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Council schedules workshop on stronger mold-inspection rules after resident reports severe exposure
Summary
After a public speaker described repeated hospital visits and high toxin readings he attributed to black mold in rental housing, Wichita councilmembers said staff will bring a draft ordinance and enforcement procedures to a workshop next month to strengthen inspections and code enforcement, while noting state limits on access to private units.
A Wichita resident told the City Council that black mold in rental housing had sent him to the emergency room multiple times and that laboratory testing of his system showed high toxin readings, prompting calls from council members for faster enforcement and clearer inspection authority.
Arthur Stokes, who identified himself as living in public housing, described symptoms and testing results he said were linked to “black mold,” and urged the council to act. Councilmember Cindy Hoheisel thanked Stokes and said staff is preparing draft ordinances and enforcement changes she hopes will “crack down a little more” on substandard rental units. Hoheisel told Stokes staff will schedule a workshop next month to present a draft ordinance and related policy decisions and said she would send him an email with date and time so he could follow the discussion.
Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson said staff is drafting amendments and expects to bring a workshop “as soon as next month,” together with updates to enforcement procedures and standards of practice for code officers. Anderson said the work will include proposed changes to ordinances and to standard operating procedures for enforcement.
Councilmembers acknowledged practical limits. Hoheisel and others said state laws constrain the city’s ability to enter private rental units for inspections in some circumstances and that the city is working with state legislators on possible legislative fixes. Councilmember Johnson said the council hears complaints about black mold frequently and emphasized the council intends to “have that discussion and take some action.”
The council did not adopt new rules at the meeting. Instead, staff committed to return with a draft ordinance and policy options at a public workshop and to notify interested parties, including the speaker, of the date. The public comment that prompted the item was not formally investigated or adjudicated during the meeting; no new enforcement actions were announced at the meeting.
