City officials continue work on proposed parking changes for downtown Wichita

The city of Wichita continues to gather feedback from business owners in the downtown area and the public on proposed parking plan changes.

One of the biggest concerns city officials have heard is that paid parking could discourage downtown retail activity. The city says an updated plan is needed to cover ongoing costs for operations and maintenance.

Council member Brandon Johnson says the city will continue to talk with businesses but he feels they should go forward with a plan. Failure to do so, he says, could leave the city in a worse-off situation.

There are two more opportunities for the public to address their concerns: Saturday, September 14 and Saturday, October 12. Both will be at the Old Town Farm & Art Market, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

An ethics ordinance was approved Tuesday by the council.
It replaces City Council Policy 39 which established a Code of Ethics for elected and appointed officials. Work on the ordinance has been ongoing for a year.

The city will reimburse Sedgwick County $95,000 to pay for half of the cost of an operations review of a fatal fire in east Wichita last October.

Jensen Hughes, who completed a review of the Wichita Police Department in March 2023, is currently performing a review and analysis of Sedgwick County Emergency Communications and Wichita Fire Department operations. A draft report should be completed by the end of October.