New Wichita Fire Chief Michael Mire takes his formal oath of office Sept. 1. The ceremony comes days after a second fatal house fire exposed response-time gaps on the city's west side.
The meeting at City Council Chambers, 455 N. Main St., also brings a contested street-closure appeal, two event permits and four zoning ordinances on second reading.
New fire chief takes oath
Mire, a nearly 30-year veteran of the Houston Fire Department, took command of the Wichita Fire Department on Aug. 24, replacing Chief Tammy Snow, who retired after 38 years with the department. City Manager Dennis Marstall appointed Mire following a national search, according to a city press release.
He becomes the department's 15th chief and will oversee an $82 million annual budget and about 500 employees serving from 22 firehouses.
The oath comes against a grim backdrop. On Aug. 27, one person died in a duplex fire in the 1500 block of South Fivewood Street in west Wichita, four miles from the nearest fire station, the Wichita Eagle reported. That fire was the second fatal blaze in west Wichita in August. An Aug. 10 fire killed Edward and Susan Perry, both 61, at their southwest Wichita home. The department's response time to that fire exceeded the national four-minute standard, the Eagle reported.
A 2022 internal department study recommended 11 new stations to cover gaps in 37% of the city's area, the Eagle reported. The city budget approved the week of Aug. 25 funds one new station at Pawnee and Maize, expected to open in late 2027.
Wichita Firefighters IAFF Local 135 President Ted Bush said at the Aug. 21 groundbreaking for that station: "… With new leadership in place, including our new Fire Chief, Wichita has a real opportunity to shift its priorities & earn trust."
St. Francis Street closure dispute
Jason Chaithonh is scheduled to address the council on the public agenda about the impact of St. Francis Street closures on small businesses.
The street is at the center of a dispute between two events planned for Sept. 25 and 26. The Mid-Autumn Festival, organized by the Wichita Chinese Association, and Somewhere Festival both want to use St. Francis Street on those dates, KWCH reported.
Ipei Chung, owner of The Fun Venue and a Mid-Autumn Festival organizer, said she submitted her permit application in May. The city denied it, citing insufficient insurance, a false statement to interfere with another event and an incomplete application. Chung said the reasons are false.
"I wish the council will stand for small business and vote no," Chung told KWCH on Aug. 25. "Mid-Autumn is very important for Chinese. It's one of the biggest fest beside Chinese New Year."
The city's decision on the street closure is expected at the Sept. 1 meeting.
Event permits and other business
Two street-closure requests sit on the consent agenda: Central Standard Brewing's "Pour the Foundation" street festival and "Bewitched at the Boathouse." Both involve temporary closures and alcohol consumption on streets in District I.
The council will also consider:
- Second readings of four zoning ordinances (Nos. 53-100 through 53-103), first read Aug. 25. Specific addresses and zoning changes were not available in the published agenda.
- Agreements and a donation for Phase 2 of the Redbud Trail from Woodlawn to K-96. Phase 1 construction began in February 2026 and runs through mid-2027, according to a WAMPO project update.
- A 30% design concept for murals at O.J. Watson Park.
- Funding for 2027 water and sewer main improvements.
The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at 455 N. Main St. Residents can attend in person or watch via the city's Granicus livestream.
