Salina local news summary

Salina Appoints Jacob Wood as New City Manager

Boys and Girls Club Proposes New Facility in Sunset Park

County Approves On-Call Surveyor Amid Statewide Shortage

Temple Parking Lot Improvement Project Bid Awarded

County to Fund Aerial GIS Mapping with $150,000 Transfer

1. Salina Appoints Jacob Wood as New City Manager

SALINA - The Salina City Commission has appointed Jacob Wood as the new City Manager, concluding a national search that drew approximately 40 candidates. The commission approved an employment agreement with Mr. Wood, which includes an annual base salary of $235,000. During the announcement, Commissioner Mike Hoppock refuted public rumors that two other candidates had been offered the position and declined, stating the commission made its decision to hire Mr. Wood on the evening of the interviews but needed time to finalize the agreement. Mr. Wood, who has been involved in the city’s economic development and housing initiatives, expressed his gratitude and readiness to lead the community where he began his career as an intern.

2. Boys and Girls Club Proposes New Facility in Sunset Park

SALINA - The Boys & Girls Club of Salina presented a proposal to build a new 13,000-square-foot facility in Salina’s Sunset Park on city-owned land. The project is backed by significant private fundraising, including a $3 million pledge for construction and a $500,000 commitment for the first three years of operating funds. The organization is requesting the city provide a long-term, no-cost lease for the land, manage the platting and rezoning process, extend water and sewer lines to the site, and assist with basic groundskeeping and snow removal. The commission gave a consensus to move forward with drafting an agreement and supported a staff recommendation to hold a neighborhood meeting to gather public input.

3. County Approves On-Call Surveyor Amid Statewide Shortage

SALINE COUNTY - Saline County will hire an outside firm for professional survey services after failing to attract any viable applicants for its vacant County Surveyor position since April. The commission approved an on-call agreement with Schwab Eaton to handle critical duties such as boundary surveys, legal descriptions for right-of-way acquisition, and plat reviews, which are legally required for road and bridge projects to proceed. County Engineer Justin Mader explained that a severe shortage of licensed surveyors is a statewide problem, with McPherson and Butler counties facing similar long-term vacancies. The on-call contract provides a temporary solution, ensuring infrastructure projects are not indefinitely delayed while the county continues its search for a full-time surveyor.

4. Temple Parking Lot Improvement Project Bid Awarded

SALINA - The parking lot adjacent to the Temple will receive a major overhaul after the Salina City Commission awarded a construction bid to APAC-Kansas, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $341,961.17. The project includes an asphalt mill and overlay, new pavement markings, landscape beds, and repairs to curbs, sidewalks, and entrances. Funding for the improvements will come from an account established by the downtown STAR bonds, which was specifically designated for offsite public parking projects. The Temple has agreed to maintain the new landscaping beds, which will not be irrigated.

5. County to Fund Aerial GIS Mapping with $150,000 Transfer

SALINE COUNTY - The Saline County Commission authorized the transfer of up to $50,000 per year for three consecutive years from the Register of Deeds’ Technology Fund to the Land Records Technology Fund. The transfer, totaling up to $150,000, is specifically designated to pay for EagleView aerial photography used for the county’s Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping for the years 2026, 2027, and 2028. Register of Deeds Michelle Newell explained that the GIS system is a critical tool used by her office, the County Appraiser, and several other departments to verify property records and legal descriptions.

Sponsors (click me!)

Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below:

citizen journal offers three flagship products: a daily national news summary, a daily Kansas news summary, and local news and school board summaries from 12 cities across Kansas. Each issue contains 5 paragraph-length stories that are made to be read in 5 minutes. Use the links in the header to navigate to national, kansas, and local coverage. Subscribe to each, some, or all to get an email when new issues are published for FREE!