[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6371141,"mediaKeyId","2150284-30c672acb731c1a284ce899008458996","parentId",2150284,"title","Parks maintenance: city outlines tree removal contract, illegal‑dumping workload and shortfalls in refuse staffing","audioSeconds",524,"startMs",3057000,"endMs",3581000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2150284-30c672acb731c1a284ce899008458996&start=3057&end=3581","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2150284-30c672acb731c1a284ce899008458996/thumbnail_3057000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6371141/Wichita-City/Sedgwick-County/Kansas/Parks-maintenance-city-outlines-tree-removal-contract-illegaldumping-workload-and-shortfalls-in-refuse-staffing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6371141-1a5674b11ec38f43626382c67085d84a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198760&Signature=KKDbD0knrzjPcmxFXgqrg9KVj5N3z1ay-VVHg~uBwWhum31MOtJmYxpvBJnJzo6j7JlC9BK2KondeYW6d8q5gSXxWJKTZJ4fm-GlxIthcY3YW4e86qJbbvLEKo-t-P3rLStRFotkJp4njqYDMO7poBnhD6u7kE0QwMkVVcnMxH6WVK1qKqSwmWcjet5Hw3nnm0XNt1y0IvLwNsR9xJas4jq45hD-ZEAMvr6AwyTxTundtCIAf1v34U-8RH-EEUud~KmYRbSl7DJp4QUSFnGGuVlZywwbfbhGqJx6v45S26p0jPSXwoWqgmESd37JYrDrvFiwZf6dnWgFoymZzfjc2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Wichita, KS","date","2025-01-24T16:07:17Z","article","Parks maintenance staff briefed the Wichita Park Board on winter maintenance, a contracted tree‑removal program, illegal dumping and the parks refuse workload, and asked for ongoing support for additional staff and equipment.

Gary (parks maintenance staff) told board members the department will begin a private contractor project that covers about 515 trees, representing roughly a third of the tree‑removal backlog; those trees are described as dead or dying and not immediate hazard removals that the city will handle in‑house. “There’s about 515 trees total in that contract. That represents about a third of our overall tree removal backlog,” Gary said.

Gary also presented refuse and illegal‑dumping figures: parks staff emptied roughly 102,193 containers in the last year, and the department logged about 2,000 illegal‑dumping sites; staff reported the illegal‑dumping workload consumed the equivalent of about 75% of a full‑time employee’s hours and included 764 tires and 181 mattresses recovered. Gary said the department has hired three of four positions for a neighborhood cleanup crew and is developing standard operating procedures for impounds and material handling related to the city’s new cleanup ordinance.

Board members asked about capacity and staffing. Parks staff said the refuse group currently operates with two full‑time employees year‑round and seasonal help during summer; two positions and an associated truck are transferring from Public Works to Parks for 2025 but staff said the group still lacks full capacity. Gary described an ideal refuse crew for the city’s needs as “around 10 full‑time employees” with the necessary equipment to keep up with illegal dumping and park refuse collection.

Staff also described maintenance fabrication projects — prototypes to secure poly carts and in‑house replacement snow‑plow blades — and said certified playground safety inspector Jason Hale passed his CPSI exam and will oversee playground inspections. The department said many routine maintenance tasks (graffiti removal, picnic‑table replacement, shade‑structure seasonal removal) continue through winter as staffing and weather allow.

Parks staff asked the board to continue advocating for operational staff in the 2025 budget cycle and said they will provide progress reports on the contracted tree removals and cleanup‑crew staffing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Park Board of Commissioners Meeting January 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Parks maintenance staff reported a new contractor will remove about 515 trees as part of backlog reduction, detailed illegal‑dumping volumes and said the refuse crew remains understaffed — staff recommended adding positions and equipment to meet demand.","taxTitle","Wichita City, Sedgwick County, Kansas","taxId",3735,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6371145,"K‑96 expansion to be built in phases; city staff outline park, trail and right‑of‑way impacts",531,859000,1390000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2150284-30c672acb731c1a284ce899008458996&start=859&end=1390","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2150284-30c672acb731c1a284ce899008458996/thumbnail_859000.jpg","/articles/6371145/Wichita-City/Sedgwick-County/Kansas/K96-expansion-to-be-built-in-phases-city-staff-outline-park-trail-and-rightofway-impacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6371145-6e7dc9e9f2a78609d1c3a998b5550e27/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198760&Signature=KsaSE44es3IGFsaC65iickeUARvkUFPJrCfSPGlSOM2pwbtw4BAjwHmFTJ9U5S3hvBTJ-uqhftzgbXVAikiHVxGXfyrlQaFifcWPkix2DAuf0DuTmG-z04C0vpjw0pDgxlY48yfgxjlEuz6BhZofWFSyO-HkvHSkKoaldkLJ-p0jo9HsNIbfcuxSDFIao4NQX7-bKjlRvmpcpePrh-H8i87OuYEfslY6k0p3GQ9AXf0t1SuNt5TVy-Agw9H7fNnbpfRu7gXyWcrFTnpQDaK8sa69d9hIsQ4Ew0ZNpdPJAFZXMn7vsgMjuNozfSR1LibGMV7EC21YTinwt4cAR3gSSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff told the Wichita Park Board that the Kansas Department of Transportation’s planned K‑96 improvements will likely be constructed in phases and will affect multiple park properties and a recreational trail.

Paul Gunzelman, the city engineer presenting the update, said KDOT now anticipates a phased approach that would begin with the Woodlawn and Rock interchanges and later address sections between I‑135, Hillside and Webb. He told the board federal review by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) considered impacts to park properties under Section 4 of the Department of Transportation Act and characterized the expected park effects as unavoidable but to be addressed through avoidance, minimization, mitigation and enhancement measures.

Gunzelman summarized the expected park impacts as presented to the board: K‑96 Lake Park would see a small portion of land taken for new interchange ramps; Chisholm Creek Park North would lose an estimated 1.3 acres (of roughly 57 acres) largely affecting a gravel parking area; Chisholm Creek Park South would lose about 1.8 acres (of roughly 282 acres) and the K‑96 bike trail would require temporary closure and reconstruction, with an estimated 500 feet of trail affected east of the Webb area. Gunzelman emphasized that the figures were presented by KDOT and that negotiations for compensation and right‑of‑way acquisition would follow KDOT’s acquisition process.

The presentation noted the city is scheduled to seek concurrence with the FHWA finding at an upcoming City Council meeting (listed in the staff presentation as Tuesday, Jan. 21). Gunzelman said the city asked the council to defer prior action until KDOT provided updated information; the concurrence will help KDOT complete environmental clearance and begin right‑of‑way acquisition.

Board members and staff questioned how access to Chisholm Creek Park North would change. Tim Callums (park/construction staff) said northbound drivers would no longer be able to make a left turn into the park’s existing lot and that access would likely be limited to right‑in/right‑out movements; signage and alternate access would be coordinated with KDOT. Callums and Gunzelman said staff are also coordinating with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and design engineers to review trail rerouting and parking access, and they are preparing for potential traffic diversions onto parallel corridors while work proceeds.

Gunzelman said the project will include a city/county local match and might be multiyear; staff estimated roughly $100 million of project funding overall but said exact funding and phasing remain subject to KDOT scheduling and the availability of program dollars. City staff said KDOT will lead compensation negotiations for property impacts and that the city will continue to coordinate on mitigation and construction staging.","City staff briefed the Wichita Park Board on KDOT’s K‑96 expansion, which will likely be built in phases and will require right‑of‑way acquisitions affecting K‑96 Lake Park, Chisholm Creek parks and the K‑96 bike trail; staff will take a concurrence finding to City Council for environmental clearance.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6371151,"Wichita park board backs Greenway Alliance plaques honoring Delano-era sites",586,254000,840000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2150284-30c672acb731c1a284ce899008458996&start=254&end=840","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2150284-30c672acb731c1a284ce899008458996/thumbnail_254000.jpg","/articles/6371151/Wichita-City/Sedgwick-County/Kansas/Wichita-park-board-backs-Greenway-Alliance-plaques-honoring-Delano-era-sites","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6371151-a43a1888aa6d0d25449e4e58723042da/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198760&Signature=oEpZHyDfnbpABe3LURBdI503r6VOcWPy9oFyoCmYk9OPgxuifJPoO1DLGj2JJVf~bR5tdP2RCr2yo7Yzdg5ME~1k8BEdNaSpiXUsqq6m4rCWjozLetVV9YHeIXA-0~fuC~ZfFA32-2Lrq~xipQeRkJz21VVannd8DuzIjk1MJlLRwi57saStj6T4BfooakTbIJrR3gfG3W9~C06WGDySXz9OXOf54kkAe4G28nVr9d6QVHptwjAqpaOfJT1VSizLE-Tky50HJMuRYTxJr2oD3yeZaIEV3VOXqudcjqqhhOHI0R902d87kgbrgQ3RI5OFBBrTI7iX~eSd5tZn6q3PUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Wichita Park Board voted to support installation of three historical plaques provided by the Greenway Alliance that mark Delano-area sites including the Rowdy Joe location, the “running of the doves” reenactment site and a Bridge/bridge-gunfight location.

The motion to support the installations was made during the board’s January meeting and passed by voice vote; the meeting record shows members responding “Aye” with no roll-call tally provided.

Mary Lou Rivers Fry, treasurer of the Greenway Alliance, told the board she and volunteers have installed plaques around town for years and are asking the parks department to accept and place the plaques on park property after a private lot that previously held one of the markers was sold. “I would like to work with the county and put it across the street, kind of in one of their flower beds,” Mary Lou Rivers Fry said, describing plaques that note where cattle holding pens, dance-hall events and an historic gunfight occurred.

Board members asked staff how installation would proceed and whether the park department or the alliance would be responsible for base and mounting work. Parks staff said the plaques themselves would be provided by the Greenway Alliance, while installation and mounting would be the responsibility of the Parks Department and/or the alliance, pending a walk-through and weather-appropriate scheduling. The alliance said the plaques are made from a plastic material colored like bronze to reduce theft risk.

The board asked for an update to be brought to the members before physical installation. No cost estimate was finalized; Mary Lou Rivers Fry said she did not expect the installations to require large sums for three signs and that previous projects did not require major city funding. The board motion explicitly supported installation “provided by the Greenway Alliance,” and members said staff would walk proposed locations with the alliance and report back.

The vote was recorded as a voice vote; the transcript of the meeting records a unanimous “Aye” from members on the motion but does not provide a numerical tally.","The Wichita Park Board voted to support installation of three historical plaques provided by the Greenway Alliance marking Delano-area sites, with board members and the group to coordinate placement and installation timing.","actionData","errors"]

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Parks maintenance: city outlines tree removal contract, illegal‑dumping workload and shortfalls in refuse staffing

K‑96 expansion to be built in phases; city staff outline park, trail and right‑of‑way impacts

Wichita park board backs Greenway Alliance plaques honoring Delano-era sites