By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post
The Saline County Commission met for its regular meeting this week and discussed four proclamations, considered three different purchases and approved the recipients of the Oliver Hagg Scholarship Awards.
Board of County Commissioners present on Tuesday, April 2:
District One — Monte Shadwick
District Two — Robert Vidricksen
District Three — Rodger Sparks
District Four — James Weese
District Five — Chairman Joe Hay Jr.
The board of commissioners first approved its consent agenda, which included the regular tax roll adjustments, accounts payable and previous meeting minutes.
It also included approval for the recipients of the Oliver Hagg Scholarship and reappointing Saline County Deputy Administrator Hannah Bett to the North Central Regional Homeland Security Council [LINK].
Once commissioners approved the consent agenda, Jes Pfannenstiel, a KWORCC loss prevention specialist and marketing director, presented an award to Saline County for a low-loss ratio in worker's compensation.
Next on the agenda were the eight action items for commissioners to consider, the first of which included a proclamation for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
DVACK Sexual Assault Advocate Angie White presented the proclamation to the commission.
White shared a few statistics on sexual violence and DVACK's services for victims of sexual violence. Hay asked what events the organization would plan for the month-long observance.
The community resource will host a vigil for sexual violence victims at Kansas Wesleyan University on Monday, April 8, and an Ad Astra Speak Night on Friday, April 19, for survivors to share their stories.
The following proclamation was for Child Abuse Prevention Month, presented to the commission by Child Advocacy and Parenting Services (CAPS) Interim Executive Director Paul Forrester.
Hay similarly asked what events or campaigns the organization will host for the observance. Forrester said CAPS has multiple activities planned, including an online auction, Go Blue Salina Denim Days, Shine a Light for Survivors and Pinwheels for Prevention Challenge.
After that, the commission considered two more proclamations, one for National County Government Month and National Public Health Week.
Commissioners approved all four proclamations for the county.
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Jason Tiller, the Saline County Health Department director, presented the proclamation on National Public Health Week, and after approving three month-long observances, Weese asked Tiller one question after approving the declaration.
"Jason, why do you only get a week while everyone else gets a month?" Weese posed.
"I guess because we had like three years," Tiller answered. The audience and county staff met that answer with a round of laughter.
Bid considerations and broadband community assessment
Once commissioners approved all four proclamations, the next agenda item included the purchase of a new dump truck for Saline County Road and Bridge.
Darren Fishel, the Road and Bridge administrator, presented two quotes for the commission, one from MHC Kenworth in Salina for $187,265.55 or the other from Truck Center Companies in Wichita for $147,396.00.
"Both trucks were specced the same, and that one was just that much cheaper," Fishel said.
Truck Center Companies' quote was almost $40,000 less than MHC Kenworth's, so the commission approved Truck Center Companies for the purchase 5-0.
Saline County Public Information Officer Melissa McCoy presented the next agenda item — a broadband community assessment to identify county areas without reliable internet.
Saline County initially requested this assessment during the January 31 meeting earlier this year. McCoy detailed that two companies submitted proposals to the county, one estimated for $48,000 by Design Nine Broadband Planners and another for $169,580 from Essentia.
A review committee comprised of Renee Duxler, president and CEO of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, Claire Ludes, executive director of the Salina Area United Way, and Amy Adams, assistant director of the Salina Public Library, met on March 13 to discuss the two proposals.
The price difference between the two businesses reaches more than $120,000, but McCoy said the scope of the assessment is similar for both proposals.
"Everyone on the committee agreed, even given the same price, they would have chosen Design Nine. It is a big disparity, [but] looking at the proposals side by side, the scope of work is not much different," McCoy said. "I don't have a great answer as to why one of them is so much more expensive than the other."
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McCoy said the staff recommended that commissioners accept Design Nine's proposal to proceed with the assessment.
After presenting the two proposals, Sparks asked McCoy why the county sought this assessment and what the county would do after completing the study. Sparks' main concern was that, after completing the evaluation, would the county then provide internet access to those without a reliable connection?
McCoy answered that the study would show where county residents do not have access to reliable internet and have information to create a "road map" for better internet access.
Commissioners then considered it for a few more moments until it was motioned for action, which passed 4-1, with Sparks voting against the proposal.
The commissioners' next agenda item was a bid consideration for a roof layover at the previous Saline County Jail, which now houses Court Services.
Earlier this year, Saline County Administrator Phil Smith-Hanes told commissioners about the poor condition of the Court Services building's roof, leading commissioners to seek bids for its repair.
At first, commissioners hesitated to continue spending money on the old jail and its connecting offices. However, Hay said it changed his mind after walking through the building and recognizing the comfortable fit for Court Services.
"When we first went into this and took that tour over there, I was very against spending any money at all on that jail itself until I went in and took a tour with court services," Hay said. "I think that's going to be money well-spent to keep them in a building where they are comfortable, safe, and able to utilize that building well."
Hannah Bett, the Saline County deputy administrator, presented the five bids opened on March 22 to the commission. Staff recommended Meridian Roofing's bid of $67,055 for a layover repair.
After a few more minutes of deliberation, commissioners approved Meridian Roofing's bid 5-0.
The last action item listed was lawn mowing at the now Court Services building since Saline County Sheriff's Office maintenance staff used to mow the lawn at that facility.
Bett presented various bids for lawn mowing services between April 15 and November 1 this year, which Vidricksen met with some dissatisfaction.
Vidricksen asked Bett and Smith-Hanes why other county maintenance staff couldn't add Court Services and the Police Department buildings to their mowing list.
"What I would like to see happen is send this back to staff and come up with an alternate solution in addition to what you already have here," Vidricksen said.
Smith-Hanes said staff could look into restructuring how Saline County maintenance staff mow the lawns at Saline County buildings, but it would take some time.
"I don't think that's going to happen before the lawn needs mowed, so we need a solution for April 15," Smith-Hanes said.
Vidricksen then offered that the commissioners could fill in while staff found a solution for lawn mowing. Shadwick chuckled and said, "I don't even cut my own grass."
Shadwick then moved that the commission table the topic until next week to avoid paying for lawn mowing services from a local company.
Informational items covered at the meeting
The last action item concluded with the lawn mowing topic, and commissioners moved into the next portion of the meeting, which included a quarterly report from the engineering department.
Justin Mader, the county engineer, presented the various projects the department has conducted since the beginning of 2024.
This included a Farrelly Road pipe lining project completion, material bids for pipe culverts and traffic paint, opening bids for the 2024 chip and crack sealing projects, an update on the overlay and patching projects around the county and plans for a low water crossing on McReynolds Road.
Smith-Hanes also provided a legislative update to commissioners to conclude the meeting. Next week's meeting will include an update from the Saline County Emergency Management Department and a bid award for the 2024 chip sealing project.