The city of Wichita will continue their partnership with the county to fund behavioral health crisis teams.
The original Integrated Care Team - ICT1 - was founded in 2019. It is comprised of a behavioral health worker, a WPD patrol officer and a county paramedic, who respond to emotional and behavioral incidents and connect those individuals to COMCARE.
Tuesday's funding approval will add four crisis mobile clinicians and four integrated care specialists to the team, effectively adding ICT2, 3, 4 and 5 to the mix.
The cost of the program for the remainder of 2023 is estimated to be $471,790 including funding for initial vehicles and equipment. The program’s cost next year is estimated at $854,133.
In other news, the city council approved $30 million in industrial revenue bonds for renovation and expansion plans at the Northwest and the South YMCA locations. Construction costs are expected to total $25 million. The city is not loaning money to the YMCA as the bonds will be privately secured by the organization.
If you visit Century II often, you'll soon see improved Wi-Fi service. The council approved nearly $488 thousand in funding for the project with Cox Hospitality Network. City leaders say the current equipment is 15-years-old. The project would also triple the number of transmitters the facility currently has.
The city council also approved $1 million in funding for sidewalk repairs around the city in 2023.