11-16-2020 Minutes CITY OF SALINA,KANSAS
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
November 16,2020
4:00 p.m.
The City Commission convened at 3:00 p.m.for Kansas State Polytechnic Global Aviation Initiative
at City-County Building,Room 107.
Mayor Hoppock asked the Clerk for verification that notice had been sent for today's City
Commission meeting. The Clerk replied yes.
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8 The Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners was called to order at 4:00 p.m. in Room 107,
City-County Building. Roll call was taken followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of
silence.
Those present and comprising a quorum: Mayor Michael L. Hoppock (presiding), Commissioners
Trent W. Davis,M.D.,Rod Franz (via phone),Melissa Rose Hodges (via phone),and Karl Ryan.
Also present: Michael Schrage, City Manager;Jacob Wood, Deputy City Manager;Greg Bengtson,
City Attorney;and Shandi Wicks,City Clerk.
AWARDS AND PROCLAMATIONS
(3.1) The day of November 28, 2020 as "Small Business Saturday" in the city of Salina.
Cassie Streit, Owner, Stick It with Streit Vinyl Graphics and Sandblasting, will read
the proclamation.
CITIZENS FORUM
Dalton McDowell,Salina, asked if Parks would have enough in their budget in 2021 to hire
part-time staffing and what the City's plan was to cover the cleanup of a massive snow
storm. Mayor Hoppock stated both items had been addressed and staff was aware of the
snow removal issue.
Deborah Corrales, Salina, stated she had provided information to the City Commission on
insurance companies and their coverage of animals. She continued to provide information
on enforcement of pit bull bans and the need to repeal the breed specific legislation.
PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR A CERTAIN TIME
None.
CONSENT AGENDA
(6.1) Approve the minutes of November 9,2020.
20-0367 Moved by Commissioner Ryan, seconded by Commissioner Davis, to approve the consent agenda
as presented. Aye: (5). Nay: (0). Motion carried.
ADMINISTRATION
(7.1) Covid-19 Update Discussion with Saline County.
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Michael Schrage, City Manager, provided information regarding Covid-19 and articles
j included in the packet. He also shared the Facebook video by Rob Freelove, Senior Vice-
President and Chief Medical Officer for Salina Regional Health Center sharing the impacts
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of Covid on the hospital's operations and introduced Phillip Smith-Hanes, County
Administrator.
Mr.Smith-Hanes provided an update on Covid-19.
Commissioner Davis asked if the Saline County Commission planned to have a similar
discussion tomorrow. Mr. Smith-Hanes stated the County Commission reviewed the
pandemic every two (2) weeks and it was on the agenda for tomorrow.
Commissioner Davis provided his thoughts on the need for the City and the County to
work together and develop a plan together. He continued to provide his thoughts on the
need to protect the employees in civil service.
Commissioner Ryan asked if the guidance for a mask or social distancing were restated,
would that have a positive effect. Mr. Smith-Hanes stated any reinforcement of the message
was valuable but there might be a need for additional action as well in terms of making a
difference.
Commissioner Hodges noted the messaging had been consistent from the Saline County
Health Department and it was unfortunately not happening and she would like to discuss
amongst the Governing Body not only increased enforcement but several items under
action option#3 along with revisiting the need to reopen the Salina Fieldhouse.
Commissioner Franz noted inconsistency with the hospital capacity from the health
department versus the hospital. He also asked if there was a reason for driving the increase
in cases. Mr. Smith-Hanes stated the County relied on the information reported to them
from the hospital. He also stated the virus spread better indoors than outdoors and when
indoors a person would be naturally closer to each other than outdoors. He continued to
state many of the cases had been related to smaller gatherings such as funerals and
sleepovers.
Commissioner Franz asked if there had been any discussion at recent Saline County
Commission meetings on what the caseload would look like in the future and what the
plans were for the future. Mr. Smith-Hanes stated no, the caseloads were not happening
according to how County staff projected they would. He continued to state cases got worse
over the last month or so and there had been no recent attempt to project cases into the
future.
Mayor Hoppock asked what percentage of hospital admissions were from Salina versus the
surrounding areas. Mr. Smith-Hanes stated on one particular day when the hospital had 12
patients,5 of those were from Saline County.
Mayor Hoppock asked if there was any way,when looking at the number of deaths, if the
ages could be known or if the person had underlying conditions. Mr. Smith-Hanes stated
the County intentionally did not put out that information but there may be a large enough
sample size to see if the information could be available. Mr. Schrage stated based on the
information on the County's dashboard,the deaths ranged between 50 and above.
Commissioner Hodges asked if staff was aware of any additional resources to the health
department to perform the contract tracing. Mr. Smith-Hanes stated the County continued
to hire and recruit more contract tracers with a couple additional tracers hired within the
last week.
Commissioner Hodges asked for the typical timeframe to notify contacts of a positive case.
Mr. Smith-Hanes stated it could vary from a few hours to a few days depending of the
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situation.
Commissioner Hodges provided information on a recent situation with a student as a
school that was notified 10 days after the contact. She continued to provide the list of
testing locations available in the community and asked if any of the locations allowed for
testing on demand absent symptoms. Mr. Smith-Hanes stated the intent of the CVS
program was to offer asymptomatic testing but did not know if that was the status at the
To Salina location but the remaining locations did require a doctor's note or listing the
symptoms. Commissioner Hodges stated she tried to get a test at CVS and needed to have
symptoms to get tested.
Commissioner Davis stated one of the urgent care centers in town was giving tests on an
appointment basis.
Mayor Hoppock noted if a person had been exposed, do not wait for the health department
to contact you,stay home.
Mayor Hoppock asked if the rapid tests were misleading. Mr. Smith-Hanes stated the rapid
tests had more false negatives than the PCR test. Commissioner Davis provided additional
information on the rapid tests versus the PCR test.
Dalton McDowell, Salina, asked if a Covid Task Force could be created with medical
professionals instead of a public health officer to get citizens to listen to the message.
Dennis Benoit, Genesco, asked if the Governing Body was aware of the definition from the
NIH and CDC and asked if it was being done in this community. Commissioner Davis
stated the cases that were
Commissioner Davis stated he would like to see what the County colleagues did at their
meeting tomorrow and asked for a spot on the agenda next week as a reserve if necessary.
Mayor Hoppock stated responses to his questions would be helpful for him to move
forward.
Commissioner Ryan stated he would like to wait and see what happened.
Commissioner Franz stated the curve was predictable and it was not something to mess
around with and it would be best to address it sooner rather than later. He continued to
state the need to urge the County to take action and for the City to terminate all
programming at the Salina Fieldhouse until the situation is under control.
Commissioner Hodges stated she would like to concur with Commissioner Franz and it
was pushed to a public health crisis and it needed to be put under control. She continued
to state there was a need to turn this around and suspend the recreation programs and take
measures to follow the leadership of other communities. She asked her fellow members of
the Governing Body to look at the options within the staff report.
Mr. Schrage read the press release that was just issued today on the 126 new positive cases
in Saline County and noted the 190 positive cases were from last Monday to last Friday.
Commissioner Franz asked if the graphs he prepared could be shown. The graphs were
displayed on the screen and Commissioner Franz explained the graphs.
Jacob Wood,Deputy City Manager,stated the press release also noted 26 hospitalizations.
A conversation ensued between the City Commission regarding enforcement and the
necessary next steps.
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Mr. Schrage spoke on information he received from Lynn Exline with Salina USD No. 305
today.
Mayor Hoppock stated he would like to see how many cases were from Salina.
2 Commissioner Davis stated those individuals from other counties are here most weekends
Z and spend a majority of their money here.
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Mayor Hoppock asked if a mask was to be worn while in public at all times, would the
N current ordinance need to be updated. Mr. Schrage stated there was conversation at the
time of the current ordinance on 6 foot social distancing and the need to wear a mask. He
also stated that if the Governing Body would like to put into place something similar to
Kansas City,Missouri,there would be a need to amend the ordinance.
Mr. Schrage stated that Commissioner Franz was trying to do a numeric assessment on the
use of masks and noted the use of Police Department resources. He also stated given the
numbers we were talking about, the mask mandate was just the tip of the iceberg on what
needs to happen.
Commissioner Franz stated he had walked through a variety of businesses and there was
an overall average of 92% masked and Menards was almost 100% masked.
Mayor Hoppock asked for the effectiveness on masks. Mr. Smith-Hanes stated multi-layer
masks were more effective than single layer masks and wearing them properly. He
continued to state the requirement to wear a mask was helpful but did not prevent the
spread of the disease.
Mayor Hoppock stated he was hoping that individuals would take personal responsibility.
A conversation ensued between the City Commission regarding enforcement and mask
wearing.
Mayor Hoppock asked if the Governing Body would like to amend or clarify the mask
mandate ordinance,how that would be handled. Mr. Schrage stated it would be helpful for
staff to have a motion listing the information the Governing Body would like to see. He
continued to state it would take a formal vote for sports activities and the Salina
Fieldhouse.
A conversation ensued between the City Commission and Mr. Schrage regarding the
potential modifications to the mask mandate ordinance and the use of the Salina
Fieldhouse.
Mr. Schrage asked if it was easier to amend the ordinance on the fly. Greg Bengtson, City
Attorney, stated it was helpful to follow the pattern referred to by staff. He continued to
state there was a two (2) reading requirement for the amendment of the ordinance. He also
stated it was sounder to hold a special meeting with the correct language and notification
to the public.
Commissioner Franz stated there was a need to acknowledge that Saline County was the
lead on health related orders and provided his thoughts on the next step.
20-0368 Moved by Commissioner Franz, seconded by Commissioner Ryan, while acknowledging
health related orders associated with Covid are most appropriately managed by Saline County and
the County Health Department that we encourage Saline County and the County Health
km Department to identify and implement additional measures intended to address the recent
increase in active cases and hospitalizations in Saline County.
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Commissioner Davis would also like to staff to work on amending the mask ordinance.
Mr. Schrage asked if Commissioner Davis' comments were directed to the City's face mask
ordinance. Commissioner Davis stated yes. Mayor Hoppock stated that may need to be a
separate motion.
Mayor Hoppock restated the motion of while acknowledging
health related orders associated with Covid are most appropriately managed by Saline
County and the County Health Department that we encourage Saline County and the
County Health Department to identify and implement additional measures intended to
address the recent increase in active cases and hospitalizations in Saline County called the
question. Aye: (5). Nay: (0). Motion carried.
20-0369 Moved by Commissioner Davis seconded by Commissioner Hodges, to direct staff
to enact an amendment to our face mask ordinance which would require a face mask to be
warn inside any indoor public space.
Mr. Schrage asked if the medical exemption was being removed. Mr. Bengtson stated legal
counsel had look at that and the basis of those considerations were in other contexts. He
asked if with the benefit of the policy guidance of the commission and staff could work up
and assess our ability in that regard. Mr. Schrage stated if the Governing Body had interest
in that, staff could work through it at greater detail.
A conversation ensued between the City Commission and Mr. Schrage regarding the
motion,exceptions and modifications to the ordinance.
Mayor Hoppock asked Commissioner Davis to restate his motion.
Commissioner Davis restated his motion to direct staff to present an amendment to the
mask ordinance that would amend Section 2a. inside any indoor public space. Aye: (5).
Nay: (0). Motion carried.
20-0370 Moved by Commissioner Franz, seconded by Commissioner Hodges, to direct staff
to prepare an approach for a discussion to suspend Fieldhouse operations next week.
Mr. Schrage asked what the intent was. Commissioner Franz stated to close the Salina
Fieldhouse.
A conversation ensued between the City Commission regarding the closure of the Salina
Fieldhouse.
Mayor Hoppock called the question. Aye: (4). Nay: (1) Hoppock. Motion carried.
Mr. Schrage stated there may be additional modifications made by staff to the ordinance
based off the conversations had at the meeting and stated if there was an intent for a special
meeting,a motion would need to be made.
Mr. Bengtson asked if there was a potential for first and second reading on the same day.
Mayor Hoppock stated it was a possibility.
(7.2) First reading Ordinance No. 20-11044 levying Salina Business Improvement District
No. 1 service fees for 2021.
Debbie Pack,Director of Finance&Administration,explained the district and fees.
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20-0371 Moved by Commissioner Ryan, seconded by Commissioner Davis,to pass Ordinance No. 20-11044
Ilevying Salina Business Improvement District Number 1 service fees for 2021 on first reading.
Aye: (5). Nay: (0). Motion carried.
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(7.3) Authorize a long-block engine replacement of Landfill Bulldozer,Unit#1851.
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W Jim Teutsch,Operations Manager,explained the request,fiscal impact and action options.
N Commissioner Ryan asked if there was a difference in the down time for a rebuild versus a
replacement. Mr. Teutsch stated the rebuild would take longer than the replacement.
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g 0 Mayor Hoppock asked what the warranty would be on a rebuild. Mr. Teutsch stated a one
(1) year warranty.
Mayor Hoppock asked why the time period difference in warranty. Mr. Teutsch stated in
2017 it was a complete rebuild.
Norman Mannel, Salina, asked how much wear and tear was on the rest of the unit. Mr.
Teutsch stated there was a rebuild of the under carriage on January 6,2020.
20-0372 Moved by Commissioner Ryan, seconded by Commissioner Davis, to authorize staff to contract
with Foley Equipment to perform a long-block engine replacement of Landfill Bulldozer, Unit
#1851, in the amount of $39,648.67, plus freight and additional costs as necessary (not to exceed
$45,000.00). Aye: (5). Nay: (0). Motion carried.
(7.4) Resolution No. 20-7900 adopting a purchasing policy for the City of Salina and
repealing Resolution No. 97-5138 and Resolution No. 14-7085.
Jacob Wood, Deputy City Manager, explained the policy, discussion points and action
options.
Commissioner Ryan provided his thoughts on increasing the City Manager's purchasing
authority. Michael Schrage, City Manager, stated there was a lot of lead process for staff to
bring an item to the City Commission.
Commissioner Davis asked if increasing the City Manager's purchasing authority would
require an amendment to the policy. Mr. Wood stated yes and if the Governing Body was
in favor of an increase,staff could make the changes throughout the document.
Commissioner Franz asked if there was a process for acknowledging the receipt of the
goods. Mr. Wood stated that would be part of the process to make sure the items were in
hand prior to entering the invoice for payment. Mr. Schrage stated there would also be a
procedure manual.
Commissioner Hodges asked if the policy would help to avoid the retroactive purchases.
Mr. Wood stated the intent was approval of the front end prior to the purchase. Mr.
Schrage stated the new policy would add clarity and checks and balances.
Mayor Hoppock noted an instance of a hail storm damaging the roof of the Tony's Pizza
Events Center and the cost to the City was over the City Manager's purchasing authority,
would that cause the request to go to the City Commission. Mr. Wood stated the new
policy would allow the City Manager's purchasing authority to be increased.
Ken Reitz, Salina, asked for additional information on the repairs to the landfill dozer and
its connection to the purchasing policy. Mr. Schrage stated there was only one company
that performed work on the specific unit.
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20-0373 Moved by Commissioner Ryan, seconded by Commissioner Davis, to adopt Resolution No. 20-
7900 establishing a purchasing policy for the City of Salina repealing Resolution No. 97-5138 and
Resolution No. 14-7085 and amending the City Manager's purchasing authority to$30,000.
Commissioner Hodges asked if the change order clause needed to be changed and if there was a
specific rational for increasing the City Manager's purchasing authority to $30,000. Commissioner
Ryan stated his rational for increasing the purchasing authority was based off of inflation.
Commissioner Davis also stated most of the purchases brought to the City Commission were
between$21,000 and$25,000.
Mayor Hoppock called the question: Aye: (5). Nay: (0). Motion carried.
DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS
None.
OTHER BUSINESS
None.
ADJOURNMENT
20-0374 Moved by Commissioner Davis, seconded by Commissioner Ryan, that the regular meeting of the
Board of City Commissioners be adjourned. Aye: (5). Nay: (0). Motion carried. The meeting
adjourned at 7:15 p.m.
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[SEAL] Michae L. Hopp ,Mayor
ATTEST
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Cheryl M•rmis, eputy City Clerk
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