#13	
									               
BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS

REGULAR MEETING

Monday, October 11, 1999

Present:	June Bailey, James Johnston, Joe McLeland, M.S. Mitchell, Leon Robinson

Absent:	William Sanders and Andy Schlapp

Also Present:	Marvin Krout, Ray Ontiveros, Dave Barber and Jamsheed Mehta - Wichita-
Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department; Blaise Plummer - 
Law Department; and Larry Hoetmer, Tim Martz, Janice McKinney and Maryann 
Crockett (Staff)

AGENDA

President Mitchell called the meeting to order at approximately 3:30 p.m.  The minutes of the 
regular meeting of September 13, 1999, were reviewed and approved. 

PUBLIC AGENDA

Comments on the Riverside Park System Master Plan.  Requested by Lucy Burtnett.  Ms. 
Burtnett stated that she had met with the Riverside Park User Task Force and other interested 
citizens and that the group had reviewed the Riverside Park System Master Plan project priority 
list developed by the Park Board in February, 1996.  She made remarks concerning several of the 
projects, but commented that the group pretty much agreed with the Park Board list.  She said 
several of the projects on the list that the group had crossed out, such as the overlook structure to 
view Mead Island and the wooden bird walk in Oak Park, could be eliminated or given a very 
low priority.  She stated that the plan and priority list will be discussed at the next Riverside 
Citizens Association meeting and that she will be working closely with the Park Board as 
projects are designed and implemented.  She concluded by thanking the Board for their support 
of the plan.      

1. Status Report on K-96 Bike Path.  Larry Hoetmer, Landscape Architect, briefly reviewed 
this item stating that Property Management had developed an agreement with the Center for 
Human Functioning to acquire right-of-way on the south side of Chisholm Creek.  He said 
the agreement addressed issues such as liability and trail maintenance.  He said the Grove 
Park Plan that was being designed by Savoy, Ruggles and Bohm, PA would also tie into the 
bike trail.  Bailey asked for an estimated project completion date.  Hoetmer said he wasn’t 
sure, but he estimated at least one year from project initiation.         

2. Discussion of Comprehensive Plan Update.  President Mitchell said he felt the Board 
should have the opportunity to review the Comprehensive Plan with staff to incorporate 
elements addressed in the recent Park and Recreation Facilities Study.

Marvin Krout, Director of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning 
Department, reviewed the item stating the City and County were reviewing the 
Comprehensive Plan. He said in terms of land use, discussion had focused on future 
development patterns (where people will be living and working), public facilities and levels 
of service. 

Krout commented that as part of the Comprehensive Plan, a more detailed Parks and 
Pathways, Park and Open Space Master Plan was developed and adopted by both the City 
and County in 1996.  He said the Park Master Plan did not address current park facilities, but 
looked at the demand for parks and pathways in the community, both existing and into the 
future to the year 2010.  He said the plan identified a need for small parks in central Wichita, 
community/larger scale parks in east, northeast and northwest Wichita and a need for a 
regional park in east Wichita.  He said a survey was also completed at that time that indicated 
interest in soccer fields, athletic fields, neighborhood parks, nature trails, walkways, small 
parks, picnic facilities, maintenance and security.  He commented that he believed the survey 
completed by Bucher, Willis and Ratliff for the Park and Recreation Facilities Study showed 
similar interests. 
 
Krout continued by saying that the plan adopted a standard of 15 acres per 1,000 people and 
identified about 1,400 acres that should be acquired.  He said projected costs were $14 
million for land acquisition and $34 million for land improvements, which averaged out to 
approximately $3 million per year.  He said these figures did not include Capital 
Improvement Program (CIP) funds.  He said the plan suggested several funding mechanisms.  
He said after the plan was adopted, a Park Finance Subcommittee was formed to explore and 
make recommendations on various funding options including grants and donations, dedicated 
funding, sales tax and property tax, etc.  He said other plan elements included partnerships 
with the school district, Sedgwick County, development community and other agencies and 
expanding Sedgwick County’s role in parks and recreation.  He said during the update 
process staff will look at parkland deficits, as well as parkland acquisition standards and 
facilities out to the year 2030.

Krout introduced Dave Barber who reviewed changes recommended by the Metropolitan 
Area Planning Commission, including the following:  eliminating references to mandatory 
dedication fees in lieu of land donations; acquiring natural water and landscape features; 
eliminate targeting lands in the floodplain; focusing on non-intensive recreational uses; 
developing incentives and rewards for people in neighborhoods to maintain their parks and 
de-emphasizing the rails-to-trails concept and emphasizing utilization of land and water 
corridors.  

Mitchell made the following comments.  He said there was no program to fund 
recommendations contained in the Comprehensive Plan and that the City was not even close 
to providing funds through CIP.  He said the Wichita-Valley Center Floodway, with the 
exception of a small right-of-way along the north and west sides from Zoo Blvd. to K-96, 
was privately owned, other than flood control rights.  He said the floodway appears in 
numerous documents for possible recreational use and that it will acquire a substantial 
amount of money to acquire those recreational rights before those areas can be used.  He said 
use of the Cowskin, Chisholm and Ninnescah Rivers is also referred to in the document and 
that the same situation is true there, all of those rivers are along private land and that the City 
does not have any kind of flowage easements or flood control right-of-ways.  He said he 
believes it is misleading to state that attempts will be made to acquire the rights, when no 
program is in place to do so.  He said he feels the Board should also review any 
recommendations on how land and easements are acquired.  

Johnson asked if Mitchell was suggesting that the Planning Commission develop funding 
options.  Mitchell said he believes the Comprehensive Plan should recommend a funding 
mechanism.  He said the Comprehensive Plan stopped short of that with the Park and Open 
Space Master Plan, believing that the Park Finance Committee would accomplish the goal of 
identifying funding sources.  He said since that hasn’t happened, he believes another way 
should be found to fund plan recommendations.  

Ontiveros stated that the Comprehensive Plan was a broad, general document.  He said 
during development of the Park and Open Space Plan costs became a factor.  He also 
mentioned that the Park and Recreation Facilities Study recommended several funding 
sources.  The possibility of packaging a quality of life referendum to increase the sales tax ¼ 
or ½ percent was discussed.

Bailey asked why the need for parks in south Wichita was not addressed in the plan.  Krout 
said the need for facilities in the south was included in the plan, but he neglected to mention 
that.  

It was agreed to hold a workshop to further discuss update of the Comprehensive Plan on 
Friday, November 5, 1999, from 12:00 until approximately 2:30 p.m., location to be 
announced.  Bailey suggested that Marvin Fisher be invited to the workshop.    

3.	Discussion of Park Board Planning Retreat.   Staff reported that the City Manager had 
requested that the proposed planning retreat be postponed until a new Park Director is hired.   
     
OTHER ITEMS

There was brief discussion on the following items:  

? Bailey requested clarification on the board meeting attendance policy.  Staff referred board 
members to Administrative Regulation #13, Citizen Participation, paragraph 3. Attendance, 
which states in part: “Whenever the record reflects that a member has missed three 
consecutive regular meetings or more than 50% of the meetings during 12 months, the ex 
officio member shall send a letter to the individual concerned advising the individual that he 
or she is subject to removal for nonattendance.”   Bailey said she is concerned about 
representation from District I.    

? Johnson asked about the lights at McAdams and Eastview tennis courts coming on at 4:00 
p.m.  Staff said they would recheck the timers, that after a power outage the timers needed to 
be readjusted

? Martz reported that the work along the Cowskin Creek by Phillips Petroleum has been 
delayed. 

? Martz reported that he has requested a Financial Report of revenues and expenses.

? Bailey asked about the facility rental policy, giving keys to renters, etc.  Staff said they 
would have a report at the next meeting.   

? Bailey asked about City use and rental of school board athletic fields.  She said at a School 
Steering Committee meeting someone made the statement that the City does not pay for use 
of school board fields.  Staff reported that they rented school board fields for various practice 
sessions and that they would provide year-to-date rental payment figures at the next meeting.

? Martz mentioned that Larry Hoetmer, Landscape Architect, would be meeting with the 
Lincoln Park consultants within the next two weeks.

? The Board requested information on the capital plan for Grove Park. 

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at approximately 5:15 p.m.




						____________________________________	
						M.S. Mitchell, President  




ATTEST:


_____________________________
Maryann Crockett, Clerk


		Park Board 10/11/99 (Contd.)	
3

4