Proposed license for Wichita hotels would crack down on nuisances, outlaw hourly rates

The city of Wichita is considering a city license for hotels and motels that would also prohibit them from charging by the hour.

It’s the city’s latest effort to crack down on what it deems are nuisance properties, especially along South Broadway.

“Not only do we have questions or complaints about issues of violence at some of the hotel/motels, or crimes or prostitution, we also have complaints about trash,” Assistant City Attorney Jan Jarman said.

Hotel and motel owners would have to pay a $200 fee for the city license.

Having a city licensing could speed up the process of enforcing issues at the properties, Jarman said. It also would restrict hotels or motels from charging by the hour.

Currently, licensing is only required through the Kansas Department of Agriculture, which the city said it has to rely on when issues arise at hotels and motels. The city said the state licenses 106 hotels in Wichita.

“It takes time,” Jarman said. “They’re enforcing the entire state, and so they don’t always have time to come down on our timeline and address it as quickly as we like.”

The city passed a nuisance property ordinance in 2016 to help shut down or fix issues at area properties.

Litigating those cases, however, can be costly, Jarman said.

“It is a very long and laborious task to go to district court and sue,” Jarman said. “We could have just as much control if we had a licensing structure and we would, instead of suing them, we … would take their license if they refuse to comply with the licensing restrictions.”

With a city license, Jarman said, the city could go in and do inspections when it receives complaints from residents. The city then could revoke a motel’s license or work with property owners to fix the issues.

“The point of this ordinance is not to revoke someone’s license or suspend someone’s license because they have minor violations,” Jarman said. “The point is to get them cleaned up, to get them looking good in the community, to get the complaints taken care of, and to make sure everyone’s safe.”

Council members appeared to be in favor of the proposed ordinance, which is in a draft phase.

“I want to admit that my mind was changed on this through conversations with you, and particularly Councilman Hoheisel as well, in support of some of these regulations and maybe licensing requirements regarding hourly motels,” council member Dalton Glasscock said.

The city council is likely to vote on the proposed ordinance at a council meeting this fall.