Greetings District 5:

Yesterday was the start of Riverfest, and I've been proudly wearing my button to show support for this 53-year event. At the Admiral's Breakfast yesterday morning, I got to connect with many of the past admirals in a fun atmosphere that kicked off the 9-day festival.

This year's Admiral Windwagon Smith is Alan Howarter, who I've known for many years. He is a dedicated volunteer for Wichita Festivals, having given his time to Riverfest for 45 years.

How well do I toss an egg? Join me, Wichita celebrities, members of the media, and elected officials at tomorrow's (Sunday, June 1) Egg Toss Competition at 4 pm at Kennedy Plaza. I'll be paired up with Mayor Lily Wu. Please come out and cheer us on! Our main competition will be Sedgwick County Commissioners Jeff Blubaugh and Pete Meitzner, both of whom previously served as City Council members. The team to beat will be the Wichita Eagle's Chance Swaim and Matthew Kelly who have won the past three years.

I think Riverfest is great for downtown Wichita as it draws in visitors from all over the area and makes an economic impact on our city. I hope you're able to attend this year!

Two District 5 road projects I'm excited about are the improvements planned for Maple Street between 135th and 167th as well as 135th Street widened from Central to 13th. The widening of 135th is the last stretch to be completed between Kellogg and 21st Street. It will expand from two to three lanes to accommodate deacceleration lanes at neighborhood streets for District 5's new housing developments.

Do you have concerns or questions about District 5? Please email me at JVJohnston@wichita.gov and put "District 5" in the subject line. 

Best,

J.V. Johnston

Wichita City Council

District 5 Council Member

Phone: 316-268-4331

Email: JVJohnston@wichita.gov

Get a sneak peek at the design concepts for improvements to Maple Street from 135th to 167th streets. Meet with representatives from the City's Public Works & Utilities Department to ask questions about the project and give your feedback! City staff are particularly interested in hearing from residents about closing sections of Maple Street once construction begins and how traffic should be redirected.

🚗🚦Maple Street Open House🚧

⌚5:30 pm (immediately prior to the District 5 Advisory Board meeting)

📅Monday, June 2

📍Community room at Westlink Branch Library, 8515 West Bekemeyer Street

If you're not able to attend the Maple Street Open House Monday (June 2) at 5:30 pm, come to the DAB meeting and hear from staff from our City's Public Works & Utilities Department. Their PowerPoint presentation will feature design concepts for Maple Street from 135th to 167th streets, and they're looking for residents' feedback as well as an opportunity to answer questions about the project's timeline.

District 5 Advisory Board Meeting

⌚6 pm

📅Monday, June 2

📍Westlink Branch Library, 8515 West Bekemeyer Street

👉To view Monday's meeting agenda & see what was discussed at the May meeting, go to www.wichita.gov/dab5agenda

Early next week, the steel crew will install two pieces of grating at Pracht Wetlands Park, 9926 West 29th Street North, as well as the channel pieces that make the connection to the existing boardwalk and grating clips. RDG Planning & Design has ordered the glass panels for the linear blind. Artist Conrad Snider has installed his sculptures at the park. The City's contractor for the project, Hutton (who has captured photos of the progress), is on the road to completion!

Our "Release the Leash" ribbon-cutting ceremony at Country Acres Dog Park two weeks ago was a big hit with our four-legged friends. Finally, District 5, which has the most dog licenses in the entire city, has a dog park! There are water fountains for dogs and their human companions, plus we have shade trees and a rolling terrain--unique features for our dog park that you don't see with the City's other dog parks. Residents have asked why one of the park's three sections remains closed. To help keep the grass from too much wear-and-tear, the City's park staff will rotate the dog runs, leaving one closed at all times. This gives grass time to recover from digging, bathroom use, and lots of paw traffic.

We've started the budgeting process for 2026 and have been discussing revenue versus expenses. Residents have told me they want property tax relief. Any sales tax initiative to replace property tax would have to go to public vote.

How should the City fund its services? 

• Reduce the mill levy and substitute with a 1/2-cent sales tax: 53%
• Increase the mill levy to 1 mil to increase City services: 15%
• Reduce the mill levy and decrease City services: 23%
• No changes to how revenue is generated: 9%

Results from the previous poll showed District 5 residents want to reduce the mill levy and implement a 1/2-cent sales tax to fund City services. Any new sales tax would require a public referendum.

Buffalo Park's splash pad and Harvest Pool (see photo) are now open! Beat the summer heat with pool memberships starting at just $70--that includes unlimited access to all six of our fabulous City pools all summer long. Click here to get your pool membership. And don't forget to download the City's Park & Rec app for real-time updates on pool closures due to maintenance or weather.

Are you receiving District 5 notifications or alerts?

The City's redesign of its website and the move to the CivicPlus platform, gives residents the opportunity to sign up for District 5-related text alerts or email notifications. You can get text alerts when District 5 Advisory Board meeting materials have been posted to the website or receive reminders for DAB 5 meeting dates.

Do you have new officers serving in 2025? If so, please make sure your HOA board member listing is up-to-date with the City. As a courtesy, the Metropolitan Area Planning Department will notify a Homeowners Association or Neighborhood Association about zoning cases in their area--but only if they have the correct contact information.

Do you need to update your HOA board listing? Let us know!

Email Community Services Representative Teresa Veazey (tcveazey@wichita.gov), and she will add new officers and their contact info to the Planning Department's HOA/NA database.