Salina City will soon be the proud owners of a street sweeping machine after an approval of the purchase was made at the recent council meeting held Wednesday, March 13. The maintenance department and Councilman Kevin Mickelsen have been on the search for an affordable sweeper for some time and the council members were all in agreement on moving forward with the purchase. It’s not new but has been refurbished into new condition prior to the sale.
“We will have to open and amend the budget for this purpose,” said Mayor Jed Maxwell, “But this will be good to have. We’ve been trying to get one in Salina for over twenty years.”
Last year grant money was used to hire a sweeper to clean the parade route in town and the cost was a “crazy amount”, almost $8,000 for just that area, let alone the entire town, which would cost closer to $20,000 each time, much to the council’s disappointment.
The state road department sweeps the state roads once each year, and with the purchase of their own equipment, the employees feel the city will keep in much cleaner condition. The maintenance department is also working on tearing down the brick wall inside Main Street’s corridor, and though it’s time consuming, the result is intended to keep the citizen safe from hazards there.
Also, at the meeting the council approved the purchase of flowers for the cemetery, veteran’s memorial, and hanging baskets on Main Street. They’re also looking for volunteers willing to help water them all this summer. There was discussion regarding summer help for the department and talk of weed control and areas that could possibly be professionally sterilized to combat noxious weeds.
