Administrative BriefCITY COMMISSION INFORMATION MEMORANDUM :]
July 12, 2012
ADMINISTRATIVE BRIEF FROM GINA MCDONALD
HUMAN RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
The diversity training program our staff has been teaching in schools throughout Salina was featured in
the March edition of the Kansas League of Municipalities' Kansas Government Journal. The article can
be viewed at our website, www.human.salina.org.
We held our annual Fair Housing seminar for landlords and tenants in April. We had over 65
participants and the highlight was a presentation by the 1 -70/1 -135 Drug Task Force to educate
landlords on what to look for regarding drug activity. Thanks to Officer Zeigler and team for an
outstanding training. Staff also provided Fair Housing trainings to tenants and landlords at five housing
complexes in Salina.
Darrin Stineman and Dina Giron are continuing to work on emergency management activities regarding
people who communicate in other languages and people with disabilities. They also continue to
provide training on tenant rights and responsibilities to people at Ashby House.
On the first HUD grant, we partnered with the Salina Adult Education Center by making Fair Housing
presentations to its GED and English as a Second Language classes. Staff put together materials and
made them available both in English and Spanish on jump drives so class participants have ready
access to fair housing forms and information. So far, staff have met with and provided training to four
different classes.
Through this grant we also received 10 Sed de Saber computerized language - learning units. We are
offering them to families to learn English at their own pace.
The second HUD grant is a partnership with OCCK to get information regarding fair housing out to
counties outside Salina that have no local resources regarding Fair Housing. We put together materials
with an emphasis on laws regarding people with disabilities. We will be "training" trainers in at least
Beloit, Abilene, Ellsworth, and Concordia. We are currently meeting with our advisory group to finalize
materials.
Darrin has also been publishing monthly e- newsletter, maintaining our website, doing stories on major
topics on the City of Salina website, monitoring our Twitter account and editing news releases that go
out from City staff.
Staff sent out 355 letters to venders and contractors regarding the new additions to Chapter 13 of the
city code. In addition, we made changes and updates to our brochures, forms and tenant /landlord
handbooks.
We reviewed the new locations for the Salina - Saline County Health Department and developed
procedures regarding Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility and program access for the two
locations.
MONDAY'S MEETING
Enclosed are other items on the agenda. If any Commissioner has questions or cannot attend the
meeting, please contact me.
Jason A. Gage, City Manager