Loading...
02-02-1976 Minutes1 206 City of Salina, Kansas Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners February 2, 1976 The Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners met in the Commissioners' Room, City -County Building, on Monday, February 2, 1976 at four o'clock p.m. The Mayor asked everyone to stand for the pledge of allegiance to the Flag and a monent of silent prayer. There were present: Mayor Robert C. Caldwell, Chairman presiding Commissioner Keith G. Duckers Commissioner Gerald F. Simpson Commissioner W. M. Usher Commissioner Jack Weisgerber comprising a quorum of the Board, also: L. 0. Bengtson, Norris D. Olson, D. L. Harrison, Absent: None City Attorney City Manager City Clerk The Minutes of the Regular Meeting of January 26, 1976, were approved as printed. THE MAYOR PROCLAIMED the Week of February 8 - 14, 1976 - "VOCATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK IN SALINA". The proclamation was read by Gene Lundgrin, Director of Salina Area Vocational Technical School. THE MAYOR PROCLAIMED the Week of February 1 - 7, 1976 - "CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK". The proclamation was read by Father James Hoover. STAFF AGENDA BIDS WERE RECEIVED for Engineering Project 75-596 Phase II (Salina Downtown Beautification Project): Wilson Constructors, Inc. $66,524.00 J. S. Frank Construction Co., Inc. 66,789.42 Smoky Hill, Inc. 102,272.60 Engineer's Estimate 112,557.80 Commissioner Duckers stated Mr. Ralph Ricklefs, Jr., who was appointed by the Governor to the State Board of Registration of Landscape Architects, recommends the Engineering Department consider a change order with regard to the plantings. He is opposed to hard maple and pin oaks being used in the planters, and suggests the specifications are loose in the kind of ground cover to be used. A motion was made by Commissioner Usher, seconded by Commissioner Duckers to accept the proposal of Wilson Constructors, Inc., as the low bidder in the amount of $66,524.00, subject to Engineering review. Ayes: (5). Nays: (0). Motion carried. AN ORDINANCE was introduced for second reading entitled: "AN ORDINANCE providing for the amendment of Zoning Ordinance Number 6613 and the Zoning District Map therein and thereby adopted and providing for the rezoning of certain property within the City and prescribing the proper uses thereof." (Rezoning of Lot 1, Block 1, Sullivan Addition to District "D", as requested in Petition Number 3509 which was filed by James E. Sullivan). A motion was made by Commissioner Weisgerber, seconded by Commissioner Simpson to adopt the ordinance as read and the following vote was had: Ayes: Duckers, Simpson, Usher, Weisgerber, Caldwell (5). Nays: (0). Carried. The Mayor approved the ordinance and it is numbered 8472. The ordinance was introduced for first reading November 3, 1975. 25i PUBLIC AGENDA PETITION NUMBER 3523 was filed by Dan Bolen, 148 South Santa Fe for the rezoning of Blocks 1 and 2, Riverdale Addition to the City of Salina, from District "A" (Second Dwelling House District) to District "D" (Local Business District). A motion was made by Commissioner Usher, seconded by Commissioner Simpson to refer the petition to the City Planning Commission. Ayes: (.5). Nays: (0). Motion carried. PETITION NUMBER 3524 was filed by John B. McDaniel, P.E., Executive Secretary to the Saline County Planning and Zoning Commission for approval by the City Commission of a request of the Knox Sand Company for a variation to permit operation of a sand plant in the Southwest Quarter of the Northeast Quarter of Section 31, Township 14 South, Range 2 West, for a period not to exceed five years. A motion was made by Commissioner Duckers, seconded by Commissioner Usher to refer the petition to the City Planning Commission. Ayes: (5). Nays: (0). Motion carried. PETITION NUMBER 3525 was filed by Kenneth W. Wasserman for the approval of the plat of Park, Ltd. in the North 1/2 of the Southwest Quarter of Section 14, Township 14 South, Range 3 West. A motion was made by Commissi Simpson, seconded by Commissioner Weisgerber to refer the petition to the City Planning Commission. Ayes: (5). Nays: (0). Motion carried. PETITION NUMBER 3526 was filed by Kenneth W. Wasserman for the rezoning of a tract of land in the North 1/2 of the Southwest Quarter of Section 14, Township 14 South, Range 3 West, to Districts "E" (General Business District) and "F" (Light Industrial District). A motion was made by Commissioner Weisgerber, seconded by Commissioner Usher to refer the petition to the City Planning Commission. Ayes: (5). Nays: (0). Motion carried. COMMISSION AGENDA "Discuss future uses and necessary improvements for Memorial Stadium Baseball Park." (Sponsored by Commissioner Duckers) Commissioner Duckers said, "I think I would like to preface any remarks, discussion, that I make with regard to this by saying, I certainly don't have any ax to grind in any way, I just simply want to bring up an age old subject and discuss it once again and see maybe if we can't finally do something about it. The last 2 or 3 Commission meetings we have been quoting old Chinese proverbs, so maybe I should preface by saying that I don't think you can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, an old Chinaman told me that one time, and I really think that is what we have in Memorial Stadium as far as baseball is concerned. I think it probably is quite adequate for the rodeo but for the city to continue to make that into a decent baseball playing facility, at the same time compatible with the rodeo grounds, seems to me to be a little bit ridiculous. In the first place you have to have the backstop back so far to use as rodeo grounds. I understand that each year it is reseeded, or plowed up, and this seems like a very ridiculous waste of money. They are not compatible and there is adequate area, public owned area, all over town it seems to me like we might consider for improved baseball facilities. I don't know how the baseball diamonds in Salina evolved, the several that there are; but I know that most of them are located in city parks. We have a very fine Recreation Department, or Commission, in Salina, headed by Don Jolley who is here today and it seems to me like there should be some sort of partnershi between the City and the Recreation Department to come up with some good baseball facilities. I would like to think that someday once again we would need a stadium that would seat 3,000 or 4,000 people, but quite frankly I think that era is past. I don't think ever again are we going to need spectator areas, large spectator areas for baseball in Salina, because it just doesn't draw, and it is not going to in my opinion. I think at the most, according to some of the people I have talked to, Bill Burke, John Heline and others who are quite interested in baseball in Salina, they draw crowds of 200 to 250 at the most. Most ball diamonds draw 50 or 60 mammas and pappas, and that is about it; so what I think you are talking about mainly are playing areas and not a big elaborate stadium. It seems to me we could someplace mutually agree upon ground, whether it is at the old airport, whether it is at Schilling, whether it is in the so called lower Indian Rock Park, whether it is in the existing Kenwood area or over around Blue Jay Park, there are many ideas and I 1 258 proposals, and I know some of you who are interested are here today and I know the Commissioners are interested and I would just like get a discussion started on it and see if we can't come up with something rather than try to continue to try amd make do with the existing facilities. I was over there this morning. I have a couple of comments to make, this one certainly doesn't relate to baseball, but it was an observation I made, I will talk about a little later, but quite frankly it is a disgrace to a city with as proud a heritage as we have. We are all probably a little more aware of those sorts of things here in this bicentennial year but you drive over around there and the fence is falling down, and they have done a good job trying to maintain it. Someone has painted it green and tried to put the boards back up, but half of it has blown down this winter and it is just beyond repair. They don't need a great big outfield wall like the Salina Blue Jays used to have. I think probably a chain link fence or something would be adequate and it would certainly be more attractive and easier to maintain, more permanent, so with those remarks Mr. Mayor, I'll be glad to participate in a general discussion with those of us interested in it." Don Jolley commented, he is interested in good ball diamond facilities not only for Recreation Commission programs, but for all baseball programs in the community. "I think about all baseball facilities are sub -standard all over town, and I think something needs to be done about it. I think we have an opportunity here in the fact that the Land and Water Conservation Fund has just been funded by Congress to the full extent, and that it is possible under the law, which is $330,000,000 a year. Now what this is going to do to the money available in Kansas, in the next fiscal year, is to more than double the BOR money that has been available; heretofore it has been about $700,000 and it will be about $1,500,000 available in the next fiscal year for projects in Kansas and I think if this community, if the City and/or the Recreation Commissic were to get busy and get an application in and get a plan laid for development of a ball diamond complex to include a facility that would handle this kind of play, and it would give us a really first class facility to use for the balance of the baseball programs, and in the process of doing that, relegate the ball diamonds we now have out in all these neighborhoods to neighborhood practice and neighborhood use for that purpose and to develop one complex that would handle the vast majority of our baseball and softball programs. I think it would be a tremendous asset to everybody. Cico in Manhattan is a cooperative effort of the City and County. Cico is an example of the kind of complexes they are building all over the State. Before I left Pittsburgh, where I was, we had a 6 diamond complex. It was in an area where there was adequate space and now they have 9 diamonds built in that area. The advantage of it is that all of the families with dad playing softball, and with 2 or 3 kids playing baseball, and with a girl playing girl's softball and so on, all of these things can be programmed into the same area. Your maintenance problem is reduced a great deal because you have all of your facilities in one general area. The cost of providing such things as parking areas, restroom facilities, concession stands, all of these things are reduced because you don't have to build one at every ball park all over town, or settle for something that is not adequate. You put it in one place and you build a good one and then it will do an adequate job for you, so I think there is a real opportunity here to do something to bring good quality facilities to Salina." Mr. John Heline, Chairman of the Memorial Stadium Baseball Park Committee, said there have been some meetings with the County Fair Board to relocate the ball diamond so the stadium could be used for rodeos, etc. He said there is no compatibility for using the existing facility for rodeos and baseball. He said the Fair Board has expressed their desire to use the stadium more. Jay Swartz, Baseball Coach at KWu, said KWU is scheduled to play Colorado State and Kansas State, but the facilities in Salina are not suitable for playing these games here. Max Smith explained the Memorial Stadium is operated by a committee, but the committee is not funded and has no available funds to spend, and the American Legion committee has done all the maintenance, and preparation of the ball diamond during their playing season; and Kansas Wesleyan takes care of the preparation of the diamond for their home games. The Park Department gives cooperation in mowing the grass, and repairing the screens or backstops. 259 Bill Burke commented that the city does need an adult diamond, used strictly for American Legion and Kansas Wesleyan ball, with other diamonds for the Recreation Department programs. The City Commissioners and interested people discussed maintenance, location, separation of adult and children programs, and the possibility of user fees. Commissioner Simpson suggested a committee be appointed, consisting of members of the City, County, Recreation Commission, USD 305, Memorial Stadium Baseball Park Committee, K.W.U., and the Fair Board, to do some further study and see what the best type of facility might be made available to the citizens of the community, and how it can be funded; because there are joint concerns and joint problems. A motion was made by Commissioner Duckers, seconded by Commissioner Simpson to instruct the Mayor to appoint a committee, with members to consist of representation from the City, County, Recreation Commission, USD 305, Memorial Stadium Baseball Park Committee, Kansas Wesleyan University, and the Fair Board, with a report back to the City Commission within 2 weeks. Ayes: (5). Nays: (0). Motion carried. Commissioner Duckers said he would like to know what it would cost to put the present diamond in playing condition and what it would cost to build a new one as suggested by the Memorial Stadium Baseball Park Committee. The Commissioners brought the following items to the floor for discussion: Commissioner Duckers said he was in Kenwood Park this morning, and he drove by the horse barns, "which are a disgrace to the City of Salina, but immediately adjacent to them is a pile of horse manure on the banks of the Smoky Hill River, or very close to the banks of the river and there will be spring rains, and this is 100 yards upstream from the water works." Mr. Olson said he has been in Salina for 13 years, and this has been a problem for 13 years. .% Commissioner Duckers said this is a serious problem and it should be eliminated tomorrow. Commissioner Usher suggested the City Manager instruct somebody to go over and take a look at it the first thing in the mourning, if there is a violation of the City ordinance, to prosecute. Mr. Olson replied he would. A motion was made by Commissioner Usher, seconded by Commissioner Simpson that the Regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners be adjourned. Ayes: (5). Nays: (0). Motion carried. Je , vi. tit-4cv✓ D. L. Harrison, City Clerk