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This Week in Sedgwick County - March 22, 2023 

 Board of County Commissioners

 The Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) approved a proclamation declaring April 2, 2023, as Education and Sharing Day.

• Commissioners approved the appointments of Lexi Michael and Doug Kutilek to the Wichita/Sedgwick County Food and Farm Council.
• The BoCC approved the renomination of Dr. Michelle Vann to the Mental Health Advisory Board.
• Commissioners approved the reappointments of Debra Jo Miller, Susan Erlenwein and Shelley Duncan to the Animal Care Advisory Board.
• The BoCC voted to approve changes to the Unified Zoning Code regarding Home Occupation Daycares.
• Commissioners appointed Lynn Packer to be County Engineer/Director of Public Works.
• The BoCC approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) for construction of a state psychiatric hospital.
• Commissioners approved the recommendations of the Board of Bids and Contracts’ regular meeting on March 16, 2023 with an amendment to Item K: Waste Tire Transportation Services. The BoCC voted to implement a 50-tire limit per resident or business disposing of tires at the Waste Tire Collection event scheduled for April 20 – 22, 2023.
• Assistant County Manager, Tania Cole, gave a legislative update:
  • This is the final week for non-exempt committees to pass bills to their respective chambers. The House and Senate will have all-day floor sessions Monday – Wednesday, March 27 – 29, 2023. Conference committees will then work on reconciling differences between bills with minor or major variances in language passed by both chambers.
  • The House taxation committee will likely not move the food sales tax bill forward because of the major impact it would have on budgets for local governments and economic development organizations.
  • HB 2021 regarding juvenile justice and HB 2082 regarding County funds are still active. Legislators are working on both bills this week.
  • HB 2447 would prohibit municipalities from banning the sale of a product otherwise permitted under state law by a business. Despite some amendments intended to limit the scope of this broad bill, questions remain about enforceability and possible unintended consequences. The BoCC voted to remain neutral on the bill.
  • SB312 would prevent certain public utilities from exercising the power of eminent domain unless approved by a Board of County Commissioners where the real property is located. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 23, 2023. Sedgwick County Commissioners voted to submit individual Commissioner testimony supporting this bill.
• No binding action was taken in executive session.

 Governing Body of Fire District 1 

• The BoCC approved the submission of an application for a $259,332.39 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Commissioners voted to repeal and replace Resolution #913-2022 regarding the Sedgwick County Fire District 1 Steering Council.

 Upcoming Events

•  Roar & Snore: Dinosaur Overnights allows children 5 years and up with an accompanying adult a chance to spend the night at Exploration Place on Friday, March 31, 2023 or Friday, April 28, 2023, from 6 p.m. – 8 a.m. During the sleepover, guests can visit the museum exhibits after hours, including Expedition:Dinosaur, watch a move in the Live Science Theater, participate in a paleontology chat and fossil dig, and compete in a dinosaur-themed scavenger hunt. Tickets are $48 for members, $55 for non-members, and include a pizza party, snacks and breakfast. Sign up at exploration.org.
• Together, the Sedgwick County Developmental Disability Organization and Project SEARCH sites in Wichita, Maize and Derby will host their Virtual Reverse Job Fair from April 1 through May 15, 2023. This unique opportunity connects employers and skilled candidates who thrive in typically high-turnover positions. Interested employers can register at scprojectsearch.com/reverse-job-fair-registration.
• Sedgwick County Fire District 1 is implementing a burn ban during the month of April on all open burning of any waste, including vegetation, wood waste and structures. Exceptions to the open burn ban include pasture, crop, range, and wildlife or watershed management. These exceptions still require a valid permit from SCFD 1. For more information, please contact the Sedgwick County Fire Marshal at 316-660-3473 or visit https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/fire/.
• Sedgwick County Emergency Management has launched the first phase of Civic Ready Alerts that notifies residents by phone or email of emergencies or important news in their community. Visit https://buff.ly/3XmNXya to learn more, opt-in and customize your alerts.
• The Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) is offering the updated Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to anyone 6 months and older whose last shot was at least two months ago. To learn more about the booster and where to get the shot, please visit Vaccine Clinic Locations | Sedgwick County, Kansas
• If you know someone that was directly impacted by the tornadoes on Friday, April 29, and needs assistance, please contact United Way at 211 or visit https://bit.ly/3LAWlo6.
• Recovery Connect is a Sedgwick County economic recovery program that connects individuals, businesses, and nonprofits with resources to help them recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about the program and how you can get support here: http://recovery-connect.org/

 Watch the meeting at: https://www.youtube.com/live/3UI5RN_YSYE?feature=share