a six month extension on his letter of intent to issue over five million dollars in it IRBs in favor of his Wattico Development incorporated Macafee had sought the extension in order to complete the financing and development of his one hundred thousand square foot modular home manufacturing facility the council voted unanimously in favor of granting that extension finally the council heard a report by city manager Chris Churches on his request that a formal property condemnation procedure be established in many respects the policy being recommended formalizes many existing council procedures churches and his staff were asked to complete the plan to bring it back to the council for later approval for KMUW I'm Gordon Basham. And the long council report council meeting on ten twenty three ninety for

airing on ten twenty four ninety, routine business dominated the council meeting Tuesday with the only item generating public opposition being the second reading of the so called skateboarding ordinance city manager Chris churches explains, The city council first considered this item several meetings ago. The second reading was deferred to allow for some revisions to be included in the ordinance would not only prohibits skateboard activity in the central business district as defined by the ordinance on public property but the revision requested by the council also preclude skateboard activity on private property within the same designated areas prior to the second reading of ordinance the city received a call from a gentleman indicating that he was not given notification that ordinance was being prepared or considered and asked to address the city council this gentleman was here at the last meeting but because

of the delay in conversation relative to another item on the agenda that he could not stay for the whole meeting. So hence the city council took action to bring back this ordinance to allow him to comment at this meeting this is time and place after second reading. Speaking out against the indoctrine of the new ordinance was Charles Britain who said by passing the ordinance the council will be punishing many for the actions of only a few. Britain then talked about about the need for the city to set-up a skateboard park since the only such facility near downtown the one open last year in the old marble theater on Douglass has since closed down. That prompted council member Sheldon Kayman to voice a concern. The thing that really bothers me throughout this and maybe it's not that serious a concern but the thing that gives me some uneasy feeling is if skate boards are a threat downtown to private property why aren't they threat to other parts of the city that's what I can't in vice versa if there not threat other part of the city why are they such a threat to downtown. With this

disclaimer that I am not an expert in this activity nor have I ever been on one of those vehicles. I think that the fact that there is congested areas of downtown where there's high density of office buildings and pedestrian conflicts in traffic whereabouts in the outlying areas you don't have the same conflicts with traffic the density of buildings you have setbacks in residential areas or business and office parks you don't have the type of congestion be it vehicular or pedestrian in most other areas of city except perhaps in town east town west I think that's their reasoning behind it. When the final vote was taken the council voted too adopt the ordinance banning skateboarding in the downtown core area on both public and private property and the new business the castle dealt with concerned a request by Kansas affordable housing trust to issue a letter of intent for taxable industrial revenue bonds up to two and a half million dollars again city manager churches. The purpose of this bond

issue would be to finance the acquisition construction of a multiple family complex for low and moderate income housing the project will contain one hundred two bedroom units The applicants has agreed and should the council approved their intent that they would enter into an agreement to ensure that the residents would be eligible for the low income housing credit programs there are no tax abatements being requested this time. J. Maxwell who represented Kansas affordable housing trust spoke to the council about the project which will be located in southeast Wichita near Boston and Todd streets. Council member Rick Gooch told Maxwell about some concerns he had about locating pockets of low income housing in areas around the city. Gooch said he was also concerned about companies that come into an area develop such a project and then move on. I think we need to be looking at only field,

in field making these, giving people a place to lay out is very important in this city but I think it ought to be in some way that they can be proud of the place that they live I think that's the reason why we should be talking about ownership. That first thing I think we should be talking about and as long as we are not going to be doing that I think that there should be a limited area of acceptable low income houses it easier and not the effect of having an area that will soon be abandoned like I can take you to places here and now that down south out part of Wichita Plainview area where they've abandoned these places after a few years of the land windfall off the profit of owning them, and we still don't have affordable housing. I think gone a long way and I'm very disappointed in that this is the way we're moving I do appreciate anyone having any answers and expressed any interest in these things

I also uh understand that in many of these case like other things we talk about the interests of taking care of the poor and the hungry and whatever but if there's a way to do this that benefits the rich first well then we move that way I don't think this is the right move on affordable housing and I'm very disappointed that we don't have something better than this to offer I think we should offer something but I think it should be better than this I would make two comments to that. First of all the ownership structure has committed to owning this property for thirty years and maintaining it under federal guidelines for that type of housing so the concept of flipping it, moving on to the next project the trust is adamantly opposed to that they've made represented representations to the state that this will be under their ownership and control for thirty year period of time. Council member Greg Pharris was not opposed to the issuance of the bombs but did voice some objections to allowing tax abatements for that

project. The recommended action is no cost to the city I believe apartment complex that's going to be renting in a neighborhood of four hundred dollars a month I have no problem with that if his own four molt family if that theory meets those conditions if they are going to agree to maintain some of the integrity of the landscaping I have no problem with that I would have any problem what's so ever with a tax abatement on this it would not support any letter of intent that did not specifically stated that there was agreement in that that no tax abatement will be granted as result the issuance of the bond. Final council vote on the measure was four to three in favor of issuing the letter of intent with council members Gooch Cayman and Ojile voting in the negative. The the council also voted to issue a letter of intent for the issuance of forty seven and a half million dollars in industrial revenue bonds in favor of Presbyterian manners incorporated the company which operates nursing homes around the state requested the issue as part of its recent management and

financial reorganization. The council vote on the measure was unanimous in favor of the request the council also voted unanimously to grant a request by Lincoln meadows incorporated their request for a letter of intent to issue up to five million dollars in the multifamily housing revenue bonds. Lincoln meadows plans to use the money to buy and refurbish a two hundred and ninety six unit apartment complex near Lincoln and web road also in southeast Wichita. Wichita architect Charles MacAfee also received another extension on his letter of intent to assure over five billion dollars in industrial revenue bonds that would allow his wattico development incorporated to finance and develop a one hundred thousand square foot modular home manufacturing facility. The original letter of intent was issued late last October. The council also took up the issue of how to formulate a council policy on dealing with it's own property condemnation procedures. Back on September sixteenth the council requested cities that provide a report outlining measures that would improve and streamline the condemnation process among the recommendations made by the city managers office was a plan that according to city manager

churches in many ways formalizes existing council policy churches said in no way does the new property condemnation process circumvent due process. The council took no action on the record instead gave churches and his staff more time to further refine that proposed policy for KMUW I'm Gordon Basham. [monotone beep] This is going to be the city council's short reports number one short report number one to air on ten twenty nine ninety, ten twenty one ninety. One item of unfinished business on the council's agenda will be to listen to recommendations on what to do about the city hall parking garage this past June a bad windstorm Knocked down the west wall of the garage damaging the police departments property room and its contents following the storm the city studied the structural integrity of the

entire garage and determined it was unsafe. City public works director Steve Lackey says the city of Wichita has several options including repairing the garage or tearing it down and rebuilding. Lackey says replacing the garage with one of comparable size would be only slightly more expensive than rebuilding it between three and a half and four million dollars. Lackey adds if the garage is replaced there are several options his his department will present the council including adding more badly needed parking spaces. Lackey says the city's insurance will pay about four hundred thousand dollars of the half million dollars in damage actually caused by the collapsed wall. He says the adjacent city building which was built in part by some of the same contractors who built the garage is not in any structural danger. Other action on the otherwise light council agenda will be a look at the city's recycling goals, and item which has been requested by mayor Bob Knight, and review of the the salaries paid the vice mayor, mayor, and city council. That item is being brought up on the council's agenda by vice mayor Rick Gooch. Currently the mayor is paid twelve

thousand five hundred dollars a year, the vice mayor ten thousand dollars, and the council members seven thousand dollars each. Each of the elected officials is also paid a monthly car allowance of two hundred dollars the last time the major and vice mayor and council were given a pay raise was fifteen years ago back in nineteen seventy five. The council meeting gets underway at nine o'clock in the council chambers at city hall tomorrow morning. The meeting is open to the public. For KMUW I'm Gordon Basham. City council short report number two. among the items of reconsideration of the council's own agenda is revealed the salaries of them thereby sparing council members that it has been requested by vice mayor rick coach currently the mayor has paid twelve thousand five hundred dollars annually of my spare ten thousand at each of the council members seven thousand dollars in addition each receives a monthly car allowance of two hundred dollars last time the city's elected officials are gonna pay raise

was back in nineteen seventy four mayor bob knight has requested review of the city's recycling goals is part of the council agenda also need some options on what to do about the city's parking garage is a lot of unfinished business that will no doubt be a major focus of the music les gelb a bad windstorm blow the west wall of the city hall parking garage on top of the police department property evidence room a subsequent study of the structural integrity of that iran should it was unsafe recently the public works department held a workshop for the council on options available on dealing with a grudge those options include tearing the structure downtown replacing it with a new ranch or repairing existing facility public works director steve like he says repairing the garage will cost about three million dollars replacing hips as likely will be only slightly more expensive he adds of the council chooses to replace the garage there were several options there are two sets of replacing what a comparable size all the way up to building a garage with a significantly higher number of parking spaces

that option says like he could run up to six million dollars depending on the size of the city council chooses he says the damage to the building totals about four hundred thousand dollars with the city's insurance policy picking up all but one hundred thousand of them and he adds the city hall building which was there was some of the same contractors is not any structural danger the city council meeting gets underway at nine o'clock in the council chambers at city hall the meeting is open to the public and working back from nsa tells along reports for seven thirteen ninety the council's unfinished business agenda includes a report on the options open to the city concerning the repair or replacement of the city hall parking lot a wind storm last june cause the west well the garage to collapse of the police department property room we talk about the corps' director steve likely about how much damage that collapsed will

cause one image that was dumbo in storms one amount to around a half million dollars to physically move the west in the garage wall over on our property and evidence building that resolving the damage amount to around five hundred thousand yet the cost to either replace the garage recruited rogers which was yes after the grimes wall fell and we decide we need to take a harder look at the total structure because we suspicion that there were some deficiencies and after having consulted by the worst safety problems with corruption and they get an analysis of the run around three million dollars to repair the grudge it would cost to replace the window of land new n roll around and four million dollars so the options at this point there aren't replacing military as a career yes so until council workshops ocean a few weeks ago and told them will cost to repair and or replace and i think at that point in time they were pretty well

leaning toward replacing the current structure simple because of the safety problems we have now and now i'm angry at that and just restore an old grand it's also a matter of being able to have more parking spaces to the requests that are you know the problems we have heard city hall efficient parking spaces some one hundred and fifteen two hundred migrants daily people are coming in our city hall so we're hopeful that he will be replaced as a silver rolls will be able to accommodate that extra parking stalls impeachment is that in fact i'm going to leave the price that term will be considering this assumes that you mentioned a minute ago which is just slightly more than the privilege of parking spaces record of regular extra parking spaces will continue the council several options one just replace we have no other options to replace plus additional parking so the auction didn't run anywhere from three and i have a six million dollars depending on what they want to choose a mate and it depends on when they won four hundred park and still sylvia six hundred and still silly and even by this ballpark and

elsewhere so we're giving you more and a way of choices choose well that will be in terms of the damage to the property and is that settled through insurance are held the us will gain insurance carrier that has analyzed it and he's the one that came up with the estimate of around four hundred and fifty thousand dollars and then there's some additional expenses associated with the consultant so it five years of the reimbursement we have one hundred thousand dollar deductible so the helicopters don't have guns but there is no actual wind storm damage to ensure that nature of the grant itself not per se says that our provider knows what would occur to the garage and has really not tried to question that all the other we go after them we we have asked their consoles to take a look at that give us their opinions and we turned it all over the lot apartment we find there are some design

problems and so construction problems wars will a monolithic design and also a contract filled with a certain individuals used to build the new city or two and now they want the world to lose their regional these recruiters and you know we don't have a concern public works director steve likely another item on the council agenda this morning will be a discussion on the salaries paid the mayor vice mayor and city council that issue has been brought up by vice mayor rick couture joins us this morning good morning mr gooch why is this is an issue that needs to be discussed for years we don't know

it is your real at home they have made that they're making a contribution to the body and a bit worried here that within the ocean or not then i think that i think that's reasonable so it's

this many years later do you feel like the craze and so he would consider euthanasia laws we will go as high a quality you're a higher quality be running for office not to savor the poster of all the smell quality with this i have a tendency to attract more people to run for political office not at all it is no more we weren't

really there you are what we do know well a lot of things leary's series i know that the mayor is being paid four thousand five hundred year the weisner ten thousand and the city council recently passed the region gets it was sent directly to an hour with all the oils and things to happen you really

are it the main thing vice mayor rick gooch the issue of pay raises for the city council was disgusting because a meeting earlier the sheer no action was taken at that that the government gets underway at nine o'clock this morning the city council chambers at city hall meetings open to the public or i'm going better he

sees the whole thing