By NATE KING
Salina Post
Salina city commissioners held a special meeting Friday morning to discuss personnel matters relating to the city manager's evaluation.
The commissioners went directly into executive session following roll call to discuss Salina City Manager Mike Schrage's evaluation.
After the city commission left their executive session, commissioners returned to inform the public that Schrage was eligible for a 3 percent merit-based salary increase, as well as a 3 percent cost-of-living increase and a 1 percent increase to his retirement contribution.
"I am glad that we have someone of Mike's caliber at the helm of the ship," Mayor Trent Davis said. "We felt that it was most appropriate to reward him in like fashion."
The commission voted unanimously to approve the motion to grant Schrage the compensation increases.
There was no request for public comment prior to the vote. Jon Blanchard, former city commissioner, asked why the motion wasn't added to the agenda prior to voting on the motion. City attorney Greg Bengston added the commission did have the option of adding the resolution to the agenda, which would allow for public comment.
"Sometimes inviting public comment is helpful," Blanchard said. "There are a lot of people in this community who are going like 'Why are they calling an 8 o'clock special meeting?' You don't have items like the city manager's evaluation come up on a surprise meeting and let the community know about it two days in advance. That's just poor governing."
Blanchard said his comments were not directed at the city manager but to the commission.
"This isn't a comment on the city manager," Blanchard said. "The city manager has to deal with a lot of issues that come from this board really not governing very well. And this is a perfect example. Transparency? Are you kidding me? Unbelievable."
Blanchard also raised the question regarding other city employees' wages.
"What is the average Salina city employee raise this year? How does it stack up?" Blanchard asked.
Davis provided an explanation for why this discussion and vote were not held in December and why this decision did not require public comment.
"This is an action which would normally have occurred in December, but because of reasons and time constraints beyond our control, just did not happen could not happen easily in December," Davis said. "The city manager's personnel record is private. It's a personnel file, just like any other employees, and we don't discuss those in public."
Davis also explained the evaluation of the city manager is left to the city commission.
"This is one of the duties that's entrusted to the city commissioners when the commissioners are elected. The five of us work with him [city manager] the closest as far as citizenry is concerned," Davis said. "So I think it is reasonable to expect that we would be able to point out things he is doing great, and things that we want to improve on."
The commission voted unanimously to approve the resolution.
Schrage took time near the end of the meeting to introduce newly appointed Salina Chief of Police C.J. Wise. Schrage said Wise is currently looking for housing in Salina prior to his Feb. 1 start date.
"C.J. has a number of years of experience in law enforcement, as well as a breadth of experience in law enforcement has been with the Edmond, Oklahoma, Department since 1998," Schrage said. "I won't rattle off all the different things that he's been exposed to in love law enforcement, but it was very encouraging to see that breadth of experience, supervision, supervisory skills and recognition."
Wise said his first trip to Salina was a football recruiting trip to Kansas Wesleyan University in 1994.
"I am super humbled and honored to be here. My trip here started in 1994. So I came here on a recruiting trip for football," Wise said. ... "I wanted to be in athletic training."
Wise said the head of their athletic training department dissuaded him from pursuing that career field.
"He asked me 'Are you super strong in science?' I was like, 'Well, you know, I'm OK.' He goes, 'Go find a different line of work,' " he said.
Wise said over the past months, he has been observing the Salina Police Department's Facebook page.
"The department fits with kind of my beliefs and the way I feel like we need to police and make partnerships with the community. So I'm very honored to be here," Wise said.