Pro-fluoridation group presents petition to Wichita City Hall
By: Craig Andres, KSN.com, Wichita, Kansas 03-Aug-2012
The Wichita City Clerk’s office received a 1,300 page petition or just over 11,000 signatures asking the city to adopt an ordinance to fluoridate the water supply or call for a public referendum.
On Friday, a group called Wichitans for Healthy Teeth, took their petition to city hall.
“This is not a panacea but it is one huge step in reducing the decay in the people of Wichita. It’s proven science. As we said, we have nearly 70 years of communities in this country that have done this,” said Dr. Lucynda Raben.
However, not all agree.
“Let’s have a vote so the people can decide.”
Don Landis is with Fluoride-Free Kansas. He says his group does not want the city council voting. He wants the issue up for a public vote.
“Let’s not rely on petitions. Let’s get the vote out and let the public be educated by both sides.”
The list of those jumping on the fluoride bandwagon is growing.
Valley Center is on and the city of Derby, who gets its water from Wichita, is asking the city to add fluoride.
“On July 10, the Derby City Council passed a resolution of support for the Wichita City Council asking them would you fluoridate the water,” said Kathy Sexton, Derby City Manager.
City council members will now have to decide what to do, but Wichitans for Healthy Teeth say they have the support on their side.
“11,333 that’s the numbers that shows the broad support of Wichitans.”
The petition will be sent to the Election Commissioner’s Office which must verify if there are enough valid signatures to submit it to the city council for consideration.
The petition must contain signatures of 25 percent of registered voters who participated in the last city election which was held in April.
Once certified, the city council has 20 days to either pass the ordinance without any changes or call for an election.
This would require the matter to be placed on the August 21st Wichita City Council agenda. If the city council calls for an election, it must be held within 90 days of that decision.
The vote may be held in conjunction with the regular election in November.
Pro-fluoridation group presents petition to Wichita City Hall
By: Emily Behlmann, bizjournals.com, Wichita, Kansas 03-Aug-2012
A coalition of dentists, doctors and other supporters of fluoridated water presented a petition to Wichita City Hall on Friday, urging the city to fluoridate the water supply.
The group, Wichitans for Healthy Teeth, said it collected more than 11,000 signatures on the petition. The organization said it has been going door-to-door collecting signatures for several weeks.
Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer says the council has a choice in how it responds to the petition. It could put the issue before voters, or the council could decide on its own. He says he hasn’t decided yet which route he thinks would be best to take.
If it were left up to the City Council, the pro-fluoride group could face some difficulty. KWCH News asked council members in June where they stood on the issue, and Janet Miller was the only supporter. James Clendenin, Jeff Longwell and Michael O’Donnell all said they were opposed to fluoridation, and the remaining council members were undecided.
Meanwhile, another coalition has formed to oppose fluoridation
http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/blog/2012/08/pro-fluoridation-group-presents.html
Loading ...