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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. 1 1 1 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. a 1 1 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? t 66 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