Wichita City staff preview lengthy council agenda including housing vouchers, bonds and judge reappointments

Assistant City Manager Dante Martin opened the agenda review and outlined a lengthy docket that includes public hearings on multifamily housing revenue bonds, several bond and development proposals, and personnel and budget items.

Among the items Martin highlighted was a public hearing related to multifamily housing revenue bonds for a 32-unit workforce housing apartment complex and a letter of intent to issue industrial revenue bonds for a campus expansion that staff said would add jobs. Troy Anderson was identified on the agenda as the presenter for the industrial revenue bonds item.

Staff also flagged a development agreement tied to the former Town West Mall and Phase 3 of the K-96 Star Bond project plan, along with routine annual items: a salary and classification ordinance that incorporates collective bargaining outcomes and merit and cost-of-living increases for non-represented staff, and a year-end 2025 budget adjustment to close the books.

On the consent and capital side, staff noted a notice of intent to issue general-obligation bonds for an airport project and a separate item to establish a project budget for that financing. Martin said the city would also consider an annual appropriation ordinance to adopt the 2026 budget and a separate action to ratify payment of claims against the 2025 budget.

The agenda included several housing-related items. Staff described a conditional commitment of eight project-based housing choice vouchers that would support a 49-unit development at 1130 South Broadway. Martin also called attention to multiple property-sale items (agenda items 23–26) and said recent sale prices have exceeded earlier appraisals.

A council member asked about the discrepancy between appraisal values and sale prices. Sally, who spoke during the meeting, responded: "Those properties were appraised before we did renovation with the additional capital funds that we received. So the those sales price is closer in line to the improved property value." That explanation was offered as the staff response on record.

On administrative business, staff clarified an apparent error on the printed "green sheet" for a proposed state legislative lobbying contract: "The contract is not to exceed $90,000 annual in total," Martin said, noting the online materials had been corrected. The council was also asked to consider placing a special-election sales-tax measure on second reading and to consider changes to the city's charter ordinance language to align the transient guest tax with state statute.

Council Members Ballard and Gladscott led evaluations of municipal court judges and recommended reappointment of five judges with a merit increase. There was a brief exchange about the length of judicial terms; staff clarified judges serve four-year terms.

Cultural items on the agenda included a proposed operating partnership agreement with Botanica (the current agreement dates to 2009) and a revamped cultural-arts grant program intended to support capacity-building and project funding; Reggie Davidson and Jesse Costa were named as presenters on those items.

The meeting opened with a ceremonial moment: guests from Wichita South High School Madrigals were invited to sing, and council members thanked the students for performing during the agenda review.

The agenda review concluded with staff reminders about the December 23 consent agenda and upcoming items; several council members requested that the sales-tax item and a design concept for Douglas Avenue be moved earlier on the agenda.

Next steps: the council will take up the identified items in full sessions, including the public hearings, bond financing items and budget ordinance on their scheduled dates.