On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council will vote on whether to endorse a plan to end chronic homelessness, a resolution supporting the expansion of Amtrak passenger rail service through the city and a $54,000 contract to market the Old Cowtown Museum. And there’s also a contract on the agenda that would sell a city-owned downtown parking lot to Cargill Meat Solutions for $1.
Homelessness: This move wouldn’t commit the city to any spending, but it would let Interim City Manager Ed Flentje work with County Manager Bill Buchanan to develop yet more recommendations on what local governments should do to help people who are on the streets.
Amtrak: It has been 28 years since Wichita had passenger rail service, and now many are calling for an extension of existing rail lines through Wichita. That would provide train service from Fort Worth to Kansas City. This resolution wouldn’t authorize any spending, but it would formally encourage the project.
Cowtown: The museum is set to re-open May 9, and the city wants to hire and advertising firm to get the word out via a marketing campaign. The gig would go to Jajo, Inc., a Wichita company that would use e-mail, radio and other tactics to “generate buzz” and bring people into the struggling museum.
Cargill: The parking lot is located near First and Water streets downtown, which is near one of Cargill’s buildings. The company has been expanding downtown, and it is adding more and more employees.
4 Comments
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Whoever sells the parking lot for $1 and then asks for money to do other things is either insane or a crook or both. That goes for you, city of wichita council members.
Downtown businesses provide the base of income that helps prevent tax increases. Cargill’s downtown corporate headquarters brings significant revenue into our budget. Their eight million dollar investment that will provide 100 additional jobs averaging $70,000.00 a year is significant additional income. Opposing cost saving investments by deliberately misleading others and accusing mental instability for wise actions may be a criminal conduct. For some it is easier to harm others than to help others.
I would like to see a passenger train in Wichita. Nothing fancy, just a ticket window, a parking lot, and a covered waiting area to start with.
Cowtown is an importamt museum in Wichita. But, a big marketing campaign should not be necessary. Everyone in Wichita knows about it already.