Tag: Wichita city council
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Wichita Election Coverage Launched
With the March 3 primary election for Wichita city council and school board seats fast approaching, I’ve started a special page of coverage. The page contains links to news stories and candidate websites. If you are aware of news stories or candidate websites that I’ve missed, please send them to me by email at bob.weeks@gmail.com.…
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More Subsidy for Downtown Wichita Developers
Today’s Wichita Eagle reports that Wichita’s “Minnesota Guys,” formally known as Real Development, are seeking yet another subsidy as they work in downtown Wichita. The article in the Eagle is HUD loan sought for downtown Wichita apartment plan. In this case, the subsidy sought is a loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Housing and…
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Prudence Requires Postponement of Wichita TIF District: The Video
Bob Weeks recommends postponing approval of a Wichita TIF district until new procedures are put in place. Plus, a question about future mill levies, with a response from council member Sharon Fearey. The remarks in printed form are at this link: Prudence Requires Postponement of Wichita TIF District.
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Prudence Requires Postponement of Wichita TIF District
Remarks to be delivered to the Wichita City Council on January 6, 2009. Mr. Mayor, members of the council: Last month it was discovered that procedures used to investigate the background of potential city business partners were lacking in some respects. It is now recognized that the process that were in place failed to give…
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Wichita city hall: more evidence of lax procedures
Wichita Eagle reporting from yesterday (Past client: Developer admitted embezzling) provides more evidence of the need for improved procedures and greater accountability at Wichita city hall. In this story, investigative journalist Dion Lefler reports that Grant Gaudreau admitted stealing money from a business partner. This comes to light just after the City of Wichita nearly…
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Wichita’s naysayers shortchanged again
At the December 2, 2008 meeting of the Wichita city council, three citizens spoke to the council on the same issue. The treatment these people received in the official minutes of the proceedings varied quite a bit.
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Kansas law requires Wichita to hold another public hearing
Recently, the Wichita city council passed a resolution announcing a public hearing on a TIF district and its project plan. The city then, on the day before the hearing, substantially changed the plan. This change means that the city must hold another public hearing.
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Defective public hearing in Wichita. Open government needed.
John Todd and Bill Davitt speak about the defective public hearing held at a recent Wichita City Council Meeting, and about the importance of open and transparent government.
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Sharon Fearey doesn’t appreciate the Wichita Eagle
At the December 16, 2008 meeting of the Wichita City Council, Sharon Fearey expressed her displeasure with reporting done by the Wichita Eagle.
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“Thank You, Wichita Eagle”
Mustering all the sarcasm she can, Sharon Fearey says “Thank you, Wichita Eagle.” Speaking from the bench at the December 16, 2008 meeting of the Wichita City Council, she’s referring to reporting that newspaper did that uncovered problems in the past of the person referred to as the principal developer of a project. Wichita city…
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Wichita City Council: Put better procedures in place before proceeding
Mr. Mayor and members of the council, developments surrounding the Renaissance Square project in the C.O.R.E. Redevelopment District are unfolding so rapidly that we need to step back and think about the wisdom of proceeding with the current plans. As things stand now, citizens can have little confidence in this project and the way the…
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Wichita Public Hearing Action Not Evidence of Leadership
In an op-ed piece in Sunday’s Wichita Eagle, Interim Wichita City Manager Scott Moore makes the case that “the [Wichita city] council’s Dec. 2 vote demonstrated leadership and an ability to respond decisively to urgent community matters after appropriate public deliberations.”