The Wichita City Council will vote Sept. 15 on a new lease with Botanica, Inc. that includes a proposed expansion of the botanical gardens.

The lease item, listed as new council business on the meeting agenda, would authorize the city to sign an updated agreement with the nonprofit that operates Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, at 701 N. Amidon. An attached map shows a proposed expansion area, though the agenda does not specify how much land the expansion would cover or detail other lease terms.

Botanica spans about 20 acres and features more than 4,000 plant species, according to Botanica's website. The site notes the gardens have "room for future expansion." Botanica, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, manages operations under a lease with the city, which owns the gardens as part of the Wichita Park System.

The council will also take up resolutions authorizing Wichita Transit to apply for two competitive federal grants through the Federal Transit Administration. One is the Section 5339(b) Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program, which funds bus purchases and construction or rehabilitation of bus-related facilities. The other is the Section 5339(c) Low or No Emission Grant Program, which funds zero-emission and low-emission buses along with charging and maintenance infrastructure.

The grants are competitive. Nationally, the FTA has made about $21 million available for the bus facilities program and about $589 million for the low-no emission program in fiscal year 2026. In fiscal year 2025, the bus program received 300 applications requesting $3.7 billion and funded 62 projects at $398 million. The low-no program received 179 applications requesting $3.1 billion and funded 103 projects at $1.6 billion.

The federal government covers up to 80% of eligible project costs under the bus program, rising to 85% for buses meeting Clean Air Act standards or accessibility requirements. The grant application deadline is Sept. 21.

The agenda does not list the dollar amounts Wichita Transit is seeking or what specific equipment or facilities the applications would cover. Both items are scheduled for separate discussion and a vote, not the consent agenda.

The council meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the City Council Chambers at 455 N. Main St.