By SALINA POST
Scholarship awards, facilities, updates, and executive sessions are among the items 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
The 2023 Oliver Hagg Scholarship recipients are scheduled to be presented. The scholarship is $1,000 and is renewable. This year's recipients are as follows, according to information in the commission meeting packet.
Meryn Came, Ell-Saline High School
Luke Gebhardt, Southeast of Saline High School
Alisha Will, Salina Central High School
Ava Zerger, Cloud Academy
Blake Holmes, Centre K-12 School
Additionally, commissioners are scheduled to hear a follow-up report concerning several county facilities. In February, commissioners met to review the results of a draft Facility Master Plan for the county. During that meeting, commissioners asked County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes to follow up with several of the items in the proposed master plan and report back in April. Smith-Hanes is scheduled to do so Tuesday. The follow-up report is scheduled to include the following, according to information in the commission meeting packet.
Leasing the county farm for solar development
As part of the commission’s study session, staff reported that the county had been approached about creating a solar panel installation on the Hagg Farm owned by the county. Commissioners expressed interest in pursuing this idea, so the deputy county administrator followed up on Feb. 23 with emails to solar developers. On April 3, one of the interested firms responded that they had prepared a preliminary project layout and would like to meet.
Staff recommendation: Task staff to prepare a report detailing existing farm leases, when they expire, any amendments to zoning codes that would be required, and a process for soliciting bids from developers.
Selling the health department building
One of the points of discussion on Feb. 21 was the potential to purchase the parcel immediately south of the health department building on N. Seventh Street, which was for sale. Rather than pursue a purchase of additional space at that location, the commission was interested in the potential for selling the existing building. On Feb. 27, Smith-Hanes met with the realtor representing the parcel to the south, who identified that she might have parties who would be interested in purchasing the health department site, including some who might be willing to purchase the building now and then lease it back to the county until a site has been identified to relocate the health department.
The Smith-Hanes also met with the county counselor to review the process for the sale of a county-owned building. Pursuant to K.S.A. 19-211, the commission would need to unanimously vote to sell the building, publish a notice of sale, and then select the highest and best bid in a public meeting.
Staff recommendation: Task staff to return with a draft notice of sale for Commission consideration, including lease-back provisions as a condition of sale.
City of Salina interest in county properties
The commission had asked for more information regarding the city’s potential interest in the redevelopment of Memorial Hall, expansion of the Salina Police Department into the current sheriff’s office space, and development of housing on the county’s Caywood property off of S. Ohio Street. The county administrator and deputy county administrator met with the city manager and deputy city manager on March 14. The police department is interested in the sheriff’s office space and the city manager will confirm authorization to proceed with the city commission. He also plans to discuss with the city commission the idea of a joint space study to examine the future of the City-County Building and adjacent downtown properties, including Memorial Hall. He will also be discussing with the Utilities Department potential to lease some land to alleviate storage constraints at the Expo Center. The city commission was scheduled to meet for strategic planning on April 18 and more definite information may be available after that session. The city does not have a particular interest in taking charge of development on the Caywood land but understands that the county may wish to sell it for development.
Staff recommendation: Task staff to include within the 2024 budget funding for a joint study of downtown spaces and negotiate a temporary lease on the sheriff’s office space effective Jan. 1, 2024, subject to city commission feedback.
Converting a portion of the current jail into juvenile space
In the public survey on jail reuse that was conducted as part of Facility Master Plan recommendation development, one of the strongest interests of respondents was in converting the soon-to-be-closed jail facility into a facility for juveniles. The county administrator met on March 23 with Shawn Brandmahl, executive director of the North Central Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Facility and Geary County Secure Care Center. That agency operates the juvenile detention center for a 15-county region and also contracts with the state to house children in need of care.
Brandmahl confirmed that he is interested in exploring a facility in Saline County. He would look at a facility with seven detention beds and 21 secure care beds, along with room for future expansion. He believes that his agency will need more detention beds as state policies shift back towards locking up juveniles accused of serious criminal activity, but the state will not pay for any construction costs. In order to fund the detention beds, he would need to contract with the state for additional beds for children in need of care. The state pays a premium on these beds, which could support a bond or lease payment on a facility. Brandmahl asked if Saline County would be willing to cover half of the cost of retaining an architect to examine the county jail and determine the feasibility and costs of converting it to the proposed use. He also expressed concern about the availability of a workforce in Saline County to staff a new facility.
Staff recommendation: Task staff to identify funding for an architect, negotiate an agreement with North Central Juvenile Detention to share costs, and return to the commission for consideration.
Other items on the Saline County Commission agenda for Tuesday include the following.
●Consider a request to proclaim April 2023 as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
●Consider approving a request from Community Corrections for a training contract for Paul Cary. The training would cover drug testing best practices and would be covered by funds budgeted for Community Corrections staff training and by registration fees from other attendees.
●Consider approving a request from the Road and Bridge Department for the purchase of aggregate.
●Consider approving a request from the Road and Bridge Department for the purchase of Harshman aggregates.
●Consider a request to purchase vehicles for Environmental Health.
●Hear the Department of Senior Service's quarterly update.
●Hear the First Quarter Idle Bond Report.
●Hear the First Quarter Idle Fund Report.
●Hear the quarterly budget update.
Additionally, commissioners are scheduled to meet in the following two executive sessions.
●Attorney-client privilege
●Non-elected personnel
To see the full Saline County Commission agenda for Tuesday, click here and then click on the April 25 link.