City of Salina looking to move public notices online
The City of Salina has started the process to move public notices onto the city's website this week.
During its meeting Monday, the Salina City Commission voted, on first reading, to "charter out" of a Kansas statute requiring it to publish legal notices in a print newspaper. This is the first step the city will need to take if it wishes to move such notices to the city's website.
"Adoption of this charter ordinance would allow, in the future, if the city commission decided to, to designate the city website as the official city newspaper," said Shawn Henessee, assistant city manager.
Henessee said this measure, which will still have to passed on second reading, would not actually change the current official city newspaper.
"This is merely a precursor step," Henessee said. "This charter ordinance continues to leave the Salina Journal as the official city newspaper until such time that you, by adopting a resolution, designate the...city website or some other paper as the official city newspaper."
The commissioners asked if it was possible to begin the process of publishing notices on the city website before a change was official.
"Moving forward is there any reason why we can't go ahead and publish to the website as well as what's required, to get the ball rolling," Commissioner Bill Longbine said.
Commissioner Karl Ryan agreed that it may be a good idea to begin publishing notices on the website as a way to test the practice before a possible change.
Longbine said this would also give the public a chance to get used to the idea of finding notices on the website as opposed to in the newspaper.
In the end, the commissioners voted 5-0 in favor of "chartering out" of the Kansas statute. The issue will face a second reading and vote, most likely at the next scheduled regular meeting. If passed on second reading, the ordinance will be published and have 60 days of a possible petition period before it goes into effect.
More: City of Salina website has a new look. Here's how it makes residents' city business easier
Other commission business
The Salina City Commission meeting also included the following items:
Approval, on first reading, an ordinance levying special assessments against properties for the cost of abatement of nuisances.
Voting unanimously to authorize the mayor to sign a letter by the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce to ask Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and Salina Regional Health Center to continue negotiations on the issue of placing the health center out of network.
Approval of a resolution to submit a grant application to the Federal Home Loan Bank Topeka for the Affordable Housing Program.
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina government begins process of moving public notices online
