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County creates District 5 Collaboration Board, appoints 17 members from cities, schools, townships and improvement districts
Summary
Sedgwick County commissioners approved a new District 5 Collaboration Board made up of 17 appointed members representing cities, school districts, townships and improvement districts to coordinate services and cross‑jurisdictional issues in Commissioner Howell’s District.
The Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously March 5 to create a District 5 Collaboration Board and appoint 17 members recommended by local governing bodies and the district commissioner.
Commissioner Michael Howell said the board is intended to bring together officials who represent “an organizational viewpoint” — city managers, school superintendents, township trustees and improvement district leaders — so they can “intentionally come together to sit at the table and talk about the issues that impact the various organizations.” Howell said the board is an experiment to run for two years and will meet bi‑monthly beginning March 10 in Derby.
The county counselor read the resolutions listing nominees from the City of Wichita (Council Member Becky Tuttle), City of Derby (Mayor Mark Staats), City of Mulvane (City Manager Austin St. John), area superintendents (Kelly Bielefeld of Wichita Public Schools; Heather Bohaty of Derby; Jay Inslee of Mulvane; Chuck Lambert of Rose Hill), townships (Gypsum, Riverside, Rockford, Minnehaha representatives) and three improvement district appointees among others. Howell also nominated three citizens at large as part of a companion resolution. The board approved both resolutions on a single motion; the clerk recorded the vote as five ayes.
Commissioners and invited members said the board will discuss overlapping issues that cross municipal and township boundaries, such as public safety, road maintenance, school resource officers and shared procurement opportunities. Howell said specific topics likely to surface early include school safety staffing, roads and sidewalk needs, and coordination of services where jurisdictions abut.
Several appointees who were present were sworn in and brief remarks emphasized collaboration. Mulvane City Manager Austin St. John said he looked forward to “come up with common sense things to solve problems that we’re all being affected by.” Wichita Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld thanked Howell and said he welcomed the opportunity to stay connected to district issues.
The board’s first public meeting was scheduled for March 10 at the Derby City Hall welcome center; Howell said meetings would be open to the public but would not include a public comment period at the initial convening to allow leaders time to organize the board’s priorities.
The county clerk recorded appointments and the resolutions; no dissenting votes were recorded.
Ending: The collaboration board is an administrative advisory body created by the commission; the board itself will develop work plans and report back to the commission on issues requiring county action or intergovernmental coordination.
