UPDATE: The cost of the outdoor warning siren for the town of Kipp has been corrected. We apologize for the typo.The Saline County resolution mandating face mask wearing will remain in place for at least two more weeks.During their regular meeting this morning, the Saline County Commission declined to take action on the resolution after reviewing local, state, and national COVID-19 statistics with Jason Tiller, Saline County health officer. Tiller told the commissioners that since the last review of the county's COVID-19 situation on Aug. 11, Saline County has had 50 new cases, 57 individuals have recovered, and four of the confirmed COVID-19 cases have died.Commissioners also approved the purchase of a pre-owned outdoor warning siren for the town of Kipp. The siren comes with a nine-year maintenance agreement and costs $22,160. Rural Fire District No. 1 has received a $10,000 Dane Hansen Foundation grant and a $12,500 donation from Great Plains Manufacturing to purchase and install the siren in Kipp.During the siren presentation, Michelle Barkley, emergency management director, noted that the siren is designed to warn people outdoors of an impending life-threatening weather emergency. She recommended that people download a free weather app for their cellphones or purchase a weather radio to provide indoor weather warnings.Other business conducted by the commissioners includes the following.●Commissioners proclaimed September as National Recovery month and proclaimed 2020 as the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.●Commissioners awarded a bid for aggregate road shoulder construction to APAC-Kansas for $134,085. This is for two projects: on Burma Road at the McPherson County line going north about three miles and on Donmyer Road going north to Old Highway 40. APAC has indicated that they would be able to complete the construction in late November.●Commissioners voted to allow the Road and Bridge Department to spend $21,080.65 to rebuild a transmission in a 1997 Caterpillar 140H motor grader. ●Commissioners approved the purchase of two new dump trucks from MHC Kenworth for $209,226. The purchase will come from the special road and bridge machinery account. In a related move, commissioners also approved a personnel request to add two truck driver positions in 2021.●Commissioners approved a health department request to accept a $50,000 grant to focus on overdose prevention in Saline County. This is year two of a three-year grant project. The funds will help with community education as well as help with completing an opioid needs assessment, according to information from the county. ●Commissioners also approved accepting an Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity grant to enhance the detection, response, surveillance, and prevention of COVID-19. The grant is for $134,330 and will be used for expenses associated with intermittent staff. This grant can be used up until November of 2022, which provides a greater length of time to maintain intermittent staff.●Commissioners adopted a resolution to issue educational facility revenue bonds, not to exceed $3,900,000, on behalf of Kansas Wesleyan University (KWU), allowing the university to re-finance existing bonds and make energy improvements to campus facilities. The issuance of the bonds has no impact on the county’s finances, as KWU will be required to make all bond payments. ●Commissioners also adopted a resolution that will release/transfer the title of property back to Crestwood, Inc. and retire bonds that were issued back in 2005 to finance improvements for Crestwood. This results in the county having no outstanding industrial revenue bonds for commercial properties. During his weekly update, County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes told commissioners that negotiations with two vendors for the emergency radio communications project were completed last week, and that a recommendation will be presented to the commissioners and to the Salina City Commission once further detailed cost breakdowns can be calculated.Smith-Hanes also told commissioners that staff has been working with the different entities that were selected to receive funding through the Coronavirus Relief Funds to obtain the necessary paperwork and agreements, however, staff is still waiting to hear from the state on whether the plan submitted has been approved. Until then, the $11,026,434 is still sitting in the bank, the county noted.Additionally, Smith-Hanes told commissioners that the county is now accepting applications from businesses for Community Development Block Grant – Coronavirus funds. READ: County seeks applications from businesses in need

UPDATE: County mask mandate remains; Kipp to get siren