What's the Council up to next? Lots of ceremony

• Here's what Tuesday's City Council meeting looks like: Pray, Pledge of Allegiance and then ceremony (swear in the new mayor), ceremony (swear in a new council member), ceremony (tribute to Bob Martz). Oh, and once the new Council lineup is in place, they'll dive into several issues.
• Here are the hottest items:
  
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• Pick a new vice-mayor to replace Paul Gray, who is finishing his one-year term. (See procedure here.)

• Vote to sign an agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers to do a massive, $4.5 million flood protection project on the Cowskin Creek that will essentially cut a 300-foot wide overflow shelf into the shoreline. City drainage engineers say it could reduce flooding by more than a foot in some residential areas during the type of downpour that comes about once every 100 years. (See previous Eagle story.)
  
  
• Consider a $45,000 contract for drug and alcohol testing of transportation, police and fire employees. That kicks in some new random tests agreed the unions agreed to about a year ago, and it comes at a time when both the police and fire unions' men and women are working under an expired contract.
• Decide whether to OK a $67,225 remodel of the planning department's meeting room that includes audio/visual components.
• Rename Harvest Park, 9500 Provincial Lane, as "Bob Martz Park" in honor of former District 5 City Council member Bob Martz, who died of an apparent heart attack in January.
• Vote to rezone an oddly shaped swath of land near McConnell Air Force Base to "Air Force Base District" as part of the city's massive rezoning around the base to show military officials who may be preparing the next round of base closures McConnell is prepared for future expansion and has terrorism safeguards.
• See the full agenda.
  

Who should fill Brewer's City Council position?

As people sipped Coronas and sodas and mingled among the crowd at Carl Brewer's campaign party Tuesday night, The Hall Monitor was working the scene, trying to find out who's going to fill Brewer's shoes in District 1. We've got a list of potential contenders and we're hoping you'll add to it by clicking on the "comments" link below. The right person will need 100 signatures from district residents, an affirming vote from the District Advisory Board and a majority vote of the City Council. Let us know what you think and see what we heard by clicking "read more."

Here's a glimpse of people's reactions to the now-pressing question:
Asked about the vacancy, former mayor Bob Knight pointed to Rip Gooch, the former state senator and former City Council member. Gooch, however, said, "I've done that." He said maybe his daughter Bonita Gooch, publisher of The Community Voice, could take it on. She has a background in public administration, he said. Several people have urged her to step in, he said. Rev. Titus H. James came up too. He's the pastor of North Heights Christian Church.

Brewer said there's "an ocean" of good people who could fill his seat. He said many of them are on his District Advisory Board. Lavonta Williams seems to be high on the list. She appeared in Brewer's campaign ads, boasting Brewer's neighborhood clean-up efforts. She's also a teacher and is on the Visioneering diversity task force. James Thompson's name also surfaced -- as did the rest of the DAB, which includes: Gerald Domitrovic, Shane Dundas, Treatha Brown-Foster, Steve Roberts, Debra Miller-Stevens, Inga Taylor and Shontina Tipton.

Tell us who you think will be able to get 100 signatures, support of the DAB and four votes from the City Council.

Where to party with the candidates

Want to see the face of victory or defeat? How about listen to a consolation or victory speech? How about free pretzels and punch? It all happens Tuesday night -- when candidates rise and fall.

Carl Brewer's watch party will be at 7 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott in Old Town, 820 E. 2nd St. Mayor Carlos Mayans' party starts at 7:30 p.m. at The Broadview Hotel, 400 W. Douglas. Les Osterman isn't planning on a party. Sue Schlapp's party will start at 7 p.m. at BG Bolton’s Sports Grill, 11423 E 13th Street. Paul Tobia will be at his home.

School board candidates Karl Peterjohn, Cindy Duckett and John Stevens will have a watch party at Oscar's Sports Box at 353 N. Mead. Jeff Davis, Barb Fuller, and Betty Arnold, will be at the River City Brewery at 150 N. Mosley. Kevass Harding will make an appearence there but will spend most of the night at his church with his supporters at 1502 N. Dellrose.
The Hall Monitor reporters will hit as many of these places as possible. Stay tuned.

Mayoral candidates agree: shopping bags on heads don't make sense

Mayoral candidates Carl Brewer and Carlos Mayans say those people with shopping bags, tickets and a dinner plate on their heads don't make much sense to them.

"I probably would have used something a little different myself," Brewer said, laughing. "I've never been able to figure out exactly what the catch was to it."

"I think you said it all, it's a little different," Mayans said.

Their comments came during the candidates' last face-to-face debate on KNSS NewsRadio 1330 this morning after host Gene Countryman asked whether the taxpayer-funded signs, which are on billboards all over the state, were a good idea.

"It just seems baffling to me," Countryman said.
(Get a podcast of the show here.)

The Greater Wichita Convention and Visitor's Bureau and Greteman Group, which made the ads, also took some heat in 2004 when the ad campaign was first displayed. The slogan -- "We got the goods" -- didn't sound right to some grammar hawks. Ad writers, however, said the casual wording was intentional -- like the "Got Milk" campaign.

Election Commissioner predicts 20 percent (again)

In February, Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Bill Gale predicted 20 percent of registered voters would cast a ballot in the primary. Only 13 percent of those registered showed up. Given general elections have better turnout, Gale is sticking with 20 percent again Tuesday. It probably won't help that the National Weather Service forecasts a slight chance of thunderstorms for Tuesday. Rain tends to keep voters home. But a barrage of last minute campaigning might counteract it.

As of Thursday evening, about 1,000 people voted in person. Another 4,800 mailed-in their ballots and another 4,000 mail-in ballots are still out and could come back by Tuesday.

Here's a historic look at turnout in spring general elections:
2005: 38 percent (same sex marriage on ballot, too)
2003: 32 percent
2001: 12 percent
1999: 16 percent

See Tuesday's Wichita Eagle for more on municipal election turnout in Wichita and across the nation.

Partisan support for nonpartisan offices

Want lower taxes, better jobs, accountability, economic growth, personal freedom and limited government? The Sedgwick County Republican Party says their folks can do it -- even in the non-partisan offices of mayor, city council and school board.

That's the message in a recent Sedgwick County Republican Party mail-out flier that says "Wichita wins with Republican principles." It lists Republicans Carlos Mayans, Sue Schlapp, Paul Gray and both Paul Tobia and Jeff Longwell for city races. Also on their list: Cindy Duckett, John Stevens, Karl Peterjohn and Jeff Davis for Wichita School Board positions. Then, the tiny asterisks: "*We encourage you to support the candidate of your choice."

It's not just the Rs showing their party colors, though. Mayoral candidate Carl Brewer, a Democrat, has also had help from his party -- most notably from former Lt. Governor Tom Docking, who was one of three prominent Democrats to endorse Brewer in a letter sent to local Dems.

For more on the partisan nature of non-partisan elections and list of candidates' registered party affiliations, see this previous post.

Who's speaking for whom?

A letter sent out to about 50 West Wichita residents on behalf of District 5 City Council candidate Jeff Longwell says he will propose a city ordinance to freeze senior citizens' property taxes. It also requests you send him money to pay for a $500 a day ad in the Wichita Eagle proposing his "FREEZE THE TAXES" campaign.

Longwell says the letter is bogus.

The letter was sent out by Patrick Quaney, a District 5 primary candidate who has since endorsed Longwell since losing the primary. He says he "misunderstood" Longwell's stance on freezing property taxes.

"I will lobby the Legislature to freeze property values, but I know I can't, as a city councilman, do that," Longwell says.

Read the letter here. You can also read a full story on the Eagle's website.

Mayans doesn't like polls, polls don't like him

Ask Mayor Carlos Mayans about polls, and he'll tell you he hasn't taken any in six campaigns (five for state representative, one for mayor). A self-described populist, he says there's only one real poll -- Election Day. Mayoral candidate Carl Brewer, meanwhile, spent $14,000 on polling and phone banks.

Now a poll has been taken by KWCH Channel 12 and The Wichita Eagle. It shows Brewer up 22 percent over Mayans in the race for mayor. The automated phone survey polled 470 likely voters and was conducted by Survey USA a week before the April 3 election.

Of those asked, 58 percent plan to vote for Brewer, 36 percent plan to vote for Mayans and 6 percent said they were undecided or planned to pick someone else, presumably a write-in. There's a 4.6 percent margin of error. In the poll, Brewer leads among all age groups as well as among men, women, black and white voters.

More on cameras on police cars

We reported in The Eagle today about Mayor Carlos Mayans and City Council member Carl Brewer supporting cameras in police cars. Both men supported it in their comments. But, as Sunflower Community Action members are pointing out this morning, that's not the full story.

Mayans asked Brewer to make a motion on the cameras during budget negotiations last year, but Brewer didn't. Later, Mayans made a motion of his own to shift $150,000 from the city's long-term spending to start a pilot project. Brewer voted against that. Only Mayans and Paul Gray supported it. See the full minutes in a PDF file here.

Mayans still supports WSU football

WSU football isn't Carlos Mayans' favorite topic these days, since it's led to such outcry from other City Council members. But Mayans still stands behind Wichita State University football as a way to boost the school's lagging enrollment.

"It's no secret that Wichita State University has lost students, in part, because of not having football," Mayans said, responding to a question at a voter forum Sunday. "This is not a true, full university. The football would bring a return of... more African American students," he said. When he said that, someone in the crowd at the Tabernacle Baptist Church said "that's stereotyping."

"Football is economic development to the city," Mayans said. The 1.5 mills of tax money was intended to pay off buildings and now those buildings are paid off, he said.

Mayan's opponent, City Council member Carl Brewer, has criticized the idea from the start. He response to the question was to say a mayor has "more things to do" instead of trying to convince a university's president to start a football program. "We have other things to be doing," he said.

Wireless in Wichita? Brewer hints at it

He's not giving details. Not about who he's talking to. Not about what type of wireless system they'd try to bring in. But mayoral candidate Carl Brewer has said he's in discussions with an undisclosed company about a wireless internet deal that could allow Wichitans to browse the web while having a picnic at the park or sipping coffee at home.

And he's not just talking about the wireless that City Manager George Kolb has discussed with the Council to allow city workers to do work on the road. (See the PowerPoint here.) The Council decided against that plan with Sedgwick County and the Wichita School District. But Brewer says this idea would allow access for anyone with a computer -- not just government employees.

It's a popular idea nationwide. For example, the Los Angeles Times recently reported that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants to make L.A. the biggest wireless network around. Also noteworthy, a story in The Eagle this week pointed out that large wireless networks also have their problems with privacy.

Brewer and Mayans on their favorite topic: Business, business, business

It's the opening line of every mayoral forum between Mayor Carlos Mayans and Carl Brewer, and it sounds something like this: 'we need to diversify the economy, train our workforce and keep young people from leaving Wichita.'

It's certainly a key issue. But how does government pave the way for something that hinges so much on the private sector? The candidates have a similar line there, too -- keep doing what we're doing. Continue to take on some risk for the businesses by issuing bonds to pay for expansions and give tax breaks -- even though recent studies at Wichita State University show tax exemptions (state and local) have shifted tax burden from business and other special interests to homeowners and consumers. (Check out that study in a PDF file) Then, candidates say, cut down on regulations -- though no one is saying which regulations.

Need more? Check out how candidates responded to the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce questions.

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.

Brewer's got a friend in Sciortino

Former Sedgwick County Commissioner Ben Sciortino isn't done with politics just yet. Rather than sit on the sidelines after voters ousted him from the commission last November, he told The Hall Monitor he's going to help Carl Brewer run for mayor.

"I'm going to use what little influence I have left to see what I can do for him," Sciortino said simply.

What does Sciortino like about Brewer?

"Well, you need three things to be a successful leader: vision, a plan, and the courage to actually run for office," Sciortino explained. "I just think that Carl can work with the city council to get things done. He can bring everyone together. So I'll just see what I can do for him."

Brewer, Harding and the African American vote

Since city council member Carl Brewer announced his run for mayor, many have asked Barely Eagle if he would be the city's first African American mayor. He would not. A. Price Woodward Jr. (see photo on the left) was a city commission member from 1967 to 1970 and mayor from 1970 to 1971.

But Brewer would be the first African American elected by citywide vote -- like Carlos Mayans was the first Hispanic elected by popular vote. The historic possibility could galvanize African American voters more than in previous city elections, Ken Ciboski, a political science professor at Wichita State University told Barely Eagle.

"Poor African Americans who often do not vote will vote," Ciboski said. "I think people see a possibility for him to pay attention to their needs and their concerns. They see this as an opportunity to be recognized and have their voices heard." And, Ciboski said, if the city at large again has low turn out in April, a strong showing in the African American community could make it easier for Kevass Harding, an African American, to beat Karl Peterjohn in the race for at-large school board. As a total, African Americans make up 11 percent of the city's population, according to 2005 Census estimates.

Brewer took the top 33 precincts

Not only did city council member Carl Brewer win big in Tuesday's primary, he won almost every major precinct in town. That means Mayor Carlos Mayans did not have any significant strongholds in the city -- at least among the 23,892 people who voted for a mayoral candidate. Mayans' best showing Tuesday was in precinct 524, according to a quick spreadsheet analysis by The Hall Monitor this morning. Mayans had 134 votes there, but Brewer had 205.

But, it's worth noting that Mayans logged nearly 29,000 votes in the general election in 2003, which means the potential for him to gain significantly in the April vote is there. But it would probably take a 32 percent turnout like 2003 when there were big name write-in campaigns. This year, it appears no big names are jumping into the race. So turnout could again be a problem for the incumbent in April.

Mayans may be right that many of his would-be supporters stayed home, contributing to Tuesday's dismal 13 percent voter turnout. And it's likely that Brewer's Democratic support brought the party faithful out to the polls. But it appears Mayans will need significant Republican party help to boost him enough to compete with Brewer in April. And it's not yet clear if the county Republicans are going to push hard on Mayans' behalf.

Party with the candidates

Want to stand around and drink punch and exchange gossip while the primary election results roll in?

Here's where to do it -- at least with the big campaigns.

Carl Brewer: Courtyard by Marriott in Old Town, 820 E. 2nd St. Starts at 7 p.m.

Carlos Mayans: Broadview Hotel, 400 W. Douglas. Starts at 7:30 p.m.

Let the campaign ads begin

While the direct mail from city council and mayoral candidates have been hitting mailboxes for more than a month and signs are popping up all over town, the TV ads are just beginning.

Carl Brewer's ads started running this morning and you can expect to see more in between TV newscasts, Sunday morning political talk shows and even between snippets of Ugly Betty, the ABC show that airs before Grey's Anatomy (one of the most popular shows on TV).

The ad features a female voice over talking about Brewer's community activities and military career. Hitting TVs is probably the quickest way to develop name identification, which is, right now, the biggest problem for the Brewer camp since Mayor Carlos Mayans is well-known after four years as mayor and 10 years as a Republican state representative. No word yet on any Mayans ads. But stay tuned.

Brewer's ad debuts just a day before candidates are required to file their latest campaign finance reports. The reports will likely show how many more TV ads viewers can expect as campaigns go into full speed after next week's primary.

Candidates opine on downtown development

The Wichita Downtown Development Corporation published their candidate questionnaire responses online today, giving voters their most in-depth look yet at candidates' downtown ideas. (The Eagle's voters guide is due out Tuesday. See how mayoral candidates responded to the Wichita Independent Business Assocation here and how city council candidates responded here.)

The WDDC has long been focusing on parking and that showed in their questions. Candidates, meanwhile, all seemed to gravitate toward parking plans as the most important issue facing the core of the city. All the mayoral candidates that responded said they would support city-owned parking downtown, although some, like King David Davis, said city involvement should be a last resort.

Mayor Carlos Mayans didn't respond, and he wasn't available by phone this afternoon.

Parking, however, is already in the works. The city council is weeks away from a vote on the city's biggest TIF district ever. But questions remain about who should get inside of the borders.

The allegation, the denial and the missing link

Carl Brewer, a city council member and candidate to unseat Mayor Carlos Mayans in this year’s election, claims the mayor apparently forged a paragraph into a Brewer campaign letter that calls on Democrats to run against another city council member.

It was a move to make council member Paul Gray, who is facing four challengers in the Feb. 27 primary, angry with Brewer, Brewer said.

But the allegation, like so many that have arisen in recent months, couldn’t be proven true or false in interviews Wednesday.

“When Mr. Brewer says something that is credible, I will answer that,” Mayans said.
Mayans said no such document exists to his knowledge and that there is no reason to address baseless allegations.

In a campaign interview on Wednesday with The Wichita Eagle’s publisher and editorial board, Brewer explained the sequence of events that led to his accusation against Mayans.

He said he recently asked three prominent local Democrats — Tom Docking, Randy Rathbun and Kelly Johnston — to help him raise money for his campaign.

The four men wrote a letter in which they asked 400 local Democrats to contribute to Brewer’s campaign. The letter, Brewer said, was written on his own letterhead, and signed by Docking, Rathbun, and Johnston.

Last week, Brewer said, he got a call from fellow city council member Paul Gray, “a man I consider to be a friend.” Brewer said Gray was upset, and demanded to know “why I was putting out a letter attacking him.”
“I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about. He said he had seen a letter, signed by those three men, and that the letter said that ‘we are looking for good Democrats to run against Paul Gray.’ ”

“I told Paul that we never wrote that, and that I had the original letter and could show it to him.”
“I asked Paul ‘Where did you get this?’ And Paul said he did not have the letter, but that someone had shown it to him (without giving it to him.)
“I asked Paul ‘who showed it to you?’”
“Paul said ‘It was Carlos.’ “

A copy of the letter supplied by Brewer’s campaign has no reference to Gray or any other council seats at all.The letter has Brewer’s campaign letterhead and has the standard “paid for by Carl Brewer for Mayor, Sheryl Wohlford, Treasurer,” at the bottom.

Johnston, chairman of the Sedgwick County Democratic Party, confirmed that he had not written anything about Gray or anyone except Brewer. (Johnston is also loosely related to Brewer. The two mens’ wives are sisters and they live about 1/4 mile away from each other.)

Brewer said Gray asked him not to tell anyone about this story. But Brewer, at the meeting with the Eagle editorial board, decided to tell the story about the letter to explain why he thinks he’s a better choice for mayor than Mayans.

Brewer said this was an example of what he called Mayans’ “sometimes untruthful” way of dealing with people that Mayans doesn’t like.

Gray wouldn’t confirm or deny that the letter exists.

“I’m running my own race right now, which is a district seat,” he said. “I'm not running for mayor. What happens with those men and their campaigns is between them.”