Saline County Commission Summary
Week of June 17, 2026
Saline County Commission elects new leadership
Commission reassigns advisory board roles after resignation
Commission adopts state of emergency following severe windstorm
County receives $155,000 insurance settlement for hail damage
County awards $41,500 contract for federal bridge inspections
County reaches cost-sharing agreement for Country Club Road railroad crossing
Saline County Commission elects new leadership
SALINE COUNTY, Kan. — The five-member Saline County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to reorganize its leadership during Tuesday's meeting. Commissioner Annie Grevas was elected as the new chairwoman, taking the gavel for the upcoming term. Commissioner Joe Hay Jr. was appointed as vice chairman and Commissioner James L. Weese was named secretary. The leadership shuffle follows the recent appointment of Tom Arpke to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of former Commissioner Monte Shadwick.
Commission reassigns advisory board roles after resignation
SALINE COUNTY, Kan. — Following the resignation of former Commissioner Monte Shadwick, the Saline County Commission approved a reshuffling of its advisory board appointments. Newly appointed Commissioner Tom Arpke will take over Shadwick's former positions on the Salina Airport Authority and the Tri-Rivers Fair Board. Other assignments include Commissioner Annie Grevas taking the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce seat, while Commissioners Joe Hay Jr., Rodger Sparks and James L. Weese retained or adjusted their various other committee roles.
Commission adopts state of emergency following severe windstorm
SALINE COUNTY, Kan. — Commissioners formally adopted an initial state of disaster emergency resolution in response to a severe windstorm that brought 113 mph winds to Saline County. Emergency Management Director Michelle Weis reported that the storm left thousands of residents without power and generated more than 3,000 emergency and nonemergency calls for service. County crews and volunteer organizations are currently processing 475 pending chainsaw requests for debris removal, with formal volunteer debris assistance operations scheduled to wind down by the end of the week.
County receives $155,000 insurance settlement for hail damage
SALINE COUNTY, Kan. — Saline County will receive a roughly $155,000 insurance settlement for damages caused to the Road and Bridge campus during an April hailstorm. County Administrator Matt Stiles announced that the final adjuster's report estimated the total loss at $255,423, which was offset by the county's $100,000 deductible across the multibuilding campus. The county is now in the process of collecting bids to complete the necessary repairs to the facilities.
County awards $41,500 contract for federal bridge inspections
SALINE COUNTY, Kan. — The Saline County Commission unanimously approved a $41,535 contract with engineering firm Schwab Eaton to conduct routine inspections and data collection for the county's 213 bridges. County Engineer Justin Mader explained the contract is necessary to meet stringent new National Bridge Inventory standards mandated by the federal government. The county engineering department currently lacks the staffing capacity and a required certified inspection team leader to perform the extensive data collection in-house, prompting the move to an outside consultant. The fees will be paid from the county's special bridge fund.
County reaches cost-sharing agreement for Country Club Road railroad crossing
SALINE COUNTY, Kan. — Saline County has reached a cost-sharing agreement with local agribusiness Scoular to repair the deteriorating railroad crossing on Country Club Road. County Engineer Justin Mader stated that Scoular has agreed to pay for half of the repairs, which involve a 4-inch deep asphalt milling and patching project. The crossing has suffered from significant asphalt compaction issues since what Mader described as a flawed initial installation, and the county expects to complete the permanent fix using its existing contract with paving company APAC Shears by the end of the year.
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