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Downtown business owners and East Side residents press Wichita Falls council over youth outreach, TIF and drainage
Summary
Multiple residents urged the Wichita Falls City Council to address downtown public‑safety incidents they attribute to an unsupervised youth outreach program, while others pressed for East Side development, drainage fixes and equitable use of TIF and federal Justice40 funding; staff said drainage planning and funding take time and are under review.
Wichita Falls — In public comment at the City Council's April 21 meeting, residents and community leaders pressed elected officials to address two recurring concerns: downtown public‑safety problems that some attributed to a youth outreach program, and longstanding development and drainage needs in East Side neighborhoods.
Amanda Grace, a downtown resident and business community member, said a program intended to help youth — described in testimony as the "Straight Street" program — is operating under policies that in practice allow juveniles to move unsupervised through the downtown area late at night. Grace told council she observed about 20 children in downtown alleys around 11:30 p.m. last Friday and said business owners report vandalism,…
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