A public hearing and possible adoption of the 2021 amended budget and two executive sessions are among the agenda items on the Salina City Commission agenda for Monday.
About city meetings
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, city study sessions and commission meetings will take place via Zoom until further notice. You can view the meetings at the City of Salina YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas.
To participate in the meetings, citizens will need to use the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89275984587
If citizens wish to speak, either during the public forum or when the mayor requests public comment on an item, citizens must raise their hand so that the meeting host can allow them to speak.
Citizens can also send written comments or questions to commissioners via email at citycommission@salina.org. The city requests that in order for commissioners to have an opportunity to review comments in advance of the meeting, citizens should email their comments or questions by 5 p.m. the Sunday prior to the Monday meeting.
Regular meeting
The regular commission meeting is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. A time for public comment is scheduled near the beginning of the meeting.
Commissioners are scheduled to conduct a public hearing prior to considering adopting an amended 2021 budget. Amending the budget became necessary after commissioners on Oct. 26, 2020, adopted a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute the Former Schilling Air Force Base Site Environmental Project Management agreement among the Salina Public Entities (SPE), including the city, Kansas State University, USD 305, and the Salina Airport Authority.
A part of that agreement stipulated that the city establish by ordinance a separately budgeted special revenue fund "to track receipts and authorized expenditures to complete the scope of work ultimately developed in conjunction with the Consent Agreement and Final Order to be entered into among the SPEs and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for the clean up of environmental contamination primarily resulting from former Department of Defense activity at the former Schilling Air Force Base Site," according to information in the commission meeting packet.
Because the fund was established after the 2021 budget had been adopted, the commission needs to amend the budget.
Commissioners also are scheduled to consider a request to authorize the purchase and installation of an emergency backup generator for the Salina Animal Shelter for an amount not to exceed $65,024. Funding for the project, should the commission approve it, would come from the Animal Services Donation Fund.
In a July 2018 report about the Salina Animal Shelter, the National Animal Care & Control Association proposed the establishment of disaster planning, disaster response, and disaster management guidelines so the facility would be prepared should a local disaster strike. As a part of the plan, backup generators are recommended by the Kansas Department of Agriculture "to sustain health safety for the animals in the care of the shelter," according to the commission meeting packet information.
Additionally, commissioners are scheduled to consider a resolution that would extend the ability to use the city's emergency paid sick leave and emergency family and medical leave, pertaining to COVID-19 related needs, to March 31, 2021.
Commissioners also are scheduled to meet in the following two executive sessions.
●An executive session to discuss the subject of the legal considerations involved in responding to the proposal by Restore Properties, LLC to purchase real estate owned by the city with legal counsel. Action may follow the executive session.
●An executive session to discuss City Manager Mike Schrage's performance evaluation. Action may follow the executive session.
To view the entire Salina City Commission meeting packet (35 pages), click here.