Saline County will donate all of its equipment at the Tri-Rivers Stadium to the Tri-Rivers Fair Board.
Commissioners this morning approved donating all of the rodeo equipment, bleachers, and fixtures that are at the stadium to the fair board, according to information from the county. As of Dec. 31, 2020, Saline County will no longer operate or hold a lease on the stadium, and the fair board is in the process of obtaining a lease from the City of Salina to continue the use of the stadium.
Commissioners also approved accepting a $133,500 grant through the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity grant to expand COVID-19 testing, the county information noted. This grant is not required to be expended until November of 2022 which will allow for staff to continue to develop specific strategies with partners such as Salina Regional Health Center and Salina Family Healthcare to develop a robust plan of action that will extend further into the future for testing, the county noted.
As it concerns the upgrade to public safety radio communications system, commissioners approved creating the Saline County Public Building Commission (PBC) as part of the steps to issue debt financing for the upgrade. Commissioners also approved a resolution requesting that the PBC issue up to $6.5 million in bonds, and declaring the Commission’s intent to enter into a lease or lease purchase arrangement to provide for the repayment of those bonds.
Additionally, commissioners signed an agreement with Uptrust which will allow community to implement the platform that will push out notifications to their clients on upcoming court dates and appointments. Community corrections will launch the program with their juvenile, Drug Court, and Pre-Trial clients first. This platform also will allow for Central Kansas Foundation (CKF) to push out notifications to community corrections clients that they work with and to their clients' supervision officer. The first three months of the subscription costs are being covered by Coronavirus Relief Funds and after that will be paid for with community corrections reimbursement dollars, the county noted.
In other business, the county commissioners:
●Voted to approve the expenditure of $19,669.16 for the purchase of 28 laptops to increase telework capabilities for several Saline County Departments. This purchase is a part of the County’s Direct Aid Plan for the Coronavirus Relief Funds.
●Approved the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) grant for the Health Department for $264,269. This grant covers the cost of the administration and operation of this program.
●Heard from Jamie Doss, county clerk, on three requests for road vacations. One is a portion of South Niles Road south of Tinkler Road, second is a portion of West Schilling Road west of South Halstead Road, and third is a portion of the frontage road which is located on South Old 81 Highway (South Ninth Street) near Dauer Implement. These three requests were brought to the commission as information only. The Doss will proceed with the publications and notifications of landowners and other interested parties before it is brought back to the commission in a formal request for action and public comment.
●Heard County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes weekly update. Smith-Hanes told the commissioners that the Coronavirus Relief Funds committee meets again on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. As of today, approximately 20 percent of the funds have been expended, he said.