City manager previews June council agenda, highlighting $15.1 million supportive-housing plan and multiple bond requests

The City Manager previewed the Wichita City Council’s upcoming meeting agenda, describing proposed actions ranging from a $15.1 million supportive‑housing project to several bond and revenue‑bond requests.

The City Manager said the nonconsent housing agenda includes “a $15,100,000 project and project‑based vouchers for [a] 50‑unit permanent supportive housing construction project, and 25 units of noncongregate shelter, all of this adjacent to the Second Light facility.” The City Manager also listed two airport items: a $2,200,000 letter of intent for airport special facility revenue bonds to construct an 18,000‑square‑foot hangar at Jabara, and a $1,000,000 letter of intent for airport special facility revenue bonds for remodeling about 7,000 square feet of office space at the Eisenhower facility; the City Manager added that the new tenant “is anticipating adding 40 new employees over the next 5 years.”

Other capital and development items the City Manager previewed include a $3,000,000 multifamily residential revenue bond for 36 apartment units on South Hillside; a $10,200,000 industrial revenue bond (IRB) issue for construction of roughly 150,000 square feet of manufacturing space; and a request to establish a community improvement district (CID) for the Sosey property at the southwest corner of Lincoln and South Broadway that would support retail, office and multifamily redevelopment.

The City Manager also flagged proposed ordinance and administrative changes: updates to the city fee schedule related to CORA to reflect changes in state law enacted by the legislature this year, and a package of ordinance amendments to strengthen rules on theft and illegal towing and to amend yielding requirements for vehicles with hazard or caution lights (previewed for the June 17 meeting).

Transportation and infrastructure items noted for council action include the 2025 arterial sidewalk program (sidewalk sections on Seneca and locations on Fifth Street), the city’s annual sewer mains for future development program (two sewer main extension projects recommended this year), and recommended improvements to Rounds and Porter to reflect prior property and evidence audit findings. The City Manager also mentioned a grant application for safety improvements to the Broadway Corridor from 30th Street North to Pawnee.

A planning item on the nonconsent planning agenda is a PUD amendment for which the City Manager said there is a difference between the MAPC and DAB recommendations. Consent and administrative items include a $15,100,000 housing item (see above), a contract for a structural assessment of the city’s parking garages, an agreement for online cataloging services for the library system, and home‑construction funding for two Habitat for Humanity single‑family homes.

For the June 17 preview, the City Manager also noted a Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) discretionary funds application to add a peer recovery specialist to the care coordination team, and a contract amendment to reduce administrative costs associated with the city’s deferred compensation program.

Vice Mayor (presiding for the preview) and the City Manager conducted the briefing as a preview of items scheduled for formal consideration at upcoming meetings; no formal votes or council decisions were taken during the preview session.