Wichita City Council previews Jan. 6 agenda, flags water-plant conversion, fire-code adoption and Genesis settlement pull

City staff on Tuesday walked the Wichita City Council through a packed Jan. 6 agenda that includes a proposed multi‑year reconfiguration of the main water treatment plant for emergency use, proposed funding for 2026 traffic and railroad crossing improvements, and several consent‑agenda transactions for housing and airport projects.

Staff identified the main water treatment plant conversion as Item 1, describing it as a project expected to take several years to complete and reconfigure the facility for emergency operations. An unidentified speaker asked staff to prepare an update on the new water treatment plant for the council’s Tuesday meeting.

The agenda also includes funding proposals for the 2026 traffic improvement and signalization program and railroad crossing work, and a bonding release resolution. Item 5 would authorize contracts and funding for an Exploration Place parking lot expansion and a pedestrian crossing at McLean Boulevard.

Staff said the Crystal Prairie public‑art project will be presented at a 30% design milestone for council feedback. The fire department was listed for two items: an amendment to Title 15 to adopt the International Fire Code and a CIP purchase of fire apparatus and equipment; Chief O'Kady was noted as present for those items.

Planning staff flagged Item 10, an amendment to the Unified Zoning Code related to renewable energy systems. Staff said the planning commission recommended the change and that approval would require four of five council votes; staff also provided alternatives if the council chose a different direction.

As part of the housing authority calendar, staff listed a monthly public housing recovery agreement update required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and a proposed sale of seven occupied properties owned by the Wichita Housing Authority.

Several consent items concern airport work, including a 2023 technology upgrade network replacement and projects at Jabara and Eisenhower Airports, and routine purchases such as a hybrid bus and two transit vans. When asked how many hybrid or electric vehicles the transit system has, Penny Feist said, “We don't have any hybrid buses currently. We have 11 electrics.”

Item 14 on the agenda is a settlement agreement between the City of Wichita and Genesis. An unidentified speaker requested that the council pull that item from the consent list to receive a full history, see how much money the city may recover, identify who drafted the contract and obtain a timeline so the community can review milestones.

The meeting preview closed with staff noting additional consent planning items, several property sales in Districts 3 and 4, and a Jan. 13 preview emphasizing park and recreation CIP funding and county coordination on an Emergency Communications Advisory Board resolution and legislative agenda work led by Jim Jonas. No formal votes or motions were recorded in the preview segments.

Next steps: the council will consider the listed items at the scheduled meetings; the Genesis settlement was requested to be pulled for additional review before any council action is taken.