scj

Salina – Week of June 3, 2025

Cozy Inn lawsuit statement; High accident rates; Crawford Street safety overhaul; Administrator retiring; County denies free farmland

Greg Loving

03 Jun 2025 • 5 min read

CREDIT KWCH

City Issues Formal Statement on Cozy Inn Lawsuit

Safety Report Reveals High Accident Rates, Prompts New Proactive Approach

Major Safety Overhaul Planned for West Crawford Street

Saline County Administrator Announces 2026 Retirement

Saline County Denies Non-Profit's Request for Free Farmland

1. City Issues Formal Statement on Cozy Inn Lawsuit

In a dramatic and unusual move, the Salina City Commission recessed into a lengthy executive session before returning to read a prepared public statement regarding the federal lawsuit filed by the Cozy Inn. The statement aimed to correct what the city called inaccurate media coverage and public commentary surrounding the case. City officials affirmed their belief that the city's sign code is constitutional and content-neutral, noting that the painting on the Cozy Inn building was determined to be a sign that exceeded the allowable size for a permit. The statement recounted that the city offered to work with owner Steve Howard on a "code-based solution" and had engaged a sign consultant before the lawsuit was filed. The city claims the lawsuit was initiated by the Kansas Justice Institute as part of a "litigation campaign challenging laws that interfere with the right to free speech" and to "fight back against City Hall." A federal court ruling on the case is anticipated in fall 2025. The city will publish its full statement, along with legal briefs from the case, on its official website.

City of Salina

2. Safety Report Reveals High Accident Rates, Prompts New Proactive Approach

A sobering update on Salina's new Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP) revealed that the city is "statistically a lot higher than the rest of the state when it comes to pedestrian and bicycle injuries and accidents." According to the report presented to the commission, Salina experienced 11 fatal crashes and over 1,100 injury accidents in the five-year period between 2018 and 2023. Jim Kowatch, City Engineer & Interim Public Works Director (formerly Operations Mgr.), explained that the safety plan represents a fundamental shift in mindset for the city. Instead of the old engineering method of fixing a problem after accidents happen, the new approach is to be proactive by using data to "predict where those risky or most dangerous locations are, and we do something about it before we have a high accident history." This "safety first" philosophy is designed to prevent injuries and deaths before they happen. Once finalized, the plan will make Salina eligible for hundreds of millions of dollars in federal implementation grants to fund future safety projects.

City of Salina

3. Major Safety Overhaul Planned for West Crawford Street

The City Commission has authorized staff to apply for a $150,000 grant to fund a major safety overhaul on West Crawford Street. The "demonstration project" would convert the four-lane section of West Crawford between Knight Street and Plaza Drive into a three-lane road—one lane of traffic in each direction with a dedicated center turn lane. The project is a direct result of the city's new Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, which identified the Crawford corridor as a "high injury network" that accounted for over 400 crashes, 9% of city-wide fatalities, and 12% of injuries in a five-year period. In addition to reducing left-turn-related accidents, the plan includes adding three new pedestrian crossings and creating a buffer space to make the sidewalk feel safer for pedestrians. Thanks to a matching fund grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation, the total cost to the city for the project is estimated to be just $6,000.

City of Salina

4. Saline County Administrator Announces 2026 Retirement

Saline County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes announced his intention to retire next year, prompting the County Commission to begin discussions on the process for finding his replacement. Smith-Hanes, who will have served the county for 10 years, plans to retire effective April 1, 2026. He presented the commission with four potential recruitment strategies, ranging from an internal promotion to hiring a national search firm, which could cost up to $40,000. Commissioners debated the options, expressing a desire to avoid high costs while ensuring a thorough search. While no formal decision was made, the board showed preference for a hybrid approach that would use the county's HR department for most of the work, supplemented by a less expensive, local consultant to manage the public-facing aspects of the recruitment for an estimated $9,000 to $12,000. The administrator advised that the process should begin by September to ensure a smooth transition.

Saline County

5. Saline County Denies Non-Profit's Request for Free Farmland

A request from the nonprofit organization Goshen Farms to use a 78-acre tract of county-owned farmland for free was turned down by the Saline County Commission. The organization had hoped to use the land, located near Ohio Street behind Stress-Cast, for regenerative farming practices. The parcel currently generates approximately $7,800 annually in lease revenue for the county's self-sustaining farm fund. Commissioners wrestled with the proposal, questioning the fairness of giving one entity free use of a county asset while others pay, and raising concerns about setting a precedent and potentially creating an unfair competitive advantage. Ultimately, the commission directed staff to include the parcel in the upcoming public bidding process for all county farm leases, encouraging Goshen Farms to submit a bid along with other interested parties.

Saline County