Office of Community Services
District 6 Newsletter
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Message from Your Council Member....
Greetings District 6 Friends -
Welcome to the next edition of the weekly newsletter! We hope you find items of interest in the articles and at the links provided. Please let us know if you have ideas, information, or events you would like to see featured in a future edition. We always welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Have a great weekend!
Janet L. Miller
District 6
City Council
316-268-4331
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DAB Meeting
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Location
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Evergreen Resource Center
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Location
: Downtown YMCA
in the
Community Room
Time:
9 a.m.
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District Community Events & News
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St. Patrick's Day Parade in Delano
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Evergreen and Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church, hosted their 2nd ESL-CITIZENSHIP and Pre-G.E.D class on Monday, March 13th. Approximately 200 people attended these classes and again the event was a huge success!
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Wichita Public Library Spring Break Programs for Kids
Kids out of school for spring break? Take them to the Wichita Public Library for fun and free events all week long! There will be more than a dozen programs and storytimes for children at 7 library locations across the City.
All programs are free, but some require registration.
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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. 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:
- Quickly get the word out about a break-in
- 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.
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DO YOU WONDER WHAT DISTRICT VI IS CURRENTLY UP TO?
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Douglas Avenue is under transformation as Project Downtown becomes a reality. Over $280 million of investment has recently been completed or is currently underway at key sites along Downtown's postcard avenue, such as the Advanced Learning Library, the Hilton Garden Inn and Cargill Protein Group's new division headquarters. Once complete, these projects will not only enhance previous projects, but they will transform the way residents, workers and visitors experience Downtown.
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Public Works Staff Begin NIMS Training
As part of an ongoing effort to be better prepared in the event of a widespread disaster or emergency, nearly 50 PW&U employees met this week to begin National Incident Management System (NIMS) training. Staff will be focusing on the Incident Command Structure by completing training in the following courses: ICS 100, Introduction to Incident Command System; IS 700 NIMS Awareness Training, and ICS 200 Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents. Upon completion of these courses, staff will attend a presentation by Sedgwick County Emergency Management. This presentation will better prepare staff for circumstances that call for a coordinated city-county response by providing information about locations, communications and other logistical details that promote a comprehensive and effective approach.
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STREET LIGHT OUT?
Help deter crime and keep our neighborhoods safe by reporting street light outages.
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Water Conservation 2017 Rebate Program Plan
Conserving water is an important component of long-term water supply planning, which has a water conservation goal of 0.35% conservation per year. A component of the 0.35% conservation goal is the 2017 Rebate Program. The objective of the 2017 Rebate Program is to encourage the installation of water conserving high efficiency (HE) appliances in order to conserve water for future use. The City Council has approved $80,000 for the 2017 Rebate Program from the unspent H2O Cares fund. The 2017 Rebate Program will begin accepting applications on April 3, 2017.
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Number of Water Bill Payments Received Electronically Steadily Increasing
The number of water bill payments received electronically exceeded 800,000 in 2016; a nearly 25% increase from 5 years prior. Electronic payments include those made by bank draft, web payments, phone payments and mobile app payments; as compared to the mail, lock boxes or teller transactions. Following the implementation of a new customer information system, electronic payments may experience a temporary decline due to customers having to re-enroll in online payments, however, in the long term it is expected that electronic payments will rebound and exceed current totals.
Staff has worked to make the electronic payment signup more accessible and continues to inform customers of the option during customer service calls.
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Year
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Payments Received Electronically
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2011
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647,874
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2012
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679,247
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2013
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714,469
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2014
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727,616
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2015
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765,062
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2016
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804,401
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CRIME STOPPERS OF WICHITA/SEDGWICK COUNTY INTRODUCES NEW MOBILE APP
New technology optimizes the tip submission experience and effectiveness.
Crime Stoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County, Kansas is proud to announce that they have recently partnered with the Texas-based company, Anderson Software, to provide a more seamless and efficient way for community members to offer information to help solve and prevent crimes. Anderson Software leads the industry with its latest secure and anonymous tip acquisition and management solution, called P3 Intel. This partnership allows Crime Stoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County to foster a relationship between law enforcement and the publ
ic to proactively create a safer community.
Tips previously accepted as SMS text messages using a short code and dedicated keyword will be discontinued. The new software will allow submission of tips by phone, the web, and by way of the new free P3 Tips mobile app available on the iOS and Android platforms, greatly enhancing the mobile tip submission process. Still completely anonymous, tips submitted through the P3 mobile app, unlike SMS text tips, have no length limitations and allow images, video and documents to be uploaded with the tip. Anderson Software's sophisticated encryption processes obscure any and all identifying information and provides assured anonymity for tipsters.
Even without the app, there is still an easy and secure
option for submitting tips from any PC or mobile browser by going to
http://www.wichitasedgwickcountycrimestoppers.com
and clicking the "submit a tip" icon. Of course, tips are still welcomed through calling our hotline (316) 267-2111. Using whichever method, once a person submits a tip, they will be given a TIP ID and password. With this information they can login at p3tips.com and submit follow-up information, engage in real-time chat/two-way dialogue, be informed of the outcome of the tip, and access any pertinent reward information.
Wichita/Sedgwick County Crime Stoppers feels that utilizing Anderson Software's P3 Tips program will enhance communications with the pu
blic, thereby building a safer and more trusting community in which everyone prospers. To further show our value of tipsters' contribution to the community, tips leading to an arrest will result in a cash reward.
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Garage Sale Permits
Available Online
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Get Rid of Unwanted Newspaper Delivery
The City of Wichita has recently received a large number of complaints regarding the free Wichita Eagle publications that are distributed to households that do not subscribe to the newspaper.
Residents who do not want the publications, or who want to report vacant properties where the flyers are piling up should contact the Wichita Eagle by calling
268-6209
or by emailing
csrequest@wichitaeagle.com
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- Go to the website www.petharbor.com.
- Enter your Zip Code or City name in the appropriate field and click the "Find Shelters" search button.
- Check the box next to "Wichita Animal Shelter" and click the "Search Now" button.
- Click the "I Lost My Pet" button.
- Click the button for the type of animal that you have lost (Dog, Cat, or Other).
- If you find your animal on the website, call the Wichita Animal Shelter at 350-3366 and notify staff. They will need the animal number displayed to the right of the picture.
If you do not see your lost animal using this service, we recommend you visit the Wichita Animal Shelter at 3303 N. Hillside (K-96 & Hillside) during business hours to make sure the animal wasn't picked up. Lost and stray animals are only held for 3 days starting the day after the animal is impounded. Remember that only you can identify your lost pet, so please visit the shelter at least every 3 days.
IF YOU FIND A PET, TAKE TO THE VET TO SCAN FOR CHIP FIRST
BELOW ARE OTHER HELPFUL LINKS IF YOU HAVE LOST OR FOUND A PET:
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NEIGHBORHOOD NUISANCE REPORTING MADE EASIER
Residents are encouraged to report neighborhood nuisance problems via phone or email
T
o submit a report, please call the main number
660-9220
A voicemail can be left if the call is made after business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
or residents may contact the
Dial Wichita! Call Center at
942-4482 to reach any department!
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CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE PROJECTS
River Vista Development:
Project includes construction of apartments and commercial retail on the west bank of the Arkansas River between Douglas and 1st Street.
Traffic Impact:
The path along the west bank of the Arkansas River is closed between 1st Street and Douglas. The sidewalk on the south side of First Street is closed between McLean and Waco. Pedestrians will be detoured south to Douglas.
Contractor:
Key Construction
City Contact:
Paul Gunzelman
(268-4393 / pgunzelman@wichita.gov)
Estimated completion: Summer 2017
Mosley & Rock Island Paving:
This project will upgrade the area to current Old Town standards which will include brick streets and sidewalks, streetlights, trash receptacles, and landscaping planters. The project will also construct storm water improvements and include water main replacement.
Traffic Impact
. Mosley is closed to through traffic between 2
nd
& 3
rd
St. 3
rd
St. is reduced to one lane westbound at Mosley.
Contractor:
Pearson Construction
City Contact:
James Wagner
(268-4047 / jwagner@wichita.gov)
Estimated completion: Spring 2017
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Greater Wichita addresses the needs of homeless families
Being without a safe, warm place to sleep, eat, and care for children; living without the security of familiar people and belongings-that is homelessness. The loss of one's home, the most basic element of stability, is a profound crisis for anyone, but especially for families. Parents endure the heartache of being unable to provide a secure environment for their children. And children, who now make up 25 percent of our nation's homeless population, are deprived of a fundamental requirement for healthy development-a safe, permanent home.
What Can We Do to Help?
People of faith want to respond to the needs of their homeless "neighbors," but this can be an overwhelming task for one congregation. What do we do? How do we become part of the solution? Family Promise of Greater Wichita is part of a national program that responds to the growing need to provide shelter, meals and comprehensive support services to families without homes. The program unites the congregations from area churches to assist the homeless families.
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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
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Summer Teen Volunteers Wanted
Want to help your community, but don't know how? Try the Library this summer!
You'll meet other teens, help kids sign up for the Summer Reading Program, and assist staff with important tasks. It's a fun way to get experience that looks good on a college application or resume! If your school or club requires community service hours, volunteering at the Library could help you meet your goals.
What do volunteers do at the Library?
- Help other young people enroll in summer reading and collect prizes
- Tidy library areas and assist with shelving (must be able to alphabetize!)
- Help staff with special events and programs
- Type and do data entry
- Prepare crafts, cut paper and organize items
What you need to know
- To volunteer, you must be entering grades 8-12 in the fall
- You need to be dependable and show up for your shifts. Make sure you have a ride worked out!
- Ask your parents or guardians for permission
- Make sure you can commit to at least six weeks of volunteering 2-6 hours per week
- Be available to work between May 18 and July 28 (let us know if you have a camp or vacation scheduled)
- You can indicate which library location(s) where you'd prefer to volunteer. Different branches have different methods of selecting teen volunteers - call if you have questions about the application and selection process!
Interested?
Fill out the
Summer Teen Volunteer Application . Applications will be accepted at Wichita Public Library locations beginning Friday, March 24. Make sure to get yours in early; space is limited!
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City of Wichita, Office of Community Services | 316-303-8042 |
2700 N. Woodland
Wichita, KS 67204
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