The Wichita City Council discussed water and sewer rates for 2027 in a workshop Tuesday at City Hall.
Most residential customers fall into the low-volume water use category and pay $66.54 per month. Thanks to the 3-year adjustment plan passed last December, water bills for those customers will increase to $71.15 in 2027.
Meanwhile, the cities of Derby and Valley Center will finish construction of water treatment plants. Gary Janzen, Director of Public Works, said those facilities will go on-line in 2027. As a result, the city projects to lose $2.5 million in annual revenue. The city's water rate adjustments in 2027 and 2028 make up for that shortage.
The city did not assume revenue losses from the permanent water restrictions adopted last fall. Thankfully, no future rate adjustments are anticipated as a result.
Public works will recommend an increase for storm water utility rates for 2027, from 15 to 45 cents on the monthly base fee. City staff says the increase would fund roadside ditch maintenance projects, which the city is woefully behind on. They currently have over 400 outstanding maintenance requests.
A comprehensive report and proposed Master plan will be completed soon on the city of Wichita's Parks and Recreation Department.
The report will assess current conditions of parks, facilities and programs city-wide. According to early findings, Wichita ranks 75th out of the county's 100 most-populous cities when it comes to parks and rec offerings.
Maintenance and safety are top concerns, along with programming accessibility.
The study says the highest ranked parks in town include Country Acres, Delano, Harrison, Clapp, Naftzger, Pracht and Stryker. On the flip side, A Price Woodard, Finley Ross, K-96 Lake, Phyllis Hall Memorial and Riverview Parks ranked the lowest.
A draft of the plan will be posted online in late November and the city will present the findings and take public comments in December. After reviewing those comments, revisions will be completed in January, prior to the Park commissioners meeting and council approval.
The council will soon discuss a proposed 6-month contract extension for the city's network of Flock cameras. The city's original contract for Automated license plate readers and cameras began in April 2021.
Wichita Police currently have 191 of the devices across the city and on some vehicles.
The cameras face a backlash over what some call mass surveillance tactics, along with privacy concerns and law enforcement misuse.
