By SALINA POST
Bid awards, the Smoky Hill River Festival financial overview, and a discussion of the election of a commissioner as mayor are among the items 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.
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 can also send written comments or questions to City Commissioners by visiting the City of Salina’s website at www.salina-ks.gov and using the “Email City Commission” icon on the home page.
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.
Study session
This week's study session will have two topics:
●2022 Smoky Hill River Festival financial overview
●2023 Salina Area Chamber of Commerce legislative agenda
Total revenue earned by the 2022 Smoky Hill River Festival was $444,672.95, according to information in the study session meeting packet. That revenue came from the following sources.
Wristband sales: $211,235
Artists' fees: $48,088.33
Food sale commission: $51,124.62
Electric fees and retail sales: $27,175
SAH Foundation support: $107,050
Additionally, the festival's total expenditures were $424,810.35.
According to the study session information packet, a draft of the 2023 legislative policy agenda focuses on the following eight priorities for regional growth, economic development, community health, and overall quality of life for Salina and the area.
●Drive regional success and economic development
●Strengthen a skilled workforce
●Establish affordable, quality housing
●Fortify transportation initiatives
●Invest in education
●Ensure affordable healthcare and mental health resources
●Secure access to early childhood programming and childcare
To see the full study session information packet, click here.
Regular meeting
The regular meeting is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
Among the items on the agenda is a discussion of electing the governing body chair/mayor.
According to Salina City Code, "There is no distinction as to title or duties among the commissioners, except as the governing body may organize itself for the transaction of business. The governing body shall choose its own chair annually and determine its own order of business. The governing body chair shall have the title of mayor and shall be the official head of the city on formal occasions."
Once a year in January, the city clerk calls to order and conducts an organizational meeting for the purpose of electing a mayor and vice mayor. The next such meeting is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2023.
The mayor and vice mayor serve one-year terms. Although there is no formal policy, a long-standing city commission tradition is that the vice mayor will be elected mayor the following year.
At last Monday's commission meeting, however, Vice Mayor Karl Ryan said that he would not accept a nomination to be mayor in 2023.
"I've made the decision not to seek or to accept the nomination as mayor in 2023, so I thought it important to put this decision out in front of all of you as fellow commissioners so we can preserve the celebration and the dignity that goes with the changing of the guard," Ryan said.
Ryan cited a declining hearing loss as his reason for not wanting to be mayor in 2023.
Other items on the Salina City Commission agenda for Monday include the following.
●Conduct a public hearing and consider approving the proposed 2022 amended budget.
●Consider awarding the bid for the 2022 storm sewer repairs project to Smoky Hill, LLC, of Salina in the amount of $152,738.10 with a five percent ($7,636.91) construction contingency, and consider authorizing the city manager to execute the contract with Smoky Hill, LLC, of Salina.
●Consider awarding the bid for the city's major concrete project to Lancaster Construction, Inc., of Salina, in the amount of $55,775 with a five-percent ($2,788.75) construction contingency, and consider authorizing the city manager to execute a contract with Lancaster Construction, Inc., of Salina.
●Consider authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement to purchase six wastewater pumps from JCI Industries, Inc., of Lee's Summit, Mo.
●Consider approving a proposed resolution describing the corporate limits of the City of Salina.
●Consider approving a proposed ordinance on second reading that would change the zoning district classification of property located at 1001 Schippel Drive from C-1 (restricted business) to PC-2 (planned neighborhood shopping) to allow for a former veterinary clinic to be converted to a beauty salon.
●Consider approving on second reading a proposed ordinance that would annex and zone a 20-foot strip of land in Schilling Subdivision No. 5.
●Consider approving on second reading a proposed ordinance amending Salina City Code as it pertains to the permitting and regulation of horse-drawn vehicles, outdoor merchandise areas, and minor sidewalk dining areas in the Downtown Arts, Commerce and Entertainment District.
●Consider approving on second reading a proposed ordinance amending Salina City Code regarding the authorization and regulation of special event activities; integrating the subject matter of related existing code provisions regarding specific types of special events, including carnivals, circuses, and tent shows, and special event use of city-owned public parking lots.
●Consider approving a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute the acceptance of the Right-of-Way Deed and Temporary Construction Easement documents as provided by the city upon their execution and delivery by the trustees for the Centennial Road Improvements north of Water Well Road.
●Consider authorizing the city manager to approve the purchase of five LUCAS Mechanical Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation chest compression systems and five EleGARD Heads Up CPR Patient Positioning Systems in the amount of $102,557.40.
Additionally, commissioners are scheduled to meet in executive session to discuss the city manager's evaluation based on the need to discuss personnel matters of non-elected personnel.
To see the full Salina City Commission meeting packet for Monday, click here.