Wichita City Council moved forward with plans to build a new water treatment plant Tuesday, awarding a $500 million contract to Wichita Water Partners. The group includes two companies that spent thousands of dollars on Mayor Jeff Longwell’s golf outings and meals before he steered the contract in their favor.
City Council members voted unanimously to award the contract – the biggest single contract in the city’s history – saying they didn’t want to risk losing federal funding for the project and that they weren’t sure if any other companies would bid on the project.
None of the council members mentioned Longwell’s relationships or gifts, which became a key election issue. They did say they have been fielding questions from concerned citizens since The Wichita Eagle reported Longwell’s relationships with some of the water partners in September.