07-17-1978 MinutesCity of Salina, Kansas
Regular Meeting of the Board
of Commissioners
July 17, 1978
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners met in the Commission
Meeting Room, City -County Building, on Monday, July 17, 1978, at four o'clock
P.M.
The Mayor asked everyone to stand for the opening ceremony.
There were present:
Mayor Jack Weisgerber, Chairman presiding
Commissioner Keith G. Duckers
Commissioner Dan S. Geis
Commissioner Karen M. Graves
comprising a quorum of the Board, also:
L. 0. Bengtson, City Attorney
Norris D. Olson, City Manager
D. L. Harrison, City Clerk
Absent:
Commissioner Gerald F. Simpson
The Minutes of the Special Meeting of July 10, 1978, the Regular
Meeting of July 10, 1978, and the Special Meeting of July 13, 1978 were approved
as printed.
THE MAYOR ISSUED A PROCLAMATION calling upon all Salinans to congratulate
and wish much success to Miss Lori Bergen, Miss Kansas for 1978.
THE MAYOR ISSUED A PROCLAMATION asking the citizens of Salina to join
with him in offering congratulations to Miss Sarah Duckers, the 17 year old
daughter of Commissioner and Mrs. Keith Duckers, for being selected Vice-president
of Girls' Nation.
STAFF AGENDA
AN ORDINANCE was introduced for second reading entitled: "AN ORDINANCE
establishing an Employee Benefits Contribution Fund in the City of Salina,
Kansas." A motion was made by Commissioner Geis, seconded by Commissioner
Duckers to adopt the ordinance as read and the following vote was had: Ayes:
Duckers, Geis, Graves, Weisgerber (4). Nays: (0). Commissioner Simpson absent.
Carried. The Mayor approved the ordinance and it is numbered 8646. The
ordinance was introduced for first reading July 10, 1978.
AN ORDINANCE was introduced for second reading entitled: "AN ORDINANCE
providing for the vacation of street right-of-way on the west side of Ohio
Street from Cloud Street to Schippel Drive in the City of Salina, Saline County,
Kansas." A motion was made by Commissioner Duckers, seconded by Commissioner
Graves to adopt the ordinance as read and the following vote was had: Ayes:
Duckers, Geis, Graves, Weisgerber (4). Nays: (0). Commissioner Simpson absent.
Carried. The Mayor approved the ordinance and it is numbered 8647. The
ordinance was introduced for first reading July 10, 1978.
A MOTION was made by Commissioner Geis, seconded by Commissioner
Graves to set the date of August 7, 1978 as the date for budget hearing for the
1979 budget and authorize the City Clerk to publish the notice of hearing.
Ayes: (4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
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A MOTION was made by Commissioner Geis, seconded by Commissioner
Graves to set the date of August 7, 1978 as the date for budget hearing for the
Proposed Uses of Revenue Sharing Funds for the 10th Entitlement Period and
authorize the City Clerk to publish the notice of hearing. Ayes: (4). Nays:
(0). Motion carried.
Mr. John Chalmers, Chairman of the Citizens' Advisory Committee,
expressed his concern about cutting the Human Resources proposed budget. He
said when Carver Center was considered for replacement or rebuilding, the first
and foremost priority was that a program be provided, that it was not so important',
to replace the building as to provide a program. Without a program and proper
maintenance, it will be an improperly used building.
Helen Crawford, private citizen and long time member of the Citizens'
Advisory Committee, expressed her concern that the centers built with Community
Development money be properly staffed and properly maintained. She said rather
than embark on other new programs, let's take care of what we have and do the
job properly. Every citizen would salute the idea cutting taxes, and maybe the
thing to do is not add a lot more new services.
Commissioner Graves, said her thinking about Carver Center was that
the building would be used for fraternal and social needs, as a meeting place,
rather than a full line of activities.
Geraldine Briscoe, said she is here to speak to Human Resources and
Carver Center. She said she understood that Carver Center would be a meeting
place, and that it should be properly maintained.
Commissioner Duckers asked if the people are looking for someone to
come in and develop programs or are they looking for the building to be used as
a place for various groups to meet?
Geraldine Briscoe said she understood the building would be used as a
meeting place, and that it would be properly maintained. She said the staff and
budget at Memorial Hall Neighborhood Center should not be cut, because the
children go there and like it.
Rev. J. E. Jones, member of the Human Relation Commission and an
interested citizen, said the Prince Hall Masons were working to maintain a
symbol of Carver in this city and to have a place where they could hold their
meetings and have other public meetings, and the CAC wants to make sure the
building is properly maintained so the building is not valdalized; but the
people are not pushing for a full time director after the Bicentennial Building
was approved, and if everything had not been combined at Memorial Hall, it would
have been different.
Commissioner Duckers said the older group that met with the Commission
said the youth activities would be well met at Memorial Hall Neighborhood Center
because of the near proximity and they wanted meeting rooms and facilities for
adult social activities, clubs and organizations to meet, and be maintained and
secured.
Cindy Entriken, Chairwoman of the Abused Woman Task Force, said with
the limited publicity her organization has had, she has already had two calls
for help. She said the program is very despirately needed, and the organization
needs the help of the city and county.
Nancy Hodges, President of the Saline County Humane Association, said
she appreciates the City Commission concern about lower taxes, and we all feel
the burden of that. She said infant, early childhood care and senior citizens
and people in nursing homes are priorities just below water and sewage treatment,
and those are all people problems. The heart of any community is the people,
and animals are not an animal problem, they are a people problem. She reviewed
the history of the animal shelter and asked the City Commission not to cut the
proposed budget for animal control and hoped that it will not be a trade off
between people problems and dog problems, because it is a concern for many
people in the community.
Kay Carlson, Chairwoman of the Animal Control Board, said she has to
second what Nancy Hodges has said. She said she visited with 6 of her board
members today and they ask that the City Commission not cut any of the programs
the Commission feels are necessary, but they do feel it is time that, in addition
to those programs, the City Commission do something about that shelter because
there have never been any capital expenditures out there and it is time to do
something about it. She said the board is concerned with animal control right
now and that it is the first big step, and asked that the animal control budget
not be cut until the Animal Control Board has had an opportunity to provide the
City Commission with further input that the Animal Control Board thinks is
necessary for the City Commission to do.
W. 0. Brown, said he is not concerned about anything but cutting
taxes. He said he wants a copy of the budget and has been unable to get one.
Mr. Olson said copies will be available in the Public Library, and
that copies will be available tomorrow after the City Commission approves whateve
budget it desires for publication.
Bob Whitworth, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce, asked
what budget the City Commission is approving today, and asked what the procedure
is?
Mayor Weisgerber explained that the Public Hearing will be held August
7, and on that date the Commission cannot increase the budget but can cut it or
leave it as it is.
Mr. Whitworth asked the City Commission not to cut the proposed budget
for the Industrial Development Fund because that money is used to promote Salina,
Kansas, to new industries and retail firms and is the best money the city can
spend.
Fred Vandegrift, Vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce, said the
money spent by the city through the Economic Development Fund is the best money
the Commission could spend, and get the kind of action that you get by the job
the Chamber does. He asked the City Commission to increase the money not decreas
it.
Commissioner Graves said her position at the budget work session last
week was to see if the City Commission is putting the money where it gets the
best use.
Mr. Whitworth said the fund helps to create new jobs in the city, and
that those living here have a decent wage.
Commissioner Duckers asked what impact the industry brought to Salina
has had on the city?
Mr. Vandegrift said he doesn't have statistics, but Westinghouse and
Beech Aircraft have come to Salina, and the list goes on and on.
W. 0. Brown, said don't let the tax situation get so the citizens have
to do what was done in California. He said the city tax has been raised every
year, and asked if the City Commission has cut all the fat out of the budget?
Cindy Entriken, said she thinks it is important to promote Salina,
Kansas.
Leo Knoblauch, appeared to discuss the golf course. He said there is a
need for a raise in golf course fees, but the increases range from 33% to 2000
and those are too high. He suggested the increase should be 35% overall for all
the raises incorporated, and if the Commission doesn't see it that way, he
suggested that the Commission eliminate the raise for senior citizens.
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Carmen Chirveno, Human Resources Coordinator, distributed copies of
the minutes regarding comments and commitments for the staffing of Memorial
Hall. She also said it is her understanding that there will not be a full
program at Centennial Center or Carver Center, but that the staff from Memorial
Hall would provide services to both, particularly regarding latch key children
after school. She said she does not feel the 5 staff members presently working
at the Neighborhood Center is being overstaffed.
Charlie Stark, said the worst enemy of the American people is inflation,,'
and every budget is increased because of inflation. He suggested taking the 11
million dollar bud t d
ge an squeezing the water out of it and getting it down
somewhere similar to what we had last year. The Federal, State and municipal
governments, labor unions, and business should try to beat the inflationary
spiral. He said he gets 3 to 10 letters a day advising that they have got a
price increase that range from 4% to 10%, and it is discouraging and alarming to
have it go on and nobody seems willing to accept the fact that it is a problem.
He asked the City Commission to do all they can to hold the budget down, even at
the expense of eliminating some of the programs we might have been supporting in
the past.
Mayor Weisgerber commented that the 4 to 10% increases is precisely
why the city budget has to go up, because those increases are passed along to
the city.
W. 0. Brown said the Commission has been using Revenue Sharing funds
in the past to underwrite the things that you are doing here and you didn't use
it for what it was supposed to be used, and that is to cut taxes; now you are
taking the Revenue Sharing out and that is what is causing this increase.
Mayor Weisgerber commented that the money to start up the Bicentennial
Center has to be available from some source.
Geri Nelson, Martin Luther King Child Care Center, said that Carmen
has done a beautiful job in the Neighborhood Center and asked that the City
Commission not cut the Neighborhood Center budget.
Judy Morrison, Community Leader for the 4-H Club, said they have been
working with Carmen at the Neighborhood Center. She said it is a place where
children who cannot afford to go to the municipal pool or the country club, have
a place to go and do things. She added it is a tremendous place and something
this community really needs and it is run very well, and thinks it should continues
Carolyn Zerger, said we have an unusual Neighborhood Center in that we
have not had any incidents there of children getting in trouble, or fights, or
problems. Everybody is welcome to go there whether they are young or old. Not
all community recreation centers operate this way, and if you don't have sufficient
staff you are going to have trouble. She said the City Commission is talking
about opening 2 other centers and there will be trouble if you don't have sufficient
staff, and a staff that knows what they are doing, and that includes the clean-
up staff because it is important to the operation of the center. She said much
more has been accomplished at that center than was thought was going to happen,
because there are kids down there all the time, because it is a place they can
go and find something to do and it isn't costing them anything, and it is keeping
them off the streets and keeping them out of trouble. She added if the City
Commission cuts the staff it is going to go the other way for you.
Carmen said if we are going to give any service whatsoever to Centennial''
Center there would be no way possible of servicing those centers with less staff
than we have at the present time.
George Yarnevich, President of the United Way in Salina, Kansas, said
Carmen discussed a position paper with the City Commission on Revenue Sharing
uses. He said it is now possible for these funds to be distributed through the
United Way for Human Services, and that the United Way can help the City Commissioh,
determine how these funds might best be used, and the position paper has a lot
of merit and should be given careful consideration.
Commissioner Geis asked what percent of funds would be allocated to
the different agencies if the City Commission decided to do this?
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Mike Sanders, Executive Director of the United Way, said a very small
percentage of the funds would be used for administration costs, and would like
to offer the expertise and mechanism of the United Way to determine how the
Revenue Sharing funds should be distributed to the human services agencies.
Helen Crawford asked that $5,000 be left in the budget for Paper
Recycling.
Bill Harris commented that the operation is being subsidized beyond
the cash put into it and that the city is having to warehouse the paper because
the market is flooded and there is no demand for it.
A MOTION was made by Commissioner Duckers, seconded by Commissioner
Graves to publish the Revenue Sharing Fund as follows: Health Department
$63,000.00, Human Resources $119,138.00, Bicentennial Center $200,000.00, for
a total of $382,13$.00. Ayes: (4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
Mr. Olson said a new state law, effective July 1st, requires a $20,000+
assessment to the Police Academy, to be financed through an assessment
collected on court fines. The budget for Municipal Court needs to be amended by
adding $20,000 as an expenditure to be remitted to the State Treasurer, and add
$20,000 to Revenue Account 410, Court Fines, this will not increase the mill
levy.
A motion was made by Commissioner Geis, seconded by Commissioner
Graves that this amendment be included in the proposed budget. Ayes: (4).
Nays: (0). Motion carried.
A MOTION was made by Commissioner Duckers, seconded by Commissioner
Geis to set the date of July 31, 1978 as the date to receive bids for a 12
passenger van for the St. Joseph's Children's Home, and instruct the City Clerk
to advertise for bids. Ayes: (4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
PUBLIC AGENDA
PETITION NUMBER 3707 was filed by Dean Strowig for the approval of the
plat of Frisbie Acres in the north 1/2 of the Southeast Quarter of Section 19,
Township 14 South, Range 2 West. A motion was made by Commissioner Graves,
seconded by Commissioner Duckers to refer the petition to the City Planning
Commission for a recommendation. Ayes: (4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
COMMISSION AGENDA
A motion was made by Commissioner Geis, seconded by Commissioner
Graves to add the scheduling of the gazebo in Oakdale Park to the agenda for
consideration. Ayes: (4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
Commissioner Geis said he has had some calls about the scheduling of
the gazebo, and that the present method of the placing of signs and people
scheduling their own activities does not work. He said he has visited with Don
Jolley of the Recreation Commission about scheduling its use and Mr. Jolley said
he would schedule it similar to the way ball diamonds are scheduled, and that he
would like to see this procedure allowed.
George Wood said the bulletin board has been installed as directed by
the City Commission, and the Salina Arts Commission has been scheduling the
events in the gazebo on an informal basis.
A motion was made by Commissioner Geis, seconded by Commissioner
Duckers to charge the Recreation Commission with the responsibility of bookings
for the gazebo, and issuing permits as they see fit, or taking such steps as
they see fit for announcing it or publicising it as necessary. Ayes: (4).
Nays: (0). Motion carried.
A MOTION was made by Commissioner Duckers, seconded by Commissioner
Graves that the Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners be adjourned.
Ayes: (4). Nays: (0). Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 5:30 P.M.
D. L. Harrison, City Clerk