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City of Wichita District V Newsletter |
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A Message from Council Member
Bryan Frye...
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Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a ride along assignment with a member of the Wichita Police Department. My guide for the evening was Officer Nick Halls, a 13-year veteran of the force. We met at Patrol West on a Tuesday night to start our tour.
Now, I know what you're thinking - Tuesday night in Wichita? You're not going to see any action. What could possibly be going on in Wichita on a Tuesday night?
Plenty.
Our first order of business is responding to a landlord complaint and possible evict
ion. This didn't require a face-to-
face meeting as Officer Halls was able to answer most questions over the phone. By the end of the call, the landlord knew what steps were necessary and what to consider before renting property again.
Next up, a 911 call by a child claiming he was being beaten. We didn't get an exact address because it was a cell phone so we only knew the general area and vague descriptions. Canvassing the neighborhood we centered on one house only to learn that it was a false alarm. Thank goodness. Child abuse is a crime that really upsets me and I probably wouldn't have been very helpful in that situation.
Our third incident happened very quickly. Over the radio we hear that an officer isn't responding to a call. We're in the area so the next thing I know is we've got lights and sirens on as we speed down West Street. Fortunately, the officer finally responds and we stand down. Even though it was over before it really started, my adrenaline was pumping fierce during that brief high speed response.
The next call was a report of an armed robbery in a Wichita park. Officer Halls has immediate suspicions due to his years of experience. We meet one of the victims to get a statement and Officer Halls is very th
o
rough with questions as he takes detailed notes. After the interview, we immediately go to visit with the second victim. Again, Officer Halls asks specific questions all while referring to his notes from the first interview. Several discrepancies later, h
e tells the
victim that there are too many inaccuracies from the first interview and
it i
s time to come clean as to what really happened. Finally, the truth comes out. Money was indeed stolen, but no guns were involved. We return to the first victim with this new evidence. Turns out she didn't think the police would respond to a robbery of $80 by someone she personally knew. Officer Halls strongly stresses that even though the last 90-minutes was spent chasing false reports and wasting resources, she was still a victim and deserved proper respect and service. It was up to her if she wanted to file charges. Now somewhat embarrassed, the young lady declines and apologizes for misleading the police. Before leaving, Officer Halls offers some additional friendly advice. During all the interviews, he demonstrates understanding, empathy and compassion. Hopefully valuable lessons were learned.
Finally, we get time to make a drink stop at QuikTrip. This becomes a great opportunity to simply talk to folks. One lucky kid scores
not only a badge sticker but a C
ity of Wichita flag tattoo. And just like that nearly four hours has flown by. Throughout the night, Officer Halls and I shared multiple thoughts and experiences related to the new uniforms, body cameras, police duties and
C
ity policy. We spoke of our person
al lives, family issues, goals and
dreams.
I tell you all this because Wichita police officers are more than law enforcement. They are problem solvers, educators, communicators, relationship builders, protectors, ambassadors, influencers and guardians. The range of skills they have to exhibit every day is amazing and deserving of our greatest thanks. Personally, I would like to thank Officer Halls for a very educational and enlightening evening. I plan on doing it again real soon.
If
this sounds like something you woul
d like to experience for yourself, I highly encourage you to consider the Citizen Police Academy.
We are
currently accepting applications for the next Academy that will run from Tuesday, August 22 to Tuesday, November 14, 2017.
The Citizen Police Academy (CPA) is a thirteen-week program designed to provide a working knowledge and background of the Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office and to foster a closer relationship between our agencies and the community. It provides an avenue for community involvement and provides firsthand experience of policing.
It is an opportunity for citizens to learn more about their local law enforcement, ask questions, and gain a more thorough understanding of the inner workings of the Wichita Police Department and the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office. The Academy is also a means for participants and police personnel to share information and ideas about the police profession. The Academy also provides for improved community/police relationships, enhanced cooperation, and reduced stereotyping.
For more information on the Citizen Police Academy and to register,
click here.
Have a great weekend!
Bryan Frye
Wichita City Council
District V Council Member
Ph: 316.268.4331
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 Getting to Know
City Staff:
Ian Hutcheson &
Janek Sunga
2017-2018 Management Fellows
City Manager's Office
Established in the early 1980s to attract and develop talented employees for the organization, the Management Fellowship Program exposes participants to the challenges confronted by local governments, as well as the innovative approaches used to address these challenges. Although based in the City Manager's Office, Fellows work on projects throughout the organization including the City's award-winning Budget & Research Office. Fellows are also invited to observe and participate in high-level management meetings, gaining exposure to department directors and division leaders.
Ian Hutcheson is a native New Englander and grew up in Brattleboro, Vermont. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
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After receiving his BA, Ian settled in Burlington, Vermont and gained experience working in government. He interned for U.S. Representative Peter Welch and worked full-time for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, a state agency which assists people with disabilities in finding and maintaining employment.
In 2016, Ian moved to Lawrence, Kansas to earn a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Kansas. As an intern with the City of Roeland Park, Ian had his first experience working in city government. MPA students at KU work full-time in local government during their second year to gain a practical grounding in the field, which Ian is completing as a Management Fellow with the City of Wichita.
Currently, Ian coordinates the 2017-18 Mayor's Youth Council, facilitates direction from the City Council to staff through the CC Tracker computer program, while working on a variety of special projects from the City Manager.
Ian enjoys reading classic literature, history and political theory. He follows baseball and European soccer and roots for the Boston Red Sox and Borussia Dortmund. He likes going to the movies and tries to keep current on the latest releases, but is just as comfortable retreating into the comfortable confines of an Ingmar Bergman or Roman Polanski film.
Janek Sunga recently earned a Master of Public Affairs degree in Public Management from Park University in Kansas City, Missouri. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Park University.
Before relocating to Wichita, Janek lived in the greater Kansas City area for seven years. While in Kansas City, he interned for the Ewing Marion Kaufmann Foundation and Coro Kansas City.
Janek is responsible for developing the City's sustainable communities rating with the nationally recognized STAR program. He serves as City Manager's Representative on the Board of Bids, voting on and approving city purchases. He also prepares a weekly report for the City Council and Department Directors while working on a variety of special projects from the City Manager.
Janek was born in Kenya. He sees the fellowship as a great opportunity to explore government work in another country. He feels this experience will benefit him when he returns to his native country to pursue a public service career. He currently pens a weekly column for The People Daily, Kenya's largest free newspaper.
When he is not at work, Janek enjoys reading and writing. He is also pretends to be an excellent shot with a bow at the range, but he really can't hit anything more than 40 yards away. Since he is new to Wichita, a substantial part of his evening is spent exploring Wichita on his bicycle. Feel free to say "Hi!" to him in English, or "Habari Yako!" in Swahili.
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Westlink Neighborhood Party in the Park
It was a beautiful evening on Tuesday, August 1, for the Westlink Party in the Park hosted by West Heights United Methodist Church. The games, live entertainment, food trucks and visit from the Wichita Fire Department Station 16 were big hits! Thank you to the many volunteers and the hundreds of residents who came out to enjoy a truly wonderful evening.
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History of Nellie's Pond
Thanks to the efforts of west-sider, June Johnson, the Dillon's Pond (located behind Dillon's at Central and Maize Road) has been renamed to honor the first homesteaders to the area, Nels and Nellie Martinson, brother of early Wichitan Otto Martinson. In 1874, Nellie gave birth to twin girls. One twin, Katherine, was healthy, but the other baby and Nellie died. Nels was beside himself with grief, to the point that he couldn't function. Otto stepped in to take care of the funeral arrangements. Nellie and the baby were buried on the west side of the Cowskin. Sadly, the location of the grave has been lost.
There is very little written about Nels Martinson, and there's nothing but his name on a map to mark his homestead. But this quiet, studious man did make a contribution to the settlement of far west Wichita. In honor of Mr. Martinson, and his wife, Nellie, the City of Wichita Board of Park Commissioners unanimously approved the renaming of the Dillon's pond to Nellie's Pond.
Read more on the history of Nels Martinson in an article written by June Johnson for the Calfskin Neighborhood newsletter, by
clicking here.
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Road Construction Update
Kellogg & I235
Interchange:
Stay up-to-date with construction of the improvements to the Kellogg/I235 interchange. KDOT has established and is maintaining a website to keep citizens informed.
Hyatt-Funded Pavement Preservation:
- NE of Central/119th
- Pavement prep work is complete
- Micro surface to follow in the fall
- Central to 13th, Maize to Tyler
- Pavement prep work is complete
- Micro surface to follow in the fall
- Country Acres will move to summer/fall 2018 for completion of water main replacement that is now in progress
Arterial Crack Seal - Fall 2017:
- Maple, I-235 to 151st St. W. - partially complete, will resume in fall
- 119th, Maple to Central
- Central, ½ mile west of Ridge
- 21st, Maize to 119th
- Maize Rd, 13th to 21st
- Tyler, 21st to 29th
- Residential neighborhoods will begin this fall
Arterial Thermal Crack Repair - Fall 2017
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21st, Hoover to West
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21st, ½ mile west of 119th
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Ridge Rd, 13th to 37th
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Tyler Rd, 13th to 21st
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Maize Rd, 21st to Westlakes Pkwy (N. of 29th, Fox Ridge entrance)
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Central, Hoover to Ridge
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Central, ½ mile west of 119th
2nd Street sidewalk, Country Acres to Ridge:
- Bid 07/21/17
- Construction fall 2017
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Wichita District V Facebook Page
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The City of Wichita will celebrate Neighborhood Night Out from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 8.
Neighborhood Night Out is an annual event that promotes public safety. It combats crime by encouraging neighbors to get to know one another through neighborhood parties, picnics, cookouts and other social gatherings over one designated evening. Formerly celebrated as National Night Out and Celebrate Safe Communities, Neighborhood Night Out is in its second year. Elected officials, police officers, firefighters and other City staff will attend neighborhood parties.
"Neighborhood Night Out is a great way to get to know your neighbors, so you can look out for one another and keep your area safe," Mayor Jeff Longwell said.
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Naftzger Park is a roughly one acre park in Downtown Wichita. The park is located at the southeast corner of Douglas and St. Francis and is a gateway to Intrust Bank Arena.
The design team has started to receive feedback from the public in order to help shape the elements of the design for Naftzger Park. We look forward to additional input from the public at our next series of meetings.
If you are not able to attend one of the Open Houses to provide feedback, please email us at wichitaparkandrec@wichita.gov and give us your input.
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Utility Billing Conversion Completed
Overall the conversion has been a success. The go-live weekend (July 29 and 30) included the implementation of a new billing system, automated service order generation and processing, a new customer service portal, and a new bill design. The team is working through some anomalies daily and working to become more comfortable in the system.
We did experience some customer impact delays in call times and receipt printing at our Express Office. Billing functions are working as expected and staff is diligently working to manually enter all of the information that resulted from the week the system was down (July 24-28). The official first set of bills from the new system was calculated and mailed out on Tuesday, August 1. Customer service continues to be our focus and therefore we are diligently working to gain comfort with the new software so that the customer experience is not impacted.
Customers should expect the following now that we are live in the new billing system:
- To receive a new ACCOUNT number, customers should be sure to update their records.
- An enhanced customer experience, as staff will be able to address requests more efficiently and effectively through process and service order automation.
- Concerns tracked and resolved more efficiently.
- A new and easy to read bill.
- A new customer service portal that will allow customers to start, stop, and transfer service.
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The Weight on Our Shoulders
by Interim Fire Chief Tammy Snow
Members of the Wichita Fire Department routinely respond to emergency incidents that require the use of personal protective equipment, or PPE, that protect us from those dangerous environments. The components of our PPE consist of a helmet, coat, gloves, nomex hood, suspenders, pants, boots, face piece, and self-contained breathing apparatus. While not every emergent alarm requires all of these components be donned, it is common to wear our PPE for alarms and anticipated alarms that have or may have the opportunity to harm us. This may be a routine systems alarm, where an automatic alarm system in a residence or building alerts dispatch to respond Wichita Fire units for a possible fire. Car accidents also require certain PPE be worn to protect us in the event of debris and to allow members to be more visible to other motorists.
As you can imagine, the encapsulating clothing adds weight to the user, making the physiological environment for the member more challenging. This added weight can vary from 65-80 pounds of additional equipment to be adequately protected from a harmful environment. With the addition of this load, the effects of thermal radiation within the gear, and the strenuous work taking place, your Wichita Fire Department members are exerting tremendous energy to provide protection to our community at an exceptional level. This commitment to providing proactive fire and life safety services through protection, prevention, and education is exemplified by the members of the Wichita Fire Department daily, no matter the weight on our shoulders.
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CityArts Cupcake Challenge
Showcase your most creative, delicious and awe-inspiring cupcake into the CityArts Cupcake Challenge. Local culinary professionals will be judging cupcakes in the novice, professional and specialty categories. The best cupcakes in each category will win the ultimate prize - a ceramic cupcake trophy!
When: Saturday, August 5, 12PM
Where: CityArts, 334 N. Mead
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KMUW Public Radio wants to hear from you! They want to know about where you live. What changes would you like to see in your neighborhood? What issues do you encounter in your part of town? How can we change our community to make it better for everyone? Come to the Library and share your thoughts and enjoy free snacks while the kids are entertained with an arts activity.
Saturday, August 12 at 2pm
Rockwell Branch Library
5939 E 9th St N, Wichita, Kansas 67208
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Back to School Bash will be hosted at OJ Watson Park on August 19, from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Kick-off the start of the 2017-2018 school year in style by partying with Wichita Park and Recreation at our Back to School Bash at OJ Watson Park, 3022 S. McLean Blvd! From 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., ride the train and pedal boats, jump in the bounce houses and play mini golf, when you check in and receive ride tickets!
The Mobile Recreation Station will be there with a variety of games for the entire family to play! Enjoy the kayaks on the water (rental fee will be charged) and cruise around our park on the water. What better way to enjoy a Saturday!
Barry the Bison will be on-sight, make sure to take a selfie with Barry and post to our Facebook page! We want to see all the fun you have at this awesome event!
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Neon Night -Glow in the Dark Golf Tournament
Golfing at night is something everyone should try at least once! Register to play in this fun 9-hole, two-person team shotgun tournament! Get loose on the driving range and then enjoy dinner before the sun sets. Once it's dark, load up your golf cart and head out to play. Winners will be announced in the clubhouse after the tournament.
Saturday, August 26 at 8:45 PM - 11 PM
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Cloud Computing
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n this free class delivered by Library Technology Trainers, the term "cloud computing" will be explained. Several cloud computing services will be featured, with an emphasis on the use of Google Drive. Registration is required; call 337-9456 or register at the
Library's online events calendar.
Thursday, August 10 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Westlink Branch Library 8515 Bekemeyer
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Free Fall Gardening Classes
Every Monday in August, learn the tools you need to grow a fall garden. Master gardeners and other experts will present free programs at the Central Library on a variety of topics.
Each program is
FREE but registration is required
!
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JOIN THE CIRCLE
Learning Circles are educational courses for people to take in a social, peer classroom setting. They cover a range of interests. The sessions are lightly facilitated by library staff hosted at Wichita Public Library locations. Some programs may meet once while others may meet consecutively for several weeks. There are a wide variety of subjects, one of which will surely catch your interest.
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Did you know that last August the Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita created #ICTtrydayFriday with a weekly new food feature to celebrate Kids Eat Right Month? They had so much fun that they decided to continue featuring one food per month with an information sheet posted on their
Facebook page. You can see all featured food items
here.
To highlight the role everyone plays in ensuring a healthy future for our nation's children, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and its Foundation celebrate Kids Eat Right Month
™
each August. Kids Eat Right Month focuses on the importance of healthful eating and active lifestyles for children and families, featuring expert advice from registered dietitian nutritionists to help families shop smart, cook healthy and eat right.
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Senior Wednesdays are always fun and there is something different to do; someone new to meet. There are also many senior activity centers in Wichita and the surrounding areas, so be informed.
Be entertained.
Be active.
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At the Center of It All
Downtown is everybody's neighborhood, the nexus of activity and exploration for locals and out-of-towners alike. Explore the sights and sounds of local life around some of Wichita's favorite attractions, historic landmarks and public spaces. Plan a creative daytrip, find a green space to relax in, or unwind with an evening of live entertainment: Downtown's diverse scene has something for everyone.
Within easy distance of world-class entertainment, buzz-worthy dining, craft coffees, cocktails and microbrews, richly colored with street art and offering a full calendar of unique local events, Downtown is where you want to be.
Building on a thriving history of innovation and creativity as old as its signature warehouses and brick alleys, every city block offers a new adventure. Come down for a show, a casual afternoon or a meal with friends, and find yourself swept away by the colorful energy and Midwestern hospitality of our city's core.
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H2O Care Fund
The City of Wichita recognizes that there are many residents who are struggling during these difficult economic times, especially during the holidays.
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. There are three ways to help, and you can find out how by filling out the City of Wichita H2O Care Fund Program Donation Form here.
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KANSEL Construction
Training Program
KANSEL has a great training opportunity for men and women interested in a career in construction. This
FREE program prepares students for entry level construction work. They are trained in power & hand tools, construction math, blueprint reading, and receive OSHA, physical fitness, and life management skills instruction.
Students who complete the course have an opportunity to interview with local construction companies. Applicants must be 18 or older, have a high school diploma or GED, be legally employable in the U.S. and attend all session of the 7 week course.
Interested students should plan to attend one of the above information sessions to apply for the program.
Call 263-9620 for more information.
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JOBS are here in Wichita!
The Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce is proud to offer a job board with local, Wichita area, jobs only! A free service for job seekers, it will save you the time of searching through dozens of jobs outside of the area. Create a
free account here and you will be automatically signed up for all Wichita area updates and can customize the search further if you wish.
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Check out the latest job fairs and
training courses. Click here.
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Summer 2017
Park & Recreation Activities Guide is now available!
Get registered for classes
by
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8515 Beckemeyer
Southeast of Central and Maize Rd.
1011 N. Maize Ct.
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District V Advisory Board and Neighborhood Associations
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The District V Advisory Board meets the first Monday of the month at Fire Station #21 at 2110 N. 135th St W. Wichita, KS 672235.
Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.
To see a listing of the District V HOAs and neighborhood associations,
click here.
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Click hereto find up-to-date
information regarding street
maintenance in your area.
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Stay up-to-date on City events, announcements and headlines by reading our daily News Releases.
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City Manager's Office
455 N. Main, 13 Floor
Wichita, KS 67202
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Stay Connected
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