This Week in Sedgwick County, 7/22/20

Board of County Commissioners

• Board appointments: Debra Miller, Animal Care Advisory Board; Shaqiyla Banks, Wichita Airport Advisory Board.
• There was a public hearing for the 2021 Sedgwick County Budget. No comments were provided.
• Commissioners approved a grant for $212,000 for DNA capacity enhancement for backlog reduction (CEBR) program.
• The annual award is issued to the State and shared among the three forensic labs throughout the state.
• The funds will be used for software maintenance and uninterruptable power supplies.
• Amendments to the Wichita-Sedgwick County subdivision regulations related to safe yield analysis and the term of special assessment petitions were approved.
• The action removes safe yield analysis for multi-lot subdivisions located outside of the urban growth area due to concerns about availability of on-site water for residential lots. The test does not provide access to which properties have water.
• Funding for special assessments was amended to a maximum of 20 years rather than a 15-year maximum.
• A grant totaling $1.68 million from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the CARES Act for the Department on Aging was approved.
• The funding will be used to meet the needs of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Support will be added to nutrition services, in home support services, administration, and family caregiver support programs.
• Three positions will be added to support clients.
• Commissioners approved a grant for $1.3 million to increase epidemiology and laboratory capacity for the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The grant award was based on COVID-19 case counts as of June 19.
• Funding will be used to support 20 Health Department employees.
• There was a discussion of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
• The online portal is available for social services and health programs to apply for reimbursement. Cities and school districts will be contacted to submit information through a separate portal.
• A business needs survey is due Friday – this information will be used to design a plan to spend $9.3 million from the State.
• CARES spending totals $5 million since late March.
• $420,000 for Sinochips lab work and testing
• $135,000 for temporary staff
• $150,000 for BKD to train County Finance
• $38,000 for an Emergency Management inventory management system
• $45,000 for a morgue cooler
• $64,000 for masks and gloves
• $21,000 for an intercom system for Corrections
• An off-agenda item related to CARES funding was discussed.
• Commissioner O’Donnell made a motion to allocate up to $5 million from the CARES reserve funding specifically for bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and industries affected by Dr. Minns order pending a report from staff next week.
• An off-agenda item to discuss the latest order from Dr. Minns came before Commissioners. Amendments include:
• Children age 11 or under are exempt from the mask order; children age two and younger should not wear a mask because of the risk of suffocation.
• Businesses licensed to sell alcohol for on premise consumption do not have to close by midnight.
• Swimming pools are exempted from the order.
• The order will begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 24 and be active through Friday, Aug. 21, at 11:59 p.m. It will be revisited weekly.
• The revised order will be available online today.

Governing Body of Fire District 1

• There was a public hearing for the 2021 Recommended Budget. No comments were provided.

View the meeting here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBPQpQreU1U
For questions, contact Public Information Officer Kate Flavin at (316) 660-9370.