District 5 Advisory Board Meeting

Documenter name: Randi Thimesch

Agency: Wichita City - District Advisory Board 5

Date: June 3, 2024

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

Meeting at Wichita Water Department. 2120 N Hoover Rd, Wichita, KS 67212

Meeting time: 6:00pm - 8:50pm

Meeting Summary: June 3, 2024

JV Johnston                                                 Present

Lamont Anderson                                  Online, later, Present

Rachel R Thomas-Murphy                               Present

Stacy Wontorski                                Present

Sierra Scott                                                 Absent

Jennifer Salvo                                Present

Dennis Clary                                              Present – Meeting Chairperson

Wendy Carter                                Online

David Sanford                                           Present

Shawn Bauman                                       Present

Grace                                                Online

This meeting was available by Zoom, but was not available on Facebook Live.

Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM

Approximately 40 attendees, including people giving the reports

Chaired by Dennis Clary

2. Agenda Approvals

• Approval of  Agenda for June 3, 2024
• Approval of Minutes for May 8, 2024 included in the agenda packet.

3. Public Agenda Items

Rachel Bell, Kansas Turnpike Authority: Go! Cashless KTA

• Conversion to cashless tolling was announced in 2020
• Reasons for conversion:

• Safety concerns at toll booths
• Requests from frequent out-of-state drivers
• Aging workforce (50% at retirement age)
• Aging equipment
• Maximizing efficiency

• No toll fees will be collected at booths beginning July 1st
• Customer service centers will be closed and self-service websites will be unavailable June 29-July 7 for the cashless tolling conversion.
• Online access will be via DriveKS, invoicing by mail, online account management, mobile app, and calling one of three Kansas-based customer service centers. Connect with them on social media.
• Individuals registered with DriveKS will receive a 50% discount on toll fees starting July 1st (previously 35%)
• KTA has reciprocal agreements with other states that have similar systems. These include Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Florida. Discussions with California have been difficult due to strict privacy laws. More states will be added to accept DriveKS as agreements are made.

Trish Hileman, Vice President - WIN Wichita Independent Neighborhoods

Mission: Provide education and advocacy for quality of life issues.

• WIN main focuses include:

• Neighborhood-friendly notifications
• Regulating short-term rentals to avoid party houses (Airbnb)
• Development plan concerns

• Quarterly membership meetings, the most recent addressed youth violence.
• Encouraging more memberships (see handout attached).

JV Johnston: Neighborhood Updates

• Resurfacing of the westside streets will start soon and conclude by the end of July.
• Top complaints are about the poor condition of Wichita’s local streets.
• The next city commissioners meeting will address community improvement,
• District issues, including removing some taxes refunded to developers, particularly for Chicken and Pickle.

Shawn Bauman–community member

• Expressed appreciation for the removal of dead pine trees in Sunset Park.

4. Cultural Funding Committee Report (report attached)

• Presented by District 5 Appointee Martha Linsner and Lindsay Benacka, Director of Arts & Cultural Services.
• Discussed differences between operating grants and cultural grants.
• The current requirement is to have five years of history of operational grants for nonprofits that are under review to be lowered to two years. Many new businesses began during COVID.
• Grants to be considered are for professional development and Wichita ambassador roles. Examples include photography classes. The classes would be offered but they would not purchase photography equipment.
• Operations grants open June 7th.
• Committee meetings are open to the public and are recorded.

5. Staff Reports

Police Department

• Community Policing Officer Darrin Williams:

• Officer Williams shared a resolution from a recent incident in west Wichita. There's a suspect in custody and there have been numerous reports from this residence.
• The police have recently assisted with a youth camp at Watson Park.
• The Second Chance program will likely be postponed due to the City of Wichita website hack.
• Panhandling is not illegal. The police highly advised donating to nonprofits instead of giving directly to panhandlers.
• Call 911 to report panhandlers asking for money who are standing on the street median or being out in the street. Same with any group on the median or out in the street.

• Ron Hunt, Patrol West Substation:

• Officer Hunt reported that about 100 police officers are employed by three westside districts. There are 15-20 officers on patrol in west Wichita at any time, 24 hours a day.

Fire Department report by Chief Jones

• Office Jones began his report with a side note. He wanted people to know that firefighters no longer collect money in firefighter’s boots on the street medians.
• It was shared that 22 fires were responded to citywide (March 20, 2024 - April 20, 2024) with $1.3 million in losses.
• Fireworks may be sold from June 27th through July 5th. Shooting fireworks is allowed from 10:00 a.m. to midnight. Beginning July 3rd through 5th, aerial fireworks are allowed in Wichita. They will also be sold in local firework stands. Check Channel 7 for the most updated information.
• The new firehouse groundbreaking at Pawnee and Maize is expected to occur early in 2025. The southwest side of Wichita is underserved by the fire department.

Wichita Public Library

• Report submitted by Tracie Partridge, Westlink Library Branch Manager, and read by Dennis Clary:

• All libraries will be closed on June 19th for Juneteenth.
• The Wichita Public Library will be hosting the 2024 Sundance Film Festival this fall.

Park and Recreation Department

• Report by Gary Farris, Division Manager of Forestry:

• Public pools and splash pads are open.
• The Red Cross is providing scholarships for swim lessons.
• Park and Recreation has a mobile app that is available in app stores. Please download and use it.
• The Country Acres Dog Park is nearly completed.
• The Pracht Wetland Park plans are under final review.

ALL STAFF REPORTS WERE APPROVED

NEW BUSINESS

CON2024-00020 See page 17 

• Brad Eatherly from the Metropolitan Area Planning Department presented a request for a Conditional Use Amendment to modify the existing CON2012-00021 and CU-523 to allow outside music and dancing at the Humidor near Tyler and 21st St. (8558 W 21st St N). Also present was a representative from CZACH investments and Chris Bohm, the manager of Humidor. This discussion was the main reason for so many people from the public being present for tonight's meeting.
• History:

• The Humidor opened as a cigar shop and later turned into a lounge in 2020. Because of COVID, they built a patio facing the back part of Reflection Ridge Golf Course. Current zoning in Wichita requires some kind of barrier between an entertainment business and residential homes. The Humidor was not required to erect a barrier between their patio area and the Reflection Ridge Golf Course. The Humidor wishes to not build a barrier as it would ruin the ambiance of the patio.
• In April 2022, the Humidor had its first outdoor concert. A concert in July 2022 was too loud, lasted too long, and caused many complaints from area residents about noise. Currently, all concerts at the Humidor are indoors and end at 11:00 p.m. rather than midnight. They open their garage doors to allow the music to be heard on the patio. Bohm, from the Humidor, stated they want to be a good neighbor and control the noise levels to be acceptable to nearby residents. Violating the ordinance limiting the sound would result in losing their ability to have outdoor concerts, so they are committed to keeping the noise level within the allowable range.
• The developer stated that people sitting on the deck at the Humidor enjoy looking at the golf course and believes people living in that area also enjoy listening to the concerts, as residents from Reflection Ridge often sit on golf carts on the Reflection Ridge side listening to the concerts.
• Their typical music is now 70% country with some cover music but no rock music.
• Regardless of the DAB 5 meeting outcome, this conditional use amendment must still be presented to the City commissioners to obtain an exception to the zoning rule of having a barrier between the entertainment business and residential housing.

• Public Comments:

• Many residents mention that noise from the Humidor significantly impacts their quality of life. They report being able to hear the music inside their homes, which disrupts their peace and ability to sleep.
• Others expressed doubts about the effectiveness of proposed solutions like landscaping to mitigate noise. One resident mentioned that landscaping can't lower noise levels, while another questioned the time it would take for a buffer to grow.
• Several residents expressed a lack of trust in the Humidor's management. They referred to previous complaints that were not addressed, and one questions why no wall is in place already. Bohm acknowledges past problems and requests another chance to be a good neighbor.
• Two of the residents highlight a sense of ownership and identity within Reflection Ridge. They emphasize that the unique setting and enjoyment of their community should not be compromised by the Humidor's activities.
• Several comments provide specific examples of noise problems, such as one person describing vulgar karaoke nights and another mentioning reverberation from performers and open garage doors. One mentioning her bed shaking from the music is another vivid illustration.
• There was discussion about concerns regarding future changes, with one worried about a future owner not maintaining sound control and another suggesting that neighborhoods evolve and changes must be accepted, albeit reluctantly.
• Zoning requirements were also mentioned, indicating that there may be legal or regulatory aspects to the situation that need to be considered.

• Support for the Humidor:

• Despite the complaints, some residents support the Humidor, noting it as a good business and a pleasant place to visit with family and friends.
• Bohm apologized for past problems with music. He asked for another opportunity to be a good neighbor.

• Final discussion -

• Dave Sanford, board member, noted that the Metropolitan Area Planning Committee (MAPC) had given their approval already and what was being addressed was the lack of a wall.
• Lamont Anderson, board member believes regulating sound levels by our local police is not a good allocation of resources. Police are not sound experts.
• There were 22 notices on ZOOM CHAT that were not addressed. About 40 people were still present at 8:38 PM when Grace made a motion to pass with conditions as written - six ayes, three opposed, and one abstained.
• An outburst occurred between a participant and a man sitting with Bohm, the manager of the Humidor. The room cleared at 8:38 PM, leaving only five other people to sit in on the remaining issue.

Proposed City Ordinance Designating the City of Wichita as the Official Newspaper

• Presented by Chief Deputy City Attorney Sharon L. Dickgrafe to designate the City website as the official newspaper of record for ordinances, resolutions, and other legal notices. Link to legal notices.
• Tyler Schiffelbein, City of Wichita webmaster, presented the updated proposal. The motion was passed.
• Information in final agenda packet page 31

Summary

Summarize the 3 most important outcomes or takeaways from your notes....

• This meeting had the most citizens present since I started attending DAB 5 meetings. This was a bigger crowd due to the unhappiness of the residents at Reflection Ridge Golf Coarse about the sound levels from a nearby local entertainment business, the Humidor.
• I found the explanation of the reasoning behind why the Kansas Turnpike Authorities went to Cashless Tolling was interesting.
• Knowing what is available for Wichita families is important to me. I was glad to know that the Red Cross is providing scholarships to pay for swim lessons.

Follow-Up Questions

What are you left wondering? Ask up to 3 of your own follow-up questions...

• The vote on CON2024-00020 by the board was confusing. The proposal was to accept the document as presented. I wish they would have spelled it out better what exactly they were voting to do. I believe they voted to allow the Humidor to have outside concerts and allow the Humidor to make their own decision about what kind of barrier they will put up between their business and the local residents to lessen the sound pollution from the outdoor concerts. I called Teresa Veazey, DAB 5 community representative to clarify what they actually voted upon.
• Because of the controversy above, I am going to be more interested in learning what happens at the City Council meeting when this goes before them for review.

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@citybureau.org with "Correction Request" in the subject line.