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District III Newsletter from the
Office of Community Services
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GOT NEWS....
Want to show off, update or broadcast what's happening in your neighborhood, at your school or business in District III? Email your Community Service Representative Teia Wair @ twair@wichita.gov to have your news featured in a future District III newsletter....
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The City of Wichita invites you to
participate in a voluntary donation
program to help those who are having
difficulty paying their water bills.
The City recognizes that there are many
residents who are struggling during these
difficult economic times. This voluntary
program
provides a simple way to directly
help others. Even small donations can
add up and provide a way for people
to maintain their water service.
The program will be administered by
the Center of Hope, a local nonprofit
that provides emergency financial
assistance to support individuals and
families in Wichita. Assistance will be
provided to customers who meet
the guidelines listed in this brochure.
Recipients will also receive information
on ways to reduce water consumption.
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You are cordially invited to the grand
opening of your NEW local Save-a-Lot!
COME ON OVER FOR SOME
FUN & SAVINGS!
DATE:
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4
TH
, 2017
TIME: 8:00 A.M.
LOCATION: 1640 S. BROADWAY
THIS STORE IS A PROUDLY VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS OPERATED BY
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Pawnee from Hydraulic to Grove:
This project will widen Pawnee and Hydraulic to a five lane roadway with two lanes in each direction and a center two-way turn lane. The project will also construct drainage improvements along with sidewalk on both sides of Pawnee. The intersection at Hydraulic will be reconstructed to include left turn lanes on Hydraulic
Traffic Impact:
Pawnee is restricted to one lane in each direction between Greenwood and Poplar. Hydraulic is one lane in each direction between Marion and Southeast Boulevard. Left turns are prohibited at Pawnee and Hydraulic.
Estimated Completion: Fall 2017
Oliver, 31
st
St South to George Washigton Blvd
:
This project will perform asphalt street repairs along Oliver, between 31st and George Washington Blvd.
Traffic Impact:
Oliver will be reduced to one lane in each direction throughout the area of construction.
Estimated completion: Late 2016
Pawnee Bridge over Arkansas River
. The existing bridge will undergo structural repairs. The project will also include bike path improvements along the west side of the Arkansas River.
Traffic Impact:
Pawnee is closed at the Arkansas River
. Traffic is detoured to 31
st
St. at Broadway and McLean.
Estimated Completion: Spring 2017
Click here
to find up-to-date information regarding street maintenance in your area
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REMEMBER: Change batteries twice a year
If you need a smoke alarm call the Wichita Fire Department at 316-268-4441 for details.
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Community
Police District III
Patrol South
211 E Pawnee
350-3440
Community Police Office
350-3430
Patrol East
350 S Edgemoor
350-3420
Community Police Office
689-6545
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City Receives Several Finance Awards
The City of Wichita has been recognized nationally for several awards related to the City's budget, performance measures and procurement practices. The awards were presented to the Finance Department at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 6, 2016.
"The awards demonstrate the diligence of City staff in providing reliable information to the public in accordance with established professional standards," City Manager Robert Layton said. "City Council are due credit for their continued interest and support in planning and conducting the City's financial operations in a professional, responsible and transparent manner."
The Finance Department earned the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Certificate of Distinction for Performance Management, marking the sixth year the City has earned a performance measurement award from ICMA. The award recognizes leadership in performance measures including public reporting and use of results to guide strategic planning and decision making. City government collects and reports more than 400 performance measures in the budget document and the annual performance measure report. Many staffers throughout the organization collect, report, and evaluate data to improve operations, service delivery, and transparency.
The City also received the Distinguished Budget Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), marking the 28th straight year the City has received the award. To receive this award, staff must prepare the budget around certain professional criteria developed. The budget is evaluated as a policy document, an operations guide, a financial plan and a communications device.
The City also received the National Purchasing Institute's 21st Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award, which recognizes organizations for excellence in procurement by obtaining a high score on a rating of standardized criteria. The program is designed to measure state-of-the-art best practices, innovation, professionalism, electronic procurement, productivity, as well as leadership attributes of the procurement function. The Purchasing Division has received this award for 15 years. Wichita was only one of three government agencies in Kansas and among 72 cities in the United States to receive the 2016 award.
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 Ozone Season....
Ozone season, beginning April 1st and ending October 31st, has come to a close. Each year the City of Wichita Air Quality Section monitors ground-level ozone pollution in South Central Kansas to ensure compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ozone levels are considered to be out of compliance when the design value for a designated region exceeds 70 parts per billion (ppb). Results from the 2016 ozone season need to undergo quality assurance checks but currently the design value for this region is measured at 64 parts per billion (ppb), making it a successful ozone season .
The success of the 2016 ozone season is attributed to several factors. Many South Central Kansas businesses have partnered with the City of Wichita to create Ozone Action Plans and reduce emissions onsite. Also, annual emissions reported by industry sources are decreasing for the region and the entire state. Finally, while there was no shortage of hot, sunny weather this ozone season, the Wichita area did have consistent rainfall which helps remove emissions that form ozone from the atmosphere. Cloud cover also decreases sunlight intensity which reduces evaporative emissions that contribute to ozone formation.
Next year Ozone Season will begin March 1st and end October 31st; extending ozone season by one additional month and making it imperative that the community continues to be involved in actions that can reduce ozone-forming emissions. Staff continues to work with local businesses to further develop actions plans and identify new, potential partners.
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The New Chronic Nuisance Ordinance Explained
City of Wichita Ordinance 50-357
Chronic nuisance properties are defined as those properties where there are at least three "trigger events," including violent crimes, prostitution, gambling, drug crimes, alcohol or tobacco violations, noise violations, littering, gang activity and violation of building or health and safety codes. This ordinance will allow police to assess property owners for the department's cost of responding to "chronic nuisance properties."
Neighborhood leaders have pressed for a crackdown on properties where police presence is frequent. The Police Department has indicated that there are about 1,000 properties in Wichita where they have had to respond 11 or more times this year. Not all of those properties would fall under the definition of a nuisance property because of the nature of crimes committed. Domestic violence crimes are excluded to avoid discouraging victims from filing complaints in retaliation onl y.
This ordinance will be reviewed in 18 months and the findings will be reported to the Manager, Mayor and Council.
Financial Considerations: The cost to respond to nuisance calls would depend on the number of officers required to respond and amount of time on the call. Depending on those variables, the cost of nuisance calls vary in cost. The assessment of police service cost would be determined by the actual hourly wages, including overtime, of all law enforcement personnel that responded. An event where two officers responded for one hour is estimated to cost $100 not including any applicable overtime cost.
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Volunteer's Needed!
T
he Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is looking for individuals to a
ssist with free tax preparation
so families and individuals with low to moderate income get the benefits they need. Positions include greeters, interpreters and prepares. Training provided, flexible hours (January through April), and multiple site locations available.
Contact United Way of the Plains in Wichita by calling 211 to volunteer or get more information.
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Wichita's premier light display. With more than 1 million lights and new themed displays, we transform the gardens into a vast winter wonderland with themed light displays throughout. You've heard about it, now see it to believe it. Experience Kansas' largest holiday display. Make Illuminations your holiday tradition. It has become one of the area's premier holiday events.
Illuminations is held seven days a week, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. from Nov. 25 through Dec. 31 (excluding Dec. 24 and 25). This is a family-friendly event that showcases Botanica's 17 acres of beautiful gardens in a completely different light.
This year the event is getting a festive facelift! More than 5,000 LED luminaries will line garden pathways, more than 150 trees will be expertly lit, and many structures will be lit with twinkling white lights. As visitors enjoy their walk through the Gardens, they will enjoy the warm glow of luminaries, the sound of electric trains traveling around pine trees, the reflections of trees on the pond, the magic of the flocked forest at Candy Cane Lane, the fragrance of chimineas, the warmth of hot cocoa and cider and the joy of live musical groups. In total, more than 1 million lights combined with nature, it creates a stunning atmosphere and a "HO, HO, HO" lot of holiday fun!
Support from special events such as help us showcase the Gardens, maintain Botanica as one of the Midwest's leading botanical gardens and further our mission. Tickets are $8 ($7 members) for adults and $6 for youth (3-12). Advance tickets can be purchased at all area QuikTrip locations or at botanica.org. Group rates are available in advance.
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Employment & Educational Information
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Earn Your High School Diploma Now!
- Online Coursework
- Flexible and Self-Paced
- English Classes
- Citizenship Classes
To enroll in the program or for additional information call or visit Wichita Learning Connections:
938 S Oliver
Wichita, KS 67218
316 440-8880
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Resume building, resume reviews, job search tools and
1-on-1 assistance is available at Colvin Neighborhood Resource Center.
Please call 303-8028 for more information.
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REPORT IT!
Don't be frightened to report neighborhood nuisance issues. Below are several ways to report issues such as blighted properties, bulky waste storage, excess trash, tree waste or inoperable
vehicles. Complai
nts can be submitted anonymously.
1.
Install the Wichita Report app on your smart phone
3.
Contact your Community Service Representative Teia Wair via email:
twair@wichita.gov
or call 316 303-8030
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HOW TO BUILD A SAFER
NEIGHBORHOOD
Nextdoor.com 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. I
t's free!
Thousands of neighborhoods are already using Nextdoor to
build happier, safer places to call home.
Click here
for more information.
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Is your home
in need of a makeover?
The Housing and Community Services Department's Home Improvement Program now has funding available for interest-free, forgivable deferred payment loans of up to $5,000 for income-qualified (60% of median) owner-occupant homeowners. Loans are provided for emergency needs, such as furnaces, water heaters, sewer lines, water lines, electrical system repairs and plumbing repairs. Loans are also provided for minor home repair needs for senior citizens, age 62 and older.
Property taxes must be current
Call 462-3713 for more information or to apply.
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District III Advisory Board and Neighborhood Associations
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The District III Advisory Board meets the first Wednesday of the month at the WATER Center, 101 E. Pawnee, Wichita, KS 67211. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.
To find DAB III agendas and minutes click
here
District III Breakfast
2016 Dates
February 27, 2016
April 30, 2016
June 18, 2016 CANCELED
August 27, 2016
CANCELED
October 29, 2016
None in December due to the holidays.
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Helpful Links & Information
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Stay up-to-date on City events, announcements and headlines by reading our daily
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City Council Agendas, Minutes and streaming video
link
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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, complete this
form.
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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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Join the District III Facebook Page
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Please join us on the District III Facebook page to get news and updates about your community. You can join
HERE! Or by searching for Wichita District III on Facebook.
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Check out what's happening at the Library by
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Don't miss out on the fun... Check-Out Park & Recreation Activities Guide
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Looking for things to do in Wichita? Checkout the variety of options
by clicking here!
or
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Wichita Public Library's new newsletter! You will be emailed about every other week with the latest releases, events and library news.
Sign up!
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City of Wichita, Office of Community Services | 316-303-8030 |
2820 S. Roosevelt
Wichita, KS 67210
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