Wichita City Council members received an update Tuesday on a plan for downtown parking that has generated opposition from citizens and business owners. Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson said the plan was developed because the city has struggled with balancing the costs of operations and maintenance with effective parking management. He said a 6,800-space system would need over $1.3 million in annual maintenance expenses, but the current parking fund balance would not be enough to provide ongoing repair and maintenance. Enhancements such as safety, security, cleanliness and beautification would add to the deficit. The City Council delayed implementation of the parking [...]

The City of Garden Plain will be getting a federal grant to help build a new municipal pool and aquatics facility. The grant is for over $1.6 million from the National Parks Service, administered through the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The city plans to build an aquatics center that includes a zero-entry pool with a shallow play area, lap swim lanes, a bathhouse and concession building, and features such as a diving board, basketball goal, a slide, shade structures, inflatables and a splash pad area. The total estimated cost of the facility will be $3.27 million, so the grant [...]

Wichita mayor Lily Wu reported a slight increase in water usage over the past week, but she said usage has been mostly steady and there has been an overall drop in water usage as the city goes into its second month of outdoor watering restrictions. The city went into Stage Two of its drought response plan on August 5th, and outdoor watering is limited to one day a week. The city is divided into four quadrants and watering is only for a specific day for each quadrant, with no watering on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Mayor said the city has [...]