Questions & Answers

Commissioners cannot be serious about serving the people of Salina if they are part-time residents. I am a FULL-time resident of Salina, and I answer calls, emails and attend public events in Salina. You can count on me to be a responsive and responsible commissioner.

As a lifelong citizen, I have always lived in Salina full-time. Salina is my home, and I stay engaged in the community year round.

Regarding zooming, that is me. I plan on spending some time away in the winter. Mid to late Nov till about March 1. Our full time home is Salina. I'm not a big fan of winter. I would plan to get back to Salina monthly for 1 of the 2'x monthly meetings. I know there is additional time needed. I have communicated with our current leaders many times over the last few years. All the communication has been emails, texts, and an occasional phone call. It's not hard to do that almost anywhere in the world. I have many contacts within the City. I have kids and grandkids here. The bulk of my time will be in Salina. I am used to making larger financial decisions and listening to people. Covid made zooming more mainstream. You have 9 options for the 3 openings. I know my time as a 2.5 decade Business Owner in Salina can only help. If you feel otherwise that is your choice. Just be sure to vote Nov 4th!

My plan is to live in Salina all 12 months of the year. Salina is my home, I will be here.

I live in Salina full time and I'm not going anywhere.

1. I think the River Renewal Project is an incredible project for Salina, and will be an economic driver for the city, and provide a wonderful opportunity for citizens to enjoy all that the project will provide.

2. This subject is complicated. The water department tests water all over the city to ensure that our drinking water is safe. Water main repairs and replacement are paid for with the water bills we pay every month. Currently, the need outpaces the water rates in the bills that we pay. Mains that are affecting water quality are highest on the replacement list The water department is not responsible for the lines that run from the mains to the homes. Water quality can also be affected by a homeowner's line as well. Also, there are fewer contractors in Salina that do that kind of work. We do not often attract bidders from a distance for water projects. That can affect competitiveness of bids for projects. That factor may limit the number of projects that can be built.

3. Street maintenance is always an issue, but I believe that the city is generally keeping up with maintenance, thanks to the special sales tax that was passed when I was on the commission.

1. My biggest concern with the river renewal project is the overall and unknown real cost to the taxpayers. This will also include an unending cost of maintenance for a recreational area that will only be visited in large numbers five or six months out of the year. Yet, it will still need to be maintained with a group of people that will grow our city government even more. I would like to see it cleaned out and see if there is a way to make sure that some river water can move through it. Not the current system of street water runoff. That being said, how much of the silt that is full of chemicals and contaminants will need to be removed and what will be done with that contaminated soil. I foresee a very long and expensive project just to clean it out. I am all for cleaning and trying to move a certain amount of water through it to avoid the current stagnant water problem we have now.

2. No, the current schedule for replacing the aging water main should be increased to put us on a much faster timeline to ensure that all of our citizens are getting clean and safe water!

3. No, we have several older streets that need attention now. Salina seems to have problems maintaining what we already have and I would like to see us repairing and replacing streets before we worry about narrowing Crawford street or pushing for the roundabouts. Our street department can only do so much, so let's utilize them to fix what we already have to ensure that we have great streets that are safe for everyone.

1. As an avid amateur fisherman, I spend a lot of my fishing time on rivers around here, I would love to see a naturally flowing additional seven miles of navigable river right in my backyard! Unfortunately because of the price tag and future maintenance and very grand ideas of what this has turned into I just can't support it. I know we're supposed to receive a lot of grant money (grants come from tax revenues, it is still tax money) but we're also going to be on the hook for many many millions of dollars for this. We have a lot of needs in this community and this should not be at the top of any list.

2. I have heard from some people in the community that they don't have clean water and just get added to the list and sometimes it goes on for months and even years. I don't know how true this is but I will find out and if that is the case it would be a major problem for me. It feels like we have been overlooking basic needs in this community for a long time and focusing on shiny new things that benefit certain people.

3. Overall the streets are pretty good, some potholes in areas and some bad streets that have been bad for awhile, I just drove down Markley today and it has always been pretty bad. It is a never ending job and that's fine, it could maybe be a little more efficient.

1. I was not an early adopter of the river renewal project. I fully supported the river project, once I learned more details, and saw the long term benefits to the community. The votersof Salina approved a special sales tax in 2016 to move the project forward. When I signed the agreement with the Army Corp of Engineers last year I made the following statement. “We are restoring flow to the Smoky Hill River for future generations of Salinan’s”.

2. Currently 2 million dollars per year is allocated for watermain replacement. Watermain replacements are required not just due to quality, but reoccurring main breaks. We could certainly spend more, but the contractor may be limited to how many feet can be completed in each year. Nearly 2 miles of waterlines are currently out for bid with limited contractor engagement.

3. Yes, keeping up with street maintenance will always be a challenge in our climate. Much of the street maintenance budget is for sealing to prevent deterioration of streets. The street department uses a schedule to seal and resurface our main streets.

1. The RR Project, I'm not a fan. We have too many needs in our Community. The total price tag is somewhere 69 -100 million. A flyer distributed in 2022 had 37 million as the project total. 20 million in "Grant" money pledged. We do not have those funds. Other money pledged but not received. Keep in mind the New Fire Station was projected at 4 million, then 5, and now 9 million. 7 miles of new trails that would need people to maintain. 7 bridges to be replaced to facilitate the trail. Now is not the time. Building materials and labor is expensive. The plan is too grand!

2. This question kinda ties into the River Renewal question. We have needs. Let's get a handle on those. Clean healthy water out of the tap comes before Storm Drain water in the "River".

3. I believe the City maintains the streets fine. I would need more facts about Micro Surfacing I think it's called. Seems to be a bandaid type approach but maybe the cost/benefit facts justify its widespread use. I don't know why we, the City, struggle so much with snow. Snow happens and getting our secondary roads cleared seems to be more miss than hit.

Yes, the population of Salina is declining. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the city's population was 46,889 as of the 2020 census, but decreased to an estimated 46,127 as of July 1, 2024 (a 1.6% decline from the 2020 base).

Other estimates placed the 2023 population at around 45,792 to 46,432, with projections for 2025 as low as 45,257, reflecting an annual decline rate of approximately 0.5% to 0.6%.

The root causes are complicated but it comes down largely to aging population and out-migration of young adults and is not unique to Salina as much of Kansas is experiencing the same thing.

Memorial markers are allowed to temporarily preserve the memory of a person who died at a specific location on municipal property, such as a park. They are not intended for other messages or permanent installations.

The full process and details are available here: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/memorial-marker-placementbrochure-1/52261895

As of Monday, it was operating correctly again.

Deplaned:
2025: 555.1 passengers per week
2024: 372.8 passengers per week
Overall Average: 438.7 passengers per week
The data shows that 2025 had significantly higher deplaned passenger volumes compared to 2024, with an average increase of about 182 passengers per week. This represents a substantial 49% increase in deplaned passengers from 2024 to 2025.

Enplaned:
2025: 546.7 passengers per week
2024: 384.1 passengers per week
Overall Average: 442.8 passengers per week
Similar to the deplaned passengers, enplaned passengers also show a significant increase from 2024 to 2025, with an average increase of about 162.6 passengers per week. This represents a 42% increase in enplaned passengers from 2024 to 2025.
Comparing enplaned vs deplaned averages:

2025: Enplaned (546.7) vs Deplaned (555.1) - slightly more passengers deplaning
2024: Enplaned (384.1) vs Deplaned (372.8) - slightly more passengers enplaning

The Salina Police Department said the burglaries not being listed might be due to a change of categories with the new dispatch system. They are getting with the company to check on an update to the system.