By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
On Tuesday morning, the Saline County Commissioners discussed seven consent items and three action items, addressing accounts payable and some truck purchases for county use.
Commissioners also approved mechanic hiring incentives for the county and exterior electrical work for the county's buildings.
Later in the meeting, during the discussion of informational items, Community Corrections Director Michelle Callam introduced the commissioners to the Community Correction's newest employee, Crenshaw, the service dog.
Callam told the commission that an organization called Cares Incorporated trained Crenshaw and helped to integrate him into the program in Saline County.
"Crenshaw is making a huge impact on our office and courtroom. He goes to drug court every day; he has had interactions in our office with clients who are upset about things," Callam said. "He went to Ottawa County with us one day to meet them and interacted with a victim of a violent crime, and he was, I think, very helpful to her."
Crenshaw also assists children at the County Correction's juvenile facility, helping troubled or away-from-home children find peace during extenuating circumstances.
Another informational item the commission discussed was the county's use of more than 400 acres of land the county owns.
Read: Saline County Commission: Proposal for possible 1,000 acre solar farm
The commissioners discussed the 103 acre-property named after Cay Wood and another property with almost 850 acres named after Oliver Haag.
"I think the county needs to get out of the land business," said Robert Vidricksen, Saline County Commission Chairman. "I think we need to do proper due diligence and sell both properties."
Haag intended the land for agricultural education and experimentation, which the Oliver Haag Scholarship fulfills. Saline County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes informed commissioners about its discretion over the ownership and use of the Haag Land.
According to Smith-Hanes, the commissioners can ultimately decide what to do with the land, selling it or developing it. The board agreed to continue to deliberate on what to do with the acreage.
"Knowing Mr. Haag, personally, for quite a few years, he was a good neighbor," said Roger Sparks, Saline County Commissioner District Three. "I understand that in the fine print, it says we can do whatever we want, but his intention was, and knowing him, for us to be stewards of that land."
The commissioners took no action on the subject since it was part of the information items, but they intend to continue considering the use of the county lands.