District 6 Newsletter
News & Updates
December 24, 2020, | Issue 12-2
|
|
|
City and Department Updates |
|
|
City Council Approves $20 Million Funding for Delano Transportation Center |
On Dec. 15, the City Council voted to approve $20 million in funding for a transportation center which will be located in the Delano District.
The City received a grant from the Federal Transit Authority to improve transportation services through a multi-modal center. The Public Works Department will soon begin the design process.
The center will be located just west of the Riverfront Stadium in Delano. It will handle commuter service to the downtown circulator and transfer points to routes serving education and employment locations. This center is key to the growth of the West Bank area of the Arkansas River. There will be about 500 parking spaces, an area for Wichita's bike-share program, and charging zones for the City's fleet of electric buses.
|
|
|
City of Wichita Awarded $1 Million Grant to Help Reduce Violent Crime |
Homicide rates have hit a historic high in Wichita. The City of Wichita hopes to combat rising violence through community-based crime reduction efforts.
The City was recently awarded a $1 million grant from the Department of Justice to address crime in a 1.5 square mile mile area from Waco to Washington and Murdock to Kellogg, an area that produces 70% of the Wichita Police Department's crime calls.
The grant supports data-driven, comprehensive, and community-oriented strategies to reduce crime in neighborhoods with hot spots of serious and violent crimes. Grantees employ a wide range of crime prevention and intervention strategies to address the conditions, including physical conditions, which contribute to crime in these areas.
The City intends to create the Homeless Outreach Proactive Engagement (HOPE) Crime Reduction and Housing Project, referred to as Project HOPE, in the targeted area. Project HOPE will provide case management and wrap around services for the homeless, create employment opportunities, address community concerns, build capacity and understanding among stakeholders, and reduce crime in the target area.
On Dec. 16, the City's Housing & Community Services staff participated in a conference call with other grantees and the Bureau of Justice Assistance intended to kick start grant implementation. The Housing & Community Services Department is excited to work with the Wichita Police Department to begin implementation efforts. They will work together to take a multi-faceted, innovative approach to reducing crime. The grant will be used to hire more social workers who will focus on helping people in the area obtain housing and jobs.
Click here to watch a Facebook Live discussion featuring Vice Mayor Cindy Claycomb, Police Chief Gordon Ramsay, and Housing Director Sally Stang.
|
|
|
City Council Establishes Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Board |
At the Dec. 15 City Council meeting, the council voted to approve a City ordinance which creates a Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights Advisory Board.
In June 2020, City Council approved appointments to an advisory board to the Mayor. The purpose of this advisory groups was to build connections between the community and the City to help foster an organizational environment that values intrinsic diversity, civil rights, and inclusion in services, programs, and policies throughout the City of Wichita.
The ordinance approved on Dec. 15 will ensure this work and group remains a permanent fixture within the City's citizen advisory boards and committees. The board will provide recommendations to City Council that address discrimination and other barriers and initiate equitable strategies to connect the City of Wichita with community partners.
The board will initially consist of 11 members: seven members will be appointed by the Mayor and council members in addition to four at-large members. The board is anticipated to grow with an additional six members in a year's time.
|
|
|
Transit Deploys Route Information Stickers |
To provide contactless information and reduce printing costs, Wichita Transit has created route information stickers that allow transit users to quickly and easily pull up schedule information.
While print schedules are still available, the stickers contain a quick scan code and basic scanning directions that allow anyone with a smartphone to access relevant information at any time immediately. Stickers have been created for each route and feature a unique code that links to the current schedule.
The code links can be updated at any time, allowing staff to update schedules without replacing the stickers. Stickers are being placed in all Transit shelters and at the downtown Transit Center. The individual stickers in bus stop shelters also provide awareness to the specific routes serving that stop.
In the first week of partial deployment, our code management dashboard shows scans from nearly 80 unique devices and over 150 total scans, indicating that individuals see value in the information by repeat use.
|
|
2020 Water Rebate Program |
On May 5, 2020, Wichita City Council approved $100,000 for the 2020 Water Conservation Rebate Program. The program allows customers who purchase water-efficient devices to receive a rebate for their purchase. These devices include high-efficiency toilets, dishwashers, rain barrels, and more.
As of December 10, 2020, funds have been exhausted with a total of 1,033 applications – 870 approved, 157 denied, and 6 in which some but not all items were approved. High-efficiency toilets (34%) and dishwashers (33%) made up the majority of purchased items.
In an effort to streamline the application process for customers and create efficiencies for staff, staff launched an online application process in 2020. The new process allows customers to submit their 2020 water rebate applications completely online. Since the launch of the online application, 99% of all applicants submitted their rebate forms virtually. Staff estimate processing time was reduced by 80%, on average, as a result.
The Water Rebate Program proved to be extremely successful in water conservation; staff approved a total of 1,052 devices for an estimated 10,913,630 gallons of water conserved per year. Below is a break-out of the devices purchased and approved in 2020.
|
|
|
How Does the City Determine Which Streets to Repair?
In order to best manage the maintenance of Wichita's vast network of paved streets, and better ensure optimal returns on tax dollar investments, we currently employ a computerized decision support tool (DST).
Prior to 2012, staff heavily relied on a traditional approach that prioritized stakeholder requests and major rehabilitation of arterial streets. The impetus for change was the recognition of steadily declining street conditions – across the entirety of the 5,100 lane miles of the street network – by citizens and City staff. In response, City staff developed a tool, in-house, and began modeling numerous different strategies.
The best performing strategy, over a modeled 40-year period, proved to be one that emphasized the preservation of good roads in good condition, and thereby garnered the highest overall returns on investments.
|
|
To best ensure accurate results, the City employs a technician who physically visits and assesses each and every paved City street. It takes about 18 months to complete a full round of inspections. All of the resulting pavement condition ratings (a numerical index between 0 and 100, with 100 representing a perfect pavement section) are stored in a database and used to inform the DST.
The PCI ratings are created for every paved street “segment” in town. They are typically one block long, extending from one intersection to the next. But, they are also defined by changes in pavement type (concrete to asphalt, for instance), and thus may be shorter than one block in length. The PCI for a given segment applies to the average condition of the pavement between those limits, be they intersections, changes in pavement type, or dead ends. All of that data rolls into the DST and provides guidance on which streets should receive treatment in our annual street maintenance program.
|
|
|
|
VACCINES: The first round of vaccines are beginning to be distributed to health care workers locally. Hospitals and long-term care facilities are the first in line for the vaccines.
TESTING: The Sedgwick County Public Health Department is in the midst of transitioning its testing site, and walk-in testing will be available at the Sedgwick County Extension Office, 7001 W. 21stSt. for saliva, NP, and oral PCR, Tuesday through Friday- 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 4 p.m. No appointment is required.
|
|
-
The state of Kansas has set up several local sites for testing, including INTRUST Bank Arena. To make an appointment, go to gogettested.com/kansas and search for Wichita. Tests are free through the end of the year, and a sub-group of the Task Force will be looking at options beyond December 31.
-
WSU continues to provide testing for organizations at its Molecular Diagnostics Lab, wichita.edu/research/mdl/ As of last week, 365 organizations had signed up. The lab is currently open five days a week.
DE-ESCALATION TRAINING: Businesses are asking for de-escalation training for employees faced with customers who are unhappy with COVID-19 rules. The City of Wichita and WSU Tech are researching online resources for training.
WORKFORCE TRAINING: Dr. Sheree Utash provided an update on workforce training at WSU Tech, which included:
- Finding placement opportunities for graduates this winter, and next spring.
- Focusing on the National Talent Connect, a “one-stop-shop” for employers and students
- State Department of Commerce initiatives for apprenticeships, internships, and applied learning, which provides benefits for employers and students
- Connecting the WSU/WSU Tech digital marketing program to help small businesses pivot to e-commerce
- Members of the Task Force confirmed the need for digital marketing services for local businesses. A subgroup of the Task Force between the City of Wichita and WSU will look at how to scale-up options.
GENERAL UPDATES FROM THE COUNTY:
-
The local health order is in effect until Saturday, January 9.
-
Following CDC and KDHE guidelines, Sedgwick County has adopted new quarantine guidelines for residents exposed to COVID-19 positive people, or who have traveled, but do not have symptoms of and have not tested positive for COVID-19. Regardless of modified timeframes, a 14-day quarantine is still considered the gold standard for avoiding the further spread of COVID-19.
- All CARES program portals are closed. Organizations have until Dec. 30, 2020 to spend CARES funding.
|
|
All Wichita Public Library locations are operating with curbside and drive up window service only. This decision was made by Library staff due to the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in Wichita. Customers are able to borrow materials from the Library by placing holds through the online catalog or by calling your branch location. Hold and transfer fees will be waived at this time. When materials are ready for pick up, customers will be notified.
Public computing will not be available. Copy, print and fax service will be available at all locations through curbside and drive up window service. The Library’s digital collection is available 24/7 on OverDrive and Flipster. More information available at www.wichitalibrary.org/covid-19. |
|
Mark your calendars! The NEA Big Read: Wichita will kick off Saturday, Jan. 9 at 2:30 p.m. with a special broadcast of the traditional kick off party on PBS Kansas channel 8. This year, we’re reading “Circe” by Madeline Miller, a book about the lesser-known goddess Circe we know from Greek mythology. Learn more about this year’s program at www.bigreadwichita.org.
|
|
|
The next Learning Circle, “The Science of Well-Being,” runs Wednesdays from Jan. 6-27 from 6-7:30 p.m. This online program will engage customers in a series of challenges designed to increase happiness and build more productive habits, perfect to build New Years resolutions. Visit www.p2pu.org/wichita to register.
|
|
District 6 News and Updates |
|
|
|
|
NOW OPEN! Evergreen Branch Library temporary location is open at the Evergreen Recreation Center, 2700 N. Woodland. Customers can pick up holds, return materials in the book drop and, when operations allow, browse a small collection. Public computing available at the Evergreen Neighborhood Resource Center, located in the same complex.
Hours of operation: Monday-Wednesday (9 a.m.-Noon), Thursday (2-5:30 p.m.), and Friday (2-5 p.m.).
Customers will be served at the door of the location via walk-up service.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Watch a short video featuring before and after photos of some of the most significant development projects completed over the past decade. These projects served as key catalysts for continued growth and are bringing the vision set forth in Project Downtown: The Master Plan for Wichita to life.
|
|
|
|
Evergreen NRC To Begin Accepting LIEAP Applications Jan. 4
The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a federally funded program that helps eligible households pay a portion of their home energy costs by providing a one-time per year benefit.
The 2021 LIEAP application period is from Monday, Jan. 4 through Wednesday, March 31.
Print applications can be picked up from and submitted to the Evergreen Neighborhood Resource Center (and other DCF locations) at 2700 N. Woodland beginning Dec. 14. Online LIEAP applications will go live on Jan. 4.
|
|
City Offers Free, Reusable Face Masks to Residents
Residents can visit any of the City's three Neighborhood Resource Centers to receive free, washable face masks for themselves and family members. A flier with information on assistance programs through the City's Housing & Community Services Department will also be provided. The NRCs are open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and closed daily from noon-1 p.m.
Evergreen Neighborhood Resource Center, 2700 N. Woodland, 303-8042
Atwater Neighborhood Resource Center, 2755 E. 19th Street, 303-8016
Colvin Neighborhood Resource Center, 2820 S. Roosevelt, 303-802
|
|
|
Community Events and Resources |
|
|
Find out how to become a Wichita Habitat homeowner at a Zoom meeting. |
|
Would you like to find out how you can own a safe, affordable Habitat home? You can learn more at a virtual homeownership information meeting through ZOOM. We have a meeting planned for Saturday, Dec. 12, at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 6, at 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, January 23, at 10 a.m. You will need to register in advance to receive a ZOOM link to the meeting. If you have questions, please contact staff by emailing Katharine@wichitahabitat.org.
|
|
|
|
Has that COVID-19 Weight Gain put You at Risk for Diabetes? |
Have you been told you have prediabetes or your blood sugar is a little high but you do not have diabetes yet? Ninety percent of people who have prediabetes are unaware. You can take steps to prevent diabetes. Take the Prediabetes Risk Test https://www.cdc.gov/prediabetes/takethetest/.
Central Plains Area Agency on Aging (CPAAA) will offer Prevent T2 Diabetes Prevention Program in February. An informational session will be held Friday, February 5 at 11:00 AM and the first session will begin Thursday, February 11 at 11:00 AM using Zoom. With a focus on health, good nutrition, increasing physical activity, group discussion, and support, this 26 session program has successfully helped participants across the nation stay motivated for the lifestyle changes that prevent Type 2 diabetes.
No cost to Medicare beneficiaries and scholarships available to others. Take charge of your health. To find out if this program is right for you, please contact Mary Hiebert at mary.hiebert@cpaaa.org or (316) 660-5141.
|
|
|
|
Ana Lopez, Community Services Representative, District 6
2700 N. Woodland, Wichita, KS 67204
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
