By Marie Nolan
KSAL News
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The League of Women Voters were updated on issues facing the City of Salina. City Commissioners spoke at their monthly Lunch and Learn event.
Mayor Alan Jilka says one of the issues that needs to be worked on is relations with the County. He pointed to a recent example of the city trying to find space in their shared building for a worker to prepare for the census. "That was voted down by the Building Authority, where the County Commissioners out number the City Commissioners. The effect of that is we will have to spend money probably to update another part of the building, instead of using some empty space that is just sitting there." Another City and County issue Jilka pointed to was development of the area just outside the city limits. He says they hope to have a new agreement on that issue reached by the end of the year.
Commissioner John Vanier has concerns about where the City of Salina is headed. He sees examples, like Manhattan, of cities that are being more progressive than Salina. "We concentrate so much on a particular tree - on whether Santa Fe is pothole free, whether 9th Street is wide enough, that I think we need to step back and take a bigger view of the forest." Vanier says he doesn't want to see Salina become just a retirement community. He says that was why he was in favor of a higher mill levy for next year.
One of the topics brought up at the Lunch and Learn was the swimming pool. Commissioner Luci Larson says she wants to see younger people stay in Salina, and that will take updating amenities like the pool. She says in the meantime they should work to make the current pool more attractive. "I know we are going to get a new pool one day, but it is not going to be tomorrow, and it is not going to be next year. So when they take it upon themselves to bring it up to a more satisfactory level, I am hoping that they incorporate some ideas some of our youth have to paint it up, bring it up to an attractive level." Larson also has concerns about the water shortage. She says recent rains have led people to become complacent. The City is under water restrictions through the end of the year.
How does the community view Salina City government? That is an issue Commissioner Aaron Peck is concerned about. Peck says he wants people to know things are different now. "I think we have young fresh ideas and I think we have new people in roles ranging from the City Manager's Office to Public Works, etc. That brings an openness and a willingness to listen that perhaps wasn't there in previous days." Peck says he sees the largest problem facing the city right now that people feel like there is no point in speaking up because no one will listen.
Commissioner Abner Perney was not in attendance because we has at a League of Kansas Muncipalities Meeting.
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