County commissioners’ proposed changes to master plan baffle Wichita City Council

Outrageous. Disrespectful. Uninformed. Backward. Frustrating.

Those are some of the words Wichita City Council members used Tuesday to describe actions by Sedgwick County commissioners to change a joint community master plan that has been in the works for three years.

The plan, which was unanimously approved by the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, outlines areas that the community should focus on over the next 20 years.

Its purpose is to guide community leaders, not to allocate funding or to find solutions to problems. It outlines areas that residents have said should be priorities.

Sedgwick County Commissioners Jim Howell and Richard Ranzau last week singled out areas they want to add or strike out from the document. They are among the new conservative majority on the commission.

Ranzau suggested less emphasis on bicycle and pedestrian transportation and a bigger emphasis on freeways, bypasses and property rights. He also suggested the city consider privatizing its struggling public transit system.

Vice Mayor James Clendenin said the commissioners’ actions were a “slap in the face to every citizen” who had input on the plan.

Council member Pete Meitzner said he was baffled by Ranzau’s suggestions, especially that Ranzau wanted to strike language about “promoting economic growth and job creation,” “advancing community quality of life and safety,” and retaining future generations.

Cindy Miles, MAPC committee co-chair, said Ranzau was part of the planning committee.

“Part of my concern is that Commissioner Ranzau had input into this plan (earlier) and there were times that he didn’t necessarily agree with what we were planning, and we of course took a vote to make decisions,” Miles said.

“I feel like many of the recommendations that are being made by the County Commission are really an effort to step backwards and gain the control to make changes in the plan that were voted down in the planning process.”

The commission making suggestions is part of the planning process, Ranzau said.

“We can consider additional changes if we don’t think it’s in the form it should be,” he said. “I tried to give some thoughtful suggestions to improve the document and apparently the City Council doesn’t like that.”

Ranzau acknowledged he had opportunities to make suggestions earlier in the process. He said he couldn’t remember which suggestions he made earlier.

“I’ve got a job to do on behalf of my constituents,” he said. “I’m probably more informed on this plan than most city council members. I’m not going to sit by and approve a document that’s not up to the standards it should be.”

MAPC Vice Chair David Dennis told the council it is possible for the city and county to have separate plans, but he doesn’t recommend it.

Ranzau said he would like to have one community plan as well.

Although five council members said they want to approve the original document, they voted instead to send it back to the MAPC with the recommendation to make no changes suggested by the commission.

Mayor Jeff Longwell and council member Jeff Blubaugh were not present for the vote.

The MAPC will review recommendations by the county and city at its next meeting at 10 a.m., Nov. 19 on the 10th floor of City Hall.

This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 3:10 PM with the headline "County commissioners’ proposed changes to master plan baffle Wichita City Council."