By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
The Salina City Commission opened its regular Monday meeting at 3:30 p.m. with a study session focused on a survey of various cities that repealed breed-specific legislation or BSL.
All five commission members, including City Mayor Bill Longbine, Vice-Mayor Greg Lenkiewicz, Jerry Ivey, Dr. Trent Davis and Mike Hoppock, attended the meeting.
Assistant City Manager Shawn Henessee presented the survey results to the city commission, and Henessee told the commissioners that the study had found no "clear-cut" answer.
Another factor he presented was that the survey could not identify those who were for or against BSL restrictions. Henessee said staff sent eight questions to 22 Kansas cities that had repealed BSL restrictions.
Some of the inquiries from the survey were about the number of pit bulls in the city, the number of bites involving pit bulls and the amount of staff and time focused on pit bulls.
Out of the 22 cities that received the survey, about 10 responded to the questions, with three options for response — increased, decreased or stayed the same.
"This is not a scientific survey by any stretch of the imagination," Henessee said.
For the question, "Number of bites involving pit bulls in your area has...?" three cities responded that it has increased, one said it had decreased and six stated it had stayed the same.
No way to determine in the survey from who is responding if they have a pro or anti-BSL bias.
Henessee said that the cities that identified an increase in bites for pit bull breeds also saw a rise in bites of other dog breeds.
Another question Henessee focused on was the amount of staff and time focused on the specific type of dog, in which one responded that it had increased, three said it decreased and six said it stayed the same.
READ MORE: Salinans Against BSL group requests change for an over-capacity Animal Shelter
Once Henessee finished presenting the survey to the commission, Longbine spoke his thoughts on the matter first.
"Our ban is not really accomplishing anything," Longbine said. "I would like to see this modified."
Some past concerns continued to sit on Hoppock's mind, stating he wouldn't feel comfortable explaining to a family with a child who fell victim to a pit bull-type dog if the board of commissioners repealed the ban.
"I'm not going to do it while I'm up here," Hoppock said.
Davis asked questions regarding data, which Hennessee could not answer due to the limited survey results.
At 3:58 p.m., the City Commissioners dropped the study session topic and switched to their regular meeting.
Monday, April 8 Salina City Commission meeting
They unanimously passed the consent agenda, which included authorizing a new landfill pit, approving the purchase of six thermal cameras for the Salina Fire Department for about $53,000 and resolving to support new housing developments.
After passing the consent agenda, the first administration item the commission tackled was to certify the final costs for the 2023 Special Assessment Projects, which Hoppock excused himself from the conversation due to a conflict of interest.
The commission passed the action 4-0 without Hoppock present and agreed to a 20-year project financing plan.
Next, the commission authorized Salina City Manager Mike Schrage to execute a cost-share agreement with the Union Pacific Railroad to replace about 520 feet of the timber railroad crossing on Fourth Street north of Walnut Street.
The railroad agreed to the cost-share terms for more than $780,000, and the city's share was slightly more than $510,000. Construction would not begin until 2025.
After finishing its administration business, the commission began on its single development business item — switching the sidewalk dining license agreement authorizing party from the Salina Business Improvement District No. 1 Design Review Board to the Zoning Administrator.
The motion passed 5-0.
The Salina City Commission then requested two executive sessions, one regarding the Cozy Inn vs. City of Salina case and legal counsel, and the other with more legal counsel regarding "points of negotiation" with Salina Destination Development, LLC.