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City of Wichita District V Newsletter |
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A Message from Council Member
Bryan Frye...
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Recently I reappointed the members of the District 5 Advisory Board, or more commonly known as DAB 5. Each council district has their own advisory board and DAB members advise the City Councilperson and City staff on matters of public policy, citizen involvement and issues specific to the district they serve. The DABs were established by the City Council in January 2000.
Each DAB meets once a month to receive reports from different city departments like Police, Fire, Public Works, Library and Parks among others. In addition, the DAB will hear zoning requests, updates on budget and capital improvement projects and reports on any activities, events or concerns pertaining to the district.
Citizens are encouraged to attend these open meetings and participate in the presentations. There is always something new to learn at a DAB meeting. DAB 5 meetings are held on the first Monday of the month at Fire Station #21, 2110 N. 135
th St. W. Start time is 6:30pm and typically run about 60-90 minutes.
Special thanks and appreciation goes to the 11 members of the DAB for the time they spend each month attending the meetings and sharing their ideas and concerns for District 5 and the City of Wichita. These individuals freely serve as volunteers and help me represent you in the district. You're always welcome to call or email me at any time, but if you know one of the names listed below, please share your opinions and thoughts with them as well.
Ben Bradley
Angela Breer
Mike Greene
Jose Gutierrez
Barby Jobe
JV Johnston
Jill Kerschen
Ben Kittrell
Trevor Kurth
Troy Palmer
Alissa Unruh
Laura Rainwater is the Community Service Representative for District 5 and she helps with putting the agenda together and scheduling guest presentations. She can be reached at (316) 352-4886 or by email at
[email protected].
Have a great weekend!
Bryan Frye
District V City Council Member
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Urban Wildlife Management
The Wichita Police Department's Animal Control Section does not routinely deal with wildlife complaints unless the animal is sick or injured, creating a nuisance on City of Wichita property, or poses a direct threat to the health and safety of the public. The latest incident where a small dog was taken by a coyote highlights the need for people to be educated on how to deal with and live with the wildlife that also calls Wichita home. This includes wolves, foxes, skunks, possums, armadillos, and raccoons, just to name a few.
Wichita Animal Services has worked in partnership with Kansas Wildlife and Parks for years in dealing with those occasional wildlife issues that will happen as the city grows and expands into areas that were unincorporated at one time. As the wildlife or their natural food sources are displaced, we expect to see more sightings and interactions in the future. It's important that people know how to deal with the wildlife and most importantly how to reduce the chances of wildlife coming around their homes and living areas.
The incidents of interaction with coyotes and other forms of wildlife is a nationwide problem. Most wild animals tend to stay away from humans. However, with humans moving into the unincorporated areas, animals like our coyote population are becoming increasingly aware of humans and the natural fear is starting to calm. This means we can expect animals who at one time would never approach inhabited areas to become braver in searching for food. Many people living in areas that have been established for years may see an increase in wildlife due to construction in other areas forcing the wildlife out and dispersing
it into the region. Here are a few tips, the experts have given us to reduce the chances of negative interaction with Kansas Wildlife:
- Don't leave dog and/or cat food outside for pets. This will attract many forms of wildlife which are scavengers by nature. That in turn could attract larger animals such as foxes and coyotes who will either feed on the pet food or the animals that have been attracted to it.
- Secure waste cans with lids. Just like the point above, we want to remove easy food sources which attracts many forms of wildlife.
- Monitor pets when they are outside. If you live in an area near wildlife such as parks, nature trails, and wooded areas, it's always a good idea to keep an eye on your pets. Not only could they be mistaken for a food source, they could stumble onto an animal that is sick or injured and expose your family pet to whatever has made the wild animal ill. In Kansas, this could often include the rabies virus.
- Walk dogs on leashes. In Wichita this is the law but it's also a good idea so that you keep your pet with you at all times. Wild animals will tend to stay away from humans, therefore your pet is much safer next to you! It will also prevent your pet from chasing an animal into an area where they could get hurt.
- Carry a walking stick. A stick can be used to fend off any animal wild or domestic who may choose to get to close to you or your pet.
- When jogging, walking, or hiking, stay on trails and don't allow pets to venture off on their own. Most animals will steer clear of the established trails. However, if you get off the trail and venture into their habitat, you could be asking for trouble. Especially if there are young animals present. Just like us, animals will protect their young from anything or anyone they perceive as a threat or intruder.
The most recent incident that was reported involved a coyote. This has raised questions about the risk of a coyote attacking or biting a human. Most coyote to human injuries or bites occur when a person tries to rescue a pet from attack. At that point, the wild animal sees the human as a competing predator looking for food. Another instance is when a human wonders in too close to a den where there are young pups being protected by a nursing mother. Finally, bites occur when humans attempt to feed them in the wild. The wild animals know how to find their own food. By feeding them, you run the risk of being bitten.
By keeping these simple pointers in mind, you can confidently go about your daily activity and not really worry about wild animals. As always, stay alert and avoid contact as much as possible. They are often times pretty, but wild animals are not pets and their behavior can be unpredictable.
Simply stay alert.
Lt. Joseph A. Schroeder #1408
Wichita Police Department
Admin Services Bureau
Animal Control Section
Ph. 316-350-3371
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Barry's Recreation Station to Visit Buffalo Park
Wichita Park & Recreation is making it easier for residents to have fun this summer at public parks. Barry's Recreation Station, a new mobile van with a variety of recreation equipment, will hosting a morning of upcoming fun activities for the entire family.
"We want to be more proactive in bringing recreation to neighborhoods," said Troy Houtman, Director of Wichita Park & Recreation. "Kids and adults have busy schedules. Making the time to play helps reduce stress and improve health. We hope that the presence of Barry's Recreation Station will encourage people to go outside and stay active."
Barry's Recreation Station, which is free to the public, will be at
Buffalo Park from
6pm - 8pm on Thursday, July 28.
Activities include an obstacle course, hula hoops, bubbles, relays and games. Outdoor equipment includes stilts, washers, disc golf and kites.
Wichita Park & Recreation supports 127 parks, eight recreation centers, nine swimming pools, 52 athletic fields, five golf courses, six interactive fountains, numerous adult and youth-based activities and athletics programs and 2,407 acres of rights-of-way. For more information visit the
Park & Rec website.
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Animal Control Advisory Board Needs You!
Councilman Bryan Frye is looking to appoint a representative from District V to the Animal Control Advisory Board (ACAB).
The primary purpose of the Animal Control Advisory Board is to provide recommendations to the Wichita Police Department Division of Animal Control, to encourage responsible pet ownership, ensure the humane treatment of all animals,
and promote public safety through the recommendations of animal control ordinances to the City of Wichita, Kansas. The actions of the Animal Control Advisory Board are advisory only.
Members review existing animal control regulations and make recommendations for changes; seek constructive solutions to the concerns of community members
regarding animal control regulations, and assist in providing education to the community.
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Wichita District V Facebook Page
Stay up-to-date with news and events in our District.
Click here to visit our Facebook page. Send us a message or request or simply "like" our posts.
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Deadline to register is August 2
Neighborhood Night out, formerly celebrated as National Night Out and Celebrate Safe Communities, is an annual event that propmotes safety and combats crime by encouraging neighbors to get to know each other through neighborhood parties, picnics, cookouts and other social gatherings over one designated evening.
By registering, it makes it possible for Police, Fire and other City staff to stop by your event!
To encourage participation, the City will waive park fees for groups who want to hold their gathering in a neighborhood park. While supplies last, the City will also provide barricades at no charge to groups that want to block off a portion of the street for their event.
To request barricades or reserve a park, call 350-3400.
Questions? Call 268-4165
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The Call for Makers, Artists, Performers, and Crafters is open now through Friday, July 8.
Any groups or individuals interested in presenting their project, activity, or performance in this event should complete the simple application by Friday, July 8.
Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this community.
What is a Maker Faire?
Maker Faire is a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the
Maker movement.
It's a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning.
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Wichita Art Museum
Birthday Bash
Saturday, Jul 16
at 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
We're throwing open the doors as WAM celebrates its 81st birthday. Come to the museum for an old-fashioned ice cream social in the S. Jim and Darla Farha Great Hall. The Wichita Wagonmasters will be scooping up gallons of the cold stuff, courtesy of Highland Dairy with delcious toppings from the Nifty Nut House. Stroll through the galleries, and stop by the Art Studio to join in a cool community art project.
Admission is free--and so is the ice cream!
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Tuesdays on the Terrace at Botanica
Relax and unwind at Tuesdays On The Terrace, your favorite after-work party! Each Tuesday night from June to September, the Garden mixes things up with live music, happy hour and horticulture.
Enjoy cocktails, beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages from The Bar's Open from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and view the summer garden until 8 p.m.
Clear your schedule, pack a picnic, call your friends and relax in the Gardens with Tuesdays on the Terrace. Food provided by Friends of Botanica and every 3rd
Tuesday by Molino's.
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Life Happens Here!
From year-round to seasonal events, Dow
ntown is the preferred
location for Wichita to celebrate throughout the year. A variety of
events cater to the diverse interests of Wichita residents and many visitors from Kansas and throughout the regional area.
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It's that time again! WAMPO is seeking volunteers for September 22nd and/or 24th to assist with a manual count of bicyclists and pedestrians in the WAMPO region. Every year WAMPO coordinates an annual count of bicycle and pedestrian activity across 35 different sites in Park City, Goddard, Andover, Mulvane and Wichita to name a few.
The data collected during the count helps to estimate the number of people and locations people bicycle, walk and run. Once collected, the data is used to plan the location of future bicycle and pedestrian investments. In order to effectively gather this information we rely on a team of volunteers to spend a short period of time at each site counting bicyclists and pedestrians.
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JOBS are here in Wichita!
The Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce is proud to offer a job board with local, Wichita area, jobs only! A free service for job seekers, it will save you the time of searching through dozens of jobs outside of the area. Create a free account here
and you will be automatically signed up for all Wichita area updates and can customize the search further if you wish.
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Check out the latest information on job fairs and training courses. Click here.
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Bulky Waste Problems??
Here's the answer...
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Report An Issue
Use the smartphone app to report an issue
Wichita Report is a great tool for enabling Wichita residents to improve their neighborhood by reporting issues such as potholes, broken street lights, damaged signs, illegal dumping and more.
The reports are automatically fed into the City's work order system so that they can be tracked and assigned to service teams. Users can follow the status of their requests from their smartphone.
If you have an Apple or Android smartphone, you can download
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Energy at Your Fingertips
When severe weather knocks your power out, the MyWestar app is the fastest way to report an outage and see an outage map with real-time information about when your power will be restored even if your computer, phone and Wi-Fi are down. With the power of the MyWestar app you can manage your account anywhere.
- Sign up for text alerts on current and future outages
- Show outages by neighborhood, zip code, or county, and more
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Don't be Left in the Dark!
Help deter crime and keep our communities safe by reporting street light outages. If you notice outages within your neighborhood, fill out this simple form on Westar Energy's website.
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Kellogg/I235 Updates
Stay up-to-date with construction of the improvements to the Kellogg/I235 interchange. KDOT has established and is maintaining a website to keep citizens informed.
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Park & Recreation Summer Classes
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Click here to find up-to-date
information regarding street
maintenance in your area.
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Become part of the solution and tell us what's on your mind. Visit Activate Wichita today!
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Stay up-to-date on City events, announcements and headlines by reading our daily News Releases
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| Westlink Branch Library
8515 Bekemeyer
Southwest of Central and Maize
1011 N. Maize Ct. |
District V Advisory Board and Neighborhood Associations
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The District V Advisory Board meets the first Monday of the month at Fire Station #21 at 2110 N. 135th St W. Wichita, KS 672235. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. For the 2015/16 meeting schedule, click
here.
To find DAB V agendas and minutes click
here.
To see a listing of the meeting schedule for District V's neighborhood associations, click
here
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City Manager's Office
455 N. Main, 13 Floor
Wichita, KS 67202
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