By SALINA POST
Road improvements, grant awards, and the new jail are among the topics on the Saline County Commission agenda for Tuesday.
About the meeting
Saline County Commission is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday in room 107 of the City-County Building, 300 W. Ash Street. The meetings also can be viewed on Saline County’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwwZp_cTSJ3Nepp_5rOGevA.
To participate in the meetings, citizens will need to use the Zoom link. Use the following link and put in the Meeting ID and passcode:
https://zoom.us/j/96835819901?pwd=bUEvaExUb2ppMEFaUnd6cUd6MmNMUT09
Meeting ID: 968 3581 9901
Passcode: 144636
For further information, contact the County Commission’s Office at (785) 309-5825.
Agenda items
Commissioners are scheduled to consider awarding a bid for a road improvement project at the intersection of S. Donmyer Road and E. Water Well Road. The project extends approximately 2,100 feet to the north and 1,800 feet to the east of the intersecrion.
The project includes roadway reconstruction and replacing three drainage structures. Additionally, a reinforced concrete box replacement a half mile south of the intersection will be included.
The project is planned to take place in 2023 and last five to six months, according to information in the commission meeting packet.
County staff is recommending that commissioners accept the bid submitted by Reece Construction Co., Inc., for an estimated amount of $894,578.66.
Commissioners also are scheduled to consider approving seven grant applications for funds from the County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. These would fund capital improvements and expenses designed to improve or increase the capacity or services to Saline County in response to COVID-19 or allow the nonprofit to adapt to direct and indirect challenges caused by the pandemic.
A review committee made up of John Shea, executive director of the North Central Regional Planning Commission, Lori Trenholm, director of community investment for the Douglas County Community Foundation, and Deb Wood, family resource agent for the Central Kansas Extension District is recommending for commission approval the following seven funding requests.
●A grant of $50,000 to St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church to renovate spaces for childcare programs. This will be matched by $22,300 in other funding for a total project cost of $72,300.
●A grant of $75,000 to Central Kansas Mental Health Center to expand intake and telehealth services. This will be matched by $55,286 in other funding for a total project cost of $130,286.
●A grant of $23,350 to Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank to improve security and provide new freezers. This will be matched by $23,350 in other funding for a total project cost of $46,700.
●A grant of $13,259 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Salina for technology improvements and improvements to a room for meetings. This will be matched by $13,259 in other funding for a total project cost of $26,518.
●A grant of $11,021.41 to Child Advocacy and Parenting Services for office furnishings. This will be matched by $9,000 in other funding for a total project cost of $20,021.41.
●A grant of $20,000 to Salina Innovation Foundation for furniture, parking lot and sidewalk repairs and security improvements. This will be matched by $5,000 in other funding for a total project cost of $25,000.
●A grant of $75,000 to Ashby House to complete a second emergency homeless shelter. This will be matched by $216,587 in other funding for a total project cost of $291,587.
"The total amount of these seven recommended projects is $267,630.41, which exceeds the $250,000 total allocated for these grants. The County Administrator contacted Ashby House, and they indicated they may be able to complete their project with funding of $57,350 rather than the $75,000 requested. This is based on two other applications they currently have pending. This would bring the total award amount down to $249,980.41. Alternatively, the full amount could be awarded based on the fact that the awards to date for water/wastewater grants are $15,700 under the allocation amount and there is still $1,492.19 in interest income in the ARPA Fund that has not been designated for a project," the commission meeting packet information noted.
Other items on the Saline County Commission agenda for Tuesday include the following.
●Consider right-of-way acquisitions for seven drainage structure replacement projects.
●A Capital Project Funds for Broadband Infrastructure fund request
●A human resources department update
●A livestock and expo center update
●Hear about planning for the transition to the new Saline County Jail
Additionally, commissioners are scheduled to meet in executive session for employer/employee negotiations.
To see the full Saline County Commission meeting packet for Tuesday (a 91-page pdf), click here.