This Week in Sedgwick County - Feb. 18, 2026
Board of County Commissioners
· BoCC approved PUD2025-00027: zone change request in the county from SF-20 single-family residential district to PUD planned unit development to create the Harry Crossings PUD #154 for future residential and/or commercial development, generally located on the southeast corner of East Harry St. and South 143rd St. East.
· Commissioners received and filed the Appraiser’s Annual Report of Real Property Value Trends in Sedgwick County.
· Assistant County Manager Tania Cole provided a legislative update:
o This is the sixth week of the legislative session.
o Turnaround day, the last day to consider non-exempt bills in its house of origin, is Thursday, Feb. 19.
o There are multiple bills County leaders are following:
§ HB 2698 was passed by the Committee on Local Government. The bill would provide for permanent seizures of animals in instances when the owner violates county resolutions and authorize judges of competent jurisdiction to order such seizures.
§ SB 436 is expected to be voted on by the Senate. The bill would increase the cost threshold for when a county shall use the public bidding process in awarding a construction contract.
§ HB 2329: Increasing the cumulative detention limit for juvenile offenders and criminal penalties for juvenile offenders who use a firearm in the commission of an offense or who are repeat offenders, providing for increased placement of offenders in non-foster home beds in youth residential facilities, requiring the secretary of corrections to pay for the costs associated with such placements and authorizing the secretary to make expenditures from the evidence-based programs account of the state general fund moneys to contract for such beds. This bill had a minor amendment and will likely go to Conference Committee.
§ The County is working to introduce an appraiser qualification bill into this session.
§ HB 2745: Requiring a vote of the electors to approve increases in property tax revenues for the next year, establishing the property tax relief fund and providing transfers to counties that limit property taxes to certain increases, establishing the property tax limit in lieu of the revenue neutral rate to provide for certain budget increases of taxing subdivisions and continuing in existence the taxpayer notification costs fund. An amendment was made on Monday that replaced the election option by a protest petition process for contesting property tax revenue growth over the artificial cap. It would require petition signatures from 10% of those voting in the previous presidential election to prevent local property tax revenue growth from exceeding 3% excluding revenue collection tied to new construction or building improvements.
§ HB 2588: Providing for statewide electrician licensing by the board of technical professions.
§ HB 2737: Enacting the taxpayer agreement act to provide for an alternative method of tax increment financing of municipal economic development projects through taxpayer agreements.
§ HB 2739: Providing that fire sprinkler systems shall not be required in this state for multi-family dwellings of four attached units or fewer, prohibiting municipal fire sprinkler requirements for multi-family dwellings of four or fewer attached living units and defining apartment buildings for purposes of the fire code.
§ HB 2769: Requiring members of governing bodies of subordinate service taxing areas to be residents of such taxing areas.
§ HB 2771: Establishing requirements for the county sheriff operating a jail for the enforcement of United States immigration and customs enforcement detainers, requiring municipal insurance pools to provide coverage for law enforcement that enforces federal laws, requiring the state to pay certain judgements in a federal court action, requiring the attorney general to provide representation in certain civil actions and authorizing county sheriffs to enter into certain interlocal cooperation agreements without the approval of the board of county commissioners.
§ HB 2696: Providing for the modernization of notarization and the notary public process with respect to real estate documents for the purpose of mitigation of real estate document-related fraud, requiring the development, implementation and administration of a two-tiered authentication system for notarization of real estate documents and requiring use of a 3D biometric antifraud system by all notaries public by December 31, 2027. Register of Deeds Tonya Buckingham testified on Monday, Feb. 16.
§ SB 404 is not likely to make it on the Senate floor. The bill would authorize county treasurers to charge increased fees for vehicle registration transactions.
· There was no binding action taken during executive session.
Upcoming Events
· Early in-person voting for the 2026 Wichita Special Election is underway at the Sedgwick County Election Office. The last day to request an advance ballot by mail is Feb. 24. Election Day is March 3. Sedgwick County Election Office
· Sedgwick County Emergency Management will begin its 2026 Severe Weather Safety Program at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, at Valley Center Community Center. The class is developed by the National Weather Service to educate citizens about severe weather and ways to stay safe. 2026 Severe Weather Safety Program
· Sedgwick County students in grades 6-12 are encouraged to submit a design for the “I Voted” sticker that will be given out during the 2026 elections. Additionally, students in grades K-5 may submit a design for a “Future Voter” sticker. The contest runs through Feb. 27, 2026, and winners will be chosen in March by a panel of judges from the community. Artwork must be original and non-partisan. For contest rules and forms, visit "I Voted" Sticker Design Contest | Sedgwick County, Kansas.
· Exploration Place will host Death by Chocolate, an unforgettable evening of food, drinks and entertainment in support of STEM programs and education, on March 7, 2026. Tickets are available to enjoy an adults-only evening of live music, interactive experiences and exclusive access to the museum’s exhibits. Death by Chocolate | Exploration Place
Watch the meeting at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnLzN7UMGq4.