The city of Wichita will purchase 5 acres of land for a new Police patrol station.
The site, west of the Alvin Morris Administrative Center, at Lincoln and Pinecrest, will cost the city $217,800. The city plans to break ground on construction in December and finish the project by December 2022. The price tag for the new station is $7 million but with higher construction costs anticipated, the city may use $3 million in the capital improvement plan to finish the project.
The city originally planned to build a new substation at the current Patrol East location at Kellogg and Edgemoor but some of the neighbors in the Cypress Park area were opposed to the plan. In addition, the flood plain area and underground infrastructure made expanding the current facility a challenge.
The city released their 2020 comprehensive annual financial report and there were no audit adjustments, disagreements, difficulties or significant issues. The final report is on the city's website.
A water and sewer cost of service analysis will be undertaken soon. The city selected NewGen Strategies & Solutions to examine such things as the city's rate structure and water demands. The contract is worth $135,620 and a final report is due by the second quarter of 2022.
The council also accepted a $4 million grant from the federal government to help address health inequalities. The city plans to expand the #FactsNotFearICT campaign to reach underserved communities about COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.