Apr 11, 2021

Facemask ordinance among city commission agenda items

Posted Apr 11, 2021 11:34 PM

A variety of items, including a discussion of the city's facemask ordinance, are on the Salina City Commission agenda for Monday.

About the meeting

Study sessions and city commission meetings will take place in–person in room 107 of the City-County Building, 300 West Ash Street, and via Zoom until further notice. Meetings also can be viewed at the City of Salina YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas.

To participate via Zoom, citizens will need to use the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89275984587.

Courtesy City of Salina
Courtesy City of Salina

The meeting also can be accessed by phone at 1-346-248-7799. Enter Meeting ID:892 7598 4587 when prompted.

If citizens wish to speak, either during the public forum or when the mayor requests public comment on an item, citizens attending via Zoom must raise their hands so that the meeting host can allow them to speak. Those who attend the in-person meeting will have the opportunity to speak at the podium.

Citizens also can send written comments or questions to city commissioners via email at [email protected].

In order for the commissioners to have an opportunity to review comments in advance of the meeting, please email your comments or questions by 5 p.m. the Sunday prior to the Monday meetings.

Regular meeting

The regular meeting is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

Commissioners are scheduled to hear from Saline County Health Department Director Jason Tiller concerning the COVID-19 situation in the county. During last Tuesday's meeting, the Saline County Commission voted to end its facemask mandate in a week, in order to give businesses and organizations a chance to develop their own COVID-19 safety requirements, should they choose to do so.

As for city commissioners, they are scheduled on Monday to consider what to do about the city's facemask ordinance. Four options have been presented by city staff.

●Take no action, effectively allowing the current facemask ordinance to remain in effect.

●Approve Ordinance No. 21-11058 repealing the city's facemask ordinance.

●Approve Ordinance No. 21-11058 with amendments.

●Postpone consideration of Ordinance No. 21-11058 to a specified date and time and provide staff direction regarding additional information or amendments.

Commissioners also are scheduled to consider authorizing the sale of general obligation internal improvement bonds and temporary notes. The bonds would partially retire Temporary Note 2020-1, which matures on May 1, and will be used to permanently finance the following projects.

Charts courtesy City of Salina
Charts courtesy City of Salina

The notes would be issued to partially finance the following improvements.

Additionally, commissioners are scheduled to consider Charter Ordinance No. 40 exempting the city from the provisions of K.S.A. 12-1697 and providing substitute and additional provisions relating to the promotion of tourism and convention, authorizing the levying or a Transient Guest Tax by cities, and repealing Charter Ordinance 35.

In July 2019, the city commission approved a resolution in support of a public-private partnership with the Salina Athletic Partners to make improvement to the baseball facilities at Bill Burke Park and the Berkley Family Recreation Area. Additionally, it specified the commission's intent to increase the Transient Guest Tax to support the city's part of the project.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its affect on city revenues, the project was placed on hold in early 2020. In July, commissioners approved an alternate plan to move forward with renovations at Dean Evans Stadium, that would be funded by Salina Baseball Enterprises, according to information in the commission meeting packet.

Recently, commissioners expressed interest in increasing the Transient Guest Tax in order to fund future baseball projects in coordination with Salina Baseball Partners, and asked staff to place the the matter on the agenda for further consideration.

Other items on the Salina City Commission agenda for Monday include the following.

●Consider a request to proclaim April 2021 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the City of Salina. Sheila Beeson, sexual assault advocate with DVACK, is scheduled to read the proclamation.

●Consider awarding a contract for the 2021 Sidewalk Ramps Project No. 21006 to Lancaster Construction of Salina in the amount of $43,510.5 with a $2,175.53 (5 percent) construction contingency for a total project authorization not to exceed $45,686.03 and authorize the city manager to execute the contract.

●Consider dedication of electrical transmission line easement across a portion of the Fire Station No. 3 site at 2633 Belmont Boulevard.

To see the entire Salina City Commission meeting packet for Monday (143 pages), click here.