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1997 - Winter IJ16TheSalina I ~: , , ~ , , ~- A report from your city government Citizen Winter 1997-98 Storm Drainage Projects, Planning and Process The 1990s have brought storm water management and urban drainage issues to the forefro,nt due to extreme storm events and "wet years" not seen in Salina since the 1970s. While in 1993 flooding is- sues were concentrated outside the flood protection levee and in more rural sections of the county, 1996 in particular brought intense rain- falls and associated street flooding to several areas in the City. The City Commission estab- lished drainage and stormwater plan- ning and management as a priority, with the 1997 budget for flood and drainage improvement increased to $450,000. During 1997, signifi- cant progress was made. Planning: Cost estimates and Engineering feasibility reports were completed for possible future ma- jor drainage projects. Areas ana- lyzed include: Southeast Area (Ohio & Magnolia); South ~ Broadway; Pacific Street and several smaller areas throughout the community. In addition, the City Commis- sion established a system of desig- nating Critical Drainage Areas for planning and development regula- tion purposes. Minor Projects: Drainage im- provements in 1997 were completed near Jerry I vey Park; the Gypsum Hill Cemetery; throughout the Old Dry Creek Channel in north and west Salina; and in various neigh- borho'ods. Major Projects: In addition, the Schilling Interceptor Ditch and Detention Basin was completed in 1997 at a cost of $1.5 million. This cooperative project involved Saline County and the City of Salina, using both federal funds and local tax funds. The Schilling Drainage project is considered the most sig- nificant Salina area drainage im- provement since construction of the levee system. The City Commission in 1997 also made plans for funding storm drainage projects in future years through the creation of a separate Flood and Drainage Fund, begin- ning with the 1998 budget. The Commission approved earmarking one mill of the City property tax annually for storm water projects and planning. They established first year funding (1998) at $450,000, with receipts from the one mill levy in future years estimated at $275,000 annually. This Flood and Drainage Fund will allow continuing substantial im- provements, particularly in address- ing neighborhood projects of "man- ageable" size. Larger drainage projects can cost in the millions of dollars, and will still need to be considered for funding in the regu- lar 5-year Capital Improvement Pro- gram. Inside: 3 Notes on Organizational Change 6 1998 Capital Improvement Program update 7 The City of Salina's Website 2 Neighborhood Parks A Renewed Priority Salinans are proud of our public parks and recreation system, and we should be. With 22 city parks and special use areas on over 600 acres, our community is well-served. However,many people tend to focus on th{lar~er and most visible components of the system. Oakdale and Sunset Parks are seen as the "crown jewels" with recent Jerry Ivey Park improvements bringing that community park to the same level. Others find the lakes, nature trails and less developed settings at Lakewood and Indian Rock their fa- vorites. Still others concentrate on the thousands of children and adults using the active recreation facilities of Bill Burke Park and the East Crawford Recreation Area. Some- times left behind are the smaller, less "flashy" parts of our city park sys- tem. In Salina are neighborhood parks which provide convenient play- ground, picnic and green space areas for the families in those neigh- borhoods. Until the late 1980s, the neigh- borhood park component of our park system had received very little attention in the prior 20 years, as the community concentrated on devel- opment of the larger commJ,lnity parks and outdoor recreation areas. From 1990-1997, new neighborhood parks were established. Two parks (Steve Hawley and Phillips) received major upgrades to better serve cen- tral Salina neighborhoods. Another neighborhood park was built in co- operation with the school district at Hawthorne School. 1996-1997 brought the development of two new neighborhood parks (Woodland and Pacific) in north Salina, through the City's Neighborhood Service Area program. A third park (Glennifer Hill) was built as the City took over and upgraded this former school playground. All these new neighborhood parks were located in existing neigh- borhoods developed long ago. Until the past two years, neighborhood The Salina Citizen park needs of newer residential areas were not addressed. In 1997, con- struction was completed on Oxbow Park, located in a newer neighbor- hood between Ohio Street and the flood levee. To better plan for the future, our Parks and Recreation Advisory Board has now adopted a Neighborhood Park Plan. The City Commission has approved that plan as a guide for park planning. The plan identifies existing under served residential areas, for ex- ample the Schilling School area, (scheduled for 1998), as well as newer residential districts (e.g. Mead- owlark School area) which will see neighborhood park development in the future. To aid in establishing fu- ture parks in new neighborhoods, a special impact fee on new housing was also adopted in 1997. By these actions, neighborhood parks are clearly a priority now in our park system. To learn more about Salina's parks, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 826-7434. Oxbow Park - 901 Faith Drive Winter 1997-98 3 Reorganization will improve service delivery City Departments Undergo Some Changes The City of Salina organizational and Wastewater) to make up the Utility improve internal lines of communica- chart underwent some changes in late Department. tion. As a result, service delivery will be 1997, specifically between the depart- As already mentioned, General Ser- more efficient, thereby providing an even ments formerly called "General Services" vices will become a division of the Engi- higher quality of overall service. and "Engineering and Utilities." neering and General Services Depart- If a citizen needs to contact the Since many of the engineering op- ment, resembling the structure of a tradi- Utilities Department, they can be reached erations are closely involved with the tional public works department found in by telephone at 826-7290, or you can services provided in General Services, many municipalities. stop by Room 205 of the City-County the City had considered the possibility In addition to these changes, main- Building, located at 300 West Ash. To of combining the two. An existing tran- tenance of the Gypsum HiIL<;:emetery is reach the Engineering Division of the sitional period made this year ripe for the now a responsibility of the Parks and Engineering and General Services De- change. Recreation Department, as is general partment, call 826-7290 or stop by Room Specifically, the changes include city building maintenance. 205 of the City-County Building. moving the operation of the landfill out What do these changes mean for The General Services Division is of General Services and combining it the citizens of Salina? City staff feels still located at 412 East Ash and their with the City's other two utilities (Water strongly that these changes will greatly phone number is 826-7380. '\ City Prosecutor Personnel Human Relations Information Services Operations Paramedics Training Investigation Prevention Engineering Design/Inspection Traffic General Services Streets Flood Works Traffic Control Central Garage Sanitation J .\ ., I to-------., I I I I I I Municipal Court Judge Water & Wastewater Water Treat & Dist. Wastewater Coil. & Treatment Solid Waste Planning Permits & Inspections Comm. Develop. Operations Food & Bev. Business/ Ticket Off. · Contrtu:t Position Museum Arts Educ. Arts Srvcs. Special Proj. SwimmingPools Golf Course Neighbor. Ctrs. Parks Recreation Cemetery Bid . Maint. City Attorney . Records Internal Affairs Investigation Patrol Traffic Training Finance & Administration City Clerk Accounting Utility Acctg: Treasurer 4 The Salina Citizen Increase chances of being satisfied with project or service Questions for Contractors The ftrst step to choosing the right contractor is to decide what questions you need to ask. When you are making your list of questions, keep in mind you are buying a service, not just a product. How the contractor provides that ser- vice is just as important as your new home or room addition. The following are some suggested questions you can ask: 1. Call the City of Salina and ask what licenses and permits are required for your proposed project. Then ask the contractor the same question. If the City and the contractor do not match answers, ask the contractor to talk to the City with you. 2. Ask the contractor for a written proposal which describes the work to be done, the cost to do the work and how long it will take to complete the work. Good proposals list clearly what is to be done as well as what is not included. A well written proposal re- duces the potential for misunderstand- ings and conflict. It should also be fair to all parties involved. 3. If payments are not described in the written proposal, ask the contractor to add this information. Some contractors ask for money before the job starts, espe- cially if something must be special-or- dered before the project begins. "Up- front" payments are not a good idea for the client. However, if you cannot a~oid them, try to work out an agreement where ' you pay when the materials are delivered to you. 4. Ask the contractor what insurance he or she carries. Good contractors protect their clients and their workers by carry- ing adequate levels of insurance. Some are mandated by law. Ask for copies of workers' compensation coverage and li- ability insurance certiftcates. If you are not sure of the insurance needed for your protection, your insurance agent should be able to assist you. 5. Ask the contractor for a list of past clients (name, address and telephone number). Many professionals recom- mend as many as twenty! The key is not to be content with just a few. Almost any company can give you a few customers they know are happy. Questions to ask the references could include: Did you like their work? Would you use them again? Did they return your calls promptly? Did you get the final product you wanted? Did they start work as promised? Were there delays? Were there extra costs not in the pro- posal? Have you had problems since they fin- ished? Did they fix them promptly? May I see the work they did for you? If the prior client will let you see their work, it would be well worth your time to do so. 6. Ask the contractor for a list of all subcontractors and suppliers. Before you make ftnal payment for the work, make sure they have satisfted all debts relating to your project. The last thing you want is an unpaid supplier or sub- contractor to place a lien against your home. This is not a complete list. Each project is different and may require additional investigation on your part. It may seem like too much work, but a few hours of work prior to the project will increase the chances of you being happy with it when it's done. For more information, contact Permits and Inspection at 826-7270. Traffic Safety Update It's a matter of your safety! - In 1993, city staff took a creative approach to confronting traffic safety issues in Salina. Ateam of staff mem- bers, representing the Police Depart- ment, Streets Divi~ion, Fire Department and Engineering' Departnient, began I identifying and addressing unsafe traf- fic conditions in the community. Coupled with- enforcc::ment efforts, the numbers' suggest that the Trafftc Safety Team has been successful. The City of Salina will continue work in 1998 to improve trafftc Table 1. Accident Data.1992-1997 (one year increments) safety in our community. There are several factors which ef- fect year-to-year traffic safety numbers. Although the Tnifftc Safety Team can't take full credit for the recent improve- ment in those numbers, they have played a major role and can be credited for addressing several traffic concerns. The table' to the left shows each year's statistics since 1992, If there are traffic conditions that concern you, please notify the City Manager's Offtce . at 826-7250 or the Engineering Division , at826-7290. Winter 1997-98 5 Citizens will play a big role in this program 's success Yard Waste Now Collected Separately trash bags (30 gallon). On the morning of their regularly scheduled pickup, the yard waste bags were to be placed along- side the trash cart. Those bags would be picked up on the same day, although generally at a different time of day. If citizens continue to participate in this program as well as they did.this past summer, th~ City of Salina will realize econo!lric and environmental benefits. The City of Salina sees this program as a way to help meet the community's solid waste management goals by working together with citizens. With good effort, this should be a successful program. Also, upon recommendation from the Solid Waste Management Commit- tee, the City Commission recently en- dorsed a plan to apply for a state grant to further the current yard/green waste collection initiative. The grant proposal Last Summer the City of Salina be- gan a pilot project to assist in waste reduction efforts. A slight alteration in sanitation truck operations would allow the City of Salina Sanitation Division to collect yard waste separately. This alter- ation involves one truck (whose pur- pose was to switch with a full truck midway through its route) and make it responsible for collecting only yard waste each day. The results from this Summer's pilot project revealed very promising news. The reduction in the amount of non-yard waste collected on the routes allowed for the switching truck to be devoted strictly to picking up yard waste. To separate yard waste from the residential waste stream headed for the Municipal Landfill, residents were asked to place their yard waste in normal sized seeks funds to help subsidize the pur- chase of new refuse carts which would be a different color and size than the household carts, designated specifically for yard waste. For a small one-time fee, residential customers could purchase a cart and fill it with loose (unbagged) leaves, garden waste, shrub trimmings or grass trim- mings throughout the week. This will be more convenient and eliminate the need to purchase plastic or paper bags. The Sanitation crews would collect this yard waste on the same day as regular trash pickup. Depending upon the outcome of the grant request, the new yard waste carts could be available foruse in Spring 1998. If you have questions regarding yard waste pickup, call the City of Salina Sanitation Division at 826-7380. Salina's Snow Removal System Due to its geographic location, Salina is subject to freezing rain, ice and snow at any time during the Fall, Winter and Spring months. During snow and ice conditions, the City's Department of General Services is responsible for bat- tling the elements and improving the mobility and safety of the traveling pub- lic. In coping with both snow and ice, the first responsibility of the General Services Department is to clear main arterial streets (like Ohio and Crawford) so emergency vehicles can reach all ar- eas of the community. Aft~r ,the, snow coordinator decides these major streets will remain open to traffic, crews turn their attention to collector' streets (like Quincy and North). Collector streets connect residential to arterials. Snow crews closely watch four- way intersections, hills and bridges for buildup of snow and ice. Sand and/or salt is spread according to conditions. Those areas holding the greatest threat for accidents during a snow storm re- ceive the mQst attention from city snow fighters. After the arterial and collector streets are judged passable, other through streets are cleared of snow as time permits. Normally, residential streets are plowed only in unusual cases. . However, when road conditions are ex- tremely severe (generally six or more inches of snow), residential streets are cleared as time permits. Citizens can assist city snow fighters this Winter by remembering three things: 1. Stay off city streets until they have been cleared. Any traffic slows the snow removal effort. Stranded and stuck vehicles may halt street clearing. 2. Clear your gutters. This allows the maximum meltwater flow to the nearest storm sewer inlet. 3. Clear your sidewalks. Cityordi- nance requires property owners to shovel sidewalks. This is to ensure pedestrian safety. For a copy of the "Mobility and Safety" brochure (which overviews the City's Winter Snow and Ice Removal Program) contact the City Manager's Office at 826-7250. Frequently Asked Questions Why doesn't the City plow snow from the street in front of my house? Clearing every street would be too costly a burden for Salina taxpayers to assume; there- fore, streets are prioritized. Arterials are first so emergency vehicles can get out. Collector streets are next, followed by mi- nor streets if time permits. Why do City snow crews always throw snow on my sidewalk? Snow plows must maintain a minimum speed to throw snow to the side of the street. We under- stand and apologize for the inconvenience this may' cause. Snow plow drivers are instructed not to throw snow any further than necessary. If you are elderly, or have a disability which prevents you from ,~e- moving this snow, contact the Parksl;l~d Recreation Dept. at 826-7434 for assis- . .,. I tance. We will try to find some help for yqu. Why doesn't the City have snow routes? They are not necessary at this point because our busiest s~eets alrea~y have no parking on them. Additional park- ing bans are very disruptive and expensive to enforce. r 6 The Salina Citizen Understanding Your Capital Improvement Program "What is it? How does it work?" Each year the City Commission prioritizes major projects for the next five years. This is an important part oflocal government because it out- lines many of the largest expendi- tures made by our community. Although our elected officials will ultimately make the decision on the capital improvements program, citizen input is a vital part of the process. Commissioners welcome constructive suggestions and rec- ommendations in prioritizing these projects because it gives them an understanding of what improvements the community wants to see. Each year in the Spring, city staff will review the financial and physical feasibility of proposed projects. The Salina City Commission spends a significant amount of time in study sessions reviewing the projects during a regularly sched- uled meeting, they will vote on the annual update of the 5-year plan to approve, amend or disapprove a pro- posed capital improvement program. At the time of that vote, Commis- sioners will have taken prior citizen input and Planning Commission opin- ions into consideration. There will be an opportunity for public com- ment prior to the vote. The Capital Improvement Pro- gram is an integral part of local government. Not only are these expenditures the highest priced ones City government will make, but they also tend to be the most visible and have the greatest impact on the lives of citizens. For more information on the Capital Improvement Program, call the City Manager's Office at 826- 7250. Project Update 1998 Capital IInproveInent PrograIn Walnut Bridge - Replacement of the bridge over the old Smoky Hill Rivernear Oakdale Park. The bridge is scheduled to be replaced in the Summer of 1998. $300,000 Greeley and Ohio Signalization -In- stallation of traffic signals with pedes- trian crosswalks at the intersection. ProjectwillbecompletedbyFa11 1998. $100,000 Stonnwater Projects and Plan- ning - Engineering analysis and feasibility reports as well as ac- tual construction of drainage improve- ments. Scheduled throughout 1998. $450,000 Ninth Street Phase 2 - Involves im- provement of the roadway from Otto, south through and including the Mag- nolia intersection. Includes new pave- ment, turn lanes, curbs and gutter, light- ing and median landscaping. Comple- tionbyThanksgiving 1998. $3,000,000 Water Booster Pump Station - Con- struction of anew pump station on West Cloud to improve pressure and flow to Airport Industrial Area and South 9th Street Corridor. Completion by Summer of 1998. $250,000 Water Plant Improvements - Involves ij the installation of an air strip- ping system to remove con- taminants from the ground- water and an upgrade to out- dated systems at the plant. Completion by 1999. $5,200,000 Ninthand Claf1inDrainage- Involves installation of major storm sew- ers to drain Ninth Streetto a larger drain- age channel. Completion by 1999. $660,000 North Ohio Corridor - Widening to 5 lanes of a section of Ohio, from Johnstown north to Elm and the old . Smoky Hill River. Scheduled for Spring 1998. $800,000 Landtill Improvements - Include instal- lation of another lined disposal area to meet environmental standards. Comple- tion by Fall 1998. $2,000,000 Traffic Signal Updates - Replace and upgrade signal systems to improve traffic flow and safety. Cloud and Ohio; 9th and Walnut; 9th and Republic; 9th and Claflin; South and Broadway; Cloud and Broadway. $425,000 Miscellaneous - A number of other projects involving parks, sidewalks, streets, utility lines and other public facility upgrades will also be accom- plishedduring 1998. Total 1998 Capital Improvements = $15 million Winter 1997-98 City Hall goes "On-Line" 7 Website Offers New Arena for Information Sharing Recently, the City of Salina intro- duced its official municipal website. The site, which can be found at http:// www.ci.salina.ks.us. was designed as an alternative arena for public informa- tion regarding City services, history, demographics and economic vitality. The construction of the web site allows for quick access and easy navigation throughout the many pages. An inter- active "table of contents" along the left margin of each page will help users move easily in and out of the pages as they search for answers to their ques- tions. Many parts of the website should be familiar to citizens who have, in the past, kept informed about their local government through our extensive public print information efforts. In par- ticular, parts of the Budget in Brief and Guide to City Services are website fea- tures. Photographs of City parks and rec- reationalfacili- ties are located throughout the Parks and Rec- reation section of the website. Featuring Salina's park system and recreational choices on the website was felt to be the best way to re- veal what our community has to offer to its citizen's quality of life. Those who have visited our City in the past have com- mented on the beauty of the formal gardens in Oakdale and Sunset Park, the top notch outdoor sport facilities and the. festive fun of the Smoky Hill River Festival. Hopefully this section of the website will encourage others to come share in those experiences. In addition to these features, there is a portion- of the website which allows users to e-mail questions, concerns or compliments to . the City Manager's Office. That corre- spondence is kept on file and if a particu- lar concern is addressed, the office will process it through its Customer Service Request system. The web site's activity will be tracked as well. Visits to the website (or "hits") will be monitored with respect to fre- quency and origin. In other words, we are citizen's with general local government information, or if we should put some energy into making it a useful tool for residents and businesses looking to re- locate. Thus far, there has been a great deal of interest in our website. The largest number of hits have been from Salina area users. However, we have been surprised by a significant amount of curious "surfers" from the rest of the United States and even other countries. The City of Salina Official Munici- pal web site is not the only Salina public agency present on the web. In fact there are a large number of others who have established, or are establishing, a pres- ence on the internet. Many of those places are "linked" to the City's website. Listed below are some of these sites: Salina Area Chamber of Commerce - HelpNet (sponsored by the Salina Area United Way) Salina Airport Authority - Smoky Hill River Festi- val In addition, plans are in the works for a Salina Bi- centennial Center website which would be used to at- tract promot- ers to our area and to inform the public aboutupcom- ing events. Weencour- age you to visit the City of Salina's website. We think you'll find some use- ful information on your City's govern- ment, history and quality of life. Let us know what you think by contacting us on the site's direct e-mail link, or by calling us at 826-7250. www.ci.salina.ks.us not only interested in the number of people who visit our site, but we're also interested in seeing where they are from. That will help us in deciding if we should tailor most of the page to providing 8 The Salina Citizen Articles were written by city staff, with design and editing by Darron J. Leiker and LaDonna Bennett. Questions/Comments? Call the City Manager's office at 826-7250. . BULK RATE CAR-RT SORT U.S. POSTAGE PAID SALINA, KS Permit No. 400 Residential Patron Salina, KS 67401 &) Printed on Recycled Paper City Commissioners want to hear from you Members of the Salina City Commission are always interested in your comments and suggestions on city services and poli- cies. Each Commissioner welcomes letters and telephone calls. Write them at P.O. . Box 736, Salina, KS 67402-0736 The Commissioners phone numbers are listed below: Kristin M. Seaton Peter F. Brungardt Don Heath Alan Jilka Monte Shadwick 825.7926 825.0271 827.8142 827.7171 827.0992