Loading...
1999 - Fall/Winter A report from your city government aTheSalina Citizen Fall-Winter 1999 We're at Your Service In order to serve you better, City staff maintains a comput- erized Citizen Service Request (CSR) system. This system assists staff in expediting and effectively responding to citi- zen concerns. If you have questions or ser- vice requests, please contact the City Manager's office at 826-7250. You may also send questions or requests via our e-mail link on the City of Salina's Official Municipal Web Site:www.ci.salina.ks.us . Census Count 2000 1 2 3 4 5 6 · . . . An Opportunity To Make A Big Difference In March of 2000, the Federal ability to avoid property tax rate Census Bureau will mail out ques- increases. tionnaires to gatherinformation about every household in the United States What Are My Responsibilities? (U.S.). What Is The Census? The U.S. Constitution requires that a complete count of the people living in the U.S. be performed ev- ery ten years. The first cen- sus was carried out in I 790 under George Washington. A count has been per- formed every ten years smce. Y our response to the census ques- tionnaire is required by Federal law and you are to make sure your infor- mation is accurate and complete. It is to Salina's advantage to ensure every person is counted. A healthy census count means more dollars to our community, information used for planning beneficial public ser- vices, and positive mar- keting for our community to businesses wish- ing to bring in new jobs. Federal law prohibits the Census Bureau from sharing your specific information with anyone else (in- cluding businesses) for at least 72 years. No one can connect your name or address to the information you provide. Participating in the census is one of the easiest ways to benefit your community. Please encourage your family, friends and neighbors to fill out their census questionnaire and return it. This one act will help make sure our community gets it's fair share of Federal and State funding. It's simple, it's fast, and most of all, it's completely confidential. How Does It Benefit Me and My Family? The original intent of the count was to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives accord- ing to the population of each state. Since that time, census information has been used by every level of government. The census helps de- termine the distribution of over 100 billion dollars in federal funds, and even more for states and local gov- ernments. In Salina, this has meant more dollars for important projects such as roads and bridges and the Si usted necesita ayuda con cualquierciudad Servicios 0 quisiera una copia deeste boletin de noticias en espaiiol, entre en contacto con por favor el Departamento Humanode Las Relaciones de Salina en 826- 7330. Inside: 2 IsYourLocalGovemment Ready For the Year 2000? 8 Salina 's Bicentennial Center Celebrates 20 Years 5 Winter Storm Protection - Better Than Ever 2 The Salina Citizen The' Year 2000 Is Almost Here Is Your City Government Ready? What Is The Year 2000 Issue? To save money, many older com- puters were made to use two-digits instead of four-digits to represent the year (Example: '99' instead of '1999'). Fortunately, most modem computers and computerized equip- ment were programmed with four- digit dates and should have no issue at all. However, remaining comput- ers programmed with only two-digit dates may interpret the Year 2000 to mean '1900', resulting in date con- fusion. This could mean no impact at all, minor nuisances, partial equipment problems, or the pos- sibility of equipment failure. No one knows for sure how every computer or piece of equipment with a two-digit date will be affected. What Is the City's Y2K Readiness Approach? Our goal is to provide a safe, uneventful anq enjoyable transition into the Year ~OOO, without major service disruption. The City's focus is on service 'readiness' . This means we are making efforts to ensure those services which are considered 'mis- sion-critical' can be adequately pro- vided without interruption after the date rolls over to the Year 2000. Mission-critical services are those which could potentially have an im- pact on public safety, health or wel- fare if a failure occurs. Some of these services include: law enforce- ment, fire protection, rescue and emergency medical response, pub- lic drinking water, wastewater dis- posal and traffic control. However, our review is, not limited only to those services we provide, but also includes those, outside support ser- vices relied upon by the City and our community's residents. We have been working on Year 2000 service readiness since before 1997. Early this year, we created a Project Review Team, with representatives from our various mission critical service areas. The City is also work- ing with a local team representing the utility companies, emergency planning, health care and the public schools to ensure community-wide planning and readiness. been very positive. In fact, each of these critical service providers has indicated that service for their re- spective utility is expected to be provided on January 1,2000. Does the City Have A Backup Plan Just In Case? Yes. Because of the unpredict- able nature of the Year 2000, the City is in the process of planning for contingencies. While we are confi- dent that we can provide mission- critical services into the Year 2000, we cannot make a 100% assurance either for ourselves or those pro- viding us with important support services. It is our intention that if we do experience either partial or full equipment malfunctions, we can still provide the most safe and feasible level of these services to the public. The con- tingency planning process will in- clude continuous review throughout the rest of the year. WhatIstheCity'sOutlookfor Where Can I Get More Janua'Yl"? Information? At this point, we are very confi- Over the last year, we have pro- dent that we can continue to provide vided information about the Year our mission critical services without 2000 through the newspaper, bro- interruption. This means that we chures, the City's world wide web expect to be able to, accept and page (www.ci.salina.ks.us). and a respond to 911 calls, provide both Community Conversations law enforcement and fire protection, (www.y2k.gov/community) public provide water and sewer services, information forum. The forum will and ensure safe traffic flow through- be rebroadcast on Channels 6 and 20 out the city. Whilewedonotprovide throughout December. Public edu- telephone service (Southwestern cation about the verifiable facts of Bell - www.sbc.com). electricity Y2K is very important. For addi- (Western Resources through Kan- tional information, please contact sas Power and Light - the City Manager's Office at (785) www.wf.com).ornatura1gas826-7250.This update has been (ONEOK, Inc. through Kansas Gas provided in accordance with the Fed- Service - www.oneok.com). infor- eral "Information and Readiness Dis- mation from these industries has closure Act" (S.2392). Fall-Winter 1999 .~~I-'" . . r ..' I t. '::.~'!'~:"~; . 3 When The Clock Strikes Midnight Reacting to the Year 2000 The coming of the Year 2000 brings about much attention and cu- riosity. As part of our preparedness efforts, we believe it is important to provide some tips on how to react and 'not' reactto the Year 2000. Year 2000 Tips · Use the 911 emer- gency system ONLY for life. threatening emer. gencies, not for in- conveniences. · When using fire- places or wood burn- ing stoves, only bum ap- propriate types and amounts of wood fuel. All vents and chimneys should be inspected before use each year. · In case of power disruption, NEVER bring heating devices such as gas heaters or grills in- side a building. These devices can be a fire or explosion hazard and put off deadly carbon mon- oxide gas. · Do not listen for a telephone dial tone at 12:01 A.M. just to see if service is available. Excessive call volumes can tie up the circuit as it does during other peak us- age times of the year. · If a brief power outage or major service problem does occur: ---+ Turn to the "Emergency Broadcast System" (KSAL 1150 AM) on your battery- operated radio. Special in- structions and other informa- tion will be provided. ---+ Wait patiently forinstructions or until services are restored. ---+ A portable generator may be used, but do not connect it to your home's electrical sys- tem and ensure it is prop- erly ventilated outside your home. ---+ tersections, watch for temporary stop signs, or use the "right-of- way rule" at uncontrolled intersections. The "right of way rule" means that the first vehicle entering the in- tersection has the right-of- way. In case of a tie, the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way. ---+ DO NOT ca1l911 unless for a life-threatening emer- gency. For pre- Y2K preparation, most of the experts simply suggest stocking up and planning for a three-day winter storm. For gen- eral information about Y2K, please contact the City Manager's Office at 826~ 7250 or the Salina-Saline County Emergency Management Department at 826-6519. The lat- ter number may also be used for non-emergency information re~ quests on January 1,2000. 1999 ap- has become that certain al needs reliance on electric- essential, home- al equipment that is As a re- County Emer- entDepartment ice of check- ve these spe- when a local ThIs means 4 The Salina Citizen City of Salina JOBS!! City of Salina job vacancies are advertised each Sunday in The Salina Journal and can be seen daily on the Government Informa- tion Channel (20) and on our web site: www.ci.salina.ks.us. For some positions, the City may ad- vertise in other publications. A City employment application City of Salina Organization Chart December 1999 is available on our web site. For more information on City of Salina employment opportunities, please call the Human Resources Department at 826-7400 or (TDD) 826-7333. The Human Resources Department is located in Room 200 in the City-County Building, 300 West Ash. Snow "Road"eo, Attracts State- wide Attention City of Salina Employees Plow Through The Competition CITIZENS CITY COMMISSION Engineering Design/Inspection Traffic General Services Streets Flood Works Traffic Control Central Garage Sanitation Fire Suppression Emerg. Med. Srv. Codes/Inspection Public Education - -. . . . . ...------, . . . . . Assistant City Manager Municipal Court Judge Information Services Human Relations Water & Wastewater Water Treat. & Dist. Wastewater Collection & Treatment Solid Waste City Attorney * Patrol Investigations 911/Communication Intemal Affairs Planning& Development Finance & Administration Planning Permits & Inspections Neighborhood Srv'. Operations Food & Bev. Business/ Ticket Off. Museum Arts Education Arts Services River Festival Horizons Grants Swimming Pools Golf Course Neighborhood Ctrs. Parks Recreation Forestry Cemetery Bldg. Maintenance * Contract Position City Clerk Accounting Utility Acctg. Treasurer F all- Winter 1999 5 Winter Storm Protection Better Than Ever The City is using a new method of fighting snow and ice storms this winter. For the first time, we will be applying liquid calcium chlo- ride (with a rust inhibitor) directly onto salt as it leaves the salt spreader. Other cities such as Manhattan and Junction City have used this type of equipment with great success. Saline County also uses salt spreaders that employ this method. In the past, we have mixed liquid calcium chloride at our salt storage pile. The new method improves the process by applying the liquid calcium chloride more efficiently and at a lower cost. By using 75 gallon saddle tanks on the sides of our salt spreaders, we can now use calcium chloride only when it is really needed. Calcium chloride is needed when the temperature falls below 20oP' This method also gives us a more evenly distributed coating of deicer, while the older method was very inconsistent. Salina's own Street Division employees de- signed and constructed the calcium tanks for a cost of about $650 per truck. Currently, three of The white tanks (on each side of the truck) provide a measured amount of liquid calcium chloride to the salt. eight plow trucks are equipped with tanks. All 12 trucks will be equipped with tanks in the future. This gives our crews complete flexibility in the field to fight the storms and bring our roads back into a passable condition sooner for our citizens and emer- gency vehicles. We expect this new practice will improve our snow removal abilities at a reduced cost. This means safer winter streets for Salina's motorist. Neighborhood Services Division An emphasis on neighborhoods In order to improve service effectiveness and provide a direct link between the City and neigh- borhoods, a new division was re- cently created within the Depart- ment of Planning and Commu- nity Development. This division is called Neighborhood Services and is responsible for many com- munity-building activities. The Housing Rehabilitation Program is funded by an annual HOME Investment Partnerships grant from the State of Kansas; It is designed to provide qualified prop- erty owners in lower income areas with no interest deferred loans. Ad- ditionally, property owners residing in a Neighborhood Revitalization Program Area can also apply to receive a tax rebate on additional taxes levied as a result of improve- ments to their property. We also submit Emergency Shelter Grants, funded by the State of Kansas, on behalf of those quali- fying nonprofit organizations that care for the homeless. Property Maintenance Code Enforcement is provided to elimi- nate nuisances, preserve neighbor- hood quality and eliminate unsafe and unhealthy living conditions. Citizen feedback for this new approach has been very positive. Staff members now emphasize the entire neighborhood. Response to citizen service requests is quicker and with better cooperation. As a result, we are now able to focus full- time attention on community needs at the neighborhood level. I' 6 The Salina Citizen The 2000 Annual Budget Providing Public Service Into The Next Millennium In August, the City Commis- sion established the 2000 budget. The budget is comprised of three distinct parts: an operating budget to account for general operations; a capital budget to fund public im- provements and construction; and a debt service budget to fund major capital projects in which municipal bonds are used. The annual budget- ary process provides Commission- ers with an opportunity to evaluate existing programs and services. From this, they can better establish future priorities for service and pro- gram levels based on community needs. Once the scope of services is determined and costs estimated, rev- enues are evaluated to determine availability from each source (i.e., taxes, fees, or other governmental funding types). If revenue avail- ability does not support the pro- posed expenditures, the City Com- mission must make the difficult choice of either increasing revenues or reducing service levels. Salina begins the budgetary pro- cess by reviewing the current year's services. They look at service qual- ity and efficiency to determine if service levels should increase, de- crease, remain the same, or be dis- continued. These budget discus- sions with Staff begin about mid- April. Departmental requests are presented by mid-May and the next six weeks involve in-depth review of priorities and service alternatives. In early July, the City Manager pre- sentsa proposed working budget to the City Commission. The City Commissioners then publicly meet several times to discuss and form the budget for the new year. This entails examination of various service al- ternatives and a decision regarding the City's direction for the upcom- ing year. Formal public hearings are held in August, with a final decision made at that time. All meetings and communications with the City Com- mission are always open to the pub- lic. Total expenditures for 2000 are budgeted to be approximately $49.9 million. This includes $37.5 for gen- eral operations, $6.2 million forcapi- tal projects, and $6.2 for debt retire- ment. Once again, the City Com- mission has set a goal of holding down the property tax mill levy . In fact, Salina continues to have one of the lowest property tax rates of any first class city in Kansas. The overall goal of the City bud- get is clear: maintain a high quality of operating services, protect the public, improve our streets and utili- ties, enhance the quality of commu- nity services, and respond attentively to citizen concerns. Clearly, the establishment of the budget is one of the most important items on any Commissioner's agenda. As a re- sult, citizens are always invited and encouraged to participate in the pro- cess. This is also a reason the City annually prepares the Budget-In- Brief - a short, easy to understand overview of the City budget. Please contact the City Manager's Office at 826-7250 if you should have any questions or would like additional information. 2000 Anticipated City Revenues Amount Percent Amount Percent 2000 Anticipated City Revenues Taxes: User Fees: Sales $12,035,000 25% Water $5,980,000 12% Property $6,682,723 14% Wastewater $4,980,000 10% Franchise $2,008,000 4% Sanitation $1,566,000 3% Vehicle $992,449 2% Solid Waste $2,250,000 5% Transient Guest $850,000 2% BiCenter $750,000 2% Other $210,000 0% Golf Course $824,200 2% $22,778,172 47% Recreation $415,000 1% Ambulance $518,000 1% Other $1,355,344 3% $18,638,544 39% Other Intereo,!/ \ For further information on Intergovernmental $3,242,059 7% City finances, please contact Fines $985,000 2% Jnes the City Manager's Office Special Assessments $1,140,000 2% Special Intergovernmental at 826-7250 and request a Interest $1,071,131 2% Assessments copy of the 2000 Budget-In- Other $410,656 1% Brief. TOTAL REVENUE $48,265,562 100% F all- Winter 1999 7 Each year the City Commis- sion prioritizes major projects for the next five years. This is an im- portant part of local government because it outlines many of the larg- est expenditures made by our com- munity. Although our elected officials ultimately make the decision on the capital improvements program (CIP), citizen input is a vital part of the process. Commissioners wel- come constructive suggestions and recommendations in prioritizing Understanding Your Capital Improvement Program What is it? How does it work? these projects because it gives them an understanding of what improve- ments the community wants to see. Each year in the spring, City staff reviews the financial and physical feasibility of proposed projects. Reports are provided to the elected officials. The Salina City Commission spends a significant amount of time in study sessions reviewing . the projects. During a regularly scheduled meeting, they vote on the annual update of the 5-year plan. At the time of that vote, Commissioners have taken prior citizen input into consideration, among numerous factors. The Capital Improvement Pro- gram is an integral part of local government. For 2000, the bud- get for capital improvements is $10,735,500. Not only are these expenditures the highest priced ones City government will make, but they also tend to be the most visible, and have both a current and future impact on the daily lives of our citizens. For more information on the Capital Improvement Program, call the City Manager's office at 826-7250. Late Breaking News - "1999 Project Update" lil1"co M PLETE D" Projects CentennialRoodReconstruction" U pco M IN G" Proj ects Involves improvement of Cen- EastgateAdditionDrainage-ln- tennial from Schilling to Craw- S.OhioCorridor&Drainage-A stallation of inlets, pipes and pump ford Street. Includes new pave- project to address both transporta- systems to reduce street flooding tion and drainage improvements . EA' d L . S b ment, turn lanes, curbs and gutter, I~ . a~tgate, ustm an aune u - along Ohio Street from Belmont dIvIslOns. -- $500.000 and traffic signals at Magnolia and south. Includes road. widening, Schilling. Phase 2 completion by summer of 2000. __ $5.300.000 traffic signals and intersection im- provements. -- $4.500.000 Ninth and Claflin Drainage - Included installation of major storm sewers to drain Ninth Street to a larger drainage channel. $500.000 Broadway and Republic Drain- age - Installation of linear deten- tion basins to reduce street flood- ing on Broadway Boulevard. $60.000 Projects "I N PROGRESS" W. Cloud Street Bridge - Re- placement of the bridge on West Cloud. Completion by spring of 2000. -- $625.000 Animal Shelter - Construction of new Animal Shelter building to be located just north of Carver Cen- ter on Second Street. Completion by summer of 2000. -- $900.000 Virginia/Marcella/Schilling - In- stallation of traffic signals with pedestrian crosswalks at this in- tersection. Completion by Febru- ary 2000. -- $100.000 Belmont/Magnolia Intersection Installation of traffic signals at this intersection. Completion by Feb- ruary 2000. -- $300.000 . Schilling Bridge Replacement - Kansas Department of Transpor- tation and City project to replace the bridge on Schilling Road just west of 1-135. -- $1.000.000 "0NGOI NG" Projects Street/Sidewalk Repair Program --$1.360.000 Water/Wastewater Enhance- ments -- $1.050.000 Storm water Projects -- $300.000 8 Salina Bicentennial Center 20 Years of World-Class Enjoyment The Salina Bicentennial Center is now 20 years old!! This facility was approved by voters in 1976. Construction began in 1977 and the $6.5 million building opened on June 1, 1979. The next day, Donny and Marie Osmond performed for 7,300 apprecia- tive fans. o v e r 6.6 million persons h a v e passed through the Bicenten- n i a 1 Center's doors. The facility has been a major boost for Salina with an estimated $10 million per year local economic impact. This is the impact of spend- ing at local businesses by out of town visitors drawn to Salina by a Bicen- tennial Center event. Through the years, the number of events hosted in Salina has grown from about 160toover500. Themix of events has changed as well; in- cluding concerts, theatrical perfor- mances, conventions, sporting events and tournaments, and business con- ferences. Competition has played a signifi- cant role in the Bicentennial Center's success. When constructed, very little competition existed from other facilities. Regional competition now includes facilities in Wichita, Man- hattan and Topeka. The Bicenten- nial Center's strength has been dis- trict, state and regional conventions, music con- certs and sporting events. Location has made the Bicentennial Center a very attractive sports venue. This is evident by our successful hosting of collegiate basketball tournaments and our first professional basketball team, the Kansas Cagerz. Entertainment gracing the arena has ranged from Alabama to the Harlem Globetrotters, and has even included WCWWrestling andPhan- tom of the Opera. With this myriad of activity, en- tertainment and sports, it is obvious that the Salina Bicentennial Center has become what Salina dreamed of in 1976 - a world-class venue. En- joy your Bicentennial Center! . The Salina Cltizen Articles were written by city staff, with design and editing by Jason Gage and LaDonna Bennett. Questions/Comments? Call the City Manager's office at 826-7250. a Residential Patron Salina, KS 67401 * Printed on Recycled Paper BULK RATE CAR-RT SORT U.S. POSTAGE PAID SALINA, KS Permit No. 400 City Commissioners want to hear from you Members of the Salina City Commis- sion are always interested in your com- ments and suggestions on city services and policies. 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: Monte Shadwick Don Heath Alan E. Jilka Larry L. Mathews Kristin M. Seaton 825-2221 827-8142 827-0002 823-8228 825-7926