By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
The Saline County Commission approved multiple line items during its regular meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 19, including a new RON or "Remain Overnight" flight project at the Salina Airport, a new fire truck for Rural Fire District 1 and multiple ARPA fund adjustments for 2024.
All five Saline County Commissioners were present for the final meeting of 2024 and primarily discussed significant matters for 2024.
Commissioners began the meeting with the consent agenda, which included items like a new beverage license for Don Toros Kitchen, LLC, and three new grant agreements, which commissioners unanimously approved.
One line item, a Saline County Health Department Development Grant contract with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, supports local efforts in hiring, recruitment, retention and organizational and infrastructure improvements.
Commissioners approved the $138,434.66 agreement 5-0.
Action Items Discussion
The commission tackled six action items on Tuesday and unanimously agreed to five. Questions arose from commissioners while discussing a new air service incentive at the Salina Regional Airport.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, SkyWest Airlines operated overnight flights from Salina Regional Airport, but due to decreased demand, SkyWest ended its overnight flight agreement with Salina Regional.
The new incentive would give SkyWest a "jumpstart" for the overnight flight program to return to town. The Salina Airport Authority, Saline County and the City of Salina would provide $900,000 collectively to restart the program.
Tim Rogers, the Salina Airport Authority executive director, proposed the county grant $400,000 to the Authority for this project. The City of Salina agreed to fund $400,000 of the incentive package while the Authority would cover the last $100,000 of the proposal.
"SkyWest has indicated this is acceptable, that Salina initiates the nonstop Salina to Denver RON flight as soon as possible," Rogers said. "That flight will operate for the duration of the airline's three-year Salina-USDOTEAS contract."
Rogers said that through research done by Airport Authority Air Service Consultant Gary Foss, providing overnight flights would bring an additional 8,000 passengers to Salina Regional each year.
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Joe Hay, Saline County Commissioner of District Five, commented on the proposal, raising concern for the community about SkyWest's dealings.
"I still don't see why," Hay said. "SkyWest was here — why can't we stand on our own merits and have to give somebody an incentive to return to a place that was profitable for him before?"
Hay referenced other projects that fell through with SkyWest, like a regular flight route to Houston and a SkyWest maintenance hub that the Airport Authority built incentives for, and worried that this would be another "dangling carrot" situation for the county.
The concern doesn't stem from lost faith in the Airport Authority but from SkyWest's business dealings.
"This is the third time that we've they come back," Hay said. "Now we're back trying to get it for another, so I'm sorry, I just can't support this."
Renee Duxler, the president/CEO of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, expressed that the chamber supported the incentive.
After a few more comments from commissioners, they raised a vote, which Hay cast the only dissenting vote, and the incentive passed 4-1.
The commission passed five more action items, including a new freezer for the Senior Center, a new fire truck for Rural Fire District 1, 2024 Rural Fire District Board appointments, the county's Natural Gas agreement for 2024 and the movement of ARPA allocations for projects in the new year.
The Saline County Health Department provided an update at the end of the meeting, providing information covering the last quarter of the year from September to December.
The Saline County Commission will not meet next Tuesday due to the holiday, but it will meet again for the first time next year on Tuesday, Jan. 2.
"Merry Christmas, and I wish everyone a joyous and happy and prosperous and healthy New Year," said Saline County Commission Chairman Robert Vidrickson.