At Tuesday's Wichita City Council meeting, changes to the city's code of ethics policy was discussed.
The policy adopted nearly 2 years ago created an Ethics Advisory Board and developed procedures for investigating alleged violations. In December, the council tasked Wichita State's Public Policy & Management Center to help implement the policy, further develop procedures, perform administrative duties of the Ethics Officer, and support the EAB.
The PPMC recommended a number of revisions aimed to clarify policies, reduce confusion in interpreting the policy, and enhance transparency.
Mayor Brandon Whipple and Council member Bryan Frye both agreed it was important to get the policy right.
Some of those revisions included a definition of an active member of a political party, board member qualifications, and proper procedures for ethics complaints and appeals.
The city of Wichita is one step closer to securing federal funding for construction of a new biological nutrient removal plant.
The WIFIA loan will cover 49 percent of the cost of the new sewer treatment facility, or around $191 million. The interest rate on the financing is forecast to be around 3.92 percent. That’s not as low as the 1.17% interest rate obtained with the WIFIA loan 2 years ago for the city’s water treatment facility, which is currently under construction in the northwest part of the city.
The city will secure state funding, 47 percent of the project’s cost, sometime in the second quarter of 2023. Construction is slated to begin this fall and be completed in 2027. Repayment of the loan will begin in April of 2032.