05-16-1977 Minutes1
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City of Salina, Kansas
Regular Meeting of the Board
of Commissioners
May 16, 1977
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners met in the Commissione W
Room, City -County Building, on Monday, May 16, 1977, at four o'clock p.m.
The Mayor asked everyone to stand for the pledge of allegiance to the
Flag and a moment of silent prayer.
There were present:
Mayor Keith G. Duckers, Chairman presiding
Commissioner Dan S. Geis
Commissioner Karen M. Graves
Commissioner Gerald F. Simpson
comprising a quorum of the Board, also:
L. 0. Bengtson, City Attorney
Norris D. Olson, City Manager
D. L. Harrison, City Clerk
Absent:
Commissioner Jack Weisgerber
The Minutes of the Regular Meeting May 9, 1977 were approved as printed.
Mayor Duckers presented a plaque and gavel to Commissioner Simpson for
his term as Mayor from April 19, 1976 to April 18, 1977.
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THE MAYOR PROCLAIMED the Month of May, 1977 - "POPPY MONTH" and May 21,
1977 - "POPPY DAY". The proclamation was read by Mrs. Fern Hanschu, Poppy
Chairman of the American Legion Auxiliary.
STAFF AGENDA
BIDS WERE RECEIVED for Engineering Project 77-614, Parts I and II, for
street and utility improvements in Country Hills # 2, Key Acres # 2, Dow, Park
West, Wallerius and Mayfair Additions:
PART I
Water and Sanitary Sewer Improvements
Earth Excavation, Inc. $150,937.39
Commence June 6, 1977 and take 180 calendar days
Stevens Contractors, Inc. 165,395.00
Commence June 20, 1977 and take 180 calendar days
Engineer's Estimate 180,850.00
PART II
Storm Sewer and Pavement Improvements
Asphaltic Pavement Alternate
Brown & Brown, Inc. $231,295.00
Commence June 1, 1977 and take 150 calendar days after
the completion of Part I
Wilbur Construction Company 235,703.00
Commence June 30, 1977 and take 360 calendar days
Engineer's Estimate 284,145.00
PART II
Storm Sewer and Pavement Improvements
Concrete Pavement Alternate
J. S. Frank Construction Company, Inc. $236,415.00
Commence June 1, 1977 and take 200 calendar days
Engineer's Estimate 284,145.00
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A motion was made by Commissioner Graves,
refer the bids to the City Engineer to be
Ayes: (4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
seconded by Commissioner Simpson to
checked and to report back next week.
THE CITY ENGINEER reported on the Chamber of Commerce letter to the
City Commission recommending a feasibility study on the river channel through
the city and recommended that before any new feasibility studies are authorized,
concerned groups or individuals should give serious consideration to the feasibil
study by the Corps of Engineers that was presented to the City in preliminary
form in December, 1976.
Mr. Boyer asked the City Commission to instruct him to meet with the
Chamber of Commerce committee and other interested people to decide on a project,
and then proceed with the cost estimates.
Mr. Roy Allen, President of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce and
Mr. Ed Boyce, Chairman of the Community Enrichment Committee were present asking
that the City not let the project die at this point, that they agree to meet
with the City Engineer this week and that they have some assurance something is
going to happen with the project.
Mayor Duckers and the members of the City Commission directed the City
Engineer to meet with this committee at the earliest and report back to the City
Commission with facts and figures.
THE CITY ENGINEER filed a feasibility report for street and utility
improvements in Key Acres 2nd Addition, as requested in Petition Number 3621
which was filed by Doyle Yockers. A motion was made by Commissioner Simpson,
seconded by Commissioner Geis to accept the feasibility report as filed. Ayes:
(4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
A RESOLUTION was introduced and passed entitled: "A RESOLUTION determin'
the advisability of curbing, guttering, paving, grading, water main and services,
sanitary sewer and storm sewer improvements, estimating the cost thereof, definin(
the boundaries of the improvement district, method of assessment, and apportionin(
the cost between the improvement district and the City -at -large." (Street and
utility improvements in Country Club Estates Addition Number 3, requested in
Petition Number 3622, which was filed by Roy Presley.] A motion was made by
Commissioner Simpson, seconded by Commissioner Geis to adopt the resolution as
read and the following vote was had: Ayes: Graves, Simpson, Geis, Duckers (4).
Nays: (0). Commissioner Weisgerber absent. The Mayor approved the Resolution
and it is numbered 3320•
PUBLIC AGENDA
A PROPOSAL was submitted by Kenneth "Steve" Banks, LSCSW, Prince Hall
Masons, Social Action Committee Chairman, and Larry Lawler, Worshipful Master,
Prince Hall Masons, Denver Star Lodge # 34, concerning Carver Center.
Solomon Oliver - Well, first of all I will say this that I am a member
of the lodge, I am also a member of American Legion Post 29. 1 am speaking for
both organizations. I would say they are 100% behind this plan, actually they
would be because it is going to benefit them; but the City of Salina has
grown by leaps and bounds in the last, say 20 years, and we have been very
fortunate in that there were a rot of people around who saw to it that it grew
in more than commercial means. You have to do the same thing with people. You
just can't give people a job and a place to live and expect them to grow. You
have to consider the whole person. Now this is something that the black people
have not had too much consideration for over the years, mainly for financial
reasons, so this is a kind of neglect. Now what we are doing now is - we are
trying to keep you from tearing down this perfectly good building over here. It
is not a perfectly good building, but an acceptable building. And we are trying
to get you to give it to us on a - not give it to us, lease it to us on a for a
very nominal fee and we will make it available to whoever wishes to use it. It
will be rigidly controlled, some of the controls a lot of people are not going
to like, we know this to begin with. We have a lot of agencies who are present
using the building, but the method of obtaining entrance into the building is
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most unsatisfactory. Each time we want to use the building we have to come
downtown and go through a semi -hassle. So this is bad, it is demoralizing and
well it is a tough deal. Our proposed useage of the building would not interfere
with any plan that the city has for upcoming community centers because we don't
plan to turn this into a recreation center, we plan to turn this, more or less,
into a community fraternal center. There is a slight difference. We plan to
take care of the leisure time activities other than recreation. Now there will j
be some recreation involved because right now we know of one young group, young
ladies of the city who are unable to find a place to hold dances or parties or
whatever because they don't have the money. If they want to use Carver Center
it is going to cost them $25.00. We will take care of that kind of thing, that
is one of the kinds of things we wish to do. There are at present about 12
organizations that are using Carver Center. Most of them are minority organizations.
That is not the fault of Carver Center, that it just because that is the way it
happens to be. We make up 10% of the population of Salina, approximately 100.
How many Mexicans there are we don't know because we just haven't counted them.
We do know that blacks make up 10% of the population of Salina. The city cannot
grow properly if it is going to ignore 10% of the people. Now I, as an individualj,
recognize that it is not the responsibility of the City to take care of my
cultural growth. I recognize this. What we are asking you to do is to help us
to help ourselves. This is what we want. We want to get something to put here
by some effort that we expended. This is why we are asking that you put in the
name of an organization so that there will be control and the thing will be
taken care of, and we realize what we are asking for is a very ambitious project.
It might cost a lot of money. It might cost more money than the City wants to
spend, I don't know, but I think it will benefit a lot of people. We are at a
point right now where we are almost despirate for something that takes up the
leisure time of our younger people. There really isn't anything in Salina that j
appeals to cultural interests of young black people. A lot of people won't
believe this but we are different. A lot of us don't like to admit it, but we
are different. We are different in the things we do, we are different in the
things we appreciate. The entertainment that is normally appreciated by white
leaves most of us cold, so I say again there has been very little attention paid
to the cultural pursuits of young black people in Salina, and they get restless
and it gets worse as the years go by. I know there are a lot of people in here
who don't share a lot of my viewpoints, but that is neither here nor there. I am
expressing the viewpoints of the masonic family and of the American Legion.
Other people are free to express their own viewpoints. Thank you. j
Steve Banks - I would like to add something to that. Since the time
that we first initiated the proposal, I have had a chance to talk with a lot of
members of the organizations in the community, and as Solomon was saying, there
is a big need for the young people. I find that the adult groups have a need as
well; and the older citizens, the adults of the black community. Carver Center
has meant a lot to us and it will be the last of the black namesake in the
community and we see it dying for whatever reason. I think in the past maybe
it was our fault, maybe it was the city responsible; but we would like to keep
that facility going, functioning. It can be a viable part of the total community.
I think it can meet the needs of the general community once we get it off the
ground. First it will seem like it is meeting primarily the needs of the minority
community but there is so much that can be done with it that in talking with all
the people I have been talking with, it is really phenomenal. We are really
opening up something here that can really happen to help Salina. We would like
to see it happen. I have talked to a lot of people a lot of them are here today
and I would like for you to hear from them as well, the various representatives
of various organizations. I am going to turn it over to some of them and give
them a chance to try to say some things, starting with Geraldine Briscoe.
Geraldine Briscoe read a prepared statement - Dear Commissioners, the
Martin Luther King Child Care Center supports the Carver Center proposal submitted;
to you by the Prince Hall Lodge. It is signed by Geraldine Briscoe, Jerry Nelson
and Karolyn Zerger.
Steve Banks - I think we had one other support statement present.
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Fred Cravens from the Quayle United Methodist Church, read a prepared
statement - From the Black American Citizens Organization of Salina, Inc. Dear
Commissioners, Black American Citizens Organization of Salina supports the
Carver Center proposal submitted to you by the Prince Hall Lodge. Oliver D.
Green, President.
Solomon Oliver - Mr. Mayor, may I make one more statement? Something
I forgot. It has been mentioned to me that what we are trying to do seems to be
a step backwards towards separatism. Not so. Not so. By the very nature of
things, certain functions are going to remain separate, period. I don't care
what we want, certain functions are going to remain separate, and I believe that
we should face up to that and not hide our heads in the sand and say well if we
put this all here then it is going to be just another segregated deal. This is
not so, this is not what we want, this is not what we want to have. It might
turn out to be this, but it will not be our wishes, our wishes or our desires.
It will be just the way the ball bounces.
Lancer Martin - Mr. Mayor, I am not speaking for no group or nothing.
am just here at the meetin', but as I look around here I see a lot of our black
members that have been in Salina for a number of years here and I hope that you ca
take some kind of action to this here for them because they have been using
Carver Center there are some of the people supported to get Carver Center ready
for us. There is a younger group coming up and I have been seeing Carver Center
for a long, long time, and I know they have seen it much longer coming through
there.
Excel Kizer - To the Mayor and City Commissioners. I am representing
the Order of the Eastern Star and we can hold our monthly meetings at the Carver
Center and we would like to hold that place if we can.
Cordia Wesson - Of course, I am here to talk for the NAACP. That
is my business. That is my second nature from my church. Now we want to maintain
the use of Carver Center. That is one of our, it is the namesake of one of our
leading negroes. George Washington Carver, and we do not want to lose our
identity by storing us in some other place. We want to maintain that same plot
over there. We have a nice playground for our young people when it is kept up.
It is a nice place for us to go. The City Manager and the City Mayor knows all
about it because they are members of NAACP. They know all about it, and they
know how badly we need it repaired, or a new building. The floors are alright,
but that is just about all that is all right around there, and we will certainly
appreciate whatever the city can do to help us maintain that plot over there
because we love it. I haven't been here but 30 years but some of these children
were raised there, and we just want to keep it there, and we want it brought up
to date. We want it nice and we want the office rooms and everything that you
have in the other centers of the city, we want that for us, and so see what you
can do in favor of dear old Carver Center. George Washington Carver Center.
Look what Minneapolis have done. They have a cafe there. They have George
Washington Carver's picture as you go into the door, right at the door and a lot
of nice things about him there and that is maintained by white people. And
know you are going to do something for poor old Carver Center.
Jerry Nelson - I am a co-director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Child
Care Center and I am also a mother here in Salina, Kansas and I have two children
and I have very fond memories of Carver Center, and I grew up there and I did
lots of things and I just hope that I can bring my children up there in the
Salina community and that they might enjoy Carver Center as I did and I hope
that you will save Carver Center.
Regina Green - At one time I worked there with the young people and I
know how dearly they loved to go to Carver Center for their weekend programs,
dances and whatever entertainment was planned for them, and I do hope that it
can be restored before it is too late.
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Rev. J. E. Jones - I just want to say that I am sure all of you see
that the majority of the people really want to save Carver Center and I am quite
sure it can be saved. Of course I have one question, and that is what happened
to the idea to rebuild it as recommended by the Citizens' Advisory Committee
some time ago? I hope you haven't dropped that, 'cause it seems like the majority
of the black people in the community would like to have it saved, plus giving us
enough, I mean appropriating enough funds for a director over there so that this
building can be made available and somebody with the know-how and expertise to
direct those type of activities that is needed in Carver Center. I think it is
a needed thing and most of the people want it, and I would ask that before you
make your final decision think about that, what you can do. Now somehow or
another we have seen here in the last two or three years, I have been able to
maintain a director over there to keep the center open and made it available for
the people, when time comes for them to get in there. We have a lot of fusses,
as Oliver said, about this key business, and I am quite sure you can correct
that deficiency.
Mayor Duckers - Thank you Rev. Jones. Any other comments?
Commissioner Simpson - Solomon, do you have a price tag on your 21
items of repair?
Solomon Oliver - About $60,000.00, a mere pittance.
Commissioner Simpson - I have a very serious question about if we are
spending $200,000 on a potentially segregated facility at Memorial Hall, that
was not my understanding when this was discussed and recommendations made and
input from several individuals and groups, and now am I hearing that that is a
facility that will not in any way, shape or form serve the black community or
the minority community of this community.
Solomon Oliver - No, no, this is the point I tried to bring out, is
that what we want to do over there will in no way interfere with Memorial Hall,
in fact it will probably enhance Memorial Hall because we will be taking the
meetings, the various meetings that are going to take up space there, and we
will be taking care of them over there. This is primarily what we want this
place for.
Commissioner Simpson - Yeah, okay, I kind of got along to that point
and then we started talking about programs and a director and so forth and
CETA. Then I think we are really duplicating facilities or potentially duplicating
facilities and programs within a two or three block area.
Solomon Oliver - What we are asking for Mr. Commissioner is in the
letter. That is all we are asking. j
Commissioner Simpson - Yeah.
Solomon Oliver - We don't want to detract from anything.
Mayor Duckers - I am wondering if Carmen has some comments?
Carmen Chirveno - Carmen received this proposal about a half hour
before this meeting.
Mayor Duckers - So you haven't had a chance to ..
Commissioner Graves - Well, is there any money left in the Housing
and
Community Development Neighborhood Center budget. What was there about six
hundred thousand and how many dollars were put aside for community centers,
because I think our thinking when we dealt with this issue a few months ago
was
that for the price of rebuilding Carver Center at that location we could get
Memorial Hall renovated and a neighborhood center in Centennial center where
much of the black population lives too, in other words we could have two areas
for what we would have done if we had spent it all in that one location. I
am
just wondering is there any money left like for $60,000.00 worth of repairs
for
the fraternal, because I hear what you are saying and I know what you mean,
that
you need a social place to go for dances, and you are not necessarily going
to
go over and put on your best dress and take your best girl or guy and go to
Memorial Hall for a bash, is that what you are saying? I mean you can't go
socialize in a club atmosphere.
Mayor Duckers - One of the problems too with fraternal organizations,
they need a home base where they have the paraphernalia and all the things they
want and it is hard to move into a room one night and move out for the other six
nights of the week, or whatever, and I can sympathize with them there and I am
just wondering, Larry, are we running into some sort of legal hassle here if we
have a lease back?
Larry Bengtson - I have some reservations in my mind, as I have been
sitting and listening to this. Normally funds that you have, whether it is
revenue sharing or whether it is city dollars, must be used for the general good
of the entire community, not a private group or private organization. Like I
say, I don't know what you are talking about in regards to lease, I haven't seen
the lease, I don't know what would be the contents of it; but I would have
serious reservations about spending whether it would be revenue sharing funds
or whether they be tax dollars of the city for the use of one fraternal organizatil
mean we have several in town and if you do it for one and there is no saying
that another fraternal organization would not come to you and ask for the similar
same type of arrangements and I would, I think, reserve any decision I might
have as to the legality 'till I saw the specifics of it.
Commissioner Simpson - Keith, just off the top on Community Development
funds would that appear to be broad enough for those uses?
Keith Rawlings - I am a little like Carmen in that I had it a little
more than half an hour before the meeting today. The reservations that I had
about it revolve around your commitment or semi -commitment at this point toward
Memorial Hall, and I think as far as Community Development funds are concerned, i
it pretty well states that they need to be going in in this area into a neighborho
center and unless you adopt a split campus approach, which I haven't seen any
attempts from any other community to do that sort of a thing, and call both
sites one neighborhood center. I have some reservations about going both ways.
The money that has been allocated for Memorial Hall is specifically for a neighbor
center for north Salina, so I don't know, I would also like to reserve final I
decision or comment on it until I have had a chance to either talk to HUD or
review the regulations a little more, but those are the reservations I have
right now.
Mayor Duckers - If we would have followed the original recommendations
of the CAC to renovate or rebuild at the Carver Center site, essentially you
would have had what you are proposing having now, is that not correct?
Commissioner Simpson - Well, with the exception of turning the
responsibility of it over to a specific fraternal organization. I don't think
that was in the CAC original recommendation.
Commissioner Geis - That is the biggest reservation I have about this
suggestion. I wholeheartedly support the idea of using Carver Center and not
allowing a facility of that nature to just dissolve into a vacant lot; but I do
share serious reservations about fixing up a facility of that nature for one
particular group, a fraternal order or whatever it happens to be, simply because,
as Larry has already mentioned, of the precedent that would apply to other
groups in the community.
Commissioner Graves - Except we would be fixing up our own building
that the city owns, then we would lease it to somebody. If somebody else came
and said fix up our building, we don't own their building, so it would be
different in that respect wouldn't it? We would be repairing a building that we
own.
Commissioner Geis - Yes, but it is public, I mean if we indeed own it
then it is public property and I do question the desirability of the city acting
along those lines. Now that was my very first reaction to this, was it sounds
great but what are we getting into if we do it? Administratively I think that
things could be worked out so that hassles could be removed if the facility were
fixed up to accommodate whoever wanted to use it whenever they wanted to use it,
but as to going in and cleaning house and fixing it up and turning the keys over
to one particular group, I question that very much.
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Solomon Oliver - To be frank with you Mr. Mayor, what we wanted was to
buy the property but we would never be able to afford it. We realize that.
Commissioner Graves - Make us an offer.
Commissioner Simpson - At it's present value?
Lancer Martin - Who owns the community theatre? And it is under the
Cultural Arts Commission. I don't know if the city owns it or what, but I am
wondering if some kind of arrangement similar to that is possible? The lodges
are non-profit organizations, and I don't know if they would deny anybody the
use of it other than the lodge. I couldn't conceive of them doing that.
don't know, but I was just wondering if that is one way that it might be handled.
Mayor Duckers - I think we are kind of at a point where we need to
have Mr. Bengtson research this thing a little bit, but I think I sense that
everyone on the bench is very sympathetic and would like to work with you if it
is within legal bounds to do it. Carver Center, the idea of scrapping it originally
it seemed to be that it would be a better thing to renovate Memorial Hall, to be
better facilities over there. But I can understand as far as fraternal groups
are concerned, they do need a home base, and I don't think that they can have
that in Memorial Hall as we are seeing now, because it is going to have to be
open to everybody, anytime that they want to schedule it. You will have to get
in and get out.
Steve Banks - Mr. Mayor, I would like to clarify one point. Now there
are a lot of other organizations involved in this. It wouldn't just be the
lodge, when it got down to it.
Mayor Duckers - They are just carrying the ball on the whole thing
Steve Banks - Yeah, right. What I see us doing, Mr. Oliver might have
some difference to make, but I think we can get together, we are taking some of
the responsibility that the city ordinarily would have for programming activities,]
coordinating things. Now that may not be possible for one private group to
happen, but we can - I am sure can work on - We are blessed with to work out
something that all of us can be involved in, and you have seen some of the
organizations represented here. I think we can get it all together, with everybod�
involved and work for something that would be legal. Whatever you do, let's not
let it die because of that one legal technicality.
Mayor Duckers - I think one of your next steps too is to meet with
Miss Chirveno and get some input from her how you could work in concert with
what her department is doing.
Carmen Chirveno - I might say I think this is the first time I really
heard of it about a half hour ago, so it is kind of hard to determine it, but if
I hear the black community saying, hey we will take the responsibility of really
having a good neighborhood community center that can really do things to serve
the people of our community, then I personally, but again I want to say I haven't
read this, I got it a half hour ago, I think we should do everything possible to
have that type - my question comes because I am not familiar with it, is why it
hasn't been used to the full potential and I am getting some answers now as I
listen to different people. I would suppose from what I heard everyone say is to
do as much as we can for the youth of the community. That is the important
thing regardless of who's idea we use; whether it is my idea or NAACP's idea, that!
isn't important. The important thing is to serve the need of the youth in this
community, so I don't think we should have to be - and I believe in the people
that are here are not going to be bickering about as to doing what. I mean
these people know what is going to serve their own community. Now I do wonder
why so much of this wasn't said before when we were doing some of the planning
and it wan't secretive, because I have talked to some of the very people that
have talked to this and I have to, you know, be open enough to say what I believe..:
talked to the very people about these plans and some of the comments sound a
little different than they did when I first talked to them. I am very open to
this and there is nothing that is saying someone is going to do this or do
this. What we want to do is work with the community to serve the community, and
if that can be done I mean I am perfectly open to discuss it with them any time.
Lancer Martin - Mr. Mayor, I think we are getting into a long discussi
again, like the other meetin'. I wonder if you could set up a meeting like
you did on the river banks with Mr. Oliver and Mr. Banks over there and get to
this because I think we have drifted off into two different things. I don't
think we want to condemn this center over here, I think we are more or less
talking about Carver Center for a meeting place for these people that have been
meetin' there, for us that have been meetin' there. For you that have been on
the NAACP have met there, and I think we are drifting off in another way here.
Solomon Oliver - Mr. Mayor, I think we have taken enough of your time
but I had legal reservations too, I didn't know. I had some legal reservations
and I still have a few reservations, but I think it is a good plan if we can
work it, and I sure hope the city will help us to help ourselves, and I think
you for your time.
Commissioner Graves - Well, I remember when the North Side Redevelopm
Association went in and took materials and fixed up houses and did all that
marvelous work, would there be any possibility of something like that? Of
getting the gang together again and having a paint up, fix up.
Mayor Duckers - I think it is more extensive than that.
Commissioner Simpson - The Recreation Commission has had, have they
not, custody and control really of this facility for some time, and I don't know
what their feelings are about the center if they have relinquished control or
are in the process, or ..
Mr. Olson - No they really haven't, I think if Mrs. Green is still
here, she was employed by the Recreation Commission and was keeper of the hall,
so to speak, for I guess a number of years. She was when I came here and up
until the time when she retired, I guess; and they still have the keys to the
building and whatever functions or activities take place there, with the blessin
of the Recreation Commission, scheduled through them, yes, and all we have done
is patch the cracks, and the leaks, tried to, and this type of thing. But
really I wonder if the frame work of that old building is sufficient to hold a
nail. I have been told in many instances it is not. That is the reservation
I have.
Commissioner Simpson - What is the condition of the pool now? I know
Lancer was here a couple of months ago and talked about some needed improvements
there. Have those been taken care of?
Mr. Olson - Well, the motor, the pool mechanical equipment, as
understand hasn't it Don, has been taken care of this year. I think he mentioned
something about a new diving board, is probably the only one item. I think the
mechanical though is a good as ..
Mayor Duckers - I am wondering, during the interim period here if
there is something that maybe we can do to resolve the apparent hassle that is
necessary to get that building unlocked. That doesn't seem right, nor necessary
and I would hope that maybe the staff could investigate that for them and make
it possible for them ...
Mr. Olson - .. Well, I think for the lodge or anyone else who meets
over there I think they would like to have certain controls, I mean those who
have authority to use the building or who have in the past used it and taken
care of it, and I think everyone appreciates how easy it is to have a key made.
You could change a paddlock over there and if these groups, or these people, or
anybody else don't cooperate before long you have got ten or fifteen keys out,
ten or fifteen different people having access; apparently this hasn't been
abused too much, if any, I don't know, but if they have to keep coming over here
after the key apparently it hasn't been abused or they would have their own
keys by now. Well this is normal, I think. If you get so unhappy with somethinc
pretty soon you have a key made.
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Excel Kizer - Mr. Mayor, when the Eastern Star holds their meetings we
come down to the Recreation Office and get a key, unlock it then after our meeting
the next day we have to bring the key back to the recreation office, so we
don't have a key.
Mayor Duckers - Just off hand I would trust you with a key. I really
would. It shouldn't be made difficult for you, but they have to have controls
too.
Rev. Jones - Mr. Mayor, before you leave this, I have some reservations,
I know it is going to be a tremendous thing for those keys for that building for
any one group so my personal feeling is save the landmark Carver Center, because
I sense through the community that is what the people more or less want, and if
you would reserve it, then everyone would still have access to it. I see where
you are going to have to invest something here. So you get someone over there
that will plan something for the youth and also for the adults, maybe because we j
are going to look at the leisure center over there and say well you don't need
that part and actually that is true too, but I am thinking if you get the right
group together and put a package together here and recommend what is the best
thing to be done to reserve it. I think this is what the community would like
to have done.
Commissioner Graves - What about a historic preservation? Calling it
a historic landmark?
Mayor Duckers - Well I think we certainly have heard your appeal and
are sympathetic with it and want to work with you and we cannot assure you of
anything more today other than our good intentions.
Commissioner Geis - I just like to suggest that we establish whatever
means possible to study the possibilities of revamping Carver Center and perhaps
we could get a report back along with the legal contingencies involved in that
kind of a thing so that we would have something that we could look at and make
some decisions on.
Commissioner Simpson - There could be an ad hoc committee perhaps and
the Prince Hall Masons that could meet with the staff.
Commissioner Geis - Let's do it.
Mayor Duckers - Carmen I would like to ask you to be the coordinator
on that if you would please, if you will coordinate with Miss Chirveno and get
with staff and we will hear from you at the earliest.
Commissioner Graves - I would like to come to it.
Mayor Duckers - Good, you can represent the Commission on it if you
w.i l l . .
Commissioner Geis - I would like to make that in the form of a motion
as to make it a formal
Commissioner Simpson - Second.
Mayor Duckers - Did you include in your motion that Commissioner
Graves represent the Commission on that ad hoc committee?
Commissioner Geis - I would include Commissioner Graves, yes.
Ayes: (4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
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Mayor Duckers - Thank you for a good presentation.
CEREAL MALT BEVERAGE License application was filed by Highway Oil, Inc.,
624.North Santa Fe Avenue (New application). The City Clerk reported the
applicant has paid the required fee and the application has been approved by the
Health Department, Zoning Officer, and the Police Department. A motion was made
by Commissioner Geis, seconded by Commissioner Simpson to approve the license
application and authorize the City Clerk to issue the license. Ayes: (4).
Nays: (0). Motion carried.
CEREAL MALT BEVERAGE License application was filed by John Frank
Rasdall, Jr., d/b/a Broadway Plaza Texaco Service, 700 South Broadway (New
application) The City Clerk reported the applicant has paid the required fee
and the application has been approved by the Health Department, Zoning Officer
and the Police Department. A motion was made by Commissioner Geis, seconded by
Commissioner Simpson to approve the license application and authorize the City
Clerk to issue the license. Ayes: (4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
A REQUEST was received from Jeff Mueller and Connie Munk to discuss
the condition of the animal shelter.
Jeff Mueller and Connie Munk, students of South Junior High School, were
present and explained they made a trip to the animal shelter 2 weeks ago on a
science field trip. They listed the deficiencies and bad conditions they j
found: crowded conditions, 7 big dogs in one run; the wiring isn't adequate,
with one outlet for about 10 different appliances; screens on the runs have I
patches where the dogs can rub up against it and get cut from it; and the carbon
monoxide chamber where they euthanize, two men have passed out from carbon
monoxide one of them fell over on the cement and broke his arm, somebody could
get killed easily; the runs aren't slanting, and the feeding conditions are not
sanitary; the cat cages are banks of wire cages which may be fine for the cat
on the top, but not too sanitary for the cats on the botton; the bathroom is not
kept up very nice, and it is also used as a store room and it is dirty in
there; there is a firing range right by the shelter; it is not temperature
controlled very well, there is one air conditioner in the office, and they can't i
very well open the windows because the flies are so bad. They asked for some
changes as soon as possible such as more dog runs, patching, additional electrica
outlets, better conditions for the puppies.
Mayor Duckers thanked them for their report.
Commissioner Simpson said the euthanasia chamber was presented as a
problem some time ago and asked if that problem has not been corrected?
Mrs. Nancy Hodges, Humane Association, reported that Captain Huff has
been very helpful and the Police Department is making some improvement. She
reported the euthanasia chamber is vented now and is air tight and they are
filtering and cooling the monoxide as it goes into the chamber which was about
the last thing that needed to be done.
Commissioner Simpson asked how many animals are taken care of at the
shelter during a given year.
Mr. Harris reported it was over 3,000 last year.
Commissioner Simpson asked how many are brought in voluntarily and how
many are violations of the leash law?
Chief Woody replied that most are violations of the leash law.
Mrs. Hodges said there are some things that could be done that the
Humane Association is working on with the Police Department, such as if the
animal is running loose and has a collar the animal need not be taken to the
shelter but the owner fined, just issued a ticket right there. $5.00 the first
time, $10.00 the second and $25.00 and an automatic court appearance the third
time; cheaper licensing for neutered animals. A lot of things can be worked out
and the Police Department has been very cooperative, and there are things we
need to be thinking of. "I was very pleased the children were concerned enough
to go out and take the pictures and really follow up on their report because it
is not a real happy place out there." She asked the commissioners to go out on
a day they are euthanizing to check it out.
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Mayor Duckers thanked the young people for their report and said these
things will be investigated by the staff.
I
THE PHASE II REPORT, HUMAN NEEDS AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF SALINA,
KANSAS by the United Way of America was presented to the City Commissioners.
Mr. James Geisendorf read a prepared statement: "Thank you for the
opportunity to discuss this report with you and of course you realize this is
the final product of Phase II of Community Studies.
"You may recall, Phase I was the inventory of all the human needs and
services provided in Salina, and that inventory is presently being used by the
United Way Information and Referral Services.
"Phase II was the analysis, by professional consultants, to identify
these unmet needs.
"This report was prepared to assist the governing agencies, and funding
bodies and the voluntary agencies to respond to the public pressures and requests
for specific human needs and services.
"I think it is significant that the sixty-nine people who made up the
task force, the United Way and the planning consultants found a relatively few,
very modest number of unmet needs in Salina compared with any other community or
area of this size; however that is not to say that they are not here, nor that
they do not need to be met.
"There was no single method for study that could be used due to the
intangible nature of some of the needs and the concrete nature of others. So
many of the intangible needs lack all the documentation and the records that are
necessary, while some of the more concrete ones we live with every day.
"The sixty-nine people who made up the five task force groups, met
separately for however long it took them to assess the problems in their area,
and made up their lists and then met as a total group and assessed their findings,
grouping them according to their priority into these three groups.
Group 1 - Highest Priority
Needs to be implemented immediately
Group 2 - Urgent
Can wait for implementation
Group 3 - Longer Range
Can wait for future implementation
"Criteria considered in grouping was:
1. Relationship of the need to survival and if not
solved, how serious the threat.
2. How many people are affected. Greater the number,
the higher the ranking.
3. How feasible is the implementation? Can it be
done, and how easy or simple
"I am not going to take any more of your time with it, because I know
you have copies of it. When the Commission is ready to release copies of this
report, which incidentally is the sole property of the City of Salina, we would
like to have enough copies to present to the County Commissioners and to the
board members of the United Way. I would also assume you, and you alone,
will present the news media copies of this when you are ready. If there are any
questions at all I would be happy to turn them over to Ron."
Mayor Duckers thanked Mr. Geisendorf and asked if the Commissioners
had any questions or comments.
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Commissioner Simpson thanked the United Way and the committee for this
presentation. "It is a very comprehensive study and report, and I know as you
say James, that while we are looking pretty good we certainly don't have everythi
solved or resolved. I think the report rather clearly defines those areas that
need some work.''
Commissioner Geis asked what the Commission does with the report now?
Mr. Geisendorf replied that the Commission can use the report as a
method of referral when a group comes before it with a specific request. By
using the report the Commission can see how this large group of people have
assessed the specific need, and use the report as a reference.
A motion was made by Commissioner Geis, seconded by Commissioner
Simpson to accept the report, and to make it available to the news media. Ayes:
(4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
COMMISSION AGENDA
The Commissioners did not bring anything to the floor for discussion.
A MOTION was made by Commissioner Geis, seconded by Commissioner
Simpson that the Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners be adjourned.
Ayes: (4). Nays: (0). Motion carried.
D. L. Harrison, City Clerk