Salina – Week of July 31, 2025

Commission Approves Over $450K for Emergency River Logjam Removal

“Road Diets,” Other Measures Proposed to Improve Salina’s Street Safety

County Approves Over $937,000 Project for Senior Center Improvements

Plan to Merge Citizen Boards Hits Snag; Accessibility–Human Relations Merger Fails

2026 City Budget Hearing Set; Lower Mill Levy Proposed

1. Commission Approves Over $450K for Emergency River Logjam Removal

SALINA - The Salina City Commission authorized an emergency expenditure of up to $452,351 for the removal of a massive logjam on the Smoky Hill River in Bill Burke Park. The debris, which accumulated after heavy rains in June, was deemed a potential threat to public health and safety. The contract was awarded to Diehl Enterprises, Inc., which submitted the lowest of four quotes. The expenditure was not budgeted for 2025 and will be funded primarily from the General Fund reserve balance, which may require a budget amendment later in the year. The decision came after significant debate among commissioners and the public regarding the cost, the bidding process, the scope of the work—including silt removal—and whether the city was getting the best value after additional debris collected from more recent flooding.

2. “Road Diets,” Other Measures Proposed to Improve Salina’s Street Safety

SALINA - The Salina City Commission heard a detailed presentation on a new Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, the result of a nearly two-year-long project aimed at reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero. Consultants from Toole Design Group highlighted troubling trends from the last five years of crash data, noting that 14% of Salina’s road miles account for 76% of all fatalities and injuries. The plan identifies several “high injury networks,” with Crawford Street being the most dangerous. Among the key recommendations are “road reconfigurations,” also known as road diets, such as converting Crawford Street from four lanes to three to reduce crashes. Other proposed countermeasures include adding mid-block crossings, raised crosswalks, and altering traffic signal timing to give pedestrians a head start.

3. County Approves Over $937,000 Project for Senior Center Improvements

SALINE COUNTY - The Saline County Commission formally accepted a $712,460 Community Development Block Grant to help fund major renovations at the Saline County Senior Services building. The total project cost is estimated at $937,460 and will address significant deterioration of the facility’s parking lot, sidewalks, and roof. The work includes replacing the entire 26,000-square-foot parking area, installing new ADA-compliant sidewalks, adding lighting, and replacing the building’s roof. The county’s matching funds of more than $225,000 will come from $200,000 in Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funds set aside for the project, a $15,000 grant from the Earl Bane Foundation, and $10,000 in donations.

4. Plan to Merge Citizen Boards Hits Snag; Accessibility–Human Relations Merger Fails

SALINA - An effort to streamline Salina’s citizen advisory boards by consolidating them was partially successful Monday. The City Commission approved ordinances to merge the Tree Advisory Board into the Parks and Recreation Board and reduce the size of the Building Advisory Board, Solid Waste Management Committee, and Animal Control Advisory Board. However, a key proposal to merge the Accessibility Advisory Board with the Human Relations Commission failed after the motion did not receive a second, effectively killing the measure. Commissioners expressed significant concern about combining the two bodies, fearing the narrow and specific focus of the accessibility board would be lost within the broader mission of the Human Relations Commission. The changes were prompted by ongoing struggles to fill board vacancies and ensure enough members attend meetings to reach a quorum.

5. 2026 City Budget Hearing Set; Lower Mill Levy Proposed

SALINA - Salina taxpayers will have a chance to weigh in on the proposed 2026 city budget at a public hearing set for August 11, 2025. City staff have prepared the budget based on the “revenue neutral rate,” with the goal of not increasing the total property tax collected. The proposed budget establishes a maximum mill levy of 28.568 mills, which is 0.849 mills lower than the previous year. Finance Director Debbie Pack noted that, depending on individual property valuations, the city’s portion of a resident’s property tax bill should go down. The motion set the maximum property tax revenue the city can levy at $15,646,750.

Sponsors (click me!)

SUBSCRIBE TO GET THE CITIZEN JOURNAL IN YOUR INBOX - FREE!

GET THE CITIZEN JOURNAL APP - FREE!

Contact: greg@citizenjournal.us