City of Wichita   Wichita Logo Seal
District I 
Newsletter

 
September 2, 2016
Vice Mayor's Announcements & Updates
From the desk of Lavonta Williams...

Thank-you to all the organizations that hosted back-to-school events which provided backpacks, school supplies, hair cuts, hair styling, food, groceries and fun. 

September District I Breakfast Cancelled

September District I breakfast is cancelled due to Labor Day Holiday. 
City Announcements & Activities
S tay up-to-date on City events, announcements and headlines 
by reading our daily News Releases
Is your home ready for a fresh coat of paint?  
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This program provides assistance to homeowners to update and preserve their property with a fresh coat of paint. The paint is free and homeowners can choose the color of paint from a wide selection. The paint is available between April 1 and September 15. To qualify for the free paint:
  1. The house must be located within the City of Wichita.
  2. Eligible household income must not exceed eighty percent (80%) of median income.  2016 Federal Income Limits
  3. The house must be owner-occupied, and real estate taxes must be paid current.
  4. The owner must apply the paint to the structure within six months of receiving it.
  5. Senior citizens, 62 years of age or older, may qualify for labor grants, provided they are owner-occupants and provided funding is available.
For more information or to apply for paint, call (316) 462-3713 during the paint program period.

Have you noticed tall grass and weeds over 12 inches?
Please ask yourself?

1. Have I attempted to assist my neighbor?
2. Is the property vacant?

After answering the questions above, please call 268-4481 with the correct address of concern.



Sign Code

With the 2016 elections approaching, City of Wichita officials are reminding candidates and citizens that the  City's Sign Code (Title 24.04.215 of the City Code) prohibits all signs, including political signs, on public rights-of-way, or on public property. The City rights-of -way are part of a street lying between adjacent property lines, including the vehicle travel area, and may include a public sidewalk, and unpaved areas between the travel lanes and adjacent property lines. Examples of public property are public buildings, parks, drainage ways and creeks.
 
Signs are not allowed on City rights-of-way for various reasons. Not only are they unsightly and can contribute to urban blight, but, more importantly, they can present a public safety hazard. Temporary signs improperly placed in City rights-of-way or on public property can:
  • Cause sight obstructions and distractions endangering motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians;
  • Block sight lines at driveways and intersections, endangering motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians;
  • Blow into traffic, possibly causing property damage or accidents; and
  • Pose a hazard to utility workers.
For these reasons, no temporary signs, including political signs, are allowed on City rights-of-way, or on public property. Signs improperly placed on City rights-of-way or public property may be removed by either City staff, a volunteer sign removal group, or by an adjacent property owner. Any sign that is removed may be recovered by payment of a $25 per sign recovery fee. If placement on the rights-of-way or public property continues, charges may be filed in Municipal Court.

For more information, please contact Zoning/License/Sign Section staff at 316-268-4479.


DID YOU KNOW?
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1. It is unlawful for any person or operator to park a motor vehicle on any portion of the required front yard of any lot within the city.
("Required front yard" is the area between the sidewalk or front property line to the face of house with a   minimum distance of twenty-five feet and a maximum distance of thirty-five feet.)
 
2. It is unlawful for any person or operator to park a motor vehicle on an unpaved surface.
(Parking surfaces for residential zonings shall be an all-weather surface material:  concrete; asphaltic concrete; asphalt; brick; gravel not less than ½ inch in diameter & four inches thick or other comparable material treated to prevent dust and overgrowth.)
 
3. It is unlawful for any person or operator to stop or park a motor vehicle on a sidewalk or in a sidewalk area.
 
These are enforced by both Wichita Police Officers and Neighborhood Inspectors.


Check out what's happening 
by  clicking here



Ready to start reading e-books? You can do it for free with a Wichita Public Library Card, and library staff can show you how. Learn how to use Overdrive,  the Library's free digital e-book service. Bring your digital reader or mobile device for hands-on help. Participants must have an active library card to use the digital collection. Registration is required; call 688-9580.


At 10:30, come to the Central Library for an inside look at the ins and outs of the publishing industry, featuring a panel of experts including former Kansas Poet Laureate Denise Low-Weso of Mammoth Publications. Then at 1 pm, meet and talk with authors from Wichita and the surrounding area and discover your next favorite book! Dozens of local authors will be at the Central Library to present their work. This program is funded in part by the South Central Kansas Library System.
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Sign up now for classes at  City Arts by clicking here!
View Park and Recreation Classes by clicking here!
Updates from District I & 
Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center
September-District I Advisory Board Meeting is at 6:30pm on September 12th due to Labor Day Holiday
District I Advisory Board, Breakfast and Neighborhood Association Information
The District I Advisory Board meets on the 1st Monday of the month at the Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC), 2755 E. 19th St. N., Wichita, KS 67214.  Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. 

The District I Breakfast is held on the 1st Saturday of each month at the Atwater NRC, 2755 E. 19th St. N. Breakfast begins at 9 a.m. 

For the 2016 meeting schedule, click  here .

Like us on Facebook: Atwater  Neighborhood Resource Center
Employment & Job Training
Need Employment or Training Assistance?

Resume building, resume reviews, job search tools and 1-on-1 assistance is available at Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center. Please call 303-8016 to schedule an appointment.   Click here for job daily job postings.
  1. Derby Public Schools (KS) USD 260. The position is Cook (Position 1121) - 3 hours per day, 9mth. Click here for more information.
  2. Derby Public Schools (KS) USD 260. The position is Transportation Mechanic Helper - Range E, 12mths. Click here for more information.
  3. Derby Public Schools (KS) USD 260. The position is Sp. Ed. Para (Position 816) - 6:30 hours, 9mths. Click here for more information
  4. Derby Public Schools (KS) USD 260. The position is Bus Driver (Multiple Positions). Click here for more information. Click here for more information.
  5. Derby Public Schools (KS) USD 260. The position is Sp. Ed. Para (Position 849) - 6:15 hours, 9mths. Click here for more information.
  6. Derby Public Schools (KS) USD 260. The position is Middle School Night Lead Custodian (Position 1029) - Range C, 12mths. Click here for more information.


Community Activities & Services


Find Out How You Can Own an Affordable Home

Come to an informational meeting with Wichita Habitat for Humanity ! You'll learn about our home-ownership program and how to apply. 

Meetings will be held at 5:30 p.m. on September 8 and September 21. Meet ings in English and Spanish will be held on August 20 and September 17 at 10 a.m.

All meetings are at Habitat's offices at 130 E. Murdock, between Main and Market streets.  Please RSVP to Katharine at 269-0755 or Katharine@wichitahabitat.org .


Are You a Homeowner in Need of Exterior Repairs?

Wichita Habitat for Humanity has a program you should check out! A Brush With Kindness will provide yard cleanup, fence repair, tree work or exterior painting and siding repairs .  

For a reduced cost, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside volunteers and make your home safer and energy efficient. Applications available at www.wichitahabitat.org or contact Shawna@wichitahabitat.org or call Shawna at 269-0755. 


Senior Wednesday: Your Schedule for July - September 2016
Senior Wednesdays are informational and entertaining sessions, designed for active seniors and offered by a collaboration of twelve institutions. Sponsored, in part, by Larksfield Place.
 
First Wednesday
Morning, Doors open at 10 am
Wichita Art Museum ($2 admission)
(316) 268-4921
Afternoon, 1:30 pm
WATER Center (Free) 101 E. Pawnee, in Herman Hill
(316) 350-3386

Second Wednesday
Morning, 10 am
Sedgwick County Zoo ($4 programming fee)
(316) 266-8213
Afternoon, 1:30 pm
Wichita Public Library, Central Library (Free)
(316) 261-8500

Third Wednesday
Morning, 10 am
Ulrich Museum of Art, WSU (Free)
1845 N. Fairmount
 (316) 978-3664
Afternoon, 1:30 pm
The Kansas African American Museum (Free)
316-262-7651

Fourth Wednesday
Morning, 10 am, Doors open at 9:30
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum ($2 Admission)
(316) 265-9314
Afternoon, 1:30 pm
Exploration Place ($4 Admission + tax)
(316) 660-0649 

Fifth Wednesday
Morning, 10 am light refreshments, 10:30 program begins
Great Plains Nature Center (Free)
(316) 683-5499
Afternoon, 1:30 pm
Old Cowtown Museum ($2 programming fee)
(316) 350-3323

Visit www.seniorwednesday.org for more information

Free Yoga at the Wichita Art Garden
  • Date: August 1, 2016 - October 1, 2016
  • Time: 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
  • Admission: Free
  • Location: Wichita Art Garden
    1400 W. Museum Blvd., Wichita, KS 67203
How to Build a Safer Neighborhood
Nextdoor is the free private social network for you, your neighbors and your community. It's the easiest way for you and your neighbors to talk online and make all of your lives better in the real world. And it's free!

Thousands of neighborhoods are already using Nextdoor to build happier, safer places to call home.
  
And it's only for you and your neighbors!!
People are using Nextdoor to:

  • Organize a Neighborhood Watch Group
  • Track down a trustworthy babysitter
  • Find out who does the best paint job in town
  • Ask for help keeping an eye out for a lost dog
  • Find a new home for an outgrown bike
  • Finally call that nice man down the street by his first name
Nextdoor's mission is to use the power of technology to build stronger and safer neighborhoods.   Click here   for more information.

Project Access and its community partners serve patients in many locations.  Eligible uninsured patients are enrolled for limited periods of time to address immediate medical needs.  Once enrolled, patients have access to a variety of specialists, as well as prescription medication, durable medical equipment and diabetic supplies.

Eligible patients can be referred by participating physicians throughout Sedgwick County.

Additional key partners are community clinics and the Department for Children and Families (DCF). Patients who receive primary care at certain community clinics may be referred to Project Access and enrolled by an onsite DCF eligibility specialist.
Eligible patients are referred to Project Access by providers at the following sites:
For more information call
3 16-688-0600



How 'bout YOUR neighborhood?
We KNOW it's healthy to walk.  We KNOW it's neighborly to walk.  What do we know about easy to walk, or safe to walk?  
Put yourself in the shoes of a child and walk in your neighborhood or to the closest school with the Walkability Checklist,  walkabilitychecklist
 
Walking is good for kids, and it sure is great for the rest of us too.  We, the volunteers in the Pedestrian Workgroup of Bike Walk Wichita, encourage children walking to school, seniors walking to errands and church, and frankly all folks getting out most days of most weeks for their health, fresh air and neighborliness.

                           Brought to you by BikeWalkWichita.org
From year-round to seasonal events, Downtown
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. Downtown Event Calendar

The KanCare Volunteer Ombudsman Project 
is looking for you!
The project, launched in November 2015, was developed to give Kansans a customer service oriented experience when seeking help in accessing Kansas Medicaid information and access.  Through training, shadowing, and direct experience with consumers both on the phone and in person, the Volunteer Ombudsman Project has served hundreds of Kansans since its start in November.  In these difficult times, the Ombudsman program looks to lend a personal approach to those in need of information. 
  • Training is Free:  we will work around your schedule and we provide continuing education to make sure volunteers are up to date as things in the world of Medicaid changes.
  • Schedules are flexible: we ask for 3-10 hours weekly, but this can be tailored to fit any need.  Only have 2 hours?  No problem!  Want to work 16 hours?  No problem!
  • Volunteers are needed in Wichita, Olathe, and Kansas City
  • Application and background checks are required.
  • Face to face meetings are by appointment as well- great for direct consumer experience!
 
One in seven Kansans are affected by Medicaid- that number is consistently growing.  With all of our neighbors seeking help they need, the Ombudsman's office volunteers have a unique opportunity to directly affect the lives of various Kansas populations.  Contact Percy Turner at 316 978 3566 for more details.  
Helpful Information
Connect 2 Compete with COX
 
 
Get Internet at home today for a better future tomorrow.
 
     The Internet is essential for success. See how you can get connected.
                        
     DOES MY FAMILY QUALIFY?
  • At least one child eligible for free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program
  • No outstanding Cox bills or unreturned equipment
  • Have not subscribed to Cox High Speed Internet service for the last 90 days

Call 1-855-222-3252 for more information


Street Light Out? Click Here to report your findings to  Westar Energy


     

Click here to find up-to-date information regarding street maintenance in your area.
 
Website
Links  
City Council Agendas, Minutes and streaming video link

Environmental Court dockets and dispositions

    

The program encourages citizens to call Crime Stoppers if they have information about a felony crime, and wish to remain anonymous.  This means that they have not directly contacted law enforcement.  Crime Stoppers always encourages cooperation with law enforcement, but in those cases where citizens do not want to call police, they are encouraged to provide the information they have anonymously through Crime Stoppers by one of the following ways:  

Call (316) 267-2111 or 1-800-222-TIPS

Text TIP217 plus your tip to CRIMES (274637) or


If you would like more information on the program or you are interested in volunteering you may call the Wichita Crime Commission at 267-1235 or click here
Have questions or concerns?
City of Wichita, Office of Community Services | 316-303-8016 |
2755 E. 19th St. N.  Wichita, KS 67214
or call 316-268-4331