Northern Sedgwick County isn’t the only place along the Arkansas River where some landowners oppose adding public access points on the river for canoeists and kayakers. The Reno County Commission heard Tuesday from citizens concerned about trespassing, littering and other trouble. According to the Hutchinson News, Mike Fahrbach of the Haven area e-mailed commissioners about his experience with trespassers, four-wheelers and litterers. “Beer cans, beer bottles, beer cartons, diapers, shotgun shells and boxes, general trash, an old refrigerator, car parts, buckets of things, fast-food sacks. We even had an abandoned recliner until someone decided it needed to be lit on fire,” wrote Fahrbach, who acknowledged that those who go fishing or canoeing “have never caused a single problem.”
The Sedgwick County commissioners still had too many questions Wednesday to feel comfortable going forward with a proposal to buy 808 acres in Bel Aire for an industrial park. There is a lot to consider, especially with the county budget so tight and other priorities so pressing. But the delay should not be the death of the plan, which was harshly criticized by several local developers and anti-tax activists at the meeting. If the commission does what the critics want, which is nothing, the county will remain uncompetitive in the high-stakes contest to land large businesses with large numbers of jobs. It was good to hear Commission Chairman Kelly Parks indicate that he sees the urgent need for such a shovel-ready industrial park.
An Eagle article last week showed again how misguided the Sedgwick County Commission was in backing off support for public access sites to the Arkansas River. At the urging of some landowners, the commission voted last month to halt all work on the project from 53rd Street North to the county line. But the commission didn’t properly consider the views of the public, which actually owns the river and wants to be able to utilize it. Nor did it apparently consider all the work that other local governments and groups have done on this 105-mile project, or the desire of the city of Maize to have an access site near it.
The decision was also based on the false fear that providing access points would increase trespassing on private land. As canoeist and WE blogger Ben Huie noted, “the more citizens we get on the river, the more eyes we will have watching the river.”
Commission Chairman Kelly Parks and Commissioner Karl Peterjohn seem ideologically opposed to the access project and unable to listen to reason. But the three other commission members should be willing to reconsider the issue and reverse course.
If we had warned during the fall campaign that, as a Sedgwick County commissioner, anti-tax crusader Karl Peterjohn would second-guess staff recommendations on purchases of toilet paper and paper towels, we might have been accused of hyperbole. But there Peterjohn was Wednesday, engaging Iris Baker, county purchasing director, in a discussion of toilet paper-purchasing criteria in which Baker spoke of considerations such as “per-sheet cost,” absorbency, durability and “excessive scrap.” Ultimately, Peterjohn joined his colleagues in approving the expenditure.
It’s good that city of Wichita and Sedgwick County leaders met Friday to study the threat of bird strikes at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, and that they are trying to come up with a comprehensive plan for land use around the airport. Last year, the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and the Sedgwick County Commission — with notable objections by commissioners Kelly Parks and Gwen Welshimer — dismissed this threat in approving a 31-acre pond just three miles south of the airport. Airport officials warned that the pond not only could increase the hazard for aircraft crews, passengers and people on the ground but also risk revocation or suspension of the airport’s operating certificate and the loss of future federal grant-in-aid funding.
No one would expect unanimity and harmony on the Sedgwick County Commission, especially in light of the power-shifting 2008 election. Tuesday’s tense exchange over how and when commissioners and staffers would meet with a jail consultant may not spell trouble going forward, but it signaled there’s a problem with communication. And do commissioners need a refresher on the Kansas Open Meetings Act? As clarified by a bill signed Tuesday by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, state law bars serial “interactive communications” on a common topic out of public view between members of governing bodies, whether face to face or electronically.
It’s a bit puzzling that Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Kelly Parks doesn’t know how the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition spends its money. After all, the commission just agreed in December to contribute $300,000 to GWEDC in 2009. But as he and Commissioner Karl Peterjohn re-examine GWEDC, they will no doubt realize how important the organization is to our region. The partnership between the county, the city of Wichita and the private sector has been crucial in attracting and retaining jobs and eliminating turf battles that used to inhibit economic development. And as GWEDC president Vicki Pratt Gerbino asked in a commentary on Sunday’s Eagle Opinion pages, “Shouldn’t our highest priority be to invest in something that ultimately preserves, nurtures and recruits new jobs to our community?”
Sedgwick County Commissioner Karl Peterjohn acknowledged Sunday that the economic news keeps getting worse – which it did Monday with Cessna Aircraft’s announcement that it is laying off 2,000 workers. But Peterjohn expressed hope in our ability to overcome these problems by looking to our state’s past. In remarks at his swearing-in ceremony, Peterjohn noted our state’s motto, “To the stars through difficulties,” and how we have faced other challenges and controversies. “Our state was born in a cauldron of problems and disputes that were much worse than anything we face in Sedgwick County today,” he said. Such a historical perspective can help us avoid what Peterjohn termed “irrational pessimism.”
Sedgwick County Manager William Buchanan won the County Commission’s approval last week to authorize up to $500,000 in construction change orders for the National Center for Aviation Training. Giving such spending power to a public administrator can be risky. But the $54 million center is a high priority for local economic development long term, and its construction during these uncertain times will be served by such flexibility. Buchanan has such authority on the Intrust Bank Arena, too. And frankly, after 18 years on the job, Buchanan has more than earned such trust.
Good news for Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston: After a promising start, Republican Mark Schoenhofer’s aggressive challenge looks to be stuck in the ’30s, judging from Survey USA polling for KWCH, Channel 12. In a weekend poll of 800 adults, Foulston led Schoenhofer 55 to 38 percent, compared with 54 to 39 percent a month ago and 51 to 45 percent in August.
It’s encouraging that more than 42,000 people in Sedgwick County had voted in advance as of Monday. That suggests that voter turnout this election could be high – and that the lines on Election Day might not be too long. Voting delays became a real concern after Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Bill Gale reduced the number of polling places by 70 percent in 2006. But one proactive part of his plan was an expansion and emphasis on early voting. Voting centers are open at more than a dozen area locations through Saturday and on Monday morning at the Sedgwick County Election Office, 510 N. Main. Voters can still vote by mail if they apply by 5 p.m. Friday. But whether you do so by mail, at an advanced voting center or at a polling place next Tuesday, be sure to vote.
Sedgwick County Commission candidate Karl Peterjohn complains about how the county budget has “ballooned by well over 100 percent” since 1992. Yet when The Eagle editorial board asked Peterjohn repeatedly to explain why the budget had grown so much and what was in the budget that shouldn’t be there, Peterjohn couldn’t answer. What’s more, he couldn’t name a single item in the budget that should be cut.
So why has the budget increased that much? Half the increase is due to an accounting change. The county didn’t include money from grants and other sources in its main budget until 2001. Other significant increases include expanding the jail in 1999, assuming full management of the county health department in 2003, building the needed juvenile detention facility in 2006, and budgeting next year for levee improvements to the Big Ditch.
There is no excuse for campaign signs to be placed illegally – including on public property or in the city’s right of way on private property, which is between the sidewalk and the street. But this year has been more amazing than most for the number of unlawful signs from campaigns of candidates for Sedgwick County District Court judge and, to our eye, of the GOP candidate for Sedgwick County district attorney. Illegal placement not only makes the candidate look bad but also wastes hard-to-come-by campaign dollars, because city employees just come along and sweep up the offending signs. Another heads up: All signs should be gone eight days after the election.
Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Tom Winters, Commissioner Tim Norton, Mayor Carl Brewer and Vice Mayor Sue Schlapp held a closed meeting last month to discuss the city-county differences over a tax increment financing district for the arena neighborhood. Then last week, a meeting on the proposed Northwest Bypass closed for a discussion by city, county and state transportation officials of property acquisition and other topics; the assembled included Winters, Commissioner Kelly Parks and City Council member Sharon Fearey.
Such gatherings may not violate the letter of the state’s open-meetings law, but they trample on its spirit. The desire of public servants to speak frankly, out of earshot of the pesky media, is not justification for closing discussions of issues of high interest to the public. Similarly, those trying again to hire a Wichita city manager from what is now a list of 10 candidates need to keep the doors open as often as possible, so the public can see and have trust in what they’re doing.
The race between longtime Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston and GOP challenger Mark Schoenhofer no longer looks as competitive as it did five weeks ago, judging from a SurveyUSA poll last weekend of 1,000 adults in the county. In August Foulston had 51 percent of the support, to Schoenhofer’s 45 percent. Now Foulston has 54 percent and Schoenhofer 39 percent. In between the two polls, The Eagle published a story about the six times Wichita police have been to Schoenhofer’s home since 2003 responding to reports of domestic violence or arguments (he says the allegations are unfounded) and about his 1995 filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy and past delinquent taxes, now resolved.
At a panel discussion at the University of Kansas’ School of Journalism, Democratic media adviser Raymond Strother said that race could be a larger factor than people think in the presidential election. He said past elections show that voters are influenced by race more than they are willing to admit.
But political pundit Walter Shapiro of Salon.com said that youth turnout, which Barack Obama tapped in the primaries, could play the crucial role.
“Every day an Archie Bunker is leaving the planet and a new 18-year-old, who grew up in an America that preached the virtues of tolerance and is surrounded by tolerance, is able to vote,” he said.
Wait a second. Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Tom Winters was criticized during the primary campaign for raising taxes to pay for an aviation training center. But now that Winters has lost the GOP primary, his opponents, Republican Karl Peterjohn and Democrat Marcey Gregory, say they won’t block the center and repeal the tax increase (as was done on the jail expansion). If what Winters did was so wrong, why support it now? And why didn’t Winters get more visible support during the primary from business and aircraft industry officials who said the tech center was essential to maintaining Wichita’s status as Air Capital of the World? Some thanks Winters got for sticking his neck out.
There weren’t many big surprises in Tuesday’s primaries, but a few of the results were interesting. In the 2nd Congressional District, GOP moderate and state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins appears to have narrowly prevailed against social conservative and former Rep. Jim Ryun, though a vote-counting goof could change the outcome. And in the Johnson County district attorney race, Phill Kline got clobbered by Steve Howe, a former assistant district attorney Kline had dismissed after Kline was appointed to the job. Ouch. Locally, Karl Peterjohn, executive director of the Kansas Taxpayers Network, soundly defeated incumbent Tom Winters in the Sedgwick County Commission race.
Boeing received a boost on its tanker bid last week when the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, of which Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, is a member, imposed contract restrictions on the Pentagon that are favorable to Boeing. But the measure’s prospects in the Senate don’t look good, according to DoD Buzz blog. For one thing, Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, was supposed to be a “back-stop” supporter, but he has dropped his position as ranking member of the Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee until his seven charges of corruption are settled. The blog also said: “Should such language get in somehow, Sens. John Warner, R-Va., and John McCain, R-Ariz., are likely to oppose it as the bill moves to the Senate floor.”
Good for Sedgwick County Sheriff Gary Steed for speaking out on the issue of whether the county needs a jail expansion. “We need more beds. The potential for lawsuits gets higher with overcrowding,” he told The Eagle, taking issue with County Manager William Buchanan’s proposal to shelve a $54 million jail expansion and cut county property taxes by 1 mill. Unfortunately, Steed’s lament neither provides much clarity nor settles the issue. County commissioners won’t be inclined to forge ahead with a bigger jail — and without a tax cut — in light of Buchanan’s plan. So Steed, who is not seeking re-election, may not be able to avoid seeing the jail issue pass to his successor. Meanwhile, county residents are left to wonder whether a bigger jail is needed or not — the population numbers still seem to support it — and how long the county can go without one.
The Kansas Coliseum’s future dimmed the moment Sedgwick County voters approved the downtown arena tax in 2004. Still, county commissioners have a lot to consider before they hang a “for sale” sign on the Coliseum and its grounds, excluding the pavilions. What about the talk early on of keeping the Coliseum arena for “dirt events” such as monster truck shows, rodeos and even circuses? Will the Intrust Bank Arena truly serve all the needs? And surely 280 acres of prime land off I-135 in the fast-developing Park City area would be worth more in the marketplace than the $22 million they’re valued at, especially if sold off in pieces. Further complications include deciding what to do about the RV park, the cell towers and, perhaps toughest of all, the Coliseum site’s 26 acres of protected habitat for a spotted skunk. Is there a business or megachurch that could give the old Coliseum arena, as is, a new purpose?
Sedgwick County Commissioner Kelly Parks has an interesting idea of raising the county sales tax for 18 months in order to pay down government debt. But this plan likely will strike many citizens as a continuation of the arena sales tax, which ended in December. “We told you the tax wouldn’t go away,” they’ll say. Also, the city has been discussing the idea of raising its sales tax so it could lower property taxes, and it may put the proposal on the November ballot. If that were approved, it’s unlikely that voters also would support raising the county sales tax.
Sedgwick County Manager Bill Buchanan’s proposed 1-mill property-tax cut as part of his 2009 budget plan may be unusual but it’s not unprecedented, as he told us Thursday. In the wake of the county’s 2.1-mill increase in 1997 for the most recent jail expansion, he noted, the county adopted budgets in 1998, 1999 and 2000 reducing the levy by 0.5 mill, 1 mill and 0.1 mill, respectively. Of course, even when the mill levy goes down, it’s often offset by rising property valuations.
The November election is expected to produce record turnout — and provide the first real test of Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Bill Gale’s drastic reduction of polling places from 208 to 63.
Is it an Election Day fiasco in the making, as some worry? Probably not. But the concerns are valid and deserve another close look.
Walt Chappell and a coalition of voting rights groups, including the League of Women Voters, told the Sedgwick County Commission last week that as many as 20 more polling sites could be needed to meet demand.
Overall, Gale’s streamlined system has worked pretty well, especially with the expansion of early voting sites from two to 16. And Gale argues that the new touch-screen machines could be supplemented with paper ballots if long lines form.
Still, it’s good that commissioners scheduled a March 25 workshop to take a closer look at the concerns. They shouldn’t hesitate to add a few more polling sites in high-volume districts if needed to ensure the new system can handle turnout.
Sedgwick County Commissioners Gwen Welshimer (in photo) and Kelly Parks voted Wednesday against a redevelopment plan for the neighborhood surrounding the new arena. Big surprise. It seems as if they’re against just about anything to do with the arena, no matter how good it could be or whether it will help protect taxpayers, such as the arena management contract that they earlier opposed. As Welshimer noted, “There’s no stopping the arena.†But she and Parks seem determined to place as many roadblocks as possible in its path.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
