Fearey has had enough

Sharon Fearey, the north-central Wichita City Council member, has had enough of Mayor Carlos Mayans' campaign claims. And, The Hall Monitor has noted, she's had enough of people putting words in her mouth.

She penned an editorial that ran in The Eagle this week, scolding Mayans for claiming that Council members are never in their offices. She countered too, saying that Mayans misses his share of city meetings. The tension also showed last Tuesday when Fearey didn't get a chance to explain her 'no' vote on move to overrule the city's historic preservation board decision that the proposed downtown Kelly Hotel and Conference Center doesn't fit in with nearby historic buildings. (See The Eagle's story here.)

In the meeting, Fearey said she hit her button, indicating to the mayor that she wanted to talk. But Mayans wrapped up the hearing quickly and called the vote. Fearey, a former preservation board member, never said 'yes' or 'no,' but went on record as a 'no' vote because, she said, architects and city planners could have come to a better compromise.