Salina officials debunk rumors of diverted storm cleanup ahead of river festival
The city confirms public works crews are prioritizing residential recovery, not Oakdale Park.
SALINA — Following a severe Monday storm that brought 113 mph winds and snapped hundreds of utility poles, Salina officials are reassuring frustrated residents that city resources are not being diverted from neighborhood recovery to clean up Oakdale Park.
With the 50th annual Smoky Hill River Festival set to open Thursday, rumors circulated that the Streets Department and Public Works were ordered to clear the festival grounds instead of assisting residents. The city denied those claims, clarifying that the only people preparing the park are Parks and Recreation staff, Salina Arts and Humanities organizers, local businesses and volunteers.
The city said no Saline County resources are being used for the festival cleanup.
The local government's top priority remains supporting Evergy and visiting utility crews as they work to restore electricity to thousands of customers affected by the widespread outages. To aid in the cleanup, the Public Works Department will launch a citywide residential tree limb pickup starting Monday.
The Salina Municipal Landfill is already accepting residential debris. City leaders praised the efforts of utility workers, municipal employees and neighbors who have stepped up to support one another during the storm recovery.
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